Integration of virtual and real scenes within an integral 3D imaging environment

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Jinsong; Aggoun, Amar; McCormick, Malcolm

2002-11-01

The Imaging Technologies group at De Montfort University has developed an integral 3D imaging system, which is seen as the most likely vehicle for 3D television avoiding psychological effects. To create real fascinating three-dimensional television programs, a virtual studio that performs the task of generating, editing and integrating the 3D contents involving virtual and real scenes is required. The paper presents, for the first time, the procedures, factors and methods of integrating computer-generated virtual scenes with real objects captured using the 3D integral imaging camera system. The method of computer generation of 3D integral images, where the lens array is modelled instead of the physical camera is described. In the model each micro-lens that captures different elemental images of the virtual scene is treated as an extended pinhole camera. An integration process named integrated rendering is illustrated. Detailed discussion and deep investigation are focused on depth extraction from captured integral 3D images. The depth calculation method from the disparity and the multiple baseline method that is used to improve the precision of depth estimation are also presented. The concept of colour SSD and its further improvement in the precision is proposed and verified.

System Integration and Its Influence on the Quality of Life of Children with Complex Needs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandy Thurston

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose. To explore the interactions between child and parents psychosocial factors and team integration variables that may explain improvements in physical dimensions of the PEDS QL quality of life of children with complex needs after 2 years. Methods. In this 2-year study, parents were identified by the Children's Treatment Network. Families were eligible if the child was aged 0–19 years, had physical limitations, resided in either Simcoe County or the Region of York, Ontario, and there were multiple other family needs. Regression analysis used to explore associations and interactions; n=110. Results. A child's physical quality of life was affected by interacting factors including child's behavior, parenting, and integrated care. Statistically significant interactions between team integration, processes of care, and child/parent variables highlight the complexity of the rehabilitation approach in real-life situations. Conclusions. Rehabilitation providers working with children with complex needs and their families should also address child and parent problematic behaviors. When this was the case in high integrated teams, the child's physical quality of life improved after two years.

System Integration for Real-Time Mobile Manipulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reza Oftadeh

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Mobile manipulators are one of the most complicated types of mechatronics systems. The performance of these robots in performing complex manipulation tasks is highly correlated with the synchronization and integration of their low-level components. This paper discusses in detail the mechatronics design of a four wheel steered mobile manipulator. It presents the manipulator's mechanical structure and electrical interfaces, designs low-level software architecture based on embedded PC-based controls, and proposes a systematic solution based on code generation products of MATLAB and Simulink. The remote development environment described here is used to develop real-time controller software and modules for the mobile manipulator under a POSIX-compliant, real-time Linux operating system. Our approach enables developers to reliably design controller modules that meet the hard real-time constraints of the entire low-level system architecture. Moreover, it provides a systematic framework for the development and integration of hardware devices with various communication mediums and protocols, which facilitates the development and integration process of the software controller.

Communication patterns and satisfaction levels in three-dimensional versus real-life intimate relationships.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilbert, Richard L; Murphy, Nora A; Ávalos, M Clementina

2011-10-01

The present study compared communication patterns and satisfaction levels between three-dimensional (3D) and real-life intimate relationships using a sample of 71 participants who were concurrently involved in an intimate relationship within Second Life and a separate real-life romantic relationship. Participants indicated that the quality of their communication was significantly better in their Second-Life relationship and that they experienced higher levels of satisfaction with their virtual partners. The more positive or idealized view of the 3D relationships may have been due to higher levels of focused interaction and reduced stressors in the virtual world and the greater length, and associated problems, in participant's real-life relationships. In addition, the presence of a concurrent relationship within Second Life could have negatively affected participant's judgments of their real-life relationships. These data offer the first detailed assessment of communication patterns and satisfaction levels in intimate relationships across the real and 3D virtual realms as the number of users and romantic partners in immersive virtual environments continue to grow.

An integrated technique for developing real-time systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hooman, J.J.M.; Vain, J.

1995-01-01

The integration of conceptual modeling techniques, formal specification, and compositional verification is considered for real time systems within the knowledge engineering context. We define constructive transformations from a conceptual meta model to a real time specification language and give

Mathematics and engineering in real life through mathematical competitions

Science.gov (United States)

More, M.

2018-02-01

We bring out an experience of organizing mathematical competitions that can be used as a medium to motivate the student and teacher minds in new directions of thinking. This can contribute to fostering research, innovation and provide a hands-on experience of mathematical concepts with the real world. Mathematical competitions can be used to build curiosity and give an understanding of mathematical applications in real life. Participation in the competition has been classified under four broad categories. Student can showcase their findings in various forms of expression like model, poster, soft presentation, animation, live performance, art and poetry. The basic focus of the competition is on using open source computation tools and modern technology, to emphasize the relationship of mathematical concepts with engineering applications in real life.

Real-Life Efficacy, Immunogenicity and Safety of Biosimilar Infliximab.

Science.gov (United States)

Vegh, Zsuzsanna; Kurti, Zsuzsanna; Lakatos, Peter L

2017-01-01

Recently, the use of biosimilar infliximab (IFX) in the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases has become widespread in some European and non-European countries. Data on the efficacy, safety and immunogenicity from real-life cohorts are accumulating. The first reports showed similar outcomes in the induction and maintenance of remission, mucosal healing, safety and immunogenicity profile to the originator IFX. In the present review, we aimed to summarize the existing knowledge on the efficacy, safety and immunogenicity profile of biosimilar IFX reported from real-life cohorts. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Privatization of Land Plot Under Integral Real Estate Complex

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maruchek A. A.

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the questions concerning the privatization of a land plot under integral real estate complex. The authors come to conclusion that a number of legislation norms relating to privatization of a land plot do not take into account the construction of an integral real estate complex that could cause some problems in the realization of the right to privatization of the land plot

Virtual Worlds: Relationship between Real Life and Experience in Second Life

Science.gov (United States)

Anstadt, Scott P.; Bradley, Shannon; Burnette, Ashley; Medley, Lesley L.

2013-01-01

Due to the unique applications of virtual reality in many modern contexts, Second Life (SL) offers inimitable opportunities for research and exploration and experiential learning as part of a distance learning curriculum assignment. A review of current research regarding SL examined real world social influences in online interactions and what the…

Feasibility of the integration of CRONOS, a 3-D neutronics code, into real-time simulators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ragusa, J.C.

2001-01-01

In its effort to contribute to nuclear power plant safety, CEA proposes the integration of an engineering grade 3-D neutronics code into a real-time plant analyser. This paper describes the capabilities of the neutronics code CRONOS to achieve a fast running performance. First, we will present current core models in simulators and explain their drawbacks. Secondly, the mean features of CRONOS's spatial-kinetics methods will be reviewed. We will then present an optimum core representation with respect to mesh size, choice of finite elements (FE) basis and execution time, for accurate results as well as the multi 1-D thermal-hydraulics (T/H) model developed to take into account 3-D effects in updating the cross-sections. A Main Steam Line Break (MSLB) End-of-Life (EOL) Hot-Zero-Power (HZP) accident will be used as an example, before we conclude with the perspectives of integrating CRONOS's 3-D core model into real-time simulators. (author)

Feasibility of the integration of CRONOS, a 3-D neutronics code, into real-time simulators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ragusa, J.C. [CEA Saclay, Dept. de Mecanique et de Technologie, 91 - Gif-sur-Yvette (France)

2001-07-01

In its effort to contribute to nuclear power plant safety, CEA proposes the integration of an engineering grade 3-D neutronics code into a real-time plant analyser. This paper describes the capabilities of the neutronics code CRONOS to achieve a fast running performance. First, we will present current core models in simulators and explain their drawbacks. Secondly, the mean features of CRONOS's spatial-kinetics methods will be reviewed. We will then present an optimum core representation with respect to mesh size, choice of finite elements (FE) basis and execution time, for accurate results as well as the multi 1-D thermal-hydraulics (T/H) model developed to take into account 3-D effects in updating the cross-sections. A Main Steam Line Break (MSLB) End-of-Life (EOL) Hot-Zero-Power (HZP) accident will be used as an example, before we conclude with the perspectives of integrating CRONOS's 3-D core model into real-time simulators. (author)

Assessing the Value of Real-life Brands in Virtual Worlds

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mattsson, Jan; Barnes, Stuart; Hartley, Nicole

2015-01-01

World. A key finding is the difficulty in creating emotional brand value in Second Life which has serious implications for the sustainability of current real-life brands in Virtual Worlds. The paper rounds off with conclusions and implications for future research and practice in this very new area.......Virtual Worlds are a significant new market environment for brand-building through experiential customer service interactions. Using value theory, this paper aims to assess the experiential brand value of real-life brands that have moved to the Virtual World of Second Life. A key premise...... is that current brand offerings in Virtual Worlds do not offer consumers adequate experiential value. The results demonstrate both the validity of an axiological approach to examining brand value, and highlight significant problems in consumer perceptions of the experiential value of brands within the Virtual...

