WorldWideScience

Sample records for group effect sizes

  1. Effects of Group Size on Students Mathematics Achievement in Small Group Settings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Enu, Justice; Danso, Paul Amoah; Awortwe, Peter K.

    2015-01-01

    An ideal group size is hard to obtain in small group settings; hence there are groups with more members than others. The purpose of the study was to find out whether group size has any effects on students' mathematics achievement in small group settings. Two third year classes of the 2011/2012 academic year were selected from two schools in the…

  2. Group-size effect on scanning behaviour of Maasai Ostrich Struthio ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Group-size effect on scanning behaviour of Maasai Ostrich Struthio camelus ... minute) among different group sizes in late 2006 in Serengeti National Park, ... be influenced by factors other than group size, such as body size and habitat type.

  3. Accounting for One-Group Clustering in Effect-Size Estimation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Citkowicz, Martyna; Hedges, Larry V.

    2013-01-01

    In some instances, intentionally or not, study designs are such that there is clustering in one group but not in the other. This paper describes methods for computing effect size estimates and their variances when there is clustering in only one group and the analysis has not taken that clustering into account. The authors provide the effect size…

  4. Predation, scramble competition, and the vigilance group size effect in dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steven L. Lima; Patrick A. Zollner; Peter A. Bednekoff

    1999-01-01

    In socially feeding birds and mammals, as group size increases, individuals devote less time to scanning their environment and more time to feeding. This vigilance "group size effect" has long been attributed to the anti-predatory benefits of group living, but many investigators have suggested that this effect may be driven by scramble competition for limited...

  5. Within-Group Effect-Size Benchmarks for Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Children and Adolescents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rubin, Allen; Washburn, Micki; Schieszler, Christine

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: This article provides benchmark data on within-group effect sizes from published randomized clinical trials (RCTs) supporting the efficacy of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) for traumatized children. Methods: Within-group effect-size benchmarks for symptoms of trauma, anxiety, and depression were calculated via the…

  6. The effect of group size on vigilance in Ruddy Turnstones

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fuller, R.A.; Bearhop, S.; Metcalfe, N.B.; Piersma, T.

    2013-01-01

    Foraging birds can manage time spent vigilant for predators by forming groups of various sizes. However, group size alone will not always reliably determine the optimal level of vigilance. For example, variation in predation risk or food quality between patches may also be influential. In a field

  7. Group heterogeneity increases the risks of large group size: a longitudinal study of productivity in research groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cummings, Jonathon N; Kiesler, Sara; Bosagh Zadeh, Reza; Balakrishnan, Aruna D

    2013-06-01

    Heterogeneous groups are valuable, but differences among members can weaken group identification. Weak group identification may be especially problematic in larger groups, which, in contrast with smaller groups, require more attention to motivating members and coordinating their tasks. We hypothesized that as groups increase in size, productivity would decrease with greater heterogeneity. We studied the longitudinal productivity of 549 research groups varying in disciplinary heterogeneity, institutional heterogeneity, and size. We examined their publication and citation productivity before their projects started and 5 to 9 years later. Larger groups were more productive than smaller groups, but their marginal productivity declined as their heterogeneity increased, either because their members belonged to more disciplines or to more institutions. These results provide evidence that group heterogeneity moderates the effects of group size, and they suggest that desirable diversity in groups may be better leveraged in smaller, more cohesive units.

  8. Nonlinear effects of group size on the success of wolves hunting elk

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacNulty, Daniel R.; Smith, Douglas W.; Mech, L. David; Vucetich, John A.; Packer, Craig

    2012-01-01

    Despite the popular view that social predators live in groups because group hunting facilitates prey capture, the apparent tendency for hunting success to peak at small group sizes suggests that the formation of large groups is unrelated to prey capture. Few empirical studies, however, have tested for nonlinear relationships between hunting success and group size, and none have demonstrated why success trails off after peaking. Here, we use a unique dataset of observations of individually known wolves (Canis lupus) hunting elk (Cervus elaphus) in Yellowstone National Park to show that the relationship between success and group size is indeed nonlinear and that individuals withholding effort (free riding) is why success does not increase across large group sizes. Beyond 4 wolves, hunting success leveled off, and individual performance (a measure of effort) decreased for reasons unrelated to interference from inept hunters, individual age, or size. But performance did drop faster among wolves with an incentive to hold back, i.e., nonbreeders with no dependent offspring, those performing dangerous predatory tasks, i.e., grabbing and restraining prey, and those in groups of proficient hunters. These results suggest that decreasing performance was free riding and that was why success leveled off in groups with >4 wolves that had superficially appeared to be cooperating. This is the first direct evidence that nonlinear trends in group hunting success reflect a switch from cooperation to free riding. It also highlights how hunting success per se is unlikely to promote formation and maintenance of large groups.

  9. 36 CFR 13.905 - Group size.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Group size. 13.905 Section 13... § 13.905 Group size. (a) The following are prohibited: (1) Group sizes exceeding 12 individuals on the east side of the park outside the Frontcountry Developed Area as defined by this subpart. (2) Group...

  10. A re-examination of the effect of contextual group size on people's attitude to risk

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kazumi Shimizu

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Using Kahneman and Tversky's life-death decision paradigm, Wang and colleagues (e.g., Wang and Johnston, 1995; Wang, 1996a, 1996b, 1996c, 2008; Wang et al., 2001 have shown two characteristic phenomena regarding people's attitude to risk when the contextual group size is manipulated. In both positive and negative frames, people tend to take greater risks in life-death decisions as the contextual group size becomes smaller; this risk-seeking attitude is greater when framed positively than negatively. (This second characteristic often leads to the disappearance of the framing effect in small group contexts comprising of 6 or 60 people. Their results could shed new light on the effect of contextual group size on people's risk choice. However these results are usually observed in laboratory experiments with university student samples. This study aims to examine the external validity of these results through different ways of experimentation and with a different sample base. The first characteristic was replicated in both a face-to-face interview with a randomly selected sample of the Japanese general public, and a web-based experiment with a non-student sample, but not the second.

  11. Nest Digging by Leaf-Cutting Ants: Effect of Group Size and Functional Structures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roberto da Silva Camargo

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Leaf-cutting ant workers dig underground chambers, for housing their symbiotic fungus, interconnected by a vast quantity of tunnels whose function is to permit the entrance of food (leaves, gaseous exchanges, and movement of workers, offspring, and the queen. Digging is a task executed by a group of workers, but little is known about the group effect and group-constructed functional structures. Thus, we analyzed the structures formed by worker groups (5, 10, 20, and 40 individuals of the leaf-cutting ant, Atta sexdens rubropilosa, for 2 days of excavation. The digging arena was the same for the 4 groups, with each group corresponding to a different density. Our results verified a pattern of tunneling by the workers, but no chamber was constructed. The group effect is well known, since the 40-worker group dug significantly more than the groups of 5, 10, and 20. These groups did not differ statistically from each other. Analysis of load/worker verified that workers of the smallest group carried the greatest load. Our paper demonstrates the group effect on the digging of nests, namely, that excavation is proportional to group size, but without emergence of a functional structure such as a chamber.

  12. Discrete hierarchical organization of social group sizes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, W-X; Sornette, D; Hill, R A; Dunbar, R I M

    2005-02-22

    The 'social brain hypothesis' for the evolution of large brains in primates has led to evidence for the coevolution of neocortical size and social group sizes, suggesting that there is a cognitive constraint on group size that depends, in some way, on the volume of neural material available for processing and synthesizing information on social relationships. More recently, work on both human and non-human primates has suggested that social groups are often hierarchically structured. We combine data on human grouping patterns in a comprehensive and systematic study. Using fractal analysis, we identify, with high statistical confidence, a discrete hierarchy of group sizes with a preferred scaling ratio close to three: rather than a single or a continuous spectrum of group sizes, humans spontaneously form groups of preferred sizes organized in a geometrical series approximating 3-5, 9-15, 30-45, etc. Such discrete scale invariance could be related to that identified in signatures of herding behaviour in financial markets and might reflect a hierarchical processing of social nearness by human brains.

  13. Effect of Group-Selection Opening Size on Breeding Bird Habitat Use in a Bottomland Forest

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moorman, C.E.; D.C. Guynn, Jr.

    2001-12-01

    Research on the effects of creating group-selection openings of various sizes on breeding birds habitat use in a bottomland hardwood forest of the Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina. Creation of 0.5-ha group selection openings in southern bottomland forests should provide breeding habitat for some field-edge species in gaps and habitat for forest-interior species and canopy-dwelling forest-edge species between gaps provided that enough mature forest is made available.

  14. Effects of Group Size and Lack of Sphericity on the Recovery of Clusters in K-Means Cluster Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Craen, Saskia; Commandeur, Jacques J. F.; Frank, Laurence E.; Heiser, Willem J.

    2006-01-01

    K-means cluster analysis is known for its tendency to produce spherical and equally sized clusters. To assess the magnitude of these effects, a simulation study was conducted, in which populations were created with varying departures from sphericity and group sizes. An analysis of the recovery of clusters in the samples taken from these…

  15. Metastable structures and size effects in small group dynamics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosapia eLauro Grotto

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available In his seminal works on group dynamics Bion defined a specific therapeutic setting allowing psychoanalytic observations on group phenomena. In describing the setting he proposed that the group was where his voice arrived. This physical limit was later made operative by assuming that the natural dimension of a therapeutic group is around 12 people. Bion introduced a theory of the group aspects of the mind in which proto-mental individual states spontaneously evolve into shared psychological states that are characterized by a series of features: 1 they emerge as a consequence of the natural tendency of (both conscious and unconscious emotions to combine into structured group patterns; 2 they have a certain degree of stability in time; 3 they tend to alternate so that the dissolution of one is rapidly followed by the emergence of another; 4 they can be described in qualitative terms according to the nature of the emotional mix that dominates the state, in structural terms by a kind of typical 'leadership’ pattern, and in 'cognitive’ terms by a set of implicit expectations that are helpful in explaining the group behavior (i.e. the group behaves 'as if’ it was assuming that…. Here we adopt a formal approach derived from Socio-physics in order to explore some of the structural and dynamic properties of this small group dynamics. We will described data from an analytic DS model simulating small group interactions of agents endowed with a very simplified emotional and cognitive dynamic in order to assess the following main points: 1 are metastable collective states allowed to emerge in the model and if so, under which conditions in the parameter space? 3 can these states be differentiated in structural terms? 3 to what extent are the emergent dynamic features of the systems dependent of the system size? We will finally discuss possible future applications of the quantitative descriptions of the interaction structure in the small group clinical

  16. Metastable structures and size effects in small group dynamics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lauro Grotto, Rosapia; Guazzini, Andrea; Bagnoli, Franco

    2014-01-01

    In his seminal works on group dynamics Bion defined a specific therapeutic setting allowing psychoanalytic observations on group phenomena. In describing the setting he proposed that the group was where his voice arrived. This physical limit was later made operative by assuming that the natural dimension of a therapeutic group is around 12 people. Bion introduced a theory of the group aspects of the mind in which proto-mental individual states spontaneously evolve into shared psychological states that are characterized by a series of features: (1) they emerge as a consequence of the natural tendency of (both conscious and unconscious) emotions to combine into structured group patterns; (2) they have a certain degree of stability in time; (3) they tend to alternate so that the dissolution of one is rapidly followed by the emergence of another; (4) they can be described in qualitative terms according to the nature of the emotional mix that dominates the state, in structural terms by a kind of typical "leadership" pattern, and in "cognitive" terms by a set of implicit expectations that are helpful in explaining the group behavior (i.e., the group behaves "as if" it was assuming that). Here we adopt a formal approach derived from Socio-physics in order to explore some of the structural and dynamic properties of this small group dynamics. We will described data from an analytic DS model simulating small group interactions of agents endowed with a very simplified emotional and cognitive dynamic in order to assess the following main points: (1) are metastable collective states allowed to emerge in the model and if so, under which conditions in the parameter space? (2) can these states be differentiated in structural terms? (3) to what extent are the emergent dynamic features of the systems dependent of the system size? We will finally discuss possible future applications of the quantitative descriptions of the interaction structure in the small group clinical setting.

  17. Evolution of students’ friendship networks: Examining the influence of group size

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valentina Sokolovska

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available  The main aim of this study was to examine the effect of the network size on formation and evolution of students’ friendship relations. Data was collected from two groups of sociology freshmen: a group from the University of Belgrade, which represents a larger group, and a group from the University of Novi Sad, which represents a smaller group. The data was collected in three periods of one academic year. We analyzed the structural features of students’ networks and constructed a stochastic model of network evolution in order to explore how friendships form and change during one year. The results showed that structural features of the larger and the smaller group differ in each stage of friendship formation. At the beginning of group forming, small world structure was noticeable in the larger group, although full small world structure was not confirmed in both groups. Furthermore, transitivity of triads had effect on the evolution of the larger network, while balance or structural equivalence had effect on the evolution of the smaller network. Results of the structural analysis are in line with findings of the network evolution model and together they provide an insight into how friendship evolves in groups of different sizes.

  18. Group size and social conflict in complex societies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Sheng-Feng; Akçay, Erol; Rubenstein, Dustin R

    2014-02-01

    Conflicts of interest over resources or reproduction among individuals in a social group have long been considered to result in automatic and universal costs to group living. However, exploring how social conflict varies with group size has produced mixed empirical results. Here we develop a model that generates alternative predictions for how social conflict should vary with group size depending on the type of benefits gained from being in a social group. We show that a positive relationship between social conflict and group size is favored when groups form primarily for the benefits of sociality but not when groups form mainly for accessing group-defended resources. Thus, increased social conflict in animal societies should not be viewed as an automatic cost of larger social groups. Instead, studying the relationship between social conflict and the types of grouping benefits will be crucial for understanding the evolution of complex societies.

  19. Fluctuating survival selection explains variation in avian group size.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Charles R; Brown, Mary Bomberger; Roche, Erin A; O'Brien, Valerie A; Page, Catherine E

    2016-05-03

    Most animal groups vary extensively in size. Because individuals in certain sizes of groups often have higher apparent fitness than those in other groups, why wide group size variation persists in most populations remains unexplained. We used a 30-y mark-recapture study of colonially breeding cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) to show that the survival advantages of different colony sizes fluctuated among years. Colony size was under both stabilizing and directional selection in different years, and reversals in the sign of directional selection regularly occurred. Directional selection was predicted in part by drought conditions: birds in larger colonies tended to be favored in cooler and wetter years, and birds in smaller colonies in hotter and drier years. Oscillating selection on colony size likely reflected annual differences in food availability and the consequent importance of information transfer, and/or the level of ectoparasitism, with the net benefit of sociality varying under these different conditions. Averaged across years, there was no net directional change in selection on colony size. The wide range in cliff swallow group size is probably maintained by fluctuating survival selection and represents the first case, to our knowledge, in which fitness advantages of different group sizes regularly oscillate over time in a natural vertebrate population.

  20. Group size, grooming and fission in primates: a modeling approach based on group structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sueur, Cédric; Deneubourg, Jean-Louis; Petit, Odile; Couzin, Iain D

    2011-03-21

    In social animals, fission is a common mode of group proliferation and dispersion and may be affected by genetic or other social factors. Sociality implies preserving relationships between group members. An increase in group size and/or in competition for food within the group can result in decrease certain social interactions between members, and the group may split irreversibly as a consequence. One individual may try to maintain bonds with a maximum of group members in order to keep group cohesion, i.e. proximity and stable relationships. However, this strategy needs time and time is often limited. In addition, previous studies have shown that whatever the group size, an individual interacts only with certain grooming partners. There, we develop a computational model to assess how dynamics of group cohesion are related to group size and to the structure of grooming relationships. Groups' sizes after simulated fission are compared to observed sizes of 40 groups of primates. Results showed that the relationship between grooming time and group size is dependent on how each individual attributes grooming time to its social partners, i.e. grooming a few number of preferred partners or grooming equally or not all partners. The number of partners seemed to be more important for the group cohesion than the grooming time itself. This structural constraint has important consequences on group sociality, as it gives the possibility of competition for grooming partners, attraction for high-ranking individuals as found in primates' groups. It could, however, also have implications when considering the cognitive capacities of primates. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Optimizing trial design in pharmacogenetics research: comparing a fixed parallel group, group sequential, and adaptive selection design on sample size requirements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boessen, Ruud; van der Baan, Frederieke; Groenwold, Rolf; Egberts, Antoine; Klungel, Olaf; Grobbee, Diederick; Knol, Mirjam; Roes, Kit

    2013-01-01

    Two-stage clinical trial designs may be efficient in pharmacogenetics research when there is some but inconclusive evidence of effect modification by a genomic marker. Two-stage designs allow to stop early for efficacy or futility and can offer the additional opportunity to enrich the study population to a specific patient subgroup after an interim analysis. This study compared sample size requirements for fixed parallel group, group sequential, and adaptive selection designs with equal overall power and control of the family-wise type I error rate. The designs were evaluated across scenarios that defined the effect sizes in the marker positive and marker negative subgroups and the prevalence of marker positive patients in the overall study population. Effect sizes were chosen to reflect realistic planning scenarios, where at least some effect is present in the marker negative subgroup. In addition, scenarios were considered in which the assumed 'true' subgroup effects (i.e., the postulated effects) differed from those hypothesized at the planning stage. As expected, both two-stage designs generally required fewer patients than a fixed parallel group design, and the advantage increased as the difference between subgroups increased. The adaptive selection design added little further reduction in sample size, as compared with the group sequential design, when the postulated effect sizes were equal to those hypothesized at the planning stage. However, when the postulated effects deviated strongly in favor of enrichment, the comparative advantage of the adaptive selection design increased, which precisely reflects the adaptive nature of the design. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  2. Group size effects on survivorship and adult development in the gregarious larvae of Euselasia chrysippe (Lepidoptera, Riodinidae)

    Science.gov (United States)

    P. E. Allen

    2010-01-01

    Caterpillars living in aggregations may derive several benefits that outweigh the costs, including better survivorship and improved growth rates. I tested whether larval group size had an effect on these two vital rates in Euselasia chrysippe. These caterpillars feed gregariously during all instars and move in processionary form over the host plant...

  3. Effects of Stocking Density or Group Size on Intake, Growth, and Meat Quality of Hanwoo Steers (

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sang Moo Lee

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available This study was conducted to investigate the effects of stocking density or group size on feed intake, daily gain, and carcass characteristics of Hanwoo (Korean indigenous breed steers reared from 7 months to 31 months of age. Thirty Hanwoo steers were divided into four groups with three replicates each (a total of 12 pens. In each group, one (G1, two (G2, three (G3, and four steers (G4 per pen were allocated as treatments. Pen size was 32.0 m2, and therefore Hanwoo steers in G1, G2, G3, and G4 were reared under different space allowances, i.e. 32.0, 16.0, 10.6, and 8.0 m2/steer, respectively. Steers were reared following a conventional beef cattle management method in Korea, and were offered a fixed amount of commercial concentrate with ad libitum forages. Results were subjected to analysis of variance with stocking density as the main effect, and significance was declared at p<0.05. Although total feed intake was not significantly altered, it numerically increased in animals of low stocking density (G1 compared to those subjected to high stocking density treatment (i.e. G4. Feed conversion ratio was higher (p<0.05 in G3 compared to G1 and G2. Animals in G1 (low stocking density grew faster (p<0.05 than those of high stocking density (G3 and G4. Back fat thickness, meat yield index, and meat yield grade were similar among all levels of stocking density. However, longissimus muscle area was larger in G1 and G2 (p<0.01 compared to G3 and G4, and animals in G3 produced smaller carcasses (p<0.05. Carcass quality traits, including marbling score, meat color, fat color, texture, maturity and meat quality grade, as determined by a group of experts, were not significantly different among the treatments. In conclusion, lower stocking density resulted in increased feed efficiency, daily gain, and carcass weight in Hanwoo steers. However it remains unclear whether such differences are the results of stocking density or group size, or a combination of both

  4. The effect of group size on vigilance in Ruddy Turnstones Arenaria interpres varies with foraging habitat

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fuller, Richard A.; Bearhop, Stuart; Metcalfe, Neil B.; Piersma, Theunis

    Foraging birds can manage time spent vigilant for predators by forming groups of various sizes. However, group size alone will not always reliably determine the optimal level of vigilance. For example, variation in predation risk or food quality between patches may also be influential. In a field

  5. Finite groups with three conjugacy class sizes of some elements

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Conjugacy class sizes; p-nilpotent groups; finite groups. 1. Introduction. All groups ... group G has exactly two conjugacy class sizes of elements of prime power order. .... [5] Huppert B, Character Theory of Finite Groups, de Gruyter Exp. Math.

  6. Liquidity Determinants of the Selected Banking Sectors and their Size Groups

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jana Laštůvková

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The article focuses on the factors affecting the liquidity of selected bank sectors, as well as their size groups, using panel regression analysis. For higher complexity of the results, multiple dependent variables are used: liquidity creation, outflow and net change. The values are calculated based on the specific method of liquidity risk measurement – gross liquidity flows. The results indicate both multiple effects of some factors on the given variables, as well as isolated influence of factors on a single liquidity form or size group. Thus, when looking for determinants using just one form of liquidity, such as creation, the results need not necessarily comprehensively show the influence of the given factors, and can lead to erroneous conclusions. The results also point to the differing behaviours of the size groups and their different sensitivity on the factors; smaller banks have shown higher sensitivity on macroeconomic variables. Higher flexibility in regulation could lead to higher optimization.

  7. Effects of group size on behaviour, growth and occurrence of bite marks in farmed mink

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Axelsson, Helene M. K.; Hansen, Steffen W.; Loberg, Jenny

    2017-01-01

    The aims of this study were to investigate the occurrence of stereotypic behaviours and the activity level in farmed mink when group housed in climbing cages and if group housing increase aggression by assessing the prevalence of bite marks. This was studied in juvenile mink of the colour types...... sunset during six periods of five days each from August-October. After pelting, the leather side of the undried skins were visually inspected for bite marks. Stereotypic behaviours were infrequent (0.1% of observations). Pair housed mink in climbing cages were more "inactive out in cage" than pair housed...... mink in standard cages (p 0.0001), but cage type had no effect on the behaviours "being in nest box", "active out in cage", "interactions with enrichments" or "social interactions" (n.s.). Group sizes of three or four mink increased the behaviours "active out in cage" (P 0.0001) and decreased "being...

  8. Estimation of Tooth Size Discrepancies among Different Malocclusion Groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasija, Narender; Bala, Madhu; Goyal, Virender

    2014-05-01

    Regards and Tribute: Late Dr Narender Hasija was a mentor and visionary in the light of knowledge and experience. We pay our regards with deepest gratitude to the departed soul to rest in peace. Bolton's ratios help in estimating overbite, overjet relationships, the effects of contemplated extractions on posterior occlusion, incisor relationships and identification of occlusal misfit produced by tooth size discrepancies. To determine any difference in tooth size discrepancy in anterior as well as overall ratio in different malocclusions and comparison with Bolton's study. After measuring the teeth on all 100 patients, Bolton's analysis was performed. Results were compared with Bolton's means and standard deviations. The results were also subjected to statistical analysis. Results show that the mean and standard deviations of ideal occlusion cases are comparable with those Bolton but, when the mean and standard deviation of malocclusion groups are compared with those of Bolton, the values of standard deviation are higher, though the mean is comparable. How to cite this article: Hasija N, Bala M, Goyal V. Estimation of Tooth Size Discrepancies among Different Malocclusion Groups. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2014;7(2):82-85.

  9. The effect of peer-group size on the delivery of feedback in basic life support refresher training: a cluster randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Youngsuk; Je, Sangmo; Yoon, Yoo Sang; Roh, Hye Rin; Chang, Chulho; Kang, Hyunggoo; Lim, Taeho

    2016-07-04

    Students are largely providing feedback to one another when instructor facilitates peer feedback rather than teaching in group training. The number of students in a group affect the learning of students in the group training. We aimed to investigate whether a larger group size increases students' test scores on a post-training test with peer feedback facilitated by instructor after video-guided basic life support (BLS) refresher training. Students' one-rescuer adult BLS skills were assessed by a 2-min checklist-based test 1 year after the initial training. A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of student number in a group on BLS refresher training. Participants included 115 final-year medical students undergoing their emergency medicine clerkship. The median number of students was 8 in the large groups and 4 in the standard group. The primary outcome was to examine group differences in post-training test scores after video-guided BLS training. Secondary outcomes included the feedback time, number of feedback topics, and results of end-of-training evaluation questionnaires. Scores on the post-training test increased over three consecutive tests with instructor-led peer feedback, but not differ between large and standard groups. The feedback time was longer and number of feedback topics generated by students were higher in standard groups compared to large groups on the first and second tests. The end-of-training questionnaire revealed that the students in large groups preferred the smaller group size compared to their actual group size. In this BLS refresher training, the instructor-led group feedback increased the test score after tutorial video-guided BLS learning, irrespective of the group size. A smaller group size allowed more participations in peer feedback.

  10. Nonapeptides and the Evolution of Social Group Sizes in Birds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James L. Goodson

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Species-typical patterns of grouping have profound impacts on many aspects of physiology and behavior. However, prior to our recent studies in estrildid finches, neural mechanisms that titrate species-typical group size preferences, independent of other aspects of social organization (e.g., mating system and parental care, have been wholly unexplored, likely because species-typical group size is typically confounded with other aspects of behavior and biology. An additional complication is that components of social organization are evolutionarily labile and prone to repeated divergence and convergence. Hence, we cannot assume that convergence in social structure has been produced by convergent modifications to the same neural characters, and thus any comparative approach to grouping must include not only species that differ in their species-typical group sizes, but also species that exhibit convergent evolution in this aspect of social organization. Using five estrildid finch species that differ selectively in grouping (all biparental and monogamous we have demonstrated that neural motivational systems evolve in predictable ways in relation to species-typical group sizes, including convergence in two highly gregarious species and convergence in two relatively asocial, territorial species. These systems include nonapeptide (vasotocin and mesotocin circuits that encode the valence of social stimuli (positive-negative, titrate group-size preferences, and modulate anxiety-like behaviors. Nonapeptide systems exhibit functional and anatomical properties that are biased towards gregarious species, and experimental reductions of nonapeptide signaling by receptor antagonism and antisense oligonucleotides significantly decrease preferred group sizes in the gregarious zebra finch. Combined, these findings suggest that selection on species-typical group size may reliably target the same neural motivation systems when a given social structure evolves

  11. Interteaching: The Effects of Discussion Group Size on Undergraduate Student Performance and Preference

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gutierrez, Michael

    2017-01-01

    Interteaching is a college teaching method grounded in the principles of applied behavior analysis. Research on interteaching demonstrates that it improves academic performance, and students report greater satisfaction with interteaching as compared to traditional teaching styles. The current study investigates whether discussion group size, a…

  12. Analyzing indirect effects in cluster randomized trials. The effect of estimation method, number of groups and group sizes on accuracy and power.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joop eHox

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Cluster randomized trials assess the effect of an intervention that is carried out at the group or cluster level. Ajzen’s theory of planned behaviour is often used to model the effect of the intervention as an indirect effect mediated in turn by attitude, norms and behavioural intention. Structural equation modelling (SEM is the technique of choice to estimate indirect effects and their significance. However, this is a large sample technique, and its application in a cluster randomized trial assumes a relatively large number of clusters. In practice, the number of clusters in these studies tends to be relatively small, e.g. much less than fifty. This study uses simulation methods to find the lowest number of clusters needed when multilevel SEM is used to estimate the indirect effect. Maximum likelihood estimation is compared to Bayesian analysis, with the central quality criteria being accuracy of the point estimate and the confidence interval. We also investigate the power of the test for the indirect effect. We conclude that Bayes estimation works well with much smaller cluster level sample sizes such as 20 cases than maximum likelihood estimation; although the bias is larger the coverage is much better. When only 5 to 10 clusters are available per treatment condition even with Bayesian estimation problems occur.

  13. Ultrasound measurement of the size of the anterior tibial muscle group: the effect of exercise and leg dominance

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    McCreesh, Karen

    2011-09-13

    Abstract Background Knowledge of normal muscle characteristics is crucial in planning rehabilitation programmes for injured athletes. There is a high incidence of ankle and anterior tibial symptoms in football players, however little is known about the effect of limb dominance on the anterior tibial muscle group (ATMG). The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of limb dominance and sports-specific activity on ATMG thickness in Gaelic footballers and non-football playing controls using ultrasound measurements, and to compare results from transverse and longitudinal scans. Methods Bilateral ultrasound scans were taken to assess the ATMG size in 10 Gaelic footballers and 10 sedentary controls (age range 18-25 yrs), using a previously published protocol. Both transverse and longitudinal images were taken. Muscle thickness measurements were carried out blind to group and side of dominance, using the Image-J programme. Results Muscle thickness on the dominant leg was significantly greater than the non-dominant leg in the footballers with a mean difference of 7.3%, while there was no significant dominance effect in the controls (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the measurements from transverse or longitudinal scans. Conclusions A significant dominance effect exists in ATMG size in this group of Gaelic footballers, likely attributable to the kicking action involved in the sport. This should be taken into account when rehabilitating footballers with anterior tibial pathology. Ultrasound is a reliable tool to measure ATMG thickness, and measurement may be taken in transverse or longitudinal section.

  14. Effect size calculation in meta-analyses of psychotherapy outcome research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoyt, William T; Del Re, A C

    2018-05-01

    Meta-analysis of psychotherapy intervention research normally examines differences between treatment groups and some form of comparison group (e.g., wait list control; alternative treatment group). The effect of treatment is normally quantified as a standardized mean difference (SMD). We describe procedures for computing unbiased estimates of the population SMD from sample data (e.g., group Ms and SDs), and provide guidance about a number of complications that may arise related to effect size computation. These complications include (a) incomplete data in research reports; (b) use of baseline data in computing SMDs and estimating the population standard deviation (σ); (c) combining effect size data from studies using different research designs; and (d) appropriate techniques for analysis of data from studies providing multiple estimates of the effect of interest (i.e., dependent effect sizes). Clinical or Methodological Significance of this article: Meta-analysis is a set of techniques for producing valid summaries of existing research. The initial computational step for meta-analyses of research on intervention outcomes involves computing an effect size quantifying the change attributable to the intervention. We discuss common issues in the computation of effect sizes and provide recommended procedures to address them.

  15. The Role of Social Norms in the Portion Size Effect: Reducing normative relevance reduces the effect of portion size on consumption decisions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iris eVersluis

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available People typically eat more from large portions of food than from small portions. An explanation that has often been given for this so-called portion size effect is that the portion size acts as a social norm and as such communicates how much is appropriate to eat. In this paper, we tested this explanation by examining whether manipulating the relevance of the portion size as a social norm changes the portion size effect, as assessed by prospective consumption decisions. We conducted one pilot experiment and one full experiment in which participants respectively indicated how much they would eat or serve themselves from a given amount of different foods. In the pilot (N = 63, we manipulated normative relevance by allegedly basing the portion size on the behavior of either students of the own university (in-group or of another university (out-group. In the main experiment (N = 321, we told participants that either a minority or majority of people similar to them approved of the portion size. Results show that in both experiments, participants expected to serve themselves and to eat more from larger than from smaller portions. As expected, however, the portion size effect was less pronounced when the reference portions were allegedly based on the behavior of an out-group (pilot or approved only by a minority (main experiment. These findings suggest that the portion size indeed provides normative information, because participants were less influenced by it if it communicated the behaviors or values of a less relevant social group. In addition, in the main experiment, the relation between portion size and the expected amount served was partially mediated by the amount that was considered appropriate, suggesting that concerns about eating an appropriate amount indeed play a role in the portion size effect. However, since the portion size effect was weakened but not eliminated by the normative relevance manipulations and since mediation was only partial

  16. Structural effect of size on interracial friendship.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Siwei; Xie, Yu

    2013-04-30

    Social contexts exert structural effects on individuals' social relationships, including interracial friendships. In this study, we posit that, net of group composition, total context size has a distinct effect on interracial friendship. Under the assumptions of (i) maximization of preference in choosing a friend, (ii) multidimensionality of preference, and (iii) preference for same-race friends, we conducted analyses using microsimulation that yielded three main findings. First, increased context size decreases the likelihood of forming an interracial friendship. Second, the size effect increases with the number of preference dimensions. Third, the size effect is diluted by noise, i.e., the random component affecting friendship formation. Analysis of actual friendship data among 4,745 American high school students yielded results consistent with the main conclusion that increased context size promotes racial segregation and discourages interracial friendship.

  17. 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...

  18. Human Activity Dampens the Benefits of Group Size on Vigilance in Khulan (Equus hemionus in Western China.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mu-Yang Wang

    Full Text Available Animals receive anti-predator benefits from social behavior. As part of a group, individuals spend less time being vigilant, and vigilance decreases with increasing group size. This phenomenon, called "the many-eyes effect", together with the "encounter dilution effect", is considered among the most important factors determining individual vigilance behavior. However, in addition to group size, other social and environmental factors also influence the degree of vigilance, including disturbance from human activities. In our study, we examined vigilance behavior of Khulans (Equus hemionus in the Xinjiang Province in western China to test whether and how human disturbance and group size affect vigilance. According to our results, Khulan showed a negative correlation between group size and the percentage time spent vigilant, although this negative correlation depended on the groups' disturbance level. Khulan in the more disturbed area had a dampened benefit from increases in group size, compared to those in the undisturbed core areas. Provision of continuous areas of high-quality habitat for Khulans will allow them to form larger undisturbed aggregations and to gain foraging benefits through reduced individual vigilance, as well as anti-predator benefits through increased probability of predator detection.

  19. Human Activity Dampens the Benefits of Group Size on Vigilance in Khulan (Equus hemionus) in Western China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Mu-Yang; Ruckstuhl, Kathreen E; Xu, Wen-Xuan; Blank, David; Yang, Wei-Kang

    2016-01-01

    Animals receive anti-predator benefits from social behavior. As part of a group, individuals spend less time being vigilant, and vigilance decreases with increasing group size. This phenomenon, called "the many-eyes effect", together with the "encounter dilution effect", is considered among the most important factors determining individual vigilance behavior. However, in addition to group size, other social and environmental factors also influence the degree of vigilance, including disturbance from human activities. In our study, we examined vigilance behavior of Khulans (Equus hemionus) in the Xinjiang Province in western China to test whether and how human disturbance and group size affect vigilance. According to our results, Khulan showed a negative correlation between group size and the percentage time spent vigilant, although this negative correlation depended on the groups' disturbance level. Khulan in the more disturbed area had a dampened benefit from increases in group size, compared to those in the undisturbed core areas. Provision of continuous areas of high-quality habitat for Khulans will allow them to form larger undisturbed aggregations and to gain foraging benefits through reduced individual vigilance, as well as anti-predator benefits through increased probability of predator detection.

  20. Effect of group size on performance and egg quality of laying hens during 20 to 36 weeks of age

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fulvia Bovera

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to improve knowledge on the effect of group size on productive performance and egg quality of hens raised in furnished cages equally designed. A total of 520, 15-week-old Lohmann Brown laying hens were divided into 2 groups to have a similar initial body weight (average 1392±16.3 g. The cages of S25 group (240 L x 78 W x 50 H cm, 749 cm2/hen hosted a total of 200 hens, while those of S40 group (462 L x 65 W x 50 H, 751 cm2/hen included 320 birds. Experimental data were recorded after an adaptation period of 5 weeks (20 to 36 weeks of age. Hens were submitted to 15 h of light/d. The average temperature inside the building was 24.6±2.5°C over the entire experimental period with higher values at 24, 26, 28 and 30 weeks of age. The relative humidity recorded inside the building was 55% at week 20 and 60% all through the experimental period. Hens raised from S40 group had lower percentage of egg production (84.91 vs 88.90%, P<0.01 and higher feed conversion ratio (2.70 vs 2.25, P<0.0001 than S25 group. The percentage of eggs laid out of the nest was higher in S25 than S40 group (0.26 vs 0.19%, P<0.01. As expected, the week of age affected almost all the parameters (feed intake, body weight, laying percentage, egg weight, yolk, shell and albumen indexes, shell thickness, Haugh unit. However, the effect of group size was particularly evident during the hot period.

  1. Chromosome sizes of phytoplasmas composing major phylogenetic groups and subgroups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marcone, C; Neimark, H; Ragozzino, A; Lauer, U; Seemüller, E

    1999-09-01

    ABSTRACT Chromosome sizes of 71 phytoplasmas belonging to 12 major phylogenetic groups including several of the aster yellows subgroups were estimated from electrophoretic mobilities of full-length chromosomes in pulsed-field gels. Considerable variation in genome size, from 660 to 1,130 kilobases (kb), was observed among aster yellows phytoplasmas. Chromosome size heterogeneity was also observed in the stolbur phytoplasma group (range 860 to 1,350 kb); in this group, isolate STOLF contains the largest chromosome found in a phytoplasma to date. A wide range of chromosome sizes, from 670 to 1,075 kb, was also identified in the X-disease group. The other phytoplasmas examined, which included members of the apple proliferation, Italian alfalfa witches' broom, faba bean phyllody, pigeon pea witches' broom, sugarcane white leaf, Bermuda grass white leaf, ash yellows, clover proliferation, and elm yellows groups, all have chromosomes smaller than 1 megabase, and the size ranges within each of these groups is narrower than in the aster yellows, stolbur, and X-disease groups. The smallest chromosome, approximately 530 kb, was found in two Bermuda grass white leaf phytoplasma isolates. This not only is the smallest mollicute chromosome found to date, but also is the smallest chromosome known for any cell. More than one large DNA band was observed in several phytoplasma preparations. Possible explanations for the occurrence of more than one band may be infection of the host plant by different phytoplasmas, the presence of more than one chromosome in the same organism, or the presence of large extrachromosomal DNA elements.

  2. Influence of social mixing and group size on skin lesions and mounting in organic entire male pigs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomsen, Rikke; Edwards, Sandra A; Rousing, Tine

    2016-01-01

    in management procedures and production system might be needed. Elements from the organic pig production system might be beneficial in this aspect. The aim of this article is to investigate the effect of grouping strategy including social mixing and group size on levels of mounting behaviour and skin lesions...... at weaning. A second mixing occurred at insertion to fattening pens for pigs being regrouped. Counting of skin lesions (1348 or 1124 pigs) and registration of mounting behaviour (1434 or 1258 pigs) were done on two occasions during the experimental period. No interactive effects were found between social...... mixing and group size on either skin lesions or mounting frequency. Herd differences were found for both mounting frequency and number of skin lesions. No association between skin lesions and mounting were revealed. Social mixing and group size were shown as interacting effects with herds on mounting...

  3. Effective porosity and pore-throat sizes of Conasauga Group mudrock: Application, test and evaluation of petrophysical techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dorsch, J.; Katsube, T.J.; Sanford, W.E.; Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN; Dugan, B.E.; Tourkow, L.M.

    1996-04-01

    Effective porosity (specifically referring to the interconnected pore space) was recently recognized as being essential in determining the effectiveness and extent of matrix diffusion as a transport mechanism within fractured low-permeability rock formations. The research presented in this report was performed to test the applicability of several petrophysical techniques for the determination of effective porosity of fine-grained siliciclastic rocks. In addition, the aim was to gather quantitative data on the effective porosity of Conasauga Group mudrock from the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). The quantitative data reported here include not only effective porosities based on diverse measurement techniques, but also data on the sizes of pore throats and their distribution, and specimen bulk and grain densities. The petrophysical techniques employed include the immersion-saturation method, mercury and helium porosimetry, and the radial diffusion-cell method

  4. Viral Richness is Positively Related to Group Size, but Not Mating System, in Bats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Webber, Quinn M R; Fletcher, Quinn E; Willis, Craig K R

    2017-12-01

    Characterizing host traits that influence viral richness and diversification is important for understanding wildlife pathogens affecting conservation and/or human health. Behaviors that affect contact rates among hosts could be important for viral diversification because more frequent intra- and inter-specific contacts among hosts should increase the potential for viral diversification within host populations. We used published data on bats to test the contact-rate hypothesis. We predicted that species forming large conspecific groups, that share their range with more heterospecifics (i.e., sympatry), and with mating systems characterized by high contact rates (polygynandry: multi-male/multi-female), would host higher viral richness than species with small group sizes, lower sympatry, or low contact-rate mating systems (polygyny: single male/multi-female). Consistent with our hypothesis and previous research, viral richness was positively correlated with conspecific group size although the relationship plateaued at group sizes of approximately several hundred thousand bats. This pattern supports epidemiological theory that, up to a point, larger groups have higher contact rates, greater likelihood of acquiring and transmitting viruses, and ultimately greater potential for viral diversification. However, contrary to our hypothesis, there was no effect of sympatry on viral richness and no difference in viral richness between mating systems. We also found no residual effect of host phylogeny on viral richness, suggesting that closely related species do not necessarily host similar numbers of viruses. Our results support the contact-rate hypothesis that intra-specific viral transmission can enhance viral diversification within species and highlight the influence of host group size on the potential of viruses to propagate within host populations.

  5. Comparison of feeding behavior between two different-sized groups of Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata yakui).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurihara, Yosuke; Hanya, Goro

    2015-05-13

    Group-living animals face intragroup scramble and intergroup contest competitions. Many studies have shown that larger groups bear the costs of intragroup scramble competition, which negatively affects the reproductive success of females. Unlike most primate species, Japanese macaques in the Yakushima coastal forest show increased reproductive success with group size. However, it remains unclear how group size affects the behavior of macaques. The present study examined the effects of group size on the feeding behavior of Japanese macaques in the Yakushima coastal forest. We investigated 9-13 adult females from two different-sized groups via focal animal sampling during October 2012-August 2013. We compared the feeding behavior, including patch use, between the two groups. The larger group had a larger home range and spent more time feeding, especially on mature leaves. This suggests that intragroup feeding competition should be more intense in the larger group than in the smaller group. The feeding of mature leaves might enable the larger group to increase the number of co-feeding individuals. Contrary to the predictions that the larger group travels longer distances and spends more time moving, the smaller group traveled longer distances, and spent more time moving, although the number of visited patches did not differ between the two groups. The immediate consequences of the loss of inter-group encounters could accumulate as daily travel costs, considering that group size is associated with inter-group dominance and that intergroup aggressive encounters occur frequently in the Yakushima coastal forest. This suggests that the smaller group has increased travel costs as a result of intergroup contest competition, which leads to decline in reproductive success. Am. J. Primatol. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  6. Group selection on population size affects life-history patterns in the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bashey, Farrah; Lively, Curtis M

    2009-05-01

    Selection is recognized to operate on multiple levels. In disease organisms, selection among hosts is thought to provide an important counterbalance to selection for faster growth within hosts. We performed three experiments, each selecting for a divergence in group size in the entomopathogenic nematode, Steinernema carpocapsae. These nematodes infect and kill insect larvae, reproduce inside the host carcass, and emerge as infective juveniles. We imposed selection on group size by selecting among hosts for either high or low numbers of emerging nematodes. Our goal was to determine whether this trait could respond to selection at the group level, and if so, to examine what other traits would evolve as correlated responses. One of the three experiments showed a significant response to group selection. In that experiment, the high-selected treatment consistently produced more emerging nematodes per host than the low-selected treatment. In addition, nematodes were larger and they emerged later from hosts in the low-selected lines. Despite small effective population sizes, the effects of inbreeding were small in this experiment. Thus, selection among hosts can be effective, leading to both a direct evolutionary response at the population level, as well as to correlated responses in populational and individual traits.

  7. Effects of Seed Size on Germination and Early Morphorlogical and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Effects of Seed Size on Germination and Early Morphorlogical and Physiological Characteristics of Gmelina Arborea , Roxb. ... African Research Review ... They were grouped into 3 categories as large seed size (LSS), medium seed size ...

  8. Effects of reproductive status, social rank, sex and group size on vigilance patterns in Przewalski's gazelle.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chunlin Li

    Full Text Available Quantifying vigilance and exploring the underlying mechanisms has been the subject of numerous studies. Less attention has focused on the complex interplay between contributing factors such as reproductive status, social rank, sex and group size. Reproductive status and social rank are of particular interest due to their association with mating behavior. Mating activities in rutting season may interfere with typical patterns of vigilance and possibly interact with social rank. In addition, balancing the tradeoff between vigilance and life maintenance may represent a challenge for gregarious ungulate species rutting under harsh winter conditions. We studied vigilance patterns in the endangered Przewalski's gazelle (Procapra przewalskii during both the rutting and non-rutting seasons to examine these issues.Field observations were carried out with focal sampling during rutting and non-rutting season in 2008-2009. Results indicated a complex interplay between reproductive status, social rank, sex and group size in determining vigilance in this species. Vigilance decreased with group size in female but not in male gazelles. Males scanned more frequently and thus spent more time vigilant than females. Compared to non-rutting season, gazelles increased time spent scanning at the expense of bedding in rutting season. During the rutting season, territorial males spent a large proportion of time on rutting activities and were less vigilant than non-territorial males. Although territorial males may share collective risk detection with harem females, we suggest that they are probably more vulnerable to predation because they seemed reluctant to leave rut stands under threats.Vigilance behavior in Przewalski's gazelle was significantly affected by reproductive status, social rank, sex, group size and their complex interactions. These findings shed light on the mechanisms underlying vigilance patterns and the tradeoff between vigilance and other crucial

  9. Effects of group size and expectancy of reward on social loafing ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... years (mean age = 14.53). Results indicated that performance was significantly poorer in the group condition than in the alone condition (p. <05); and reward significantly attenuated social loafing effect in the group condition (p. <05). These observations were discussed in relation to the prevailing challenge in team work.

  10. Correlation of the size of undescended testis with its location in various age groups

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Taqvi, S R.H.; Akhtar, J; Batool, T; Farhat, M [National Inst. of child Health, Karachi (Pakistan). Dept. of Peadiatrics; Tabassum, R [National Inst. of Child Health, Karachi (Pakistan). Dept. of Radiology

    2006-09-15

    To assess the correlation of the size of undescended testis with its location in children of various age groups, per- operatively. Children presenting with undescended testis at surgical outpatient were recruited. Physical examination and relevant investigations (haemoglobin, ultrasound for location and size of testes) were performed. Patients were divided randomly into three age groups, group I (8 months - 2.5 years), group II (2.6 - 8 years), group III (8.1-13 years). At orchiopexy location and size of undescended testis were noted. Patients were further sub-divided into groups according to peroperative location of undescended testis, group A (intra-abdominal), group B (intra-canalicular), group C (distal to superficial inguinal ring - pubic). Where no testis was found, a separate group D was assigned. The size of undescended testis at different locations in various age groups was compared with reference to normal descended testicular size in the respective age group, for statistical significance. ANOVA test was used for intergroup comparison for the size of undescended testis and Student t- test was applied for comparison with reference to normal values of the size of testis. A total of 102 patients with undescended testis were included in the study. The total number of 107 testicular units were assessed. Group I had 28, group II, 41 and group III, 38 testes. There were 24 intra-abdominal, 68 intra-canalicular and 12 pubic in location. In 3 cases, no testis was found at exploration. We found no statistically significant difference amongst groups (p-value=0.090) between the size of the undescended testis at different peroperative locations. The size of undescended testis grew with the age as undescended testis of larger size were found in older age group as compared to younger age group. By applying Student t-test, we did not find statistically significant difference in relation to the size of undescended testis in various age groups in comparison to the

  11. Correlation of the size of undescended testis with its location in various age groups

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taqvi, S.R.H.; Akhtar, J.; Batool, T.; Farhat, M.; Tabassum, R.

    2006-01-01

    To assess the correlation of the size of undescended testis with its location in children of various age groups, per- operatively. Children presenting with undescended testis at surgical outpatient were recruited. Physical examination and relevant investigations (haemoglobin, ultrasound for location and size of testes) were performed. Patients were divided randomly into three age groups, group I (8 months - 2.5 years), group II (2.6 - 8 years), group III (8.1-13 years). At orchiopexy location and size of undescended testis were noted. Patients were further sub-divided into groups according to peroperative location of undescended testis, group A (intra-abdominal), group B (intra-canalicular), group C (distal to superficial inguinal ring - pubic). Where no testis was found, a separate group D was assigned. The size of undescended testis at different locations in various age groups was compared with reference to normal descended testicular size in the respective age group, for statistical significance. ANOVA test was used for intergroup comparison for the size of undescended testis and Student t- test was applied for comparison with reference to normal values of the size of testis. A total of 102 patients with undescended testis were included in the study. The total number of 107 testicular units were assessed. Group I had 28, group II, 41 and group III, 38 testes. There were 24 intra-abdominal, 68 intra-canalicular and 12 pubic in location. In 3 cases, no testis was found at exploration. We found no statistically significant difference amongst groups (p-value=0.090) between the size of the undescended testis at different peroperative locations. The size of undescended testis grew with the age as undescended testis of larger size were found in older age group as compared to younger age group. By applying Student t-test, we did not find statistically significant difference in relation to the size of undescended testis in various age groups in comparison to the

  12. Whistle rates of wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): influences of group size and behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quick, Nicola J; Janik, Vincent M

    2008-08-01

    In large social groups acoustic communication signals are prone to signal masking by conspecific sounds. Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) use highly distinctive signature whistles that counter masking effects. However, they can be found in very large groups where masking by conspecific sounds may become unavoidable. In this study we used passive acoustic localization to investigate how whistle rates of wild bottlenose dolphins change in relation to group size and behavioral context. We found that individual whistle rates decreased when group sizes got larger. Dolphins displayed higher whistle rates in contexts when group members were more dispersed as in socializing and in nonpolarized movement than during coordinated surface travel. Using acoustic localization showed that many whistles were produced by groups nearby and not by our focal group. Thus, previous studies based on single hydrophone recordings may have been overestimating whistle rates. Our results show that although bottlenose dolphins whistle more in social situations they also decrease vocal output in large groups where the potential for signal masking by other dolphin whistles increases.

  13. Group size adjustment to ecological demand in a cooperative breeder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zöttl, Markus; Frommen, Joachim G; Taborsky, Michael

    2013-04-07

    Environmental factors can determine which group size will maximize the fitness of group members. This is particularly important in cooperative breeders, where group members often serve different purposes. Experimental studies are yet lacking to check whether ecologically mediated need for help will change the propensity of dominant group members to accept immigrants. Here, we manipulated the perceived risk of predation for dominant breeders of the cooperatively breeding cichlid fish Neolamprologus pulcher to test their response to unrelated and previously unknown immigrants. Potential immigrants were more readily accepted if groups were exposed to fish predators or egg predators than to herbivorous fish or control situations lacking predation risk. Our data are consistent with both risk dilution and helping effects. Egg predators were presented before spawning, which might suggest that the fish adjust acceptance rates also to a potential future threat. Dominant group members of N. pulcher apparently consider both present and future need of help based on ecological demand. This suggests that acceptance of immigrants and, more generally, tolerance of group members on demand could be a widespread response to ecological conditions in cooperatively breeding animals.

  14. The Impact of Group Size on Welfare Indicators of Ewes during Pregnancy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Averós, Xavier; Beltrán de Heredia, Ignacia; Ruiz, Roberto; Estevez, Inma

    2016-01-01

    Group size (GS) and space allowance have major implications for the welfare of production species, however their effects are often confounded. In a previous study we investigated the impact of varying space allowance at constant GS. In the present work we report the consequences of varying GS on pregnant ewes while controlling space allowance. We housed ewes at 6 (GS6) or 12 ewes/enclosure (GS12), while controlling space allowance to 1.5 m2/ewe (3 enclosures/treatment), and necessarily varying enclosure size. Therefore, when indicating GS effects we implicitly reflect a confounding effect with that of enclosure size. Movement, use of space, behaviour, serum cortisol concentration and body condition score (BCS) were collected during the last 12 gestation weeks. Movement, use of space, and behaviour were collected every other week, during 2 days/week, using 10 minute continuous scan samplings. Blood was collected during weeks 10, 13, 17, and 21 of gestation, and BCS during weeks 15 and 21. Data were analysed using repeated measures, generalized linear mixed models, with GS, week, and their interaction as fixed effects, and enclosure as random effect. GS mainly affected movement and use of space. GS12 ewes walked longer distances using longer steps (Pewe is given during gestation, larger GS will result in larger effective space, and no major implications for the welfare of ewes should be expected as GS increases. Ewes will adapt their movement patterns and use of space to enclosure size, and no further behavioural, physiological and physical consequences should be expected. PMID:27893817

  15. Resolving Microzooplankton Functional Groups In A Size-Structured Planktonic Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taniguchi, D.; Dutkiewicz, S.; Follows, M. J.; Jahn, O.; Menden-Deuer, S.

    2016-02-01

    Microzooplankton are important marine grazers, often consuming a large fraction of primary productivity. They consist of a great diversity of organisms with different behaviors, characteristics, and rates. This functional diversity, and its consequences, are not currently reflected in large-scale ocean ecological simulations. How should these organisms be represented, and what are the implications for their biogeography? We develop a size-structured, trait-based model to characterize a diversity of microzooplankton functional groups. We compile and examine size-based laboratory data on the traits, revealing some patterns with size and functional group that we interpret with mechanistic theory. Fitting the model to the data provides parameterizations of key rates and properties, which we employ in a numerical ocean model. The diversity of grazing preference, rates, and trophic strategies enables the coexistence of different functional groups of micro-grazers under various environmental conditions, and the model produces testable predictions of the biogeography.

  16. A systematic review of the effectiveness of CBT/ERP group therapy of OCD: A meta-analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jónsson, Hjalti; Hougaard, Esben; Bennedsen, Birgit

    , as well as reviewers of the literature have focused on within single treatments effect sizes rather between group effect sizes. OBJECTIVES To make a systematic review, and by methods of meta analysis compute a pooled within effect size of studies of group CBT of OCD and compare these to previously.......05 and 1.25 respectively, with an overall combined pooled within effect size across the categories at 1.18. Finally a between effect sizes of the four studies comparing group therapy to waitlist control group was reported at.1.12 CONCLUSION The reported within effect sizes in this meta-analysis (range 1...

  17. Balancing the dilution and oddity effects: decisions depend on body size.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gwendolen M Rodgers

    Full Text Available Grouping behaviour, common across the animal kingdom, is known to reduce an individual's risk of predation; particularly through dilution of individual risk and predator confusion (predator inability to single out an individual for attack. Theory predicts greater risk of predation to individuals more conspicuous to predators by difference in appearance from the group (the 'oddity' effect. Thus, animals should choose group mates close in appearance to themselves (eg. similar size, whilst also choosing a large group.We used the Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata, a well known model species of group-living freshwater fish, in a series of binary choice trials investigating the outcome of conflict between preferences for large and phenotypically matched groups along a predation risk gradient. We found body-size dependent differences in the resultant social decisions. Large fish preferred shoaling with size-matched individuals, while small fish demonstrated no preference. There was a trend towards reduced preferences for the matched shoal under increased predation risk. Small fish were more active than large fish, moving between shoals more frequently. Activity levels increased as predation risk decreased. We found no effect of unmatched shoal size on preferences or activity.Our results suggest that predation risk and individual body size act together to influence shoaling decisions. Oddity was more important for large than small fish, reducing in importance at higher predation risks. Dilution was potentially of limited importance at these shoal sizes. Activity levels may relate to how much sampling of each shoal was needed by the test fish during decision making. Predation pressure may select for better decision makers to survive to larger size, or that older, larger fish have learned to make shoaling decisions more efficiently, and this, combined with their size relative to shoal-mates, and attractiveness as prey items influences shoaling

  18. The effect of body coloration and group size on social partner preferences in female fighting fish (Betta splendens).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blakeslee, C; McRobert, S P; Brown, A C; Clotfelter, E D

    2009-02-01

    Females of the fighting fish Betta splendens have been shown to associate with other B. splendens females in a manner reminiscent of shoaling behavior. Since body coloration varies dramatically in this species, and since body coloration has been shown to affect shoalmate choice in other species of fish, we examined the influence of body coloration on association preferences in female B. splendens. In dichotomous choice tests, B. splendens females spent more time swimming near groups of females (regardless of coloration) than swimming near an empty chamber, and chose to swim near fish of similar coloration to their own when choosing between two distinctly colored groups of females. When examining the interplay between body coloration and group size, focal fish spent more time swimming near larger groups (N=5) of similarly colored fish than swimming near an individual female of similar coloration. However, focal fish showed no preference when presented with an individual female of similar coloration and a larger group of females of dissimilar coloration. These results suggest that association choices in B. splendens females are strongly affected by both body coloration and by group size.

  19. Group decision-making: Factors that affect group effectiveness

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juliana Osmani

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Organizations are operating in a dynamic and turbulent environment. In these conditions, they have to make decisions for new problems or situations. Most of decisions are therefore non-programmed and unstructured, accompanied by risk and uncertainty. Moreover, the problems and situations are complex. All organizations are oriented towards group decisionmaking processes, as useful tools to cope with uncertainty and complexity. Apart from the necessity, companies are turning towards participatory processes also to benefit from the important advantages that these processes offer. Organizations have realized the importance of group decision-making processes to contribute to the creation of sustainable competitive advantages. Main objective of this paper is to show that group decision-making processes do not offer guarantee for good decisions, because the effectiveness of group is affected by many factors. So, the first thing done in this paper is discussing about the benefits and limitations that accompany the use of groups with decision-making purpose. Afterwards, we stop on the different factors that influence the group’s ability to make good decisions. The aim is to emphasize that regardless of the many advantages of groups, some factors as group size, type of communication within the group, leadership style, the norms, the differentiation of roles and statuses, cohesion and compliance degree should be the main elements to keep into consideration because they affect the effectiveness of group. In this regard, is discussed how such factors influence the quality of decision and then we try to draw some conclusions that can improve and make better and easier group decision-making processes.

  20. The evolution of body size in extant groups of North American freshwater fishes: speciation, size distributions, and Cope's rule.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knouft, Jason H; Page, Lawrence M

    2003-03-01

    Change in body size within an evolutionary lineage over time has been under investigation since the synthesis of Cope's rule, which suggested that there is a tendency for mammals to evolve larger body size. Data from the fossil record have subsequently been examined for several other taxonomic groups to determine whether they also displayed an evolutionary increase in body size. However, we are not aware of any species-level study that has investigated the evolution of body size within an extant continental group. Data acquired from the fossil record and data derived from the evolutionary relationships of extant species are not similar, with each set exhibiting both strengths and weaknesses related to inferring evolutionary patterns. Consequently, expectation that general trends exhibited in the fossil record will correspond to patterns in extant groups is not necessarily warranted. Using phylogenetic relationships of extant species, we show that five of nine families of North American freshwater fishes exhibit an evolutionary trend of decreasing body size. These trends result from the basal position of large species and the more derived position of small species within families. Such trends may be caused by the invasion of small streams and subsequent isolation and speciation. This pattern, potentially influenced by size-biased dispersal rates and the high percentage of small streams in North America, suggests a scenario that could result in the generation of the size-frequency distribution of North American freshwater fishes.

  1. Group size and group income as influences on marriage patterns in Hawaii.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, R C

    1984-01-01

    This paper analyzes the association of ethnic group size and median ethnic group income with the percentages of cross-ethnic marriages and combinations of marriages of each of the 5 major racial/ethnic groups in Hawaii. The data cover marriages that took place from 1975-1977 in Hawaii's 5 major ethnic groups: 1) Caucasian, 2) Chinese, 3) Filipino, 4) Japanese, and 5) Hawaiian or part-Hawaiian. The number of Caucasians marrying in Hawaii are severely inflated by military and tourist marriages. Chinese (highest median income) and Hawaiians or part-Hawaiians (lowest median income) show the highest percentages of outmarriage. The number of persons making up given groups appears to play a role; larger groups have lower outmarriage rates. Since 19 of 20 potential marriage partners a Chinese person meets are of another racial group, as compared to 2 of 3 for Caucasians or Japanese, it is hardly surprising that the Chinese outmarry more often than other groups. Data show a tendency to an East-West split; Chinese-Japanese marriages are overrepresented, and marriages of Japanese men to Caucasian women are underrepresented. However, marriages of Caucasian males to Chinese women are also overrepresented. Also, Puerto Ricans and Filipinos tend to be more representative of the West than Caucasians are. The authors conclude that cultural attributes likely to lead to a given level of income, rather than income per se, influence the probability of persons marrying a member of a given racial/ethnic group other than their own.

  2. Dolphin underwater bait-balling behaviors in relation to group and prey ball sizes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaughn-Hirshorn, Robin L; Muzi, Elisa; Richardson, Jessica L; Fox, Gabriella J; Hansen, Lauren N; Salley, Alyce M; Dudzinski, Kathleen M; Würsig, Bernd

    2013-09-01

    We characterized dusky dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obscurus) feeding behaviors recorded on underwater video, and related behaviors to variation in prey ball sizes, dolphin group sizes, and study site (Argentina versus New Zealand, NZ). Herding behaviors most often involved dolphins swimming around the side or under prey balls, but dolphins in Argentina more often swam under prey balls (48% of passes) than did dolphins in NZ (34% of passes). This result may have been due to differences in group sizes between sites, since groups are larger in Argentina. Additionally, in NZ, group size was positively correlated with proportion of passes that occurred under prey balls (pdolphins in Argentina more often swam through prey balls (8% of attempts) than did dolphins in NZ (4% of attempts). This result may have been due to differences in prey ball sizes between sites, since dolphins fed on larger prey balls in Argentina (>74m(2)) than in NZ (maximum 33m(2)). Additionally, in NZ, dolphins were more likely to swim through prey balls to capture fish when they fed on larger prey balls (p=0.025). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. The role of micro size computing clusters for small physics groups

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shevel, A Y

    2014-01-01

    A small physics group (3-15 persons) might use a number of computing facilities for the analysis/simulation, developing/testing, teaching. It is discussed different types of computing facilities: collaboration computing facilities, group local computing cluster (including colocation), cloud computing. The author discuss the growing variety of different computing options for small groups and does emphasize the role of the group owned computing cluster of micro size.

  4. Defensive responses by a social caterpillar are tailored to different predators and change with larval instar and group size

    Science.gov (United States)

    McClure, Melanie; Despland, Emma

    2011-05-01

    Gregariousness in animals is widely accepted as a behavioral adaptation for protection from predation. However, predation risk and the effectiveness of a prey's defense can be a function of several other factors, including predator species and prey size or age. The objective of this study was to determine if the gregarious habit of Malacosoma disstria caterpillars is advantageous against invertebrate natural enemies, and whether it is through dilution or cooperative defenses. We also examined the effects of larval growth and group size on the rate and success of attacks. Caterpillars of M. disstria responded with predator-specific behaviors, which led to increased survival. Evasive behaviors were used against stinkbugs, while thrashing by fourth instar caterpillars and holding on to the silk mat by second instar caterpillars was most efficient against spider attacks. Collective head flicking and biting by groups of both second and fourth instar caterpillars were observed when attacked by parasitoids. Increased larval size decreased the average number of attacks by spiders but increased the number of attacks by both stinkbugs and parasitoids. However, increased body size decreased the success rate of attacks by all three natural enemies and increased handling time for both predators. Larger group sizes did not influence the number of attacks from predators but increased the number of attacks and the number of successful attacks from parasitoids. In all cases, individual risk was lower in larger groups. Caterpillars showed collective defenses against parasitoids but not against the walking predators. These results show that caterpillars use different tactics against different natural enemies. Overall, these tactics are both more diverse and more effective in fourth instar than in second instar caterpillars, confirming that growth reduces predation risk. We also show that grouping benefits caterpillars through dilution of risk, and, in the case of parasitoids, through

  5. Effectiveness of short-term psychodynamic group therapy in a public outpatient psychotherapy unit

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Hans Henrik; Mortensen, Erik Lykke; Lotz, Martin

    2010-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Short-term psychodynamic group therapy in heterogeneous patient groups is common in the public Danish psychiatric system but is in need of evaluation. AIM: To investigate improvement in 39-session psychodynamic group therapy using three criteria: 1) effect size (Cohen's d), 2...... compared with Danish norms. Clinical implications: Patients referred to public outpatient treatment settings may need alternative or longer treatment than 39 sessions of psychodynamic group therapy over 3 months.......) and subscales. Analyses were conducted on the total sample and after exclusion of 32 GSI pre-treatment no-cases. RESULTS: The total sample GSI effect size was 0.74 indicating a moderate to large effect size (ranging from 0.67 in depressed to 0.74 in neurotic and personality disorder patients), which increased...

  6. Biocompatibility, endocytosis, and intracellular trafficking of mesoporous silica and polystyrene nanoparticles in ovarian cancer cells: effects of size and surface charge groups

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ekkapongpisit, Maneerat; Giovia, Antonino; Follo, Carlo; Caputo, Giuseppe; Isidoro, Ciro

    2012-01-01

    Background and methods Nanoparticles engineered to carry both a chemotherapeutic drug and a sensitive imaging probe are valid tools for early detection of cancer cells and to monitor the cytotoxic effects of anticancer treatment simultaneously. Here we report on the effect of size (10–30 nm versus 50 nm), type of material (mesoporous silica versus polystyrene), and surface charge functionalization (none, amine groups, or carboxyl groups) on biocompatibility, uptake, compartmentalization, and intracellular retention of fluorescently labeled nanoparticles in cultured human ovarian cancer cells. We also investigated the involvement of caveolae in the mechanism of uptake of nanoparticles. Results We found that mesoporous silica nanoparticles entered via caveolae-mediated endocytosis and reached the lysosomes; however, while the 50 nm nanoparticles permanently resided within these organelles, the 10 nm nanoparticles soon relocated in the cytoplasm. Naked 10 nm mesoporous silica nanoparticles showed the highest and 50 nm carboxyl-modified mesoporous silica nanoparticles the lowest uptake rates, respectively. Polystyrene nanoparticle uptake also occurred via a caveolae-independent pathway, and was negatively affected by serum. The 30 nm carboxyl-modified polystyrene nanoparticles did not localize in lysosomes and were not toxic, while the 50 nm amine-modified polystyrene nanoparticles accumulated within lysosomes and eventually caused cell death. Ovarian cancer cells expressing caveolin-1 were more likely to endocytose these nanoparticles. Conclusion These data highlight the importance of considering both the physicochemical characteristics (ie, material, size and surface charge on chemical groups) of nanoparticles and the biochemical composition of the cell membrane when choosing the most suitable nanotheranostics for targeting cancer cells. PMID:22904626

  7. The pack size effect: Influence on consumer perceptions of portion sizes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hieke, Sophie; Palascha, Aikaterini; Jola, Corinne; Wills, Josephine; Raats, Monique M.

    2016-01-01

    Larger portions as well as larger packs can lead to larger prospective consumption estimates, larger servings and increased consumption, described as 'portion-size effects' and 'pack size effects'. Although related, the effects of pack sizes on portion estimates have received less attention. While

  8. Effects of patch size on feeding associations in muriquis (Brachyteles arachnoides).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strier, K B

    1989-01-01

    Data were collected on one group of muriquis, or woolly spider monkeys (Brachyteles arachnoides) during a 14-month study at Fazenda Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil to examine the effects of food patch size on muriqui feeding associations. Muriqui food patches were larger than expected from the availability of patch sizes in the forest; fruit patches were significantly larger than leaf patches. Feeding aggregate size, the maximum number of simultaneous occupants, and patch occupancy time were positively related to the size of fruit patches. However, a greater number of individuals fed at leaf sources than expected from the size of these patches. Adult females tended to feed alone in patches more often than males, whereas males tended to feed in single-sexed groups more often than females. Yet in neither case were these differences statistically significant.

  9. Effect size and statistical power in the rodent fear conditioning literature - A systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carneiro, Clarissa F D; Moulin, Thiago C; Macleod, Malcolm R; Amaral, Olavo B

    2018-01-01

    Proposals to increase research reproducibility frequently call for focusing on effect sizes instead of p values, as well as for increasing the statistical power of experiments. However, it is unclear to what extent these two concepts are indeed taken into account in basic biomedical science. To study this in a real-case scenario, we performed a systematic review of effect sizes and statistical power in studies on learning of rodent fear conditioning, a widely used behavioral task to evaluate memory. Our search criteria yielded 410 experiments comparing control and treated groups in 122 articles. Interventions had a mean effect size of 29.5%, and amnesia caused by memory-impairing interventions was nearly always partial. Mean statistical power to detect the average effect size observed in well-powered experiments with significant differences (37.2%) was 65%, and was lower among studies with non-significant results. Only one article reported a sample size calculation, and our estimated sample size to achieve 80% power considering typical effect sizes and variances (15 animals per group) was reached in only 12.2% of experiments. Actual effect sizes correlated with effect size inferences made by readers on the basis of textual descriptions of results only when findings were non-significant, and neither effect size nor power correlated with study quality indicators, number of citations or impact factor of the publishing journal. In summary, effect sizes and statistical power have a wide distribution in the rodent fear conditioning literature, but do not seem to have a large influence on how results are described or cited. Failure to take these concepts into consideration might limit attempts to improve reproducibility in this field of science.

  10. Intergroup Discrimination in Positive and Negative Outcome Allocations: Impact of Stimulus Valence, Relative Group Status, and Relative Group Size.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Otten, Sabine; And Others

    1996-01-01

    Three studies investigated the determination of social discrimination by the valence of stimuli that are allocated between groups. The studies were based on either the minimal group paradigm or a more reality-based laboratory intergroup setting, with stimulus valence, group status, and group size as factors and with pull scores on Tajfel matrices…

  11. The reduced local lymph node assay: the impact of group size.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryan, Cindy A; Chaney, Joel G; Kern, Petra S; Patlewicz, Grace Y; Basketter, David A; Betts, Catherine J; Dearman, Rebecca J; Kimber, Ian; Gerberick, G Frank

    2008-05-01

    The local lymph node assay (LLNA) is a skin sensitization test that provides animal welfare benefits. To reduce animal usage further, a modified version (rLLNA) was proposed. Conducting the rLLNA as a screening test with a single high dose group and vehicle control differentiated accurately between skin sensitizers and non-sensitizers. This study examined whether a reduction in animal number/group is feasible. Historical data were utilized to examine the impact of conducting the rLLNA with two mice/group. To assess the effect on the stimulation index (SI) 41 datasets with individual animal data derived using five mice/group were analysed. SIs were calculated on all possible combinations of two control and two high dose group disintegrations per minute (dpm) values. For 25 of 33 sensitizer datasets, > 96% of possible dpm combinations resulted in a calculated SI > 3. The lowest percentages of positive SIs were observed with weak allergens when, in the standard LLNA, the mean SIs would have been nearer to the threshold value of 3. The results indicate that moderate, strong and extreme allergens are more likely than weak allergens to be identified as sensitizers when group sizes of two mice are used within the rLLNA. It is concluded that a rLLNA with two mice/group would display decreased sensitivity and is inappropriate for use in hazard identification. Copyright (c) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  12. Hit size effectiveness in relation to the microdosimetric site size

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Varma, M.N.; Wuu, C.S.; Zaider, M.

    1994-01-01

    This paper examines the effect of site size (that is, the diameter of the microdosimetric volume) on the hit size effectiveness function (HSEF), q(y), for several endpoints relevant in radiation protection. A Bayesian and maximum entropy approach is used to solve the integral equations that determine, given microdosimetric spectra and measured initial slopes, the function q(y). All microdosimetric spectra have been calculated de novo. The somewhat surprising conclusion of this analysis is that site size plays only a minor role in selecting the hit size effectiveness function q(y). It thus appears that practical means (e.g. conventional proportional counters) are already at hand to actually implement the HSEF as a radiation protection tool. (Author)

  13. Size-regulated group separation of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles using centrifuge and their magnetic resonance contrast properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Jongeun; Lee, Hyunseung; Kim, Young-Nam; Yeom, Areum; Jeong, Heejeong; Lim, Yong Taik; Hong, Kwan Soo

    2013-09-01

    Magnetic nanoparticle (MNP)-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents (CAs) have been the subject of extensive research over recent decades. The particle size of MNPs varies widely and is known to influence their physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties. There are two commonly used methods for synthesizing MNPs, organometallic and aqueous solution coprecipitation. The former has the advantage of being able to control the particle size more effectively; however, the resulting particles require a hydrophilic coating in order to be rendered water soluble. The MNPs produced using the latter method are intrinsically water soluble, but they have a relatively wide particle size distribution. Size-controlled water-soluble MNPs have great potential as MRI CAs and in cell sorting and labeling applications. In the present study, we synthesized CoFe2O4 MNPs using an aqueous solution coprecipitation method. The MNPs were subsequently separated into four groups depending on size, by the use of centrifugation at different speeds. The crystal shapes and size distributions of the particles in the four groups were measured and confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. Using X-ray diffraction analysis, the MNPs were found to have an inverse spinel structure. Four MNP groups with well-selected semi-Gaussian-like diameter distributions were obtained, with measured T2 relaxivities ( r 2) at 4.7 T and room temperature in the range of 60 to 300 mM-1s-1, depending on the particle size. This size regulation method has great promise for applications that require homogeneous-sized MNPs made by an aqueous solution coprecipitation method. Any group of the CoFe2O4 MNPs could be used as initial base cores of MRI T2 CAs, with almost unique T2 relaxivity owing to size regulation. The methodology reported here opens up many possibilities for biosensing applications and disease diagnosis.

  14. Effect Size (Cohen's d of Cognitive Screening Instruments Examined in Pragmatic Diagnostic Accuracy Studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew J. Larner

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aims: Many cognitive screening instruments (CSI are available to clinicians to assess cognitive function. The optimal method comparing the diagnostic utility of such tests is uncertain. The effect size (Cohen's d, calculated as the difference of the means of two groups divided by the weighted pooled standard deviations of these groups, may permit such comparisons. Methods: Datasets from five pragmatic diagnostic accuracy studies, which examined the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE, the Mini-Mental Parkinson (MMP, the Six-Item Cognitive Impairment Test (6CIT, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA, the Test Your Memory test (TYM, and the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R, were analysed to calculate the effect size (Cohen's d for the diagnosis of dementia versus no dementia and for the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment versus no dementia (subjective memory impairment. Results: The effect sizes for dementia versus no dementia diagnosis were large for all six CSI examined (range 1.59-1.87. For the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment versus no dementia, the effect sizes ranged from medium to large (range 0.48-1.45, with MoCA having the largest effect size. Conclusion: The calculation of the effect size (Cohen's d in diagnostic accuracy studies is straightforward. The routine incorporation of effect size calculations into diagnostic accuracy studies merits consideration in order to facilitate the comparison of the relative value of CSI.

  15. Effect size and statistical power in the rodent fear conditioning literature – A systematic review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Macleod, Malcolm R.

    2018-01-01

    Proposals to increase research reproducibility frequently call for focusing on effect sizes instead of p values, as well as for increasing the statistical power of experiments. However, it is unclear to what extent these two concepts are indeed taken into account in basic biomedical science. To study this in a real-case scenario, we performed a systematic review of effect sizes and statistical power in studies on learning of rodent fear conditioning, a widely used behavioral task to evaluate memory. Our search criteria yielded 410 experiments comparing control and treated groups in 122 articles. Interventions had a mean effect size of 29.5%, and amnesia caused by memory-impairing interventions was nearly always partial. Mean statistical power to detect the average effect size observed in well-powered experiments with significant differences (37.2%) was 65%, and was lower among studies with non-significant results. Only one article reported a sample size calculation, and our estimated sample size to achieve 80% power considering typical effect sizes and variances (15 animals per group) was reached in only 12.2% of experiments. Actual effect sizes correlated with effect size inferences made by readers on the basis of textual descriptions of results only when findings were non-significant, and neither effect size nor power correlated with study quality indicators, number of citations or impact factor of the publishing journal. In summary, effect sizes and statistical power have a wide distribution in the rodent fear conditioning literature, but do not seem to have a large influence on how results are described or cited. Failure to take these concepts into consideration might limit attempts to improve reproducibility in this field of science. PMID:29698451

  16. Habitat, density and group size of primates in a Brazilian tropical forest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinto, L P; Costa, C M; Strier, K B; da Fonseca, G A

    1993-01-01

    Habitats, population densities and group sizes of 5 primate species (Callithrix flaviceps, Callicebus personatus personatus, Cebus apella nigritus, Alouatta fusca clamitans, and Brachyteles arachnoides) were estimated, using the method of repeated transect sampling, in an area of montane pluvial forest in eastern Brazil (Atlantic forest). A. fusca and C. apella had the highest densities in terms of groups and individuals per square kilometer, respectively, while B. arachnoides was least abundant. The highest primate densities were observed in areas of secondary vegetation. Both group sizes and population densities for the 5 species were generally lower at the Reserva Biologica Augusto Ruschi than those reported in other areas of Atlantic forest. Hunting pressure and the different carrying capacity of the habitat are suggested as possible causes for the low number of sightings registered for these species.

  17. The Influence of Social Comparison and Peer Group Size on Risky Decision-Making.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Dawei; Zhu, Liping; Maguire, Phil; Liu, Yixin; Pang, Kaiyuan; Li, Zhenying; Hu, Yixin

    2016-01-01

    This study explores the influence of different social reference points and different comparison group sizes on risky decision-making. Participants were presented with a scenario describing an exam, and presented with the opportunity of making a risky decision in the context of different information provided about the performance of their peers. We found that behavior was influenced, not only by comparison with peers, but also by the size of the comparison group. Specifically, the larger the reference group, the more polarized the behavior it prompted. In situations describing social loss, participants were led to make riskier decisions after comparing themselves against larger groups, while in situations describing social gain, they become more risk averse. These results indicate that decision making is influenced both by social comparison and the number of people making up the social reference group.

  18. A group's physical attractiveness is greater than the average attractiveness of its members: the group attractiveness effect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Osch, Yvette; Blanken, Irene; Meijs, Maartje H J; van Wolferen, Job

    2015-04-01

    We tested whether the perceived physical attractiveness of a group is greater than the average attractiveness of its members. In nine studies, we find evidence for the so-called group attractiveness effect (GA-effect), using female, male, and mixed-gender groups, indicating that group impressions of physical attractiveness are more positive than the average ratings of the group members. A meta-analysis on 33 comparisons reveals that the effect is medium to large (Cohen's d = 0.60) and moderated by group size. We explored two explanations for the GA-effect: (a) selective attention to attractive group members, and (b) the Gestalt principle of similarity. The results of our studies are in favor of the selective attention account: People selectively attend to the most attractive members of a group and their attractiveness has a greater influence on the evaluation of the group. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

  19. Size effects of latex nanomaterials on lung inflammation in mice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inoue, Ken-ichiro; Takano, Hirohisa; Yanagisawa, Rie; Koike, Eiko; Shimada, Akinori

    2009-01-01

    Effects of nano-sized materials (nanomaterials) on sensitive population have not been well elucidated. This study examined the effects of pulmonary exposure to (latex) nanomaterials on lung inflammation related to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or allergen in mice, especially in terms of their size-dependency. In protocol 1, ICR male mice were divided into 8 experimental groups that intratracheally received a single exposure to vehicle, latex nanomaterials (250 μg/animal) with three sizes (25, 50, and 100 nm), LPS (75 μg/animal), or LPS plus latex nanomaterials. In protocol 2, ICR male mice were divided into 8 experimental groups that intratracheally received repeated exposure to vehicle, latex nanomaterials (100 μg/animal), allergen (ovalbumin: OVA; 1 μg/animal), or allergen plus latex nanomaterials. In protocol 1, latex nanomaterials with all sizes exacerbated lung inflammation elicited by LPS, showing an overall trend of amplified lung expressions of proinflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, LPS plus nanomaterials, especially with size less than 50 nm, significantly elevated circulatory levels of fibrinogen, macrophage chemoattractant protein-1, and keratinocyte-derived chemoattractant, and von Willebrand factor as compared with LPS alone. The enhancement tended overall to be greater with the smaller nanomaterials than with the larger ones. In protocol 2, latex nanomaterials with all sizes did not significantly enhance the pathophysiology of allergic asthma, characterized by eosinophilic lung inflammation and Igs production, although latex nanomaterials with less than 50 nm significantly induced/enhanced neutrophilic lung inflammation. These results suggest that latex nanomaterials differentially affect two types of (innate and adaptive immunity-dominant) lung inflammation

  20. Ricinus communis agglutinin-mediated agglutination and fusion of glycolipid-containing phospholipid vesicles: effect of carbohydrate head group size, calcium ions, and spermine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoekstra, D; Düzgüneş, N

    1986-03-25

    The glycolipids galactosylcerebroside (GalCer), lactosylceramide (LacCer), and trihexosylceramide (Gb3) were inserted into phospholipid vesicles, consisting of phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidic acid. The extent to which their carbohydrate head groups protruded beyond the vesicle surface and their interference with membrane approach were examined by determining vesicle susceptibility toward type I Ricinus communis agglutinin (RCA1) induced agglutination and Ca2+- and spermine-induced aggregation and fusion either in the presence or in the absence of the lectin. The initial agglutination rates increased in the order GalCer much less than LacCer less than Gb3, while a reversed order was obtained for Ca2+- and spermine-induced aggregation and fusion, indicating an enhanced steric interference on close approach of bilayers with increasing head group size. The lectin-mediated agglutination rates for LacCer- and Gb3-containing vesicles increased by an order of magnitude when Ca2+ was also included in the medium, at a concentration that did not induce aggregation per se. Charge neutralization could not account for this observation as the polyvalent cation spermine did not display this synergistic effect with RCA1. Addition of Ca2+ to preagglutinated vesicles substantially reduced the threshold cation concentration for fusion (micromolar vs. millimolar). Quantitatively, this concentration decreased with decreasing carbohydrate head group size, indicating that the head group protrusion determined the interbilayer distance within the vesicle aggregate. The distinct behavior of Ca2+ vs. spermine on RCA1-induced agglutination on the one hand and fusion on the other indicated that Ca2+ regulates the steric orientation of the carbohydrate head group, which appears to be related to its ability to dehydrate the bilayer. As a result, lectin agglutinability becomes enhanced while fusion will be interrupted as the interbilayer distance increases, the threshold head group size

  1. Functional groups and reactivity of size-fractionated Aldrich humic acid

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tanaka, Tadao, E-mail: tanaka.tadao26@jaea.go.jp [Nuclear Safety Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Shirakata 2-4, Tokai, Naka, Ibaraki, 319-1195 (Japan)

    2012-03-20

    The complexation affinity of the Aldrich Chemicals humic acid with {sup 60}Co was examined with respect to molecular size of humic acid. Correlations between the affinity and the structures of humic acid were studied. At low humic acid concentration range, {sup 60}Co was interacted with the humic acid of size fraction over 100k Da (HA(100<)). With increasing humic acid concentration, the {sup 60}Co was preferentially interacted with the 30k-100k Da of humic acid (HA(30-100)). Fractionated HA(100<) and HA(30-100) were characterized from their FTIR (Fourier Transform Infra-Red), {sup 13}C NMR spectral analyses and acid-base titration curves. The HA(10<) having aliphatic branched structure, smaller amount of COOH group and large proton exchangeable capacity, seem to show low covalent bonding nature and high ion exchangeability in the complexation. In addition, steric hindrance may affect on the complexation, by winding up like random coils from the branched structure. The HA(30-100) is dominated with the aromatic COOH group and OH group and it may preferentially coordinate to {sup 60}Co by covalent binding. These presumptions were supported by XPS analysis, in which the biding energy of cobalt-humates was discussed.

  2. Effect Sizes in Gifted Education Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gentry, Marcia; Peters, Scott J.

    2009-01-01

    Recent calls for reporting and interpreting effect sizes have been numerous, with the 5th edition of the "Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association" (2001) calling for the inclusion of effect sizes to interpret quantitative findings. Many top journals have required that effect sizes accompany claims of statistical significance.…

  3. Comparing radio-tracking and visual detection methods to quantify group size measures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reiczigel Jenő

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available 1. Average values of animal group sizes are prone to be overestimated in traditional field studies because small groups and singletons are easier to overlook than large ones. This kind of bias also applies for the method of locating groups by tracking previously radio-collared individuals in the wild. If the researcher randomly chooses a collared animal to locate a group to visit, a large group has higher probability to be selected than a small one, simply because it has more members.

  4. Estimation of Tooth Size Discrepancies among Different Malocclusion Groups

    OpenAIRE

    Hasija, Narender; Bala, Madhu; Goyal, Virender

    2014-01-01

    ABSTRACT Regards and Tribute: Late Dr Narender Hasija was a mentor and visionary in the light of knowledge and experience. We pay our regards with deepest gratitude to the departed soul to rest in peace. Bolton’s ratios help in estimating overbite, overjet relationships, the effects of contemplated extractions on posterior occlusion, incisor relationships and identification of occlusal misfit produced by tooth size discrepancies. Aim: To determine any difference in tooth size discrepancy in a...

  5. [Effect sizes, statistical power and sample sizes in "the Japanese Journal of Psychology"].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suzukawa, Yumi; Toyoda, Hideki

    2012-04-01

    This study analyzed the statistical power of research studies published in the "Japanese Journal of Psychology" in 2008 and 2009. Sample effect sizes and sample statistical powers were calculated for each statistical test and analyzed with respect to the analytical methods and the fields of the studies. The results show that in the fields like perception, cognition or learning, the effect sizes were relatively large, although the sample sizes were small. At the same time, because of the small sample sizes, some meaningful effects could not be detected. In the other fields, because of the large sample sizes, meaningless effects could be detected. This implies that researchers who could not get large enough effect sizes would use larger samples to obtain significant results.

  6. Size effects in shear interfaces

    OpenAIRE

    GARNIER, J

    2001-01-01

    In physical modelling (centrifuge tests, calibration chambers, laboratory tests), the size of the soil particles may not be negligible when compared to the dimensions of the models. Size effects may so disturb the response of the models and the experimental data obtained on these cannot be extended to true scale conditions. Different tests have been performed to study and quantify the size effects that may happen in shear interfaces between soils and structures : modified shear box tests, pul...

  7. A Primer on Basic Effect Size Concepts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elmore, Patricia B.; Rotou, Ourania

    The increased interest in reporting effect sizes means that it is necessary to consider what should be included in a primer on effect sizes. A review of papers on effect sizes and commonly repeated statistical analyses suggests that it is important to discuss effect sizes relative to bivariate correlation, t-tests, analysis of variance/covariance,…

  8. Cliff´s Delta Calculator: A non-parametric effect size program for two groups of observations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guillermo Macbeth

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available The Cliff´s Delta statistic is an effect size measure that quantifies the amount of difference between two non-parametric variables beyond p-values interpretation. This measure can be understood as a useful complementary analysis for the corresponding hypothesis testing. During the last two decades the use of effect size measures has been strongly encouraged by methodologists and leading institutions of behavioral sciences. The aim of this contribution is to introduce the Cliff´s Delta Calculator software that performs such analysis and offers some interpretation tips. Differences and similarities with the parametric case are analysed and illustrated. The implementation of this free program is fully described and compared with other calculators. Alternative algorithmic approaches are mathematically analysed and a basic linear algebra proof of its equivalence is formally presented. Two worked examples in cognitive psychology are commented. A visual interpretation of Cliff´s Delta is suggested. Availability, installation and applications of the program are presented and discussed.

  9. An integrated approach for determining the size of hardwood group-selection openings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chris B. LeDoux

    1999-01-01

    The use of group-selection methods is becoming more widespread as landowners and forest managers attempt to respond to public pressure to reduce the size of clearcut blocks. Several studies have shown that harvesting timber in smaller groups or clumps increases the cost of operations for both cable and ground-based logging systems. Recent regeneration studies have...

  10. Effects of Pore Size on the Osteoconductivity and Mechanical Properties of Calcium Phosphate Cement in a Rabbit Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Yi-Nan; Fan, Jun-Jun; Li, Zhi-Quan; Liu, Yan-Wu; Wu, Yao-Ping; Liu, Jian

    2017-02-01

    Calcium phosphate cement (CPC) porous scaffold is widely used as a suitable bone substitute to repair bone defect, but the optimal pore size is unclear yet. The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of different pore sizes on the processing of bone formation in repairing segmental bone defect of rabbits using CPC porous scaffolds. Three kinds of CPC porous scaffolds with 5 mm diameters and 12 mm length were prepared with the same porosity but different pore sizes (Group A: 200-300 µm, Group B: 300-450 µm, Group C: 450-600 µm, respectively). Twelve millimeter segmental bone defects were created in the middle of the radius bone and filled with different kinds of CPC cylindrical scaffolds. After 4, 12, and 24 weeks, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), histological assessment, and mechanical properties evaluation were performed in all three groups. After 4 weeks, ALP activity increased in all groups but was highest in Group A with smallest pore size. The new bone formation within the scaffolds was not obvious in all groups. After 12 weeks, the new bone formation within the scaffolds was obvious in each group and highest in Group A. At 24 weeks, no significant difference in new bone formation was observed among different groups. Besides the osteoconductive effect, Group A with smallest pore size also had the best mechanical properties in vivo at 12 weeks. We demonstrate that pore size has a significant effect on the osteoconductivity and mechanical properties of calcium phosphate cement porous scaffold in vivo. Small pore size favors the bone formation in the early stage and may be more suitable for repairing segmental bone defect in vivo. © 2016 International Center for Artificial Organs and Transplantation and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  11. Size effects in manufacturing of metallic components

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vollertsen, F; Biermann, D; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard

    2009-01-01

    In manufacturing of metallic components, the size of the part plays an important role for the process behaviour. This is due to so called size effects, which lead to changes in the process behaviour even if the relationship between the main geometrical features is kept constant. The aim...... of this paper is to give a systematic review on Such effects and their potential use or remedy. First, the typology of size effects will be explained, followed by a description of size effects on strength and tribology. The last three sections describe size effects on formability, forming processes and cutting...... processes. (C) 2009 CIRP....

  12. Modelling the effect of size-asymmetric competition on size inequality

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Camilla Ruø; Weiner, Jacob

    2017-01-01

    Abstract The concept of size asymmetry in resource competition among plants, in which larger individuals obtain a disproportionate share of contested resources, appears to be very straightforward, but the effects of size asymmetry on growth and size variation among individuals have proved...... to be controversial. It has often been assumed that competition among individual plants in a population has to be size-asymmetric to result in higher size inequality than in the absence of competition, but here we question this inference. Using very simple, individual-based models, we investigate how size symmetry...... of competition affects the development in size inequality between two competing plants and show that increased size inequality due to competition is not always strong evidence for size-asymmetric competition. Even absolute symmetric competition, in which all plants receive the same amount of resources...

  13. The Effect of Visual Feedback on Writing Size in Parkinson’s Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adriaan R. E. Potgieser

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Parkinson’s disease (PD leads to impairment in multiple cognitive domains. Micrographia is a relatively early PD sign of visuomotor dysfunction, characterized by a global reduction in writing size and a decrement in size during writing. Here we aimed to investigate the effect of withdrawal of visual feedback on writing size in patients with PD. Twenty-five patients with non-tremor-dominant PD without cognitive dysfunction and twenty-five age-matched controls had to write a standard sentence with and without visual feedback. We assessed the effect of withdrawal of visual feedback by measuring vertical word size (i, horizontal length of the sentence (ii, and the summed horizontal word length without interspacing (iii, comparing patients with controls. In both patients and controls, writing was significantly larger without visual feedback. This enlargement did not significantly differ between the groups. Smaller handwriting significantly correlated with increased disease severity. Contrary to previous observations that withdrawal of visual feedback caused increased writing size in specifically PD, we did not find differences between patients and controls. Both groups wrote larger without visual feedback, which adds insight in general neuronal mechanisms underlying the balance between feed-forward and feedback in visuomotor control, mechanisms that also hold for grasping movements.

  14. Biocompatibility, endocytosis, and intracellular trafficking of mesoporous silica and polystyrene nanoparticles in ovarian cancer cells: effects of size and surface charge groups

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ekkapongpisit M

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Maneerat Ekkapongpisit,1 Antonino Giovia,1 Carlo Follo,1 Giuseppe Caputo,2,3 Ciro Isidoro11Laboratory of Molecular Pathology and Nanobioimaging, Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale “A Avogadro”, Novara, 2Dipartimento di Chimica dell’Università di Torino, Torino, 3Cyanine Technology SpA, Torino, ItalyBackground and methods: Nanoparticles engineered to carry both a chemotherapeutic drug and a sensitive imaging probe are valid tools for early detection of cancer cells and to monitor the cytotoxic effects of anticancer treatment simultaneously. Here we report on the effect of size (10–30 nm versus 50 nm, type of material (mesoporous silica versus polystyrene, and surface charge functionalization (none, amine groups, or carboxyl groups on biocompatibility, uptake, compartmentalization, and intracellular retention of fluorescently labeled nanoparticles in cultured human ovarian cancer cells. We also investigated the involvement of caveolae in the mechanism of uptake of nanoparticles.Results: We found that mesoporous silica nanoparticles entered via caveolae-mediated endocytosis and reached the lysosomes; however, while the 50 nm nanoparticles permanently resided within these organelles, the 10 nm nanoparticles soon relocated in the cytoplasm. Naked 10 nm mesoporous silica nanoparticles showed the highest and 50 nm carboxyl-modified mesoporous silica nanoparticles the lowest uptake rates, respectively. Polystyrene nanoparticle uptake also occurred via a caveolae-independent pathway, and was negatively affected by serum. The 30 nm carboxyl-modified polystyrene nanoparticles did not localize in lysosomes and were not toxic, while the 50 nm amine-modified polystyrene nanoparticles accumulated within lysosomes and eventually caused cell death. Ovarian cancer cells expressing caveolin-1 were more likely to endocytose these nanoparticles.Conclusion: These data highlight the importance of considering both the

  15. Effect size estimates: current use, calculations, and interpretation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fritz, Catherine O; Morris, Peter E; Richler, Jennifer J

    2012-02-01

    The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (American Psychological Association, 2001, American Psychological Association, 2010) calls for the reporting of effect sizes and their confidence intervals. Estimates of effect size are useful for determining the practical or theoretical importance of an effect, the relative contributions of factors, and the power of an analysis. We surveyed articles published in 2009 and 2010 in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, noting the statistical analyses reported and the associated reporting of effect size estimates. Effect sizes were reported for fewer than half of the analyses; no article reported a confidence interval for an effect size. The most often reported analysis was analysis of variance, and almost half of these reports were not accompanied by effect sizes. Partial η2 was the most commonly reported effect size estimate for analysis of variance. For t tests, 2/3 of the articles did not report an associated effect size estimate; Cohen's d was the most often reported. We provide a straightforward guide to understanding, selecting, calculating, and interpreting effect sizes for many types of data and to methods for calculating effect size confidence intervals and power analysis.

  16. Effect of touch screen button size and spacing on touch characteristics of users with and without disabilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sesto, Mary E; Irwin, Curtis B; Chen, Karen B; Chourasia, Amrish O; Wiegmann, Douglas A

    2012-06-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of button size and spacing on touch characteristics (forces, impulses, and dwell times) during a digit entry touch screen task. A secondary objective was to investigate the effect of disability on touch characteristics. Touch screens are common in public settings and workplaces. Although research has examined the effect of button size and spacing on performance, the effect on touch characteristics is unknown. A total of 52 participants (n = 23, fine motor control disability; n = 14, gross motor control disability; n = 15, no disability) completed a digit entry task. Button sizes varied from 10 mm to 30 mm, and button spacing was 1 mm or 3 mm. Touch characteristics were significantly affected by button size. The exerted peak forces increased 17% between the largest and the smallest buttons, whereas impulses decreased 28%. Compared with the fine motor and nondisabled groups, the gross motor group had greater impulses (98% and 167%, respectively) and dwell times (60% and 129%, respectively). Peak forces were similar for all groups. Button size but not spacing influenced touch characteristics during a digit entry task. The gross motor group had significantly greater dwell times and impulses than did the fine motor and nondisabled groups. Research on touch characteristics, in conjunction with that on user performance, can be used to guide human computer interface design strategies to improve accessibility of touch screen interfaces. Further research is needed to evaluate the effect of the exerted peak forces and impulses on user performance and fatigue.

  17. The role of host traits, season and group size on parasite burdens in a cooperative mammal.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hermien Viljoen

    Full Text Available The distribution of parasites among hosts is often characterised by a high degree of heterogeneity with a small number of hosts harbouring the majority of parasites. Such patterns of aggregation have been linked to variation in host exposure and susceptibility as well as parasite traits and environmental factors. Host exposure and susceptibility may differ with sexes, reproductive effort and group size. Furthermore, environmental factors may affect both the host and parasite directly and contribute to temporal heterogeneities in parasite loads. We investigated the contributions of host and parasite traits as well as season on parasite loads in highveld mole-rats (Cryptomys hottentotus pretoriae. This cooperative breeder exhibits a reproductive division of labour and animals live in colonies of varying sizes that procreate seasonally. Mole-rats were parasitised by lice, mites, cestodes and nematodes with mites (Androlaelaps sp. and cestodes (Mathevotaenia sp. being the dominant ecto- and endoparasites, respectively. Sex and reproductive status contributed little to the observed parasite prevalence and abundances possibly as a result of the shared burrow system. Clear seasonal patterns of parasite prevalence and abundance emerged with peaks in summer for mites and in winter for cestodes. Group size correlated negatively with mite abundance while it had no effect on cestode burdens and group membership affected infestation with both parasites. We propose that the mode of transmission as well as social factors constrain parasite propagation generating parasite patterns deviating from those commonly predicted.

  18. EFFECTING FACTORS DELIVERED FINANCIAL REPORTING TIME LINES AT MANUFACTURING COMPANY GROUPS LISTED IDX

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sunaryo Sunaryo

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available The primary objective of this research is to learn the effect among ROA, Leverage, Company Size, and Outsider Ownership with time lines, either partially or simultaneously. Secondary data were collected by purposive sampling of manufacturing company groups listed on IDX and the preceding scientific research journals, using logistic regression to test the hypothesis simultaneously. The results of this research describe that ROA and Leverage do not significant effect to time lines, but company size and outsider ownership have significant effect to time lines. It is recommended that the topic of this research can be continued with merchandising company groups, or service company groups either general or special, like: hotels, insurances, bankings; or, with new independence variables added. 

  19. A Life-Cycle Model of Human Social Groups Produces a U-Shaped Distribution in Group Size.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gul Deniz Salali

    Full Text Available One of the central puzzles in the study of sociocultural evolution is how and why transitions from small-scale human groups to large-scale, hierarchically more complex ones occurred. Here we develop a spatially explicit agent-based model as a first step towards understanding the ecological dynamics of small and large-scale human groups. By analogy with the interactions between single-celled and multicellular organisms, we build a theory of group lifecycles as an emergent property of single cell demographic and expansion behaviours. We find that once the transition from small-scale to large-scale groups occurs, a few large-scale groups continue expanding while small-scale groups gradually become scarcer, and large-scale groups become larger in size and fewer in number over time. Demographic and expansion behaviours of groups are largely influenced by the distribution and availability of resources. Our results conform to a pattern of human political change in which religions and nation states come to be represented by a few large units and many smaller ones. Future enhancements of the model should include decision-making rules and probabilities of fragmentation for large-scale societies. We suggest that the synthesis of population ecology and social evolution will generate increasingly plausible models of human group dynamics.

  20. Group size and nest success in red-cockaded woodpeckers in the West Gulf Coastal Plain: helpers make a difference

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richard N. Conner; Daniel Saenz; Richard R. Schaefer; James R. McCormick; D. Craig Rudolph; D. Brent Burt

    2004-01-01

    We studied the relationships between Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis) group size and nest productivity. Red-cockaded Woodpecker group size was positively correlated with fledging success. Although the relationships between woodpecker group size and nest productivity measures were nor statistically significant, a pattern of...

  1. Do class size effects differ across grades?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nandrup, Anne Brink

    size cap that creates exogenous variation in class sizes. Significant (albeit modest) negative effects of class size increases are found for children on primary school levels. The effects on math abilities are statistically different across primary and secondary school. Larger classes do not affect......This paper contributes to the class size literature by analyzing whether short-run class size effects are constant across grade levels in compulsory school. Results are based on administrative data on all pupils enroled in Danish public schools. Identification is based on a government-imposed class...

  2. Size Effects on the Strength of Metals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Huang, Xiaoxu

    2014-01-01

    The grain size effect and the specimen size effect on the strength of metals are briefly reviewed with respect to their history and current status of research. It is revealed that the fundamental strengthening mechanisms responsible for these two types of size effect are to increase the resistanc...

  3. Relating group size and posting activity of an online community of financial investors: Regularities and seasonal patterns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Racca, P.; Casarin, R.; Dondio, P.; Squazzoni, F.

    2018-03-01

    Group size can potentially affect collective activity and individual propensity to contribute to collective goods. Mancur Olson, in his Logic of Collective Action, argued that individual contribution to a collective good tends to be lower in groups of large size. Today, online communication platforms represent an interesting ground to study such collaborative dynamics under possibly different conditions (e.g., lower costs related to gather and share information). This paper examines the relationship between group size and activity in an online financial forum, where users invest time in sharing news, analysis and comments with other investors. We looked at about 24 million messages shared in more than ten years in the finanzaonline.com online forum. We found that the relationship between the number of active users and the number of posts shared by those users is of the power type (with exponent α > 1) and is subject to periodic fluctuations, mostly driven by hour-of-the-day and day-of-the-week effects. The daily patterns of the exponent showed a divergence between working week and weekend days. In general, the exponent was lower before noon, where investors are typically interested in market news, higher in the late afternoon, where markets are closing and investors need better understanding of the situation. Further research is needed, especially at the micro level, to dissect the mechanisms behind these regularities.

  4. The Effect of Wheel Size on Mobility Performance in Wheelchair Athletes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mason, B.; van der Woude, L.; Lenton, J. P.; Goosey-Tolfrey, V.

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effects of different wheel sizes, with fixed gear ratios, on maximal effort mobility performance in wheelchair athletes. 13 highly trained wheelchair basketball players, grouped by classification level, performed a battery of 3 field tests in

  5. Micrometer-sized TPM emulsion droplets with surface-mobile binding groups

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Wel, Casper; van de Stolpe, Guido L.; Verweij, Ruben W.; Kraft, Daniela J.

    2018-03-01

    Colloids coated with lipid membranes have been widely employed for fundamental studies of lipid membrane processes, biotechnological applications such as drug delivery and biosensing, and more recently, for self-assembly. The latter has been made possible by inserting DNA oligomers with covalently linked hydrophobic anchors into the membrane. The lateral mobility of the DNA linkers on micrometer-sized droplets and solid particles has opened the door to creating structures with unprecedented structural flexibility. Here, we investigate micro-emulsions of TPM (3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate) as a platform for lipid monolayers and further functionalization with proteins and DNA oligonucleotides. TPM droplets can be produced with a narrow size distribution and are polymerizable, thus providing supports for model lipid membranes with controlled size and curvature. With fluorescence recovery after photobleaching, we observed that droplet-attached lipids, NeutrAvidin proteins, as well as DNA oligonucleotides all show mobility on the surface. We explored the assembly of micron-sized particles on TPM-droplets by exploiting either avidin-biotin interactions or double-stranded DNA with complementary single-stranded end groups. While the single molecules are mobile, the particles that are attached to them are not. We propose that this is caused by the heterogeneous nature of emulsified TPM, which forms an oligomer network that limits the collective motion of linkers, but allows the surface mobility of individual molecules.

  6. Photoluminescence effects of graphitic core size and surface functional groups in carbon dots: COO− induced red-shift emission

    KAUST Repository

    Hola, Katerina; Bourlinos, Athanasios B.; Kozak, Ondrej; Berka, Karel; Siskova, Karolina M.; Havrdova, Marketa; Tucek, Jiri; Safarova, Klara; Otyepka, Michal; Giannelis, Emmanuel P.; Zboril, Radek

    2014-01-01

    We present a simple molecular approach to control the lipophilic/ hydrophilic nature of photoluminescent carbon dots (CDs) based on pyrolysis of alkyl gallate precursors. Depending on the gallic acid derivative used, CDs with different alkyl groups (methyl, propyl, lauryl) on the surface can be obtained by isothermal heating at 270 C. This precursor-derived approach allows not only the control of lipophilicity but also the length of the particular alkyl chain enables the control over both the size and photoluminescence (PL) of the prepared CDs. Moreover, the alkyl chains on the CDs surface can be readily converted to carboxylate groups via a mild base hydrolysis to obtain water dispersible CDs with a record biocompatibility. The observed differences in PL properties of CDs and time-resolved PL data, including contributions from carbogenic cores and surface functional group, are rationalized and discussed in detail using time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Photoluminescence effects of graphitic core size and surface functional groups in carbon dots: COO− induced red-shift emission

    KAUST Repository

    Hola, Katerina

    2014-04-01

    We present a simple molecular approach to control the lipophilic/ hydrophilic nature of photoluminescent carbon dots (CDs) based on pyrolysis of alkyl gallate precursors. Depending on the gallic acid derivative used, CDs with different alkyl groups (methyl, propyl, lauryl) on the surface can be obtained by isothermal heating at 270 C. This precursor-derived approach allows not only the control of lipophilicity but also the length of the particular alkyl chain enables the control over both the size and photoluminescence (PL) of the prepared CDs. Moreover, the alkyl chains on the CDs surface can be readily converted to carboxylate groups via a mild base hydrolysis to obtain water dispersible CDs with a record biocompatibility. The observed differences in PL properties of CDs and time-resolved PL data, including contributions from carbogenic cores and surface functional group, are rationalized and discussed in detail using time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Publication Bias in Psychology: A Diagnosis Based on the Correlation between Effect Size and Sample Size

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kühberger, Anton; Fritz, Astrid; Scherndl, Thomas

    2014-01-01

    Background The p value obtained from a significance test provides no information about the magnitude or importance of the underlying phenomenon. Therefore, additional reporting of effect size is often recommended. Effect sizes are theoretically independent from sample size. Yet this may not hold true empirically: non-independence could indicate publication bias. Methods We investigate whether effect size is independent from sample size in psychological research. We randomly sampled 1,000 psychological articles from all areas of psychological research. We extracted p values, effect sizes, and sample sizes of all empirical papers, and calculated the correlation between effect size and sample size, and investigated the distribution of p values. Results We found a negative correlation of r = −.45 [95% CI: −.53; −.35] between effect size and sample size. In addition, we found an inordinately high number of p values just passing the boundary of significance. Additional data showed that neither implicit nor explicit power analysis could account for this pattern of findings. Conclusion The negative correlation between effect size and samples size, and the biased distribution of p values indicate pervasive publication bias in the entire field of psychology. PMID:25192357

  9. Modelling of Size Effect with Regularised Continua

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Askes

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available A nonlocal damage continuum and a viscoplastic damage continuum are used to model size effects. Three-point bending specimens are analysed, whereby a distinction is made between unnotched specimens, specimens with a constant notch and specimens with a proportionally scaled notch. Numerical finite element simulations have been performed for specimen sizes in a range of 1:64. Size effects are established in terms of nominal strength and compared to existing size effect models from the literature. 

  10. Nanocoatings size effect in nanostructured films

    CERN Document Server

    Aliofkhazraei, Mahmood

    2014-01-01

    Size effect in structures has been taken into consideration over the last years. In comparison with coatings with micrometer-ranged thickness, nanostructured coatings usually enjoy better and appropriate properties, such as strength and resistance. These coatings enjoy unique magnetic properties and are used with the aim of producing surfaces resistant against erosion, lubricant system, cutting tools, manufacturing hardened sporadic alloys, being resistant against oxidation and corrosion. This book reviews researches on fabrication and classification of nanostructured coatings with focus on size effect in nanometric scale. Size effect on electrochemical, mechanical and physical properties of nanocoatings are presented.

  11. What about N? A methodological study of sample-size reporting in focus group studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlsen, Benedicte; Glenton, Claire

    2011-03-11

    Focus group studies are increasingly published in health related journals, but we know little about how researchers use this method, particularly how they determine the number of focus groups to conduct. The methodological literature commonly advises researchers to follow principles of data saturation, although practical advise on how to do this is lacking. Our objectives were firstly, to describe the current status of sample size in focus group studies reported in health journals. Secondly, to assess whether and how researchers explain the number of focus groups they carry out. We searched PubMed for studies that had used focus groups and that had been published in open access journals during 2008, and extracted data on the number of focus groups and on any explanation authors gave for this number. We also did a qualitative assessment of the papers with regard to how number of groups was explained and discussed. We identified 220 papers published in 117 journals. In these papers insufficient reporting of sample sizes was common. The number of focus groups conducted varied greatly (mean 8.4, median 5, range 1 to 96). Thirty seven (17%) studies attempted to explain the number of groups. Six studies referred to rules of thumb in the literature, three stated that they were unable to organize more groups for practical reasons, while 28 studies stated that they had reached a point of saturation. Among those stating that they had reached a point of saturation, several appeared not to have followed principles from grounded theory where data collection and analysis is an iterative process until saturation is reached. Studies with high numbers of focus groups did not offer explanations for number of groups. Too much data as a study weakness was not an issue discussed in any of the reviewed papers. Based on these findings we suggest that journals adopt more stringent requirements for focus group method reporting. The often poor and inconsistent reporting seen in these

  12. What about N? A methodological study of sample-size reporting in focus group studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Glenton Claire

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Focus group studies are increasingly published in health related journals, but we know little about how researchers use this method, particularly how they determine the number of focus groups to conduct. The methodological literature commonly advises researchers to follow principles of data saturation, although practical advise on how to do this is lacking. Our objectives were firstly, to describe the current status of sample size in focus group studies reported in health journals. Secondly, to assess whether and how researchers explain the number of focus groups they carry out. Methods We searched PubMed for studies that had used focus groups and that had been published in open access journals during 2008, and extracted data on the number of focus groups and on any explanation authors gave for this number. We also did a qualitative assessment of the papers with regard to how number of groups was explained and discussed. Results We identified 220 papers published in 117 journals. In these papers insufficient reporting of sample sizes was common. The number of focus groups conducted varied greatly (mean 8.4, median 5, range 1 to 96. Thirty seven (17% studies attempted to explain the number of groups. Six studies referred to rules of thumb in the literature, three stated that they were unable to organize more groups for practical reasons, while 28 studies stated that they had reached a point of saturation. Among those stating that they had reached a point of saturation, several appeared not to have followed principles from grounded theory where data collection and analysis is an iterative process until saturation is reached. Studies with high numbers of focus groups did not offer explanations for number of groups. Too much data as a study weakness was not an issue discussed in any of the reviewed papers. Conclusions Based on these findings we suggest that journals adopt more stringent requirements for focus group method

  13. Sample size determinations for group-based randomized clinical trials with different levels of data hierarchy between experimental and control arms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heo, Moonseong; Litwin, Alain H; Blackstock, Oni; Kim, Namhee; Arnsten, Julia H

    2017-02-01

    We derived sample size formulae for detecting main effects in group-based randomized clinical trials with different levels of data hierarchy between experimental and control arms. Such designs are necessary when experimental interventions need to be administered to groups of subjects whereas control conditions need to be administered to individual subjects. This type of trial, often referred to as a partially nested or partially clustered design, has been implemented for management of chronic diseases such as diabetes and is beginning to emerge more commonly in wider clinical settings. Depending on the research setting, the level of hierarchy of data structure for the experimental arm can be three or two, whereas that for the control arm is two or one. Such different levels of data hierarchy assume correlation structures of outcomes that are different between arms, regardless of whether research settings require two or three level data structure for the experimental arm. Therefore, the different correlations should be taken into account for statistical modeling and for sample size determinations. To this end, we considered mixed-effects linear models with different correlation structures between experimental and control arms to theoretically derive and empirically validate the sample size formulae with simulation studies.

  14. Influence of group size on the success of wolves hunting bison.

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacNulty, Daniel R; Tallian, Aimee; Stahler, Daniel R; Smith, Douglas W

    2014-01-01

    An intriguing aspect of social foraging behaviour is that large groups are often no better at capturing prey than are small groups, a pattern that has been attributed to diminished cooperation (i.e., free riding) in large groups. Although this suggests the formation of large groups is unrelated to prey capture, little is known about cooperation in large groups that hunt hard-to-catch prey. Here, we used direct observations of Yellowstone wolves (Canis lupus) hunting their most formidable prey, bison (Bison bison), to test the hypothesis that large groups are more cooperative when hunting difficult prey. We quantified the relationship between capture success and wolf group size, and compared it to previously reported results for Yellowstone wolves hunting elk (Cervus elaphus), a prey that was, on average, 3 times easier to capture than bison. Whereas improvement in elk capture success levelled off at 2-6 wolves, bison capture success levelled off at 9-13 wolves with evidence that it continued to increase beyond 13 wolves. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that hunters in large groups are more cooperative when hunting more formidable prey. Improved ability to capture formidable prey could therefore promote the formation and maintenance of large predator groups, particularly among predators that specialize on such prey.

  15. Influence of group size on the success of wolves hunting bison.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel R MacNulty

    Full Text Available An intriguing aspect of social foraging behaviour is that large groups are often no better at capturing prey than are small groups, a pattern that has been attributed to diminished cooperation (i.e., free riding in large groups. Although this suggests the formation of large groups is unrelated to prey capture, little is known about cooperation in large groups that hunt hard-to-catch prey. Here, we used direct observations of Yellowstone wolves (Canis lupus hunting their most formidable prey, bison (Bison bison, to test the hypothesis that large groups are more cooperative when hunting difficult prey. We quantified the relationship between capture success and wolf group size, and compared it to previously reported results for Yellowstone wolves hunting elk (Cervus elaphus, a prey that was, on average, 3 times easier to capture than bison. Whereas improvement in elk capture success levelled off at 2-6 wolves, bison capture success levelled off at 9-13 wolves with evidence that it continued to increase beyond 13 wolves. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that hunters in large groups are more cooperative when hunting more formidable prey. Improved ability to capture formidable prey could therefore promote the formation and maintenance of large predator groups, particularly among predators that specialize on such prey.

  16. Size effect in the strength of concrete structures

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    R. Narasimhan (Krishtel eMaging) 1461 1996 Oct 15 13:05:22

    The fracture mechanics size effect, as opposed to the Weibull statistical size effect, is a .... Solutions for TPB beam and a typical wedge-splitting geometry have been ..... Bazant Z P 1984 Size effect in blunt fracture: Concrete, rock, metal. J. Eng.

  17. Prevention of the Portion Size Effect

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    I. Versluis (Iris)

    2016-01-01

    markdownabstractAn increase in the portion size leads to an increase in energy intake, a phenomenon which is also referred to as the portion size effect. The increase in portion sizes in recent years is regarded as an important contributor to the increase in the prevalence of obesity. Hence, the aim

  18. Effectiveness of the Size Matters Handwriting Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pfeiffer, Beth; Rai, Gillian; Murray, Tammy; Brusilovskiy, Eugene

    2015-04-01

    The purpose of the research was to study changes in handwriting legibility among kindergarten, first- and second-grade students in response to the Size Matters curricular-based handwriting program. A two-group pre-post-test design was implemented at two public schools with half of the classrooms assigned to receive the Size Matters program and the other continuing to receive standard instruction. All participants completed two standardized handwriting measures at pre-test and after 40 instructional sessions were completed with the classes receiving the handwriting program. Results identified significant changes in legibility in the handwriting intervention group for all three grades when compared with the standard instruction group. The results of this study support the use of a curricular-embedded handwriting program and provide the foundation for future research examining the impact of handwriting legibility on learning outcomes.

  19. REPERCUSSIONS OF THE INCREASE IN GROUP SIZE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: THE PERSPECTIVE OF EDUCATORS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Casla, Marta

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available This work describes some of the consequences of new regulations on nurseries in the Madrid area that are related to ratios and group size (especially after the decree 18/2008. Analyses are based on educators and education staff’s point of view. Special emphasis is made on consequences on children behavior. Two hundred and seventy seven professionals that belonged to more than 53 nurseries of Madrid area voluntarily answered a survey with open questions about educative process and child’s behavior. Qualitative and quantitative analyses show that, from educator’s point of view, increasing ratio child-educator has consequences in the variables explored. Main effects were found for the activities made in classrooms (loosing educative standards, hygiene and supply routines (loosing intrinsic values and autonomy support, space and time distribution, support staff organization and relation with families (reduced to quick information interchanges. Directors, classroom tutors and support educators perceive these changes in a similar fashion. The vast majority perceived changes on children’s behavior- increases in the number of conflicts and anxiety. These results agree with previous research on the influence of child-educators ratios and group size on quality of education. Implications for child development are discussed. This paper is published in Spanish.

  20. Causality in Statistical Power: Isomorphic Properties of Measurement, Research Design, Effect Size, and Sample Size

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Eric Heidel

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Statistical power is the ability to detect a significant effect, given that the effect actually exists in a population. Like most statistical concepts, statistical power tends to induce cognitive dissonance in hepatology researchers. However, planning for statistical power by an a priori sample size calculation is of paramount importance when designing a research study. There are five specific empirical components that make up an a priori sample size calculation: the scale of measurement of the outcome, the research design, the magnitude of the effect size, the variance of the effect size, and the sample size. A framework grounded in the phenomenon of isomorphism, or interdependencies amongst different constructs with similar forms, will be presented to understand the isomorphic effects of decisions made on each of the five aforementioned components of statistical power.

  1. The effect of different physical activity levels on muscle fiber size and type distribution of lumbar multifidus. A biopsy study on low back pain patient groups and healthy control subjects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mazis, N; Papachristou, D J; Zouboulis, P; Tyllianakis, M; Scopa, C D; Megas, P

    2009-12-01

    Previous studies examining the multifidus fiber characteristics among low back pain (LBP) patients have not considered the variable of physical activity. The present study sought to investigate the muscle fiber size and type distribution of the lumbar multifidus muscle among LBP patient groups with different physical activity levels and healthy controls. Sixty-four patients were assigned to one of three groups named according to the physical activity level, determined for each patient by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. These were low (LPA), medium (MPA) and high (HPA) physical activity groups. A control group comprising of 17 healthy individuals was also recruited. Muscle biopsy samples were obtained from the multifidus muscle at the level L4-L5. contrast with the control group, LBP patient groups showed a significantly higher Type II fiber distribution as well as reduced diameter in both fiber types (P0.05) among LPA, MPA and HPA patient groups. Various pathological conditions were detected which were more pronounced in LBP groups compared to the control (P<0.05). Males had a larger fiber diameter compared to females for both fiber types (P<0.05). The results showed that the level of physical activity did not affect muscle fiber size and type distribution among LBP patients groups. These findings suggest that not only inactivity but also high physical activity levels can have an adverse effect on the multifidus muscle fiber characteristics.

  2. How to Estimate and Interpret Various Effect Sizes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vacha-Haase, Tammi; Thompson, Bruce

    2004-01-01

    The present article presents a tutorial on how to estimate and interpret various effect sizes. The 5th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2001) described the failure to report effect sizes as a "defect" (p. 5), and 23 journals have published author guidelines requiring effect size reporting. Although…

  3. Group-size effect on scanning behaviour of Maasai Ostrich Struthio ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    While. Scopus 37(2): 38–41, July 2017 ... tivity (Nyahongo 2004). Ostriches inside the park are speculated to be highly vigilant and form groups .... The Ostrich Communal Nesting System. Princeton: Princeton University. Press. F.J. Magige. 40 ...

  4. How Group Size and Composition Influences the Effectiveness of Collaborative Screen-Based Simulation Training: A Study of Dental and Nursing University Students Learning Radiographic Techniques

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tor Söderström

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available This study analyses how changes in the design of screen-based computer simulation training influence the collaborative training process. Specifically, this study examine how the size of a group and a group’s composition influence the way these tools are used. One case study consisted of 18+18 dental students randomized into either collaborative 3D simulation training or conventional collaborative training. The students worked in groups of three. The other case consisted of 12 nursing students working in pairs (partners determined by the students with a 3D simulator. The results showed that simulation training encouraged different types of dialogue compared to conventional training and that the communication patterns were enhanced in the nursing students ́ dyadic simulation training. The concrete changes concerning group size and the composition of the group influenced the nursing students’ engagement with the learning environment and consequently the communication patterns that emerged. These findings suggest that smaller groups will probably be more efficient than larger groups in a free collaboration setting that uses screen-based simulation training.

  5. Effect of acid Lugol solution as preservative on two representative chitineous and gelatinous zooplankton groups

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jaspers, Cornelia; Carstensen, Jacob

    2009-01-01

    The estimation of biomass from body lengths to carbon regressions is a common approach in plankton research. Several different chemicals for sample preservation are in use, and conversion factors to account for shrinkage effects exist, but to our knowledge the consequences of using potassium......-iodide and iodine (Lugol solution) as preservative on body sizes of different mesozooplankton groups have not been investigated. We tested the effect of 2% acidified Lugol solution on body sizes over time on two major marine mesozooplankton groups, namely larvaceans and copepods, which are representatives...

  6. Estimating an Effect Size in One-Way Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steyn, H. S., Jr.; Ellis, S. M.

    2009-01-01

    When two or more univariate population means are compared, the proportion of variation in the dependent variable accounted for by population group membership is eta-squared. This effect size can be generalized by using multivariate measures of association, based on the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) statistics, to establish whether…

  7. Size effects in ductile cellular solids. Part I : modeling

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Onck, P.R.; Andrews, E.W.; Gibson, L.J.

    2001-01-01

    In the mechanical testing of metallic foams, an important issue is the effect of the specimen size, relative to the cell size, on the measured properties. Here we analyze size effects for the modulus and strength of regular, hexagonal honeycombs under uniaxial and shear loadings. Size effects for

  8. Biofuel manufacturing from woody biomass: effects of sieve size used in biomass size reduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Meng; Song, Xiaoxu; Deines, T W; Pei, Z J; Wang, Donghai

    2012-01-01

    Size reduction is the first step for manufacturing biofuels from woody biomass. It is usually performed using milling machines and the particle size is controlled by the size of the sieve installed on a milling machine. There are reported studies about the effects of sieve size on energy consumption in milling of woody biomass. These studies show that energy consumption increased dramatically as sieve size became smaller. However, in these studies, the sugar yield (proportional to biofuel yield) in hydrolysis of the milled woody biomass was not measured. The lack of comprehensive studies about the effects of sieve size on energy consumption in biomass milling and sugar yield in hydrolysis process makes it difficult to decide which sieve size should be selected in order to minimize the energy consumption in size reduction and maximize the sugar yield in hydrolysis. The purpose of this paper is to fill this gap in the literature. In this paper, knife milling of poplar wood was conducted using sieves of three sizes (1, 2, and 4 mm). Results show that, as sieve size increased, energy consumption in knife milling decreased and sugar yield in hydrolysis increased in the tested range of particle sizes.

  9. Place matters: A longitudinal analysis measuring the association between neighbourhood walkability and walking by age group and population center size in Canada.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wasfi, Rania; Steinmetz-Wood, Madeleine; Kestens, Yan

    2017-01-01

    This study examined the influence of walkability on walking behaviour and assessed whether associations varied according to life-stage and population center (PC) size. Walkability scores were obtained for the six-digit postal codes of residential neighbourhoods of 11,200 Canadians, who participated in biennial assessments of the National Population Health Survey from 1994 to 2010. Participants were stratified by age-group. Mixed-effects logistic regression models were used to estimate the influence of cumulative exposure to neighborhood walkability on utilitarian and exercise walking by PC size and life-stage. Associations of neighbourhood walkability with utilitarian and exercise walking varied according to age-group and PC size. Exposure to high walkable neighborhoods was associated with utilitarian walking in younger and older adults in all PC sizes, except for older adults living in a medium PC. Living in a highly walkable neighborhood in a large PC was associated with walking for exercise in younger (OR: 1.42; 95%CI: 1.20-1.67) and older adults (OR: 2.09; 95%CI: 1.51-2.89). Living in highly walkable neighbourhood in a medium PC was associated with walking for exercise in older adults (OR: 1.62; 95%CI: 1.15-2.29). These results emphasize the need to consider the size and nature of every community, and the age-group of a population when implementing strategies to promote walking.

  10. Electrokinetic Flow in Microchannels with Finite Reservoir Size Effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan, D; Yang, C; Nguyen, N-T; Huang, X

    2006-01-01

    In electrokinetically-driven microfluidic applications, reservoirs are indispensable and have finite sizes. During operation processes, as the liquid level difference in reservoirs keeps changing as time elapses, the flow characteristics in a microchannel exhibit a combination of the electroosmotic flow and the time-dependent induced backpressure-driven flow. In this work, an assessment of the finite reservoir size effect on electroosmotic flows is presented theoretically and experimentally. A model is developed to describe the timedependent electrokinetic flow with finite reservoir size effects. The theoretical analysis shows that under certain conditions the finite reservoir size effect is significant. The important parameters that describe the effect of finite reservoir size on the flow characteristics are discussed. A new concept denoted as 'effective pumping period' is introduced to characterize the reservoir size effect. The proposed model clearly identifies the mechanisms of the finitereservoir size effects and is further confirmed by using micro-PIV technique. The results of this study can be used for facilitating the design of microfluidic devices

  11. Statistical properties of four effect-size measures for mediation models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miočević, Milica; O'Rourke, Holly P; MacKinnon, David P; Brown, Hendricks C

    2018-02-01

    This project examined the performance of classical and Bayesian estimators of four effect size measures for the indirect effect in a single-mediator model and a two-mediator model. Compared to the proportion and ratio mediation effect sizes, standardized mediation effect-size measures were relatively unbiased and efficient in the single-mediator model and the two-mediator model. Percentile and bias-corrected bootstrap interval estimates of ab/s Y , and ab(s X )/s Y in the single-mediator model outperformed interval estimates of the proportion and ratio effect sizes in terms of power, Type I error rate, coverage, imbalance, and interval width. For the two-mediator model, standardized effect-size measures were superior to the proportion and ratio effect-size measures. Furthermore, it was found that Bayesian point and interval summaries of posterior distributions of standardized effect-size measures reduced excessive relative bias for certain parameter combinations. The standardized effect-size measures are the best effect-size measures for quantifying mediated effects.