Endangered Species: Real Life in Two Dimensions

Science.gov (United States)

Henderson, Lynette K.

2012-01-01

The focus of "Endangered Species: Real Life in Two Dimensions" is to create awareness about a critical environmental issue. There is a special urgency to this project because large numbers of animal species are currently endangered or on the brink of extinction. In addition to being enlightened about this important topic through research, students…

Integrating Real-time Earthquakes into Natural Hazard Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Furlong, K. P.; Benz, H. M.; Whitlock, J. S.; Bittenbinder, A. N.; Bogaert, B. B.

2001-12-01

Natural hazard courses are playing an increasingly important role in college and university earth science curricula. Students' intrinsic curiosity about the subject and the potential to make the course relevant to the interests of both science and non-science students make natural hazards courses popular additions to a department's offerings. However, one vital aspect of "real-life" natural hazard management that has not translated well into the classroom is the real-time nature of both events and response. The lack of a way to entrain students into the event/response mode has made implementing such real-time activities into classroom activities problematic. Although a variety of web sites provide near real-time postings of natural hazards, students essentially learn of the event after the fact. This is particularly true for earthquakes and other events with few precursors. As a result, the "time factor" and personal responsibility associated with natural hazard response is lost to the students. We have integrated the real-time aspects of earthquake response into two natural hazard courses at Penn State (a 'general education' course for non-science majors, and an upper-level course for science majors) by implementing a modification of the USGS Earthworm system. The Earthworm Database Management System (E-DBMS) catalogs current global seismic activity. It provides earthquake professionals with real-time email/cell phone alerts of global seismic activity and access to the data for review/revision purposes. We have modified this system so that real-time response can be used to address specific scientific, policy, and social questions in our classes. As a prototype of using the E-DBMS in courses, we have established an Earthworm server at Penn State. This server receives national and global seismic network data and, in turn, transmits the tailored alerts to "on-duty" students (e-mail, pager/cell phone notification). These students are responsible to react to the alarm

Real-Life Research: Project Runway Makeover Model

Science.gov (United States)

Jaeger, Paige; Nesi, Olga M.

2014-01-01

Real-life research is incredibly varied. We research cars. We research lawn problems. We research child behavior problems, health issues, possible vacation destinations, and prices to stretch our budgets. No two scenarios are ever alike, and no two health issues should be assumed to be the same. That is reality, and that is a picture of what the…

Shelf Life of Food Products: From Open Labeling to Real-Time Measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

Corradini, Maria G

2018-03-25

The labels currently used on food and beverage products only provide consumers with a rough guide to their expected shelf lives because they assume that a product only experiences a limited range of predefined handling and storage conditions. These static labels do not take into consideration conditions that might shorten a product's shelf life (such as temperature abuse), which can lead to problems associated with food safety and waste. Advances in shelf-life estimation have the potential to improve the safety, reliability, and sustainability of the food supply. Selection of appropriate kinetic models and data-analysis techniques is essential to predict shelf life, to account for variability in environmental conditions, and to allow real-time monitoring. Novel analytical tools to determine safety and quality attributes in situ coupled with modern tracking technologies and appropriate predictive tools have the potential to provide accurate estimations of the remaining shelf life of a food product in real time. This review summarizes the necessary steps to attain a transition from open labeling to real-time shelf-life measurements.

Working as simulated patient has effects on real patient life – Preliminary insights from a qualitative study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simmenroth-Nayda, Anne

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Background: Persons who simulate patients during medical education understand the routines and the underlying script of medical consultations better. We aimed to explore how simulated patients (SPs integrated this new understanding into their daily life, how this work affected their private life as patients, and what we can learn from these changes for concepts of empowerment.Design, setting, and participants: A qualitative interview study. All SPs of Göttingen medical school who had been working longer than three semesters (n=14 were invited and agreed to take part in an open interview about their daily experience with real doctors. Documentary method was used to identify the main issues. Several cases were chosen according to maximum contrast and analysed by in-depth analysis to provide vivid examples of how simulations may affect the real life of the SPs as patients.Results: Our analysis revealed three main changes in the behaviour of SPs as real patients. They were more attentive, had a better understanding of the circumstances under which doctors work, and acted more self-confidently. From the selected cases it became apparent that working as a SP may lead to a constant and significant decrease of fear of hospitals and medical procedures or, in other cases, may enable the SPs to develop new abilities for giving feedback, questioning procedures, and explanations for real doctors.Conclusion: working as a simulated patient seems to be well-suited to understand own progression of diseases, to increase self-responsibility and to a confident attitude as patient.

Integrating Sustainability into the Real Estate Valuation Process: A ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper sought the perception of Nigerian real estate valuers on sustainable development and how sustainability can be integrated into the real estate valuation process in Nigeria. One hundred and sixty Estate Surveyors and Valuers were asked, among others, to rate the significance of a range of sustainability features ...

Real-time hybrid simulation using the convolution integral method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Sung Jig; Christenson, Richard E; Wojtkiewicz, Steven F; Johnson, Erik A

2011-01-01

This paper proposes a real-time hybrid simulation method that will allow complex systems to be tested within the hybrid test framework by employing the convolution integral (CI) method. The proposed CI method is potentially transformative for real-time hybrid simulation. The CI method can allow real-time hybrid simulation to be conducted regardless of the size and complexity of the numerical model and for numerical stability to be ensured in the presence of high frequency responses in the simulation. This paper presents the general theory behind the proposed CI method and provides experimental verification of the proposed method by comparing the CI method to the current integration time-stepping (ITS) method. Real-time hybrid simulation is conducted in the Advanced Hazard Mitigation Laboratory at the University of Connecticut. A seismically excited two-story shear frame building with a magneto-rheological (MR) fluid damper is selected as the test structure to experimentally validate the proposed method. The building structure is numerically modeled and simulated, while the MR damper is physically tested. Real-time hybrid simulation using the proposed CI method is shown to provide accurate results

Non-Stop Lab Week: A Real Laboratory Experience for Life Sciences Postgraduate Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Freitas, Maria João; Silva, Joana Vieira; Korrodi-Gregório, Luís; Fardilha, Margarida

2016-01-01

At the Portuguese universities, practical classes of life sciences are usually professor-centered 2-hour classes. This approach results in students underprepared for a real work environment in a research/clinical laboratory. To provide students with a real-life laboratory environment, the Non-Stop Lab Week (NSLW) was created in the Molecular…

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: from clinical trials to real-life experiences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergio Harari

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Randomised controlled clinical trials are fundamental in medicine to develop new effective drugs and new therapeutic regimens and are the strength of evidence-based medicine. These studies allow us to avoid the repetition of misleading experiences that have been reported in the past, where drugs or associations were utilised without compelling evidence and ultimately proven to be ineffective. In recent years, randomised clinical trials have been conducted and concluded for many rare diseases, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. However, clinical trials do not always reflect the real-life scenario. Patients selected for clinical trials present fewer comorbidities, they fall between certain age limits, and the severity of their disease is defined; therefore, they do not always reflect the whole of the population affected by a specific disease. These are the reasons why we also need data that mirror real-life experience. The limitations that these kind of studies present are always several and the studies should be interpreted with caution, although they can fill the important gap between efficacy and effectiveness. In this article, we will review the existing clinical data on real-life treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Social Anxiety in Online and Real-Life Interaction and Their Associated Factors

OpenAIRE

Yen, Ju-Yu; Yen, Cheng-Fang; Chen, Cheng-Sheng; Wang, Peng-Wei; Chang, Yi-Hsin; Ko, Chih-Hung

2012-01-01

Social anxiety was compared between online and real-life interaction in a sample of 2,348 college students. Severity of social anxiety in both real-life and online interaction was tested for associations with depression, Internet addiction, Internet activity type (gaming versus chatting), and scores on Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS)/Behavioral Activation System (BAS) scales. The results showed that social anxiety was lower when interacting online than when interacting offline. Depression,...

Virtually numbed: immersive video gaming alters real-life experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Weger, Ulrich W; Loughnan, Stephen

2014-04-01

As actors in a highly mechanized environment, we are citizens of a world populated not only by fellow humans, but also by virtual characters (avatars). Does immersive video gaming, during which the player takes on the mantle of an avatar, prompt people to adopt the coldness and rigidity associated with robotic behavior and desensitize them to real-life experience? In one study, we correlated participants' reported video-gaming behavior with their emotional rigidity (as indicated by the number of paperclips that they removed from ice-cold water). In a second experiment, we manipulated immersive and nonimmersive gaming behavior and then likewise measured the extent of the participants' emotional rigidity. Both studies yielded reliable impacts, and thus suggest that immersion into a robotic viewpoint desensitizes people to real-life experiences in oneself and others.

Efficient and Flexible KNN Query Processing in Real-Life Road Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lu, Yang; Bui, Bin; Zhao, Jiakui

2008-01-01

are included into the RNG index, which enables the index to support both distance-based and time-based KNN queries and continuous KNN queries. Our work extends previous ones by taking into account more practical scenarios, such as complexities in real-life road networks and time-based KNN queries. Extensive......Along with the developments of mobile services, effectively modeling road networks and efficiently indexing and querying network constrained objects has become a challenging problem. In this paper, we first introduce a road network model which captures real-life road networks better than previous...

Improvisation of Real-Life Scenarios through Intercultural Competence

Science.gov (United States)

Okten, Celile Eren; Griffin, Banu Ozer

2016-01-01

This paper describes tasks based on real-life scenarios, which triggered reflective thinking, verbalization, and writing, leading to the creation of natural dialogues rather than artificial, dull monologues. One of the main aims of this approach is to engage students in a dynamic process of both learning about multicultural participants and…

From real life to real life

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svalgaard, Lotte

2017-01-01

In Action Learning programmes, it is held central to work on real business challenges (task) while learning about team and self (process); staying mindful aware of the process is referred to in this paper as ‘double awareness’, and emphasises noticing and acting on process cues while working on t...

Virtual Worlds: Relationship Between Real Life and Experience in Second Life

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Scott P. Anstadt

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Due to the unique applications of virtual reality in many modern contexts, Second Life (SL offers inimitable opportunities for research and exploration and experiential learning as part of a distance learning curriculum assignment. A review of current research regarding SL examined real world social influences in online interactions and what the effects on users may be. This aids students in understanding the social constructionist perceptions and worldview of those persons they may serve in social services. This suggests the importance of developing an understanding of the relationship between users’ real life (RL and their SL. Some research has begun to reveal the effectiveness of telecommunication and computer simulation with certain clients in the fields of mental health and social work, yet there is a lack of sufficient research done within the context of virtual worlds. The current study surveyed users of several educationally and health focused SIMS (simulations as to what motivates their SL and RL interactions. The data explores associations between users’ RL and their SL in several areas,potentially addressing the future role of educating social work students regarding research methodology in online virtual reality interactions. Implications for social work are discussed including engaging clients using incentives for social participation built into the SL milieu.

Children's Eyewitness Memory for Multiple Real-Life Events

Science.gov (United States)

Odegard, Timothy N.; Cooper, Crystal M.; Lampinen, James M.; Reyna, Valerie F.; Brainerd, Charles J.

2009-01-01

The present research examined the influence of prior knowledge on children's free recall, cued recall, recognition memory, and source memory judgments for a series of similar real-life events. Forty children (5-12 years old) attended 4 thematic birthday parties and were later interviewed about the events that transpired during the parties using…

Measure and integral an introduction to real analysis

CERN Document Server

Wheeden, Richard L

2015-01-01

Now considered a classic text on the topic, Measure and Integral: An Introduction to Real Analysis provides an introduction to real analysis by first developing the theory of measure and integration in the simple setting of Euclidean space, and then presenting a more general treatment based on abstract notions characterized by axioms and with less geometric content.Published nearly forty years after the first edition, this long-awaited Second Edition also:Studies the Fourier transform of functions in the spaces L1, L2, and Lp, 1 p Shows the Hilbert transform to be a bounded operator on L2, as an application of the L2 theory of the Fourier transform in the one-dimensional caseCovers fractional integration and some topics related to mean oscillation properties of functions, such as the classes of Hölder continuous functions and the space of functions of bounded mean oscillationDerives a subrepresentation formula, which in higher dimensions plays a role roughly similar to the one played by the fundamental theor...

Rendezvous with IQ: Metacognition in Real-Life Situations

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Hilawani, Yasser A.

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between metacognition as measured in real-life situations and IQ scores as reflected by performance on the Raven Standard Progressive Matrices Scale. It is also intended in this study to report on whether or not there were significant differences in performance on the metacognitive…

A real nonlinear integrable couplings of continuous soliton hierarchy and its Hamiltonian structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu Fajun

2011-01-01

Some integrable coupling systems of existing papers are linear integrable couplings. In the Letter, beginning with Lax pairs from special non-semisimple matrix Lie algebras, we establish a scheme for constructing real nonlinear integrable couplings of continuous soliton hierarchy. A direct application to the AKNS spectral problem leads to a novel nonlinear integrable couplings, then we consider the Hamiltonian structures of nonlinear integrable couplings of AKNS hierarchy with the component-trace identity. - Highlights: → We establish a scheme to construct real nonlinear integrable couplings. → We obtain a novel nonlinear integrable couplings of AKNS hierarchy. → Hamiltonian structure of nonlinear integrable couplings AKNS hierarchy is presented.

Clinical and economic impact of etanercept in real-life

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Christian Grønhøj; Andersen, Peter Hundevadt; Lorentzen, Henrik

2013-01-01

BACKGROUND: Real-life data on the therapeutic effectiveness and costs of etanercept are scarce. Objectives: To assess the clinical and economic impact of etanercept in patients with psoriasis in Denmark and Norway. MATERIAL & METHODS: This prospective, non-interventional study in a private...

Real analysis measure theory, integration, and Hilbert spaces

CERN Document Server

Stein, Elias M

2005-01-01

Real Analysis is the third volume in the Princeton Lectures in Analysis, a series of four textbooks that aim to present, in an integrated manner, the core areas of analysis. Here the focus is on the development of measure and integration theory, differentiation and integration, Hilbert spaces, and Hausdorff measure and fractals. This book reflects the objective of the series as a whole: to make plain the organic unity that exists between the various parts of the subject, and to illustrate the wide applicability of ideas of analysis to other fields of mathematics and science. After

[The influences of interaction during online gaming on sociability and aggression in real life].

Science.gov (United States)

Fuji, Kei; Yoshida, Fujio

2010-02-01

This study examined the influences of online gaming on sociability and aggression in real life. It was hypothesized that the effects of online gaming would differ depending on the interaction style of the online-gamers. Online-gamers in Japan (n = 1 477) were asked to respond to questionnaires that measured interaction style during online gaming, the effects of sociability and aggression, as well as social and individual orientation in real life. Factor analysis of the scores for interaction style extracted five factors. Covariance structure analysis indicated that sociable interactions such as "Broadening relations" and "Feeling of belonging" promoted sociability in real life. In addition, "Release from daily hassles" promoted sociability and decreased aggression. In contrast, non-sociable and aggressive interactions decreased sociability and increased aggression. The results also suggested that a social orientation in real life promoted sociable interactions during game playing, while an individual orientation promoted non-sociable and aggressive interactions. These results supported the hypotheses and suggested that online gaming resulted in positive outcomes for those who are socially, but negative outcomes for those who are not.

Integrated corporate structure life cycle management modeling and organization

OpenAIRE

Naumenko, M.; Morozova, L.

2011-01-01

Integrated business structure presented as complementary pool of its participants skills. The methodical approach to integrated business structure life cycle modeling proposed. Recommendations of enterprises life cycles stages correlate are submitted.

In Patients with Cirrhosis, Driving Simulator Performance is Associated With Real-life Driving

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lauridsen, Mette Enok Munk; Thacker, Leroy R; White, Melanie B

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) has been linked to higher real-life rates of automobile crashes and poor performance in driving simulation studies, but the link between driving simulator performance and real-life automobile crashes has not been clearly established. Further......, not all patients with MHE are unsafe drivers, but it is unclear how to distinguish them from unsafe drivers. We investigated the link between performance on driving simulators and real-life automobile accidents and traffic violations. We also aimed to identify features of unsafe drivers with cirrhosis...... and evaluated changes in simulated driving skills and MHE status after 1 year. METHODS: We performed a study of outpatients with cirrhosis (n=205; median 55 years old; median model for end-stage liver disease score, 9.5; none with overt hepatic encephalopathy or alcohol or illicit drug use within previous 6...

The Application of Real Convolution for Analytically Evaluating Fermi-Dirac-Type and Bose-Einstein-Type Integrals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jerry P. Selvaggi

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The Fermi-Dirac-type or Bose-Einstein-type integrals can be transformed into two convergent real-convolution integrals. The transformation simplifies the integration process and may ultimately produce a complete analytical solution without recourse to any mathematical approximations. The real-convolution integrals can either be directly integrated or be transformed into the Laplace Transform inversion integral in which case the full power of contour integration becomes available. Which method is employed is dependent upon the complexity of the real-convolution integral. A number of examples are introduced which will illustrate the efficacy of the analytical approach.

Optimal Real-time Dispatch for Integrated Energy Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Anvari-Moghaddam, Amjad; Guerrero, Josep M.; Rahimi-Kian, Ashkan

2016-01-01

With the emerging of small-scale integrated energy systems (IESs), there are significant potentials to increase the functionality of a typical demand-side management (DSM) strategy and typical implementation of building-level distributed energy resources (DERs). By integrating DSM and DERs...... into a cohesive, networked package that fully utilizes smart energy-efficient end-use devices, advanced building control/automation systems, and integrated communications architectures, it is possible to efficiently manage energy and comfort at the end-use location. In this paper, an ontology-driven multi......-agent control system with intelligent optimizers is proposed for optimal real-time dispatch of an integrated building and microgrid system considering coordinated demand response (DR) and DERs management. The optimal dispatch problem is formulated as a mixed integer nonlinear programing problem (MINLP...