  12. Effect of Reiki therapy on pain and anxiety in adults: an in-depth literature review of randomized trials with effect size calculations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thrane, Susan; Cohen, Susan M

    2014-12-01

    The objective of this study was to calculate the effect of Reiki therapy for pain and anxiety in randomized clinical trials. A systematic search of PubMed, ProQuest, Cochrane, PsychInfo, CINAHL, Web of Science, Global Health, and Medline databases was conducted using the search terms pain, anxiety, and Reiki. The Center for Reiki Research also was examined for articles. Studies that used randomization and a control or usual care group, used Reiki therapy in one arm of the study, were published in 2000 or later in peer-reviewed journals in English, and measured pain or anxiety were included. After removing duplicates, 49 articles were examined and 12 articles received full review. Seven studies met the inclusion criteria: four articles studied cancer patients, one examined post-surgical patients, and two analyzed community dwelling older adults. Effect sizes were calculated for all studies using Cohen's d statistic. Effect sizes for within group differences ranged from d = 0.24 for decrease in anxiety in women undergoing breast biopsy to d = 2.08 for decreased pain in community dwelling adults. The between group differences ranged from d = 0.32 for decrease of pain in a Reiki versus rest intervention for cancer patients to d = 4.5 for decrease in pain in community dwelling adults. Although the number of studies is limited, based on the size Cohen's d statistics calculated in this review, there is evidence to suggest that Reiki therapy may be effective for pain and anxiety. Continued research using Reiki therapy with larger sample sizes, consistently randomized groups, and standardized treatment protocols is recommended. Copyright © 2014 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Diverse Effects of a Seven-Year Experimental Grassland Fragmentation on Major Invertebrate Groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braschler, Brigitte; Baur, Bruno

    2016-01-01

    Habitat fragmentation is a major driver of biodiversity loss, but observed effects vary and may depend on the group examined. Time since fragmentation may explain some differences between taxonomical groups, as some species and thus species composition respond with a delay to changes in their environment. Impacts of drivers of global change may thus be underestimated in short-term studies. In our study we experimentally fragmented nutrient-poor dry calcareous grasslands and studied the response of species richness, individual density and species composition of various groups of invertebrates (gastropods, ants, ground beetles, rove beetles, orthoptera, spiders, woodlice) in 12 small (1.5 m * 1.5 m) and 12 large (4.5 m * 4.5 m) fragments and their corresponding control plots after 7 years. We further examined responses to fragmentation in relation to body size and habitat preferences. Responses to fragmentation varied between taxonomical groups. While spider species richness and individual density were lower in fragments, the opposite was true for an orthopteran species and woodlice. Species composition and β-diversity differed between fragments and control plots for some groups. However, the interaction treatment*plot size was rarely significant. Species with high occupancy rates in undisturbed control plots responded more negatively to the fragmentation, while species with large body size were relatively more abundant in fragments in some groups. No effect of the fragmentation was found for ants, which may have the longest lag times because of long-lived colonies. However, relationships between abundance and the species' preferences for environmental factors affected by edge effects indicate that ant diversity too may be affected in the longer-term. Our results show the importance of considering different groups in conservation management in times of widespread fragmentation of landscapes. While species richness may respond slowly, changes in abundance related to

  14. Size effects in crystal plasticity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Borg, Ulrik

    2007-01-01

    Numerical analyses of plasticity size effects have been carried out for different problems using a developed strain gradient crystal plasticiy theory. The theory employs higher order stresses as work conjugates to slip gradients and uses higher order boundary conditions. Problems on localization...... of plastic flow in a single crystal, grain boundary effects in a bicrystal, and grain size effects in a polycrystal are studied. Single crystals containing micro-scale voids have also been analyzed at different loading conditions with focus on the stress and deformation fields around the voids, on void...... growth and interaction between neighboring voids, and on a comparison between the developed strain gradient crystal plasticity theory and a discrete dislocation plasticity theory. Furthermore, voids and rigid inclusions in isotropic materials have been studied using a strain gradient plasticity theory...

  15. Calculating and reporting effect sizes on scientific papers (1: p < 0.05 limitations in the analysis of mean differences of two groups

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Helena Espirito Santo

    2015-02-01

    Since p-values from the results of the statistical tests do not indicate the magnitude or importance of a difference, then effect sizes (ES should reported. In fact, ES give meaning to statistical tests; emphasize the power of statistical tests; reduce the risk of interpret mere sampling variation as real relationship; can increase the reporting of “non-significant"results, and allow the accumulation of knowledge from several studies using meta-analysis. Thus, the objectives of this paper are to present the limits of the significance level; describe the foundations of presentation of ES of statistical tests to analyze differences between two groups; present the formulas to calculate directly ES, providing examples of our own previous studies; show how to calculate confidence intervals; provide the conversion formulas for the review of the literature; indicate how to interpret the ES; and show that, although interpretable, the meaning (small, medium or large effect for an arbitrary metric could be inaccurate, requiring that interpretation should be made in the context of the research area and in the context of real world variables.

  16. Interpreting and Reporting Effect Sizes in Research Investigations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tapia, Martha; Marsh, George E., II

    Since 1994, the American Psychological Association (APA) has advocated the inclusion of effect size indices in reporting research to elucidate the statistical significance of studies based on sample size. In 2001, the fifth edition of the APA "Publication Manual" stressed the importance of including an index of effect size to clarify…

  17. Portion size and intended consumption. Evidence for a pre-consumption portion size effect in males?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, Eric; te Raa, Wesselien; Hardman, Charlotte A

    2015-08-01

    Larger portions increase energy intake (the 'portion size effect'); however, the mechanisms behind this effect are unclear. Although pre-meal intentions are thought to be an important determinant of energy intake, little research has examined how much of a meal individuals intend to eat when served standard versus larger portion sizes. Three studies examined the effect of manipulating portion size on intended food consumption. In Studies 1 (spaghetti bolognese) and 2 (curry and rice) male participants were shown an image of either a standard or a larger meal and indicated how much of the meal they intended to consume. In Study 3 male and female participants were served either a standard or a larger portion of ice cream for dessert, they indicated how much they intended to consume and then ate as much of the ice cream as they desired. Regardless of being shown standard or large portion sizes, in Studies 1 and 2 participants reported that they intended to eat the majority of the meal, equating to a large difference in intended energy consumption between portion size conditions (a 'pre-consumption portion size effect'). This finding was replicated in male participants in Study 3, although females intended to eat a smaller proportion of the larger portion of ice cream, compared to the standard portion. Both male and female participants tended to eat in accordance with their pre-meal intentions and a portion size effect on actual consumption was subsequently observed in males, but not in females. The portion size effect may be observed when measuring pre-meal intended consumption in males. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  18. Effect of surfactant concentration on the size of one-pot synthesized Si nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Su Jung; Kim, Tae Woo; Lee, Myong Euy [Dept. of Chemistry and Medical Chemistry, College of Science and Technology, Research and EducationCenter for Advanced Silicon Materials, Yonsei University, Wonju (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Hyeon Mo [University College, Yonsei University, Incheon (Korea, Republic of); Yoon, Sang Woong [Youngchang Chemical Co., LTD, Seongnam (Korea, Republic of); Ryou, Joon Sung [Advanced Technology R and D Center, SKC, Suwon (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-07-15

    The effect of surfactant concentration on the synthesis of Si nanoparticles (NPs) was studied. Hexyl Si NPs were synthesized using one-pot synthetic methodology with different ratios of SiCl{sub 4}:HexylSiCl{sub 3} (1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:6) to observe the effect of surfactant concentration on the size of Si NPs. In Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis, the Si–H stretching band and the characteristic Si–O–Si bands decreased and eventually disappeared with increasing hexyltrichlorosilane concentration. This suggests that the level of oxidation decreased with excess amounts of hexyltrichlorosilane because the surface area of exposed Si NPs without hexyl capping groups was reduced. Results of transmission electron microscopy and particle size analysis showed that the average diameter of hexyl Si NPs increased slightly from low surfactant concentration (SiCl{sub 4}:HexylSiCl{sub 3} = 1:1) to high concentration (1:6). This might be caused due to the relationship between the surfactant concentration effect and the core material part effect of hexyltrichlorosilane. Agglomerated Si NPs were observed and their luminescence bands were not shifted because the Si NPs were capped by alkyl groups to prevent aggregation.

  19. The use of 65Zn for estimating group size of brown hyaenas Hyaena ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    MacDonald 1983), is influenced by the quality of resources within a territory (Mills 1982). Group size is, however, difficult to determine accurately using routine methods (i.e., direct counts and mark recapture techniques) owing to the shy, elusive and nocturnal habits of brown hyaenas and the physiognomic characteristics of ...

  20. Small Group Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGrath, Joseph E.

    1978-01-01

    Summarizes research on small group processes by giving a comprehensive account of the types of variables primarily studied in the laboratory. These include group structure, group composition, group size, and group relations. Considers effects of power, leadership, conformity to social norms, and role relationships. (Author/AV)

  1. Finite size effects of a pion matrix element

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guagnelli, M.; Jansen, K.; Palombi, F.; Petronzio, R.; Shindler, A.; Wetzorke, I.

    2004-01-01

    We investigate finite size effects of the pion matrix element of the non-singlet, twist-2 operator corresponding to the average momentum of non-singlet quark densities. Using the quenched approximation, they come out to be surprisingly large when compared to the finite size effects of the pion mass. As a consequence, simulations of corresponding nucleon matrix elements could be affected by finite size effects even stronger which could lead to serious systematic uncertainties in their evaluation

  2. [The effect of disinfectant soaking on dental gypsum model size].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Cao-yun; Xu, Yun-wen; Xu, Kan

    2012-12-01

    To study the influence of disinfectant soaking on the dimensional stability of three kinds of dental gypsum model. Three commonly used gypsums ( type III,IV,Vtype) in clinic were used to make 24 specimens for 50 mm×15 mm×10 mm in size. One hour after release, the specimens were placed for 24 h. A digital caliper was used to measure the size of the gypsum model. Distilled water immersion was as used control, glutaraldehyde disinfectant and Metrix CaviCide disinfectant soaking were used for the experimental group. After soaking for 0.5h, the gypsum models were removed and placed for 0.5 h, 1 h, 2 h, 24 h. The size of the models was measured again using the same method. The data was analyzed with SPSS10.0 software package. The initial gypsum model length was (50.07±0.017) mm, (50.048±0.015) mm and (50.027±0.015) mm. After soaking for different times, the size of the model changed little, and the dimensions changed less than 0.01%. The results show that disinfectant soaking has no significant effect on dental model dimensions.

  3. Do Class Size Effects Differ across Grades?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nandrup, Anne Brink

    2016-01-01

    This paper contributes to the class size literature by analysing whether short-run class size effects are constant across grade levels in compulsory school. Results are based on administrative data on all pupils enrolled in Danish public schools. Identification is based on a government-imposed class size cap that creates exogenous variation in…

  4. Interviewer Effects on a Network-Size Filter Question

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Josten Michael

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available There is evidence that survey interviewers may be tempted to manipulate answers to filter questions in a way that minimizes the number of follow-up questions. This becomes relevant when ego-centered network data are collected. The reported network size has a huge impact on interview duration if multiple questions on each alter are triggered. We analyze interviewer effects on a network-size question in the mixed-mode survey “Panel Study ‘Labour Market and Social Security’” (PASS, where interviewers could skip up to 15 follow-up questions by generating small networks. Applying multilevel models, we find almost no interviewer effects in CATI mode, where interviewers are paid by the hour and frequently supervised. In CAPI, however, where interviewers are paid by case and no close supervision is possible, we find strong interviewer effects on network size. As the area-specific network size is known from telephone mode, where allocation to interviewers is random, interviewer and area effects can be separated. Furthermore, a difference-in-difference analysis reveals the negative effect of introducing the follow-up questions in Wave 3 on CAPI network size. Attempting to explain interviewer effects we neither find significant main effects of experience within a wave, nor significantly different slopes between interviewers.

  5. Size effect in tension perpendicular to the grain

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Martin Bo Uhre; Clorius, Christian Odin; Damkilde, Lars

    1999-01-01

    The strength in tension perpendicular to the grain is known to decrease with an increase in the stressed volume. Usually this size effect is explained on a stochastic basis, that is an explanation relying on an increased probability of encountering a strength reducing flaw when the volume...... of the material under stress is increased. This paper presents a small experimental investigation on specimens with well defined structural orientation of the material. The experiments exhibit a larger size effect than expected and furthermore the data and the nature of the failures encountered suggest...... that the size effect can be explained on a deterministic basis. Arguments for such a simple deterministic explanation of size effect is found in finite element modelling using the orthotropic stiffness characteristics in the transverse plane of wood....

  6. Evidence from a Large Sample on the Effects of Group Size and Decision-Making Time on Performance in a Marketing Simulation Game

    Science.gov (United States)

    Treen, Emily; Atanasova, Christina; Pitt, Leyland; Johnson, Michael

    2016-01-01

    Marketing instructors using simulation games as a way of inducing some realism into a marketing course are faced with many dilemmas. Two important quandaries are the optimal size of groups and how much of the students' time should ideally be devoted to the game. Using evidence from a very large sample of teams playing a simulation game, the study…

  7. The causal effect of board size in the performance of small and medium-sized firms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bennedsen, Morten; Kongsted, Hans Christian; Meisner Nielsen, Kasper

    2008-01-01

    correlation between family size and board size and show this correlation to be driven by firms where the CEO's relatives serve on the board. Second, we find empirical evidence of a small adverse board size effect driven by the minority of small and medium-sized firms that are characterized by having......Empirical studies of large publicly traded firms have shown a robust negative relationship between board size and firm performance. The evidence on small and medium-sized firms is less clear; we show that existing work has been incomplete in analyzing the causal relationship due to weak...... identification strategies. Using a rich data set of almost 7000 closely held corporations we provide a causal analysis of board size effects on firm performance: We use a novel instrument given by the number of children of the chief executive officer (CEO) of the firms. First, we find a strong positive...

  8. Effect of eating rate on binge size in Bulimia Nervosa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kissileff, Harry R; Zimmerli, Ellen J; Torres, Migdalia I; Devlin, Michael J; Walsh, B Timothy

    2008-01-01

    Effect of eating rate on binge size in bulimia nervosa. Bulimia Nervosa (BN) is an eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating. During binge eating episodes, patients often describe the rapid consumption of food, and laboratory studies have shown that during binges patients with BN eat faster than normal controls (NC), but the hypothesis that a rapid rate of eating contributes to the excessive intake of binge meals has not yet been experimentally tested. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of eating rate on binge size in BN, in order to determine whether binge size is mediated, in part, by rate of eating. Thirteen BN and 14 NC subjects were asked to binge eat a yogurt shake that was served at a fast rate (140g/min) on one occasion and at a slow rate (70g/min) on another. NC subjects consumed 169 g more when eating at the fast rate than when eating at the slow rate. In contrast, consumption rates failed to influence binge size in patients with BN (fast: 1205 g; slow: 1195 g). Consequently, there was a significant group by rate interaction. As expected, patients with BN consumed more overall than NC subjects (1200 g vs. 740 g). When instructed to binge in the eating laboratory, patients with BN ate equally large amounts of food at a slow rate as at a fast rate. NC subjects ate less at a slow rate. These findings indicate that in a structured laboratory meal paradigm binge size is not affected by rate of eating. PMID:17996257

  9. Disruption effects on the beam size measurement

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Raimondi, P.; Decker, F.J.; Chen, P.

    1995-06-01

    At the SLC Final Focus with higher currents and smaller beam sizes, the disruption parameter D{sub y} is close to one and so the pinch effect should produce a luminosity enhancement. Since a flat beam-beam function is fit to deflection scan data to measure the beam size, disruption can affect the measurement. Here the authors discuss the quantitative effects of disruption for typical SLC beam parameters. With 3.5 10{sup 10} particles per pulse, bunch length of 0.8 mm and beam sizes of 2.1 {mu}m horizontally and 0.55 {mu}m vertically, the measured vertical size can be as much as 25% bigger than the real one. Furthermore during the collision the spot size actually decrease, producing an enhancement factor H{sub D} of about 1.25. This would yield to a true luminosity which is 1.6 times that which is estimated from the beam-beam deflection fit.

  10. Disruption effects on the beam size measurement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raimondi, P.; Decker, F.J.; Chen, P.

    1995-01-01

    At the SLC Final Focus with higher currents and smaller beam sizes, the disruption parameter D y is close to one and so the pinch effect should produce a luminosity enhancement. Since a flat beam-beam function is fit to deflection scan data to measure the beam size, disruption can affect the measurement. Here the authors discuss the quantitative effects of disruption for typical SLC beam parameters. With 3.5 10 10 particles per pulse, bunch length of 0.8 mm and beam sizes of 2.1 μm horizontally and 0.55 μm vertically, the measured vertical size can be as much as 25% bigger than the real one. Furthermore during the collision the spot size actually decrease, producing an enhancement factor H D of about 1.25. This would yield to a true luminosity which is 1.6 times that which is estimated from the beam-beam deflection fit

  11. Additivity of Feature-based and Symmetry-based Grouping Effects in Multiple Object Tracking

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chundi eWang

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Multiple object tracking (MOT is an attentional process wherein people track several moving targets among several distractors. Symmetry, an important indicator of regularity, is a general spatial pattern observed in natural and artificial scenes. According to the laws of perceptual organization proposed by Gestalt psychologists, regularity is a principle of perceptual grouping, such as similarity and closure. A great deal of research reported that feature-based similarity grouping (e.g., grouping based on color, size, or shape among targets in MOT tasks can improve tracking performance. However, no additive feature-based grouping effects have been reported where the tracking objects had two or more features. Additive effect refers to a greater grouping effect produced by grouping based on multiple cues instead of one cue. Can spatial symmetry produce a similar grouping effect similar to that of feature similarity in MOT tasks? Are the grouping effects based on symmetry and feature similarity additive? This study includes four experiments to address these questions. The results of Experiments 1 and 2 demonstrated the automatic symmetry-based grouping effects. More importantly, an additive grouping effect of symmetry and feature similarity was observed in Experiments 3 and 4. Our findings indicate that symmetry can produce an enhanced grouping effect in MOT and facilitate the grouping effect based on color or shape similarity. The where and what pathways might have played an important role in the additive grouping effect.

  12. Diverse Effects of a Seven-Year Experimental Grassland Fragmentation on Major Invertebrate Groups.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brigitte Braschler

    Full Text Available Habitat fragmentation is a major driver of biodiversity loss, but observed effects vary and may depend on the group examined. Time since fragmentation may explain some differences between taxonomical groups, as some species and thus species composition respond with a delay to changes in their environment. Impacts of drivers of global change may thus be underestimated in short-term studies. In our study we experimentally fragmented nutrient-poor dry calcareous grasslands and studied the response of species richness, individual density and species composition of various groups of invertebrates (gastropods, ants, ground beetles, rove beetles, orthoptera, spiders, woodlice in 12 small (1.5 m * 1.5 m and 12 large (4.5 m * 4.5 m fragments and their corresponding control plots after 7 years. We further examined responses to fragmentation in relation to body size and habitat preferences. Responses to fragmentation varied between taxonomical groups. While spider species richness and individual density were lower in fragments, the opposite was true for an orthopteran species and woodlice. Species composition and β-diversity differed between fragments and control plots for some groups. However, the interaction treatment*plot size was rarely significant. Species with high occupancy rates in undisturbed control plots responded more negatively to the fragmentation, while species with large body size were relatively more abundant in fragments in some groups. No effect of the fragmentation was found for ants, which may have the longest lag times because of long-lived colonies. However, relationships between abundance and the species' preferences for environmental factors affected by edge effects indicate that ant diversity too may be affected in the longer-term. Our results show the importance of considering different groups in conservation management in times of widespread fragmentation of landscapes. While species richness may respond slowly, changes in

  13. Unit-level voluntary turnover rates and customer service quality: implications of group cohesiveness, newcomer concentration, and size.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hausknecht, John P; Trevor, Charlie O; Howard, Michael J

    2009-07-01

    Despite substantial growth in the service industry and emerging work on turnover consequences, little research examines how unit-level turnover rates affect essential customer-related outcomes. The authors propose an operational disruption framework to explain why voluntary turnover impairs customers' service quality perceptions. On the basis of a sample of 75 work units and data from 5,631 employee surveys, 59,602 customer surveys, and organizational records, results indicate that unit-level voluntary turnover rates are negatively related to service quality perceptions. The authors also examine potential boundary conditions related to the disruption framework. Of 3 moderators studied (group cohesiveness, group size, and newcomer concentration), results show that turnover's negative effects on service quality are more pronounced in larger units and in those with a greater concentration of newcomers.

  14. Effect of Cavity Size of Mesoporous Silica on Short DNA Duplex Stability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masuda, Tsubasa; Shibuya, Yuuta; Arai, Shota; Kobayashi, Sayaka; Suzuki, Sotaro; Kijima, Jun; Itoh, Tetsuji; Sato, Yusuke; Nishizawa, Seiichi; Yamaguchi, Akira

    2018-05-15

    We studied the stabilities of short (4- and 3-bp) DNA duplexes within silica mesopores modified with a positively charged trimethyl aminopropyl (TMAP) monolayer (BJH pore diameter 1.6-7.4 nm). The DNA fragments with fluorescent dye were introduced into the pores, and their fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) response was measured to estimate the structuring energies of the short DNA duplexes under cryogenic conditions (temperature 233-323 K). The results confirmed the enthalpic stability gain of the duplex within size-matched pores (1.6 and 2.3 nm). The hybridization equilibrium constants found for the size-matched pores were 2 orders of magnitude larger than those for large pores (≥3.5 nm), and this size-matching effect for the enhanced duplex stability was explained by a tight electrostatic interaction between the duplex and the surface TMAP groups. These results indicate the requirement of the precise regulation of mesopore size to ensure the stabilization of hydrogen-bonded supramolecular assemblies.

  15. Effect of display size on visual attention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, I-Ping; Liao, Chia-Ning; Yeh, Shih-Hao

    2011-06-01

    Attention plays an important role in the design of human-machine interfaces. However, current knowledge about attention is largely based on data obtained when using devices of moderate display size. With advancement in display technology comes the need for understanding attention behavior over a wider range of viewing sizes. The effect of display size on test participants' visual search performance was studied. The participants (N = 12) performed two types of visual search tasks, that is, parallel and serial search, under three display-size conditions (16 degrees, 32 degrees, and 60 degrees). Serial, but not parallel, search was affected by display size. In the serial task, mean reaction time for detecting a target increased with the display size.

  16. Effect of particle size distribution on sintering of tungsten

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patterson, B.R.; Griffin, J.A.

    1984-01-01

    To date, very little is known about the effect of the nature of the particle size distribution on sintering. It is reasonable that there should be an effect of size distribution, and theory and prior experimental work examining the effects of variations in bimodal and continuous distributions have shown marked effects on sintering. Most importantly, even with constant mean particle size, variations in distribution width, or standard deviation, have been shown to produce marked variations in microstructure and sintering rate. In the latter work, in which spherical copper powders were blended to produce lognormal distributions of constant geometric mean particle size by weight frequency, blends with larger values of geometric standard deviation, 1nσ, sintered more rapidly. The goals of the present study were to examine in more detail the effects of variations in the width of lognormal particle size distributions of tungsten powder and determine the effects of 1nσ on the microstructural evolution during sintering

  17. FIRM SIZE EFFECTS ON TRANSACTION COSTS

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    NOOTEBOOM, B

    1993-01-01

    Associated with effects of scale, scope, experience and learning there are effects of firm size on transaction costs; in the stages of contact, contract and control. These effects are due to ''threshold costs'' in setting up contacts, contracts and governance schemes, and to differences with respect

  18. Development of neural basis for chinese orthographic neighborhood size effect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Jing; Li, Qing-Lin; Ding, Guo-Sheng; Bi, Hong-Yan

    2016-02-01

    The brain activity of orthographic neighborhood size (N size) effect in Chinese character naming has been studied in adults, meanwhile behavioral studies have revealed a developmental trend of Chinese N-size effect in developing readers. However, it is unclear whether and how the neural mechanism of N-size effect changes in Chinese children along with development. Here we address this issue using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Forty-four students from the 3(rd) , 5(th) , and 7(th) grades were scanned during silent naming of Chinese characters. After scanning, all participants took part in an overt naming test outside the scanner, and results of the naming task showed that the 3(rd) graders named characters from large neighborhoods faster than those from small neighborhoods, revealing a facilitatory N-size effect; the 5(th) graders showed null N-size effect while the 7(th) graders showed an inhibitory N-size effect. Neuroimaging results revealed that only the 3(rd) graders exhibited a significant N-size effect in the left middle occipital activity, with greater activation for large N-size characters. Results of 5(th) and 7(th) graders showed significant N-size effects in the left middle frontal gyrus, in which 5(th) graders induced greater activation in large N-size condition than in small N-size condition, while 7(th) graders exhibited an opposite effect which was similar to the adult pattern reported in a previous study. The current findings suggested the transition from broadly tuned to finely tuned orthographic representation with reading development, and the inhibition from neighbors' phonology for higher graders. Hum Brain Mapp 37:632-647, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. Influence of prey dispersion on territory and group size of African lions: a test of the resource dispersion hypothesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valeix, Marion; Loveridge, Andrew J; MacDonald, David W

    2012-11-01

    Empirical tests of the resource dispersion hypothesis (RDH), a theory to explain group living based on resource heterogeneity, have been complicated by the fact that resource patch dispersion and richness have proved difficult to define and measure in natural systems. Here, we studied the ecology of African lions Panthera leo in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, where waterholes are prey hotspots, and where dispersion of water sources and abundance of prey at these water sources are quantifiable. We combined a 10-year data set from GPS-collared lions for which information of group composition was available concurrently with data for herbivore abundance at waterholes. The distance between two neighboring waterholes was a strong determinant of lion home range size, which provides strong support for the RDH prediction that territory size increases as resource patches are more dispersed in the landscape. The mean number of herbivore herds using a waterhole, a good proxy of patch richness, determined the maximum lion group biomass an area can support. This finding suggests that patch richness sets a maximum ceiling on lion group size. This study demonstrates that landscape ecology is a major driver of ranging behavior and suggests that aspects of resource dispersion limit group sizes.

  20. Renormalization group and finite size effects in scalar lattice field theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bernreuther, W.; Goeckeler, M.

    1988-01-01

    Binder's phenomenological renormalization group is studied in the context of the O(N)-symmetric euclidean lattice φ 4 theory in dimensions d ≤ 4. By means of the field theoretical formulation of the renormalization group we analyse suitable ratios of Green functions on finite lattices in the limit where the dimensionless lattice length L >> 1 and where the dimensionless bare mass approaches the critical point of the corresponding infinite volume model. If the infrared-stable fixed point which controls this limit is a simple zero of the β-function we are led to formulae which allow the extraction of the critical exponents ν and η. For the gaussian fixed point in four dimensions, discussed as a known example for a multiple zero of the β-function, we derive for these ratios the leading logarithmic corrections to mean field scaling. (orig.)

  1. Effect Size in Efficacy Trials of Women With Decreased Sexual Desire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pyke, Robert E; Clayton, Anita H

    2018-03-22

    Regarding hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in women, some reviewers judge the effect size small for medications vs placebo, but substantial for cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) or mindfulness meditation training (MMT) vs wait list. However, we lack comparisons of the effect sizes for the active intervention itself, for the control treatment, and for the differential between the two. For efficacy trials of HSDD in women, compare effect sizes for medications (testosterone/testosterone transdermal system, flibanserin, and bremelanotide) and placebo vs effect sizes for psychotherapy and wait-list control. We conducted a literature search for mean changes and SD on main measures of sexual desire and associated distress in trials of medications, CBT, or MMT. Effect size was used as it measures the magnitude of the intervention without confounding by sample size. Cohen d was used to determine effect sizes. For medications, mean (SD) effect size was 1.0 (0.34); for CBT and MMT, 1.0 (0.36); for placebo, 0.55 (0.16); and for wait list, 0.05 (0.26). Recommendations of psychotherapy over medication for treatment of HSDD are premature and not supported by data on effect sizes. Active participation in treatment conveys considerable non-specific benefits. Caregivers should attend to biological and psychosocial elements, and patient preference, to optimize response. Few clinical trials of psychotherapies were substantial in size or utilized adequate control paradigms. Medications and psychotherapies had similar, large effect sizes. Effect size of placebo was moderate. Effect size of wait-list control was very small, about one quarter that of placebo. Thus, a substantial non-specific therapeutic effect is associated with receiving placebo plus active care and evaluation. The difference in effect size between placebo and wait-list controls distorts the value of the subtraction of effect of the control paradigms to estimate intervention effectiveness. Pyke RE, Clayton AH

  2. Sample size and classification error for Bayesian change-point models with unlabelled sub-groups and incomplete follow-up.

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Simon R; Muniz-Terrera, Graciela; Matthews, Fiona E

    2018-05-01

    Many medical (and ecological) processes involve the change of shape, whereby one trajectory changes into another trajectory at a specific time point. There has been little investigation into the study design needed to investigate these models. We consider the class of fixed effect change-point models with an underlying shape comprised two joined linear segments, also known as broken-stick models. We extend this model to include two sub-groups with different trajectories at the change-point, a change and no change class, and also include a missingness model to account for individuals with incomplete follow-up. Through a simulation study, we consider the relationship of sample size to the estimates of the underlying shape, the existence of a change-point, and the classification-error of sub-group labels. We use a Bayesian framework to account for the missing labels, and the analysis of each simulation is performed using standard Markov chain Monte Carlo techniques. Our simulation study is inspired by cognitive decline as measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination, where our extended model is appropriate due to the commonly observed mixture of individuals within studies who do or do not exhibit accelerated decline. We find that even for studies of modest size ( n = 500, with 50 individuals observed past the change-point) in the fixed effect setting, a change-point can be detected and reliably estimated across a range of observation-errors.

  3. Family size and effective population size in a hatchery stock of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simon, R.C.; McIntyre, J.D.; Hemmingsen, A.R.

    1986-01-01

    Means and variances of family size measured in five year-classes of wire-tagged coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) were linearly related. Population effective size was calculated by using estimated means and variances of family size in a 25-yr data set. Although numbers of age 3 adults returning to the hatchery appeared to be large enough to avoid inbreeding problems (the 25-yr mean exceeded 4500), the numbers actually contributing to the hatchery production may be too low. Several strategies are proposed to correct the problem perceived. Argument is given to support the contention that the problem of effective size is fairly general and is not confined to the present study population.

  4. Measuring wage effects of plant size

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Albæk, Karsten; Arai, Mahmood; Asplund, Rita

    1998-01-01

    There are large plant size–wage effects in the Nordic countries after taking into account individual and job characteristics as well as systematical sorting of the workers into various plant-sizes. The plant size–wage elasticities we obtain are, in contrast to other dimensions of the wage distrib......–wage elasticity. Our results indicate that using size–class midpoints yields essentially the same results as using exact measures of plant size...

  5. Occupational Safety and Health Conditions Aboard Small- and Medium-Size Fishing Vessels: Differences among Age Groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zytoon, Mohamed A; Basahel, Abdulrahman M

    2017-02-24

    Although marine fishing is one of the most hazardous occupations, research on the occupational safety and health (OSH) conditions aboard marine fishing vessels is scarce. For instance, little is known about the working conditions of vulnerable groups such as young and aging fishermen. The objective of the current paper is to study the OSH conditions of young and aging fishermen compared to middle-aged fishermen in the small- and medium-size (SM) marine fishing sector. A cross-sectional study was designed, and 686 fishermen working aboard SM fishing vessels were interviewed to collect information about their safety and health. The associations of physical and psychosocial work conditions with safety and health outcomes, e.g., injuries, illnesses and job satisfaction, are presented. The results of the current study can be utilized in the design of effective accident prevention and OSH training programs for the three age groups and in the regulation of working conditions aboard fishing vessels.

  6. Long-term resource variation and group size: A large-sample field test of the Resource Dispersion Hypothesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Morecroft Michael D

    2001-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The Resource Dispersion Hypothesis (RDH proposes a mechanism for the passive formation of social groups where resources are dispersed, even in the absence of any benefits of group living per se. Despite supportive modelling, it lacks empirical testing. The RDH predicts that, rather than Territory Size (TS increasing monotonically with Group Size (GS to account for increasing metabolic needs, TS is constrained by the dispersion of resource patches, whereas GS is independently limited by their richness. We conducted multiple-year tests of these predictions using data from the long-term study of badgers Meles meles in Wytham Woods, England. The study has long failed to identify direct benefits from group living and, consequently, alternative explanations for their large group sizes have been sought. Results TS was not consistently related to resource dispersion, nor was GS consistently related to resource richness. Results differed according to data groupings and whether territories were mapped using minimum convex polygons or traditional methods. Habitats differed significantly in resource availability, but there was also evidence that food resources may be spatially aggregated within habitat types as well as between them. Conclusions This is, we believe, the largest ever test of the RDH and builds on the long-term project that initiated part of the thinking behind the hypothesis. Support for predictions were mixed and depended on year and the method used to map territory borders. We suggest that within-habitat patchiness, as well as model assumptions, should be further investigated for improved tests of the RDH in the future.

  7. Size-effects in porous metals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Niordson, Christian Frithiof; Tvergaard, Viggo

    The intrinsic size-effect for porous metals is investigated. The analyses are carried out numerically using a finite strain generalization of a higher order strain gradient plasticity model. Results for plane strain growth of cylindrical voids are presented in terms of response curves and curves...

  8. Size-effects in porous metals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Niordson, Christian Frithiof; Tvergaard, Viggo

    2007-01-01

    The intrinsic size-effect for porous metals is investigated. The analyses are carried out numerically using a finite strain generalization of a higher order strain gradient plasticity model. Results for plane strain growth of cylindrical voids are presented in terms of response curves and curves...

  9. Efficacy and tolerability of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: sex and age effects and effect size across the day

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Childress Ann C

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Efficacy and safety profiles by sex and age (6-9 vs 10-12 years and magnitude and duration of effect by effect size overall and across the day of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (LDX vs placebo were assessed. Methods This study enrolled children (6-12 years with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD in an open-label dose optimization with LDX (30-70 mg/d followed by a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 2-way crossover phase. Post hoc analyses assessed interaction between sex or age and treatment and assessed effect sizes for Swanson, Kotkin, Agler, M-Flynn, and Pelham (SKAMP and Permanent Product Measure of Performance (PERMP scales and ADHD Rating Scale IV measures. No corrections for multiple testing were applied on time points and subgroup statistical comparisons. Results 129 participants enrolled; 117 randomized. Both sexes showed improvement on all assessments at postdose time points; females showed less impairment than males for SKAMP and PERMP scores in treatment and placebo groups at nearly all times. Both age groups improved on all assessments at postdose time points. Children 10-12 years had less impairment in SKAMP ratings than those 6-9 years. Treatment-by-sex interactions were observed at time points for SKAMP-D, SKAMP total, and PERMP scores; no consistent pattern across scales or time points was observed. LDX demonstrated significant improvement vs placebo, by effect size, on SKAMP-D from 1.5-13 hours postdose. The overall LS mean (SE SKAMP-D effect size was -1.73 (0.18. In the dose-optimization phase, common (≥2% treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs in males were upper abdominal pain, headache, affect lability, initial insomnia, and insomnia; in females were nausea and decreased weight. During the crossover phase for those taking LDX, higher incidence (≥2% greater was observed in males for upper abdominal pain and insomnia and in females for nausea and headache. Overall incidence of

  10. Size of government and entrepreneurship. Analysis of three groups of countries with different economic development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan Carlos Díaz Casero

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available This study analyzes the impact of the "size of government" in entrepreneurial activity for countries with different levels of economical development. It has been used the variables "size of government" of the economic freedom indices released by the Economic Freedom Network (2000-2009 and by The Heritage Foundation (2000-2011, and the variables of "entrepreneurship" released by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. Furthermore, the same analysis has been carried out grouping the countries by development level, following the classification elaborated by the World Economic Forum. Statistical analyses of correlations have shown that the “size of government” is related to entrepreneurship. The variables "Size of Government: Expenditures, Taxes and Enterprises" and " Government Size” have revealed a positive correlation with the total, opportunity and necessity entrepreneurial activity indices for the economies based on efficiency and innovation, thus less taxes on income and lower government spending, increase the entrepreneurship of the country. In “factor driven economies”, there is no relationship between the size of government and entrepreneurship

  11. Group composition effects on aggressive interpack interactions of gray wolves in Yellowstone National Park

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cassidy, Kira A.; MacNulty, Daniel R.; Stahler, Daniel R.; Smith, Douglas W.; Mech, L. David

    2015-01-01

    Knowledge of characteristics that promote group success during intraspecific encounters is key to understanding the adaptive advantages of sociality for many group-living species. In addition, some individuals in a group may be more likely than others to influence intergroup conflicts, a relatively neglected idea in research on social animals. Here we use observations of aggressive interactions between wolf (Canis lupus) packs over an extended period and use pack characteristics to determine which groups had an advantage over their opponents. During 16 years of observation in Yellowstone National Park from 1995 to 2010, we documented 121 interpack aggressive interactions. We recorded pack sizes, compositions, and spatial orientation related to residency to determine their effects on the outcomes of interactions between packs. Relative pack size (RPS) improved the odds of a pack displacing its opponent. However, pack composition moderated the effect of RPS as packs with relatively more old members (>6.0 years old) or adult males had higher odds of winning despite a numerical disadvantage. The location of the interaction with respect to pack territories had no effect on the outcome of interpack interactions. Although the importance of RPS in successful territorial defense suggests the evolution and maintenance of group living may be at least partly due to larger packs’ success during interpack interactions, group composition is also an important factor, highlighting that some individuals are more valuable than others during interpack conflicts.

  12. A Comparison of Uniform DIF Effect Size Estimators under the MIMIC and Rasch Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Ying; Myers, Nicholas D.; Ahn, Soyeon; Penfield, Randall D.

    2013-01-01

    The Rasch model, a member of a larger group of models within item response theory, is widely used in empirical studies. Detection of uniform differential item functioning (DIF) within the Rasch model typically employs null hypothesis testing with a concomitant consideration of effect size (e.g., signed area [SA]). Parametric equivalence between…

  13. Effect of H3PO4 Concentration and Particle Size of the Eggshell Used in Laying Hens Fed on Bone and Blood

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Kismiati

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Normal 0 false false false IN X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of H3 PO4 concentrations and particle size of eggshell used in the feed of laying hens on bone and blood profiles. Ninety-six laying hens (Isa Brown strain age 25 weeks were kept in individual battery cage and divided into 8 groups randomly. Group 1 was fed using eggshell with out H3PO4 and particle size of <1 mm (feed 1 , group 2 was fed using eggshell that has been soaked in H3PO4 3% and particle size of <1 mm (feed 2, group 3 were fed using eggshell that has been soaked in H3PO4 4% and particle size of <1 mm (feed 3, group 4 was fed using eggshell that has been soaked in H3PO4 5% and particle size of <1 mm (feed 4, group 5 was fed using eggshell that has been soaked in H3PO4 and particle size of <3 mm (feed 5 , group of 6 was fed using eggshell that has been soaked in H3PO4 3% and particle size of <3 mm (feed 6, group 7 was fed using eggshell that has been soaked in H3PO4 4 % and particle size of <3 mm (feed 7 and a group of 8 was fed using eggshell that has been soaked in H3PO4 5% and particle size of <3 mm (feed 8. A Completely Randomized Design patterns factorial 4 x 2 x 3 was used in this research. Result of this research showed that had no interaction effect (P>0.05 between the H3PO4 concentration and particle size of eggshell on weight, volume, diameter of tibia bone and calcium and phosphorus content of the blood. The concentration of H3PO4 or particles size also had no effect (P>0.05 on all variables. Normal 0 false false false IN X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size

  14. Effects of breeder turnover and harvest on group composition and recruitment in a social carnivore.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ausband, David E; Mitchell, Michael S; Waits, Lisette P

    2017-09-01

    Breeder turnover can influence population growth in social carnivores through changes to group size, composition and recruitment. Studies that possess detailed group composition data that can provide insights about the effects of breeder turnover on groups have generally been conducted on species that are not subject to recurrent annual human harvest. We wanted to know how breeder turnover affects group composition and how harvest, in turn, affects breeder turnover in cooperatively breeding grey wolves (Canis lupus Linnaeus 1758). We used noninvasive genetic sampling at wolf rendezvous sites to construct pedigrees and estimate recruitment in groups of wolves before and after harvest in Idaho, USA. Turnover of breeding females increased polygamy and potential recruits per group by providing breeding opportunities for subordinates although resultant group size was unaffected 1 year after the turnover. Breeder turnover had no effect on the number of nonbreeding helpers per group. After breeding male turnover, fewer female pups were recruited in the new males' litters. Harvest had no effect on the frequency of breeder turnover. We found that breeder turnover led to shifts in the reproductive hierarchies within groups and the resulting changes to group composition were quite variable and depended on the sex of the breeder lost. We hypothesize that nonbreeding females direct help away from non-kin female pups to preserve future breeding opportunities for themselves. Breeder turnover had marked effects on the breeding opportunities of subordinates and the number and sex ratios of subsequent litters of pups. Seemingly subtle changes to groups, such as the loss of one individual, can greatly affect group composition, genetic content, and short-term population growth when the individual lost is a breeder. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2017 British Ecological Society.

  15. What big size you have! Using effect sizes to determine the impact of public health nursing interventions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, K E; McMorris, B J; Raynor, L A; Monsen, K A

    2013-01-01

    The Omaha System is a standardized interface terminology that is used extensively by public health nurses in community settings to document interventions and client outcomes. Researchers using Omaha System data to analyze the effectiveness of interventions have typically calculated p-values to determine whether significant client changes occurred between admission and discharge. However, p-values are highly dependent on sample size, making it difficult to distinguish statistically significant changes from clinically meaningful changes. Effect sizes can help identify practical differences but have not yet been applied to Omaha System data. We compared p-values and effect sizes (Cohen's d) for mean differences between admission and discharge for 13 client problems documented in the electronic health records of 1,016 young low-income parents. Client problems were documented anywhere from 6 (Health Care Supervision) to 906 (Caretaking/parenting) times. On a scale from 1 to 5, the mean change needed to yield a large effect size (Cohen's d ≥ 0.80) was approximately 0.60 (range = 0.50 - 1.03) regardless of p-value or sample size (i.e., the number of times a client problem was documented in the electronic health record). Researchers using the Omaha System should report effect sizes to help readers determine which differences are practical and meaningful. Such disclosures will allow for increased recognition of effective interventions.

  16. Acute toxicity of quantum dots on late pregnancy mice: Effects of nanoscale size and surface coating

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Wanyi [State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330047 (China); The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330000 (China); Yang, Lin; Kuang, Huijuan; Yang, Pengfei [State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330047 (China); Aguilar, Zoraida P.; Wang, Andrew [Ocean NanoTech, LLC, Springdale, AR72764 (United States); Fu, Fen, E-mail: fu_fen@163.com [The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330000 (China); Xu, Hengyi, E-mail: kidyxu@163.com [State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330047 (China)

    2016-11-15

    Graphical abstract: In spite of the immense benefits from quantum dots (QDs), there is scanty information regarding their toxicity mechanisms against late pregnancy. - Highlights: • QDs and CdCl{sub 2} were effectively blocked by the placental barrier. • CdSe QDs more effectively altered the expression levels of susceptive genes. • Nanoscale size of QDs is more important than free Cd in inducing toxicity. • Outer surface shell coating of QDs played a protective role. - Abstract: In this study, the effects of cadmium containing QDs (such as CdSe/ZnS and CdSe QDs) and bulk CdCl{sub 2} in pregnant mice, their fetuses, and the pregnancy outcomes were investigated. It was shown that although the QDs and bulk CdCl{sub 2} were effectively blocked by the placental barrier, the damage on the placenta caused by CdSe QDs still led to fetus malformation, while the mice in CdSe/ZnS QDs treatment group exhibited slightly hampered growth but showed no significant abnormalities. Moreover, the Cd contents in the placenta and the uterus of CdSe QDs and CdSe/ZnS QDs treatment groups showed significantly higher than the CdCl{sub 2} treated group which indicated that the nanoscale size of the QDs allowed relative ease of entry into the gestation tissues. In addition, the CdSe QDs more effectively altered the expression levels of susceptive genes related to cell apoptosis, dysplasia, metal transport, cryptorrhea, and oxidative stress, etc. These findings suggested that the nanoscale size of the QDs were probably more important than the free Cd in inducing toxicity. Furthermore, the results indicated that the outer surface shell coating played a protective role in the adverse effects of QDs on late pregnancy mice.

  17. Superselective Particle Embolization Enhances Efficacy of Radiofrequency Ablation: Effects of Particle Size and Sequence of Action

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanaka, Toshihiro; Isfort, Peter; Braunschweig, Till; Westphal, Saskia; Woitok, Anna; Penzkofer, Tobias; Bruners, Philipp; Kichikawa, Kimihiko; Schmitz-Rode, Thomas; Mahnken, Andreas H.

    2013-01-01

    Purpose. To evaluate the effects of particle size and course of action of superselective bland transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) on the efficacy of radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Methods. Twenty pigs were divided into five groups: group 1a, 40-μm bland TAE before RFA; group 1b, 40-μm bland TAE after RFA; group 2a, 250-μm bland TAE before RFA; group 2b, 250-μm bland TAE after RFA and group 3, RFA alone. A total of 40 treatments were performed with a combined CT and angiography system. The sizes of the treated zones were measured from contrast-enhanced CTs on days 1 and 28. Animals were humanely killed, and the treated zones were examined pathologically. Results. There were no complications during procedures and follow-up. The short-axis diameter of the ablation zone in group 1a (mean ± standard deviation, 3.19 ± 0.39 cm) was significantly larger than in group 1b (2.44 ± 0.52 cm; P = 0.021), group 2a (2.51 ± 0.32 cm; P = 0.048), group 2b (2.19 ± 0.44 cm; P = 0.02), and group 3 (1.91 ± 0.55 cm; P 3 ). At histology, 40-μm microspheres were observed to occlude smaller and more distal arteries than 250-μm microspheres. Conclusion. Bland TAE is more effective before RFA than postablation embolization. The use of very small 40-μm microspheres enhances the efficacy of RFA more than the use of larger particles.

  18. Learning to communicate risk information in groups

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hsuchi Ting

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Despite vigorous research on risk communication, little is known about the social forces that drive these choices. Erev, Wallsten, and Neal (1991 showed that forecasters learn to select verbal or numerical probability estimates as a function of which mode yields on average the larger group payoffs. We extend the result by investigating the effect of group size on the speed with which forecasters converge on the better communication mode. On the basis of social facilitation theory we hypothesized that small groups induce less arousal and anxiety among their members than do large groups when performing new tasks, and therefore that forecasters in small groups will learn the better communication mode more quickly. This result obtained in Experiment 1, which compared groups of size 3 to groups of size 5 or 6. To test whether social loafing rather than social facilitation was mediating the effects, Experiment 2 compared social to personal feedback holding group size constant at 3 members. Learning was faster in the personal feedback condition, suggesting that social facilitation rather than loafing underlay the results.

  19. A descriptive study of effect-size reporting in research reviews.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Floyd, Judith A

    2017-06-01

    To describe effect-size reporting in research reviews completed in support of evidence-based practice in nursing. Many research reviews report nurses' critical appraisal of level, quality and overall strength of evidence available to address clinical questions. Several studies of research-review quality suggest effect-size information would be useful to include in these reviews, but none focused on reviewers' attention to effect sizes. Descriptive. One hundred and four reviews indexed in CINAHL as systematic reviews and published from July 2012-February 2014 were examined. Papers were required to be peer-reviewed, written in English, contain an abstract and have at least one nurse author. Reviews were excluded if they did not use critical appraisal methods to address evidence of correlation, prediction or effectiveness. Data from remaining papers (N = 73) were extracted by three or more independent coders using a structured coding form and detailed codebook. Data were stored, viewed and analysed using Microsoft Office Excel ® spreadsheet functions. Sixteen percent (n = 12) of the sample contained effect-size information. Of the 12, six included all the effect-size information recommended by APA guidelines. Independent of completeness of reporting, seven contained discussion of effect sizes in the paper, but none included effect-size information in abstracts. Research reviews available to practicing nurses often fail to include information needed to accurately assess how much improvement may result from implementation of evidence-based policies, programs, protocols or practices. Manuscript reviewers are urged to hold authors to APA standards for reporting/discussing effect-size information in both primary research reports and research reviews. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. Curriculum-Based Handwriting Programs: A Systematic Review With Effect Sizes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Engel, Courtney; Lillie, Kristin; Zurawski, Sarah; Travers, Brittany G.

    2018-01-01

    Challenges with handwriting can have a negative impact on academic performance, and these challenges are commonly addressed by occupational therapy practitioners in school settings. This systematic review examined the efficacy of curriculum-based interventions to address children’s handwriting difficulties in the classroom (preschool to second grade). We reviewed and computed effect sizes for 13 studies (11 Level II, 2 Level III) identified through a comprehensive database search. The evidence shows that curriculum-based handwriting interventions resulted in small- to medium-sized improvements in legibility, a commonly reported challenge in this age group. The evidence for whether these interventions improved speed is mixed, and the evidence for whether they improved fluency is insufficient. No clear support was found for one handwriting program over another. These results suggest that curriculum-based interventions can lead to improvements in handwriting legibility, but Level I research is needed to validate the efficacy of these curricula. PMID:29689170

  1. Size effects in lithium ion batteries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yao Hu-Rong; Yin Ya-Xia; Guo Yu-Gao

    2016-01-01

    Size-related properties of novel lithium battery materials, arising from kinetics, thermodynamics, and newly discovered lithium storage mechanisms, are reviewed. Complementary experimental and computational investigations of the use of the size effects to modify electrodes and electrolytes for lithium ion batteries are enumerated and discussed together. Size differences in the materials in lithium ion batteries lead to a variety of exciting phenomena. Smaller-particle materials with highly connective interfaces and reduced diffusion paths exhibit higher rate performance than the corresponding bulk materials. The thermodynamics is also changed by the higher surface energy of smaller particles, affecting, for example, secondary surface reactions, lattice parameter, voltage, and the phase transformation mechanism. Newly discovered lithium storage mechanisms that result in superior storage capacity are also briefly highlighted. (topical review)

  2. Within- and between-individual variation in energy and nutrient intake in Japanese adults: effect of age and sex differences on group size and number of records required for adequate dietary assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fukumoto, Azusa; Asakura, Keiko; Murakami, Kentaro; Sasaki, Satoshi; Okubo, Hitomi; Hirota, Naoko; Notsu, Akiko; Todoriki, Hidemi; Miura, Ayako; Fukui, Mitsuru; Date, Chigusa

    2013-01-01

    Information on within- and between-individual variation in energy and nutrient intake is critical for precisely estimating usual dietary intake; however, data from Japanese populations are limited. We used dietary records to examine within- and between-individual variation by age and sex in the intake of energy and 31 selected nutrients among Japanese adults. We also calculated the group size required to estimate mean intake for a group and number of days required both to rank individuals within a group and to assess an individual's usual intake, all with appropriate arbitrary precision. A group of Japanese women (younger: 30-49 years, n = 58; older: 50-69 years, n = 63) and men (younger: 30-49 years, n = 54; older: 50-76 years, n = 67) completed dietary records for 4 nonconsecutive days in each season (16 days in total). Coefficients of within-individual variation and between-individual variation were generally larger in the younger group than in the older group and in men as compared with women. The group size required to estimate a group's mean intake, and number of days required to assess an individual's usual intake, were generally larger for the younger group and for men. In general, a longer period was required to rank women and older adults. In a group of Japanese adults, coefficients of within-individual variation and between-individual variation, which were used to estimate the group size and number of records required for adequate dietary assessment, differed by age, sex, and nutrient.

  3. Effect of micro-computed tomography voxel size and segmentation method on trabecular bone microstructure measures in mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Blaine A. Christiansen

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Micro-computed tomography (μCT is currently the gold standard for determining trabecular bone microstructure in small animal models. Numerous parameters associated with scanning and evaluation of μCT scans can strongly affect morphologic results obtained from bone samples. However, the effect of these parameters on specific trabecular bone outcomes is not well understood. This study investigated the effect of μCT scanning with nominal voxel sizes between 6–30 μm on trabecular bone outcomes quantified in mouse vertebral body trabecular bone. Additionally, two methods for determining a global segmentation threshold were compared: based on qualitative assessment of 2D images, or based on quantitative assessment of image histograms. It was found that nominal voxel size had a strong effect on several commonly reported trabecular bone parameters, in particular connectivity density, trabecular thickness, and bone tissue mineral density. Additionally, the two segmentation methods provided similar trabecular bone outcomes for scans with small nominal voxel sizes, but considerably different outcomes for scans with larger voxel sizes. The Qualitatively Selected segmentation method more consistently estimated trabecular bone volume fraction (BV/TV and trabecular thickness across different voxel sizes, but the Histogram segmentation method more consistently estimated trabecular number, trabecular separation, and structure model index. Altogether, these results suggest that high-resolution scans be used whenever possible to provide the most accurate estimation of trabecular bone microstructure, and that the limitations of accurately determining trabecular bone outcomes should be considered when selecting scan parameters and making conclusions about inter-group variance or between-group differences in studies of trabecular bone microstructure in small animals. Keywords: Trabecular bone, Microstructure, Micro-computed tomography, Voxel size, Resolution

  4. Hall measurements and grain-size effects in polycrystalline silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghosh, A.K.; Rose, A.; Maruska, H.P.; Eustace, D.J.; Feng, T.

    1980-01-01

    The effects of grain size on Hall measurements in polycrystalline silicon are analyzed and interpreted, with some modifications, using the model proposed by Bube. This modified model predicts that the measured effective Hall voltage is composed of components originating from the bulk and space-charge regions. For materials with large grain sizes, the carrier concentration is independent of the intergrain boundary barrier, whereas the mobility is dependent on it. However, for small grains, both the carrier density and mobility depend on the barrier. These predictions are consistent with experimental results of mm-size Wacker and μm-size neutron-transmutation-doped polycrystalline silicon

  5. Effectiveness of Group-Delivered Cognitive Therapy and Treatment Length in Women Veterans with PTSD

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Diane T. Castillo

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The effectiveness and length of group-delivered cognitive treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD was examined in a sample of women veterans. The sample included 271 primarily non-Hispanic white (61% and Hispanic (25% women veterans treated in 8-, 10-, or 12-group length sessions with manualized cognitive therapy for PTSD. Outcome was measured with the PTSD Symptom Checklist (PCL in an intention-to-treat analysis (N = 271, in completer subjects (n = 172, and with group as the unit of analysis (n = 47 groups. Significant decreases in PTSD were found in the full sample (effect size [ES] range = 0.27 to 0.38, completers (ES range = 0.37 to 0.54, and group as the unit of analysis (ES range = 0.71 to 0.92, suggesting effectiveness of cognitive group treatment for PTSD. PCL scores significantly improved in the 8, 10, and 12 group lengths, with no differences between each. Clinical improvement showed a third decreasing 10 or more PCL points and 22% no longer meeting PTSD diagnostic criteria, with the best results in the 10-session group. The results suggest group-delivered cognitive therapy is an effective, efficient, time-limited treatment for PTSD.

  6. Effects of sample size on the second magnetization peak in ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    the sample size decreases – a result that could be interpreted as a size effect in the order– disorder vortex matter phase transition. However, local magnetic measurements trace this effect to metastable disordered vortex states, revealing the same order–disorder transition induction in samples of different size. Keywords.

  7. Framing effects in group investment decision making: role of group polarization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Pi-Yueh; Chiou, Wen-Bin

    2008-02-01

    Prospect theory proposes that framing effects result in a preference for risk-averse choices in gain situations and risk-seeking choices in loss situations. However, in group polarization situations, groups show a pronounced tendency to shift toward more extreme positions than those they initially held. Whether framing effects in group decision making are more prominent as a result of the group-polarization effect was examined. Purposive sampling of 120 college students (57 men, 63 women; M age = 20.1 yr., SD = 0.9) allowed assessment of relative preference between cautious and risky choices in individual and group decisions. Findings indicated that both group polarization and framing effects occur in investment decisions. More importantly, group decisions in a gain situation appear to be more cautious, i.e., risk averse, than individual decisions, whereas group decisions in the loss situation appear to be more risky than individual decisions. Thus, group decision making may expand framing effects when it comes to investment choices through group polarization.

  8. Size effects in nanoindentation: an experimental and analytical study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Voyiadjis, G.Z.; Peters, Rick

    2009-01-01

    This work addresses the size effect encountered in nanoindentation experiments. It is generally referred to as the indentation size effect (ISE). Classical descriptions of the ISE show a decrease in hardness for increasing indentation depth. Recently new experiments have shown that after the initial

  9. Does neighborhood size really cause the word length effect?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guitard, Dominic; Saint-Aubin, Jean; Tehan, Gerald; Tolan, Anne

    2018-02-01

    In short-term serial recall, it is well-known that short words are remembered better than long words. This word length effect has been the cornerstone of the working memory model and a benchmark effect that all models of immediate memory should account for. Currently, there is no consensus as to what determines the word length effect. Jalbert and colleagues (Jalbert, Neath, Bireta, & Surprenant, 2011a; Jalbert, Neath, & Surprenant, 2011b) suggested that neighborhood size is one causal factor. In six experiments we systematically examined their suggestion. In Experiment 1, with an immediate serial recall task, multiple word lengths, and a large pool of words controlled for neighborhood size, the typical word length effect was present. In Experiments 2 and 3, with an order reconstruction task and words with either many or few neighbors, we observed the typical word length effect. In Experiment 4 we tested the hypothesis that the previous abolition of the word length effect when neighborhood size was controlled was due to a confounded factor: frequency of orthographic structure. As predicted, we reversed the word length effect when using short words with less frequent orthographic structures than the long words, as was done in both of Jalbert et al.'s studies. In Experiments 5 and 6, we again observed the typical word length effect, even if we controlled for neighborhood size and frequency of orthographic structure. Overall, the results were not consistent with the predictions of Jalbert et al. and clearly showed a large and reliable word length effect after controlling for neighborhood size.

  10. Size effect in barium titanate powders synthesized by different hydrothermal methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun Weian

    2006-01-01

    The size effect in barium titanate (BaTiO 3 ) was investigated both experimentally and theoretically. Tetragonal BaTiO 3 powders with average sizes from 80 to 420 nm were directly prepared by different hydrothermal methods. The tetragonality of the hydrothermal BaTiO 3 decreased with decreasing particle size, which exhibited a dependence on the synthesis method. A phenomenological model for the size effect was proposed to interpret the experimental observations. The influence of the defects, mainly the lattice hydroxyl, on the size effect was investigated to understand the correlation between the size effect and synthesis condition. The permittivities of BaTiO 3 powder at different particle sizes were calculated, which predicted a maximum permittivity of over 16 000 around the room-temperature critical size of ∼70 nm. The prediction was in good accordance with the experimental data reported recently

  11. Correlation Among the Variant Group, Effective Grain Size, and Elastic Strain Energy During the Phase Transformation in 9Ni Steels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terasaki, Hidenori; Moriguchi, Koji; Tomio, Yusaku; Yamagishi, Hideki; Morito, Shigekazu

    2017-12-01

    The effect of carbon content on the density of variant-pair boundaries was investigated in 9Ni steel using an electron backscatter diffraction patterns method. The changes in the density of variant-pair boundaries were correlated with the nondestructive measured values of shear modulus of the austenite phase at the phase transformation point. Furthermore, the effective grain size was correlated with the shear modulus and the density of variant-pair boundaries. These relations are discussed from the viewpoint of self-accommodation of elastic strain energy and the nucleation event in the bainite and martensitic transformations.

  12. The characteristics of Chinese orthographic neighborhood size effect for developing readers.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing Zhao

    Full Text Available Orthographic neighborhood size (N size effect in Chinese character naming has been studied in adults. In the present study, we aimed to explore the developmental characteristics of Chinese N size effect. One hundred and seventeen students (40 from the 3(rd grade with mean age of 9 years; 40 from the 5(th grade with mean age of 11 years; 37 from the 7(th grade with mean age of 13 years were recruited in the study. A naming task of Chinese characters was adopted to elucidate N-size- effect development. Reaction times and error rates were recorded. Results showed that children in the 3(rd grade named characters from large neighborhoods faster than named those from small neighborhoods, revealing a facilitatory N size effect; the 5(th graders showed null N size effect; while the 7(th graders showed an inhibitory N size effect, with longer reaction times for the characters from large neighborhoods than for those from small neighborhoods. The change from facilitation to inhibition of neighborhood size effect across grades suggested the transition from broadly tuned to finely tuned lexical representation in reading development, and the possible inhibition from higher frequency neighbors for higher graders.

  13. Parrotfish size: a simple yet useful alternative indicator of fishing effects on Caribbean reefs?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vallès, Henri; Oxenford, Hazel A

    2014-01-01

    There is great need to identify simple yet reliable indicators of fishing effects within the multi-species, multi-gear, data-poor fisheries of the Caribbean. Here, we investigate links between fishing pressure and three simple fish metrics, i.e. average fish weight (an estimate of average individual fish size), fish density and fish biomass, derived from (1) the parrotfish family, a ubiquitous herbivore family across the Caribbean, and (2) three fish groups of "commercial" carnivores including snappers and groupers, which are widely-used as indicators of fishing effects. We hypothesize that, because most Caribbean reefs are being heavily fished, fish metrics derived from the less vulnerable parrotfish group would exhibit stronger relationships with fishing pressure on today's Caribbean reefs than those derived from the highly vulnerable commercial fish groups. We used data from 348 Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment (AGRRA) reef-surveys across the Caribbean to assess relationships between two independent indices of fishing pressure (one derived from human population density data, the other from open to fishing versus protected status) and the three fish metrics derived from the four aforementioned fish groups. We found that, although two fish metrics, average parrotfish weight and combined biomass of selected commercial species, were consistently negatively linked to the indices of fishing pressure across the Caribbean, the parrotfish metric consistently outranked the latter in the strength of the relationship, thus supporting our hypothesis. Overall, our study highlights that (assemblage-level) average parrotfish size might be a useful alternative indicator of fishing effects over the typical conditions of most Caribbean shallow reefs: moderate-to-heavy levels of fishing and low abundance of highly valued commercial species.

  14. Development of an online database of typical food portion sizes in Irish population groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lyons, Jacqueline; Walton, Janette; Flynn, Albert

    2013-01-01

    The Irish Food Portion Sizes Database (available at www.iuna.net) describes typical portion weights for an extensive range of foods and beverages for Irish children, adolescents and adults. The present paper describes the methodologies used to develop the database and some key characteristics of the portion weight data contained therein. The data are derived from three large, cross-sectional food consumption surveys carried out in Ireland over the last decade: the National Children's Food Survey (2003-2004), National Teens' Food Survey (2005-2006) and National Adult Nutrition Survey (2008-2010). Median, 25th and 75th percentile portion weights are described for a total of 545 items across the three survey groups, split by age group or sex as appropriate. The typical (median) portion weights reported for adolescents and adults are similar for many foods, while those reported for children are notably smaller. Adolescent and adult males generally consume larger portions than their female counterparts, though similar portion weights may be consumed where foods are packaged in unit amounts (for example, pots of yoghurt). The inclusion of energy under-reporters makes little difference to the estimation of typical portion weights in adults. The data have wide-ranging applications in dietary assessment and food labelling, and will serve as a useful reference against which to compare future portion size data from the Irish population. The present paper provides a useful context for researchers and others wishing to use the Irish Food Portion Sizes Database, and may guide researchers in other countries in establishing similar databases of their own.

  15. Specimen size effects in Charpy impact testing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alexander, D.J.; Klueh, R.L.