"Real-life" treatment of chronic pain: Targets and goals.

Science.gov (United States)

Ablin, Jacob N; Buskila, Dan

2015-02-01

Treating chronic pain is a complex challenge. While textbooks and medical education classically categorize pain as originating from peripheral (nociceptive), neuropathic, or centralized origins, in real life each and every patient may present a combination of various pain sources, types, and mechanisms. Moreover, individual patients may evolve and develop differing types of pain throughout their clinical follow-up, further emphasizing the necessity to maintain clinical diligence during the evaluation and follow-up of these patients. Rational treatment of patients suffering from chronic pain must attempt at deconstructing complex pain cases, identifying variegate pain generators, and targeting them with appropriate interventions, while incorporating both pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies, rather than focusing on the total pain level, which represents an integral of all pain types. Failing to recognize the coexistence of different types of pain in an individual patient and escalating medications only on the basis of total pain intensity are liable to lead to both ineffective control of pain and increased untoward effects. In the current review, we outline strategies for deconstructing complex pain and therapeutic suggestions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Acoustic Coordinated Reset Neuromodulation in a Real Life Patient Population with Chronic Tonal Tinnitus

Science.gov (United States)

Hauptmann, Christian; Ströbel, Armin; Williams, Mark; Patel, Nitesh; Wurzer, Hannes; von Stackelberg, Tatjana; Brinkmann, Uwe; Langguth, Berthold; Tass, Peter A.

2015-01-01

Purpose. Primary tinnitus has a severe negative influence on the quality of life of a significant portion of the general population. Acoustic coordinated reset neuromodulation is designed to induce a long-lasting reduction of tinnitus symptoms. To test acoustic coordinated reset neuromodulation as a treatment for chronic, tonal tinnitus under real life conditions, an outpatient study “RESET Real Life” was commissioned by ANM GmbH. Herein we present the results of this study. Methods. In a prospective, open-label, nonrandomized, noncontrolled multicenter clinical study with 200 chronic tinnitus patients, tinnitus questionnaire TBF-12 and Global Clinical Improvement-Impression Scale (CGI-I7) are used to study the safety and efficacy of acoustic coordinated reset neuromodulation. 189 patients completed the last 12-month visit, 11 patients dropped out (8 because of nontreatment related reasons; 2 because tinnitus did not change; and 1 because tinnitus got louder). Results. Acoustic coordinated reset neuromodulation caused a statistically and clinically significant decrease in TBF-12 scores as well as in CGI-I7 after 12 months of therapy under real life conditions. There were no persistent adverse events reported that were related to the therapy. Conclusion. The field study “RESET Real Life” provides evidence for safety and efficacy of acoustic coordinated reset neuromodulation in a prospective, open-label, real life setting. PMID:26568958

Intriguingly Real Life of the Queen of Crime

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Branka Kovačević

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This December it will be ninety years since Agatha Christie disappeared for eleven days and despite the fact that there are many biographical books about her life and work, nobody knows for sure what provoked her to vanish, sending shockwaves in British society in 1926. Whatever the cause may be, this disappearance has remained a mystery and inspired French authors Anne Martinetti and Guillaume Lebeau, along with the illustrator Alexandre Franc, to create a graphic novel: Agatha: The Real Life of Agatha Christie. Marinetti has also written a cookbook inspired by Agatha Christie, entitled Creams and Punishments, while together with Lebeau, she has co-authored the encyclopedia Agatha Christie from A to Z.Agatha: The Real Life of Agatha Christie was originally released in 2014 as a French-language Kindle edition and was first published in English in May, 2016 by the UK press SelfMadeHero, which specializes in graphic novels and manga adaptations of classic literature, like those of Shakespeare, Poe and Kafka. The story is told through 112 illustrated pages and concludes with a thorough timeline of key events in Agatha Christie’s life, as well as a complete bibliography. It is noticeable that novels and story collections featuring Hercule Poirot take up the greater part of her bibliography. The authors of this biography assume a similar approach in showing the significance of this fictional character in Christie's career (and life, representing Poirot throughout the text as her companion and advisor without using any graphic techniques to stress the fictionality of his character. The authors make strong attempts to convey the close relationship that Christie built with her most prominent character, one who always seems to appear in this biography during her moments of extreme loneliness, and one to whom Christie owed a great deal – as she admited herself when she decided to buy the Greenway House in December 1938 (Martinetti, Lebeau, and Franc

How Accumulated Real Life Stress Experience and Cognitive Speed Interact on Decision-Making Processes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eva Friedel

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Rationale: Advances in neurocomputational modeling suggest that valuation systems for goal-directed (deliberative on one side, and habitual (automatic decision-making on the other side may rely on distinct computational strategies for reinforcement learning, namely model-free vs. model-based learning. As a key theoretical difference, the model-based system strongly demands cognitive functions to plan actions prospectively based on an internal cognitive model of the environment, whereas valuation in the model-free system relies on rather simple learning rules from operant conditioning to retrospectively associate actions with their outcomes and is thus cognitively less demanding. Acute stress reactivity is known to impair model-based but not model-free choice behavior, with higher working memory capacity protecting the model-based system from acute stress. However, it is not clear which impact accumulated real life stress has on model-free and model-based decision systems and how this influence interacts with cognitive abilities.Methods: We used a sequential decision-making task distinguishing relative contributions of both learning strategies to choice behavior, the Social Readjustment Rating Scale questionnaire to assess accumulated real life stress, and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test to test cognitive speed in 95 healthy subjects.Results: Individuals reporting high stress exposure who had low cognitive speed showed reduced model-based but increased model-free behavioral control. In contrast, subjects exposed to accumulated real life stress with high cognitive speed displayed increased model-based performance but reduced model-free control.Conclusion: These findings suggest that accumulated real life stress exposure can enhance reliance on cognitive speed for model-based computations, which may ultimately protect the model-based system from the detrimental influences of accumulated real life stress. The combination of accumulated real life

How Accumulated Real Life Stress Experience and Cognitive Speed Interact on Decision-Making Processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Friedel, Eva; Sebold, Miriam; Kuitunen-Paul, Sören; Nebe, Stephan; Veer, Ilya M; Zimmermann, Ulrich S; Schlagenhauf, Florian; Smolka, Michael N; Rapp, Michael; Walter, Henrik; Heinz, Andreas

2017-01-01

Rationale: Advances in neurocomputational modeling suggest that valuation systems for goal-directed (deliberative) on one side, and habitual (automatic) decision-making on the other side may rely on distinct computational strategies for reinforcement learning, namely model-free vs. model-based learning. As a key theoretical difference, the model-based system strongly demands cognitive functions to plan actions prospectively based on an internal cognitive model of the environment, whereas valuation in the model-free system relies on rather simple learning rules from operant conditioning to retrospectively associate actions with their outcomes and is thus cognitively less demanding. Acute stress reactivity is known to impair model-based but not model-free choice behavior, with higher working memory capacity protecting the model-based system from acute stress. However, it is not clear which impact accumulated real life stress has on model-free and model-based decision systems and how this influence interacts with cognitive abilities. Methods: We used a sequential decision-making task distinguishing relative contributions of both learning strategies to choice behavior, the Social Readjustment Rating Scale questionnaire to assess accumulated real life stress, and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test to test cognitive speed in 95 healthy subjects. Results: Individuals reporting high stress exposure who had low cognitive speed showed reduced model-based but increased model-free behavioral control. In contrast, subjects exposed to accumulated real life stress with high cognitive speed displayed increased model-based performance but reduced model-free control. Conclusion: These findings suggest that accumulated real life stress exposure can enhance reliance on cognitive speed for model-based computations, which may ultimately protect the model-based system from the detrimental influences of accumulated real life stress. The combination of accumulated real life stress exposure

The Real World around me – Life within the Pixel?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aleksandra Bokan

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Modern era, the famous 21st century is full of options. Never more features and never greater alienation. Is it really so? While living in their standard-progress that, but when it towered over the black shadow, and when you are able to save someone’s life, tripping locked mechanisms for social survival. It no longer matters whether someone look at someone elses’s pictures from the wedding, showing a new hairstyle on FB or Twitter etc. Simply put, life on the Internet becomes a means of saving someone’s real, tangible life.

High correlation between performance on a virtual-reality simulator and real-life cataract surgery

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Ann Sofia Skou; Smith, Phillip; Subhi, Yousif

2017-01-01

-tracking software of cataract surgical videos with a Pearson correlation coefficient of -0.70 (p = 0.017). CONCLUSION: Performance on the EyeSi simulator is significantly and highly correlated to real-life surgical performance. However, it is recommended that performance assessments are made using multiple data......PURPOSE: To investigate the correlation in performance of cataract surgery between a virtual-reality simulator and real-life surgery using two objective assessment tools with evidence of validity. METHODS: Cataract surgeons with varying levels of experience were included in the study. All...... antitremor training, forceps training, bimanual training, capsulorhexis and phaco divide and conquer. RESULTS: Eleven surgeons were enrolled. After a designated warm-up period, the proficiency-based test on the EyeSi simulator was strongly correlated to real-life performance measured by motion...

Towards a portable microchip system with integrated thermal control and polymer waveguides for real-time PCR

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Zhenyu; Sekulovic, Andrea; Kutter, Jörg Peter

2006-01-01

A novel real-time PCR microchip platform with integrated thermal system and polymer waveguides has been developed. The integrated polymer optical system for real-time monitoring of PCR was fabricated in the same SU-8 layer as the PCR chamber, without additional masking steps. Two suitable DNA...... binding dyes, SYTOX Orange and TO-PRO-3, were selected and tested for the real-time PCR processes. As a model, cadF gene of Campylobacter jejuni has been amplified on the microchip. Using the integrated optical system of the real-time PCR microchip, the measured cycle threshold values of the real-time PCR...

Violence exposure in real-life, video games, television, movies, and the internet: is there desensitization?

Science.gov (United States)

Funk, Jeanne B; Baldacci, Heidi Bechtoldt; Pasold, Tracie; Baumgardner, Jennifer

2004-02-01

It is believed that repeated exposure to real-life and to entertainment violence may alter cognitive, affective, and behavioral processes, possibly leading to desensitization. The goal of the present study was to determine if there are relationships between real-life and media violence exposure and desensitization as reflected in related characteristics. One hundred fifty fourth and fifth graders completed measures of real-life violence exposure, media violence exposure, empathy, and attitudes towards violence. Regression analyses indicated that only exposure to video game violence was associated with (lower) empathy. Both video game and movie violence exposure were associated with stronger proviolence attitudes. The active nature of playing video games, intense engagement, and the tendency to be translated into fantasy play may explain negative impact, though causality was not investigated in the present design. The samples' relatively low exposure to real-life violence may have limited the identification of relationships. Although difficult to quantify, desensitization to violence should be further studied using related characteristics as in the present study. Individual differences and causal relationships should also be examined.

A Real-Life Case Study of Audit Interactions--Resolving Messy, Complex Problems

Science.gov (United States)

Beattie, Vivien; Fearnley, Stella; Hines, Tony

2012-01-01

Real-life accounting and auditing problems are often complex and messy, requiring the synthesis of technical knowledge in addition to the application of generic skills. To help students acquire the necessary skills to deal with these problems effectively, educators have called for the use of case-based methods. Cases based on real situations (such…

Real-life decision making in college students. I: Consistency across specific decisions.

Science.gov (United States)

Galotti, Kathleen M; Wiener, Hillary J D; Tandler, Jane M

2014-01-01

First-year undergraduates participated in a short-term longitudinal study of real-life decision making over their first 14 months of college. They were surveyed about 7 different decisions: choosing courses for an upcoming term (3 different terms), choosing an academic major (twice), planning for the upcoming summer, and planning for sophomore-year housing. Participants showed moderate levels of consistency in the options they considered and in the criteria they used to decide between options, with about half of the options or criteria being used at 2 different points on the decision repeatedly studied. Participants varied somewhat in structural consistency, the tendency to consider the same number of options or criteria across decisions. They also varied in the way they integrated information across decision-making tasks. We suggest that people attempt to keep the information demands of the task within workable limits, sometimes sacrificing consistency as a result.

Bringing Abstract Academic Integrity and Ethical Concepts into Real-Life Situations

Science.gov (United States)

Kwong, Theresa; Wong, Eva; Yue, Kevin

2017-01-01

This paper reports the learning analytics on the initial stages of a large-scale, government-funded project which inducts university students in Hong Kong into consideration of academic integrity and ethics through mobile Augmented Reality (AR) learning trails--Trails of Integrity and Ethics (TIEs)--accessed on smart devices. The trails immerse…

Operation of ULCS - real life

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jasna Prpić-Oršić

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper the real life operation of ULCS (Ultra Large Container Ships is presented from the point of view of shipmasters. The paper provides interpretation of results of questionnaire filled by masters of large container ships during Tools for Ultra Large Container Ships (TULC EUI FP7 project. This is done in a way that results of questionnaire are further reviewed and commented by experienced master of ULCS. Following phenomena are subject of questionnaire and further discussed in the paper: parametric rolling, slamming, whipping, springing, green water and rogue waves. Special attention is given to the definition of rough sea states as well as to measures that ship masters take to avoid them as well as to the manoeuvring in heavy seas. The role of the wave forecast and weather routing software is also discussed.

An adaptation framework for turning Real-Life Events into Games

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjærhus Therkildsen, Sacha; Cassøe Bunkenborg, Nanna; Larsen, Lasse Juel

method and participatory design to achieve our ambition. In conclusion we found that a framework for persuasive board games can be advanced by balancing five interrelated layers: 1) real life events (game fiction), 2) rules (formal game elements), 3) movement system (game mechanisms), 4) destiny...

INTEGRITY ANALYSIS OF REAL-TIME PPP TECHNIQUE WITH IGS-RTS SERVICE FOR MARITIME NAVIGATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. El-Diasty

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Open sea and inland waterways are the most widely used mode for transporting goods worldwide. It is the International Maritime Organization (IMO that defines the requirements for position fixing equipment for a worldwide radio-navigation system, in terms of accuracy, integrity, continuity, availability and coverage for the various phases of navigation. Satellite positioning systems can contribute to meet these requirements, as well as optimize marine transportation. Marine navigation usually consists of three major phases identified as Ocean/Coastal/Port approach/Inland waterway, in port navigation and automatic docking with alert limit ranges from 25 m to 0.25 m. GPS positioning is widely used for many applications and is currently recognized by IMO for a future maritime navigation. With the advancement in autonomous GPS positioning techniques such as Precise Point Positioning (PPP and with the advent of new real-time GNSS correction services such as IGS-Real-Time-Service (RTS, it is necessary to investigate the integrity of the PPP-based positioning technique along with IGS-RTS service in terms of availability and reliability for safe navigation in maritime application. This paper monitors the integrity of an autonomous real-time PPP-based GPS positioning system using the IGS real-time service (RTS for maritime applications that require minimum availability of integrity of 99.8 % to fulfil the IMO integrity standards. To examine the integrity of the real-time IGS-RTS PPP-based technique for maritime applications, kinematic data from a dual frequency GPS receiver is collected onboard a vessel and investigated with the real-time IGS-RTS PPP-based GPS positioning technique. It is shown that the availability of integrity of the real-time IGS-RTS PPP-based GPS solution is 100 % for all navigation phases and therefore fulfil the IMO integrity standards (99.8 % availability immediately (after 1 second, after 2 minutes and after 42 minutes

Integrity Analysis of Real-Time Ppp Technique with Igs-Rts Service for Maritime Navigation

Science.gov (United States)

El-Diasty, M.

2017-10-01

Open sea and inland waterways are the most widely used mode for transporting goods worldwide. It is the International Maritime Organization (IMO) that defines the requirements for position fixing equipment for a worldwide radio-navigation system, in terms of accuracy, integrity, continuity, availability and coverage for the various phases of navigation. Satellite positioning systems can contribute to meet these requirements, as well as optimize marine transportation. Marine navigation usually consists of three major phases identified as Ocean/Coastal/Port approach/Inland waterway, in port navigation and automatic docking with alert limit ranges from 25 m to 0.25 m. GPS positioning is widely used for many applications and is currently recognized by IMO for a future maritime navigation. With the advancement in autonomous GPS positioning techniques such as Precise Point Positioning (PPP) and with the advent of new real-time GNSS correction services such as IGS-Real-Time-Service (RTS), it is necessary to investigate the integrity of the PPP-based positioning technique along with IGS-RTS service in terms of availability and reliability for safe navigation in maritime application. This paper monitors the integrity of an autonomous real-time PPP-based GPS positioning system using the IGS real-time service (RTS) for maritime applications that require minimum availability of integrity of 99.8 % to fulfil the IMO integrity standards. To examine the integrity of the real-time IGS-RTS PPP-based technique for maritime applications, kinematic data from a dual frequency GPS receiver is collected onboard a vessel and investigated with the real-time IGS-RTS PPP-based GPS positioning technique. It is shown that the availability of integrity of the real-time IGS-RTS PPP-based GPS solution is 100 % for all navigation phases and therefore fulfil the IMO integrity standards (99.8 % availability) immediately (after 1 second), after 2 minutes and after 42 minutes of convergence

Is fear in your head? A comparison of instructed and real-life expressions of emotion in the face and body.