    1989-01-01

    Full-size , half-size, and third-size specimens from several different steels have been tested as part of an ongoing alloy development program. The smaller specimens permit more specimens to be made from small trail heats and are much more efficient for irradiation experiments. The results of several comparisons between the different specimen sizes have shown that the smaller specimens show qualitatively similar behavior to large specimens, although the upper-shelf energy level and ductile-to-ductile transition temperature are reduced. The upper-shelf energy levels from different specimen sizes can be compared by using a simple volume normalization method. The effect of specimen size and geometry on the ductile-to-ductile transition temperature is more difficult to predict, although the available data suggest a simple shift in the transition temperature due to specimen size changes.The relatively shallower notch used in smaller specimens alters the deformation pattern, and permits yielding to spread back to the notched surface as well as through to the back. This reduces the constraint and the peak stresses, and thus the initiation of cleavage is more difficult. A better understanding of the stress and strain distributions is needed. 19 refs., 3 figs., 3 tabs

  16. Bottom-up and top-down attentional contributions to the size congruity effect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sobel, Kenith V; Puri, Amrita M; Faulkenberry, Thomas J

    2016-07-01

    The size congruity effect refers to the interaction between the numerical and physical (i.e., font) sizes of digits in a numerical (or physical) magnitude selection task. Although various accounts of the size congruity effect have attributed this interaction to either an early representational stage or a late decision stage, only Risko, Maloney, and Fugelsang (Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 75, 1137-1147, 2013) have asserted a central role for attention. In the present study, we used a visual search paradigm to further study the role of attention in the size congruity effect. In Experiments 1 and 2, we showed that manipulating top-down attention (via the task instructions) had a significant impact on the size congruity effect. The interaction between numerical and physical size was larger for numerical size comparison (Exp. 1) than for physical size comparison (Exp. 2). In the remaining experiments, we boosted the feature salience by using a unique target color (Exp. 3) or by increasing the display density by using three-digit numerals (Exps. 4 and 5). As expected, a color singleton target abolished the size congruity effect. Searching for three-digit targets based on numerical size (Exp. 4) resulted in a large size congruity effect, but search based on physical size (Exp. 5) abolished the effect. Our results reveal a substantial role for top-down attention in the size congruity effect, which we interpreted as support for a shared-decision account.

  17. Big Five personality group differences across academic majors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vedel, Anna

    2016-01-01

    During the past decades, a number of studies have explored personality group differences in the Big Five personality traits among students in different academic majors. To date, though, this research has not been reviewed systematically. This was the aim of the present review. A systematic...... literature search identified twelve eligible studies yielding an aggregated sample size of 13,389. Eleven studies reported significant group differences in one or multiple Big Five personality traits. Consistent findings across studies were that students of arts/humanities and psychology scored high...... on Conscientiousness. Effect sizes were calculated to estimate the magnitude of the personality group differences. These effect sizes were consistent across studies comparing similar pairs of academic majors. For all Big Five personality traits medium effect sizes were found frequently, and for Openness even large...

  18. Exploring the disruptive effects of psychopathy and aggression on group processes and group effectiveness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baysinger, Michael A; Scherer, Kelly T; LeBreton, James M

    2014-01-01

    The present research examines the influence of implicit and explicit personality characteristics on group process and effectiveness. Individuals from 112 groups participated in 2 problem-solving tasks and completed measures of group process and effectiveness. Results indicated that groups characterized by higher levels of psychopathy and implicit aggression tended to have more dysfunctional interactions and negative perceptions of the group. In addition, task participation and negative socioemotional behaviors fully mediated the relationship between group personality traits and group commitment and cohesion, and negative socioemotional behaviors fully mediated the relationship between group personality and performance on both tasks. Implications of antisocial traits for group interactions and performance, as well as for future theory and research, are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved

  19. Effectiveness of Group Supervision versus Combined Group and Individual Supervision.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ray, Dee; Altekruse, Michael

    2000-01-01

    Investigates the effectiveness of different types of supervision (large group, small group, combined group, individual supervision) with counseling students (N=64). Analyses revealed that all supervision formats resulted in similar progress in counselor effectiveness and counselor development. Participants voiced a preference for individual…

  20. Simulation of finite size effects of the fiber bundle model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hao, Da-Peng; Tang, Gang; Xun, Zhi-Peng; Xia, Hui; Han, Kui

    2018-01-01

    In theory, the macroscopic fracture of materials should correspond with the thermodynamic limit of the fiber bundle model. However, the simulation of a fiber bundle model with an infinite size is unrealistic. To study the finite size effects of the fiber bundle model, fiber bundle models of various size are simulated in detail. The effects of system size on the constitutive behavior, critical stress, maximum avalanche size, avalanche size distribution, and increased step number of external load are explored. The simulation results imply that there is no feature size or cut size for macroscopic mechanical and statistical properties of the model. The constitutive curves near the macroscopic failure for various system size can collapse well with a simple scaling relationship. Simultaneously, the introduction of a simple extrapolation method facilitates the acquisition of more accurate simulation results in a large-limit system, which is better for comparison with theoretical results.

  1. Do Effect-Size Measures Measure up?: A Brief Assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J.; Levin, Joel R.; Leech, Nancy L.

    2003-01-01

    Because of criticisms leveled at statistical hypothesis testing, some researchers have argued that measures of effect size should replace the significance-testing practice. We contend that although effect-size measures have logical appeal, they are also associated with a number of limitations that may result in problematic interpretations of them…

  2. Finite size effects in the intermittency analysis of the fragment-size correlations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bozek, P.; Ploszajczak, M.; Tucholski, A.

    1991-01-01

    An influence of the finite size effect on the fragment-size correlations in the nuclear multifragmentation is studied using the method of scaled factorial moments for a 1 - dim percolation model and for a statistical model of the fragmentation process, which for a certain value of a tuning parameter yields the power-law behaviour of the fragment-size distribution. It is shown that the statistical models of this type contain only repulsive correlations due to the conservation laws. The comparison of the results with those obtained in the non-critical 1 - dim percolation and in the 3 - dim percolation at around the critical point is presented. Correlations in the 1 - dim percolation model are analysed analytically and the mechanism of the attractive correlations in 1 - dim and 3 - dim is identified. (author) 30 refs., 7 figs

  3. Group Representations and Intergroup Bias: Positive Affect, Similarity, and Group Size.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dovidio, John F.; And Others

    1995-01-01

    Examined how social appearance and affective factors can influence social categorization and intergroup bias. Positive affect increased the extent to which subjects formed inclusive group representations, anticipating that the members of two groups would feel like one. Subjects in dissimilarly dressed groups expected the members to feel less like…

  4. Population size, group composition and behavioural ecology of geladas (Theropithecus gelada) and human-gelada conflict in Wonchit Valley, Ethiopia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kifle, Zewdu; Belay, Gurja; Bekele, Afework

    2013-11-01

    Primates that live in protected areas are intensively studied; however, those that live outside protected areas are less studied by primatologists. Therefore, the present study was carried out outside protected areas on the endemic gelada (Theropithecus gelada) to estimate the population size and group composition and human-gelada conflict in Wonchit Valley, Ethiopia from August 2008-March 2009. Total count method was used to determine the population size and group composition of geladas. A band of geladas was selected to carry out behavioural research. Data were collected on activity, diet and ranging patterns for one band of geladas using scan samples at 15 min intervals. Data on human-gelada conflict was gathered using questionnaire interview method. The total number of geladas in the study area was 1525. The average size of one-male unit was 16.96. Adult male to adult female sex ratio was 1.00:6.61. The average size of the band was 58.03. Group size ranged from 3 to 220. Geladas spent 65.2% of their time feeding, 16.3% moving, 4.6% resting and 13.9% socializing. The total time spent feeding on grass blades was 83.8% and 11.8% for bulbs and roots. The home range size was 1.5 km2 during the dry season and 0.2 km2 during the wet season. Geladas in the study area caused crop damage and shared pasture and drinking water with livestock. They consume crops during harvesting stage more than the seedling and vegetative stages. The study has immense contribution for the conservation and management of this endemic primate in unprotected areas.

  5. Effects of Morphological Family Size for Young Readers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perdijk, Kors; Schreuder, Robert; Baayen, R. Harald; Verhoeven, Ludo

    2012-01-01

    Dutch children, from the second and fourth grade of primary school, were each given a visual lexical decision test on 210 Dutch monomorphemic words. After removing words not recognized by a majority of the younger group, (lexical) decisions were analysed by mixed-model regression methods to see whether morphological Family Size influenced decision…

  6. Size effects in fcc crystals during the high rate compression test

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yaghoobi, Mohammadreza; Voyiadjis, George Z.

    2016-01-01

    The present work studies the different mechanisms of size effects in fcc metallic samples of confined volumes during high rate compression tests using large scale atomistic simulation. Different mechanisms of size effects, including the dislocation starvation, source exhaustion, and dislocation source length effect are investigated for pillars with different sizes. The results show that the controlling mechanisms of size effects depend only on the pillar size and not on the value of applied strain. Dislocation starvation is the governing mechanism for very small pillars, i.e. pillars with diameters less than 30 nm. Increasing the pillar size, the dislocation exhaustion mechanism becomes active and there is no more source-limited activations. Next, the average dislocation source length is obtained and compared for pillars with different sizes. The results show that in the case of high rate deformations, the source length does not depend on the sample size, and the related size effects mechanisms are not active anymore. Also, in the case of high rate deformations, there are no size effects for pristine pillars with the diameters larger than 135 nm. In other words, increasing the strain rate decreases the pillar size at which there is no more size effects in the absence of strain gradient. The governing mechanisms of plastic deformation at high strain rate experiments are also different from those of the quasi-static tests. First, the diameter in which the dislocation nucleation at the free surface becomes the dominant mechanism changes from around 200 nm–30 nm. Next, in the case of the pillars with larger diameters, the plastic deformation is governed by the cross-slip instead of the operation of truncated dislocation sources, which is dominant at slower rates of deformation. In order to study the effects of pillar initial structure on the controlling mechanism of size effects, an initial loading and unloading procedure is conducted on some samples prior to the

  7. Local extinction and recolonization, species effective population size, and modern human origins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eller, Elise; Hawks, John; Relethford, John H

    2004-10-01

    A primary objection from a population genetics perspective to a multiregional model of modern human origins is that the model posits a large census size, whereas genetic data suggest a small effective population size. The relationship between census size and effective size is complex, but arguments based on an island model of migration show that if the effective population size reflects the number of breeding individuals and the effects of population subdivision, then an effective population size of 10,000 is inconsistent with the census size of 500,000 to 1,000,000 that has been suggested by archeological evidence. However, these models have ignored the effects of population extinction and recolonization, which increase the expected variance among demes and reduce the inbreeding effective population size. Using models developed for population extinction and recolonization, we show that a large census size consistent with the multiregional model can be reconciled with an effective population size of 10,000, but genetic variation among demes must be high, reflecting low interdeme migration rates and a colonization process that involves a small number of colonists or kin-structured colonization. Ethnographic and archeological evidence is insufficient to determine whether such demographic conditions existed among Pleistocene human populations, and further work needs to be done. More realistic models that incorporate isolation by distance and heterogeneity in extinction rates and effective deme sizes also need to be developed. However, if true, a process of population extinction and recolonization has interesting implications for human demographic history.

  8. Effects of fuel particle size distributions on neutron transport in stochastic media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liang, Chao; Pavlou, Andrew T.; Ji, Wei

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Effects of fuel particle size distributions on neutron transport are evaluated. • Neutron channeling is identified as the fundamental reason for the effects. • The effects are noticeable at low packing and low optical thickness systems. • Unit cells of realistic reactor designs are studied for different size particles. • Fuel particle size distribution effects are not negligible in realistic designs. - Abstract: This paper presents a study of the fuel particle size distribution effects on neutron transport in three-dimensional stochastic media. Particle fuel is used in gas-cooled nuclear reactor designs and innovative light water reactor designs loaded with accident tolerant fuel. Due to the design requirements and fuel fabrication limits, the size of fuel particles may not be perfectly constant but instead follows a certain distribution. This brings a fundamental question to the radiation transport computation community: how does the fuel particle size distribution affect the neutron transport in particle fuel systems? To answer this question, size distribution effects and their physical interpretations are investigated by performing a series of neutron transport simulations at different fuel particle size distributions. An eigenvalue problem is simulated in a cylindrical container consisting of fissile fuel particles with five different size distributions: constant, uniform, power, exponential and Gaussian. A total of 15 parametric cases are constructed by altering the fissile particle volume packing fraction and its optical thickness, but keeping the mean chord length of the spherical fuel particle the same at different size distributions. The tallied effective multiplication factor (k eff ) and the spatial distribution of fission power density along axial and radial directions are compared between different size distributions. At low packing fraction and low optical thickness, the size distribution shows a noticeable effect on neutron

  9. Renal tissue alterations were size-dependent with smaller ones induced more effects and related with time exposure of gold nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jarrar Bashir M

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Gold nanoparticles (GNPs have important application for cell labeling and imaging, drug delivery, diagnostic and therapeutic purposes mainly in cancer. Nanoparticles (NPs are being increasingly exploited for medical applications. The aim of the present study was to investigate the particle-size and period effects of administration of GNPs on the renal tissue in an attempt to address their potential toxicity. Methods A total of 70 healthy male Wistar-Kyoto rats were exposed to GNPs received 50 or 100 μl of GNPs infusion of size (10, 20 and 50 nm for 3 or 7 days to investigate particle-size effect of GNPs on the renal tissue. Animals were randomly divided into groups, 6 GNPs-treated rats groups and one control group. Groups 1, 2 and 3 received infusion of 50 μl GNPs of size 10 nm (3 or 7 days, size 20 nm (3 or 7 days and 50 nm (3 or 7 days, respectively; while groups 4, 5 and 6 received infusion of 100 μl GNPs of size 10 nm, size 20 nm and 50 nm, respectively. Stained sections of control and treated rats kidneys were examined for renal tissue alterations induced by GNPs. Results In comparison with respective control rats, exposure to GNPs doses has produced the following renal tubular alterations: cloudy swelling, vacuolar degeneration, hyaline droplets and casts, anisokaryosis, karopyknosis, karyorrhexis and karyolysis. The glomeruli showed moderate congestion with no hypercelluraity, mesangial proliferation or basement membrane thickening. The histological alterations were mainly seen in the cortex and the proximal renal convoluted tubules were more affected than the distal ones. Conclusions The induced histological alterations might be an indication of injured renal tubules due to GNPs toxicity that became unable to deal with the accumulated residues resulting from metabolic and structural disturbances caused by these NPs. The findings may suggest that GNPs interact with proteins and enzymes of the renal tissue

  10. David against Goliath? Group size and bystander effects in virtual knowledge sharing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Voelpel, S.C.; Eckhoff, R.A.; Förster, J.

    2008-01-01

    Knowledge management has been identified as a key factor for sustaining a competitive advantage in today’s corporate world. A fundamental aspect of knowledge management in a global economy is the sharing of information in online groups. Most researchers and practitioners have so far assumed that a

  11. Nature of size effects in compact models of field effect transistors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Torkhov, N. A., E-mail: trkf@mail.ru [Tomsk State University, Tomsk 634050 (Russian Federation); Scientific-Research Institute of Semiconductor Devices, Tomsk 634050 (Russian Federation); Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics, Tomsk 634050 (Russian Federation); Babak, L. I.; Kokolov, A. A.; Salnikov, A. S.; Dobush, I. M. [Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics, Tomsk 634050 (Russian Federation); Novikov, V. A., E-mail: novikovvadim@mail.ru; Ivonin, I. V. [Tomsk State University, Tomsk 634050 (Russian Federation)

    2016-03-07

    Investigations have shown that in the local approximation (for sizes L < 100 μm), AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) structures satisfy to all properties of chaotic systems and can be described in the language of fractal geometry of fractional dimensions. For such objects, values of their electrophysical characteristics depend on the linear sizes of the examined regions, which explain the presence of the so-called size effects—dependences of the electrophysical and instrumental characteristics on the linear sizes of the active elements of semiconductor devices. In the present work, a relationship has been established for the linear model parameters of the equivalent circuit elements of internal transistors with fractal geometry of the heteroepitaxial structure manifested through a dependence of its relative electrophysical characteristics on the linear sizes of the examined surface areas. For the HEMTs, this implies dependences of their relative static (A/mm, mA/V/mm, Ω/mm, etc.) and microwave characteristics (W/mm) on the width d of the sink-source channel and on the number of sections n that leads to a nonlinear dependence of the retrieved parameter values of equivalent circuit elements of linear internal transistor models on n and d. Thus, it has been demonstrated that the size effects in semiconductors determined by the fractal geometry must be taken into account when investigating the properties of semiconductor objects on the levels less than the local approximation limit and designing and manufacturing field effect transistors. In general, the suggested approach allows a complex of problems to be solved on designing, optimizing, and retrieving the parameters of equivalent circuits of linear and nonlinear models of not only field effect transistors but also any arbitrary semiconductor devices with nonlinear instrumental characteristics.

  12. Effects of third fragment size and displacement on non-union of femoral shaft fractures after locking for intramedullary nailing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, J R; Kim, H-J; Lee, K-B

    2016-04-01

    The femoral shaft fractures with large fragments makes anatomical reduction challenging and often results in non-union. In some studies, the degree of fragment displacement was reported to have affected non-union, but the association between the one fragment size and degree of displacement has not been fully clarified. Therefore we performed a retrospective study to assess: (1) the more influential factor of non-union: the degree of fragment displacement, or the fragment size? (2) the non-union rates according to different sizes and degrees of displacement. The degree of displacement is the more potent factor of non-union than the third fragment size in femoral shaft fractures. We assessed retrospectively 64 cases, which could be followed up for longer than one year. Fragments were divided according to the length of their long axis into three groups: group A (0-3.9cm), (n=21); group B (4-7.9cm), (n=22); group C (8cm or more), (n=21). Fragment displacement was also assessed in the proximal (P) or distal (D) end to the nearest cortex of the femoral shaft, and divided into the following groups: group P1 (n=44) or D1 (n=47), (0-9mm); group P2 (n=10) or D2 (n=11), (10-19mm); group P3 (n=7) or D3 (n=3), (20-29mm); and group P4 (n=3) or D4 (n=3), (30mm or more). The bone union rate was 86% in the small (less than 8cm) fragment groups and 71% in the large (8cm or more) fragment group (P=0.046). With respect to the degree of displacement, the union rate was lower (P=0.001) and the average union time was longer (P=0.012) in the 20mm or more group for both the proximal fragment part and the distal fragment part (P=0.002, P=0.014). A logistic regression analysis underlined the displacement in the proximal site (OR: 0.298, 95% CI: 0.118-0.750) as in the distal site (OR: 0.359, 95% CI: 0.162-0.793) as a larger effect on union rate than the fragment size that as no effect in logistic regression (OR 3.8, 95% CI: 0.669-21.6). Non-union develops significantly more frequently in

  13. Computation of Effect Size for Moderating Effects of Categorical Variables in Multiple Regression

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguinis, Herman; Pierce, Charles A.

    2006-01-01

    The computation and reporting of effect size estimates is becoming the norm in many journals in psychology and related disciplines. Despite the increased importance of effect sizes, researchers may not report them or may report inaccurate values because of a lack of appropriate computational tools. For instance, Pierce, Block, and Aguinis (2004)…

  14. The Relationships among Group Size, Participation, and Performance of Programming Language Learning Supported with Online Forums

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaw, Ruey-Shiang

    2013-01-01

    This study examined the relationships among group size, participation, and learning performance factors when learning a programming language in a computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) context. An online forum was used as the CSCL environment for learning the Microsoft ASP.NET programming language. The collaborative-learning experiment…

  15. Size effect of the elastic modulus of rectangular nanobeams: Surface elasticity effect

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yao Hai-Yan; Fan Wen-Liang; Yun Guo-Hong

    2013-01-01

    The size-dependent elastic property of rectangular nanobeams (nanowires or nanoplates) induced by the surface elasticity effect is investigated by using a developed modified core-shell model. The effect of surface elasticity on the elastic modulus of nanobeams can be characterized by two surface related parameters, i.e., inhomogeneous degree constant and surface layer thickness. The analytical results show that the elastic modulus of the rectangular nanobeam exhibits a distinct size effect when its characteristic size reduces below 100 nm. It is also found that the theoretical results calculated by a modified core-shell model have more obvious advantages than those by other models (core-shell model and core-surface model) by comparing them with relevant experimental measurements and computational results, especially when the dimensions of nanostructures reduce to a few tens of nanometers. (condensed matter: structural, mechanical, and thermal properties)

  16. Effect of particle size on thermal decomposition of alkali metal picrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Rui; Zhang, Tonglai; Yang, Li; Zhou, Zunning

    2014-01-01

    Graphical abstract: The smaller-sized picrate has greater gas emission than do its larger counterpart. The small size effect reduces the thermal decomposition activation energy, accelerates the reaction rate, and promotes the reaction activity. - Highlights: • Picrates were prepared into three micron sizes by microemulsion synthesis. • Thermal decomposition kinetics and thermodynamics were studied by DPTA and DSC. • Smaller-sized picrate has higher activity and faster reaction rate. • Particle size effect on thermal decomposition kinetics and thermodynamics was revealed. - Abstract: Three alkali metal picrates, KPA, RbPA and CsPA, were prepared into three micron sizes by microemulsion synthesis, and their thermal decomposition behaviors were investigated by DPTA at different temperatures and by DSC at different heating rates. The smaller-sized picrate has greater gas emission and smaller kinetic and thermodynamic parameters than do its larger counterpart. It can be attributed to the decreasing particle size which leads to the high surface energy, the fast mass and heat transfer, and the increasing active sites on the reaction interface. The small size effect and surface effect cause the autocatalysis which reduces the activation energy and promotes the reaction activity. The particle size does not affect the reaction mechanism. However, the picrates with different central alkali metals exhibit different reaction mechanisms even though they are of the same size. This is because the central metal determines the bond energy and consequently affects the stability of picrate

  17. Effect of particle size on thermal decomposition of alkali metal picrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Rui; Zhang, Tonglai, E-mail: ztlbit@bit.edu.cn; Yang, Li; Zhou, Zunning

    2014-05-01

    Graphical abstract: The smaller-sized picrate has greater gas emission than do its larger counterpart. The small size effect reduces the thermal decomposition activation energy, accelerates the reaction rate, and promotes the reaction activity. - Highlights: • Picrates were prepared into three micron sizes by microemulsion synthesis. • Thermal decomposition kinetics and thermodynamics were studied by DPTA and DSC. • Smaller-sized picrate has higher activity and faster reaction rate. • Particle size effect on thermal decomposition kinetics and thermodynamics was revealed. - Abstract: Three alkali metal picrates, KPA, RbPA and CsPA, were prepared into three micron sizes by microemulsion synthesis, and their thermal decomposition behaviors were investigated by DPTA at different temperatures and by DSC at different heating rates. The smaller-sized picrate has greater gas emission and smaller kinetic and thermodynamic parameters than do its larger counterpart. It can be attributed to the decreasing particle size which leads to the high surface energy, the fast mass and heat transfer, and the increasing active sites on the reaction interface. The small size effect and surface effect cause the autocatalysis which reduces the activation energy and promotes the reaction activity. The particle size does not affect the reaction mechanism. However, the picrates with different central alkali metals exhibit different reaction mechanisms even though they are of the same size. This is because the central metal determines the bond energy and consequently affects the stability of picrate.

  18. Core size effects on safety performances of LMRs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Na, Byung Chan; Hahn, Do Hee [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

    1998-12-31

    An oxide fuel small size core (1200 MWt) was analyzed in comparison with a large size core (3600 MWt) in order to evaluate the size effects on transient safety performances of liquid-metal reactors (LMRs). In the first part of the study, main static safety parameters (i.e., Doppler coefficient, sodium void effect, etc.) of the two cores were characterized, and the second part of the study was focused on the dynamic behavior of the cores in two representative transient events: the unprotected loss-of-flow (ULOF) and the unprotected transient overpower (UTOP). Margins to fuel melting and sodium boiling have been evaluated for these representative transients. Results show that the small core has a generally better or equivalent level of safety performances during these events. 6 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs. (Author)

  19. Core size effects on safety performances of LMRs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Na, Byung Chan; Hahn, Do Hee [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

    1997-12-31

    An oxide fuel small size core (1200 MWt) was analyzed in comparison with a large size core (3600 MWt) in order to evaluate the size effects on transient safety performances of liquid-metal reactors (LMRs). In the first part of the study, main static safety parameters (i.e., Doppler coefficient, sodium void effect, etc.) of the two cores were characterized, and the second part of the study was focused on the dynamic behavior of the cores in two representative transient events: the unprotected loss-of-flow (ULOF) and the unprotected transient overpower (UTOP). Margins to fuel melting and sodium boiling have been evaluated for these representative transients. Results show that the small core has a generally better or equivalent level of safety performances during these events. 6 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs. (Author)

  20. Size effects in PbTiO3 nanocrystals: Effect of particle size on spontaneous polarization and strains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akdogan, E. K.; Rawn, C. J.; Porter, W. D.; Payzant, E. A.; Safari, A.

    2005-04-01

    The spontaneous polarization (Ps) and spontaneous strains (xi) in mechanically unclamped and surface charge compensated PbTiO3 nanocrystals were determined as a function of particle size in the range <150nm by differential scanning calorimetry and x-ray powder diffraction, respectively. Significant deviations from bulk order parameters (P,xi) have been observed as the particle size decreased below ˜100nm. The critical size (rc) below which the ferroelectric tetragonal phase transforms to the paraelectric cubic phase was determined as ˜15nm. The depression in transition temperature with particle size is 14 °C at 28 nm. No change in the order of m3m →4mm ferrodistortive phase transition is observed. A simple analysis showed that ΔHtr/(kBT )˜103 at 25 °C for r =16nm, indicating that the stabilization of the cubic phase at rc cannot be linked to an instability in dipolar ordering due to thermal agitations. Comparison of the spontaneous volumetric strains with the strain induced by surface stress indicated that the effect of surface stress on ferroelectric phase stability was negligible. Anomalies in electrostrictive properties were determined for r →rc. The observed size dependence of PS is attributed to the reduced extent of long-range dipole-dipole interactions that arise due to the changes in bonding characteristics of ions with decreasing particle size in the perovskite lattice, in conformity with a recent study by Tsunekawa et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 85 (16), 4340 (2000)].

  1. Effects of pore sizes and oxygen-containing functional groups on desulfurization activity of Fe/NAC prepared by ultrasonic-assisted impregnation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shu, Song; Guo, Jia-Xiu; Liu, Xiao-Li; Wang, Xue-Jiao; Yin, Hua-Qiang; Luo, De-Ming

    2016-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Fe/NAC-60 exhibits the best desulfurization activity. • Different oscillation time can change surface area and pore volume of catalysts. • Ultrasonic oscillation increases Fe dispersion on carrier and effective pores. • Pore sizes play a crucial role during the SO 2 removal. - Abstract: A series of Fe-loaded activated carbons treated by HNO 3 (Fe/NAC) were prepared by incipient impregnation method with or without ultrasonic assistance and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy with energy disperse spectroscope (SEM-EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and N 2 adsorption/desorption. The desulfurization activities were evaluated at a fixed bed reactor under a mixed gas simulated from flue gas. The results showed that desulfurization activity from excellent to poor is as follows: Fe/NAC-60 > Fe/NAC-80 > Fe/NAC-30 > Fe/NAC-15 > Fe/NAC-0 > Fe/NAC-100 > NAC. Fe/NAC-60 exhibits the best desulfurization activity and has breakthrough sulfur capacity of 319 mg/g and breakthrough time of 540 min. The introduction of ultrasonic oscillation does not change the form of Fe oxides on activated carbon but can change the dispersion and relative contents of Fe 3 O 4 . The types of oxygen-containing functional groups have no obvious change for all samples but the texture properties show some differences when they are oscillated for different times. The fresh Fe/NAC-60 has a surface area of 1045 m 2 /g and total pore volume of 0.961 cm 3 /g with micropore volume of 0.437 cm 3 /g and is larger than Fe/NAC-0 (823 m 2 /g, 0.733 and 0.342 cm 3 /g). After desulfurization, surface area and pore volume of all samples decrease significantly, and those of the exhausted Fe/NAC-60 decrease to 233 m 2 /g and 0.481 cm 3 /g, indicating that some byproducts deposit on surface to cover pores. Pore size distribution influences SO 2 adsorption, and fresh Fe/NAC-60 has

  2. The neural basis of the bystander effect--the influence of group size on neural activity when witnessing an emergency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hortensius, Ruud; de Gelder, Beatrice

    2014-06-01

    Naturalistic observation and experimental studies in humans and other primates show that observing an individual in need automatically triggers helping behavior. The aim of the present study is to clarify the neurofunctional basis of social influences on individual helping behavior. We investigate whether when participants witness an emergency, while performing an unrelated color-naming task in an fMRI scanner, the number of bystanders present at the emergency influences neural activity in regions related to action preparation. The results show a decrease in activity with the increase in group size in the left pre- and postcentral gyri and left medial frontal gyrus. In contrast, regions related to visual perception and attention show an increase in activity. These results demonstrate the neural mechanisms of social influence on automatic action preparation that is at the core of helping behavior when witnessing an emergency. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. R2 effect-size measures for mediation analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fairchild, Amanda J; Mackinnon, David P; Taborga, Marcia P; Taylor, Aaron B

    2009-05-01

    R(2) effect-size measures are presented to assess variance accounted for in mediation models. The measures offer a means to evaluate both component paths and the overall mediated effect in mediation models. Statistical simulation results indicate acceptable bias across varying parameter and sample-size combinations. The measures are applied to a real-world example using data from a team-based health promotion program to improve the nutrition and exercise habits of firefighters. SAS and SPSS computer code are also provided for researchers to compute the measures in their own data.

  4. R2 effect-size measures for mediation analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fairchild, Amanda J.; MacKinnon, David P.; Taborga, Marcia P.; Taylor, Aaron B.

    2010-01-01

    R2 effect-size measures are presented to assess variance accounted for in mediation models. The measures offer a means to evaluate both component paths and the overall mediated effect in mediation models. Statistical simulation results indicate acceptable bias across varying parameter and sample-size combinations. The measures are applied to a real-world example using data from a team-based health promotion program to improve the nutrition and exercise habits of firefighters. SAS and SPSS computer code are also provided for researchers to compute the measures in their own data. PMID:19363189

  5. Effects of exposure to bodies of different sizes on perception of and satisfaction with own body size: two randomized studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bould, Helen; Carnegie, Rebecca; Allward, Heather; Bacon, Emily; Lambe, Emily; Sapseid, Megan; Button, Katherine S; Lewis, Glyn; Skinner, Andy; Broome, Matthew R; Park, Rebecca; Harmer, Catherine J; Penton-Voak, Ian S; Munafò, Marcus R

    2018-05-01

    Body dissatisfaction is prevalent among women and associated with subsequent obesity and eating disorders. Exposure to images of bodies of different sizes has been suggested to change the perception of 'normal' body size in others. We tested whether exposure to different-sized (otherwise identical) bodies changes perception of own and others' body size, satisfaction with body size and amount of chocolate consumed. In Study 1, 90 18-25-year-old women with normal BMI were randomized into one of three groups to complete a 15 min two-back task using photographs of women either of 'normal weight' (Body Mass Index (BMI) 22-23 kg m -2 ), or altered to appear either under- or over-weight. Study 2 was identical except the 96 participants had high baseline body dissatisfaction and were followed up after 24 h. We also conducted a mega-analysis combining both studies. Participants rated size of others' bodies, own size, and satisfaction with size pre- and post-task. Post-task ratings were compared between groups, adjusting for pre-task ratings. Participants exposed to over- or normal-weight images subsequently perceived others' bodies as smaller, in comparison to those shown underweight bodies ( p  < 0.001). They also perceived their own bodies as smaller (Study 1, p  = 0.073; Study 2, p  = 0.018; mega-analysis, p  = 0.001), and felt more satisfied with their size (Study 1, p  = 0.046; Study 2, p  = 0.004; mega-analysis, p  = 0.006). There were no differences in chocolate consumption. This study suggests that a move towards using images of women with a BMI in the healthy range in the media may help to reduce body dissatisfaction, and the associated risk of eating disorders.

  6. Effect of sizing on carbon fiber surface properties and fibers/epoxy interfacial adhesion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dai Zhishuang; Shi Fenghui; Zhang Baoyan; Li Min; Zhang Zuoguang

    2011-01-01

    This paper aims to study effect of sizing on surface properties of carbon fiber and the fiber/epoxy interfacial adhesion by comparing sized and desized T300B and T700SC carbon fibers. By means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), activated carbon atoms can be detected, which are defined as the carbon atoms conjunction with oxygen and nitrogen. Surface chemistry analysis shows that the desized carbon fibers present less concentration of activated carbon, especially those connect with the hydroxyl and epoxy groups. Inverse gas chromatography (IGC) analysis reveals that the desized carbon fibers have larger dispersive surface energy γ S D and smaller polar component γ S SP than the commercial sized ones. Moreover, micro-droplet test shows that the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) of the desized carbon fiber/epoxy is higher than those of the T300B and T700SC. Variations of the IFSS for both the sized and desized carbon fibers correspond to γ S D /γ S tendency of the fiber surface, however the work of adhesion does not reveal close correlation with IFSS trend for different fiber/epoxy systems.

  7. Reciprocal Relations between Student-Teacher Relationship and Children's Behavioral Problems: Moderation by Child-Care Group Size

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skalická, Vera; Belsky, Jay; Stenseng, Frode; Wichstrøm, Lars

    2015-01-01

    In this Norwegian study, bidirectional relations between children's behavior problems and child-teacher conflict and closeness were examined, and the possibility of moderation of these associations by child-care group size was tested. Eight hundred and nineteen 4-year-old children were followed up in first grade. Results revealed reciprocal…

  8. Selection dramatically reduces effective population size in HIV-1 infection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mittler John E

    2008-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In HIV-1 evolution, a 100–100,000 fold discrepancy between census size and effective population size (Ne has been noted. Although it is well known that selection can reduce Ne, high in vivo mutation and recombination rates complicate attempts to quantify the effects of selection on HIV-1 effective size. Results We use the inbreeding coefficient and the variance in allele frequency at a linked neutral locus to estimate the reduction in Ne due to selection in the presence of mutation and recombination. With biologically realistic mutation rates, the reduction in Ne due to selection is determined by the strength of selection, i.e., the stronger the selection, the greater the reduction. However, the dependence of Ne on selection can break down if recombination rates are very high (e.g., r ≥ 0.1. With biologically likely recombination rates, our model suggests that recurrent selective sweeps similar to those observed in vivo can reduce within-host HIV-1 effective population sizes by a factor of 300 or more. Conclusion Although other factors, such as unequal viral reproduction rates and limited migration between tissue compartments contribute to reductions in Ne, our model suggests that recurrent selection plays a significant role in reducing HIV-1 effective population sizes in vivo.

  9. Effect of particle size on the glass transition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larsen, Ryan J; Zukoski, Charles F

    2011-05-01

    The glass transition temperature of a broad class of molecules is shown to depend on molecular size. This dependency results from the size dependence of the pair potential. A generalized equation of state is used to estimate how the volume fraction at the glass transition depends on the size of the molecule, for rigid molecule glass-formers. The model shows that at a given pressure and temperature there is a size-induced glass transition: For molecules larger than a critical size, the volume fraction required to support the effective pressure due to particle attractions is above that which characterizes the glassy state. This observation establishes the boundary between nanoparticles, which exist in liquid form only as dispersions in low molecular weight solvents and large molecules which form liquids that have viscosities below those characterized by the glassy state.

  10. Effects of group dynamics and diet on the ranging patterns of a western gorilla group (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) at Bai Hokou, Central African Republic.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cipolletta, Chloé

    2004-10-01

    This study describes how group dynamics and diet have influenced the ranging patterns of a western gorilla group at Bai Hokou, Central African Republic. The results are compared with those from an earlier study [Cipolletta, International Journal of Primatology, 2003], when the same group was larger and undergoing the process of habituation to humans. Data were obtained from maps of the gorillas' travel routes, direct observations, and analysis of fecal samples. Through the years, the group has experienced a decrease in size, from eight to three individuals, with periods of membership fluctuation. The male's search for new mates resulted in a larger home range than was recorded when the group consisted of more individuals. Moreover, despite an average group size of three throughout this study, the monthly range and mean daily path length (DPL) were also larger when the group was acquiring/losing members in new areas, than when no new members joined or left the group. Fruit was consumed year-round, although more heavily so during wet months. The influence of fruit consumption on the ranging patterns was concealed initially by the effect of habituation [Cipolletta, International Journal of Primatology, 2003], and later (at least partially) by the male's search for new mates. In the last 14 months of the study, when the group numbered only three individuals and was ranging in a restricted area, the average DPL, but not the monthly range, increased when the gorillas were consuming more fruit.

  11. Normal ventricular size and changes with age in pediatric groups on computed tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakada, Yoshitaka; Nose, Tadao; Enomoto, Takao; Maki, Yutaka

    1980-01-01

    The purpose of this report is to determine the normal value of the ventricular size on CT, snd analyze its changes with age in normal pediatric group. Materials and Methods: We searched through our 240 normal pediatric CT film files, aged 4 months to 14 years. Scans were performed on Hitachi CT-II scanner, using 10 mm collimation. Results: 1. The width of the third ventricle showed the same value in all pediatric groups, the mean value of its being 4.8 mm (SD 1.3 mm). 2. Bicaudate cerebroventricular indexes of the anterior horns of lateral ventricles (interecarlate distance/transverse diameter of the brain x100) were 15.3 in infants under one year, 13.8 in the age of one year and 12.7 in the children over two years. The indexes were almost the same in old age group over the age of three years. 3. The upper limit of the normal inverse cella media index (minium width of cella media/transverse diameter of the brain x100) was 31. Therefore the cases with the index above this range can be diagnosed as hydrocephalic. 4. The shape of the anterior horns of lateral ventricles was Y-shaped in infants under one year. II-shaped (paralied shaped) in the age of 1 - 12 years, and again it was Y-shaped in the group over 12 years. 5. In the age group under one year, the temporal horns of the lateral ventricles were visualized in about 60% cases, while the figure decreased to 20% in the older group. (author)

  12. Response trajectories capture the continuous dynamics of the size congruity effect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faulkenberry, Thomas J; Cruise, Alexander; Lavro, Dmitri; Shaki, Samuel

    2016-01-01

    In a comparison task involving numbers, the size congruity effect refers to the general finding that responses are usually faster when there is a match between numerical size and physical size (e.g., 2-8) than when there is a mismatch (e.g., 2-8). In the present study, we used computer mouse tracking to test two competing models of the size congruity effect: an early interaction model, where interference occurs at an early representational stage, and a late interaction model, where interference occurs as dynamic competition between response options. In three experiments, we found that the curvature of responses for incongruent trials was greater than for congruent trials. In Experiment 2 we showed that this curvature effect was reliably modulated by the numerical distance between the two stimulus numbers, with large distance pairs exhibiting a larger curvature effect than small distance pairs. In Experiment 3 we demonstrated that the congruity effects persist into response execution. These findings indicate that incongruities between numerical and physical sizes are carried throughout the response process and result from competition between parallel and partially active response options, lending further support to a late interaction model of the size congruity effect. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Finite-size effects on multibody neutrino exchange

    CERN Document Server

    Abada, A; Rodríguez-Quintero, J; Abada, As

    1998-01-01

    The effect of multibody massless neutrino exchanges between neutrons inside a finite-size neutron star is studied. We use an effective Lagrangian, which incorporates the effect of the neutrons on the neutrinos. Following Schwinger, it is shown that the total interaction energy density is computed by comparing the zero point energy of the neutrino sea with and without the star. It has already been shown that in an infinite-size star the total energy due to neutrino exchange vanishes exactly. The opposite claim that massless neutrino exchange would produce a huge energy is due to an improper summation of an infrared-divergent quantity. The same vanishing of the total energy has been proved exactly in the case of a finite star in a one-dimensional toy model. Here we study the three-dimensional case. We first consider the effect of a sharp star border, assumed to be a plane. We find that there is a non- vanishing of the zero point energy density difference between the inside and the outside due to the refraction ...

  14. The effects of group size on aggression when mixing unacquainted sows in outdoor paddocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aggression is a challenge when pigs are kept in groups. Sows fight at mixing when space is limited but this project sought to determine the amount and type of aggression observed when unacquainted Berkshire sows were mixed in pairs or in two established sub-groups of three in outdoor paddocks. Treat...

  15. An Effect Size Measure for Raju's Differential Functioning for Items and Tests

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, Keith D.; Oshima, T. C.

    2015-01-01

    This study established an effect size measure for differential functioning for items and tests' noncompensatory differential item functioning (NCDIF). The Mantel-Haenszel parameter served as the benchmark for developing NCDIF's effect size measure for reporting moderate and large differential item functioning in test items. The effect size of…

  16. Population is the main driver of war group size and conflict casualties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oka, Rahul C; Kissel, Marc; Golitko, Mark; Sheridan, Susan Guise; Kim, Nam C; Fuentes, Agustín

    2017-12-26

    The proportions of individuals involved in intergroup coalitional conflict, measured by war group size (W), conflict casualties (C), and overall group conflict deaths (G), have declined with respect to growing populations, implying that states are less violent than small-scale societies. We argue that these trends are better explained by scaling laws shared by both past and contemporary societies regardless of social organization, where group population (P) directly determines W and indirectly determines C and G. W is shown to be a power law function of P with scaling exponent X [demographic conflict investment (DCI)]. C is shown to be a power law function of W with scaling exponent Y [conflict lethality (CL)]. G is shown to be a power law function of P with scaling exponent Z [group conflict mortality (GCM)]. Results show that, while W/P and G/P decrease as expected with increasing P, C/W increases with growing W. Small-scale societies show higher but more variance in DCI and CL than contemporary states. We find no significant differences in DCI or CL between small-scale societies and contemporary states undergoing drafts or conflict, after accounting for variance and scale. We calculate relative measures of DCI and CL applicable to all societies that can be tracked over time for one or multiple actors. In light of the recent global emergence of populist, nationalist, and sectarian violence, our comparison-focused approach to DCI and CL will enable better models and analysis of the landscapes of violence in the 21st century. Copyright © 2017 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

  17. Synthesis of nanometer-size inorganic materials for the examination of particle size effects on heterogeneous catalysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Emerson, Sean Christian

    The effect of acoustic and hydrodynamic cavitation on the precipitation of inorganic catalytic materials, specifically titania supported gold, was investigated. The overall objective was to understand the fundamental factors involved in synthesizing nanometer-size catalytic materials in the 1--10 nm range in a cavitating field. Materials with grain sizes in this range have been associated with enhanced catalytic activity compared to larger grain size materials. A new chemical approach was used to produce titania supported gold by co-precipitation with higher gold yields compared to other synthesis methods. Using this approach, it was determined that acoustic cavitation was unable to influence the gold mean crystallite size compared to non-sonicated catalysts. However, gold concentration on the catalysts was found to be very important for CO oxidation activity. By decreasing the gold concentration from a weight loading of 0.50% down to approximately 0.05%, the rate of reaction per mole of gold was found to increase by a factor of 19. Hydrodynamic cavitation at low pressures (6.9--48 bar) was determined to have no effect on gold crystallite size at a fixed gold content for the same precipitation technique used in the acoustic cavitation studies. By changing the chemistry of the precipitation system, however, it was found that a synergy existed between the dilution of the gold precursor solution, the orifice diameter, and the reducing agent addition rate. Individually, these factors were found to have little effect and only their interaction allowed gold grain size control in the range of 8--80 nm. Further modification of the system chemistry and the use of hydrodynamic cavitation at pressures in excess of 690 bar allowed the systematic control of gold crystallite size in the range of 2--9 nm for catalysts containing 2.27 +/- 0.17% gold. In addition, it was shown that the enhanced mixing due to cavitation led to larger gold yields compared to classical syntheses. The

  18. Effects of anion size and concentration on electrolyte invasion into molecular-sized nanopores

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Ling; Chen Xi; Kim, Taewan; Han Aijie; Qiao Yu

    2010-01-01

    When an electrolyte solution is pressurized into a molecular-sized nanopore, oppositely charged ions are strongly inclined to aggregate, which effectively reduces the ion solubility to zero. Inside the restrictive confinement, a unique quasi-periodic structure is formed where the paired ion couples are periodically separated by a number of water molecules. As the anion size or ion concentration varies, the geometrical characteristics of the confined ion structure would change considerably, leading to a significant variation in the transport pressure. Both experimental and simulation results indicate that, contradictory to the prediction of conventional theory, infiltration pressure decreases as the anions become larger.

  19. Study of Cluster-size Effect on Damage Formation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aoki, Takaaki; Seki, Toshio; Nakai, Atsuko; Matsuo, Jiro; Takaoka, Gikan

    2003-01-01

    Computer simulation and experiments were performed in order to understand the effect of cluster size on damage formation. Results of molecular dynamics simulations of cluster impact on solid targets derived the model function, which explains the relationship among cluster size, incident energy and number of displacements. On the other hand, time of flight mass measurement system was installed a cluster irradiation system, so that cluster ion beam which cluster size distribution is well known can be irradiated on the target. The damage properties under various cluster irradiation conditions were examined using RBS. The results from computer simulations and experiments showed good agreements with each other, which suggests that irradiation damage by cluster ion beam can be controlled by selecting cluster size distribution and incident energy

  20. EFFECTS OF ULTRASOUND ON THE MORPHOLOGY, PARTICLE SIZE, CRYSTALLINITY, AND CRYSTALLITE SIZE OF CELLULOSE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    SUMARI SUMARI

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study is to optimize ultrasound treatment to produce fragment of cellulose that is low in particles size, crystallite size, and crystallinity. Slurry of 1 % (w/v the cellulose was sonicated at different time periods and temperatures. An ultrasonic reactor was operated at 300 Watts and 28 kHz to cut down the polymer into smaller particles. We proved that ultrasound damages and fragments the cellulose particles into shorter fibers. The fiber lengths were reduced from in the range of 80-120 µm to 30-50 µm due to an hour ultrasonication and became 20-30 µm after 5 hours. It was also found some signs of erosion on the surface and stringy. The acoustic cavitation also generated a decrease in particle size, crystallinity, and crystallite size of the cellulose along with increasing sonication time but it did not change d-spacing. However, the highest reduction of particle size, crystallite size, and crystallinity of the cellulose occurred within the first hour of ultrasonication, after which the efficiency was decreased. The particle diameter, crystallite size, and crystallinity were decreased from 19.88 µm to 15.96 µm, 5.81 Å to 2.98 Å, and 77.7% to 73.9% respectively due to an hour ultrasound treatment at 40 °C. The treatment that was conducted at 40 °C or 60 °C did not give a different effect significantly. Cellulose with a smaller particle and crystallite size as well as a more amorphous shape is preferred for further study.

  1. A Simple Size Effect Model for Tension Perpendicular to the Grain

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, M. U.; Clorius, Christian Odin; Damkilde, Lars

    2003-01-01

    The strength in tension perpendicular to the grain is known to decrease with an increase in the stressed volume. Usually this size effect is explained on a stochastic basis, that is, an explanation relying on the increased probability of encountering a strength reducing flaw when the volume...... of the material under stress is increased. This paper presents an experimental investigation on specimens with a well-defined structural orientation of the material. The experiments exhibit a large size effect and the nature of the failures encountered suggests that the size effect can be explained...... on a deterministic basis. Arguments for such a simple deterministic explanation of size effect is found in finite element modelling, using the orthotropic stiffness characteristics in the transverse plane of wood....

  2. Cell size dependence of additive versus synergetic effects of UV radiation and PAHs on oceanic phytoplankton

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Echeveste, Pedro; Agusti, Susana; Dachs, Jordi

    2011-01-01

    Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons' (PAHs) toxicity is enhanced by the presence of ultraviolet radiation (UVR), which levels have arisen due to the thinning of the ozone layer. In this study, PAHs' phototoxicity for natural marine phytoplankton was tested. Different concentrations of a mixture of 16 PAHs were added to natural phytoplankton communities from the Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic, Arctic and Southern Oceans and exposed to natural sunlight received in situ, including treatments where the UVR bands were removed. PAHs' toxicity was observed for all the phytoplankton groups studied in all the waters and treatments tested, but only for the pico-sized group a synergetic effect of the mixture and UVR was observed (p = 0.009). When comparing phototoxicity in phytoplankton from oligotrophic and eutrophic waters, synergy was only observed at the oligotrophic communities (p = 0.02) where pico-sized phytoplankton dominated. The degree of sensitivity was related to the trophic degree, decreasing as Chlorophyll a concentration increased. - Highlights: → The smallest picocyanobacteria were the most sensitive to PAHs and UVR. → PAHs-UVR synergism for the picophytoplankton and the oligotrophic communities. → PAHs-UVR additivity for the nanophytoplankton and the eutrophic communities. → An irradiance threshold is suggested to determine the joint action of UVR and PAHs. - Cell size and UVR levels determine additive/synergetic effects of PAHs and UVR to oceanic phytoplankton.

  3. Evolution of public cooperation in a monitored society with implicated punishment and within-group enforcement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xiaojie; Sasaki, Tatsuya; Perc, Matjaž

    2015-11-01

    Monitoring with implicated punishment is common in human societies to avert freeriding on common goods. But is it effective in promoting public cooperation? We show that the introduction of monitoring and implicated punishment is indeed effective, as it transforms the public goods game to a coordination game, thus rendering cooperation viable in infinite and finite well-mixed populations. We also show that the addition of within-group enforcement further promotes the evolution of public cooperation. However, although the group size in this context has nonlinear effects on collective action, an intermediate group size is least conductive to cooperative behaviour. This contradicts recent field observations, where an intermediate group size was declared optimal with the conjecture that group-size effects and within-group enforcement are responsible. Our theoretical research thus clarifies key aspects of monitoring with implicated punishment in human societies, and additionally, it reveals fundamental group-size effects that facilitate prosocial collective action.

  4. Atomic size effect on critical cooling rate and glass formation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jalali, Payman; Li Mo

    2005-01-01

    Atomic size effect on critical cooling rate and glass formability in a model binary system is investigated using molecular dynamics simulation. To isolate atomic size effect from the rest of the factors that critically influence the glass formation, a hard sphere model is employed in conjunction with a newly developed densification method. The glass formability is defined as a set of optimal conditions that result in the slowest cooling rate of the glass-forming liquid. Critical cooling rates are identified from extensive molecular dynamics simulations. A kinetic glass-forming diagram is mapped out that marks the boundary between the glass-forming regions and competing crystalline phases in terms of the parameters of the atomic size ratio and alloy concentration. It is found that the potency of the atomic size difference on glass formation is influenced greatly by the competing metastable and equilibrium crystalline phases in the system, and the kinetic processes leading to the formation of these phases. The mechanisms of the atomic size effect on topological instability of crystal packing and glass formation are discussed

  5. The effect of a rotator cuff tear and its size on three-dimensional shoulder motion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kolk, Arjen; Henseler, Jan Ferdinand; de Witte, Pieter Bas; van Zwet, Erik W; van der Zwaal, Peer; Visser, Cornelis P J; Nagels, Jochem; Nelissen, Rob G H H; de Groot, Jurriaan H

    2017-06-01

    Rotator cuff-disease is associated with changes in kinematics, but the effect of a rotator cuff-tear and its size on shoulder kinematics is still unknown in-vivo. In this cross-sectional study, glenohumeral and scapulothoracic kinematics of the affected shoulder were evaluated using electromagnetic motion analysis in 109 patients with 1) subacromial pain syndrome (n=34), 2) an isolated supraspinatus tear (n=21), and 3) a massive rotator cuff tear involving the supraspinatus and infraspinatus (n=54). Mixed models were applied for the comparisons of shoulder kinematics between the three groups during abduction and forward flexion. In the massive rotator cuff-tear group, we found reduced glenohumeral elevation compared to the subacromial pain syndrome (16°, 95% CI [10.5, 21.2], protator cuff tears coincides with an increase in scapulothoracic lateral rotation compared to subacromial pain syndrome (11°, 95% CI [6.5, 15.2], protator cuff-tear group had substantially less glenohumeral elevation and more scapulothoracic lateral rotation compared to the other groups. These observations suggest that the infraspinatus is essential to preserve glenohumeral elevation in the presence of a supraspinatus tear. Shoulder kinematics are associated with rotator cuff-tear size and may have diagnostic potential. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Effects of pre- and postnatal litter size reduction on development and behavior of rat offspring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milković, K; Paunović, J; Joffe, J M

    1976-07-01

    Litter size was reduced to 2-5 rat pups either prenatally by unilateral maternal oviduct ligation (Group PRN) or postnatally by removing pups (Group PST). Normal size litters (8-10 pups) of sham ligated (SHM) and intact (CON) mothers served as controls. Weights at 30 days were increased by prenatal or postnatal reduction and reduced by prenatal stress (SHM); the sex difference in weight was most pronounced in PRN rats. At 75 days PRN rats were heaviest, with no differences between the other groups. Relative ovarian weights were reduced in PRN females and absolute testes weights increased in PST males. The PRN and SHM females had smaller relative adrenal weights than CON and PST females. Open-field activity was generally increased by prior avoidance conditioning and effects of treatments were found only in groups tested after avoidance-conditioning: PRN and SHM rats were more active than PST and CON rats, particularly on Days 1 (SHM) and 4 (SHM and PRN) of testing. Passive-avoidance behavior of PRN rats was also more susceptible to previous test experience: they emerged more slowly if they had prior open-field experience. The PST animals, in contrast, emerged more rapidly after prior test experience. Plasma corticosterone levels and shuttlebox conditioning and extinction were unaffected by treatments.

  7. Use of care management practices in small- and medium-sized physician groups: do public reporting of physician quality and financial incentives matter?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexander, Jeffrey A; Maeng, Daniel; Casalino, Lawrence P; Rittenhouse, Diane

    2013-04-01

    To examine the effect of public reporting (PR) and financial incentives tied to quality performance on the use of care management practices (CMPs) among small- and medium-sized physician groups. Survey data from The National Study of Small and Medium-sized Physician Practices were used. Primary data collection was also conducted to assess community-level PR activities. The final sample included 643 practices engaged in quality reporting; about half of these practices were subject to PR. We used a treatment effects model. The instrumental variables were the community-level variables that capture the level of PR activity in each community in which the practices operate. (1) PR is associated with increased use of CMPs, but the estimate is not statistically significant; (2) financial incentives are associated with greater use of CMPs; (3) practices' awareness/sensitivity to quality reports is positively related to their use of CMPs; and (4) combined PR and financial incentives jointly affect CMP use to a greater degree than either of these factors alone. Small- to medium-sized practices appear to respond to PR and financial incentives by greater use of CMPs. Future research needs to investigate the appropriate mix and type of incentive arrangements and quality reporting. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  8. Comparison of energy balance between two different-sized groups of Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata yakui).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurihara, Yosuke; Hanya, Goro

    2017-07-01

    Quantifying the energy balance is essential for testing socio-ecological models. To reveal costs and benefits of group living in Japanese macaques from the perspective of feeding competition, Kurihara and Hanya (Am J Primatol 77:986-1000, 2015) previously compared feeding behavior between two different-sized groups of macaques (larger group 30-35 individuals; smaller group 13-15 individuals) in the coastal forest of Yakushima, Japan. The results suggested that the larger group exhibited greater feeding effort because of intragroup scramble competition and that the smaller group suffered from higher travel costs, possibly owing to intergroup contest competition. However, it remained unclear whether the behavioral differences affected their energy budgets. The present study examined energetic consequences of the different feeding behaviors in the two groups. Using behavioral data from 10 to 13 adult females and nutritional composition of food items, we compared ingestion rates, energetic/nutritional content of diet, and energy budgets between the two groups. Ingestion rates and energetic/nutritional content of diet did not differ between the two groups. Despite the higher feeding effort of the larger group, energy intake did not differ between the two groups. Energy expenditure did not differ between the two groups because higher travel costs were negated by lower feeding effort in the smaller group. Consequently, the energy balance did not differ between the two groups. We demonstrated that the behavioral measures of feeding competition were not translated into their energetic condition; moreover, our findings re-emphasize the importance of quantifying behavioral and fitness measures for interpreting variation in feeding behavior properly.

  9. Size effects in the mechanical behavior of cellular materials

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tekoglu, C; Onck, PR

    Effective mechanical properties of cellular materials depend strongly on the specimen size to the cell size ratio. Experimental studies performed on aluminium foams show that under uniaxial compression, the stiffness of these materials falls below the corresponding bulk value, when the ratio of the

  10. The cardioprotective effect of vanillic acid on hemodynamic parameters, malondialdehyde, and infarct size in ischemia-reperfusion isolated rat heart exposed to PM10

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Esmat Radmanesh

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Objective(s: Particulate matter (PM exposure can promote cardiac ischemia and myocardial damage. The effects of PM10 on hemodynamic parameters, lipid peroxidation, and infarct size induced by ischemia-reperfusion injury and the protective effects of vanillic acid (VA in isolated rat heart were investigated. Materials and Methods: Eighty male Wistar rats (250–300 g were divided into 8 groups (n=10: Control, Sham, VAc, VA, PMa (0.5 mg/kg PM, intratracheal instillation, PMb (2.5 mg/kg PM, intratracheal instillation, PMc (5 mg/kg PM, intratracheal instillation, and PMc + VA (5 mg/kg PM, intratracheal instillation; and 10 mg/kg vanillic acid, gavage for 10 days. PM10 was instilled into the trachea in two stages, within 48 hr. After isolating the hearts and transfer to a Langendorff apparatus, hearts were subjected to 30 min ischemia and 60 min reperfusion. Hemodynamic parameters (±dp/dt, LVSP, LVDP, and RPP, production of lipid peroxidation (MDA, and infarct size were assessed. Results: A significant decrease in ±dp/dt, LVSP, LVDP and RPP occurred in PM groups. A significant increase in MDA and myocardial infarct size occurred in PM groups. A significant increase in LVDP, LVSP, ±dp/dt, RPP and decrease in infarct size, MDA, and myocardial dysfunction was observed in groups that received vanillic acid after ischemia–reperfusion. Conclusion: It was demonstrated that PM10 increases MDA, as well as the percentage of cardiac infarct size, and has negative effects on hemodynamic parameters. This study suggests that vanillic acid may serve as an adjunctive treatment in delaying the progression of ischemic heart disease.

  11. Effect-Size Measures and Meta-Analytic Thinking in Counseling Psychology Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henson, Robin K.

    2006-01-01

    Effect sizes are critical to result interpretation and synthesis across studies. Although statistical significance testing has historically dominated the determination of result importance, modern views emphasize the role of effect sizes and confidence intervals. This article accessibly discusses how to calculate and interpret the effect sizes…

  12. The effects of particle size distribution and induced unpinning during grain growth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thompson, G.S.; Rickman, J.M.; Harmer, M.P.; Holm, E.A.

    1996-01-01

    The effect of a second-phase particle size distribution on grain boundary pinning was studied using a Monte Carlo simulation technique. Simulations were run using a constant number density of both whisker and rhombohedral particles, and the effect of size distribution was studied by varying the standard deviation of the distribution around a constant mean particle size. The results of present simulations indicate that, in accordance with the stereological assumption of the topological pinning model, changes in distribution width had no effect on the pinned grain size. The effect of induced unpinning of particles on microstructure was also studied. In contrast to predictions of the topological pinning model, a power law dependence of pinned grain size on particle size was observed at T=0.0. Based on this, a systematic deviation to the stereological predictions of the topological pinning model is observed. The results of simulations at higher temperatures indicate an increasing power law dependence of pinned grain size on particle size, with the slopes of the power law dependencies fitting an Arrhenius relation. The effect of induced unpinning of particles was also studied in order to obtain a correlation between particle/boundary concentration and equilibrium grain size. The results of simulations containing a constant number density of monosized rhombohedral particles suggest a strong power law correlation between the two parameters. copyright 1996 Materials Research Society

  13. Relative efficiency and sample size for cluster randomized trials with variable cluster sizes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    You, Zhiying; Williams, O Dale; Aban, Inmaculada; Kabagambe, Edmond Kato; Tiwari, Hemant K; Cutter, Gary

    2011-02-01

    The statistical power of cluster randomized trials depends on two sample size components, the number of clusters per group and the numbers of individuals within clusters (cluster size). Variable cluster sizes are common and this variation alone may have significant impact on study power. Previous approaches have taken this into account by either adjusting total sample size using a designated design effect or adjusting the number of clusters according to an assessment of the relative efficiency of unequal versus equal cluster sizes. This article defines a relative efficiency of unequal versus equal cluster sizes using noncentrality parameters, investigates properties of this measure, and proposes an approach for adjusting the required sample size accordingly. We focus on comparing two groups with normally distributed outcomes using t-test, and use the noncentrality parameter to define the relative efficiency of unequal versus equal cluster sizes and show that statistical power depends only on this parameter for a given number of clusters. We calculate the sample size required for an unequal cluster sizes trial to have the same power as one with equal cluster sizes. Relative efficiency based on the noncentrality parameter is straightforward to calculate and easy to interpret. It connects the required mean cluster size directly to the required sample size with equal cluster sizes. Consequently, our approach first determines the sample size requirements with equal cluster sizes for a pre-specified study power and then calculates the required mean cluster size while keeping the number of clusters unchanged. Our approach allows adjustment in mean cluster size alone or simultaneous adjustment in mean cluster size and number of clusters, and is a flexible alternative to and a useful complement to existing methods. Comparison indicated that we have defined a relative efficiency that is greater than the relative efficiency in the literature under some conditions. Our measure

  14. Group Leader Development: Effects of Personal Growth and Psychoeducational Groups

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohrt, Jonathan H.; Robinson, E. H., III; Hagedorn, W. Bryce

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to compare the effects of personal growth groups and psychoeducational groups on counselor education students' (n = 74) empathy and group leader self-efficacy. Additionally, we compared the degree to which participants in each group valued: (a) cohesion, (b) catharsis, and (c) insight. There were no…

  15. Bias and power in group-based epidemiologic studies of low-back pain exposure and outcome--effects of study size and exposure measurement efforts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coenen, Pieter; Mathiassen, Svend Erik; Kingma, Idsart; Boot, Cécile R L; Bongers, Paulien M; van Dieën, Jaap H

    2015-05-01

    Exposure-outcome studies, for instance on work-related low-back pain (LBP), often classify workers into groups for which exposures are estimated from measurements on a sample of workers within or outside the specific study. The present study investigated the influence on bias and power in exposure-outcome associations of the sizes of the total study population and the sample used to estimate exposures. At baseline, lifting, trunk flexion, and trunk rotation were observed for 371 of 1131 workers allocated to 19 a-priori defined occupational groups. LBP (dichotomous) was reported by all workers during 3 years of follow-up. All three exposures were associated with LBP in this parent study (P power (P power >0.80 (P level = 0.05). A similar performance required n ≥ 30 workers for rotated trunk. Small numbers of observed workers (k) resulted in biased OR, while power was, in general, more sensitive to the total number of workers (n). In epidemiologic studies using a group-based exposure assessment strategy, statistical performance may be sufficient if outcome is obtained from a reasonably large number of workers, even if exposure is estimated from only few workers per group. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.