Science.gov (United States)

Abramson, Lior; Marom, Inbal; Petranker, Rotem; Aviezer, Hillel

2017-04-01

The majority of emotion perception studies utilize instructed and stereotypical expressions of faces or bodies. While such stimuli are highly standardized and well-recognized, their resemblance to real-life expressions of emotion remains unknown. Here we examined facial and body expressions of fear and anger during real-life situations and compared their recognition to that of instructed expressions of the same emotions. In order to examine the source of the affective signal, expressions of emotion were presented as faces alone, bodies alone, and naturally, as faces with bodies. The results demonstrated striking deviations between recognition of instructed and real-life stimuli, which differed as a function of the emotion expressed. In real-life fearful expressions of emotion, bodies were far better recognized than faces, a pattern not found with instructed expressions of emotion. Anger reactions were better recognized from the body than from the face in both real-life and instructed stimuli. However, the real-life stimuli were overall better recognized than their instructed counterparts. These results indicate that differences between instructed and real-life expressions of emotion are prevalent and raise caution against an overreliance of researchers on instructed affective stimuli. The findings also demonstrate that in real life, facial expression perception may rely heavily on information from the contextualizing body. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Integrating a virtual agent into the real world

OpenAIRE

André, Elisabeth

2007-01-01

Integrating a virtual agent into the real world : the virtual anatomy assistant ritchie / K. Dorfmüller-Ulhaas ... - In: Intelligent virtual agents : 7th international conference, IVA 2007, Paris, France, September 17-19, 2007 ; proceedings / Catherine Pelachaud ... (eds.). - Berlin [u.a.] : Springer, 2007. - S. 211-224. - (Lecture notes in computer science ; 4722 : Lecture notes in artificial intelligence)

Work and personal life boundary management: boundary strength, work/personal life balance, and the segmentation-integration continuum.

Science.gov (United States)

Bulger, Carrie A; Matthews, Russell A; Hoffman, Mark E

2007-10-01

While researchers are increasingly interested in understanding the boundaries surrounding the work and personal life domains, few have tested the propositions set forth by theory. Boundary theory proposes that individuals manage the boundaries between work and personal life through processes of segmenting and/or integrating the domains. The authors investigated boundary management profiles of 332 workers in an investigation of the segmentation-integration continuum. Cluster analysis indicated consistent clusters of boundary management practices related to varying segmentation and integration of the work and personal life domains. But, the authors suggest that the segmentation-integration continuum may be more complicated. Results also indicated relationships between boundary management practices and work-personal life interference and work-personal life enhancement. Less flexible and more permeable boundaries were related to more interference, while more flexible and more permeable boundaries were related to more enhancement.

Work and Life Integration: Faculty Balance in the Academy

Science.gov (United States)

Ehrens, Holly

2016-01-01

Faculty work life integration has evolved as an important area of research in the academic workplace. The evolution in thinking about faculty work life integration has progressively shifted focus from the problems of women and parents to research that considers both men and women, married and single, with or without children as participants in the…

A method for strategic technical life cycle management of real estates

OpenAIRE

Koskelo, Taina

2005-01-01

This research study focuses on the strategic technical life cycle management (TLCM) of real estate. In the early phases of the study it became clear that very often the performance of TLCM was not perceived as satisfactory: there were problems in the purchasing and provision of technical services, TLCM was not performed according to real estate specific needs and objective-setting for building characteristics did not serve cost-effective ownership. The study focuses on four research quest...

Integration of Simulink, MARTe and MDSplus for rapid development of real-time applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Manduchi, G., E-mail: gabriele.manduchi@igi.cnr.it [Consorzio RFX (CNR, ENEA, INFN, Università di Padova, Acciaierie Venete SpA), Padova (Italy); Luchetta, A.; Taliercio, C. [Consorzio RFX (CNR, ENEA, INFN, Università di Padova, Acciaierie Venete SpA), Padova (Italy); Neto, A.; Sartori, F. [Fusion for Energy, Barcelona (Spain); De Tommasi, G. [Fusion for Energy, Barcelona (Spain); Consorzio CREATE/DIETI, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Claudio 21, 80125 Napoli (Italy)

2015-10-15

Highlights: • The integration of two frameworks for real-time control and data acquisition is described. • The integration may significantly fasten the development of system components. • The system includes also a code generator for the integration of code written in Simulink. • A real-time control systemcan be implemented without the need of writing any line of code. - Abstract: Simulink is a graphical data flow programming tool for modeling and simulating dynamic systems. A component of Simulink, called Simulink Coder, generates C code from Simulink diagrams. MARTe is a framework for the implementation of real-time systems, currently in use in several fusion experiments. MDSplus is a framework widely used in the fusion community for the management of data. The three systems provide a solution to different facets of the same process, that is, real-time plasma control development. Simulink diagrams will describe the algorithms used in control, which will be implemented as MARTe GAMs and which will use parameters read from and produce results written to MDSplus pulse files. The three systems have been integrated in order to provide a tool suitable to speed up the development of real-time control applications. In particular, it will be shown how from a Simulink diagram describing a given algorithm to be used in a control system, it is possible to generate in an automated way the corresponding MARTe and MDSplus components that can be assembled to implement the target system.

Integration of Simulink, MARTe and MDSplus for rapid development of real-time applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manduchi, G.; Luchetta, A.; Taliercio, C.; Neto, A.; Sartori, F.; De Tommasi, G.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • The integration of two frameworks for real-time control and data acquisition is described. • The integration may significantly fasten the development of system components. • The system includes also a code generator for the integration of code written in Simulink. • A real-time control systemcan be implemented without the need of writing any line of code. - Abstract: Simulink is a graphical data flow programming tool for modeling and simulating dynamic systems. A component of Simulink, called Simulink Coder, generates C code from Simulink diagrams. MARTe is a framework for the implementation of real-time systems, currently in use in several fusion experiments. MDSplus is a framework widely used in the fusion community for the management of data. The three systems provide a solution to different facets of the same process, that is, real-time plasma control development. Simulink diagrams will describe the algorithms used in control, which will be implemented as MARTe GAMs and which will use parameters read from and produce results written to MDSplus pulse files. The three systems have been integrated in order to provide a tool suitable to speed up the development of real-time control applications. In particular, it will be shown how from a Simulink diagram describing a given algorithm to be used in a control system, it is possible to generate in an automated way the corresponding MARTe and MDSplus components that can be assembled to implement the target system.

In Patients With Cirrhosis, Driving Simulator Performance Is Associated With Real-life Driving.

Science.gov (United States)

Lauridsen, Mette M; Thacker, Leroy R; White, Melanie B; Unser, Ariel; Sterling, Richard K; Stravitz, Richard T; Matherly, Scott; Puri, Puneet; Sanyal, Arun J; Gavis, Edith A; Luketic, Velimir; Siddiqui, Muhammad S; Heuman, Douglas M; Fuchs, Michael; Bajaj, Jasmohan S

2016-05-01

Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) has been linked to higher real-life rates of automobile crashes and poor performance in driving simulation studies, but the link between driving simulator performance and real-life automobile crashes has not been clearly established. Furthermore, not all patients with MHE are unsafe drivers, but it is unclear how to distinguish them from unsafe drivers. We investigated the link between performance on driving simulators and real-life automobile accidents and traffic violations. We also aimed to identify features of unsafe drivers with cirrhosis and evaluated changes in simulated driving skills and MHE status after 1 year. We performed a study of outpatients with cirrhosis (n = 205; median 55 years old; median model for end-stage liver disease score, 9.5; none with overt hepatic encephalopathy or alcohol or illicit drug use within previous 6 months) seen at the Virginia Commonwealth University and McGuire Veterans Administration Medical Center, from November 2008 through April 2014. All participants were given paper-pencil tests to diagnose MHE (98 had MHE; 48%), and 163 patients completed a standardized driving simulation. Data were collected on traffic violations and automobile accidents from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles and from participants' self-assessments when they entered the study, and from 73 participants 1 year later. Participants also completed a questionnaire about alcohol use and cessation patterns. The driving simulator measured crashes, run-time, road center and edge excursions, and illegal turns during navigation; before and after each driving simulation session, patients were asked to rate their overall driving skills. Drivers were classified as safe or unsafe based on crashes and violations reported on official driving records; simulation results were compared with real-life driving records. Multivariable regression analyses of real-life crashes and violations was performed using data on

Stability Analysis and Variational Integrator for Real-Time Formation Based on Potential Field

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shengqing Yang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates a framework of real-time formation of autonomous vehicles by using potential field and variational integrator. Real-time formation requires vehicles to have coordinated motion and efficient computation. Interactions described by potential field can meet the former requirement which results in a nonlinear system. Stability analysis of such nonlinear system is difficult. Our methodology of stability analysis is discussed in error dynamic system. Transformation of coordinates from inertial frame to body frame can help the stability analysis focus on the structure instead of particular coordinates. Then, the Jacobian of reduced system can be calculated. It can be proved that the formation is stable at the equilibrium point of error dynamic system with the effect of damping force. For consideration of calculation, variational integrator is introduced. It is equivalent to solving algebraic equations. Forced Euler-Lagrange equation in discrete expression is used to construct a forced variational integrator for vehicles in potential field and obstacle environment. By applying forced variational integrator on computation of vehicles' motion, real-time formation of vehicles in obstacle environment can be implemented. Algorithm based on forced variational integrator is designed for a leader-follower formation.