  16. A general theory of effect size, and its consequences for defining the benchmark response (BMR) for continuous endpoints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slob, Wout

    2017-04-01

    A general theory on effect size for continuous data predicts a relationship between maximum response and within-group variation of biological parameters, which is empirically confirmed by results from dose-response analyses of 27 different biological parameters. The theory shows how effect sizes observed in distinct biological parameters can be compared and provides a basis for a generic definition of small, intermediate and large effects. While the theory is useful for experimental science in general, it has specific consequences for risk assessment: it solves the current debate on the appropriate metric for the Benchmark response in continuous data. The theory shows that scaling the BMR expressed as a percent change in means to the maximum response (in the way specified) automatically takes "natural variability" into account. Thus, the theory supports the underlying rationale of the BMR 1 SD. For various reasons, it is, however, recommended to use a BMR in terms of a percent change that is scaled to maximum response and/or within group variation (averaged over studies), as a single harmonized approach.

  17. Effects of pore sizes and oxygen-containing functional groups on desulfurization activity of Fe/NAC prepared by ultrasonic-assisted impregnation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shu, Song [College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan (China); Guo, Jia-Xiu, E-mail: guojiaxiu@scu.edu.cn [College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan (China); National Engineering Technology Research Center for Flue Gas Desulfurization, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan (China); Sichuan Provincial Environmental Protection Environmental Catalysis and Materials Engineering Technology Center, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan (China); Liu, Xiao-Li [National Engineering Technology Research Center for Flue Gas Desulfurization, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan (China); Wang, Xue-Jiao [College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan (China); Yin, Hua-Qiang [College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan (China); National Engineering Technology Research Center for Flue Gas Desulfurization, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan (China); Sichuan Provincial Environmental Protection Environmental Catalysis and Materials Engineering Technology Center, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan (China); Luo, De-Ming [National Engineering Technology Research Center for Flue Gas Desulfurization, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan (China)

    2016-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Fe/NAC-60 exhibits the best desulfurization activity. • Different oscillation time can change surface area and pore volume of catalysts. • Ultrasonic oscillation increases Fe dispersion on carrier and effective pores. • Pore sizes play a crucial role during the SO{sub 2} removal. - Abstract: A series of Fe-loaded activated carbons treated by HNO{sub 3} (Fe/NAC) were prepared by incipient impregnation method with or without ultrasonic assistance and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy with energy disperse spectroscope (SEM-EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and N{sub 2} adsorption/desorption. The desulfurization activities were evaluated at a fixed bed reactor under a mixed gas simulated from flue gas. The results showed that desulfurization activity from excellent to poor is as follows: Fe/NAC-60 > Fe/NAC-80 > Fe/NAC-30 > Fe/NAC-15 > Fe/NAC-0 > Fe/NAC-100 > NAC. Fe/NAC-60 exhibits the best desulfurization activity and has breakthrough sulfur capacity of 319 mg/g and breakthrough time of 540 min. The introduction of ultrasonic oscillation does not change the form of Fe oxides on activated carbon but can change the dispersion and relative contents of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}. The types of oxygen-containing functional groups have no obvious change for all samples but the texture properties show some differences when they are oscillated for different times. The fresh Fe/NAC-60 has a surface area of 1045 m{sup 2}/g and total pore volume of 0.961 cm{sup 3}/g with micropore volume of 0.437 cm{sup 3}/g and is larger than Fe/NAC-0 (823 m{sup 2}/g, 0.733 and 0.342 cm{sup 3}/g). After desulfurization, surface area and pore volume of all samples decrease significantly, and those of the exhausted Fe/NAC-60 decrease to 233 m{sup 2}/g and 0.481 cm{sup 3}/g, indicating that some byproducts deposit on surface to cover pores. Pore size distribution

  18. The Effect of Family Size on Incentive Effects of Welfare Transfers in Two-Parent Families

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewin, Alisa C.; Maurin, Eric

    2005-01-01

    Family size is an important determinant of family well-being, and it is a good predictor of poverty. This study examines effects of waiving the 100-hour rule, by family size, and distinguishes between the "work-incentive effects" and the "eligibility effects" of the waiver. The 100-hour rule limits eligibility to aid to…

  19. [Geography of effective size of rural populations of Northern Eurasia. Geographic correlation between effective size and level of heterozygosity of populations].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evsiukov, A N; Zhukova, O V; Sheremet'eva, V A; Shneĭder, Iu V; Rychkov, Iu G

    1996-11-01

    A significant geographical correlation (r = 0.719) was found between the logarithm of effective size (InNe) and heterozygosity level (H) in populations under the assumption of the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The area of highest positive correlation was positioned meridionally between the Ob and Yenisei rivers, from the Arctic coast of Taimyr Peninsula to eastern Sayans and the southern Cis-Baikal region, i.e., in the same region where the highest distribution density of mean Ne values was found. Two additional areas of high correlations were found on the northern Black Sea coast and in the lower Lena river region. Analysis and mapping of correlation ratios eta H/lnNe2 and eta lnNe/H2 revealed that effective size substantially influenced heterozygosity level (as could be expected in the case of an intense gene drift), and heterozygosity level influenced effective size to the same extent. The latter relationship indicated an intense adaptation, and changes in diversity of the gene pool caused substantial demographic changes. However, this might be accounted for by direct gene migration into a population prevailing over reverse migration, i.e., mechanical population growth prevailing over natural growth.

  20. Size and series effects on the economics of nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rouyer, J.L.; Marcetteau, P.; Nisan, S.

    2001-01-01

    This paper updates data and models concerning size and series effects on the economics of nuclear power plants. Size effect is the observation that, for a given technology, capital cost of a plant increases less rapidly than its capacity. The overall scaling exponent is derived from specific exponents for different plant items. It varies for industrial LWR and PHWR between 0.4 to 0.7. Series effect comprises two types of effects: a) fabrication in series of equipment, thus reducing unit cost with increased number of units; b) Increased efficiency through the feedback of experience obtained from the on-site realisation of a number of identical plants. Size and series effects are combined in the realisation of a full programme of a same standard model of nuclear power plants, for a given country or for several countries, in the same period of time (typically 10 years). Calculations have been performed to compare size and series effects for a 15000 MWe programme to be installed within 10 years, and reactor sizes varying from 600 MWe to 1500 MWe. The different options regarding the size of PWR standard model have also been compared on the basis of the least leveled electricity cost. The results of the calculations show that a standardised series of 1500 MWe appears presently the best solution in densely industrialized countries. In the long term, reactors of 1000 MWe, or less, (if new concepts sharply decrease unit cost per kW installed), may be preferred because of the associated large series effect. (authors)

  1. The effects of different sizes of insoluble grit on growth performance and carcass traits in broiler chickens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abbas Ali Rajabiyan Moghaddam

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of different sizes of insoluble grit on growth performance and carcass traits in broiler chickens. A total of 200 broilers (Ross 308, 10 days old, were randomly allotted to five experimental equal groups with four replicates of 10 chickens (five male and five female and fed with basal diet + ground wheat (without grit; basal diet + whole wheat (without grit and basal diet contain 1.5% grit of diet with sizes of 2, 3 and 4 mm. Growth performance (evaluated through weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio was determined on day 24 and 42. Also, carcass traits (relative weights of carcass, breast, thigh, liver, heart, gizzard and intestine and intestine length were assessed on day 42. Weight gains and feed conversion ratio were significantly improved in broilers added with grit 2 mm compared to the control group (p<0.05, whereas; carcass traits were not significantly altered. These data suggest that grit with size of 2 mm improve growth performance in broiler chickens.

  2. Specimen size effect considerations for irradiation studies of SiC/SiC

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Youngblood, G.E.; Henager, C.H. Jr.; Jones, R.H. [Pacific Northwest National Lab., Richland, WA (United States)

    1996-10-01

    For characterization of the irradiation performance of SiC/SiC, limited available irradiation volume generally dictates that tests be conducted on a small number of relatively small specimens. Flexure testing of two groups of bars with different sizes cut from the same SiC/SiC plate suggested the following lower limits for flexure specimen number and size: Six samples at a minimum for each condition and a minimum bar size of 30 x 6.0 x 2.0 mm{sup 3}.

  3. Size-controllable polypyrrole nanospheres synthesized in the presence of phosphorylated chitosan and their size effect in different applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Jing; Cao, Yi; Lu, Yun, E-mail: yunlu@nju.edu.cn [Nanjing University, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Key Laboratory of High Performance Polymer Materials and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (China)

    2015-05-15

    The size-controllable polypyrrole (PPy) nanospheres are successfully synthesized by oxidative polymerization of pyrrole using N-methylene phosphonic chitosan (NMPC) as a structure-directing agent. By simply changing the amount of NMPC, the size of the PPy nanospheres can be adjusted from 190 to 50 nm in diameter. The spectrometric results suggest that the electrostatic interactions of phosphate groups in NMPC molecule with pyrrole ring might be a driving force for formation of the uniform and size-controllable PPy nanospheres. The PPy nanospheres with the diameter of 100 nm exhibit the largest capacity and a good cycling stability as electrode materials of supercapacitors. The as-prepared PPy nanospheres also can be combined with carbon dots to form composite nanospheres presenting enhanced fluorescence intensity, which show potential application in fluorescence detection.

  4. An evaluation of portion size estimation aids: Consumer perspectives on their effectiveness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faulkner, Gemma P; Livingstone, M Barbara E; Pourshahidi, L Kirsty; Spence, Michelle; Dean, Moira; O'Brien, Sinead; Gibney, Eileen R; Wallace, Julie M W; McCaffrey, Tracy A; Kerr, Maeve A

    2017-07-01

    This qualitative study aimed to investigate consumer opinions on the usefulness of portion size estimation aids (PSEA); consumer preferences in terms of format and context for use; and the level of detail of guidance considered necessary for the effective application of PSEA. Six focus groups (three to eight participants per group) were conducted to elicit views on PSEA. The discussions were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed by two independent researchers using a template approach. The focus groups were conducted in 2013 by an experienced moderator in various sites across the island of Ireland (three in the Republic of Ireland and three in Northern Ireland) including local leisure, community and resource centres; the home environment; and a university meeting room. General population, males (n = 17) and females (n = 15) aged 18-64 years old. Participants were recruited from both urban and rural locations representing a range of socio-economic groups. The majority of participants deemed the coloured portion pots and disposable plastic cup (household measures) to be useful particularly for the estimation of amorphous cereal products (e.g. breakfast cereals). Preferences were evident for "visual" PSEA (reference objects, household measures and food packaging) rather than 'quantities and measures' such as weighing in grams or ounces. Participants stated that PS education should be concise, consistent, from a reputable source, initiated at school age and communicated innovatively e.g. mobile app or TV advertisement. Guidance in relation to gender, age and activity level was favoured over a "one size fits all" approach. This study identified consumer preferences and acceptance of "visual" PSEA such as portion pots/cups to estimate appropriate PS of amorphous grain foods such as breakfast cereals, pasta and rice. Concise information from a reputable source in relation to gender, age and activity level should accompany PSEA. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd

  5. Brain Size, IQ, and Racial-Group Differences: Evidence from Musculoskeletal Traits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rushton, J. Philippe; Rushton, Elizabeth W.

    2003-01-01

    Correlated brain size differences with 37 musculoskeletal variables shown in evolutionary textbooks to change with brain size. Findings from a sample of more than 6,000 U.S. military personnel indicate that racial differences in brain size are securely established and are the most likely biological mediators of race differences in intelligence.…

  6. Size-Effects in Void Growth

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Niordson, Christian Frithiof

    2005-01-01

    The size-effect on ductile void growth in metals is investigated. The analysis is based on unit cell models both of arrays of cylindrical voids under plane strain deformation, as well as arrays of spherical voids using an axisymmetric model. A recent finite strain generalization of two higher order...... strain gradient plasticity models is implemented in a finite element program, which is used to study void growth numerically. The results based on the two models are compared. It is shown how gradient effects suppress void growth on the micron scale when compared to predictions based on conventional...... models. This increased resistance to void growth, due to gradient hardening, is accompanied by an increase in the overall strength for the material. Furthermore, for increasing initial void volume fraction, it is shown that the effect of gradients becomes more important to the overall response but less...

  7. Assessing food appeal and desire to eat: the effects of portion size & energy density

    OpenAIRE

    Cornier Marc A; Burger Kyle S; Ingebrigtsen Jan; Johnson Susan L

    2011-01-01

    Abstract Background Visual presentation of food provides considerable information such as its potential for palatability and availability, both of which can impact eating behavior. Methods We investigated the subjective ratings for food appeal and desire to eat when exposed to food pictures in a fed sample (n = 129) using the computer paradigm ImageRate. Food appeal and desire to eat were analyzed for the effects of food group, portion size and energy density of the foods presented as well as...

  8. Assessing food appeal and desire to eat: The effects of portion size & energy density

    OpenAIRE

    Burger, Kyle

    2017-01-01

    Background: Visual presentation of food provides considerable information such as its potential for palatability and availability, both of which can impact eating behavior. Methods: We investigated the subjective ratings for food appeal and desire to eat when exposed to food pictures in a fed sample (n=129) using the computer paradigm ImageRate. Food appeal and desire to eat were analyzed for the effects of food group, portion size and energy density of the foods presented as well as by parti...

  9. The effect of ethanol infusion on the size of the ablated lesion in radiofrequency thermal ablation: A pilot study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Young Sun; Rhim, Hyun Chul; Koh, Byung Hee; Cho, On Koo; Seo, Heung Suk; Kim, Yong Soo; Joo, Kyoung Bin

    2001-01-01

    To assess the effect of ethanol infusion on the size of ablated lesion during radiofrequency (RF) thermal ablation. We performed an ex vivo experimental study using a total of 15 pig livers. Three groups were designed: 1)normal control (n=10), 2) saline infusion (n=10) 3) ethanol infusion (n=10). Two radiofrequency ablations were done using a 50 watt RF generator and a 15 guage expandable elections with four prongs in each liver. During ablation for 8 minutes, continuous infusion of fluid at a rate of 0.5 ml/min through the side arm of electrode was performed. We checked the frequency of the 'impeded-out' phenomenon due to abrupt increase of impedance during ablation. Size of ablated lesion was measured according to length, width, height, and subsequently volume after the ablations. The sizes of the ablated lesions were compared between the three groups. 'Impeded-out' phenomenon during ablation was noted 4 times in control group, although that never happened in saline or ethanol infusion groups. There were significant differences in the volumes of ablated lesions between control group (10.62 ± 1.45 cm 3 ) and saline infusion group (15.33 ± 2.47 cm 3 ), and saline infusion group and ethanol infusion group (18.78 ± 3.58 cm 3 ) (p<0.05). Fluid infusion during radiofrequency thermal ablation decrease a chance of charming and increase the volume of the ablated lesion. Ethanol infusion during ablation may induce larger volume of ablated lesion than saline infusion.

  10. On the Effectiveness of Group Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy on Aggression in Addicts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    mahmood najafy

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available : This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of group cognitive-behavioral therapy on aggression among addicts. Method: A quasi-experimental design along with pre-posttest stages, control group, and follow-up was employed for the conduct of this study. The number of 24 addicts referring to rehabilitation clinics in Tehran was selected as the sample size of this study via convenience sampling method in accordance with the inclusion criteria. These participants were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. In this study, Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire was used for data collection purposes. Results: Data analysis showed that group cognitive-behavioral therapy reduces verbal and physical aggression, anger, and hostility in addicted people. However, this therapy only led to the reduction of verbal aggression, anger, and hostility in addicted people. Conclusion: Since aggression has a high comorbidity with substance abuse, this factor can be as an obstacle to withdrawal. Therefore, it must be considered in addiction treatment.

  11. Effect of meal size and body size on specific dynamic action and gastric processing in decapod crustaceans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGaw, Iain J; Curtis, Daniel L

    2013-11-01

    Meal size and animal size are important factors affecting the characteristics of the specific dynamic action (SDA) response across a variety of taxa. The effects of these two variables on the SDA of decapod crustaceans are based on just a couple of articles, and are not wholly consistent with the responses reported for other aquatic ectotherms. Therefore, the effects of meal size and animal size on the characteristics of SDA response were investigated in a variety of decapod crustaceans from different families. A 6 fold increase in meal size (0.5%-3% body mass) resulted a pronounced increase in the duration of increased oxygen consumption, resulting in an increase in the SDA of Callinectes sapidus, Cancer gracilis, Hemigrapsus nudus, Homarus americanus, Pugettia producta and Procambarus clarkii. Unlike many other aquatic ectotherms a substantial increase between meal sizes was required, with meal size close to their upper feeding limit (3% body mass), before changes were evident. In many organisms increases in both duration and scope contribute to the overall SDA, here changes in scope as a function of meal size were weak, suggesting that a similar amount of energy is required to upregulate gastric processes, regardless of meal size. The SDA characteristics were less likely to be influenced by the size of the animal, and there was no difference in the SDA (kJ) as a function of size in H. americanus or Cancer irroratus when analysed as mass specific values. In several fish species characteristics of the SDA response are more closely related to the transit times of food, rather than the size of a meal. To determine if a similar trend occurred in crustaceans, the transit rates of different sized meals were followed through the digestive system using a fluoroscope. Although there was a trend towards larger meals taking longer to pass through the gut, this was only statistically significant for P. clarkii. There were some changes in transit times as a function of animal

  12. Economic Effects of Increased Control Zone Sizes in Conflict Resolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Datta, Koushik

    1998-01-01

    A methodology for estimating the economic effects of different control zone sizes used in conflict resolutions between aircraft is presented in this paper. The methodology is based on estimating the difference in flight times of aircraft with and without the control zone, and converting the difference into a direct operating cost. Using this methodology the effects of increased lateral and vertical control zone sizes are evaluated.

  13. From individual preference construction to group decisions: framing effects and group processes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Milch, K.F.; Weber, E.U.; Appelt, K.C.; Handgraaf, M.J.J.; Krantz, D.H.

    2009-01-01

    Two choice tasks known to produce framing effects in individual decisions were used to test group sensitivity to framing, relative to that of individuals, and to examine the effect of prior, individual consideration of a decision on group choice. Written post-decision reasons and pre-decision group

  14. Size, Shape and Impurity Effects on Superconducting critical temperature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Umeda, Masaki; Kato, Masaru; Sato, Osamu

    Bulk superconductors have their own critical temperatures Tc. However, for a nano-structured superconductor, Tc depends on size and shape of the superconductor. Nishizaki showed that the high pressure torsion on bulks of Nb makes Tc higher, because the torsion makes many nano-sized fine grains in the bulks. However the high pressure torsion on bulks of V makes Tc lower, and Nishizaki discussed that the decrease of Tc is caused by impurities in the bulks of V. We studied size, shape, and impurity effects on Tc, by solving the Gor'kov equations, using the finite element method. We found that smaller and narrower superconductors show higher Tc. We found how size and shape affects Tc by studying spacial order parameter distributions and quasi-particle eigen-energies. Also we studied the impurity effects on Tc, and found that Tc decreases with increase of scattering rate by impurities. This work was supported in part of KAKENHI Grant Number JP26400367 and JP16K05460, and program for leading graduate schools of ministry of education, culture, sports, science and technology-Japan.

  15. Size Effect on Acoustic Emission Characteristics of Coal-Rock Damage Evolution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhijie Wen

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Coal-gas outburst, rock burst, and other mine dynamic disasters are closely related to the instability and failure of coal-rock. Coal-rock is the assemblies of mineral particles of varying sizes and shapes bonded together by cementing materials. The damage and rupture process of coal-rock is accompanied by acoustic emission (AE, which can be used as an effective means to monitor and predict the instability of coal-rock body. In this manuscript, considering the size effect of coal-rock, the influence of different height to diameter ratio on the acoustic emission characteristics of coal-rock damage evolution was discussed by microparticle flow PFC2D software platform. The results show that coal-rock size influences the uniaxial compressive strength, peak strain, and elastic modulus of itself; the size effect has little effect on the acoustic emission law of coal-rock damage and the effects of the size of coal-rock samples on acoustic emission characteristics are mainly reflected in three aspects: the triggering time of acoustic emission, the strain range of strong acoustic emission, and the intensity of acoustic emission; the damage evolution of coal-rock specimen can be divided into 4 stages: initial damage, stable development, accelerated development, and damage.

  16. Transient hydrodynamic finite-size effects in simulations under periodic boundary conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asta, Adelchi J.; Levesque, Maximilien; Vuilleumier, Rodolphe; Rotenberg, Benjamin

    2017-06-01

    We use lattice-Boltzmann and analytical calculations to investigate transient hydrodynamic finite-size effects induced by the use of periodic boundary conditions. These effects are inevitable in simulations at the molecular, mesoscopic, or continuum levels of description. We analyze the transient response to a local perturbation in the fluid and obtain the local velocity correlation function via linear response theory. This approach is validated by comparing the finite-size effects on the steady-state velocity with the known results for the diffusion coefficient. We next investigate the full time dependence of the local velocity autocorrelation function. We find at long times a crossover between the expected t-3 /2 hydrodynamic tail and an oscillatory exponential decay, and study the scaling with the system size of the crossover time, exponential rate and amplitude, and oscillation frequency. We interpret these results from the analytic solution of the compressible Navier-Stokes equation for the slowest modes, which are set by the system size. The present work not only provides a comprehensive analysis of hydrodynamic finite-size effects in bulk fluids, which arise regardless of the level of description and simulation algorithm, but also establishes the lattice-Boltzmann method as a suitable tool to investigate such effects in general.

  17. Finite size effects in simulations of protein aggregation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amol Pawar

    Full Text Available It is becoming increasingly clear that the soluble protofibrillar species that proceed amyloid fibril formation are associated with a range of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson diseases. Computer simulations of the processes that lead to the formation of these oligomeric species are starting to make significant contributions to our understanding of the determinants of protein aggregation. We simulate different systems at constant concentration but with a different number of peptides and we study the how the finite number of proteins affects the underlying free energy of the system and therefore the relative stability of the species involved in the process. If not taken into account, this finite size effect can undermine the validity of theoretical predictions regarding the relative stability of the species involved and the rates of conversion from one to the other. We discuss the reasons that give rise to this finite size effect form both a probabilistic and energy fluctuations point of view and also how this problem can be dealt by a finite size scaling analysis.

  18. A qualitative test for intrinsic size effect on ferroelectric phase transitions

    OpenAIRE

    Wang, Jin; Tagantsev, Alexander K.; Setter, Nava

    2010-01-01

    The size effect in ferroelectrics is treated as a competition between the geometrical symmetry of the ferroelectric sample and its crystalline symmetry. The manifestation of this competition is shown to be polarization rotation, which is driven by temperature and/or size variations, thus providing a qualitative indication of intrinsic finite size effect on ferroelectrics. The concept is demonstrated in a simple case of PbTiO3 nanowires having their axis parallel to [111]C direction, where the...

  19. The P Value Problem in Otolaryngology: Shifting to Effect Sizes and Confidence Intervals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vila, Peter M; Townsend, Melanie Elizabeth; Bhatt, Neel K; Kao, W Katherine; Sinha, Parul; Neely, J Gail

    2017-06-01

    There is a lack of reporting effect sizes and confidence intervals in the current biomedical literature. The objective of this article is to present a discussion of the recent paradigm shift encouraging the use of reporting effect sizes and confidence intervals. Although P values help to inform us about whether an effect exists due to chance, effect sizes inform us about the magnitude of the effect (clinical significance), and confidence intervals inform us about the range of plausible estimates for the general population mean (precision). Reporting effect sizes and confidence intervals is a necessary addition to the biomedical literature, and these concepts are reviewed in this article.

  20. Evaluation of the Company Size Effect on Latin American Stock Markets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan Benjamín Duarte Duarte

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available This paper assesses the existence of the size effect on the most important stock markets in Latin America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru for the period between 2002 and 2012, using the cross-section contrast methodology of the size effect in the CAPM context. Results show that there is reversed effect in some of the Latin American markets.

  1. Influence of the molecular structure on indentation size effect in polymers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han, Chung-Souk

    2010-01-01

    Size dependent deformation of polymers has been observed by various researchers in various experimental settings including micro beam bending, foams and indentation testing. Here in this article the indentation size effect in polymers is examined which manifests itself in increased hardness at decreasing indentation depths. Based on previously suggested rationale of size dependent deformation and depth dependent hardness model the depth dependent hardness of various polymers are analyzed. It is found that polymers containing aromatic rings in their molecular structure exhibit depth dependent hardness above the micron length scale. For polymers not containing aromatic rings polymers the indentation size effect starts at smaller indentation depths if they are present at all.

  2. Comparison of the effect between pegaptanib and ranibizumab on exudative age-related macular degeneration with small lesion size

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fujihara M

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Yoshihiro Nishimura1,2, Maiko Taguchi1, Takafumi Nagai1, Masashi Fujihara1,2, Shigeru Honda2, Mamoru Uenishi11Department of Ophthalmology, Mitsubishi Kobe Hospital, Kobe, Japan; 2Department of Surgery, Division of Ophthalmology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, JapanPurpose: To compare the effect of pegaptanib versus ranibizumab on exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD with small lesion size.Methods: This is a retrospective study of 81 eyes from 78 patients with exudative AMD treated and followed up over 12 months. Patients with baseline best corrected visual acuity (BCVA under 20/400 and with a greatest linear dimension of lesion over 4500 µm were excluded from the study. Twenty-six eyes from 25 patients were treated with three consecutive intravitreal injections of pegaptanib (IVP group and 55 eyes from 54 patients were treated with three consecutive ranibizumab injections (IVR group. Each therapy was repeated as needed. The alteration in BCVA was evaluated in the IVP and IVR groups.Results: No differences were detected in baseline parameters between the IVP and IVR groups. The mean BCVA (logMAR at month 1, 3, 6 and 12 after the initial treatment was improved from baseline in the IVP group (-0.095, -0.17, -0.18 and -0.18, respectively and in the IVR group (-0.077, -0.15, -0.17 and -0.11, respectively, which was statistically significant. There was no difference in the change in mean BCVA between IVP and IVR groups at the same time periods.Conclusions: The visual outcome of IVP was equivalent with IVR in exudative AMD with small lesion size.Keywords: pegaptanib, ranibizumab, age-related macular degeneration, small lesion size

  3. Effect Size Measures for Mediation Models: Quantitative Strategies for Communicating Indirect Effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Preacher, Kristopher J.; Kelley, Ken

    2011-01-01

    The statistical analysis of mediation effects has become an indispensable tool for helping scientists investigate processes thought to be causal. Yet, in spite of many recent advances in the estimation and testing of mediation effects, little attention has been given to methods for communicating effect size and the practical importance of those…

  4. Big bees do a better job: intraspecific size variation influences pollination effectiveness

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pat Willmer

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available 1. Bumblebees (Bombus spp. are efficient pollinators of many flowering plants, yet the pollen deposition performance of individual bees has not been investigated. Worker bumblebees exhibit large intraspecific and intra-nest size variation, in contrast with other eusocial bees; and their size influences collection and deposition of pollen grains. 2. Laboratory studies with B. terrestris workers and Vinca minor flowers showed that pollination effectiveness PE, as measured from pollen grains deposited on stigmas in single visits (SVD, was significantly positively related to bee size; larger bees deposited more grains, while the smallest individuals, with proportionally shorter tongues, were unable to collect or deposit pollen in these flowers. Individuals did not increase their pollen deposition over time, so handling experience does not influence SVD in Vinca minor. 3. Field studies using Geranium sanguineum and Echium vulgare, and multiple visiting species, confirmed that individual size affects SVD. All bumblebee species showed positive SVD/size effects, though even the smallest individuals did deposit pollen. Apis with its limited size variation showed no such detectable effect when visiting Geranium flowers. Two abundant hoverfly species also showed size effects, particularly when feeding for nectar on Echium. 4. Mean size of foragers also varied diurnally, with larger individuals active earlier and later, so that pollination effectiveness varies through a day; flowers routinely pollinated by bees may best be served by early morning dehiscence and visits from larger individuals. 5. Thus, while there are well-documented species-level variations in pollination effectiveness, the fine-scale individual differences between foragers should also be taken into account when assessing the reproductive outputs of biotically-pollinated plants.

  5. The Effect of Trade Openness and Income on the Size of a Government

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taner TURAN

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available This paper examines the effect of trade openness and per capita GDP on the size of government for Turkey and South Korea by means of ARDL approach to co-integration. We use different proxies to measure the size of government because not all measures of government size are appropriate to be employed in the estimates. Among the three (four different measures of government size of Korea (Turkey, only one for each country has a co-integrating relationship with openness and per capita GDP. Long run coeffi cients suggest that per capita GDP has a positive and signifi cant effect on the government sizes for Turkey and Korea, implying the validity of the Wagner’s law. However, while openness has a negative effect on government size for Turkey, it has a positive effect for Korea. Our results clearly highlight the importance of choosing an appropriate proxy for government size to reach robust and consistent results.

  6. Blade size and weight effects in shovel design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freivalds, A; Kim, Y J

    1990-03-01

    The shovel is a basic tool that has undergone only nominal systematic design changes. Although previous studies found shovel-weight and blade-size effects of shovelling, the exact trade-off between the two has not been quantified. Energy expenditure, heart rate, ratings of perceived exertion and shovelling performance were measured on five subjects using five shovels with varying blade sizes and weights to move sand. Energy expenditure, normalised to subject weight and load handled, varied quadratically with the blade-size/shovel-weight (B/W) ratio. Minimum energy cost was at B/W = 0.0676 m2/kg, which for an average subject and average load would require an acceptable 5.16 kcal/min of energy expenditure. Subjects, through the ratings of perceived exertion, also strongly preferred the lighter shovels without regard to blade size. Too large a blade or too heavy a shovel increased energy expenditure beyond acceptable levels, while too small a blade reduced efficiency of the shovelling.

  7. Size Effect in Tension Perpendicular to Grain

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Astrup, Thomas; Clorius, Christian Odin; Hoffmeyer, Preben

    2004-01-01

    The strength of wood is reduced when the stressed volume is increased. The phenomenon is termed size effect and is often explained as being stochastic in the sense that the probability of weak locations occurring in the wood increases with increased volume. This paper presents a hypothesis where ...

  8. Numerical Evaluation of Size Effect on the Stress-Strain Behaviour of Geotextile-Reinforced Sand

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hosseinpour, I.; Mirmoradi, S.H.; Barari, Amin

    2010-01-01

    This paper studies the effect of sample size on the stress-strain behavior and strength characteristics of geotextile reinforced sand using the finite element numerical analysis. The effect of sample size was investigated by studying the effects of varying the number of geotextile layers, the con......This paper studies the effect of sample size on the stress-strain behavior and strength characteristics of geotextile reinforced sand using the finite element numerical analysis. The effect of sample size was investigated by studying the effects of varying the number of geotextile layers...... on the mechanical behavior of reinforced sand decreases with an increase in the sample size....

  9. Effects of lipid emulsion particle size on satiety and energy intake: a randomised cross-over trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poppitt, Sally D; Budgett, Stephanie C; MacGibbon, Alastair K; Quek, Siew-Young; Kindleysides, Sophie; Wiessing, Katy R

    2018-03-01

    Emulsified lipids, with central lipid core surrounded by polar lipid 'protective coat', have been proposed to stimulate the ileal brake, alter appetite, food intake and aid weight control. In addition to lipid composition, emulsion particle size may contribute to efficacy with small droplets providing a larger surface area for gastrointestinal (GI) lipase action and larger droplets prolonging and delaying digestion in the GI tract. Tube feeding studies delivering emulsions directly into the small intestine show clear effects of smaller particle size on appetite and food intake, but evidence from oral feeding studies is sparse. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of lipid emulsion particle size on appetite response and food intake. In a three-arm randomised cross-over, high-phospholipid (PL) dairy lipid emulsions or matched control were consumed at breakfast within a yoghurt smoothie: (i) large-particle size emulsion, LPE (diameter 0.759 µm, 10 g lipid emulsion, 190 g yoghurt), (ii) small-particle size emulsion, SPE (diameter 0.290 µm, 10 g lipid emulsion, 190 g yoghurt), (iii) control non-emulsion, NE (10 g non-emulsion lipid, 190 g yoghurt). Twenty male participants completed the study, where postprandial appetite response was rated using visual analogue scales (VAS) and ad libitum energy intake at a lunch meal measured 3 h later. There was a trend for LPE to suppress hunger (P = 0.08) and enhance fullness (P = 0.24) relative to both SPE and NE but not statistically significant, and no significant effect of either emulsion on food intake at the lunch meal (P > 0.05). Altering particle size of a high-PL emulsion did not enhance satiety or alter eating behaviour in a group of lean men.

  10. Effects of functional groups and soluble matrices in fish otolith on calcium carbonate mineralization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ren Dongni; Li Zhuo; Gao Yonghua; Feng Qingling, E-mail: biomater@mail.tsinghua.edu.c [State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

    2010-10-01

    Calcium carbonate mineralization is significantly influenced by organic matrices in vivo. The effect mainly relies on functional groups in proteins. In order to study the influence of functional groups on calcium carbonate mineralization, -OH, -NH{sub 2} and -COOH groups were grafted onto single crystal silicon chips, and such modified chips were used as substrates in in vitro mineralization experiments. An x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) test was conducted to examine the grafting efficiency, and the three groups were successfully grafted. Calcium carbonate mineralization on a modified silicon substrate was examined by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD), and the results showed that the effects of -OH, -NH{sub 2} and -COOH groups were quite different. Furthermore, a water-soluble protein matrix (WSM) and an acid-soluble protein matrix (ASM) extracted from fish otolith were adsorbed onto the -COOH-modified silicon substrate, and the effects of the protein matrices on calcium carbonate mineralization were studied. The results showed that both WSM and ASM of lapillus could mediate aragonite crystallization, but the size and morphology of the formed crystals were different. The WSM and ASM of asteriscus adsorbed on the silicon substrate had little effect on calcium carbonate mineralization; almost all the crystals were calcite, while both asteriscus WSM and ASM in solution could mediate vaterite crystals, and the morphologies of vaterite crystal aggregates were different.

  11. Effects of functional groups and soluble matrices in fish otolith on calcium carbonate mineralization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ren Dongni; Li Zhuo; Gao Yonghua; Feng Qingling

    2010-01-01

    Calcium carbonate mineralization is significantly influenced by organic matrices in vivo. The effect mainly relies on functional groups in proteins. In order to study the influence of functional groups on calcium carbonate mineralization, -OH, -NH 2 and -COOH groups were grafted onto single crystal silicon chips, and such modified chips were used as substrates in in vitro mineralization experiments. An x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) test was conducted to examine the grafting efficiency, and the three groups were successfully grafted. Calcium carbonate mineralization on a modified silicon substrate was examined by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD), and the results showed that the effects of -OH, -NH 2 and -COOH groups were quite different. Furthermore, a water-soluble protein matrix (WSM) and an acid-soluble protein matrix (ASM) extracted from fish otolith were adsorbed onto the -COOH-modified silicon substrate, and the effects of the protein matrices on calcium carbonate mineralization were studied. The results showed that both WSM and ASM of lapillus could mediate aragonite crystallization, but the size and morphology of the formed crystals were different. The WSM and ASM of asteriscus adsorbed on the silicon substrate had little effect on calcium carbonate mineralization; almost all the crystals were calcite, while both asteriscus WSM and ASM in solution could mediate vaterite crystals, and the morphologies of vaterite crystal aggregates were different.

  12. Effects of functional groups and soluble matrices in fish otolith on calcium carbonate mineralization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, Dongni; Li, Zhuo; Gao, Yonghua; Feng, Qingling

    2010-10-01

    Calcium carbonate mineralization is significantly influenced by organic matrices in vivo. The effect mainly relies on functional groups in proteins. In order to study the influence of functional groups on calcium carbonate mineralization, -OH, -NH2 and -COOH groups were grafted onto single crystal silicon chips, and such modified chips were used as substrates in in vitro mineralization experiments. An x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) test was conducted to examine the grafting efficiency, and the three groups were successfully grafted. Calcium carbonate mineralization on a modified silicon substrate was examined by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD), and the results showed that the effects of -OH, -NH2 and -COOH groups were quite different. Furthermore, a water-soluble protein matrix (WSM) and an acid-soluble protein matrix (ASM) extracted from fish otolith were adsorbed onto the -COOH-modified silicon substrate, and the effects of the protein matrices on calcium carbonate mineralization were studied. The results showed that both WSM and ASM of lapillus could mediate aragonite crystallization, but the size and morphology of the formed crystals were different. The WSM and ASM of asteriscus adsorbed on the silicon substrate had little effect on calcium carbonate mineralization; almost all the crystals were calcite, while both asteriscus WSM and ASM in solution could mediate vaterite crystals, and the morphologies of vaterite crystal aggregates were different.

  13. Specific cesium activity in freshwater fish and the size effect

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kulikov, A.O.; Ryabov, I.N.; USSR Academy of Sciences, Moscow

    1992-01-01

    The specific Cs-137 activity of muscle tissues of silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) from the cooling pond of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant caught in 1987 and 1988 increased almost linearly with fish weight ('size effect') in contrast to liver tissue, whose specific activity remained independent of weight. A kinetic model for uptake and excretion was developed to describe the size effect in muscle tissue by introducing a weight-dependent Cs biological half-time to fish. Similar size effects of specific Cs-137 activity were also found for other species of fish from cooling pond, but were primarily attributed to changes in feeding habits with increasing weight of fish rather than to metabolic changes in feeding habits with both of muscle and liver tissue increased with fish weight for those species in contrast to silver carp. (author). 12 refs.; 12 figs.; 1 tab

  14. Effects of sample size on the second magnetization peak in ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    8+ crystals are observed at low temperatures, above the temperature where the SMP totally disappears. In particular, the onset of the SMP shifts to lower fields as the sample size decreases - a result that could be interpreted as a size effect in ...

  15. Nanometer size field effect transistors for terahertz detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Knap, W; Rumyantsev, S; Coquillat, D; Dyakonova, N; Teppe, F; Vitiello, M S; Tredicucci, A; Blin, S; Shur, M; Nagatsuma, T

    2013-01-01

    Nanometer size field effect transistors can operate as efficient resonant or broadband terahertz detectors, mixers, phase shifters and frequency multipliers at frequencies far beyond their fundamental cut-off frequency. This work is an overview of some recent results concerning the application of nanometer scale field effect transistors for the detection of terahertz radiation. (paper)

  16. Finite size effects and chiral symmetry breaking in quenched three-dimensional QED

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hands, S.; Kogut, J.B.

    1990-01-01

    Finite size effects and the chiral condensate are studied in three-dimensional QED by the Lanczos and the conjugate-gradient algorithms. Very substantial finite size effects are observed, but studies on L 3 lattices with L ranging from 8 to 80 indicate the development of a non-vanishing chiral condensate in the continuum limit of the theory. The systematics of the finite size effects and the fermion mass dependence in the conjugate-gradient algorithm are clarified in this extensive study. (orig.)

  17. Effects of kinship or familiarity? Small thrips larvae experience lower predation risk only in groups of mixed-size siblings

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Bruijn, P.J.A.; Sabelis, M.W.; Egas, M.

    2014-01-01

    In many species of insects, larvae are distributed in an aggregated fashion. As they may differ in size and size matters to predation risk, small larvae may be less likely to fall prey to predators when near large and therefore better-defended larvae. We hypothesize that the small larvae may profit

  18. Long-Term Effects of School Size on Students' Outcomes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Humlum, Maria Knoth; Smith, Nina

    We estimate the effect of school size on students' long-term outcomes such as high school completion, being out of the labor market, and earnings at the age of 30. We use rich register data on the entire population of Danish children attending grade 9 in the period 1986-2004. This allows us...... school size and alternative measures of long-term success in the educational system and the labor market. The positive impact of school size seems mainly to be driven by boys, students from families with a low educational level and students attending schools in urban areas....

  19. The Number of Cultural Traits Is Correlated with Female Group Size but Not with Male Group Size in Chimpanzee Communities

    OpenAIRE

    Lind, Johan; Lindenfors, Patrik

    2010-01-01

    What determines the number of cultural traits present in chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) communities is poorly understood. In humans, theoretical models suggest that the frequency of cultural traits can be predicted by population size. In chimpanzees, however, females seem to have a particularly important role as cultural carriers. Female chimpanzees use tools more frequently than males. They also spend more time with their young, skewing the infants’ potential for social learning towards their ...

  20. X-ray tube focal spot sizes: comprehensive studies of their measurement and effect of measured size in angiography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doi, K.; Loo, L.N.; Chan, H.P.

    1982-01-01

    Thirty-two focal spot sizes of four x-ray tubes were measured by the pinhole, star pattern, slit, and root-mean-square (RMS) methods under various exposure conditions. The modulation transfer functions (MTFs) and line spread functions (LSFs) were also determined. The star pattern focal spot sizes agreed with the effective sizes calculated from the frequencies at the first minimum of the MTF within 0.04 mm for large focal spots and within 0.01 mm for small focal spots. The focal spot size determined by the slit method was approximately equal to the width of the LSF at the cutoff level of 0.15 +/- 0.06 of the peak value. The RMS method provided the best correlation between the measured focal spot sizes and the corresponding image distributions of blood vessels. The pinhole and slit methods tended to overestimate the focal spot size, but the star pattern method tended to underestimate it. For approximately 90% of the focal spots, the average of the star and slit (or pinhole) focal spot sizes agreed with the RMS focal spot size within +/- 0.1 mm

  1. Effect of coal stress on grain size of the gotten

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sikora, W; Tront, A

    1988-09-01

    Presents investigation results on the effect of seam stress and strain state on winning as measured by the grain size of the gotten. The investigations were carried out at the Institute of Mining Mechanization of the Silesian Politechnical where the relations between parameters of seams and cutters and their effect on coal grain size and energy consumption have been studied for several years. The effect was examined on coal samples taken from 4 mines in the Upper Silesian coal basin using a model of the system: seam - cutter. Cubic samples (400x400x400 mm) were tested on the CMG KOMAG test stand equipped with the POS-1 cutting apparatus. Two types of coal were distinguished: that particularly sensitive to increased pressure on seam and that only negligibly susceptible. Corresponding graphs of coal grain size versus vertical pressure are shown. A function has been developed that characterizes this sensitivity depending on a material parameter that can be determined by workability tests. The relationship between coal strength and grain size yield greater than 10 mm in the gotten depending on dynamic crushability of coal is shown in graphs. 6 refs.

  2. Effect of the bur grit size on the flexural strength of a glass-ceramic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. P. Kist

    Full Text Available Abstract The purpose of the present study was to determine the biaxial flexural strength (BFS of a CAD/CAM leucite reinforced glass-ceramic ground by diamond burs of different grit sizes and the influence of surface roughness on the BFS. For this, 104 plates were obtained from CAD/CAM ceramic blocks and divided into 4 groups (n = 26, according to bur grit size: extra-fine, fine, medium and coarse. Roughness parameters (Ra, RyMax were measured, and plates were kept dry for 7 days. The flexural test was carried out and BFS was calculated. Ra, RyMax and BFS data were subjected to analysis of variance and post-hoc test. Weibull analysis was used to compare characteristic strength and Weibull modulus. Regression analysis was performed for BFS vs. Ra and RyMax. When burs with coarse grit were used, higher surface roughness values were found, causing a negative effect on the ceramic BFS (117 MPa for extra-fine, and 83 MPa for coarse. Correlation (r between surface roughness and BFS was 0.78 for RyMax and 0.73 for Ra. Increases in diamond grit size have a significant negative effect on the BFS of leucite-reinforced glass-ceramics, suggesting that grinding of sintered glass-ceramic should be performed using burs with the finest grit possible in order to minimize internal surface flaws and maximize flexural strength.

  3. Influence of food availability on the diet and activity budget of two western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) groups of differing size in the Dzanga-Ndoki National Park, Central African Republic

    OpenAIRE

    Neba, Terence Fuh; Donati, Giuseppe; Todd, Angelique; Masi, Shelly

    2014-01-01

    Variation in food availability, body size and group size are known to influence primate diet and activity budgets. Here we report how seasonal food availability shapes the diet and activity patterns of two habituated western lowland gorilla (WLG) groups of differing size. WLGs are ripe fruit opportunists, showing dietary flexibility when preferred foods are scarce. However, as fruit can be rare/ patchily distributed, as intra-group feeding competition increases with group size, access to indi...

  4. EFFECT OF SIZE OF INTESTINAL DIVERSIONS IN OBESE PATIENTS WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME SUBMITTED TO GASTRIC BYPASS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramos, Rafael Jacques; Mottin, Cláudio Corá; Alves, Letícia Biscaino; Benzano, Daniela; Padoin, Alexandre Vontobel

    There is no consensus on the ideal size of intestinal loops in gastric bypass of bariatric surgeries. To evaluate the metabolic outcome of patients submitted to gastric bypass with alimentary and biliopancreatic loops of different sizes. Was conducted a retrospective cohort study in diabetic obese patients (BMI≥35 kg/m2) with metabolic syndrome submitted to gastric bypass. The patients were divided into three groups according to the size of the intestinal loop: group 1, biliopancreatic limb 50 cm length and alimentary limb 100 cm length; group 2 , biliopancreatic limb 50 cm length and alimentary limb 150 cm length; and group 3, biliopancreatic limb 100 cm length and alimentary limb 150 cm length. The effect of gastric bypass with different sizes of intestinal loops in relation to the parameters that define metabolic syndrome was determined. Sixty-three patients were evaluated, and they had a mean age of 44.7±9.4 years. All were diabetics, with 62 (98.4%) being hypertensive and 51 (82.2%) dyslipidemic. The three groups were homogeneous in relation to the variables. In 24 months, there was a remission of systemic arterial hypertension in 65% of patients in group 1, 62.5% in group 2 and 68.4% in group 3. Remission of diabetes occurred in 85% of patients in group 1, 83% in group 2 and 84% in group 3. There was no statistical difference in %LEW between the groups, and waist measurements decreased in a homogeneous way in all groups. The size of loops also had no influence on the improvement in dyslipidemia. Variation in size of intestinal loops does not appear to influence improvement in metabolic syndrome in this group of patients. Não há consenso sobre o tamanho ideal das alças intestinais no bypass gástrico em Y-de-Roux em cirurgias bariátricas. Avaliar os desfechos metabólicos de pacientes submetidos ao bypass gástrico com alça intestinal alimentar e biliopancreática de tamanhos diferentes. Realizou-se coorte retrospectiva em pacientes obesos (IMC≥35 kg

  5. The effects of meal size, body size and temperature on gastric evacuation in pikeperch

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Koed, Anders

    2001-01-01

    Prey size had no effect on the gastric evacuation rate of pikeperch Stizostedion lucioperca. The gastric evacuation was adequately described applying an exponent of 0.5 in the power model. Applying length instead of weight of pikeperch in the gastric evacuation model resulted in a change of estim...

  6. Bipartite networks improve understanding of effects of waterbody size and angling method on angler–fish interactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chizinski, Christopher J.; Martin, Dustin R.; Shizuka, Daizaburo; Pope, Kevin L.

    2018-01-01

    Networks used to study interactions could provide insights to fisheries. We compiled data from 27 297 interviews of anglers across waterbodies that ranged in size from 1 to 12 113 ha. Catch rates of fish species among anglers grouped by species targeted generally differed between angling methods (bank or boat). We constructed angler–catch bipartite networks (angling method specific) between anglers and fish and measured several network metrics. There was considerable variation in networks among waterbodies, with multiple metrics influenced by waterbody size. Number of species-targeting angler groups and number of fish species caught increased with increasing waterbody size. Mean number of links for species-targeting angler groups and fish species caught also increased with waterbody size. Connectance (realized proportion of possible links) of angler–catch interaction networks decreased slower for boat anglers than for bank anglers with increasing waterbody size. Network specialization (deviation of number of interactions from expected) was not significantly related to waterbody size or angling methods. Application of bipartite networks in fishery science requires careful interpretation of outputs, especially considering the numerous confounding factors prevalent in recreational fisheries.

  7. The arithmetic problem size effect in children: an event-related potential study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leen eVan Beek

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available This study used for the first time event-related potentials (ERPs to examine the well-known arithmetic problem size effect in children. The electrophysiological correlates of this problem size effect have been well documented in adults, but such information in children is lacking. In the present study, 22 typically developing 12-year-olds were asked to solve single-digit addition problems of small (sum ≤ 10 and large problem size (sum > 10 and to speak the solution into a voice key while ERPs were recorded. Children displayed similar early and late components compared to previous adult studies on the problem size effect. There was no effect of problem size on the early components P1, N1 and P2. The peak amplitude of the N2 component showed more negative potentials on left and right anterior electrodes for large additions compared to small additions, which might reflect differences in attentional and working memory resources between large and small problems. The mean amplitude of the late positivity component (LPC, which follows the N2, was significantly larger for large than for small additions at right parieto-occipital electrodes, in line with previous adult data. The ERPs of the problem size effect during arithmetic might be a useful neural marker for future studies on fact retrieval impairments in children with mathematical difficulties.

  8. Maternal effects and the evolution of brain size in birds: overlooked developmental constraints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garamszegi, L Z; Biard, C; Eens, M; Møller, A P; Saino, N; Surai, P

    2007-01-01

    A central dogma for the evolution of brain size posits that the maintenance of large brains incurs developmental costs, because they need prolonged periods to grow during the early ontogeny. Such constraints are supported by the interspecific relationship between ontological differences and relative brain size in birds and mammals. Given that mothers can strongly influence the development of the offspring via maternal effects that potentially involve substances essential for growing brains, we argue that such effects may represent an important but overlooked component of developmental constraints on brain size. To demonstrate the importance of maternal effect on the evolution of brains, we investigated the interspecific relationship between relative brain size and maternal effects, as reflected by yolk testosterone, carotenoids, and vitamins A and E in a phylogenetic study of birds. Females of species with relatively large brains invested more in eggs in terms of testosterone and vitamin E than females of species with small brains. The effects of carotenoid and vitamin A levels on the evolution of relative brain size were weaker and non-significant. The association between relative brain size and yolk testosterone was curvilinear, suggesting that very high testosterone levels can be suppressive. However, at least in moderate physiological ranges, the positive relationship between components of maternal effects and relative brain size may imply one aspect of developmental costs of large brains. The relationship between vitamin E and relative brain size was weakened when we controlled for developmental mode, and thus the effect of this antioxidant may be indirect. Testosterone-enhanced neurogenesis and vitamin E-mediated defence against oxidative stress may have key functions when the brain of the embryo develops, with evolutionary consequences for relative brain size.

  9. Does length or neighborhood size cause the word length effect?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jalbert, Annie; Neath, Ian; Surprenant, Aimée M

    2011-10-01

    Jalbert, Neath, Bireta, and Surprenant (2011) suggested that past demonstrations of the word length effect, the finding that words with fewer syllables are recalled better than words with more syllables, included a confound: The short words had more orthographic neighbors than the long words. The experiments reported here test two predictions that would follow if neighborhood size is a more important factor than word length. In Experiment 1, we found that concurrent articulation removed the effect of neighborhood size, just as it removes the effect of word length. Experiment 2 demonstrated that this pattern is also found with nonwords. For Experiment 3, we factorially manipulated length and neighborhood size, and found only effects of the latter. These results are problematic for any theory of memory that includes decay offset by rehearsal, but they are consistent with accounts that include a redintegrative stage that is susceptible to disruption by noise. The results also confirm the importance of lexical and linguistic factors on memory tasks thought to tap short-term memory.

  10. A review of finite size effects in quasi-zero dimensional superconductors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bose, Sangita; Ayyub, Pushan

    2014-11-01

    Quantum confinement and surface effects (SEs) dramatically modify most solid state phenomena as one approaches the nanometer scale, and superconductivity is no exception. Though we may expect significant modifications from bulk superconducting properties when the system dimensions become smaller than the characteristic length scales for bulk superconductors-such as the coherence length or the penetration depth-it is now established that there is a third length scale which ultimately determines the critical size at which Cooper pairing is destroyed. In quasi-zero-dimensional (0D) superconductors (e.g. nanocrystalline materials, isolated or embedded nanoparticles), one may define a critical particle diameter below which the mean energy level spacing arising from quantum confinement becomes equal to the bulk superconducting energy gap. The so-called Anderson criterion provides a remarkably accurate estimate of the limiting size for the destabilization of superconductivity in nanosystems. This review of size effects in quasi-0D superconductors is organized as follows. A general summary of size effects in nanostructured superconductors (section 1) is followed by a brief overview of their synthesis (section 2) and characterization using a variety of techniques (section 3). Section 4 reviews the size-evolution of important superconducting parameters-the transition temperature, critical fields and critical current-as the Anderson limit is approached from above. We then discuss the effect of thermodynamic fluctuations (section 5), which become significant in confined systems. Improvements in fabrication methods and the increasing feasibility of addressing individual nanoparticles using scanning probe techniques have lately opened up new directions in the study of nanoscale superconductivity. Section 6 reviews both experimental and theoretical aspects of the recently discovered phenomena of 'parity effect' and 'shell effect' that lead to a strong, non-monotonic size

  11. Study of the interaction between the indentation size effect and Hall-Petch effect with spherical indenters on annealed polycrystalline copper

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hou, X D; Bushby, A J; Jennett, N M

    2008-01-01

    Methods to obtain tensile stress-strain properties of materials from a practically non-destructive indentation test are of great industrial interest. Nanoindentation is a good candidate. However, to do this successfully, indentation size effects must be accounted for. An indentation size effect with spherical indenters has been shown for a range of fcc metals with relatively large grain size (Spary et al 2006 Phil. Mag. 86 5581-93); the increase in yield stress being proportional to the inverse cube root of indenter radius. Here, we investigate these differences further and present results for the indentation size effect with spherical indenters on Cu samples with a range of different grain sizes from 1 μm to single crystal. The important experimental control parameter, of the relative size of the indentation compared with the grain size, is also explored by using indenters of different radii on the different grain sized samples. When the grain size, d, is less than 6 times the radius of the projected contact area, a, a Hall-Petch-like behaviour is observed superimposed on the indentation size effect. For d > 6a the indentation size effect dominates. The two effects may be combined by addition in quadrature. This new parametric function is able to predict the indentation pressure in annealed copper given input values of indenter radius and grain size

  12. Transient Relative Age Effects across annual age groups in National level Australian Swimming.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cobley, Stephen; Abbott, Shaun; Dogramaci, Sera; Kable, Adam; Salter, James; Hintermann, Mirjam; Romann, Michael

    2017-12-29

    To determine the prevalence, magnitude and transient patterning of Relative Age Effects (RAEs) according to sex and stroke event across all age-groups at the Australian National age swimming Championships. Repeated years of cross-sectional participation data were examined. Participants were 6014 unique male (3185) and female (2829) swimmers (aged 12-18 years) who participated in Freestyle (50, 400m) and/or Breaststroke (100, 200m) at the National age swimming Championships between 2000-2014 (inclusive). RAE prevalence, magnitude and transience were determined using Chi-square tests and Cramer's V estimates for effect size. Odds Ratios (OR) and 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) examined relative age quartile discrepancies. These steps were applied across age-groups and according to sex and each stroke event. Consistent RAEs with large-medium effect sizes were evident for males at 12-15 years of age respectively, and with large-medium effects for females at 12-14 respectively across all four swimming strokes. RAE magnitude then consistently reduced with age across strokes (e.g., Q1 vs. Q4 OR range 16year old males=0.94-1.20; females=0.68-1.41). With few exceptions, by 15-16 years RAEs had typically dissipated; and by 17-18 years, descriptive and significant inverse RAEs emerged, reflecting overrepresentation of relatively younger swimmers. Performance advantages associated with relative age (and thereby likely growth and maturation) are transient. Greater consideration of transient performance and participation in athlete development systems is necessary. This may include revising the emphasis of sport programmes according to developmental stages and delaying forms of athlete selection to improve validity. Copyright © 2018 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Effect of effective grain size on Charpy impact properties of high-strength bainitic steels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shin, Sang Yong; Han, Seung Youb; Lee, Sung Hak; Hwang, Byoung Chul; Lee, Chang Gil

    2008-01-01

    This study is concerned with the effect of Cu and B addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of high-strength bainitic steels. Six kinds of steels were fabricated by varying alloying elements and hot-rolling conditions, and their microstructures and tensile and Charpy impact properties were investigated. Their effective grain sizes were also characterized by the electron back-scatter diffraction analysis. The tensile test results indicated that the B- or Cu-containing steels had the higher yield and tensile strengths than the B- or Cu-free steels because their volume fractions of bainitic ferrite and martensite were quite high. The B- or Cu-free steels had the higher upper shelf energy than the B- or Cu-containing steels because of their higher volume fraction of granular bainite. In the steel containing 10 ppm B without Cu, the best combination of high strengths, high upper shelf energy, and low energy transition temperature could be obtained by the decrease in the overall effective grain size due to the presence of bainitic ferrite having smaller effective grain size

  14. Size effects in olivine control strength in low-temperature plasticity regime

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumamoto, K. M.; Thom, C.; Wallis, D.; Hansen, L. N.; Armstrong, D. E. J.; Goldsby, D. L.; Warren, J. M.; Wilkinson, A. J.

    2017-12-01

    The strength of the lithospheric mantle during deformation by low-temperature plasticity controls a range of geological phenomena, including lithospheric-scale strain localization, the evolution of friction on deep seismogenic faults, and the flexure of tectonic plates. However, constraints on the strength of olivine in this deformation regime are difficult to obtain from conventional rock-deformation experiments, and previous results vary considerably. We demonstrate via nanoindentation that the strength of olivine in the low-temperature plasticity regime is dependent on the length-scale of the test, with experiments on smaller volumes of material exhibiting larger yield stresses. This "size effect" has previously been explained in engineering materials as a result of the role of strain gradients and associated geometrically necessary dislocations in modifying plastic behavior. The Hall-Petch effect, in which a material with a small grain size exhibits a higher strength than one with a large grain size, is thought to arise from the same mechanism. The presence of a size effect resolves discrepancies among previous experimental measurements of olivine, which were either conducted using indentation methods or were conducted on polycrystalline samples with small grain sizes. An analysis of different low-temperature plasticity flow laws extrapolated to room temperature reveals a power-law relationship between length-scale (grain size for polycrystalline deformation and contact radius for indentation tests) and yield strength. This suggests that data from samples with large inherent length scales best represent the plastic strength of the coarse-grained lithospheric mantle. Additionally, the plastic deformation of nanometer- to micrometer-sized asperities on fault surfaces may control the evolution of fault roughness due to their size-dependent strength.

  15. Effects of climate on size structure and functioning of aquatic food webs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lacerot, G.

    2010-01-01

    In aquatic food webs, the role of body size is notoriously strong. It is also well known that temperature has an effect on body size. For instance, Bergmann’s rule states that body size increases from warm to cold climates. This thesis addresses the question how climate shapes the size structure of

  16. Effect of diltiazem on myocardial infarct size estimated by enzyme release, serial thallium-201 single-photon emission computed tomography and radionuclide angiography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zannad, F.; Amor, M.; Karcher, G.; Maurin, P.; Ethevenot, G.; Sebag, C.; Bertrand, A.; Pernot, C.; Gilgenkrantz, J.M.

    1988-01-01

    Diltiazem is a calcium antagonist with demonstrated experimental cardioprotective effects. Its effects on myocardial infarct size were studied in 34 patients admitted within 6 hours after the first symptoms of acute myocardial infarction. These patients were randomized, double-blind to placebo or diltiazem (10-mg intravenous bolus followed by 15 mg/hr intravenous infusion during 72 hours, followed by 4 X 60 mg during 21 days). Myocardial infarct size was assessed by plasma creatine kinase and creatine kinase-MB indexes, perfusion defect scores using single-photon emission computed tomography with thallium-201 and left ventricular ejection fraction measured by radionuclide angiography. Tomographic and angiographic scanning was performed serially before randomization, after 48 hours and 21 days later. Groups were comparable in terms of age, sex, inclusion time and baseline infarct location and size. Results showed no difference in creatine kinase and creatine kinase-MB data between controls and treated patients, a significant decrease in the perfusion defect scores in the diltiazem group (+0.1 +/- 3.0 placebo vs -2.2 +/- 1.9 diltiazem, p less than 0.02) and a better ejection fraction recovery in the diltiazem group (-4.2 +/- 7.4 placebo vs +7.7 +/- 11.2 diltiazem, p less than 0.05). Myocardial infarct size estimates from perfusion defect scores and enzyme data were closely correlated. These preliminary results suggest that diltiazem may reduce ischemic injury in acute myocardial infarction

  17. Introducing the Mean Absolute Deviation "Effect" Size

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorard, Stephen

    2015-01-01

    This paper revisits the use of effect sizes in the analysis of experimental and similar results, and reminds readers of the relative advantages of the mean absolute deviation as a measure of variation, as opposed to the more complex standard deviation. The mean absolute deviation is easier to use and understand, and more tolerant of extreme…

  18. Size effects on cavitation instabilities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Niordson, Christian Frithiof; Tvergaard, Viggo

    2006-01-01

    growth is here analyzed for such cases. A finite strain generalization of a higher order strain gradient plasticity theory is applied for a power-law hardening material, and the numerical analyses are carried out for an axisymmetric unit cell containing a spherical void. In the range of high stress...... triaxiality, where cavitation instabilities are predicted by conventional plasticity theory, such instabilities are also found for the nonlocal theory, but the effects of gradient hardening delay the onset of the instability. Furthermore, in some cases the cavitation stress reaches a maximum and then decays...... as the void grows to a size well above the characteristic material length....

  19. Effects of portion size on chronic energy intake

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pentel Paul R

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background This study experimentally examined the effects of repeated exposure to different meal portion sizes on energy intake. Methods Nineteen employees of a county medical center were given free box lunches for two months, one month each of 1528 and 767 average kcal. Foods were identical in the two conditions, but differed in portion size. Meals averaged 44% calories from fat. Participants self-reported how much of each lunch was eaten. Unannounced 24-hour dietary recalls were also conducted by phone twice per week during each exposure period. Results Mean energy intake at the lunch meal was 332 kcal/day higher in large lunch than in small lunch periods (p Conclusion This study suggests that chronic exposure to large portion size meals can result in sustained increases in energy intake and may contribute to body weight increases over time.

  20. Effect of exogenous progesterone on embryo size and ewe uterine gene expression in an ovine 'dam size' model of maternal constraint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fermin, Lisanne M; Pain, Sarah J; Morel, Patrick C H; Gedye, Kristene R; Kenyon, Paul R; Blair, Hugh T

    2017-11-21

    Progesterone (P4), acting via its receptor, regulates uterine function and histotroph production, which are crucial to embryo growth. This study aimed to examine exogenous P4 effects on embryo size and differential endometrial gene expression at Day 19 of gestation using a 'dam size' sheep model of maternal constraint. Purebred Suffolk (S, genotypically large) embryos were transferred into recipient groups of Cheviot (C, genotypically small) or Suffolk ewes that had, or had not, been pre-treated with P4 from Days 0 to 6 of pregnancy. At Day 19S embryos were collected from four experimental groups: P4 pretreated S ewes (SP4; n=5), untreated S ewes (SnP4; n=15), P4 pretreated C ewes (CP4; n=7) and untreated C ewes (CnP4; n=21). Day-19 embryos from CP4 ewes were larger (Psize (P>0.05) to embryos from SnP4 and SP4 ewes. Expression of mucin 1 (MUC1) and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) was upregulated in uterine horns ipsilateral to the corpus luteum from CP4 ewes. Prostaglandin receptor (PGR), MUC1 and PTGS2 expression was upregulated, whilst cathepsin L (CTSL) and radical S-adenosyl methionine domain-containing 2 (RSAD2) expression was downregulated in the ipsilateral horn of SP4 ewes. This suggests that pretreating ewes with exogenous P4 may alleviate early pregnancy maternal constraint via mechanisms that alter uterine function. However, further research is required to investigate the timing of P4 administration and its impact on conception rates.

  1. Practice and effectiveness of web-based problem-based learning approach in a large class-size system: A comparative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Yongxia; Zhang, Peili

    2018-06-12

    Problem-based learning (PBL) is an effective and highly efficient teaching approach that is extensively applied in education systems across a variety of countries. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of web-based PBL teaching pedagogies in large classes. The cluster sampling method was used to separate two college-level nursing student classes (graduating class of 2013) into two groups. The experimental group (n = 162) was taught using a web-based PBL teaching approach, while the control group (n = 166) was taught using conventional teaching methods. We subsequently assessed the satisfaction of the experimental group in relation to the web-based PBL teaching mode. This assessment was performed following comparison of teaching activity outcomes pertaining to exams and self-learning capacity between the two groups. When compared with the control group, the examination scores and self-learning capabilities were significantly higher in the experimental group (P web-based PBL teaching approach. In a large class-size teaching environment, the web-based PBL teaching approach appears to be more optimal than traditional teaching methods. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of web-based teaching technologies in problem-based learning. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  2. EFFECTS OF EFFECTS OF PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTION ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    eobe

    The parameters examined were: moisture content, particle size distribution, total isture content, particle size distribution, total hydrocarbon content, soil pH, available nitrogen, available phosphorus, total heterotrophic bacteria and fungi count. The analysis of the soil characteristics throughout the remediation period showed ...

  3. Effect Size Analyses of Souvenaid in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cummings, Jeffrey; Scheltens, Philip; McKeith, Ian; Blesa, Rafael; Harrison, John E; Bertolucci, Paulo H F; Rockwood, Kenneth; Wilkinson, David; Wijker, Wouter; Bennett, David A; Shah, Raj C

    2017-01-01

    Souvenaid® (uridine monophosphate, docosahexaenoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, choline, phospholipids, folic acid, vitamins B12, B6, C, and E, and selenium), was developed to support the formation and function of neuronal membranes. To determine effect sizes observed in clinical trials of Souvenaid and to calculate the number needed to treat to show benefit or harm. Data from all three reported randomized controlled trials of Souvenaid in Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia (Souvenir I, Souvenir II, and S-Connect) and an open-label extension study were included in analyses of effect size for cognitive, functional, and behavioral outcomes. Effect size was determined by calculating Cohen's d statistic (or Cramér's V method for nominal data), number needed to treat and number needed to harm. Statistical calculations were performed for the intent-to-treat populations. In patients with mild AD, effect sizes were 0.21 (95% confidence intervals: -0.06, 0.49) for the primary outcome in Souvenir II (neuropsychological test battery memory z-score) and 0.20 (0.10, 0.34) for the co-primary outcome of Souvenir I (Wechsler memory scale delayed recall). No effect was shown on cognition in patients with mild-to-moderate AD (S-Connect). The number needed to treat (6 and 21 for Souvenir I and II, respectively) and high number needed to harm values indicate a favorable harm:benefit ratio for Souvenaid versus control in patients with mild AD. The favorable safety profile and impact on outcome measures converge to corroborate the putative mode of action and demonstrate that Souvenaid can achieve clinically detectable effects in patients with early AD.

  4. Enzymatic Degradation of Dynasan 114 SLN - Effect of Surfactants and Particle Size

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Olbrich, Carsten; Kayser, Oliver; Mueller, Rainer Helmut

    2002-01-01

    The degradation velocity of solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) is - apart from drug diffusion - an important parameter determining drug release in vivo. To assess the effect of stabilizers systematically, Dynasan 114 SLN were produced with ionic surfactants (e.g. cholic acid sodium salt (NaCh), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), cetylpyridiniumchloride (CPC)) and steric stabilizers (Tween 80, Poloxamer 188, 407 and Poloxamine 908) including a mixture of cholic acid sodium salt and Poloxamer 407. In addition, the size effects were investigated. The degradation velocity was measured using an in vitro lipase assay. SLN stabilized with lecithin and NaCh showed the fastest, Tween 80 the intermediate and the high molecular weight Poloxamer 407 the slowest degradation. Size effects were less pronounced for fast degrading particles (e.g. those stabilized with NaCh). No difference in the size range of 180-300-nm was observed, but a distinctly slower degradation of 800-nm SLN could be detected. For slowly degrading particles, more pronounced size effects were found. Size effects are more difficult to assess when the PCS diameters are similar, but small fractions of micrometer particles are present, besides the nanometer bulk population. The measured FFA formation is then a superposition of particles degrading at different speeds due to differences in the shape of the size distribution. Admixing of Poloxamer to NaCh had no delaying effect on the degradation of the Dynasan 114 SLN, indicating an influence of the nature of the lipid matrix that is affecting the stabilizers affinity to and anchoring onto the SLN surface

  5. The effect of tumor size on F-18-labeled fluorodeoxyglucose and fluoroerythronitroimidazole uptake in a murine sarcoma model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chung, June-Key; Chang, Young Soo; Lee, Yong Jin; Kim, Young Ju; Jeong, Jae Min; Lee, Dong Soo; Jang, Ja June; Lee, Myung Chul

    1999-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of tumor size on the uptake of 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and fluoroerythronitroimidazole (FETNIM) in a murine sarcoma model. ICR mice were xenografted with sarcoma 180 cell line and tumors were allowed to grow to a weight of 0.26-5.82 grams. 18 F-FDG and 18 F-FETNIM were injected intravenously in separate groups of mice, and after 1 hr, the tumors were excised and radiotracer uptake was measured. In another group of mice tumors were autoradiographically analyzed and subjected to H and E staining. In both the FDG and FETNIM group, per-gram radiotracer uptake by a tumor was inversely proportional to tumor weight. 18 F-FETNIM correlated more (r=-0.593, p 18 F-FDG (r=-0.447, p 18 F-FETNIM, a direct correlation between tumor weight and the no-uptake-area to total-tumor-area was demonstrated. We concluded that increased tumor size is associated with decreased uptake of 18 F-FDG and FETNIM, though this depends on the type of radiotracers and distribution of necrosis. (author)

  6. Transport, retention, and size perturbation of graphene oxide in saturated porous media: Effects of input concentration and grain size

    Science.gov (United States)

    Accurately predicting the fate and transport of graphene oxide (GO) in porous media is critical to assess its environmental impact. In this work, sand column experiments were conducted to determine the effect of input concentration and grain size on transport, retention, and size perturbation of GO ...

  7. Group size effects in two repeated game models of a global climate agreement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Helland, Leif

    2002-01-01

    What levels of total abatement can one hope for in a global climate agreement. Some potential answers to this question are provided by game theory. This working paper contains a critical discussion of two (prominent) game ,models that answer the question quite pessimistically. Both models take the n-person, infinitely repeated prisoner's dilemma game as their point of departure. The first model is a full information model and utilises the motion of a weakly re negotiation proof equilibrium. This results in the (maybe counterintuitive) prediction that an agreement that can provide high utility to the group will attract less total abatement than an agreement that can only provide low utility to the group. The second model assumes imperfect public information and utilises the notion of a trigger level equilibrium. This results in the (more intuitive) prediction that the level of total abatements will increase with improved verification techniques for a given player set. Still the level of total abatements decrease with an increasing player set for a given verification technique. Empirical implications of the two models are identified and it is argued that one should confront these with experimentally generated data in order to discriminate between the models. One reason for this is that historical data on abatement efforts in a global climate agreement do not exist since no such agreement has entered into force yet. (Author)

  8. Group size effects in two repeated game models of a global climate agreement

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Helland, Leif

    2002-07-01

    What levels of total abatement can one hope for in a global climate agreement. Some potential answers to this question are provided by game theory. This working paper contains a critical discussion of two (prominent) game ,models that answer the question quite pessimistically. Both models take the n-person, infinitely repeated prisoner's dilemma game as their point of departure. The first model is a full information model and utilises the motion of a weakly re negotiation proof equilibrium. This results in the (maybe counterintuitive) prediction that an agreement that can provide high utility to the group will attract less total abatement than an agreement that can only provide low utility to the group. The second model assumes imperfect public information and utilises the notion of a trigger level equilibrium. This results in the (more intuitive) prediction that the level of total abatements will increase with improved verification techniques for a given player set. Still the level of total abatements decrease with an increasing player set for a given verification technique. Empirical implications of the two models are identified and it is argued that one should confront these with experimentally generated data in order to discriminate between the models. One reason for this is that historical data on abatement efforts in a global climate agreement do not exist since no such agreement has entered into force yet. (Author)

  9. Cheating monkeys undermine group strength in enemy territory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crofoot, Margaret Chatham; Gilby, Ian C

    2012-01-10

    In many social animals, group-mates cooperate to defend their range against intrusion by neighboring groups. Because group size tends to be highly variable, such conflicts are often asymmetric. Although numerical superiority is assumed to provide a competitive advantage, small groups can generally defend their ranges, even when greatly outnumbered. The prevailing explanation for this puzzling phenomenon is that individuals in relatively large groups experience a greater temptation to flee from conflicts, in effect leveling the balance of power. Using playback experiments simulating territorial intrusions by wild capuchin monkey (Cebus capucinus) groups, we show that such a collective action problem does indeed undermine the competitive ability of large groups. Focal capuchins were more likely to run away from territorial intrusions when their group had a numeric advantage; each one-individual increase in relative group size raised the odds of flight by 25%. However, interaction location had a more important impact on individuals' reactions, creating a strong home-field advantage. After controlling for relative group size, the odds that a focal animal fled were 91% lower in experiments that occurred in the center compared with on the edge of its group's range, whereas the odds that it rushed toward the speaker were more than sixfold higher. These location-dependent patterns of defection and cooperation create a competitive advantage for residents over intruders across a wide range of relative group sizes, which may stabilize range boundaries and provide a general explanation for how groups of widely divergent sizes can coexist, even in the face of intense intergroup competition.

  10. Comparison of the effects of two bongo net mesh sizes on the estimation of abundance and size of Engraulidae eggs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jana Menegassi del Favero

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Studies of ichthyoplankton retention by nets of different mesh sizes are important because they help in choosing a sampler when planning collection and the establishment of correction factors. These factors make it possible to compare studies performed with nets of different mesh sizes. In most studies of mesh retention of fish eggs, the taxonomic identification is done at the family level, resulting in the loss of detailed information. We separated Engraulidae eggs, obtained with 0.333 mm and 0.505 mm mesh bongo nets at 172 oceanographic stations in the southeastern Brazilian Bight, into four groups based on their morphometric characteristics. The difference in the abundance of eggs caught by the two nets was not significant for those groups with highest volume, types A and B, but in type C (Engraulis anchoita, the most eccentric, and in type D, of the smallest volume, the difference was significant. However, no significant difference was observed in the egg size sampled with each net for E. anchoita and type D, which exhibited higher abundance in the 0.333 mm mesh net and minor axis varying from 0.45-0.71 mm, smaller than the 0.505 mm mesh aperture and the mesh diagonal.

  11. Size effect on deformation twinning in face-centred cubic single crystals: Experiments and modelling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liang, Z.Y.; De Hosson, J.T.M.; Huang, M.X.

    2017-01-01

    In addition to slip by dislocation glide, deformation twinning in small-sized metallic crystals also exhibits size effect, namely the twinning stress increases with decreasing sample size. In order to understand the underpinning mechanisms responsible for such effect, systematic experiments were carried out on the small-sized single-crystalline pillars of a twinning-induced plasticity steel with a face-centred cubic structure. The flow stress increases considerably with decreasing pillar diameter from 3 to 0.5 μm, demonstrating a substantial size effect with a power exponent of 0.43. Detailed microstructural characterization reveals that the plastic deformation of the present pillars is dominant by twinning, primarily via twin growth, indicating that the size effect should be related to deformation twinning instead of slip by dislocation glide. Subsequent modelling works indicate that twinning can be accomplished by the dissociation of the ion-radiation-induced vacancy Frank loops in the damaged subsurface layer of the pillars, and the size effect is attributed to the ion-radiation-induced compressive stress in the subsurface layer, which decreases with pillar diameter.

  12. Uterine blood flow in sows: effects of pregnancy stage and litter size.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Père, M C; Etienne, M

    2000-01-01

    Female pigs were assigned to three groups at 94 days of age: a control group (CTR), a group undergoing the ligation and severing of the left oviduct (LIG), and a group undergoing right hysteroovariectomy (HHO). They were inseminated at 307 days of age. At 35 days of pregnancy, an ultrasonic transit time flow probe was implanted around the middle artery of one uterine horn in 33 sows and uterine blood flow was measured during thirteen 24-h periods between 44 and 111 days. Despite large differences in ovulation rate per uterine horn (4.8, 8.3 and 16.9 in the LIG, CTR and HHO groups, respectively), variation of litter size was considerably reduced with advancement of pregnancy (3.0, 6.6 and 10.8 foetuses per uterine horn at 35 days, and 3.0, 5.8 and 4.9 at 112 days (slaughter), respectively). Uterine blood flow increased linearly during pregnancy. It was lower in the LIG sows (0.82 to 1.74 L x min(-1) x horn(-1) from 44 to 111 days) than in the CTR and HHO sows (1.22 to 2.84 and 1.09 to 2.63 L x min(-1) x horn(1), respectively). It was more closely related to litter weight than to litter size and amounted to 0.42 L x min(-1) x kg foetus(-1) at 111 days. Uterine blood flow per foetus decreased when litter size increased. It increased from 0.31 to 0.72, 0.26 to 0.60 and 0.20 to 0.43 L x min(-1) x foetus(-1) from 44 to 111 days when there were 2 to 3, 4 to 5, and 6 to 8 foetuses in the uterine horn, respectively. This explains why piglets from large litters are lighter at birth.

  13. Effect size, confidence intervals and statistical power in psychological research.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Téllez A.

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Quantitative psychological research is focused on detecting the occurrence of certain population phenomena by analyzing data from a sample, and statistics is a particularly helpful mathematical tool that is used by researchers to evaluate hypotheses and make decisions to accept or reject such hypotheses. In this paper, the various statistical tools in psychological research are reviewed. The limitations of null hypothesis significance testing (NHST and the advantages of using effect size and its respective confidence intervals are explained, as the latter two measurements can provide important information about the results of a study. These measurements also can facilitate data interpretation and easily detect trivial effects, enabling researchers to make decisions in a more clinically relevant fashion. Moreover, it is recommended to establish an appropriate sample size by calculating the optimum statistical power at the moment that the research is designed. Psychological journal editors are encouraged to follow APA recommendations strictly and ask authors of original research studies to report the effect size, its confidence intervals, statistical power and, when required, any measure of clinical significance. Additionally, we must account for the teaching of statistics at the graduate level. At that level, students do not receive sufficient information concerning the importance of using different types of effect sizes and their confidence intervals according to the different types of research designs; instead, most of the information is focused on the various tools of NHST.

  14. Big Five personality group differences across academic majors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vedel, Anna

    characterisations are more than humoristic elements in TV shows; are there real, measurable personality differences among groups of academics? One way to study this is to look at students in different academic majors and examine whether they differ on the group level in broad personality traits. During the past...... decades, studies have regularly explored associations between enrolment in specific academic majors and scores on the Big Five personality traits; Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness. The present review examines this research systematically, summarises group...... group differences in the Big Five personality traits were generally found in the included studies. None of the included studies reported effect sizes, though, so the magnitude of the obtained differences was not estimated. Consequently, effect sizes were calculated using means and standard deviations...

  15. Stable Size Distribution of Amyloid Plaques Over the Course of Alzheimer Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serrano-Pozo, Alberto; Mielke, Matthew L.; Muzitansky, Alona; Gómez-Isla, Teresa; Growdon, John H.; Bacskai, Brian J.; Betensky, Rebecca A.; Frosch, Matthew P.; Hyman, Bradley T.

    2012-01-01

    Amyloid-β plaques are a key pathological feature of Alzheimer disease (AD), but whether plaque sizes increase or stabilize over the course of AD is unknown. We measured the size distribution of total immunoreactive (10D5-positive) and dense-core (Thioflavine-S-positive) plaques in the temporal neocortex of a large group of AD and plaque-bearing age-matched non-demented subjects to test the hypothesis that amyloid plaques continue to grow along with the progression of the disease. The size of amyloid-β (10D5)-positive plaques did not differ between groups whereas dense-core plaques from the AD group were slightly larger than those in the non-demented group (~25%–30%, p = 0.01). Within the AD group, dense-core plaque size did not independently correlate with duration of clinical disease (from 4 to 21 years, p = 0.68), whereas 10D5-positive plaque size correlated negatively with disease duration (p = 0.01). By contrast, an earlier age of symptom onset strongly predicted a larger postmortem plaque size; this effect was independent of disease duration and the presence of the APOEε4 allele (p = 0.0001). We conclude that plaques vary in size among patients, with larger size distributions correlating with an earlier age of onset, but plaques do not substantially increase in size over the clinical course of the disease. PMID:22805771

  16. Effective size of density-dependent two-sex populations: the effect of mating systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Myhre, A M; Engen, S; SAEther, B-E

    2017-08-01

    Density dependence in vital rates is a key feature affecting temporal fluctuations of natural populations. This has important implications for the rate of random genetic drift. Mating systems also greatly affect effective population sizes, but knowledge of how mating system and density regulation interact to affect random genetic drift is poor. Using theoretical models and simulations, we compare N e in short-lived, density-dependent animal populations with different mating systems. We study the impact of a fluctuating, density-dependent sex ratio and consider both a stable and a fluctuating environment. We find a negative relationship between annual N e /N and adult population size N due to density dependence, suggesting that loss of genetic variation is reduced at small densities. The magnitude of this decrease was affected by mating system and life history. A male-biased, density-dependent sex ratio reduces the rate of genetic drift compared to an equal, density-independent sex ratio, but a stochastic change towards male bias reduces the N e /N ratio. Environmental stochasticity amplifies temporal fluctuations in population size and is thus vital to consider in estimation of effective population sizes over longer time periods. Our results on the reduced loss of genetic variation at small densities, particularly in polygamous populations, indicate that density regulation may facilitate adaptive evolution at small population sizes. © 2017 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2017 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

  17. Influences of population size and density on birthplace effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hancock, David J; Coutinho, Patrícia; Côté, Jean; Mesquita, Isabel

    2018-01-01

    Contextual influences on talent development (e.g., birthplace effects) have become a topic of interest for sport scientists. Birthplace effects occur when being born in a certain city size leads to participation or performance advantages, typically for those born in smaller or mid-sized cities. The purpose of this study was to investigate birthplace effects in Portuguese volleyball players by analysing city size, as well as population density - an important but infrequently used variable. Participants included 4062 volleyball players (M age  = 33), 53.2% of whom were men. Using Portuguese national census data from 1981, we compared participants (within each sex) across five population categories. In addition, we used ANOVAs to study expertise and population density. Results indicated that men and women athletes born in districts of 200,000-399,999 were 2.4 times more likely to attain elite volleyball status, while all other districts decreased the odds of expert development. For men, being born in high-density areas resulted in less chance of achieving expertise, whereas there were no differences for women. The results suggest that athletes' infrastructure and social structure play an important role in talent development, and that these structures are influenced by total population and population density, respectively.

  18. Surface bond contraction and its effect on the nanometric sized lead zirconate titanate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haitao Huang; Sun, Chang Q.; Hing, Peter

    2000-01-01

    The grain size effect of lead zirconate titanate PbZr 1-x Ti x O 3 (PZT, x≥0.6) caused by surface bond contraction has been investigated by using the Landau-Ginsburg-Devonshire (LGD) phenomenological theory. It has been shown that, due to the surface bond contraction, both the Curie temperature and the spontaneous polarization of tetragonal PZT decrease with decreasing grain size. These effects become more significant when the grain size is in the nanometre range. A dielectric anomaly appears with decreasing grain size, which corresponds to a size dependent phase transformation. The ferroelectric critical size below which a loss of ferroelectricity will happen is estimated from the results obtained. (author). Letter-to-the-editor

  19. The effect of scaffold pore size in cartilage tissue engineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nava, Michele M; Draghi, Lorenza; Giordano, Carmen; Pietrabissa, Riccardo

    2016-07-26

    The effect of scaffold pore size and interconnectivity is undoubtedly a crucial factor for most tissue engineering applications. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of pore size and porosity on cartilage construct development in different scaffolds seeded with articular chondrocytes. We fabricated poly-L-lactide-co-trimethylene carbonate scaffolds with different pore sizes, using a solvent-casting/particulate-leaching technique. We seeded primary bovine articular chondrocytes on these scaffolds, cultured the constructs for 2 weeks and examined cell proliferation, viability and cell-specific production of cartilaginous extracellular matrix proteins, including GAG and collagen. Cell density significantly increased up to 50% with scaffold pore size and porosity, likely facilitated by cell spreading on the internal surface of bigger pores, and by increased mass transport of gases and nutrients to cells, and catabolite removal from cells, allowed by lower diffusion barriers in scaffolds with a higher porosity. However, both the cell metabolic activity and the synthesis of cartilaginous matrix proteins significantly decreased by up to 40% with pore size. We propose that the association of smaller pore diameters, causing 3-dimensional cell aggregation, to a lower oxygenation caused by a lower porosity, could have been the condition that increased the cell-specific synthesis of cartilaginous matrix proteins in the scaffold with the smallest pores and the lowest porosity among those tested. In the initial steps of in vitro cartilage engineering, the combination of small scaffold pores and low porosity is an effective strategy with regard to the promotion of chondrogenesis.

  20. Bayesian sample size determination for cost-effectiveness studies with censored data.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel P Beavers

    Full Text Available Cost-effectiveness models are commonly utilized to determine the combined clinical and economic impact of one treatment compared to another. However, most methods for sample size determination of cost-effectiveness studies assume fully observed costs and effectiveness outcomes, which presents challenges for survival-based studies in which censoring exists. We propose a Bayesian method for the design and analysis of cost-effectiveness data in which costs and effectiveness may be censored, and the sample size is approximated for both power and assurance. We explore two parametric models and demonstrate the flexibility of the approach to accommodate a variety of modifications to study assumptions.

  1. Effect Size Measures for Differential Item Functioning in a Multidimensional IRT Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suh, Youngsuk

    2016-01-01

    This study adapted an effect size measure used for studying differential item functioning (DIF) in unidimensional tests and extended the measure to multidimensional tests. Two effect size measures were considered in a multidimensional item response theory model: signed weighted P-difference and unsigned weighted P-difference. The performance of…

  2. Dust generation in powders: Effect of particle size distribution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chakravarty Somik

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This study explores the relationship between the bulk and grain-scale properties of powders and dust generation. A vortex shaker dustiness tester was used to evaluate 8 calcium carbonate test powders with median particle sizes ranging from 2μm to 136μm. Respirable aerosols released from the powder samples were characterised by their particle number and mass concentrations. All the powder samples were found to release respirable fractions of dust particles which end up decreasing with time. The variation of powder dustiness as a function of the particle size distribution was analysed for the powders, which were classified into three groups based on the fraction of particles within the respirable range. The trends we observe might be due to the interplay of several mechanisms like de-agglomeration and attrition and their relative importance.

  3. Joint Effects of Granule Size and Degree of Substitution on Octenylsuccinated Sweet Potato Starch Granules As Pickering Emulsion Stabilizers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jinfeng; Ye, Fayin; Lei, Lin; Zhou, Yun; Zhao, Guohua

    2018-05-02

    The granules of sweet potato starch were size fractionated into three portions with significantly different median diameters ( D 50 ) of 6.67 (small-sized), 11.54 (medium-sized), and 16.96 μm (large-sized), respectively. Each portion was hydrophobized at the mass-based degrees of substitution (DS m ) of approximately 0.0095 (low), 0.0160 (medium), and 0.0230 (high). The Pickering emulsion-stabilizing capacities of modified granules were tested, and the resultant emulsions were characterized. The joint effects of granule size and DS m on emulsifying capacity (EC) were investigated by response surface methodology. For small-, medium-, and large-sized fractions, their highest emulsifying capacities are comparable but, respectively, encountered at high (0.0225), medium (0.0158), and low (0.0095) DS m levels. The emulsion droplet size increased with granule size, and the number of freely scattered granules in emulsions decreased with DS m . In addition, the term of surface density of the octenyl succinic group (SD -OSG ) was first proposed for modified starch granules, and it was proved better than DS m in interpreting the emulsifying capacities of starch granules with varying sizes. The present results implied that, as the particulate stabilizers, the optimal DS m of modified starch granules is size specific.

  4. Effect of Particle Size on Thermal Conductivity of Nanofluid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chopkar, M.; Sudarshan, S.; Das, P. K.; Manna, I.

    2008-07-01

    Nanofluids, containing nanometric metallic or oxide particles, exhibit extraordinarily high thermal conductivity. It is reported that the identity (composition), amount (volume percent), size, and shape of nanoparticles largely determine the extent of this enhancement. In the present study, we have experimentally investigated the impact of Al2Cu and Ag2Al nanoparticle size and volume fraction on the effective thermal conductivity of water and ethylene glycol based nanofluid prepared by a two-stage process comprising mechanical alloying of appropriate Al-Cu and Al-Ag elemental powder blend followed by dispersing these nanoparticles (1 to 2 vol pct) in water and ethylene glycol with different particle sizes. The thermal conductivity ratio of nanofluid, measured using an indigenously developed thermal comparator device, shows a significant increase of up to 100 pct with only 1.5 vol pct nanoparticles of 30- to 40-nm average diameter. Furthermore, an analytical model shows that the interfacial layer significantly influences the effective thermal conductivity ratio of nanofluid for the comparable amount of nanoparticles.

  5. Effects of size and defects on the elasticity of silicon nanocantilevers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sadeghian, H.; Yang, C.K.; Goosen, J.F.L.; Bossche, A.; Staufer, U.; French, P.J.; Van Keulen, F.

    2010-01-01

    The size-dependent elastic behavior of silicon nanocantilevers and nanowires, specifically the effective Young’s modulus, has been determined by experimental measurements and theoretical investigations. The size dependence becomes more significant as the devices scale down from micro- to

  6. Esthetic effect of the buccal corridor size and amount of tooth-gingival display on smile attractiveness in two student population

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hooman Zarif Najafi

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available 3- Dentist   Background and Aims: An attractive, well-balanced smile is a paramount treatment objective of the modern orthodontic therapy. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of the buccal corridor size and tooth-gingival display on the smile esthetics as perceived by two groups of the students.   Materials and Methods: A colored image of a woman frontal posed smile was selected. The image was altered digitally to produce different buccal corridor sizes (6%, 12.5% and 20% and different tooth-gingival displays (maxillary central incisors and 2 mm of gingival, maxillary central incisors and dental papilla and 80% of the maxillary central incisors. The different buccal corridor sizes and tooth-gingival displays were combined to produce 9 images. These altered images were rated by 120 medical and dental students using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney test, Pairwise comparison LSD test, Repeated measure MANOVA and ICC (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient.   Results: The smile which had the buccal corridor size of 12.5% and complete incisor display without gingival display received the highest rates among the nine smile images in the dental students group. But in the medical students group the smile with the buccal corridor size of 12.5% and 2 mm gingival display, received the highest rates among the nine smile images. There was no significant difference in judging between the male and female raters for the both groups (P>0.05. The dental students were more critical about the increasing of the gingival display.   Conclusion: In the treatment procedure that may lead to the combination of wide buccal corridor and more tooth-gingival show, more caution should be considered.

  7. Achieving temperature-size changes in a unicellular organism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forster, Jack; Hirst, Andrew G; Esteban, Genoveva F

    2013-01-01

    The temperature-size rule (TSR) is an intraspecific phenomenon describing the phenotypic plastic response of an organism size to the temperature: individuals reared at cooler temperatures mature to be larger adults than those reared at warmer temperatures. The TSR is ubiquitous, affecting >80% species including uni- and multicellular groups. How the TSR is established has received attention in multicellular organisms, but not in unicells. Further, conceptual models suggest the mechanism of size change to be different in these two groups. Here, we test these theories using the protist Cyclidium glaucoma. We measure cell sizes, along with population growth during temperature acclimation, to determine how and when the temperature-size changes are achieved. We show that mother and daughter sizes become temporarily decoupled from the ratio 2:1 during acclimation, but these return to their coupled state (where daughter cells are half the size of the mother cell) once acclimated. Thermal acclimation is rapid, being completed within approximately a single generation. Further, we examine the impact of increased temperatures on carrying capacity and total biomass, to investigate potential adaptive strategies of size change. We demonstrate no temperature effect on carrying capacity, but maximum supported biomass to decrease with increasing temperature. PMID:22832346

  8. Social Class and Group Size as Predictors of Behavior in Male Equus kiang

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prameek M. Kannan

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Ethograms provide a systematic approach to identify and quantify the repertoire of behaviors of an organism. This information may assist animal welfare in zoos, increase awareness of conservation needs, and help curb high-risk behaviors during human-wildlife conflict. Our primary objective was to utilize an equid ethogram to produce activity budgets for Equus kiang males, a social ungulate that is among the least-studied mammals worldwide, and unknown to the ethological literature. We recently reported the existence of three social classes of this species; Territorial males, Bachelor males and ‘Transient’ males. Therefore, our secondary objective was to compare activity budgets in each of these three groups. We found that kiang spent >70% of their time performing six behaviors: vigilance (34%, locomotion (24.2%, resting (14.2%, mixed foraging (12.5%, browsing (5.1%, and antagonism (1.1%. Over 2% of the total behavioral investment was spent on olfactory investigations (genital sniffing, sniffing proximity and flehmen. Eleven of the eighteen behaviors differed by class. Habitat selection differed strongly by each group, with Territorial males favoring mesic sites with greater vegetation abundance. Vigilance also differed according to habitat selection, but not group size. Animals in the xeric, least vegetation-rich area were far less vigilant than animals at more attractive sites. We found that the full repertoire of behaviors, and relative investments in each, differ according to social class. These findings are a reminder that researchers should make every effort to disambiguate social class among ungulates– and other taxa where behaviors are class-dependent.

  9. Effects of Na and Ca on particle size; Effect of filtering on UV absorbance

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Effects of Na and Ca on particle size; Effect of filtering on UV absorbance. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Bouchard, D., C. Knightes, X....

  10. Atomistic origin of size effects in fatigue behavior of metallic glasses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sha, Zhendong; Wong, Wei Hin; Pei, Qingxiang; Branicio, Paulo Sergio; Liu, Zishun; Wang, Tiejun; Guo, Tianfu; Gao, Huajian

    2017-07-01

    While many experiments and simulations on metallic glasses (MGs) have focused on their tensile ductility under monotonic loading, the fatigue mechanisms of MGs under cyclic loading still remain largely elusive. Here we perform molecular dynamics (MD) and finite element simulations of tension-compression fatigue tests in MGs to elucidate their fatigue mechanisms with focus on the sample size effect. Shear band (SB) thickening is found to be the inherent fatigue mechanism for nanoscale MGs. The difference in fatigue mechanisms between macroscopic and nanoscale MGs originates from whether the SB forms partially or fully through the cross-section of the specimen. Furthermore, a qualitative investigation of the sample size effect suggests that small sample size increases the fatigue life while large sample size promotes cyclic softening and necking. Our observations on the size-dependent fatigue behavior can be rationalized by the Gurson model and the concept of surface tension of the nanovoids. The present study sheds light on the fatigue mechanisms of MGs and can be useful in interpreting previous experimental results.

  11. Effectiveness of group CBT in treating adolescents with depression symptoms: a critical review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nardi, Bernardo; Massei, Micaela; Arimatea, Emidio; Moltedo-Perfetti, Andrés

    2016-01-20

    Depression is among the most common psychological disorders of adolescents. Its management is based on pharmacological treatment, psychological therapy, or a combination thereof. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most extensively tested intervention for adolescent depression. A PubMed search was conducted for randomized controlled trials (RCT) of the efficacy of CBT in treating adolescents with depressive symptoms published in 2005-2015. Keywords were "cognitive behavioral therapy", "group therapy", "depression" and "adolescent". Of the 23 papers that were retrieved, only six met all inclusion criteria. Three of them reported a significant reduction in depressive symptom severity after either individual or group (G)-CBT compared with the control group, even with a small number of CBT sessions (six rather than 10-12), with a medium or medium-to-large effect size. One study reported improved self-awareness and a significantly greater increase in perceived friend social support compared with bibliotherapy and check with brochure. Two studies reported clinical symptom reduction without significant differences compared with the control group (activity contrast). This review highlighted primarily that very few RCT have applied CBT in adolescents; moreover, it confirmed the effectiveness of G-CBT, especially as psychotherapy, although it was not always superior to other interventions (e.g. other activities in prevention programs). Comparison showed that G-CBT and group interpersonal psychotherapy were both effective in reducing depressive symptoms. Successful G-CBT outcomes were related to the presence of peers, who were an important source of feedback and support to observe, learn, and practice new skills to manage depressive symptoms and improve social-relational skills.

  12. Effect of Metformin-sustained Release Therapy on Low-density Lipoprotein Size and Adiponectin in the South Indian Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, D Rama Nagendra; Seshadri, Krishna G; Pandurangi, Monna

    2017-01-01

    The aim of the study is to compare surrogate markers of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, such as adiponectin (APN) levels and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) size, before and after sustained release metformin (Met-SR) therapy in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Sixty women with PCOS and sixty age-matched controls in the age group 18-45 years were recruited after obtaining informed consent. Women with PCOS were initiated on Met-SR 1 g orally, which was increased to 1.5 g after 2 weeks and continued up to 24 weeks. Demographic data along with family history of type 2 diabetes mellitus, PCOS, and CVD were collected. Lipid profile plasma APN levels and LDL size were measured before and after therapy in the PCOS group. Data analysis was performed using the GraphPad Prism-5 software. Women with PCOS had greater dyslipidemia, lower APN level and LDL size, and increased lipid accumulating product index as compared to controls. After 6 months of Met-SR therapy, women with PCOS demonstrated significant increase in plasma APN levels and LDL size and significant decrease in weight, waist-hip ratio (WHR), waist circumference (WC), and blood pressure (BP). A significant decrease was observed in body mass index (BMI) in the overweight and obese PCOS subgroups. Met-SR increases LDL size, APN concentration and decreases weight, WC, WHR, and BP in patients with PCOS. Met-SR may have salutary effects on LDL particle size through effects on APN levels in women with PCOS.

  13. The oxidative costs of reproduction are group-size dependent in a wild cooperative breeder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cram, Dominic L; Blount, Jonathan D; Young, Andrew J

    2015-11-22

    Life-history theory assumes that reproduction entails a cost, and research on cooperatively breeding societies suggests that the cooperative sharing of workloads can reduce this cost. However, the physiological mechanisms that underpin both the costs of reproduction and the benefits of cooperation remain poorly understood. It has been hypothesized that reproductive costs may arise in part from oxidative stress, as reproductive investment may elevate exposure to reactive oxygen species, compromising survival and future reproduction and accelerating senescence. However, experimental evidence of oxidative costs of reproduction in the wild remains scarce. Here, we use a clutch-removal experiment to investigate the oxidative costs of reproduction in a wild cooperatively breeding bird, the white-browed sparrow weaver, Plocepasser mahali. Our results reveal costs of reproduction that are dependent on group size: relative to individuals in groups whose eggs were experimentally removed, individuals in groups that raised offspring experienced an associated cost (elevated oxidative damage and reduced body mass), but only if they were in small groups containing fewer or no helpers. Furthermore, during nestling provisioning, individuals that provisioned at higher rates showed greater within-individual declines in body mass and antioxidant protection. Our results provide rare experimental evidence that reproduction can negatively impact both oxidative status and body mass in the wild, and suggest that these costs can be mitigated in cooperative societies by the presence of additional helpers. These findings have implications for our understanding of the energetic and oxidative costs of reproduction, and the benefits of cooperation in animal societies. © 2015 The Authors.

  14. Grain-size effects on thermal properties of BaTiO3 ceramics

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Administrator

    decreasing grain size. Furthermore, the Curie temperature shifts to lower temperature with decreasing grain size. Keywords. Nanocrystalline ceramics; thermal properties; size effect. 1. Introduction. BaTiO3 has been widely used in the electronic industry for its high dielectric constant and low losses above room temperature ...

  15. The size effect of searching window for measuring wavefront of laser beam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Seung Kyu; Baik, Sung Hoon; Lim, Chang Hwan; Kim, Jung Cheol; Yi, Seung Jun; Ra, Sung Woong

    2003-01-01

    We investigated the size effect of the searching window for measuring of a laser beam using a Shack-Hartmann sensor. The shapes of spot images on an acquired wavefront image by using a Shack-Hartmann sensor are usually imbalanced. Also, the distributed intensity pattern of each spot image is varied according to successively acquired wavefront image. We studied on the optimized size of searching window to get wavefront with high measurement resolution. We experimented on the various size effect of searching window on an acquired wavefront image to get fine wavefront information using a Shack-Hartmann sensor. As the experimental results, we proposed the optimum size of searching window to measure improved wavefront.

  16. Paying attention to attention: evidence for an attentional contribution to the size congruity effect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Risko, Evan F; Maloney, Erin A; Fugelsang, Jonathan A

    2013-08-01

    Understanding the mechanisms supporting our comprehension of magnitude information represents a key goal in cognitive psychology. A major phenomenon employed in the pursuit of this goal has been the physical size congruity effect-namely, the observation that comparing the relative numerical sizes of two numbers is influenced by their relative physical sizes. The standard account of the physical size congruity effect attributes it to the automatic influence of the comparison of irrelevant physical magnitudes on numerical judgments. Here we develop an alternative account of this effect on the basis of the operation of attention in the typical size congruity display and the temporal dynamics of number comparison. We also provide a test of a number of predictions derived from this alternative account by combining a physical size congruity manipulation with a manipulation designed to alter the operation of attention within the typical size congruity display (i.e., a manipulation of the relative onsets of the digits). This test provides evidence consistent with an attentional contribution to the size congruity effect. Implications for our understanding of magnitude and the interactions between attention and magnitude are discussed.

  17. Short communication: Effective population size and inbreeding rate ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Short communication: Effective population size and inbreeding rate of indigenous Nguni cattle under in situ conservation in the low-input communal production ... as not at risk of extinction, while the individual enterprises were classified as being endangered-maintained without the exchange of germ plasm among them.

  18. Effects of Aperture Size on Q factor and Shielding Effectiveness of a Cubic Resonator

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Parr

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The EMC properties of a cubic metallic shield are highly affected by its resonances. At the resonant frequencies, the shielding effectiveness (SE collapses, which results in high field strengths inside the cavity. This can cause failure or even breakdown of electronic devices inside the shield. The resonant behaviour is mainly determined by the quality or Q factor of the shield. In this paper, the effects of the aperture size on the Q factor and the SE of an electrically large, cubic shield are analysed. At first, a method is developed in order to determine the Q factor based on the resonance behaviour of the shield in time domain. Only the first resonance of the shield is considered therefore. The results are evaluated for different aperture diameters and compared with theory for the Q factor. The dominant coupling mechanism of electromagnetic energy into the shield is thus identified. Then the effect of aperture size on the SE is analysed. The excitation of resonances is very probable if the interfering signal is an ultrawideband (UWB pulse, which constitutes a typical intentional electromagnetic interference (IEMI scenario. Therefore, the relation between aperture size and SE is analysed using the theory of the transient SE for a broadband signal with a constant spectral density distribution. The results show, that a worst case aperture size exists, where the SE has its minimum.

  19. Optically-derived estimates of phytoplankton size class and taxonomic group biomass in the Eastern Subarctic Pacific Ocean

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Chen; Rosengard, Sarah Z.; Burt, William; Peña, M. Angelica; Nemcek, Nina; Zeng, Tao; Arrigo, Kevin R.; Tortell, Philippe D.

    2018-06-01

    We evaluate several algorithms for the estimation of phytoplankton size class (PSC) and functional type (PFT) biomass from ship-based optical measurements in the Subarctic Northeast Pacific Ocean. Using underway measurements of particulate absorption and backscatter in surface waters, we derived estimates of PSC/PFT based on chlorophyll-a concentrations (Chl-a), particulate absorption spectra and the wavelength dependence of particulate backscatter. Optically-derived [Chl-a] and phytoplankton absorption measurements were validated against discrete calibration samples, while the derived PSC/PFT estimates were validated using size-fractionated Chl-a measurements and HPLC analysis of diagnostic photosynthetic pigments (DPA). Our results showflo that PSC/PFT algorithms based on [Chl-a] and particulate absorption spectra performed significantly better than the backscatter slope approach. These two more successful algorithms yielded estimates of phytoplankton size classes that agreed well with HPLC-derived DPA estimates (RMSE = 12.9%, and 16.6%, respectively) across a range of hydrographic and productivity regimes. Moreover, the [Chl-a] algorithm produced PSC estimates that agreed well with size-fractionated [Chl-a] measurements, and estimates of the biomass of specific phytoplankton groups that were consistent with values derived from HPLC. Based on these results, we suggest that simple [Chl-a] measurements should be more fully exploited to improve the classification of phytoplankton assemblages in the Northeast Pacific Ocean.

  20. A review of finite size effects in quasi-zero dimensional superconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bose, Sangita; Ayyub, Pushan

    2014-01-01

    Quantum confinement and surface effects (SEs) dramatically modify most solid state phenomena as one approaches the nanometer scale, and superconductivity is no exception. Though we may expect significant modifications from bulk superconducting properties when the system dimensions become smaller than the characteristic length scales for bulk superconductors—such as the coherence length or the penetration depth—it is now established that there is a third length scale which ultimately determines the critical size at which Cooper pairing is destroyed. In quasi-zero-dimensional (0D) superconductors (e.g. nanocrystalline materials, isolated or embedded nanoparticles), one may define a critical particle diameter below which the mean energy level spacing arising from quantum confinement becomes equal to the bulk superconducting energy gap. The so-called Anderson criterion provides a remarkably accurate estimate of the limiting size for the destabilization of superconductivity in nanosystems. This review of size effects in quasi-0D superconductors is organized as follows. A general summary of size effects in nanostructured superconductors (section 1) is followed by a brief overview of their synthesis (section 2) and characterization using a variety of techniques (section 3). Section 4 reviews the size-evolution of important superconducting parameters—the transition temperature, critical fields and critical current—as the Anderson limit is approached from above. We then discuss the effect of thermodynamic fluctuations (section 5), which become significant in confined systems. Improvements in fabrication methods and the increasing feasibility of addressing individual nanoparticles using scanning probe techniques have lately opened up new directions in the study of nanoscale superconductivity. Section 6 reviews both experimental and theoretical aspects of the recently discovered phenomena of ‘parity effect’ and ‘shell effect’ that lead to a strong, non

  1. The effects of group size on aggression when mixing unacquainted sows in indoor pens

    Science.gov (United States)

    As the US swine industry moves towards group housing sows, it is important to increase our understanding of aggression. Sows fight at mixing and this project sought to determine the amount and type of aggression observed when unacquainted York × Landrace sows were mixed in pairs or in two establishe...

  2. Effect of Particle Size and Ligand on the Tribological Properties of Amino Functionalized Hairy Silica Nanoparticles as an Additive to Polyalphaolefin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sui, T.; Song, B.; Zhang, F.; Yang, Q.

    2015-01-01

    Hairy nanoparticles, which graft organic chains on nanoparticles, have led to a wide variety of advanced materials and have been applied in many fields over the past two decades. In this paper, effects of nanoparticle size and organic chain on the tribological properties of amino functionalized hairy silica nanoparticles (HSN_s) were investigated. Silica nanoparticles with different sizes and amino group organic chains were synthesized and dispersed into polyalphaolefin (PAO) via a modified process. The synthesized HSN_s were characterized by variety of methods. The tribology properties of those HSN_s were investigated using a four-ball tetrabromo. The coefficient of friction and wear scar diameter were measured and analyzed. It was found that the HSN_s could form a stable homogeneous solution with PAO. The tribological performance of the PAO 100 was enhanced dramatically by adding the HSN_s. The data suggested that HSN_s with larger size, longer organic chains, and more amino groups gave better anti wear and friction reduction properties than other nanoparticles

  3. Meta-Analysis of Effect Sizes Reported at Multiple Time Points Using General Linear Mixed Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Musekiwa, Alfred; Manda, Samuel O. M.; Mwambi, Henry G.; Chen, Ding-Geng

    2016-01-01

    Meta-analysis of longitudinal studies combines effect sizes measured at pre-determined time points. The most common approach involves performing separate univariate meta-analyses at individual time points. This simplistic approach ignores dependence between longitudinal effect sizes, which might result in less precise parameter estimates. In this paper, we show how to conduct a meta-analysis of longitudinal effect sizes where we contrast different covariance structures for dependence between effect sizes, both within and between studies. We propose new combinations of covariance structures for the dependence between effect size and utilize a practical example involving meta-analysis of 17 trials comparing postoperative treatments for a type of cancer, where survival is measured at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months post randomization. Although the results from this particular data set show the benefit of accounting for within-study serial correlation between effect sizes, simulations are required to confirm these results. PMID:27798661

  4. Effect of size on fracture and tensile manipulation of gold nanowires

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Fenying; Dai, Yanfeng; Zhao, Jianwei; Li, Qianjin; Zhang, Bin

    2014-01-01

    The fracture of metallic nanowires has attracted much attention owing to its reliability of application in nanoelectromechanical system. In this paper, we studied the fracture of [100] single-crystal gold nanowire subjected to uniaxial tension. The statistical breaking position distributions showed that the size effects had dominated the deformation and fracture of nanowires, and the quasi-static tensile deformations are insensitive to the styles of tensile rates. Furthermore, it was observed that the small-sized nanowire broke in the middle with disordered crystalline structure; for the middle-sized nanowire, although slippage plane had maintained the lattice degree, the fracture also happened in the middle due to symmetric tension; for the large-sized nanowire, the slippage was destroyed by symmetric tension, which induced the broken neck at one end of the nanowire. When the nanowire width is less than 5a (“a” means lattice constant, 0.408 nm for gold), the mechanical strength is relatively strong with obvious uncertainty, which can be attributed to the surface atom effect; when the width is larger than 5a, the influence of size on the mechanical property is more obvious at the constant strain rate than that at the absolute rate. Finally, the mechanical strength of the nanowire decreases with the size increasing

  5. Theory of critical phenomena in finite-size systems scaling and quantum effects

    CERN Document Server

    Brankov, Jordan G; Tonchev, Nicholai S

    2000-01-01

    The aim of this book is to familiarise the reader with the rich collection of ideas, methods and results available in the theory of critical phenomena in systems with confined geometry. The existence of universal features of the finite-size effects arising due to highly correlated classical or quantum fluctuations is explained by the finite-size scaling theory. This theory (1) offers an interpretation of experimental results on finite-size effects in real systems; (2) gives the most reliable tool for extrapolation to the thermodynamic limit of data obtained by computer simulations; (3) reveals

  6. Ionic Size Effects: Generalized Boltzmann Distributions, Counterion Stratification, and Modified Debye Length.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Bo; Liu, Pei; Xu, Zhenli; Zhou, Shenggao

    2013-10-01

    Near a charged surface, counterions of different valences and sizes cluster; and their concentration profiles stratify. At a distance from such a surface larger than the Debye length, the electric field is screened by counterions. Recent studies by a variational mean-field approach that includes ionic size effects and by Monte Carlo simulations both suggest that the counterion stratification is determined by the ionic valence-to-volume ratios. Central in the mean-field approach is a free-energy functional of ionic concentrations in which the ionic size effects are included through the entropic effect of solvent molecules. The corresponding equilibrium conditions define the generalized Boltzmann distributions relating the ionic concentrations to the electrostatic potential. This paper presents a detailed analysis and numerical calculations of such a free-energy functional to understand the dependence of the ionic charge density on the electrostatic potential through the generalized Boltzmann distributions, the role of ionic valence-to-volume ratios in the counterion stratification, and the modification of Debye length due to the effect of ionic sizes.

  7. Foraging behaviour and prey size spectra of larval herring Clupea harengus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Munk, Peter

    1992-01-01

    size groups of larval herring Clupea harengus L. were studied when preying on 6 size groups of copepods. Larval swimming and attack behaviour changed with prey size and were related to the ratio between prey length and larval length. The effective search rate showed a maximum when prey length was about......, that the available biomass of food as a proportion of the predator biomass will not increase. In order to assess the uniformity of relative prey size spectra of herring larvae and their background in larval foraging behaviour, a set of experimental and field investigations has been carried out. In the experiments, 4...... in the biomass spectra of the environment is important to larval growth and survival....

  8. Grain size statistics and depositional pattern of the Ecca Group sandstones, Karoo Supergroup in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Baiyegunhi Christopher

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Grain size analysis is a vital sedimentological tool used to unravel the hydrodynamic conditions, mode of transportation and deposition of detrital sediments. In this study, detailed grain-size analysis was carried out on thirty-five sandstone samples from the Ecca Group in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Grain-size statistical parameters, bivariate analysis, linear discriminate functions, Passega diagrams and log-probability curves were used to reveal the depositional processes, sedimentation mechanisms, hydrodynamic energy conditions and to discriminate different depositional environments. The grain-size parameters show that most of the sandstones are very fine to fine grained, moderately well sorted, mostly near-symmetrical and mesokurtic in nature. The abundance of very fine to fine grained sandstones indicate the dominance of low energy environment. The bivariate plots show that the samples are mostly grouped, except for the Prince Albert samples that show scattered trend, which is due to the either mixture of two modes in equal proportion in bimodal sediments or good sorting in unimodal sediments. The linear discriminant function analysis is dominantly indicative of turbidity current deposits under shallow marine environments for samples from the Prince Albert, Collingham and Ripon Formations, while those samples from the Fort Brown Formation are lacustrine or deltaic deposits. The C-M plots indicated that the sediments were deposited mainly by suspension and saltation, and graded suspension. Visher diagrams show that saltation is the major process of transportation, followed by suspension.

  9. Grain size statistics and depositional pattern of the Ecca Group sandstones, Karoo Supergroup in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baiyegunhi, Christopher; Liu, Kuiwu; Gwavava, Oswald

    2017-11-01

    Grain size analysis is a vital sedimentological tool used to unravel the hydrodynamic conditions, mode of transportation and deposition of detrital sediments. In this study, detailed grain-size analysis was carried out on thirty-five sandstone samples from the Ecca Group in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Grain-size statistical parameters, bivariate analysis, linear discriminate functions, Passega diagrams and log-probability curves were used to reveal the depositional processes, sedimentation mechanisms, hydrodynamic energy conditions and to discriminate different depositional environments. The grain-size parameters show that most of the sandstones are very fine to fine grained, moderately well sorted, mostly near-symmetrical and mesokurtic in nature. The abundance of very fine to fine grained sandstones indicate the dominance of low energy environment. The bivariate plots show that the samples are mostly grouped, except for the Prince Albert samples that show scattered trend, which is due to the either mixture of two modes in equal proportion in bimodal sediments or good sorting in unimodal sediments. The linear discriminant function analysis is dominantly indicative of turbidity current deposits under shallow marine environments for samples from the Prince Albert, Collingham and Ripon Formations, while those samples from the Fort Brown Formation are lacustrine or deltaic deposits. The C-M plots indicated that the sediments were deposited mainly by suspension and saltation, and graded suspension. Visher diagrams show that saltation is the major process of transportation, followed by suspension.

  10. The Effect of Visual Feedback on Writing Size in Parkinson's Disease

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Potgieser, Adriaan R. E.; Roosma, Elizabeth; Beudel, Martijn; de Jong, Bauke M.

    2015-01-01

    Parkinson's disease (PD) leads to impairment in multiple cognitive domains. Micrographia is a relatively early PD sign of visuomotor dysfunction, characterized by a global reduction in writing size and a decrement in size during writing. Here we aimed to investigate the effect of withdrawal of

  11. Effect of particle size of granules on some mechanical properties of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Solid dosage forms are invariably multiparticulate systems of heterogenous particle size distribution. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of particle size distribution of paracetamol granules on some tablet mechanical properties of paracetamol tablets. Granules were formed by wet massing paracetamol ...

  12. Size effects and strain localization in atomic-scale cleavage modeling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elsner, B A M; Müller, S

    2015-01-01

    In this work, we study the adhesion and decohesion of Cu(1 0 0) surfaces using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. An upper stress to surface decohesion is obtained via the universal binding energy relation (UBER), but the model is limited to rigid separation of bulk-terminated surfaces. When structural relaxations are included, an unphysical size effect arises if decohesion is considered to occur as soon as the strain energy equals the energy of the newly formed surfaces. We employ the nudged elastic band (NEB) method to show that this size effect is opposed by a size-dependency of the energy barriers involved in the transition. Further, we find that the transition occurs via a localization of bond strain in the vicinity of the cleavage plane, which resembles the strain localization at the tip of a sharp crack that is predicted by linear elastic fracture mechanics. (paper)

  13. Orientation dependent size effects in single crystalline anisotropic nanoplates with regard to surface energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Assadi, Abbas; Salehi, Manouchehr; Akhlaghi, Mehdi

    2015-01-01

    In this work, size dependent behavior of single crystalline normal and auxetic anisotropic nanoplates is discussed with consideration of material surface stresses via a generalized model. Bending of pressurized nanoplates and their fundamental resonant frequency are discussed for different crystallographic directions and anisotropy degrees. It is explained that the orientation effects are considerable when the nanoplates' edges are pinned but for clamped nanoplates, the anisotropy effect may be ignored. The size effects are the highest when the simply supported nanoplates are parallel to [110] direction but as the anisotropy gets higher, the size effects are reduced. The orientation effect is also discussed for possibility of self-instability occurrence in nanoplates. The results in simpler cases are compared with previous experiments for nanowires but with a correction factor. There are still some open questions for future studies. - Highlights: • Size effects in single crystalline anisotropic nanoplates are discussed. • A generalized model is established containing some physical assumptions. • Orientation dependent size effects due to material anisotropy are explained. • Bending, instability and frequencies are studied at normal/auxetic domain

  14. Short communication Effective population size and inbreeding rate ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    201010100

    2013-05-30

    May 30, 2013 ... Understanding and estimating effective population size for practical application in marine species management. Conservation Biology 25 (3), 438-449. Mapiye, C., Chimonyo, M., Muchenje, V., Dzama, K., Marufu, M.C. & Raats, J.G., 2007. Potential for value-addition of Nguni cattle products in the communal ...

  15. Effects of emulsion droplet sizes on the crystallisation of milk fat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Truong, Tuyen; Bansal, Nidhi; Sharma, Ranjan; Palmer, Martin; Bhandari, Bhesh

    2014-02-15

    The crystallisation properties of milk fat emulsions containing dairy-based ingredients as functions of emulsion droplet size, cooling rate, and emulsifier type were investigated using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). Anhydrous milk fat and its fractions (stearin and olein) were emulsified with whey protein concentrate, sodium caseinate, and Tween80 by homogenisation to produce emulsions in various size ranges (0.13-3.10 μm). Particle size, cooling rate, and types of emulsifier all had an influence on the crystallisation properties of fat in the emulsions. In general, the crystallisation temperature of emulsified fats decreased with decreasing average droplet size and was of an exponent function of size, indicating that the influence of particle size on crystallisation temperature is more pronounced in the sub-micron range. This particle size effect was also verified by electron microscopy. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Effect of particle size and distribution of the sizing agent on the carbon fibers surface and interfacial shear strength (IFSS) of its composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, R.L.; Liu, Y.; Huang, Y.D.; Liu, L.

    2013-01-01

    Effect of particle size and distribution of the sizing agent on the performance of carbon fiber and carbon fiber composites has been investigated. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize carbon fiber surface topographies. At the same time, the single fiber strength and Weibull distribution were also studied in order to investigate the effect of coatings on the fibers. The interfacial shear strength and hygrothermal aging of the carbon fiber/epoxy resin composites were also measured. The results indicated that the particle size and distribution is important for improving the surface of carbon fibers and its composites performance. Different particle size and distribution of sizing agent has different contribution to the wetting performance of carbon fibers. The fibers sized with P-2 had higher value of IFSS and better hygrothermal aging resistant properties.

  17. Effect of microfluidization on casein micelle size of bovine milk

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinaga, H.; Deeth, H.; Bhandari, B.

    2018-02-01

    The properties of milk are likely to be dependent on the casein micelle size, and various processing technologies produce particular change in the average size of casein micelles. The main objective of this study was to manipulate casein micelle size by subjecting milk to microfluidizer. The experiment was performed as a complete block randomised design with three replications. The sample was passed through the microfluidizer at the set pressure of 83, 97, 112 and 126 MPa for one, two, three, four, five and six cycles, except for the 112 MPa. The results showed that microfluidized milk has smaller size by 3% with pressure up to 126 MPa. However, at each pressure, no further reduction was observed after increasing the passed up to 6 cycles. Although the average casein micelle size was similar, elevating pressure resulted in narrower size distribution. In contrast, increasing the number of cycles had little effect on casein micelle distribution. The finding from this study can be applied for future work to characterize the fundamental and functional properties of the treated milk.

  18. Effect of geometric base roughness on size segregation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing L.

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The geometric roughness at boundaries has a profound impact on the dynamics of granular flows. For a bumpy base made of fixed particles, two major factors have been separately studied in the literature, namely, the size and spatial distribution of base particles. A recent work (Jing et al. 2016 has proposed a roughness indicator Ra, which combines both factors for any arbitrary bumpy base comprising equally-sized spheres. It is shown in mono-disperse flows that as Ra increases, a transition occurs from slip (Ra 0.62 conditions. This work focuses on such a phase transition in bi-disperse flows, in which Ra can be a function of time. As size segregation takes place, large particles migrate away from the bottom, leading to a variation of size ratio between flow- and base-particles. As a result, base roughness Ra evolves with the progress of segregation. Consistent with the slip/non-slip transition in mono-disperse flows, basal sliding arises at low values of Ra and the development of segregation might be affected; when Ra increases to a certain level (Ra > 0.62, non-slip condition is respected. This work extends the validity of Ra to bi-disperse flows, which can be used to understand the geometric boundary effect during segregation.

  19. Quantifying the Ebbinghaus figure effect: Target size, context size, and target-context distance determine the presence and direction of the illusion.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hester eKnol

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Over the last 20 years, visual illusions, like the Ebbinghaus figure, have become widespread to investigate functional segregation of the visual system. This segregation reveals itself, so it is claimed, in the insensitivity of movement to optical illusions. This claim, however, faces contradictory results (and interpretations in the literature. These contradictions may be due to methodological weaknesses in, and differences across studies, some of which may hide a lack of perceptual illusion effects. Indeed, despite the long history of research with the Ebbinghaus figure, standardized configurations to predict the illusion effect are missing. Here, we present a complete geometrical description of the Ebbinghaus figure with three target sizes compatible with Fitts’ task. Each trial consisted of a stimulus and an isolated probe. The probe was controlled by the participant’s response through a staircase procedure. The participant was asked whether the probe or target appeared bigger. The factors target size, context size, target-context distance, and a control condition resulted in a 3×3×3+3 factorial design. The results indicate that the illusion magnitude, the perceptual distinctiveness, and the response time depend on the context size, distance, and especially, target size. In 33% of the factor combinations there was no illusion effect. The illusion magnitude ranged from zero to (exceptionally ten percent of the target size. The small (or absent illusion effects on perception and its possible influence on motor tasks might have been overlooked or misinterpreted in previous studies. Our results provide a basis for the application of the Ebbinghaus figure in psychophysical and motor control studies.

  20. Uncertainties in effective dose estimates of adult CT head scans: The effect of head size

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gregory, Kent J.; Bibbo, Giovanni; Pattison, John E.

    2009-01-01

    Purpose: This study is an extension of a previous study where the uncertainties in effective dose estimates from adult CT head scans were calculated using four CT effective dose estimation methods, three of which were computer programs (CT-EXPO, CTDOSIMETRY, and IMPACTDOSE) and one that involved the dose length product (DLP). However, that study did not include the uncertainty contribution due to variations in head sizes. Methods: The uncertainties due to head size variations were estimated by first using the computer program data to calculate doses to small and large heads. These doses were then compared with doses calculated for the phantom heads used by the computer programs. An uncertainty was then assigned based on the difference between the small and large head doses and the doses of the phantom heads. Results: The uncertainties due to head size variations alone were found to be between 4% and 26% depending on the method used and the patient gender. When these uncertainties were included with the results of the previous study, the overall uncertainties in effective dose estimates (stated at the 95% confidence interval) were 20%-31% (CT-EXPO), 15%-30% (CTDOSIMETRY), 20%-36% (IMPACTDOSE), and 31%-40% (DLP). Conclusions: For the computer programs, the lower overall uncertainties were still achieved when measured values of CT dose index were used rather than tabulated values. For DLP dose estimates, head size variations made the largest (for males) and second largest (for females) contributions to effective dose uncertainty. An improvement in the uncertainty of the DLP method dose estimates will be achieved if head size variation can be taken into account.

  1. Uncertainties in effective dose estimates of adult CT head scans: The effect of head size

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gregory, Kent J.; Bibbo, Giovanni; Pattison, John E. [Department of Medical Physics, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia 5000 (Australia) and School of Electrical and Information Engineering (Applied Physics), University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, South Australia 5095 (Australia); Division of Medical Imaging, Women' s and Children' s Hospital, North Adelaide, South Australia 5006 (Australia) and School of Electrical and Information Engineering (Applied Physics), University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, South Australia 5095 (Australia); School of Electrical and Information Engineering (Applied Physics), University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, South Australia 5095 (Australia)

    2009-09-15

    Purpose: This study is an extension of a previous study where the uncertainties in effective dose estimates from adult CT head scans were calculated using four CT effective dose estimation methods, three of which were computer programs (CT-EXPO, CTDOSIMETRY, and IMPACTDOSE) and one that involved the dose length product (DLP). However, that study did not include the uncertainty contribution due to variations in head sizes. Methods: The uncertainties due to head size variations were estimated by first using the computer program data to calculate doses to small and large heads. These doses were then compared with doses calculated for the phantom heads used by the computer programs. An uncertainty was then assigned based on the difference between the small and large head doses and the doses of the phantom heads. Results: The uncertainties due to head size variations alone were found to be between 4% and 26% depending on the method used and the patient gender. When these uncertainties were included with the results of the previous study, the overall uncertainties in effective dose estimates (stated at the 95% confidence interval) were 20%-31% (CT-EXPO), 15%-30% (CTDOSIMETRY), 20%-36% (IMPACTDOSE), and 31%-40% (DLP). Conclusions: For the computer programs, the lower overall uncertainties were still achieved when measured values of CT dose index were used rather than tabulated values. For DLP dose estimates, head size variations made the largest (for males) and second largest (for females) contributions to effective dose uncertainty. An improvement in the uncertainty of the DLP method dose estimates will be achieved if head size variation can be taken into account.