The Forms and Functions of Real-Life Moral Decision-Making.

Science.gov (United States)

Krebs, Dennis L.; Denton, Kathy; Wark, Gillian

1997-01-01

Observes that the Kohlbergian model of morality does not give a good account of the ways in which people make moral decisions in their everyday lives. Argues that a functional model of moral judgment and moral behavior derived from evolutionary theory may supply a better account of real-life morality. (DSK)

AVEC 2017 - Real-life depression, and affect recognition workshop and challenge

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ringeval, Fabien; Schuller, Bjorn; Valstar, Michel; Gratch, Jonathan; Cowie, Roddy; Scherer, Stefan; Mozgai, Sharon; Cummins, Nicholas; Schmitt, Maximilian; Pantic, Maja

2017-01-01

The Audio/Visual Emotion Challenge and Workshop (AVEC 2017) "Real-life depression, and affect" will be the seventh competition event aimed at comparison of multimedia processing and machine learning methods for automatic audiovisual depression and emotion analysis, with all participants competing

A unified approach to stochastic integration on the real line

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Basse-O'Connor, Andreas; Graversen, Svend-Erik; Pedersen, Jan

Stochastic integration on the predictable σ-field with respect to σ-finite L0-valued measures, also known as formal semimartingales, is studied. In particular, the triplet of such measures is introduced and used to characterize the set of integrable processes. Special attention is given to Lévy...... processes indexed by the real line. Surprisingly, many of the basic properties break down in this situation compared to the usual R+ case....

Real-Life/Real-Time Elderly Fall Detection with a Triaxial Accelerometer.

Science.gov (United States)

Sucerquia, Angela; López, José David; Vargas-Bonilla, Jesús Francisco

2018-04-05

The consequences of a fall on an elderly person can be reduced if the accident is attended by medical personnel within the first hour. Independent elderly people often stay alone for long periods of time, being in more risk if they suffer a fall. The literature offers several approaches for detecting falls with embedded devices or smartphones using a triaxial accelerometer. Most of these approaches have not been tested with the target population or cannot be feasibly implemented in real-life conditions. In this work, we propose a fall detection methodology based on a non-linear classification feature and a Kalman filter with a periodicity detector to reduce the false positive rate. This methodology requires a sampling rate of only 25 Hz; it does not require large computations or memory and it is robust among devices. We tested our approach with the SisFall dataset achieving 99.4% of accuracy. We then validated it with a new round of simulated activities with young adults and an elderly person. Finally, we give the devices to three elderly persons for full-day validations. They continued with their normal life and the devices behaved as expected.

On-Board Real-Time Optimization Control for Turbo-Fan Engine Life Extending

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Qiangang; Zhang, Haibo; Miao, Lizhen; Sun, Fengyong

2017-11-01

A real-time optimization control method is proposed to extend turbo-fan engine service life. This real-time optimization control is based on an on-board engine mode, which is devised by a MRR-LSSVR (multi-input multi-output recursive reduced least squares support vector regression method). To solve the optimization problem, a FSQP (feasible sequential quadratic programming) algorithm is utilized. The thermal mechanical fatigue is taken into account during the optimization process. Furthermore, to describe the engine life decaying, a thermal mechanical fatigue model of engine acceleration process is established. The optimization objective function not only contains the sub-item which can get fast response of the engine, but also concludes the sub-item of the total mechanical strain range which has positive relationship to engine fatigue life. Finally, the simulations of the conventional optimization control which just consider engine acceleration performance or the proposed optimization method have been conducted. The simulations demonstrate that the time of the two control methods from idle to 99.5 % of the maximum power are equal. However, the engine life using the proposed optimization method could be surprisingly increased by 36.17 % compared with that using conventional optimization control.

Effective Integration of Life Cycle Engineering in Education

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oude Luttikhuis, Ellen; Toxopeus, Marten E.; Lutters, Diederick

2015-01-01

In practice, applying life cycle engineering in product design and development requires an integrated approach, because of the many stakeholders and variables (e.g. cost, environmental impact, energy, safety, quality) involved in a complete product life cycle. In educating young engineers, the same

Analysis of integrated plant upgrading/life extension programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCutchan, D.A.; Massie, H.W. Jr.; McFetridge, R.H.

1988-01-01

A present-worth generating cost model has been developed and used to evaluate the economic value of integrated plant upgrading life extension project in nuclear power plants. This paper shows that integrated plant upgrading programs can be developed in which a mix of near-term availability, power rating, and heat rate improvements can be obtained in combination with life extension. All significant benefits and costs are evaluated from the viewpoint of the utility, as measured in discounted revenue requirement differentials between alternative plans which are equivalent in system generating capacity. The near-term upgrading benefits are shown to enhance the benefit picture substantially. In some cases the net benefit is positive, even if the actual life extension proves to be less than expected

A Comparison of Online Social Networks and Real-Life Social Networks: A Study of Sina Microblogging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dayong Zhang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Online social networks appear to enrich our social life, which raises the question whether they remove cognitive constraints on human communication and improve human social capabilities. In this paper, we analyze the users' following and followed relationships based on the data of Sina Microblogging and reveal several structural properties of Sina Microblogging. Compared with real-life social networks, our results confirm some similar features. However, Sina Microblogging also shows its own specialties, such as hierarchical structure and degree disassortativity, which all mark a deviation from real-life social networks. The low cost of the online network forms a broader perspective, and the one-way link relationships make it easy to spread information, but the online social network does not make too much difference in the creation of strong interpersonal relationships. Finally, we describe the mechanisms for the formation of these characteristics and discuss the implications of these structural properties for the real-life social networks.

Integrated Oil spill detection and forecasting using MOON real time data

OpenAIRE

De Dominicis, M.; Pinardi, N.; Coppini, G.; Tonani, M.; Guarnieri, A.; Zodiatis, G.; Lardner, R.; Santoleri, R.

2009-01-01

MOON (Mediterranean Operational Oceanography Network) is an operational distributed system ready to provide quality controlled and timely marine observations (in situ and satellite) and environmental analyses and predictions for management of oil spill accidents. MOON operational systems are based upon the real time functioning of an integrated system composed of the Real Time Observing system, the regional, sub-regional and coastal forecasting systems and a products dissemination system. All...

Integration of Real-Time Data Into Building Automation Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mark J. Stunder; Perry Sebastian; Brenda A. Chube; Michael D. Koontz

2003-04-16

The project goal was to investigate the possibility of using predictive real-time information from the Internet as an input to building management system algorithms. The objectives were to identify the types of information most valuable to commercial and residential building owners, managers, and system designers. To comprehensively investigate and document currently available electronic real-time information suitable for use in building management systems. Verify the reliability of the information and recommend accreditation methods for data and providers. Assess methodologies to automatically retrieve and utilize the information. Characterize equipment required to implement automated integration. Demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of using the information in building management systems. Identify evolutionary control strategies.

An integrated framework for SAGD real-time monitoring

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mohajer, M.; Perez-Damas, C.; Berbin, A.; Al-kinani, A. [Schlumberger, Calgary, AB (Canada)

2009-07-01

This study examined the technologies and workflows for real-time optimization (RTO) of the steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) process. Although SAGD operators have tried to control the reservoir's steam chamber distribution to optimize bitumen recovery and minimize steam oil ratios, a true optimization can only be accomplished by implementing RTO workflows. In order for these workflows to be successful, some elements must be properly designed and introduced into the system. Most notably, well completions must ensure the integrity of downhole sensors; the appropriate measuring instruments must be selected; and surface and downhole measurements must be obtained. Operators have not been early adopters of RTO workflows for SAGD because of the numerous parameters that must be monitored, harsh operating conditions, the lack of integration between the different data acquisition systems, and the complex criteria required to optimize SAGD performance. This paper discussed the first stage in the development of a fully integrated RTO workflow for SAGD. An experimental apparatus with fiber optics distributed temperature sensing (DTS) was connected to a data acquisition system, and intra-minute data was streamed directly into an engineering desktop. The paper showed how subcool calculations can be effectively performed along the length of the horizontal well in real time and the results used to improve SAGD operation. Observations were compared against simulated predictions. In the next stage, a more complex set of criteria will be derived and additional data will be incorporated, such as surface heave, cross-well microseismic, multiphase flowmeter, and observation wells. 9 refs., 9 tabs., 13 figs.