  2. Impact of shoe size in a sample of elderly individuals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel López-López

    Full Text Available Summary Introduction: The use of an improper shoe size is common in older people and is believed to have a detrimental effect on the quality of life related to foot health. The objective is to describe and compare, in a sample of participants, the impact of shoes that fit properly or improperly, as well as analyze the scores related to foot health and health overall. Method: A sample of 64 participants, with a mean age of 75.3±7.9 years, attended an outpatient center where self-report data was recorded, the measurements of the size of the feet and footwear were determined and the scores compared between the group that wears the correct size of shoes and another group of individuals who do not wear the correct size of shoes, using the Spanish version of the Foot Health Status Questionnaire. Results: The group wearing an improper shoe size showed poorer quality of life regarding overall health and specifically foot health. Differences between groups were evaluated using a t-test for independent samples resulting statistically significant (p<0.05 for the dimension of pain, function, footwear, overall foot health, and social function. Conclusion: Inadequate shoe size has a significant negative impact on quality of life related to foot health. The degree of negative impact seems to be associated with age, sex, and body mass index (BMI.

  3. Notch size effects on high cycle fatigue limit stress of Udimet 720

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ren Weiju; Nicholas, Theodore

    2003-01-01

    Notch size effects on the high cycle fatigue (HCF) limit stress of Ni-base superalloy Udimet 720 were investigated on cylindrical specimens with three notch sizes of the same stress concentration factor K t =2.74. The HCF limit stress corresponding to a life of 10 6 cycles was experimentally determined at a stress ratio of 0.1 and a frequency of 25 Hz at room temperature. The stresses were calculated using finite element analysis (FEA) and the specimens analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Test results show that at the same K t value, notch size can slightly affect the HCF limit stress of U720 when notch root plasticity occurs. FEA and SEM results reveal that the notch size effects are influenced by a complicated combination of the stress and plastic strain fields at the notch tip, the nominal stress, and the effects of prior plastic deformation on fatigue crack initiation

  4. The Effect of Small Sample Size on Measurement Equivalence of Psychometric Questionnaires in MIMIC Model: A Simulation Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jamshid Jamali

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Evaluating measurement equivalence (also known as differential item functioning (DIF is an important part of the process of validating psychometric questionnaires. This study aimed at evaluating the multiple indicators multiple causes (MIMIC model for DIF detection when latent construct distribution is nonnormal and the focal group sample size is small. In this simulation-based study, Type I error rates and power of MIMIC model for detecting uniform-DIF were investigated under different combinations of reference to focal group sample size ratio, magnitude of the uniform-DIF effect, scale length, the number of response categories, and latent trait distribution. Moderate and high skewness in the latent trait distribution led to a decrease of 0.33% and 0.47% power of MIMIC model for detecting uniform-DIF, respectively. The findings indicated that, by increasing the scale length, the number of response categories and magnitude DIF improved the power of MIMIC model, by 3.47%, 4.83%, and 20.35%, respectively; it also decreased Type I error of MIMIC approach by 2.81%, 5.66%, and 0.04%, respectively. This study revealed that power of MIMIC model was at an acceptable level when latent trait distributions were skewed. However, empirical Type I error rate was slightly greater than nominal significance level. Consequently, the MIMIC was recommended for detection of uniform-DIF when latent construct distribution is nonnormal and the focal group sample size is small.

  5. The Effect of Small Sample Size on Measurement Equivalence of Psychometric Questionnaires in MIMIC Model: A Simulation Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jamali, Jamshid; Ayatollahi, Seyyed Mohammad Taghi; Jafari, Peyman

    2017-01-01

    Evaluating measurement equivalence (also known as differential item functioning (DIF)) is an important part of the process of validating psychometric questionnaires. This study aimed at evaluating the multiple indicators multiple causes (MIMIC) model for DIF detection when latent construct distribution is nonnormal and the focal group sample size is small. In this simulation-based study, Type I error rates and power of MIMIC model for detecting uniform-DIF were investigated under different combinations of reference to focal group sample size ratio, magnitude of the uniform-DIF effect, scale length, the number of response categories, and latent trait distribution. Moderate and high skewness in the latent trait distribution led to a decrease of 0.33% and 0.47% power of MIMIC model for detecting uniform-DIF, respectively. The findings indicated that, by increasing the scale length, the number of response categories and magnitude DIF improved the power of MIMIC model, by 3.47%, 4.83%, and 20.35%, respectively; it also decreased Type I error of MIMIC approach by 2.81%, 5.66%, and 0.04%, respectively. This study revealed that power of MIMIC model was at an acceptable level when latent trait distributions were skewed. However, empirical Type I error rate was slightly greater than nominal significance level. Consequently, the MIMIC was recommended for detection of uniform-DIF when latent construct distribution is nonnormal and the focal group sample size is small.

  6. Deformation modes and size effect in near-γ TiAl alloys

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Monchoux, Jean-Philippe, E-mail: monchoux@cemes.fr; Luo, Jiangshan; Voisin, Thomas; Couret, Alain

    2017-01-02

    This paper presents a study of a size effect in TiAl alloys. Spark Plasma Sintering is used to sinter several alloys with a near-γ microstructure. Both the effect of boron as an inhibitor of grain growth and the rapidity of this powder metallurgy process are used to control the grain size. Following a comparison between EBSD-SEM (Electron Backscatter Diffraction by Scanning Electron Microscopy) and TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy), the grain size is measured by TEM. Tensile tests are performed at room temperature to measure the yield stress. The deformation microstructure is studied by TEM. In a delimited area, activated deformation systems are identified in every grain. Then, for every system, the Schmid's factors as well as the defect nucleation sites are determined. A size effect leading to a high Hall-Petch constant of k=0.98 MPa m{sup 1/2} is measured. The deformation is found to be due to ordinary dislocations and twinning, which are mainly satisfying Schmid's law. Ordinary dislocations are more frequently observed than twins. Twins are found to form pile-ups and to cross the boundaries under the effect of stress concentration. These results are discussed and interpreted on the basis of the pile-up model applied to the Shockley dislocations involved in twinning.

  7. Hybrid Pareto artificial bee colony algorithm for multi-objective single machine group scheduling problem with sequence-dependent setup times and learning effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yue, Lei; Guan, Zailin; Saif, Ullah; Zhang, Fei; Wang, Hao

    2016-01-01

    Group scheduling is significant for efficient and cost effective production system. However, there exist setup times between the groups, which require to decrease it by sequencing groups in an efficient way. Current research is focused on a sequence dependent group scheduling problem with an aim to minimize the makespan in addition to minimize the total weighted tardiness simultaneously. In most of the production scheduling problems, the processing time of jobs is assumed as fixed. However, the actual processing time of jobs may be reduced due to "learning effect". The integration of sequence dependent group scheduling problem with learning effects has been rarely considered in literature. Therefore, current research considers a single machine group scheduling problem with sequence dependent setup times and learning effects simultaneously. A novel hybrid Pareto artificial bee colony algorithm (HPABC) with some steps of genetic algorithm is proposed for current problem to get Pareto solutions. Furthermore, five different sizes of test problems (small, small medium, medium, large medium, large) are tested using proposed HPABC. Taguchi method is used to tune the effective parameters of the proposed HPABC for each problem category. The performance of HPABC is compared with three famous multi objective optimization algorithms, improved strength Pareto evolutionary algorithm (SPEA2), non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGAII) and particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO). Results indicate that HPABC outperforms SPEA2, NSGAII and PSO and gives better Pareto optimal solutions in terms of diversity and quality for almost all the instances of the different sizes of problems.

  8. Indirect Genetic Effects for group-housed animals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alemu, Setegn Worku

    This thesis investigated social interactions in group-housed animals. The main findings of this thesis: 1) Statistical methods to estimate indirect genetic effects when interactions differ between kin vs. non-kin were developed. 2) Indirect genetic effects contribute a substantial amount...... of heritable variation for bite mark traits in group-housed min. 3) Indirect genetic effects estimation needs to take into account systematic interactions due to sex or kin for bite mark trait in group-housed min. 4) Genomic selection can be used to increase the response to selection for survival time in Brown...

  9. Group as social microcosm: Within-group interpersonal style is congruent with outside group relational tendencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldberg, Simon B; Hoyt, William T

    2015-06-01

    The notion that individuals' interpersonal behaviors in the context of therapy reflects their interpersonal behaviors outside of therapy is a fundamental hypothesis underlying numerous systems of psychotherapy. The social microcosm hypothesis, in particular, claims the interpersonal therapy group becomes a reflection of group members' general tendencies, and can thus be used as information about members' interpersonal functioning as well as an opportunity for learning and behavior change. The current study tested this hypothesis using data drawn from 207 individuals participating in 22 interpersonal process groups. Ratings were made on 2 key interpersonal domains (Dominance and Affiliation) at baseline and at Weeks 2, 5, and 8 of the group. Two-level multilevel models (with participants nested within groups) were used to account for the hierarchical structure, and the social relations model (SRM; Kenny, 1994) was used to estimate peer ratings (target effects in SRM) unconfounded with rater bias. Participants showed consensus at all time points during the interpersonal process groups on one another's levels of dominance and affiliation. In addition, self- and peer ratings were stable across time and correlated with one another. Importantly, self-ratings made prior to group significantly predicted ratings (self- and peer) made within the group, with effect sizes within the medium range. Taken together, these results provide robust support for the social microcosm hypothesis and the conjecture that interpersonal style within-group therapy is reflective of broader interpersonal tendencies. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  10. Study of Thermal Properties, Turbidity, Effective Factors on Particle Size and Oscillatory Rheology of Pectin-Caseinate Biopolymer Nanocomplexes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sajedeh Bahrani

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available The biopolymer-based nanocomplexes are a group of nanocapsules that are used for encapsulation and control delivery of nutraceuticals. They are formed by binding of proteins and polysaccharides. In this study, complex formation between pectin and sodium caseinate was taken place by addition of pectin solutions(0.2, 0.45 and 0.7 % w/v into the caseinate solutions (0.5, 1 and 1.5 % w/v and adjusted their pH below isoelecteric point of sodium caseinate. The effect of various factors such as biopolymer concentration, salt concentration, temperature and time of ultrasound on the properties of pectin-casein nanocomplexes was investigated. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC and particle size analyzer were used for study of complex formation and particle size determination, respectively. The results of DSC and turbidimetry showed complex formation between the pectin and casein at pH below 5 and the results of particle size showed formation of stable dispersion with a minimum size of 86 nm at pH 4.1, caseinate of 1 % w/v and pectin 0.45 % w/v concentration. The ultrasound for more than 1 min reduced particle size and addition of salt at high and low concentrations had different effects on the stability of the colloidal system. The lowering of temperature from 21 to 4°C resulted in smaller particle size of nanocomplexes. The oscillatory rheological results showed that with increasing pectin concentration, viscoelastic moduli were increased and loss moduli were higher than storage modulus.

  11. Effect of grain size on corrosion of nanocrystalline copper in NaOH solution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luo Wei; Xu Yimin; Wang Qiming; Shi Peizhen; Yan Mi

    2010-01-01

    Research highlights: → Coppers display an active-passive-transpassive behaviour with duplex passive film. → Grain size variation has little effect on the overall corrosion behaviour of Cu. → Little effect on corrosion may be due to duplex passivation in NaOH solution. → Bulk nanocrystalline Cu show bamboo-like flake corrosion structure. - Abstract: Effect of grain size on corrosion of bulk nanocrystalline copper was investigated using potentiodynamic polarization measurements in 0.1 M NaOH solution. Bulk nanocrystalline copper was prepared by inert gas condensation and in situ warm compress (IGCWC) method. The grain sizes of all bulk nanocrystalline samples were determined to be 48, 68 and 92 nm using X-ray diffraction (XRD). Results showed that bulk coppers displayed an active-passive-transpassive behaviour with duplex passive films. From polycrystalline to nanocrystalline, grain size variation showed little effect on the overall corrosion resistance of copper samples.

  12. Microwave tissue coagulation: effects of power and treatment time on coagulation size

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, Seung Pyung; Kim, Young Hwan; Park, Dong Man; Kim, Jeong Seok; Park, Seo Young; Cha, Soon Joo; Hur, Gham

    1999-01-01

    To determine the effects of power and coagulation time on lesion size of ex-vivo bovine liver using microwaves. Six bovine livers were divided into two groups (first group : 30W output, second group : 60W output) and microwave coagulation was performed for 30, 60, and 120 sec. Thermal injury site was then observed by means of sonography, and the maximal transverse diameter of the echo-change portion after microwave coagulation was measured. On the section of specimen, maximal transverse diameters of the thermal injury site were measured by gross inspection and compared with the result of sonographic measurement. Maximal transverse diameters of hyperechoic lesions of the first group, as seen on sonography, were 8.3mm, 12.2mm, and 15.6mm, and the maximal transverse diameters of thermal injury sites on gross specimens were 9.1mm, 12.0mm, and 15.1mm, respectively. Maximal transverse diameters of hyperechoic lesions of the second group, as seen on sonography, were 12.1mm, 17.4mm, and 21.2mm and maximal transverse diameters of thermal injury sites on gross specimens were 13.2mm, 16.0mm, and 20.0mm, respectively. Statistically maximal transverse diameters of hyperechoic lesions, as seen on sonography, correlated closely with the gross findings of maximal transverse diameters of thermal injury sites (P < .05). Maximal transverse diameters of thermal injury sites were significantly increased as the output of the microwave coagulator and the duration of coagulation time increased (P < .05)

  13. [Effects of grain-sized moxibustion on learning and memory ability and amyloid deposition of transgenic Alzheimer's disease mice].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Jing; Chu, Jia-Mei; Gao, Ling-Ai; Zhang, Yong-Sheng; Bao, Ye-Hua

    2014-02-01

    To observe the effect of grain-sized moxibustion at "Xinshu" (BL 15) and "Shenshu" (BL 23) on memory-learning ability and amyloid deposition in transgenic Alzheimer's disease (AD) mice. seventeen amyloid precursor protein (APP)/presenilin (PS)1 (APP+/PS 1+) double transgenic 6799 mice aged 3-4 weeks were randomly divided into model group (n = 9) and moxibustion group (n = 8). Nine wide-type (C 57 BL/6 J) female mice were used as the normal control group. Moxibustion (ignited grain-sized moxa cone) was applied to bilateral "Xinshu" (BL 15) and "Shenshu" (BL 23) for about 30 s, once a day for 9 courses (10 days constitute a therapeutic course, with 2 days' break between every two courses). Morris water maze tests were performed to detect the mice's learning-memory ability. The alterations of beta-amyloid deposition (number of the positive plaques) in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus were detected by using an imaging analysis system following Congo red staining of the cerebral tissue sections. Compared with the normal group, the average escape latency of place navigation tests was significantly increased (P memory ability after moxibustion. Results of Congo red staining of the cerebral tissue showed that there were many irregular, uneven staining positive plaques in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of AD mice in the model group. Compared with the model group, the positive plaque numbers in both cerebral cortex and hippocampus were considerably reduced in the moxibustion group (P memory ability and restrain the formation of amyloid deposition in AD mice.

  14. Size Effect on Acoustic Emission Characteristics of Coal-Rock Damage Evolution

    OpenAIRE

    Wen, Zhijie; Wang, Xiao; Chen, Lianjun; Lin, Guan; Zhang, Hualei

    2017-01-01

    Coal-gas outburst, rock burst, and other mine dynamic disasters are closely related to the instability and failure of coal-rock. Coal-rock is the assemblies of mineral particles of varying sizes and shapes bonded together by cementing materials. The damage and rupture process of coal-rock is accompanied by acoustic emission (AE), which can be used as an effective means to monitor and predict the instability of coal-rock body. In this manuscript, considering the size effect of coal-rock, the i...

  15. Annual age-grouping and athlete development: a meta-analytical review of relative age effects in sport.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cobley, Stephen; Baker, Joseph; Wattie, Nick; McKenna, Jim

    2009-01-01

    Annual age-grouping is a common organizational strategy in sport. However, such a strategy appears to promote relative age effects (RAEs). RAEs refer both to the immediate participation and long-term attainment constraints in sport, occurring as a result of chronological age and associated physical (e.g. height) differences as well as selection practices in annual age-grouped cohorts. This article represents the first meta-analytical review of RAEs, aimed to collectively determine (i) the overall prevalence and strength of RAEs across and within sports, and (ii) identify moderator variables. A total of 38 studies, spanning 1984-2007, containing 253 independent samples across 14 sports and 16 countries were re-examined and included in a single analysis using odds ratios and random effects procedures for combining study estimates. Overall results identified consistent prevalence of RAEs, but with small effect sizes. Effect size increased linearly with relative age differences. Follow-up analyses identified age category, skill level and sport context as moderators of RAE magnitude. Sports context involving adolescent (aged 15-18 years) males, at the representative (i.e. regional and national) level in highly popular sports appear most at risk to RAE inequalities. Researchers need to understand the mechanisms by which RAEs magnify and subside, as well as confirm whether RAEs exist in female and more culturally diverse contexts. To reduce and eliminate this social inequality from influencing athletes' experiences, especially within developmental periods, direct policy, organizational and practitioner intervention is required.

  16. An Introductory Summary of Various Effect Size Choices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cromwell, Susan

    This paper provides a tutorial summary of some of the many effect size choices so that members of the Southwest Educational Research Association would be better able to follow the recommendations of the American Psychological Association (APA) publication manual, the APA Task Force on Statistical Inference, and the publication requirements of some…

  17. Effect of Particle Size and Operating Conditions on Pt3Co PEMFC Cathode Catalyst Durability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mallika Gummalla

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available The initial performance and decay trends of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC cathodes with Pt3Co catalysts of three mean particle sizes (4.9 nm, 8.1 nm, and 14.8 nm with identical Pt loadings are compared. Even though the cathode based on 4.9 nm catalyst exhibited the highest initial electrochemical surface area (ECA and mass activity, the cathode based on 8.1 nm catalyst showed better initial performance at high currents. Owing to the low mass activity of the large particles, the initial performance of the 14.8 nm Pt3Co-based electrode was the lowest. The performance decay rate of the electrodes with the smallest Pt3Co particle size was the highest and that of the largest Pt3Co particle size was lowest. Interestingly, with increasing number of decay cycles (0.6 to 1.0 V, 50 mV/s, the relative improvement in performance of the cathode based on 8.1 nm Pt3Co over the 4.9 nm Pt3Co increased, owing to better stability of the 8.1 nm catalyst. The electron microprobe analysis (EMPA of the decayed membrane-electrode assembly (MEA showed that the amount of Co in the membrane was lower for the larger particles, and the platinum loss into the membrane also decreased with increasing particle size. This suggests that the higher initial performance at high currents with 8.1 nm Pt3Co could be due to lower contamination of the ionomer in the electrode. Furthermore, lower loss of Co from the catalyst with increased particle size could be one of the factors contributing to the stability of ECA and mass activity of electrodes with larger cathode catalyst particles. To delineate the impact of particle size and alloy effects, these results are compared with prior work from our research group on size effects of pure platinum catalysts. The impact of PEMFC operating conditions, including upper potential, relative humidity, and temperature on the alloy catalyst decay trends, along with the EMPA analysis of the decayed MEAs, are reported.

  18. Contrast enhancement of focal hepatic lesions in CT: effect of size and histology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burgener, F.A.; Hamlin, D.J.

    1983-01-01

    The effect of size and histology on the contrast enhancement of hepatic lesions has been analyzed in this clinical and experimental investigation yielding the following results: (1) The attenuation values of hepatic cysts in patients increase significantly and inversely with their size after contrast enhancement when the cysts measure less than twice the CT-slice thickness. This seems to be caused by partial-volume effect. (2) Experimental tumors of identical sizes and originating from the same cell line can demonstrate different contrast-enhancement patterns. (3) Peak contrast uptake in both experimental and human tumors seems to be inversely related to their size. (4) Compared to liver, contrast washout from experimental and human tumors (presumably the extravascular space) is delayed. The delay in the contrast washout from a tumor seems to correlate with tumor size. These findings suggest that in general, it is not possible to differentiate reliably among various hepatic neoplasms on the basis of their contrast enhancement patterns for the following reasons: (1) Attenuation values of small hepatic neoplasms are distorted by partial volume effect. (2) Tumors of different histologies can demonstrate the same enhancement pattern. (3) Tumors of identical histology and size can demonstrate different enhancement patterns. (4) The enhancement pattern of a tumor changes with growth or size

  19. WORK GROUP DEVELOPMENT MODELS – THE EVOLUTION FROM SIMPLE GROUP TO EFFECTIVE TEAM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raluca ZOLTAN

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Currently, work teams are increasingly studied by virtue of the advantages they have compared to the work groups. But a true team does not appear overnight but must complete several steps to overcome the initial stage of its existence as a group. The question that arises is at what point a simple group is turning into an effective team. Even though the development process of group into a team is not a linear process, the models found in the literature provides a rich framework for analyzing and identifying the features which group acquires over time till it become a team in the true sense of word. Thus, in this article we propose an analysis of the main models of group development in order to point out, even in a relative manner, the stage when the simple work group becomes an effective work team.

  20. Dynamic interaction effects in cooling tower groups

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Riera, J.D.

    1984-01-01

    A theoretical and experimental determination of the dynamic response of reinforced concrete cooling towers, taking into consideration group effects, are described. The results for an individual tower are thoroughly examined. A complete analysis is then performed for the critical wind orientations, for each tower in a six towers group. It's shown that ignoring group effects in the analysis may lead to a significant underestimation of the structural response. (E.G.) [pt

  1. EFFECT OF FARM SIZE AND FREQUENCY OF CUTTING ON ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    EFFECT OF FARM SIZE AND FREQUENCY OF CUTTING ON OUTPUT OF ... the use of Ordinary Least Square (OLS) estimation technique was used in analyzing ... frequency of cutting that would produce maximum output of the vegetable as ...

  2. Distinguishing crystallite size effects from those of structural disorder ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Administrator

    Both crystallite size effects and structural disorder contribute to the broadening of lines in .... ple contributions to the peak profiles. ... the fit is then corrected by accounting for sample ... Authors thank the Department of Science and Tech-.

  3. Ultrasonic velocimetry studies on different salts of chitosan: Effect of ion size.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohan, C Raja; Sathya, R; Nithiananthi, P; Jayakumar, K

    2017-11-01

    In the present investigation, the effect of ion size on the thermodynamical properties such as ultrasonic velocity (U), adiabatic compressibility (β), acoustic impedance (Z), adiabatic bulk modulus (K s ), relaxation strength (r s ) have been obtained for the different salts of chitosan viz., formate (3.5Å), acetate (4.5Å), Succinate (5Å) and Adipate (6Å). To find the effect of ion size, the effect due to water has been removed by calculating the change in ultrasonic velocity (dU), change in adiabatic compressibility (dβ), in acoustic impedance (dZ), in adiabatic bulk modulus (dK s ), and in relaxation strength (dr s ). Space filling factor and polarizability has been obtained from the refractive index data through Lorentz-Lorentz relation. FTIR studies confirm the formation of different quaternary salts of chitosan and their size (mass) effects which has been verified with Hooke's law. All the said properties vary both with ion size and concentration of different salts of chitosan. This investigation may throw some light on better usage of chitosan in biomedical applications. The detailed results are presented and discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Hierarchical structure observation and nanoindentation size effect characterization for a limnetic shell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Jingru; Fan, Cuncai; Ma, Hansong; Wei, Yueguang

    2015-06-01

    In the present research, hierarchical structure observation and mechanical property characterization for a type of biomaterial are carried out. The investigated biomaterial is Hyriopsis cumingii, a typical limnetic shell, which consists of two different structural layers, a prismatic "pillar" structure and a nacreous "brick and mortar" structure. The prismatic layer looks like a "pillar forest" with variation-section pillars sized on the order of several tens of microns. The nacreous material looks like a "brick wall" with bricks sized on the order of several microns. Both pillars and bricks are composed of nanoparticles. The mechanical properties of the hierarchical biomaterial are measured by using the nanoindentation test. Hardness and modulus are measured for both the nacre layer and the prismatic layer, respectively. The nanoindentation size effects for the hierarchical structural materials are investigated experimentally. The results show that the prismatic nanostructured material has a higher stiffness and hardness than the nacre nanostructured material. In addition, the nanoindentation size effects for the hierarchical structural materials are described theoretically, by using the trans-scale mechanics theory considering both strain gradient effect and the surface/interface effect. The modeling results are consistent with experimental ones.

  5. The effects of high intensity interval training on muscle size and quality in overweight and obese adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blue, Malia N M; Smith-Ryan, Abbie E; Trexler, Eric T; Hirsch, Katie R

    2018-02-01

    Despite growing popularity of high intensity interval training (HIIT) for improving health and fitness, limited data exist identifying the effects of HIIT on muscle characteristics. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effects of a 3-week HIIT intervention on muscle size and quality in overweight and obese men and women. Randomized controlled trial. Forty-four overweight and obese men and women (mean±SD; age: 35.4±12.3years; height: 174.9±9.7cm; weight: 94.6±17.0kg; %fat: 32.7±6.5%) completed the current study. During baseline and post testing, muscle cross sectional area (mCSA) and echo intensity (EI) were determined from a panoramic scan of the vastus lateralis obtained by B-mode ultrasonography. Body composition variables were measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Participants were randomized into either a 1:1 work-to-rest ratio HIIT group (SIT; n=16), a 2:1 work-to-rest ratio HIIT group (LIT; n=19), or control (CON; n=9). HIIT participants performed five, 2-min bouts (LIT) or 10, 1-min bouts (SIT) at 85-100% VO 2peak for 9 sessions over three weeks. Analysis of covariance demonstrated a significant increase in mCSA for SIT (p=0.038; change (Δ)=3.17±3.36cm 2 ) compared to CON (Δ=-0.34±2.36cm 2 ). There was no significant difference in EI across groups (p=0.672). HIIT may be an effective exercise modality to influence muscle size in overweight and obese individuals. Future studies should investigate muscle characteristics and remodeling in an overweight population following interventions of longer duration and varying work-to-rest protocols. Copyright © 2017 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Influence of grain size on the extraordinary Hall effect in magnetic granular alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Granovsky, Alexander B.; Kalitsov, Alan V.; Khanikaev, Alexander B.; Kioussis, Nicholas

    2003-01-01

    A quantum statistical theory of the influence of grain size on the residual extraordinary Hall effect (EHE) in magnetic metal-insulator granular alloys is presented. It is shown that under certain conditions the quasi-classical size-effect (QSE) can lead to similar behaviors of EHE in metal-metal and metal-insulator alloys. The possible dependences of EHE coefficient on the grain size and the role of the QSE in the giant EHE in nanocomposites are discussed

  7. Influence of grain size on the extraordinary Hall effect in magnetic granular alloys

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Granovsky, Alexander B. E-mail: granov@magn.ru; Kalitsov, Alan V.; Khanikaev, Alexander B.; Kioussis, Nicholas

    2003-03-01

    A quantum statistical theory of the influence of grain size on the residual extraordinary Hall effect (EHE) in magnetic metal-insulator granular alloys is presented. It is shown that under certain conditions the quasi-classical size-effect (QSE) can lead to similar behaviors of EHE in metal-metal and metal-insulator alloys. The possible dependences of EHE coefficient on the grain size and the role of the QSE in the giant EHE in nanocomposites are discussed.

  8. Effects of Community-Based Collaborative Group Characteristics on Social Capital

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagner, Cheryl L.; Fernandez-Gimenez, Maria E.

    2009-10-01

    Recent research suggests that community-based collaboration may build social capital—defined as trust, norms of reciprocity, and networks. Social capital may improve a group’s ability to collaborate, manage risk, innovate, and adapt to change. We used mail surveys of group participants and key informant interviews to assess whether the following collaborative group characteristics affected social capital built within 10 collaborative groups in northwest Colorado: perceived success, conflict, activeness, stakeholder diversity, previous collaboration experience, similar values and beliefs, group size, group age, and initial social capital. Perceived success and initial levels of social capital were the strongest predictors of current levels of and changes in social capital over time. Collaboration experience negatively influenced current levels of trust. Our results suggest that collaborative groups may need to consider the outcomes of collaborative interactions in order to build social capital.

  9. Effect Size Analyses of Souvenaid in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cummings, Jeffrey; Scheltens, Philip; McKeith, Ian; Blesa, Rafael; Harrison, John E.; Bertolucci, Paulo H.F.; Rockwood, Kenneth; Wilkinson, David; Wijker, Wouter; Bennett, David A.; Shah, Raj C.

    2016-01-01

    Background: Souvenaid® (uridine monophosphate, docosahexaenoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, choline, phospholipids, folic acid, vitamins B12, B6, C, and E, and selenium), was developed to support the formation and function of neuronal membranes. Objective: To determine effect sizes observed in clinical trials of Souvenaid and to calculate the number needed to treat to show benefit or harm. Methods: Data from all three reported randomized controlled trials of Souvenaid in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia (Souvenir I, Souvenir II, and S-Connect) and an open-label extension study were included in analyses of effect size for cognitive, functional, and behavioral outcomes. Effect size was determined by calculating Cohen’s d statistic (or Cramér’s V method for nominal data), number needed to treat and number needed to harm. Statistical calculations were performed for the intent-to-treat populations. Results: In patients with mild AD, effect sizes were 0.21 (95% confidence intervals: –0.06, 0.49) for the primary outcome in Souvenir II (neuropsychological test battery memory z-score) and 0.20 (0.10, 0.34) for the co-primary outcome of Souvenir I (Wechsler memory scale delayed recall). No effect was shown on cognition in patients with mild-to-moderate AD (S-Connect). The number needed to treat (6 and 21 for Souvenir I and II, respectively) and high number needed to harm values indicate a favorable harm:benefit ratio for Souvenaid versus control in patients with mild AD. Conclusions: The favorable safety profile and impact on outcome measures converge to corroborate the putative mode of action and demonstrate that Souvenaid can achieve clinically detectable effects in patients with early AD. PMID:27767993

  10. Effect of the Size of the Left Atrium on Sustained Sinus Rhythm in Patients Undergoing Mitral Valve Surgery and Concomitant Bipolar Radiofrequency Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avdagić, Harun; Sijerčić Avdagić, Selma; Pirić Avdagić, Melika; Antonič, Miha

    2017-12-01

    Atrial fibrillation is associated with systemic embolization and complications due to anticoagulant therapy. Radiofrequency ablation has been established as an effective and safe method for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the size of the left atrium on the outcome of surgical radiofrequency ablation. Forty patients scheduled for elective mitral valve surgery and radiofrequency ablation were enrolled in the study. Group 1 consisted of patients with a left atrium diameter ≤5 cm and group 2 of patients with left atrium diameter >5 cm. The primary endpoint of the study was stable sinus rhythm 6 months postoperatively. At 6 months postoperatively, sinus rhythm was present in significantly more group 1 patients as compared with group 2 patients, i.e. 15 (75%) vs. 8 (40%), p=0.025. Multivariate analysis proved the size of the left atrium to be an independent predictor of the radiofrequency ablation outcome. Accordingly, the size of the left atrium was demonstrated to be an important predictor of the outcome of radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation. A lower cut-off value of surgical reduction of the atria than previously reported should be considered in order to improve the radiofrequency ablation outcome.

  11. Effect of colour and relative product size (RPS) on consumer attitudes

    OpenAIRE

    Varsha Jain; Subhadip Roy; Adwita Pant

    2013-01-01

    Colour and visuals are used extensively by the advertisers of different product categories to attract consumer attention and create favourable attitude. Based on this premise, the present study aimed to explore the effect of colour and relative product size on the consumer attitudes incorporating the moderating role of product familiarity. An experimental design was used, with a sample size of 420 respondents of 18-25 years in a 3 (Product Size: Large/Med/Small) X 2 (Ad Colour: CL/BW) X 2 (Ge...

  12. Size and modality effects in Braille learning: Implications for the blind child from pre-reading sighted children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barlow-Brown, Fiona; Barker, Christopher; Harris, Margaret

    2018-06-17

    Beginning readers are typically introduced to enlarged print, and the size of this print decreases as readers become more fluent. In comparison, beginning blind readers are expected to learn standard-sized Braille from the outset because past research suggests letter knowledge cannot be transferred across different sizes of Braille. The study aims to investigate whether learning Braille using an oversized pegboard leads to faster, transferable, letter learning and whether performance is mediated by either tactile or visual learning. Sixty-eight children participated in the study. All children were sighted pre-readers with no previous knowledge of Braille. The children came from two nursery schools with an average age of 47.8 months. Children were taught specific Braille letters using either an enlarged pegboard or standard Braille. Two other groups of children were taught using visually presented Braille characters in either an enlarged or standard size and a further control group mirrored the experience of blind children in receiving non-specific tactile training prior to being introduced to Braille. In all tactile conditions it was ensured that the children did not visually experience any Braille for the duration of the study. Results demonstrated that initially training children with large Braille tactually led to the best subsequent learning of standard Braille. Despite the fact that both initial visual and large tactual learning were significantly faster than learning standard Braille, when transferring letter knowledge to standard tactile Braille, previous tactile experience with the large pegboard offered the most efficient route. Braille letter knowledge can be transferred across size and modality particularly effectively with large tactile Braille. This has significant implications for the education of blind children. © 2018 The British Psychological Society.

  13. Excitonic effects and related properties in semiconductor nanostructures: roles of size and dimensionality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Shudong; Cheng, Liwen; Wang, Qiang

    2017-08-01

    The size- and dimensionality-dependence of excitonic effects and related properties in semiconductor nanostructures are theoretically studied in detail within the effective-mass approximation. When nanostructure sizes become smaller than the bulk exciton Bohr radius, excitonic effects are significantly enhanced with reducing size or dimensionality. This is as a result of quantum confinement in more directions leading to larger exciton binding energies and normalized exciton oscillator strengths. These excitonic effects originate from electron-hole Coulombic interactions, which strongly enhance the oscillator strength between the electron and hole. It is also established that the universal scaling of exciton binding energy versus the inverse of the exciton Bohr radius follows a linear scaling law. Herein, we propose a stretched exponential law for the size scaling of optical gap, which is in good agreement with the calculated data. Due to differences in the confinement dimensionality, the radiative lifetime of low-dimensional excitons becomes shorter than that of bulk excitons. The size dependence of the exciton radiative lifetimes is in good agreement with available experimental data. This strongly enhanced electron-hole exchange interaction is expected in low-dimensional structures due to enriched excitonic effects. The main difference in nanostructures compared to the bulk can be interpreted in terms of the enhanced excitonic effects induced by exciton localization. The enhanced excitonic effects are expected to be of importance in developing stable and high-efficiency nanoscale excitonic optoelectronic devices.

  14. The effect of reducing alfalfa haylage particle size on cows in early lactation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kononoff, P J; Heinrichs, A J

    2003-04-01

    The objective of this experiment was to evaluate effects of reducing forage particle size on cows in early lactation based on measurements of the Penn State Particle Separator (PSPS). Eight cannulated, multiparous cows averaging 19 +/- 4 d in milk and 642 +/- 45 kg BW were assigned to one of two 4 x 4 Latin Squares. During each of the 23-d periods, animals were offered one of four diets, which were chemically identical but included alfalfa haylage of different particle size; short (SH), mostly short (MSH), mostly long (MLG), and long (LG). Physically effective neutral detergent fiber (peNDF) was determined by measuring the amount of neutral detergent fiber retained on a 1.18 mm screen and was similar across diets (25.7, 26.2, 26.4, 26.7%) but the amount of particles >19.0 mm significantly decreased with decreasing particle size. Reducing haylage particle size increased dry matter intake linearly (23.3, 22.0, 20.9, 20.8 kg for SH, MSH, MLG, LG, respectively). Milk production and percentage fat did not differ across treatments averaging 35.5 +/- 0.68 kg milk and 3.32 +/- 0.67% fat, while a quadratic effect was observed for percent milk protein, with lowest values being observed for LG. A quadratic effect was observed for mean rumen pH (6.04, 6.15, 6.13, 6.09), while A:P ratio decreased linearly (2.75, 2.86, 2.88, 2.92) with decreasing particle size. Total time ruminating increased quadratically (467, 498, 486, 468 min/d), while time eating decreased linearly (262, 253, 298, 287 min/d) with decreasing particle size. Both eating and ruminating per unit of neutral detergent fiber intake decreased with reducing particle size (35.8, 36.7, 44.9, 45.6 min/kg; 19.9, 23.6, 23.5, 23.5 min/kg). Although chewing activity was closely related to forage particle size, effects on rumen pH were small, indicating factors other than particle size are critical in regulating pH when ration neutral detergent fiber met recommended levels. Feeding alfalfa haylage based rations of reduced

  15. On the origin of the cobalt particle size effects in Fischer−Tropsch catalysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    den Breejen, J.P.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/304837318; Radstake, P.B.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/304829587; Bezemer, G.L.; Bitter, J.H.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/160581435; Froseth, V.; Holmen, A.; de Jong, K.P.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/06885580X

    2009-01-01

    The effects of metal particle size in catalysis are of prime scientific and industrial importance and call for a better understanding. In this paper the origin of the cobalt particle size effects in Fischer−Tropsch (FT) catalysis was studied. Steady-State Isotopic Transient Kinetic Analysis (SSITKA)

  16. Interaction between carbon fibers and polymer sizing: Influence of fiber surface chemistry and sizing reactivity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moosburger-Will, Judith; Bauer, Matthias; Laukmanis, Eva; Horny, Robert; Wetjen, Denise; Manske, Tamara; Schmidt-Stein, Felix; Töpker, Jochen; Horn, Siegfried

    2018-05-01

    Different aspects of the interaction of carbon fibers and epoxy-based polymer sizings are investigated, e.g. the wetting behavior, the strength of adhesion between fiber and sizing, and the thermal stability of the sizing layer. The influence of carbon fiber surface chemistry and sizing reactivity is investigated using fibers of different degree of anodic oxidation and sizings with different number of reactive epoxy groups per molecule. Wetting of the carbon fibers by the sizing dispersion is found to be specified by both, the degree of fiber activation and the sizing reactivity. In contrast, adhesion strength between fibers and sizing is dominated by the surface chemistry of the carbon fibers. Here, the number of surface oxygen groups seems to be the limiting factor. We also find that the sizing and the additional functionalities induced by anodic oxidation are removed by thermal treatment at 600 °C, leaving the carbon fiber in its original state after carbonization.

  17. The effect of laser unit on photodynamic therapy spot size.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ansari-Shahrezaei, Siamak; Binder, Susanne; Stur, Michael

    2011-01-01

    To determine the effect of the laser unit on photodynamic therapy (PDT) spot size. A calibrated Gullstrand-type model eye was used for this study. The axial length of the model eye was set to different values ranging from 22.2 to 27.0 mm, and the actual spot size from the laser console was recorded for treating a spot of 4 mm in the center of the artificial fundus using two different laser units (Coherent Opal laser; Coherent Inc, Santa Clara, California, USA and Zeiss Visulas laser; Carl Zeiss Meditec Inc, Dublin, California, USA) and two indirect contact laser lenses (Volk PDT laser lens and Volk Area Centralis lens; Volk Optical Inc, Mentor, Ohio, USA). From myopia to hyperopia, the total deviation from the intended spot size was -22.5% to -7.5% (Opal laser and PDT laser lens), and -17.5% to +2.5% (Visulas laser and PDT laser lens), -12.5% to +7.5% (Opal laser and Area Centralis lens), and -7.5% to +10% (Visulas laser and Area Centralis lens). The used laser unit has a significant effect on PDT spot size in this model. These findings may be important for optimizing PDT of choroidal neovascular lesions.

  18. Thermal and particle size distribution effects on the ferromagnetic resonance in magnetic fluids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marin, C.N.

    2006-01-01

    Thermal and particle size distribution effects on the ferromagnetic resonance of magnetic fluids were theoretically investigated, assuming negligible interparticle interactions and neglecting the viscosity of the carrier liquid. The model is based on the usual approach for the ferromagnetic resonance description of single-domain magnetic particle systems, which was amended in order to take into account the finite particle size effect, the particle size distribution and the orientation mobility of the particles within the magnetic fluid. Under these circumstances the shape of the resonance line, the resonance field and the line width are found to be strongly affected by the temperature and by the particle size distribution of magnetic fluids

  19. The effects of holistic health group interventions on improving the cognitive ability of persons with mild cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, Kim-wan; Ng, Petrus; Kwok, Timothy; Cheng, Daphne

    2017-01-01

    Purpose Persons with mild cognitive impairment (PwMCI) are at a higher risk of developing dementia than those without cognitive impairment. This research study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a holistic health group intervention, which is based on the holistic brain health approach as well as an Eastern approach to health care, on improving the cognitive ability of Chinese PwMCI. Research methods In a randomized controlled trial (RCT), 38 Chinese PwMCI were randomly assigned to either a 10-session holistic health intervention group or the control group. The holistic health treatment group attempted to promote the acceptance of their illness, enhance memory and coping skills, develop a positive lifestyle, maintain positive emotions, and facilitate emotional support among participants. The 10-session holistic health group intervention was structured, with each session conducted once per week and ~90 minutes in length. Control group patients and their family caregivers received standardized basic educational materials that provided basic information on cognitive decline for them to read at home. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test was used to assess the cognitive ability of PwMCI in the pre- and posttreatment periods by a research assistant who was blind to the group assignment of the participants. Results The paired-samples t-test indicated that the treatment group (n=18) showed significant improvement in the MoCA score, whereas the control group (n=20) did not. Moreover, 2×2 (group × time) repeated-measures analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) demonstrated that the holistic health group treatment was significantly more effective than the control intervention in improving the MoCA score, with a moderate effect size, and improving the delayed recall (ie, short-term memory), with a strong effect size, after controlling for age, sex, education, and marital status. Conclusion This present RCT provides evidence to support the feasibility and effectiveness of

  20. The effects of holistic health group interventions on improving the cognitive ability of persons with mild cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, Kim-Wan; Ng, Petrus; Kwok, Timothy; Cheng, Daphne

    2017-01-01

    Persons with mild cognitive impairment (PwMCI) are at a higher risk of developing dementia than those without cognitive impairment. This research study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a holistic health group intervention, which is based on the holistic brain health approach as well as an Eastern approach to health care, on improving the cognitive ability of Chinese PwMCI. In a randomized controlled trial (RCT), 38 Chinese PwMCI were randomly assigned to either a 10-session holistic health intervention group or the control group. The holistic health treatment group attempted to promote the acceptance of their illness, enhance memory and coping skills, develop a positive lifestyle, maintain positive emotions, and facilitate emotional support among participants. The 10-session holistic health group intervention was structured, with each session conducted once per week and ~90 minutes in length. Control group patients and their family caregivers received standardized basic educational materials that provided basic information on cognitive decline for them to read at home. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test was used to assess the cognitive ability of PwMCI in the pre- and posttreatment periods by a research assistant who was blind to the group assignment of the participants. The paired-samples t -test indicated that the treatment group (n=18) showed significant improvement in the MoCA score, whereas the control group (n=20) did not. Moreover, 2×2 (group × time) repeated-measures analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) demonstrated that the holistic health group treatment was significantly more effective than the control intervention in improving the MoCA score, with a moderate effect size, and improving the delayed recall (ie, short-term memory), with a strong effect size, after controlling for age, sex, education, and marital status. This present RCT provides evidence to support the feasibility and effectiveness of the holistic health group intervention in

  1. Adaptive evolution of body size subject to indirect effect in trophic cascade system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xin; Fan, Meng; Hao, Lina

    2017-09-01

    Trophic cascades represent a classic example of indirect effect and are wide-spread in nature. Their ecological impact are well established, but the evolutionary consequences have received even less theoretical attention. We theoretically and numerically investigate the trait (i.e., body size of consumer) evolution in response to indirect effect in a trophic cascade system. By applying the quantitative trait evolutionary theory and the adaptive dynamic theory, we formulate and explore two different types of eco-evolutionary resource-consumer-predator trophic cascade model. First, an eco-evolutionary model incorporating the rapid evolution is formulated to investigate the effect of rapid evolution of the consumer's body size, and to explore the impact of density-mediate indirect effect on the population dynamics and trait dynamics. Next, by employing the adaptive dynamic theory, a long-term evolutionary model of consumer body size is formulated to evaluate the effect of long-term evolution on the population dynamics and the effect of trait-mediate indirect effect. Those models admit rich dynamics that has not been observed yet in empirical studies. It is found that, both in the trait-mediated and density-mediated system, the body size of consumer in predator-consumer-resource interaction (indirect effect) evolves smaller than that in consumer-resource and predator-consumer interaction (direct effect). Moreover, in the density-mediated system, we found that the evolution of consumer body size contributes to avoiding consumer extinction (i.e., evolutionary rescue). The trait-mediate and density-mediate effects may produce opposite evolutionary response. This study suggests that the trophic cascade indirect effect affects consumer evolution, highlights a more comprehensive mechanistic understanding of the intricate interplay between ecological and evolutionary force. The modeling approaches provide avenue for study on indirect effects from an evolutionary perspective

  2. A closer look at the size of the gaze-liking effect: a preregistered replication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tipples, Jason; Pecchinenda, Anna

    2018-04-30

    This study is a direct replication of gaze-liking effect using the same design, stimuli and procedure. The gaze-liking effect describes the tendency for people to rate objects as more likeable when they have recently seen a person repeatedly gaze toward rather than away from the object. However, as subsequent studies show considerable variability in the size of this effect, we sampled a larger number of participants (N = 98) than the original study (N = 24) to gain a more precise estimate of the gaze-liking effect size. Our results indicate a much smaller standardised effect size (d z  = 0.02) than that of the original study (d z  = 0.94). Our smaller effect size was not due to general insensitivity to eye-gaze effects because the same sample showed a clear (d z  = 1.09) gaze-cuing effect - faster reaction times when eyes looked toward vs away from target objects. We discuss the implications of our findings for future studies wishing to study the gaze-liking effect.

  3. The Effect of Group Therapy With Transactional Analysis Approach on Emotional Intelligence, Executive Functions and Drug Dependency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forghani, Masoomeh; Ghanbari Hashem Abadi, Bahram Ali

    2016-06-01

    The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of group psychotherapy with transactional analysis (TA) approach on emotional intelligence (EI), executive functions and substance dependency among drug-addicts at rehabilitation centers in Mashhad city, Iran, in 2013. In this quasi-experimental study with pretest, posttest, case- control stages, 30 patients were selected from a rehabilitation center and randomly divided into two groups. The case group received 12 sessions of group psychotherapy with transactional analysis approach. Then the effects of independent variable (group psychotherapy with TA approach) on EI, executive function and drug dependency were assessed. The Bar-on test was used for EI, Stroop test for measuring executive function and morphine test, meth-amphetamines and B2 test for evaluating drug dependency. Data were analyzed using multifactorial covariance analysis, Levenes' analysis, MANCOVA, t-student and Pearson correlation coefficient tests t with SPSS software. Our results showed that group psychotherapy with the TA approach was effective in improving EI, executive functions and decreasing drug dependency (P addicts and prevents addiction recurrence by improving the coping capabilities and some mental functions of the subjects. However, there are some limitations regarding this study including follow-up duration and sample size.

  4. Size-effect features on the magnetothermopower of bismuth nanowires

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Condrea, E.; Nicorici, A.

    2011-01-01

    Full text: In this work we have studied the magnetic field dependence of the thermopower (TEP) and resistance of glass-coated Bi wires with diameter (d) from 100 nm to at 1.5 μm below 80 K. Nanowires have anomalously large values of the thermopower (+100 μV K.1) and relatively high effective resistivities, but their frequencies of SdH oscillations remain those of bulk Bi. The TEP stays positive in longitudinal magnetic fields up to 15 T, where the surface scattering of charge carriers is negligible. Our analysis shows that the anomalous thermopower has a diffusion origin and is a consequence of the microstructure rather than the result of the strong scattering of electrons by the wire walls. The intensities of field at which the size-effect features appear on the magnetothermopower curves correspond to a value at which the diameter of the hole cyclotron orbit equals d. Size-effect features were observed only for set of nanowires with d = 100-350 nm, where diffusion TEP is dominant. The contribution of the phonon-drag effect was observed in a wire with diameter larger than 400 nm and becomes dominant at diameter of 1 μm. (authors)

  5. Size-dependent nonlocal effects in plasmonic semiconductor particles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Maack, Johan Rosenkrantz; Mortensen, N. Asger; Wubs, Martijn

    2017-01-01

    Localized surface plasmons (LSP) in semiconductor particles are expected to exhibit spatial nonlocal response effects as the geometry enters the nanometer scale. To investigate these nonlocal effects, we apply the hydrodynamic model to nanospheres of two different semiconductor materials: intrinsic...... InSb and n-doped GaAs. Our results show that the semiconductors indeed display nonlocal effects, and that these effects are even more pronounced than in metals. In a 150 nm InSb particle at 300 K, the LSP frequency is blueshifted 35%, which is orders of magnitude larger than the blueshift in a metal...... particle of the same size. This property, together with their tunability, makes semiconductors a promising platform for experiments in nonlocal effects. Copyright (C)EPLA, 2017...

  6. Effect of pioglitazone versus insulin glargine on cardiac size, function, and measures of fluid retention in patients with type 2 diabetes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Groop Leif

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Both insulin and thiazolidinediones (TZDs are effective in the treatment of hyperglycaemia and amelioration of insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes but have side effects including weight gain and fluid retention. The use of TZDs has been further hampered by the risk of adverse cardiovascular events including heart failure. The present study evaluated the effect of pioglitazone or insulin glargine on cardiac function and size as well as on surrogate markers of fluid retention such as weight, haemoglobin and natriuretic peptides. Methods Thirty patients with inadequate glycaemic control on metformin and sulfonylurea were randomised to receive add-on therapy with insulin glargine or pioglitazone for 26 weeks. Echocardiographic data and blood samples were collected from the two groups before the start of the treatment and after 26 weeks. Left ventricular end-diastolic and left atrial end-systolic volumes were quantified, weight measured and blood samples analyzed. Results After 26 weeks of treatment, the changes in HbA1c, weight and haemoglobin were similar between the two groups. HDL increased significantly in the pioglitazone group. While there was an increase in natriuretic peptides in the pioglitazone group (NT-proBNP 11.4 ± 19.6 to 22.8 ± 44.0, p = 0.046, the difference between the treatment groups was not significant. Left ventricular end-diastolic volume increased by 11% and left atrial end-systolic volume by 17% in the pioglitazone group (Both, p Conclusion This randomised pilot-study showed that six-month treatment with pioglitazone induced significant increases in natriuretic peptides and alterations of cardiac size. These changes were not observed with insulin glargine, which also is known to induce fluid retention. Larger randomised trials are warranted to confirm these findings.

  7. Comparison of effects of diet versus exercise weight loss regimens on LDL and HDL particle size in obese adults

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Klempel Monica C

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Obesity is associated with an atherogenic lipid profile characterized by a predominance of small LDL and HDL particles. Weight loss, by dietary restriction or exercise, increases LDL particle size. Whether these interventions can augment HDL size in conjunction with LDL size remains unknown. Objective This study compared the effects of alternate day fasting (ADF, calorie restriction (CR, and endurance exercise on LDL and HDL particle size in overweight and obese subjects. Methods In a 12-week parallel-arm trial, adult subjects (n = 60 were randomized to 1 of 4 groups: 1 ADF (75% energy restriction for 24-h alternated with ad libitum feeding for 24-h, 2 CR (25% energy restriction every day, 3 exercise (moderate intensity training 3 x/week, or 4 control. Results Body weight was reduced (P P P P = 0.01 by ADF and CR. The proportion of small LDL particles decreased (P = 0.04 with ADF only, and the proportion of large HDL particles increased (P = 0.03 with exercise only. Conclusion These results indicate that dietary restriction increases LDL particle size, while endurance training augments HDL particle size, with minimal weight loss. None of these interventions concomitantly increased both LDL and HDL particle size, however.

  8. Finite-size effects for anisotropic bootstrap percolation : Logarithmic corrections

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Enter, Aernout C. D.; Hulshof, Tim

    In this note we analyse an anisotropic, two-dimensional bootstrap percolation model introduced by Gravner and Griffeath. We present upper and lower bounds on the finite-size effects. We discuss the similarities with the semi-oriented model introduced by Duarte.

  9. Finite-size effects for anisotropic bootstrap percolation: logerithmic corrections

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Enter, van A.C.D.; Hulshof, T.

    2007-01-01

    In this note we analyse an anisotropic, two-dimensional bootstrap percolation model introduced by Gravner and Griffeath. We present upper and lower bounds on the finite-size effects. We discuss the similarities with the semi-oriented model introduced by Duarte.

  10. Communication: Nucleation of water on ice nanograins: Size, charge, and quantum effects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marciante, Mathieu [Institut Lumière Matière, UMR5306 Université Lyon 1 – CNRS, Université de Lyon, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex (France); Calvo, Florent, E-mail: florent.calvo@ujf-grenoble.fr [Institut Lumière Matière, UMR5306 Université Lyon 1 – CNRS, Université de Lyon, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex (France); Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de Physique, Rue de La Piscine, Campus Saint Martin d’Hères, 38000 Grenoble (France)

    2015-05-07

    The sticking cross sections of water molecules on cold size-selected water clusters have been simulated using classical and quantum (path-integral) molecular dynamics trajectories under realistic conditions. The integrated cross sections for charged clusters show significant size effects with comparable trends as in experiments, as well as essentially no sign effect. Vibrational delocalization, although it contributes to enlarging the geometric cross sections, leads to a counter-intuitive decrease in the dynamical cross section obtained from the trajectories. These results are interpreted based on the apparent reduction in the effective interaction between the projectile and the target owing to zero-point effects.

  11. Communication: Nucleation of water on ice nanograins: Size, charge, and quantum effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marciante, Mathieu; Calvo, Florent

    2015-01-01

    The sticking cross sections of water molecules on cold size-selected water clusters have been simulated using classical and quantum (path-integral) molecular dynamics trajectories under realistic conditions. The integrated cross sections for charged clusters show significant size effects with comparable trends as in experiments, as well as essentially no sign effect. Vibrational delocalization, although it contributes to enlarging the geometric cross sections, leads to a counter-intuitive decrease in the dynamical cross section obtained from the trajectories. These results are interpreted based on the apparent reduction in the effective interaction between the projectile and the target owing to zero-point effects

  12. Rapid changes in the size of different functional organ and muscle groups during refueling in a long-distance migrating shorebird

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Piersma, T; Gudmundsson, GA; Lilliendahl, K; Gudmundsson, Gudmundur A.

    1999-01-01

    The adaptive value of size changes in different organ and muscle groups was studied in red knots (Calidris canutus islandica) in relation to their migration. Birds were sampled on five occasions: at arrival in Iceland in May 1994, two times during subsequent refueling, at departure toward, and on

  13. Material inertia and size effects in the Charpy V-notch test

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Desandre, D. A.; Benzerga, A. A.; Tvergaard, Viggo

    2004-01-01

    The effect of material inertia on the size dependence of the absorbed energy in the Charpy V-notch test is investigated. The material response is characterized by an elastic-viscoplastic constitutive relation for a porous plastic solid, with adiabatic heating due to plastic dissipation and the re......The effect of material inertia on the size dependence of the absorbed energy in the Charpy V-notch test is investigated. The material response is characterized by an elastic-viscoplastic constitutive relation for a porous plastic solid, with adiabatic heating due to plastic dissipation...

  14. Effect of laser spot size on energy balance in laser induced plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pant, H.C.; Sharma, S.; Bhawalkar, D.D.

    1980-01-01

    The effect of the laser spot size on laser light absorption in laser induced plasmas from solid targets was studied. It was found that at a constant laser intensity on the target, reduction in the laser spot size enhances the net laser energy absorption. It was also observed that the laser light reflection from the target becomes more diffused when the focal spot size is reduced

  15. [Asymmetric effect of in-group social values on identity with common-identity and common-bond in-groups].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakashima, Ken'ichiro; Isobe, Chikae; Toshihiko, Souma; Ura, Mitsuhiro

    2013-06-01

    Moderating effects of group type on the relationship between in-group social values and group identity were investigated. Previous research has indicated that values attached to the in-group, such as its status, privileges, and power, lead to increased group identity. However, these studies have not investigated the role of the type of in-groups on this effect. We conducted an experiment that manipulated the in-group type. In the common-identity type of in-group condition, formation of in- and out-groups on the basis of social categorization was established. In the common-bond type of in-group condition, interactions between the group members were conducted. Results indicated that in the former condition, the degree of in-group social values affected group identity; however, this effect was not found in the latter condition. These results suggest that social values of the in-group have an asymmetric effect on group identity, depending upon the in-group type as a common-identity or common-bond group.

  16. Analyzing ROC curves using the effective set-size model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samuelson, Frank W.; Abbey, Craig K.; He, Xin

    2018-03-01

    The Effective Set-Size model has been used to describe uncertainty in various signal detection experiments. The model regards images as if they were an effective number (M*) of searchable locations, where the observer treats each location as a location-known-exactly detection task with signals having average detectability d'. The model assumes a rational observer behaves as if he searches an effective number of independent locations and follows signal detection theory at each location. Thus the location-known-exactly detectability (d') and the effective number of independent locations M* fully characterize search performance. In this model the image rating in a single-response task is assumed to be the maximum response that the observer would assign to these many locations. The model has been used by a number of other researchers, and is well corroborated. We examine this model as a way of differentiating imaging tasks that radiologists perform. Tasks involving more searching or location uncertainty may have higher estimated M* values. In this work we applied the Effective Set-Size model to a number of medical imaging data sets. The data sets include radiologists reading screening and diagnostic mammography with and without computer-aided diagnosis (CAD), and breast tomosynthesis. We developed an algorithm to fit the model parameters using two-sample maximum-likelihood ordinal regression, similar to the classic bi-normal model. The resulting model ROC curves are rational and fit the observed data well. We find that the distributions of M* and d' differ significantly among these data sets, and differ between pairs of imaging systems within studies. For example, on average tomosynthesis increased readers' d' values, while CAD reduced the M* parameters. We demonstrate that the model parameters M* and d' are correlated. We conclude that the Effective Set-Size model may be a useful way of differentiating location uncertainty from the diagnostic uncertainty in medical

  17. Simple and cost-effective fabrication of size-tunable zinc oxide architectures by multiple size reduction technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hyeong-Ho Park, Xin Zhang, Seon-Yong Hwang, Sang Hyun Jung, Semin Kang, Hyun-Beom Shin, Ho Kwan Kang, Hyung-Ho Park, Ross H Hill and Chul Ki Ko

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available We present a simple size reduction technique for fabricating 400 nm zinc oxide (ZnO architectures using a silicon master containing only microscale architectures. In this approach, the overall fabrication, from the master to the molds and the final ZnO architectures, features cost-effective UV photolithography, instead of electron beam lithography or deep-UV photolithography. A photosensitive Zn-containing sol–gel precursor was used to imprint architectures by direct UV-assisted nanoimprint lithography (UV-NIL. The resulting Zn-containing architectures were then converted to ZnO architectures with reduced feature sizes by thermal annealing at 400 °C for 1 h. The imprinted and annealed ZnO architectures were also used as new masters for the size reduction technique. ZnO pillars of 400 nm diameter were obtained from a silicon master with pillars of 1000 nm diameter by simply repeating the size reduction technique. The photosensitivity and contrast of the Zn-containing precursor were measured as 6.5 J cm−2 and 16.5, respectively. Interesting complex ZnO patterns, with both microscale pillars and nanoscale holes, were demonstrated by the combination of dose-controlled UV exposure and a two-step UV-NIL.

  18. Simple and cost-effective fabrication of size-tunable zinc oxide architectures by multiple size reduction technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Hyeong-Ho; Hwang, Seon-Yong; Jung, Sang Hyun; Kang, Semin; Shin, Hyun-Beom; Kang, Ho Kwan; Ko, Chul Ki; Zhang Xin; Hill, Ross H; Park, Hyung-Ho

    2012-01-01

    We present a simple size reduction technique for fabricating 400 nm zinc oxide (ZnO) architectures using a silicon master containing only microscale architectures. In this approach, the overall fabrication, from the master to the molds and the final ZnO architectures, features cost-effective UV photolithography, instead of electron beam lithography or deep-UV photolithography. A photosensitive Zn-containing sol–gel precursor was used to imprint architectures by direct UV-assisted nanoimprint lithography (UV-NIL). The resulting Zn-containing architectures were then converted to ZnO architectures with reduced feature sizes by thermal annealing at 400 °C for 1 h. The imprinted and annealed ZnO architectures were also used as new masters for the size reduction technique. ZnO pillars of 400 nm diameter were obtained from a silicon master with pillars of 1000 nm diameter by simply repeating the size reduction technique. The photosensitivity and contrast of the Zn-containing precursor were measured as 6.5 J cm −2 and 16.5, respectively. Interesting complex ZnO patterns, with both microscale pillars and nanoscale holes, were demonstrated by the combination of dose-controlled UV exposure and a two-step UV-NIL.

  19. Predictors of Citation Rate in Psychology: Inconclusive Influence of Effect and Sample Size.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanel, Paul H P; Haase, Jennifer

    2017-01-01

    In the present article, we investigate predictors of how often a scientific article is cited. Specifically, we focus on the influence of two often neglected predictors of citation rate: effect size and sample size, using samples from two psychological topical areas. Both can be considered as indicators of the importance of an article and post hoc (or observed) statistical power, and should, especially in applied fields, predict citation rates. In Study 1, effect size did not have an influence on citation rates across a topical area, both with and without controlling for numerous variables that have been previously linked to citation rates. In contrast, sample size predicted citation rates, but only while controlling for other variables. In Study 2, sample and partly effect sizes predicted citation rates, indicating that the relations vary even between scientific topical areas. Statistically significant results had more citations in Study 2 but not in Study 1. The results indicate that the importance (or power) of scientific findings may not be as strongly related to citation rate as is generally assumed.

  20. Body size distribution of the dinosaurs.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eoin J O'Gorman

    Full Text Available The distribution of species body size is critically important for determining resource use within a group or clade. It is widely known that non-avian dinosaurs were the largest creatures to roam the Earth. There is, however, little understanding of how maximum species body size was distributed among the dinosaurs. Do they share a similar distribution to modern day vertebrate groups in spite of their large size, or did they exhibit fundamentally different distributions due to unique evolutionary pressures and adaptations? Here, we address this question by comparing the distribution of maximum species body size for dinosaurs to an extensive set of extant and extinct vertebrate groups. We also examine the body size distribution of dinosaurs by various sub-groups, time periods and formations. We find that dinosaurs exhibit a strong skew towards larger species, in direct contrast to modern day vertebrates. This pattern is not solely an artefact of bias in the fossil record, as demonstrated by contrasting distributions in two major extinct groups and supports the hypothesis that dinosaurs exhibited a fundamentally different life history strategy to other terrestrial vertebrates. A disparity in the size distribution of the herbivorous Ornithischia and Sauropodomorpha and the largely carnivorous Theropoda suggests that this pattern may have been a product of a divergence in evolutionary strategies: herbivorous dinosaurs rapidly evolved large size to escape predation by carnivores and maximise digestive efficiency; carnivores had sufficient resources among juvenile dinosaurs and non-dinosaurian prey to achieve optimal success at smaller body size.

  1. Body size distribution of the dinosaurs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Gorman, Eoin J; Hone, David W E

    2012-01-01

    The distribution of species body size is critically important for determining resource use within a group or clade. It is widely known that non-avian dinosaurs were the largest creatures to roam the Earth. There is, however, little understanding of how maximum species body size was distributed among the dinosaurs. Do they share a similar distribution to modern day vertebrate groups in spite of their large size, or did they exhibit fundamentally different distributions due to unique evolutionary pressures and adaptations? Here, we address this question by comparing the distribution of maximum species body size for dinosaurs to an extensive set of extant and extinct vertebrate groups. We also examine the body size distribution of dinosaurs by various sub-groups, time periods and formations. We find that dinosaurs exhibit a strong skew towards larger species, in direct contrast to modern day vertebrates. This pattern is not solely an artefact of bias in the fossil record, as demonstrated by contrasting distributions in two major extinct groups and supports the hypothesis that dinosaurs exhibited a fundamentally different life history strategy to other terrestrial vertebrates. A disparity in the size distribution of the herbivorous Ornithischia and Sauropodomorpha and the largely carnivorous Theropoda suggests that this pattern may have been a product of a divergence in evolutionary strategies: herbivorous dinosaurs rapidly evolved large size to escape predation by carnivores and maximise digestive efficiency; carnivores had sufficient resources among juvenile dinosaurs and non-dinosaurian prey to achieve optimal success at smaller body size.

  2. Body Size Distribution of the Dinosaurs

    Science.gov (United States)

    O’Gorman, Eoin J.; Hone, David W. E.

    2012-01-01

    The distribution of species body size is critically important for determining resource use within a group or clade. It is widely known that non-avian dinosaurs were the largest creatures to roam the Earth. There is, however, little understanding of how maximum species body size was distributed among the dinosaurs. Do they share a similar distribution to modern day vertebrate groups in spite of their large size, or did they exhibit fundamentally different distributions due to unique evolutionary pressures and adaptations? Here, we address this question by comparing the distribution of maximum species body size for dinosaurs to an extensive set of extant and extinct vertebrate groups. We also examine the body size distribution of dinosaurs by various sub-groups, time periods and formations. We find that dinosaurs exhibit a strong skew towards larger species, in direct contrast to modern day vertebrates. This pattern is not solely an artefact of bias in the fossil record, as demonstrated by contrasting distributions in two major extinct groups and supports the hypothesis that dinosaurs exhibited a fundamentally different life history strategy to other terrestrial vertebrates. A disparity in the size distribution of the herbivorous Ornithischia and Sauropodomorpha and the largely carnivorous Theropoda suggests that this pattern may have been a product of a divergence in evolutionary strategies: herbivorous dinosaurs rapidly evolved large size to escape predation by carnivores and maximise digestive efficiency; carnivores had sufficient resources among juvenile dinosaurs and non-dinosaurian prey to achieve optimal success at smaller body size. PMID:23284818

  3. Size effects on magnetoelectric response of multiferroic composite with inhomogeneities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yue, Y.M. [Shanghai Institute of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mechanics in Energy Engineering, Department of Mechanics, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200072 (China); Xu, K.Y., E-mail: kyxu@shu.edu.cn [Shanghai Institute of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mechanics in Energy Engineering, Department of Mechanics, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200072 (China); Chen, T. [Shanghai Institute of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mechanics in Energy Engineering, Department of Mechanics, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200072 (China); Aifantis, E.C. [Laboratory of Mechanics and Materials (LMM), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki GR-54124 (Greece); Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931 (United States); King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589 (Saudi Arabia); School of Mechanics and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031 (China); International Laboratory for Modern Functional Materials, ITMO University, St. Petersburg 191002 (Russian Federation)

    2015-12-01

    This paper investigates the influence of size effects on the magnetoelectric performance of multiferroic composite with inhomogeneities. Based on a simple model of gradient elasticity for multiferroic materials, the governing equations and boundary conditions are obtained from an energy variational principle. The general formulation is applied to consider an anti-plane problem of multiferroic composites with inhomogeneities. This problem is solved analytically and the effective magnetoelectric coefficient is obtained. The influence of the internal length (grain size or particle size) on the effective magnetoelectric coefficients of piezoelectric/piezomagnetic nanoscale fibrous composite is numerically evaluated and analyzed. The results suggest that with the increase of the internal length of piezoelectric matrix (PZT and BaTiO{sub 3}), the magnetoelectric coefficient increases, but the rate of increase is ratcheting downwards. If the internal length of piezoelectric matrix remains unchanged, the magnetoelectric coefficient will decrease with the increase of internal length scale of piezomagnetic nonfiber (CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 3}). In a composite consisiting of a piezomagnetic matrix (CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 3}) reinforced with piezoelectric nanofibers (BaTiO{sub 3}), an increase of the internal length in the piezomagnetic matrix, results to a decrease of the magnetoelectric coefficient, with the rate of decrease diminishing.

  4. Size effects on magnetoelectric response of multiferroic composite with inhomogeneities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yue, Y. M.; Xu, K. Y.; Chen, T.; Aifantis, E. C.

    2015-12-01

    This paper investigates the influence of size effects on the magnetoelectric performance of multiferroic composite with inhomogeneities. Based on a simple model of gradient elasticity for multiferroic materials, the governing equations and boundary conditions are obtained from an energy variational principle. The general formulation is applied to consider an anti-plane problem of multiferroic composites with inhomogeneities. This problem is solved analytically and the effective magnetoelectric coefficient is obtained. The influence of the internal length (grain size or particle size) on the effective magnetoelectric coefficients of piezoelectric/piezomagnetic nanoscale fibrous composite is numerically evaluated and analyzed. The results suggest that with the increase of the internal length of piezoelectric matrix (PZT and BaTiO3), the magnetoelectric coefficient increases, but the rate of increase is ratcheting downwards. If the internal length of piezoelectric matrix remains unchanged, the magnetoelectric coefficient will decrease with the increase of internal length scale of piezomagnetic nonfiber (CoFe2O3). In a composite consisiting of a piezomagnetic matrix (CoFe2O3) reinforced with piezoelectric nanofibers (BaTiO3), an increase of the internal length in the piezomagnetic matrix, results to a decrease of the magnetoelectric coefficient, with the rate of decrease diminishing.

  5. Undersampling power-law size distributions: effect on the assessment of extreme natural hazards

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geist, Eric L.; Parsons, Thomas E.

    2014-01-01

    The effect of undersampling on estimating the size of extreme natural hazards from historical data is examined. Tests using synthetic catalogs indicate that the tail of an empirical size distribution sampled from a pure Pareto probability distribution can range from having one-to-several unusually large events to appearing depleted, relative to the parent distribution. Both of these effects are artifacts caused by limited catalog length. It is more difficult to diagnose the artificially depleted empirical distributions, since one expects that a pure Pareto distribution is physically limited in some way. Using maximum likelihood methods and the method of moments, we estimate the power-law exponent and the corner size parameter of tapered Pareto distributions for several natural hazard examples: tsunamis, floods, and earthquakes. Each of these examples has varying catalog lengths and measurement thresholds, relative to the largest event sizes. In many cases where there are only several orders of magnitude between the measurement threshold and the largest events, joint two-parameter estimation techniques are necessary to account for estimation dependence between the power-law scaling exponent and the corner size parameter. Results indicate that whereas the corner size parameter of a tapered Pareto distribution can be estimated, its upper confidence bound cannot be determined and the estimate itself is often unstable with time. Correspondingly, one cannot statistically reject a pure Pareto null hypothesis using natural hazard catalog data. Although physical limits to the hazard source size and by attenuation mechanisms from source to site constrain the maximum hazard size, historical data alone often cannot reliably determine the corner size parameter. Probabilistic assessments incorporating theoretical constraints on source size and propagation effects are preferred over deterministic assessments of extreme natural hazards based on historic data.

  6. Size effects on negative thermal expansion in cubic ScF{sub 3}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, C.; Guo, X. G.; Zhang, K. [Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China); University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026 (China); Tong, P., E-mail: tongpeng@issp.ac.cn; Lin, J. C.; Wang, M.; Wu, Y.; Lin, S.; Xu, W.; Song, W. H. [Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China); Huang, P. C. [University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026 (China); High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China); Sun, Y. P., E-mail: ypsun@issp.ac.cn [Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China); High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China); Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China)

    2016-07-11

    Scandium trifluoride (ScF{sub 3}), adopting a cubic ReO{sub 3}-type structure at ambient pressure, undergoes a pronounced negative thermal expansion (NTE) over a wide range of temperatures (10 K–1100 K). Here, we report the size effects on the NTE properties of ScF{sub 3}. The magnitude of NTE is reduced with diminishing the crystal size. As revealed by the specific heat measurement, the low-energy phonon vibrations which account for the NTE behavior are stiffened as the crystal size decreases. With decreasing the crystal size, the peaks in high-energy X-ray pair distribution function (PDF) become broad, which cannot be illuminated by local symmetry breaking. Instead, the broadened PDF peaks are strongly indicative of enhanced atomic displacements which are suggested to be responsible for the stiffening of NTE-related lattice vibrations. The present study suggests that the NTE properties of ReO{sub 3}-type and other open-framework materials can be effectively adjusted by controlling the crystal size.

  7. Children's accuracy of portion size estimation using digital food images: effects of interface design and size of image on computer screen.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baranowski, Tom; Baranowski, Janice C; Watson, Kathleen B; Martin, Shelby; Beltran, Alicia; Islam, Noemi; Dadabhoy, Hafza; Adame, Su-heyla; Cullen, Karen; Thompson, Debbe; Buday, Richard; Subar, Amy

    2011-03-01

    To test the effect of image size and presence of size cues on the accuracy of portion size estimation by children. Children were randomly assigned to seeing images with or without food size cues (utensils and checked tablecloth) and were presented with sixteen food models (foods commonly eaten by children) in varying portion sizes, one at a time. They estimated each food model's portion size by selecting a digital food image. The same food images were presented in two ways: (i) as small, graduated portion size images all on one screen or (ii) by scrolling across large, graduated portion size images, one per sequential screen. Laboratory-based with computer and food models. Volunteer multi-ethnic sample of 120 children, equally distributed by gender and ages (8 to 13 years) in 2008-2009. Average percentage of correctly classified foods was 60·3 %. There were no differences in accuracy by any design factor or demographic characteristic. Multiple small pictures on the screen at once took half the time to estimate portion size compared with scrolling through large pictures. Larger pictures had more overestimation of size. Multiple images of successively larger portion sizes of a food on one computer screen facilitated quicker portion size responses with no decrease in accuracy. This is the method of choice for portion size estimation on a computer.

  8. Brain response to food cues varying in portion size is associated with individual differences in the portion size effect in children

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Keller, Kathleen L.; English, Laural K.; Fearnbach, S.N.; Lasschuijt, Marlou; Anderson, Kaitlin; Bermudez, Maria; Fisher, Jennifer O.; Rolls, Barbara J.; Wilson, Stephen J.

    2018-01-01

    Large portions promote intake of energy dense foods (i.e., the portion size effect–PSE), but the neurobiological drivers of this effect are not known. We tested the association between blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) brain response to food images varied by portion size (PS) and energy density

  9. Size effect related to damping caused by water submersion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dong, R.G.

    1981-01-01

    An important effect of water submersion on the dynamic response of a structure is the increase in effective damping. The dynamic response of submerged structures is of interest in the nuclear power industry for reasons of operational safety during seismic and other dynamic excitations. In this paper, the added damping contribution that results from the viscosity of water and the dependence of the contribution on structural size are examined. Other factors considered are the applicable range of viscous damping with respect to displacement amplitude and, as far as damping is concerned, how far neighboring members must be from each other to respond as if in open water. An expression is derived for relating the damping value to structural size. Estimated added-damping values for representative fuel elements, fuel bundles, and main steam-pressure-relief-valve lines are given based on our derived expression for added damping

  10. Analyzing repeated measures data on individuals nested within groups: accounting for dynamic group effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bauer, Daniel J; Gottfredson, Nisha C; Dean, Danielle; Zucker, Robert A

    2013-03-01

    Researchers commonly collect repeated measures on individuals nested within groups such as students within schools, patients within treatment groups, or siblings within families. Often, it is most appropriate to conceptualize such groups as dynamic entities, potentially undergoing stochastic structural and/or functional changes over time. For instance, as a student progresses through school, more senior students matriculate while more junior students enroll, administrators and teachers may turn over, and curricular changes may be introduced. What it means to be a student within that school may thus differ from 1 year to the next. This article demonstrates how to use multilevel linear models to recover time-varying group effects when analyzing repeated measures data on individuals nested within groups that evolve over time. Two examples are provided. The 1st example examines school effects on the science achievement trajectories of students, allowing for changes in school effects over time. The 2nd example concerns dynamic family effects on individual trajectories of externalizing behavior and depression. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

  11. Roles of participation and feedback in group potency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gamero, Nuria; Peiró, José M; Zornoza, Ana; Picazo, Carmen

    2009-08-01

    The roles of group participation and group performance feedback were examined as antecedents of group potency, i.e., beliefs shared among a work group's members about the general effectiveness of the work group. Also examined were how group participation and the congruence of the feedback received from different sources about performance predicted convergence in members' beliefs about group effectiveness. The sample comprised 61 work groups of professionals involved in Master in Business Administration (MBA) programs (284 participants). Mean group size was 4.6 members (SD = .58). 65% of participants were male, and 51% were between 30 and 40 years of age. Data were gathered at two measurement times. Increases in group participation were positively related to increases in group potency and the convergence in beliefs about group effectiveness among group members over time. Results supported the premise that group performance feedback is an antecedent of changes in group potency over time.

  12. Effects of primary and secondary morphological family size in monolingual and bilingual word processing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mulder, K.; Dijkstra, A.F.J.; Schreuder, R.; Baayen, Harald

    2014-01-01

    This study investigated primary and secondary morphological family size effects in monolingual and bilingual processing, combining experimentation with computational modeling. Family size effects were investigated in an English lexical decision task for Dutch-English bilinguals and English

  13. Effect of particle size on mixing degree in dispensation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakamura, Hitoshi; Yanagihara, Yoshitsugu; Sekiguchi, Hiroko; Ohtani, Michiteru; Kariya, Satoru; Uchino, Katsuyoshi; Suzuki, Hiroshi; Iga, Tatsuji

    2004-03-01

    By using lactose colored with erythrocin, we examined the effect of particle size on mixing degree during the preparation of triturations with a mortar and pestle. We used powders with different distributions of particle sizes, i.e., powder that passed through 32-mesh but was trapped on a 42-mesh sieve (32/42-mesh powder), powder that passed through a 42-mesh sieve but was trapped on a 60-mesh sieve (42/60-mesh powder), powder that passed through a 60-mesh sieve but was trapped on a 100-mesh sieve (60/100-mesh powder), and powder that passes through a 100-mesh sieve (> 100-mesh powder). The mixing degree of colored powder and non-colored powder whose distribution of particle sizes was the same as that of the colored powder was excellent. The coefficient of variation (CV) value of the mixing degree was 6.08% after 40 rotations when colored powder was mixed with non-colored powder that both passed through a 100-mesh sieve. The CV value of the mixing degree was low in the case of mixing of colored and non-colored powders with different particle size distributions. After mixing, about 50% of 42/60-mesh powder had become smaller particles, whereas the distribution of particle sizes was not influenced by the mixing of 60/100-mesh powder. It was suggested that the mixing degree is affected by distribution of particle sizes. It may be important to determine the mixing degrees for drugs with narrow therapeutic ranges.

  14. Estimation of the ancestral effective population sizes of African great apes under different selection regimes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schrago, Carlos G

    2014-08-01

    Reliable estimates of ancestral effective population sizes are necessary to unveil the population-level phenomena that shaped the phylogeny and molecular evolution of the African great apes. Although several methods have previously been applied to infer ancestral effective population sizes, an analysis of the influence of the selective regime on the estimates of ancestral demography has not been thoroughly conducted. In this study, three independent data sets under different selective regimes were used were composed to tackle this issue. The results showed that selection had a significant impact on the estimates of ancestral effective population sizes of the African great apes. The inference of the ancestral demography of African great apes was affected by the selection regime. The effects, however, were not homogeneous along the ancestral populations of great apes. The effective population size of the ancestor of humans and chimpanzees was more impacted by the selection regime when compared to the same parameter in the ancestor of humans, chimpanzees and gorillas. Because the selection regime influenced the estimates of ancestral effective population size, it is reasonable to assume that a portion of the discrepancy found in previous studies that inferred the ancestral effective population size may be attributable to the differential action of selection on the genes sampled.

  15. The effect of nanocrystalline magnetite size on arsenic removal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J.T. Mayo et al

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Higher environmental standards have made the removal of arsenic from water an important problem for environmental engineering. Iron oxide is a particularly interesting sorbent to consider for this application. Its magnetic properties allow relatively routine dispersal and recovery of the adsorbent into and from groundwater or industrial processing facilities; in addition, iron oxide has strong and specific interactions with both As(III and As(V. Finally, this material can be produced with nanoscale dimensions, which enhance both its capacity and removal. The objective of this study is to evaluate the potential arsenic adsorption by nanoscale iron oxides, specifically magnetite (Fe3O4 nanoparticles. We focus on the effect of Fe3O4 particle size on the adsorption and desorption behavior of As(III and As(V. The results show that the nanoparticle size has a dramatic effect on the adsorption and desorption of arsenic. As particle size is decreased from 300 to 12 nm the adsorption capacities for both As(III and As(V increase nearly 200 times. Interestingly, such an increase is more than expected from simple considerations of surface area and suggests that nanoscale iron oxide materials sorb arsenic through different means than bulk systems. The desorption process, however, exhibits some hysteresis with the effect becoming more pronounced with small nanoparticles. This hysteresis most likely results from a higher arsenic affinity for Fe3O4 nanoparticles. This work suggests that Fe3O4 nanocrystals and magnetic separations offer a promising method for arsenic removal.

  16. Cognitive effects of two nutraceuticals Ginseng and Bacopa benchmarked against modafinil: a review and comparison of effect sizes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neale, Chris; Camfield, David; Reay, Jonathon; Stough, Con; Scholey, Andrew

    2013-01-01

    Over recent years there has been increasing research into both pharmaceutical and nutraceutical cognition enhancers. Here we aimed to calculate the effect sizes of positive cognitive effect of the pharmaceutical modafinil in order to benchmark the effect of two widely used nutraceuticals Ginseng and Bacopa (which have consistent acute and chronic cognitive effects, respectively). A search strategy was implemented to capture clinical studies into the neurocognitive effects of modafinil, Ginseng and Bacopa. Studies undertaken on healthy human subjects using a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled design were included. For each study where appropriate data were included, effect sizes (Cohen's d) were calculated for measures showing significant positive and negative effects of treatment over placebo. The highest effect sizes for cognitive outcomes were 0.77 for modafinil (visuospatial memory accuracy), 0.86 for Ginseng (simple reaction time) and 0.95 for Bacopa (delayed word recall). These data confirm that neurocognitive enhancement from well characterized nutraceuticals can produce cognition enhancing effects of similar magnitude to those from pharmaceutical interventions. Future research should compare these effects directly in clinical trials. PMID:23043278

  17. Asteroid collisional history - Effects on sizes and spins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Davis, D.R.; Weidenschilling, S.J.; Farinella, P.; Paolicchi, P.; Binzel, R.P.

    1989-01-01

    The effects of asteroid collisional history on sizes and spins of present-day objects are discussed. Collisional evolution studies indicate that collisions have altered the spin-rates of small bodies, but that the largest asteroids may have retained their primordial rotation rates. Most asteroids larger than 100 km diam have probably been shattered, but have gravitationally recaptured their fragments to form a rubble-pile structure. Large angular momentum asteroids appear to have Maclaurian spheroidal or Jacobi-ellipsoid-like shapes; some of them may have fissioned into binaries. An integrated size and spin collisional evolution model is presented, with two critical parameters: one which determines the spin rates for small fragments resulting from a shattering collision, and the other determines the fraction of impact angular momentum that is retained by the target. 36 refs

  18. Scintigraphic evaluation of coronary thrombolysis with urokinase using /sup 201/Tl-emission computed tomography. Effect on infarct size

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kambara, Hirofumi; Tamaki, Shunichi; Kadota, Kazunori; Nohara, Takashi; Suzuki, Yukisono; Tamaki, Nagara; Torizuka, Kanji; Kawai, Chuichi [Kyoto Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Medicine

    1984-09-01

    Twenty-seven patients with first acute myocardial infarction were evaluated by serial determination of creatine kinase (CK) and thallium-201 myocardial emission computed tomography (ECT) performed four weeks after infarction. Total release of CK-MB and peak CK-MB had a linear correlation with infarct volume calculated by ECT, but a different relationship was found in between patients with successful coronary thrombolysis and those without. The former group of patients had an earlier peak of CK-MB and larger release of the cardiac enzyme comparative to infarct volume than the latter group. In 28 cases with proximal occlusion of the anterior descending coronary artery ECT-infarct volume was smaller with ealier recanalization within 10 hours after onset of infarction and, therefore, the time delay of recanalization may be allowed up to 10 hours. In conclusion, early coronary recanalization is an effective method to limit infarct size and time limit may be up to 10 hours after onset of infarction. But enzymatic calculation of infarct size should be modified when early coronary recanalization was expected.

  19. Environmental, biological and anthropogenic effects on grizzly bear body size: temporal and spatial considerations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nielsen, Scott E; Cattet, Marc R L; Boulanger, John; Cranston, Jerome; McDermid, Greg J; Shafer, Aaron B A; Stenhouse, Gordon B

    2013-09-08

    Individual body growth is controlled in large part by the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of, and competition for, resources. Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos L.) are an excellent species for studying the effects of resource heterogeneity and maternal effects (i.e. silver spoon) on life history traits such as body size because their habitats are highly variable in space and time. Here, we evaluated influences on body size of grizzly bears in Alberta, Canada by testing six factors that accounted for spatial and temporal heterogeneity in environments during maternal, natal and 'capture' (recent) environments. After accounting for intrinsic biological factors (age, sex), we examined how body size, measured in mass, length and body condition, was influenced by: (a) population density; (b) regional habitat productivity; (c) inter-annual variability in productivity (including silver spoon effects); (d) local habitat quality; (e) human footprint (disturbances); and (f) landscape change. We found sex and age explained the most variance in body mass, condition and length (R(2) from 0.48-0.64). Inter-annual variability in climate the year before and of birth (silver spoon effects) had detectable effects on the three-body size metrics (R(2) from 0.04-0.07); both maternal (year before birth) and natal (year of birth) effects of precipitation and temperature were related with body size. Local heterogeneity in habitat quality also explained variance in body mass and condition (R(2) from 0.01-0.08), while annual rate of landscape change explained additional variance in body length (R(2) of 0.03). Human footprint and population density had no observed effect on body size. These results illustrated that body size patterns of grizzly bears, while largely affected by basic biological characteristics (age and sex), were also influenced by regional environmental gradients the year before, and of, the individual's birth thus illustrating silver spoon effects. The magnitude of the silver

  20. The effect of size on the oxygen electroreduction activity of mass-selected platinum nanoparticles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pérez Alonso, Francisco; McCarthy, David N; Nierhoff, Anders

    2012-01-01

    A matter of size: The particle size effect on the activity of the oxygen reduction reaction of size-selected platinum clusters was studied. The ORR activity decreased with decreasing Pt nanoparticle size, corresponding to a decrease in the fraction of terraces on the surfaces of the Pt nanopartic...

  1. The Effect of Size on the Oxygen Electroreduction Activity of Mass‐Selected Platinum Nanoparticles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pérez Alonso, Francisco; McCarthy, David Norman; Nierhoff, Anders Ulrik Fregerslev

    2012-01-01

    A matter of size: The particle size effect on the activity of the oxygen reduction reaction of size-selected platinum clusters was studied. The ORR activity decreased with decreasing Pt nanoparticle size, corresponding to a decrease in the fraction of terraces on the surfaces of the Pt nanopartic...

  2. Effect of small mapping population sizes on reliability of quantitative ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A limitation of quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping is that accuracy of determining QTL position and effects are largely determined by population size. Despite the importance of this concept, known as the "Beavis effect there has generally been a lack of understanding by molecular geneticists and breeders. One possible ...

  3. A review of the findings and theories on surface size effects on visual attention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peschel, Anne O; Orquin, Jacob L

    2013-12-09

    That surface size has an impact on attention has been well-known in advertising research for almost a century; however, theoretical accounts of this effect have been sparse. To address this issue, we review studies on surface size effects on eye movements in this paper. While most studies find that large objects are more likely to be fixated, receive more fixations, and are fixated faster than small objects, a comprehensive explanation of this effect is still lacking. To bridge the theoretical gap, we relate the findings from this review to three theories of surface size effects suggested in the literature: a linear model based on the assumption of random fixations (Lohse, 1997), a theory of surface size as visual saliency (Pieters etal., 2007), and a theory based on competition for attention (CA; Janiszewski, 1998). We furthermore suggest a fourth model - demand for attention - which we derive from the theory of CA by revising the underlying model assumptions. In order to test the models against each other, we reanalyze data from an eye tracking study investigating surface size and saliency effects on attention. The reanalysis revealed little support for the first three theories while the demand for attention model showed a much better alignment with the data. We conclude that surface size effects may best be explained as an increase in object signal strength which depends on object size, number of objects in the visual scene, and object distance to the center of the scene. Our findings suggest that advertisers should take into account how objects in the visual scene interact in order to optimize attention to, for instance, brands and logos.

  4. The Effect of Size and Ecology on Extinction Susceptibility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huynh, C.; Yuan, A.; Heim, N.; Payne, J.

    2015-12-01

    Although life on Earth first emerged as prokaryotic organisms, it eventually evolved into billions of different species. However, extinctions on Earth, especially the five mass extinctions, have decimated species. So what leads to a species survival or demise during a mass extinction? Are certain species more susceptible to extinctions based on their size and ecology? For this project, we focused on the data of marine animals. To examine the impact of size and ecology on a species's likelihood of survival, we compared the sizes and ecologies of the survivors and victims of the five mass extinctions. The ecology, or life mode, of a genus consists of the combination of tiering, motility, and feeding mechanism. Tiering refers to the animal's typical location in the water column and sediments, motility refers to its ability to move, and feeding mechanism describes the way the organism eats; together, they describe the animal's behavior. We analyzed the effect of ecology on survival using logistic regression, which compares life mode to the success or failure of a genus during each mass extinction interval. For organism size, we found the extinct organisms' mean size (both volume and length) and compared it with the average size of survivors on a graph. Our results show that while surviving genera of mass extinctions tended to be slightly larger than those that went extinct, there was no significant difference. Even though the Permian (Changhsingian) and Triassic (Rhaetian) extinctions had larger surviving species, likewise the difference was small. Ecology had a more obvious impact on the likelihood of survival; fast-moving, predatory pelagic organisms were the most likely to go extinct, while sedentary, infaunal suspension feeders had the greatest chances of survival. Overall, ecology played a greater role than size in determining the survival of a species. With this information, we can use ecology to predict which species would survive future extinctions.

  5. The Effects of Music and Group Stage on Group Leader and Member Behavior in Psychoeducational Groups for Children of Divorce

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cercone, Kristin; DeLucia-Waack, Janice

    2012-01-01

    This study examined the effects of music and group stage on group process and group leader and member behavior within 8-week psychoeducational groups for children of divorce. Audiotapes of group sessions were rated using the Interactional Process Analysis and the Group Sessions Ratings Scale. Both treatment groups were very similar in terms of…

  6. Survival analysis and classification methods for forest fire size.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tremblay, Pier-Olivier; Duchesne, Thierry; Cumming, Steven G

    2018-01-01

    Factors affecting wildland-fire size distribution include weather, fuels, and fire suppression activities. We present a novel application of survival analysis to quantify the effects of these factors on a sample of sizes of lightning-caused fires from Alberta, Canada. Two events were observed for each fire: the size at initial assessment (by the first fire fighters to arrive at the scene) and the size at "being held" (a state when no further increase in size is expected). We developed a statistical classifier to try to predict cases where there will be a growth in fire size (i.e., the size at "being held" exceeds the size at initial assessment). Logistic regression was preferred over two alternative classifiers, with covariates consistent with similar past analyses. We conducted survival analysis on the group of fires exhibiting a size increase. A screening process selected three covariates: an index of fire weather at the day the fire started, the fuel type burning at initial assessment, and a factor for the type and capabilities of the method of initial attack. The Cox proportional hazards model performed better than three accelerated failure time alternatives. Both fire weather and fuel type were highly significant, with effects consistent with known fire behaviour. The effects of initial attack method were not statistically significant, but did suggest a reverse causality that could arise if fire management agencies were to dispatch resources based on a-priori assessment of fire growth potentials. We discuss how a more sophisticated analysis of larger data sets could produce unbiased estimates of fire suppression effect under such circumstances.

  7. Intraspecific variation in egg size and egg composition in birds: effects on offspring fitness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, T D

    1994-02-01

    1. There is little unequivocal evidence to date in support of a positive relationship between egg size and offspring fitness in birds. Although 40 studies (of 34 species) have considered the effect of variation in egg size on chick growth and/or survival up to fledgling only 12 studies have controlled for other characters potentially correlated both with egg size and offspring fitness. Of these only two have reported a significant residual effect of egg size on chick growth (in the roseate tern and European blackbird) and three a residual effect on chick survival (all in seabirds: common tern, lesser black-backed gull and kittiwake). 2. More consistent evidence exists, though from fewer studies, for a positive relationship between egg size and offspring fitness early in the chick-rearing period; chick growth and chick survival being dependent on egg size in 8 of 10 studies and 4 of 5 studies respectively. It is suggested that the most important effect of variation in egg size might be in determining the probability of offspring survival in the first few days after hatching. 3. Egg size explains on average 66% of the variation in chick mass at hatching (n = 35 studies) but only 30% of the variation in chick body size (n = 18). When effects of hatching body size are controlled for chick mass remains significantly correlated with egg size, though the reverse is not true. This supports the hypothesis that large eggs give rise to heavier chicks at hatching, i.e., chicks with more nutrient (yolk) reserves, rather than structurally larger chicks. 4. Egg composition increased isometrically with increasing egg size in about half the studies so far reported (n equals approximately 20). However, in seabirds, and some passerines, larger eggs contain disproportionately more albumen, whilst in some waterfowl percentage yolk content increases with increasing egg size. Changes in albumen content largely reflect variation in the water content of eggs, but changes in yolk content

  8. Atomistic calculation of size effects on elastic coefficients in nanometre-sized tungsten layers and wires

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Villain, P.; Beauchamp, P.; Badawi, K.F.; Goudeau, P.; Renault, P.-O.

    2004-01-01

    Equilibrium state and elastic coefficients of nanometre-sized single crystal tungsten layers and wires are investigated by atomistic simulations. The variations of the equilibrium distances as a function of the layer thickness or wire cross-section are mainly due to elastic effects of surface tension forces. A strong decrease of the Young's modulus is observed when the transverse dimensions are reduced below 2-3 nm

  9. Covariate adjustments in randomized controlled trials increased study power and reduced biasedness of effect size estimation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Paul H

    2016-08-01

    This study aims to show that under several assumptions, in randomized controlled trials (RCTs), unadjusted, crude analysis will underestimate the Cohen's d effect size of the treatment, and an unbiased estimate of effect size can be obtained only by adjusting for all predictors of the outcome. Four simulations were performed to examine the effects of adjustment on the estimated effect size of the treatment and power of the analysis. In addition, we analyzed data from the Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) study (older adults aged 65-94), an RCT with three treatment arms and one control arm. We showed that (1) the number of unadjusted covariates was associated with the effect size of the treatment; (2) the biasedness of effect size estimation was minimized if all covariates were adjusted for; (3) the power of the statistical analysis slightly decreased with the number of adjusted noise variables; and (4) exhaustively searching the covariates and noise variables adjusted for can lead to exaggeration of the true effect size. Analysis of the ACTIVE study data showed that the effect sizes adjusting for covariates of all three treatments were 7.39-24.70% larger than their unadjusted counterparts, whereas the effect size would be elevated by at most 57.92% by exhaustively searching the variables adjusted for. All covariates of the outcome in RCTs should be adjusted for, and if the effect of a particular variable on the outcome is unknown, adjustment will do more good than harm. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Modeling size effects on the transformation behavior of shape memory alloy micropillars

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hernandez, Edwin A Peraza; Lagoudas, Dimitris C

    2015-01-01

    The size dependence of the thermomechanical response of shape memory alloys (SMAs) at the micro and nano-scales has gained increasing attention in the engineering community due to existing and potential uses of SMAs as solid-state actuators and components for energy dissipation in small scale devices. Particularly, their recent uses in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) have made SMAs attractive options as active materials in small scale devices. One factor limiting further application, however, is the inability to effectively and efficiently model the observed size dependence of the SMA behavior for engineering applications. Therefore, in this work, a constitutive model for the size-dependent behavior of SMAs is proposed. Experimental observations are used to motivate the extension of an existing thermomechanical constitutive model for SMAs to account for the scale effects. It is proposed that such effects can be captured via characteristic length dependent material parameters in a power-law manner. The size dependence of the transformation behavior of NiFeGa micropillars is investigated in detail and used as model prediction cases. The constitutive model is implemented in a finite element framework and used to simulate and predict the response of SMA micropillars with different sizes. The results show a good agreement with experimental data. A parametric study performed using the calibrated model shows that the influence of micropillar aspect ratio and taper angle on the compression response is significantly smaller than that of the micropillar average diameter. It is concluded that the model is able to capture the size dependent transformation response of the SMA micropillars. In addition, the simplicity of the calibration and implementation of the proposed model make it practical for the design and numerical analysis of small scale SMA components that exhibit size dependent responses. (paper)

  11. Finite-size effect and the components of multifractality in financial volatility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Weixing

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► The apparent multifractality can be decomposed quantitatively. ► There is a marked finite-size effect in the detection of multifractality. ► The effective multifractality can be further decomposed into two components. ► A time series exhibits effective multifractality only if it possesses nonlinearity. ► The daily DJIA volatility is analyzed as an example. - Abstract: Many financial variables are found to exhibit multifractal nature, which is usually attributed to the influence of temporal correlations and fat-tailedness in the probability distribution (PDF). Based on the partition function approach of multifractal analysis, we show that there is a marked finite-size effect in the detection of multifractality, and the effective multifractality is the apparent multifractality after removing the finite-size effect. We find that the effective multifractality can be further decomposed into two components, the PDF component and the nonlinearity component. Referring to the normal distribution, we can determine the PDF component by comparing the effective multifractality of the original time series and the surrogate data that have a normal distribution and keep the same linear and nonlinear correlations as the original data. We demonstrate our method by taking the daily volatility data of Dow Jones Industrial Average from 26 May 1896 to 27 April 2007 as an example. Extensive numerical experiments show that a time series exhibits effective multifractality only if it possesses nonlinearity and the PDF has an impact on the effective multifractality only when the time series possesses nonlinearity. Our method can also be applied to judge the presence of multifractality and determine its components of multifractal time series in other complex systems.

  12. Effects of drying conditions, admixtures and specimen size on shrinkage strains

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Saleh, Saleh A.; Al-Zaid, Rajeh Z.

    2006-01-01

    The paper presents the results of an experimental investigation on the effects of drying conditions, specimen size and presence of plasticizing admixture on the development of shrinkage strains. The measurements are taken in a harsh (50 deg. C and 5% R.H.) and a moderate environment (28 deg. C and 50% R.H.). The results include strain development at various levels of cross sections of concrete prisms. The drying conditions are found to be the dominant parameter affecting the shrinkage strain development particularly in specimens of smaller sizes. The effect of plasticizing admixture on shrinkage strains is negligible

  13. Effect of a size-selective biomanipulation on nutrient release by gizzard shad in Florida (USA lakes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Schaus M.H.

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available Although fish removal for biomanipulation is often highly size-selective, our understanding of the nutrient cycling effects of this size-selection is poor. To better understand these effects, we measured nutrient excretion by gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum of differing sizes from four central Florida (USA lakes and combined these measures with gillnet biomass and size-structure data to compare lake-wide effects among lakes and years. Direct removal of P in fish tissue ranged from 0.16−1.00 kg·P·ha-1·yr-1. The estimated reduction in P excretion due to harvest ranged from 30.8−202.5 g·P·ha-1·month-1, with effects strongly tied to the biomass and size structure harvested. The amount of P release prevented per kg of fish removed was lower in previously unharvested lakes, due to the initial removal of larger fish with lower mass-specific excretion rates. Gill net mesh size impacted the size distribution of harvested fish, with smaller fish that excrete more P per gram being more vulnerable to smaller mesh sizes. In Lake Apopka, decreasing the mesh size by 1.3 cm yielded P excretion reductions that were 10.7−15.1% larger. Fish harvesting to reduce internal nutrient cycling can be most effective by increasing total harvest and by harvesting smaller size classes over multiple years.

  14. Context matters: volunteer bias, small sample size, and the value of comparison groups in the assessment of research-based undergraduate introductory biology lab courses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brownell, Sara E; Kloser, Matthew J; Fukami, Tadashi; Shavelson, Richard J

    2013-01-01

    The shift from cookbook to authentic research-based lab courses in undergraduate biology necessitates the need for evaluation and assessment of these novel courses. Although the biology education community has made progress in this area, it is important that we interpret the effectiveness of these courses with caution and remain mindful of inherent limitations to our study designs that may impact internal and external validity. The specific context of a research study can have a dramatic impact on the conclusions. We present a case study of our own three-year investigation of the impact of a research-based introductory lab course, highlighting how volunteer students, a lack of a comparison group, and small sample sizes can be limitations of a study design that can affect the interpretation of the effectiveness of a course.

  15. Introducing Meta-Partition, a Useful Methodology to Explore Factors That Influence Ecological Effect Sizes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zaida Ortega

    Full Text Available The study of the heterogeneity of effect sizes is a key aspect of ecological meta-analyses. Here we propose a meta-analytic methodology to study the influence of moderators in effect sizes by splitting heterogeneity: meta-partition. To introduce this methodology, we performed a meta-partition of published data about the traits that influence species sensitivity to habitat loss, that have been previously analyzed through meta-regression. Thus, here we aim to introduce meta-partition and to make an initial comparison with meta-regression. Meta-partition algorithm consists of three steps. Step 1 is to study the heterogeneity of effect sizes under the assumption of fixed effect model. If heterogeneity is found, we perform step 2, that is, to partition the heterogeneity by the moderator that minimizes heterogeneity within a subset while maximizing heterogeneity between subsets. Then, if effect sizes of the subset are still heterogeneous, we repeat step 1 and 2 until we reach final subsets. Finally, step 3 is to integrate effect sizes of final subsets, with fixed effect model if there is homogeneity, and with random effects model if there is heterogeneity. Results show that meta-partition is valuable to assess the importance of moderators in explaining heterogeneity of effect sizes, as well as to assess the directions of these relations and to detect possible interactions between moderators. With meta-partition we have been able to evaluate the importance of moderators in a more objective way than with meta-regression, and to visualize the complex relations that may exist between them. As ecological issues are often influenced by several factors interacting in complex ways, ranking the importance of possible moderators and detecting possible interactions would make meta-partition a useful exploration tool for ecological meta-analyses.

  16. Cell size, genome size and the dominance of Angiosperms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simonin, K. A.; Roddy, A. B.

    2016-12-01

    Angiosperms are capable of maintaining the highest rates of photosynthetic gas exchange of all land plants. High rates of photosynthesis depends mechanistically both on efficiently transporting water to the sites of evaporation in the leaf and on regulating the loss of that water to the atmosphere as CO2 diffuses into the leaf. Angiosperm leaves are unique in their ability to sustain high fluxes of liquid and vapor phase water transport due to high vein densities and numerous, small stomata. Despite the ubiquity of studies characterizing the anatomical and physiological adaptations that enable angiosperms to maintain high rates of photosynthesis, the underlying mechanism explaining why they have been able to develop such high leaf vein densities, and such small and abundant stomata, is still incomplete. Here we ask whether the scaling of genome size and cell size places a fundamental constraint on the photosynthetic metabolism of land plants, and whether genome downsizing among the angiosperms directly contributed to their greater potential and realized primary productivity relative to the other major groups of terrestrial plants. Using previously published data we show that a single relationship can predict guard cell size from genome size across the major groups of terrestrial land plants (e.g. angiosperms, conifers, cycads and ferns). Similarly, a strong positive correlation exists between genome size and both stomatal density and vein density that together ultimately constrains maximum potential (gs, max) and operational stomatal conductance (gs, op). Further the difference in the slopes describing the covariation between genome size and both gs, max and gs, op suggests that genome downsizing brings gs, op closer to gs, max. Taken together the data presented here suggests that the smaller genomes of angiosperms allow their final cell sizes to vary more widely and respond more directly to environmental conditions and in doing so bring operational photosynthetic

  17. Radiation inactivation analysis of enzymes. Effect of free radical scavengers on apparent target sizes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eichler, D.C.; Solomonson, L.P.; Barber, M.J.; McCreery, M.J.; Ness, G.C.

    1987-01-01

    In most cases the apparent target size obtained by radiation inactivation analysis corresponds to the subunit size or to the size of a multimeric complex. In this report, we examined whether the larger than expected target sizes of some enzymes could be due to secondary effects of free radicals. To test this proposal we carried out radiation inactivation analysis on Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I, Torula yeast glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, Chlorella vulgaris nitrate reductase, and chicken liver sulfite oxidase in the presence and absence of free radical scavengers (benzoic acid and mannitol). In the presence of free radical scavengers, inactivation curves are shifted toward higher radiation doses. Plots of scavenger concentration versus enzyme activity showed that the protective effect of benzoic acid reached a maximum at 25 mM then declined. Mannitol alone had little effect, but appeared to broaden the maximum protective range of benzoic acid relative to concentration. The apparent target size of the polymerase activity of DNA polymerase I in the presence of free radical scavengers was about 40% of that observed in the absence of these agents. This is considerably less than the minimum polypeptide size and may reflect the actual size of the polymerase functional domain. Similar effects, but of lesser magnitude, were observed for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, nitrate reductase, and sulfite oxidase. These results suggest that secondary damage due to free radicals generated in the local environment as a result of ionizing radiation can influence the apparent target size obtained by this method

  18. Family Configuration and Achievement: Effects of Birth Order and Family Size in a Sample of Brothers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olneck, Michael R.; Bills, David B.

    1979-01-01

    Birth order effects in brothers were found to derive from difference in family size. Effects for family size were found even with socioeconomic background controlled. Nor were family size effects explained by parental ability. The importance of unmeasured preferences or economic resources that vary across families was suggested. (Author/RD)

  19. An Empirical Bayes Mixture Model for Effect Size Distributions in Genome-Wide Association Studies.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wesley K Thompson

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Characterizing the distribution of effects from genome-wide genotyping data is crucial for understanding important aspects of the genetic architecture of complex traits, such as number or proportion of non-null loci, average proportion of phenotypic variance explained per non-null effect, power for discovery, and polygenic risk prediction. To this end, previous work has used effect-size models based on various distributions, including the normal and normal mixture distributions, among others. In this paper we propose a scale mixture of two normals model for effect size distributions of genome-wide association study (GWAS test statistics. Test statistics corresponding to null associations are modeled as random draws from a normal distribution with zero mean; test statistics corresponding to non-null associations are also modeled as normal with zero mean, but with larger variance. The model is fit via minimizing discrepancies between the parametric mixture model and resampling-based nonparametric estimates of replication effect sizes and variances. We describe in detail the implications of this model for estimation of the non-null proportion, the probability of replication in de novo samples, the local false discovery rate, and power for discovery of a specified proportion of phenotypic variance explained from additive effects of loci surpassing a given significance threshold. We also examine the crucial issue of the impact of linkage disequilibrium (LD on effect sizes and parameter estimates, both analytically and in simulations. We apply this approach to meta-analysis test statistics from two large GWAS, one for Crohn's disease (CD and the other for schizophrenia (SZ. A scale mixture of two normals distribution provides an excellent fit to the SZ nonparametric replication effect size estimates. While capturing the general behavior of the data, this mixture model underestimates the tails of the CD effect size distribution. We discuss the

  20. An Empirical Bayes Mixture Model for Effect Size Distributions in Genome-Wide Association Studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Wesley K; Wang, Yunpeng; Schork, Andrew J; Witoelar, Aree; Zuber, Verena; Xu, Shujing; Werge, Thomas; Holland, Dominic; Andreassen, Ole A; Dale, Anders M

    2015-12-01

    Characterizing the distribution of effects from genome-wide genotyping data is crucial for understanding important aspects of the genetic architecture of complex traits, such as number or proportion of non-null loci, average proportion of phenotypic variance explained per non-null effect, power for discovery, and polygenic risk prediction. To this end, previous work has used effect-size models based on various distributions, including the normal and normal mixture distributions, among others. In this paper we propose a scale mixture of two normals model for effect size distributions of genome-wide association study (GWAS) test statistics. Test statistics corresponding to null associations are modeled as random draws from a normal distribution with zero mean; test statistics corresponding to non-null associations are also modeled as normal with zero mean, but with larger variance. The model is fit via minimizing discrepancies between the parametric mixture model and resampling-based nonparametric estimates of replication effect sizes and variances. We describe in detail the implications of this model for estimation of the non-null proportion, the probability of replication in de novo samples, the local false discovery rate, and power for discovery of a specified proportion of phenotypic variance explained from additive effects of loci surpassing a given significance threshold. We also examine the crucial issue of the impact of linkage disequilibrium (LD) on effect sizes and parameter estimates, both analytically and in simulations. We apply this approach to meta-analysis test statistics from two large GWAS, one for Crohn's disease (CD) and the other for schizophrenia (SZ). A scale mixture of two normals distribution provides an excellent fit to the SZ nonparametric replication effect size estimates. While capturing the general behavior of the data, this mixture model underestimates the tails of the CD effect size distribution. We discuss the implications of

  1. Beyond size–number trade-offs: clutch size as a maternal effect

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Gregory P.; Shine, Richard

    2009-01-01

    Traditionally, research on life-history traits has viewed the link between clutch size and offspring size as a straightforward linear trade-off; the product of these two components is taken as a measure of maternal reproductive output. Investing more per egg results in fewer but larger eggs and, hence, offspring. This simple size–number trade-off has proved attractive to modellers, but our experimental studies on keelback snakes (Tropidonophis mairii, Colubridae) reveal a more complex relationship between clutch size and offspring size. At constant water availability, the amount of water taken up by a snake egg depends upon the number of adjacent eggs. In turn, water uptake affects hatchling size, and therefore an increase in clutch size directly increases offspring size (and thus fitness under field conditions). This allometric advantage may influence the evolution of reproductive traits such as growth versus reproductive effort, optimal age at female maturation, the body-reserve threshold required to initiate reproduction and nest-site selection (e.g. communal oviposition). The published literature suggests that similar kinds of complex effects of clutch size on offspring viability are widespread in both vertebrates and invertebrates. Our results also challenge conventional experimental methodologies such as split-clutch designs for laboratory incubation studies: by separating an egg from its siblings, we may directly affect offspring size and thus viability. PMID:19324614

  2. fB from finite size effects in lattice QCD

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guagnelli, M.; Palombi, F.; Petronzio, R.; Tantalo, N.

    2003-01-01

    We discuss a novel method to calculate f B on the lattice, introduced in [1], based on the study of the dependence of finite size effects upon the heavy quark mass of flavoured mesons and on a non-perturbative recursive finite size technique. This method avoids the systematic errors related to extrapolations from the static limit or to the tuning of the coefficients of effective Lagrangian and the results admit an extrapolation to the continuum limit. We show the results of a first estimate at finite lattice spacing, but close to the continuum limit, giving f B = 170(11)(5)(22) MeV. We also obtain f B s = 192(9)(5)(24)MeV. The first error is statistical, the second is our estimate of the systematic error from the method and the third the systematic error from the specific approximations adopted in this first exploratory calculation. The method can be generalized to two-scale problems in lattice QCD

  3. Deconstruction of Vulnerability to Complex Diseases: Enhanced Effect Sizes and Power of Intermediate Phenotypes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Goldman

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available The deconstruction of vulnerability to complex disease with the help of intermediate phenotypes, including the heritable and disease-associated endophenotypes, is a legacy of Henri Begleiter. Systematic searches for genes influencing complex disorders, including bipolar disorder, have recently been completed using whole genome association (WGA, identifying a series of validated loci. Using this information, it is possible to compare effect sizes of disease loci discovered in very large samples to the effect sizes of replicated functional loci determining intermediate phenotypes that are of essential interest in psychiatric disorders. It is shown that the genes influencing intermediate phenotypes tend to have a larger effect size. Furthermore, the WGA results reveal that the number of loci of large effect size for complex diseases is limited, and yet multiple functional loci have already been identified for intermediate phenotypes relevant to psychiatric diseases, and without the benefit of WGA.

  4. A dance movement therapy group for depressed adult patients in psychiatric outpatient clinic: Effects of the treatment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Päivi Maria Pylvänäinen

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available AbstractWe were interested in investigating the effects of dance movement therapy (DMT in a psychiatric outpatient clinic with patients diagnosed with depression. DMT aims to engage the patients in physical and verbal exploration of their experiences generated in movement based interaction. The assumption was that DMT, which includes both physical engagement as well as emotional and social exploration, would alleviate the mood and psychiatric symptoms.All adult patients (n = 33 included in the study received treatment as usual (TAU. 21 patients participated in a 12-session DMT group intervention, and the remaining 12 patients chose to take TAU only. The majority of the patients suffered from moderate or severe depression, recurrent and/or chronic type. The effects of the interventions were investigated after the intervention, and at 3-month follow-up. Compared to the TAU, adding DMT seemed to improve the effect of the treatment. The effect of the DMT was observable whether the patient was taking antidepressant medication or not. At follow-up, between group effect sizes (ES were medium in favor for the DMT group (d= 0.60-0.79. In the DMT group, the within ES at the 3 months follow-up varied from 0.62 to 0.82 as compared to TAU 0.15 – 0.37. The results indicated that DMT is beneficial in the treatment of depressed patients.

  5. Structural features and electronic properties of group-III-, group-IV-, and group-V-doped Si nanocrystallites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramos, L E; Degoli, Elena; Cantele, G; Ossicini, Stefano; Ninno, D; Furthmueller, J; Bechstedt, F

    2007-01-01

    We investigate the incorporation of group-III (B and Al), group-IV (C and Ge), and group-V (N and P) impurities in Si nanocrystallites. The structural features and electronic properties of doped Si nanocrystallites, which are faceted or spherical-like, are studied by means of an ab initio pseudopotential method including spin polarization. Jahn-Teller distortions occur in the neighborhood of the impurity sites and the bond lengths show a dependence on size and shape of the nanocrystallites. We find that the acceptor (group-III) and donor (group-V) levels become deep as the nanocrystallites become small. The energy difference between the spin-up and spin-down levels of group-III and group-V impurities decreases as the size of the Si nanocrystallite increases and tends to the value calculated for Si bulk. Doping with carbon introduces an impurity-related level in the energy gap of the Si nanocrystallites

  6. Measuring the effectiveness of marketing activities use in relation to company size

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lucie Sychrová

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to research the relationship between measurements of effectiveness of marketing activities and company size. An analysis of the economic sources, professional publications, analysis and reports of previous research shows that the concept of measuring of effectiveness is one of the key themes, which economists always pay much attention. It is a criterion that helps to rationally decide on the use limited resources to meet the needs that are not limited. This topic deals with numerous domestic and foreign literatures. The authors are not only different concepts of effectiveness, but also the using terminology. There are multiple definitions of terms “effectiveness” For the same purpose and meaning. The same concept is often defined semantically different. Therefore, every company has a strong interest to be in all their activities more effectively than the competition. Logical response to changes and requirements of nowadays is using a combination of lot of methods to measure marketing effectiveness. Methods used for this article includes two phases. The first it was gained date by primary research, using a structure questionnaire and processed by statistical software SPSS. Research sample consists 115 companies operating in the Czech environment, which was chosen at random. There is investigated the correlation between measuring the effectiveness of marketing activities and company size. The second part investigated the dependence between the choice of metrics used to measure the effectiveness and company size. The results of the research showed that there is no correlation between measuring the effectiveness of marketing activities and company size. The value of Pearson Chi-Square test is greater than 0.05, it is 0.187. We can presume that dependency does not exist or it is small for these. Value of Symmetric measures is 0.432, which means that the intensity tends to be small rather than high.

  7. Power and sample-size estimation for microbiome studies using pairwise distances and PERMANOVA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelly, Brendan J; Gross, Robert; Bittinger, Kyle; Sherrill-Mix, Scott; Lewis, James D; Collman, Ronald G; Bushman, Frederic D; Li, Hongzhe

    2015-08-01

    The variation in community composition between microbiome samples, termed beta diversity, can be measured by pairwise distance based on either presence-absence or quantitative species abundance data. PERMANOVA, a permutation-based extension of multivariate analysis of variance to a matrix of pairwise distances, partitions within-group and between-group distances to permit assessment of the effect of an exposure or intervention (grouping factor) upon the sampled microbiome. Within-group distance and exposure/intervention effect size must be accurately modeled to estimate statistical power for a microbiome study that will be analyzed with pairwise distances and PERMANOVA. We present a framework for PERMANOVA power estimation tailored to marker-gene microbiome studies that will be analyzed by pairwise distances, which includes: (i) a novel method for distance matrix simulation that permits modeling of within-group pairwise distances according to pre-specified population parameters; (ii) a method to incorporate effects of different sizes within the simulated distance matrix; (iii) a simulation-based method for estimating PERMANOVA power from simulated distance matrices; and (iv) an R statistical software package that implements the above. Matrices of pairwise distances can be efficiently simulated to satisfy the triangle inequality and incorporate group-level effects, which are quantified by the adjusted coefficient of determination, omega-squared (ω2). From simulated distance matrices, available PERMANOVA power or necessary sample size can be estimated for a planned microbiome study. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  8. Effect of pore size distribution and flow segregation on dispersion in porous media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carbonell, R.G.

    1978-11-01

    In order to study the effect of the pore size distribution and flow segregation on dispersion in a porous media, the dispersion of solute in an array of parallel pores is considered. Equations are obtained for the dispersion coefficient in laminar and turbulent flow, as a function of the particle Peclet number. The theory fits quite well cumulative experimental data from various researchers in the Peclet number range from 10 -3 to 10 6 . The model also predicts some trends, backed by experimental data, regarding the effect of particle size, particle size distribution and fluid velocity on dispersion

  9. Reporting effect sizes as a supplement to statistical significance ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The purpose of the article is to review the statistical significance reporting practices in reading instruction studies and to provide guidelines for when to calculate and report effect sizes in educational research. A review of six readily accessible (online) and accredited journals publishing research on reading instruction ...

  10. Origin of size effect on efficiency of organic photovoltaics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Manor, Assaf; Katz, Eugene A.; Tromholt, Thomas

    2011-01-01

    It is widely accepted that efficiency of organic solar cells could be limited by their size. However, the published data on this effect are very limited and none of them includes analysis of light intensity dependence of the key cell parameters. We report such analysis for bulk heterojunction sol...

  11. Sampling strategies for estimating brook trout effective population size

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrew R. Whiteley; Jason A. Coombs; Mark Hudy; Zachary Robinson; Keith H. Nislow; Benjamin H. Letcher

    2012-01-01

    The influence of sampling strategy on estimates of effective population size (Ne) from single-sample genetic methods has not been rigorously examined, though these methods are increasingly used. For headwater salmonids, spatially close kin association among age-0 individuals suggests that sampling strategy (number of individuals and location from...

  12. Beam size effects in the radiative Bhabha scattering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Szczekowski, M.

    1990-01-01

    In some electromagnetic processes the measured cross section can be substantially smaller than calculated in standard Quantum Electrodynamics. The process of single bremsstrahlung, e + e - → e + e - γ is an example of such effect. If the size of the effect for large angle γ radiation is similar to its magnitude at low angles, then standard calculations of the radiative Bahbha background to e.g. the reaction used in counting the number of neutrino generations, e + e - → νν-barγ, at LEP energies can be overestimated by 10-20%. 5 refs., 5 figs. (author)

  13. Phenomenological theory of size effects in ultrafine ferroelectric particles (PbTiO3-type)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiang, B.; Bursill, L.A.

    1998-01-01

    A new phenomenological model is proposed and discussed to study the size effects on phase transitions in PbTiO 3 -type ferroelectric particles. This model, by taking size effects on the phenomenological Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire coefficients into consideration, can successfully explain the size effects on Curie temperature, c/a ratio, thermal and dielectric properties of lead-titanate-type ferroelectric particles. Theoretical and experimental results for PbTiO 3 fine particles are also compared and discussed. The relationship between the current model and the model of Zhong et al (Phys. Rev. B 50, 698 (1994)) is also presented. (authors)

  14. Standardized Effect Size Measures for Mediation Analysis in Cluster-Randomized Trials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stapleton, Laura M.; Pituch, Keenan A.; Dion, Eric

    2015-01-01

    This article presents 3 standardized effect size measures to use when sharing results of an analysis of mediation of treatment effects for cluster-randomized trials. The authors discuss 3 examples of mediation analysis (upper-level mediation, cross-level mediation, and cross-level mediation with a contextual effect) with demonstration of the…

  15. Pleiotropic Effects of DDT Resistance on Male Size and Behaviour.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rostant, Wayne G; Bowyer, Jemima; Coupland, Jack; Facey, James; Hosken, David J; Wedell, Nina

    2017-07-01

    Understanding the evolution and spread of insecticide resistance requires knowing the relative fitness of resistant organisms. In the absence of insecticides, resistance is predicted to be costly. The Drosophila melanogaster DDT resistance allele (DDT-R) is associated with a male mating cost. This could be because resistant males are generally smaller, but DDT-R may also alter courtship behaviours. Here we tested for body size and courtship effects of DDT-R on mating success in competitive and non-competitive mating trials respectively. We also assessed relative aggression in resistant and susceptible males because aggression can also influence mating success. While the effect of DDT-R on male size partly contributed to reduced mating success, resistant males also had lower rates of courtship and were less aggressive than susceptible males. These differences contribute to the observed DDT-R mating costs. Additionally, these pleiotropic effects of DDT-R are consistent with the history and spread of resistance alleles in nature.

  16. Why herd size matters - mitigating the effects of livestock crashes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marius Warg Næss

    Full Text Available Analysing the effect of pastoral risk management strategies provides insights into a system of subsistence that have persevered in marginal areas for hundreds to thousands of years and may shed light into the future of around 200 million households in the face of climate change. This study investigated the efficiency of herd accumulation as a buffer strategy by analysing changes in livestock holdings during an environmental crisis in the Saami reindeer husbandry in Norway. We found a positive relationship between: (1 pre- and post-collapse herd size; and (2 pre-collapse herd size and the number of animals lost during the collapse, indicating that herd accumulation is an effective but costly strategy. Policies that fail to incorporate the risk-beneficial aspect of herd accumulation will have a limited effect and may indeed fail entirely. In the context of climate change, official policies that incorporate pastoral risk management strategies may be the only solution for ensuring their continued existence.

  17. Cognitive effects of two nutraceuticals Ginseng and Bacopa benchmarked against modafinil: a review and comparison of effect sizes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neale, Chris; Camfield, David; Reay, Jonathon; Stough, Con; Scholey, Andrew

    2013-03-01

    Over recent years there has been increasing research into both pharmaceutical and nutraceutical cognition enhancers. Here we aimed to calculate the effect sizes of positive cognitive effect of the pharmaceutical modafinil in order to benchmark the effect of two widely used nutraceuticals Ginseng and Bacopa (which have consistent acute and chronic cognitive effects, respectively). A search strategy was implemented to capture clinical studies into the neurocognitive effects of modafinil, Ginseng and Bacopa. Studies undertaken on healthy human subjects using a double-blind, placebo-controlled design were included. For each study where appropriate data were included, effect sizes (Cohen's d) were calculated for measures showing significant positive and negative effects of treatment over placebo. The highest effect sizes for cognitive outcomes were 0.77 for modafinil (visuospatial memory accuracy), 0.86 for Ginseng (simple reaction time) and 0.95 for Bacopa (delayed word recall). These data confirm that neurocognitive enhancement from well characterized nutraceuticals can produce cognition enhancing effects of similar magnitude to those from pharmaceutical interventions. Future research should compare these effects directly in clinical trials. © 2012 The Authors. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology © 2012 The British Pharmacological Society.

  18. Rock sampling. [method for controlling particle size distribution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blum, P. (Inventor)

    1971-01-01

    A method for sampling rock and other brittle materials and for controlling resultant particle sizes is described. The method involves cutting grooves in the rock surface to provide a grouping of parallel ridges and subsequently machining the ridges to provide a powder specimen. The machining step may comprise milling, drilling, lathe cutting or the like; but a planing step is advantageous. Control of the particle size distribution is effected primarily by changing the height and width of these ridges. This control exceeds that obtainable by conventional grinding.

  19. Effect of particle size on degree of inversion in ferrites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siddique, M.; Butt, N.M.

    2012-01-01

    Ferrites with the spinel structure are important materials because of their structural, magnetic and electrical properties. The suitability of these materials depends on both the intrinsic behavior of the material and the effects of the grain size. Moessbauer spectroscopy was employed to investigate the cation distribution and degree of inversion in bulk and nano sized particles of CuFe/sub 2/O/sub 4/, MnFe/sub 2/O/sub 4/ and NiFe/sub 2/O/sub 4/ ferrites. The Moessbauer spectra of all bulk ferrites showed complete magnetic behavior, whereas nanoparticle ferrites showed combination of ferromagnetic and superparamagnetic components. Moreover, the cation distribution in nanoparticle materials was also found to be different to that of their bulk counterparts indicating the particle size dependency. The inversion of Cu and Ni ions in bulk sample was greater than that of nanoparticles; whereas the inversion of Mn ions was less in bulk material as compared to the nanoparticles. Hence the degree of inversion decreased in CuFe/sub 2/O/sub 4/ and NiFe/sub 2/O/sub 4/ samples whereas, it increased in MnFe/sub 2/O/sub 4/ as the particle size decreased and thus showed the anomalous behavior in this case. The nanoparticle samples also showed paramagnetic behaviour due to superparamagnetism and this effect is more prominent in MnFe/sub 2/O/sub 4/. Moessbauer spectra of bulk and nanoparticles CuFe/sub 2/O/sub 4/ is shown. (Orig./A.B.)

  20. Scale and size effects in dynamic fracture of concretes and rocks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Petrov Y.

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Structural-temporal approach based on the notion of incubation time is used for interpretation of strain-rate effects in the fracture process of concretes and rocks. It is established that temporal dependences of concretes and rocks are calculated by the incubation time criterion. Experimentally observed different relations between ultimate stresses of concrete and mortar in static and dynamic conditions are explained. It is obtained that compressive strength of mortar at a low strain rate is greater than that of concrete, but at a high strain rate the opposite is true. Influence of confinement pressure on the mechanism of dynamic strength for concretes and rocks is discussed. Both size effect and scale effect for concrete and rocks samples subjected to impact loading are analyzed. Statistical nature of a size effect contrasts to a scale effect that is related to the definition of a spatio-temporal representative volume determining the fracture event on the given scale level.