Learning based upon projects of architectural conservation: from university to real life

OpenAIRE

Mileto, Camilla; Vegas López-Manzanares, Fernando; Cristini, Valentina; Diodato, Maria

2011-01-01

Mileto, C.; Vegas López-Manzanares, F.; Cristini, V.; Diodato, M. (2011). Learning based upon projects of architectural conservation: from university to real life. IATED. 1-8. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/50072 Senia 1 8

Integration of real-time 3D capture, reconstruction, and light-field display

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhaoxing; Geng, Zheng; Li, Tuotuo; Pei, Renjing; Liu, Yongchun; Zhang, Xiao

2015-03-01

Effective integration of 3D acquisition, reconstruction (modeling) and display technologies into a seamless systems provides augmented experience of visualizing and analyzing real objects and scenes with realistic 3D sensation. Applications can be found in medical imaging, gaming, virtual or augmented reality and hybrid simulations. Although 3D acquisition, reconstruction, and display technologies have gained significant momentum in recent years, there seems a lack of attention on synergistically combining these components into a "end-to-end" 3D visualization system. We designed, built and tested an integrated 3D visualization system that is able to capture in real-time 3D light-field images, perform 3D reconstruction to build 3D model of the objects, and display the 3D model on a large autostereoscopic screen. In this article, we will present our system architecture and component designs, hardware/software implementations, and experimental results. We will elaborate on our recent progress on sparse camera array light-field 3D acquisition, real-time dense 3D reconstruction, and autostereoscopic multi-view 3D display. A prototype is finally presented with test results to illustrate the effectiveness of our proposed integrated 3D visualization system.

Real life narratives enhance learning about the 'art and science' of midwifery practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilkison, Andrea; Giddings, Lynne; Smythe, Liz

2016-03-01

Health professional educators have long grappled with how to teach the more elusive art of practice alongside the science (a term that encompasses the sort of professional knowledge that can be directly passed on). A competent practitioner is one who knows when, how and for whom to apply knowledge and skills, thereby making the links between theory and practice. They combine art and science in such a way that integrates knowledge with insight. This participatory hermeneutic study explored the experience of teachers and students of implementing a narrative-centred curriculum in undergraduate midwifery education. It revealed that when real life narratives were central to the learning environment, students' learning about the art of midwifery practice was enhanced as they learned about midwifery decisions, reflected on their own values and beliefs and felt an emotional connection with the narrator. Further, art and science became melded together in the context specific wisdom of practice (phronesis).

Analytic integration of real-virtual counterterms in NNLO jet cross sections I

Science.gov (United States)

Aglietti, Ugo; Del Duca, Vittorio; Duhr, Claude; Somogyi, Gábor; Trócsányi, Zoltán

2008-09-01

We present analytic evaluations of some integrals needed to give explicitly the integrated real-virtual counterterms, based on a recently proposed subtraction scheme for next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) jet cross sections. After an algebraic reduction of the integrals, integration-by-parts identities are used for the reduction to master integrals and for the computation of the master integrals themselves by means of differential equations. The results are written in terms of one- and two-dimensional harmonic polylogarithms, once an extension of the standard basis is made. We expect that the techniques described here will be useful in computing other integrals emerging in calculations in perturbative quantum field theories.

A GIS-driven integrated real-time surveillance pilot system for national West Nile virus dead bird surveillance in Canada

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aramini Jeff

2006-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background An extensive West Nile virus surveillance program of dead birds, mosquitoes, horses, and human infection has been launched as a result of West Nile virus first being reported in Canada in 2001. Some desktop and web GIS have been applied to West Nile virus dead bird surveillance. There have been urgent needs for a comprehensive GIS services and real-time surveillance. Results A pilot system was developed to integrate real-time surveillance, real-time GIS, and Open GIS technology in order to enhance West Nile virus dead bird surveillance in Canada. Driven and linked by the newly developed real-time web GIS technology, this integrated real-time surveillance system includes conventional real-time web-based surveillance components, integrated real-time GIS components, and integrated Open GIS components. The pilot system identified the major GIS functions and capacities that may be important to public health surveillance. The six web GIS clients provide a wide range of GIS tools for public health surveillance. The pilot system has been serving Canadian national West Nile virus dead bird surveillance since 2005 and is adaptable to serve other disease surveillance. Conclusion This pilot system has streamlined, enriched and enhanced national West Nile virus dead bird surveillance in Canada, improved productivity, and reduced operation cost. Its real-time GIS technology, static map technology, WMS integration, and its integration with non-GIS real-time surveillance system made this pilot system unique in surveillance and public health GIS.

CANDU plant life management - An integrated approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hopkins, J.R.

1998-01-01

An integrated approach to plant life management has been developed for CANDU reactors. Strategies, methods, and procedures have been developed for assessment of critical systems structures and components and for implementing a reliability centred maintenance program. A Technology Watch program is being implemented to eliminate 'surprises'. Specific work has been identified for 1998. AECL is working on the integrated program with CANDU owners and seeks participation from other CANDU owners

Real-time long term measurement using integrated framework for ubiquitous smart monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Heo, Gwanghee; Lee, Giu; Lee, Woosang; Jeon, Joonryong; Kim, Pil-Joong

2007-04-01

Ubiquitous monitoring combining internet technologies and wireless communication is one of the most promising technologies of infrastructure health monitoring against the natural of man-made hazards. In this paper, an integrated framework of the ubiquitous monitoring is developed for real-time long term measurement in internet environment. This framework develops a wireless sensor system based on Bluetooth technology and sends measured acceleration data to the host computer through TCP/IP protocol. And it is also designed to respond to the request of web user on real time basis. In order to verify this system, real time monitoring tests are carried out on a prototype self-anchored suspension bridge. Also, wireless measurement system is analyzed to estimate its sensing capacity and evaluate its performance for monitoring purpose. Based on the evaluation, this paper proposes the effective strategies for integrated framework in order to detect structural deficiencies and to design an early warning system.

Speech Recognition in Real-Life Background Noise by Young and Middle-Aged Adults with Normal Hearing

OpenAIRE

Lee, Ji Young; Lee, Jin Tae; Heo, Hye Jeong; Choi, Chul-Hee; Choi, Seong Hee; Lee, Kyungjae

2015-01-01

Background and Objectives People usually converse in real-life background noise. They experience more difficulty understanding speech in noise than in a quiet environment. The present study investigated how speech recognition in real-life background noise is affected by the type of noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and age. Subjects and Methods Eighteen young adults and fifteen middle-aged adults with normal hearing participated in the present study. Three types of noise [subway noise, vacu...

Analytic integration of real-virtual counterterms in NNLO jet cross sections II

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bolzoni, Paolo; Moch, Sven-Olaf [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Zeuthen (Germany); Somogyi, Gabor [Zurich Univ. (Switzerland). Inst. fuer Theoretische Physik; Trocsanyi, Zoltan [Debrecen Univ. (Hungary); Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Debrecen (Hungary). Inst. of Nuclear Research

2009-05-15

We present analytic expressions of all integrals required to complete the explicit evaluation of the real-virtual integrated counterterms needed to define a recently proposed subtraction scheme for jet cross sections at next-to-next-to-leading order in QCD. We use the Mellin-Barnes representation of these integrals in 4-2{epsilon} dimensions to obtain the coefficients of their Laurent expansions around {epsilon}=0. These coefficients are given by linear combinations of multidimensional Mellin-Barnes integrals. We compute the coefficients of such expansions in {epsilon} both numerically and analytically by complex integration over the Mellin-Barnes contours. (orig.)

Analytic integration of real-virtual counterterms in NNLO jet cross sections II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bolzoni, Paolo; Moch, Sven-Olaf; Somogyi, Gabor; Trocsanyi, Zoltan

2009-01-01

We present analytic expressions of all integrals required to complete the explicit evaluation of the real-virtual integrated counterterms needed to define a recently proposed subtraction scheme for jet cross sections at next-to-next-to-leading order in QCD. We use the Mellin-Barnes representation of these integrals in 4 - 2ε dimensions to obtain the coefficients of their Laurent expansions around ε = 0. These coefficients are given by linear combinations of multidimensional Mellin-Barnes integrals. We compute the coefficients of such expansions in ε both numerically and analytically by complex integration over the Mellin-Barnes contours.

Analytic integration of real-virtual counterterms in NNLO jet cross sections II

Science.gov (United States)

Bolzoni, Paolo; Moch, Sven-Olaf; Somogyi, Gábor; Trócsányi, Zoltán

2009-08-01

We present analytic expressions of all integrals required to complete the explicit evaluation of the real-virtual integrated counterterms needed to define a recently proposed subtraction scheme for jet cross sections at next-to-next-to-leading order in QCD. We use the Mellin-Barnes representation of these integrals in 4 - 2epsilon dimensions to obtain the coefficients of their Laurent expansions around epsilon = 0. These coefficients are given by linear combinations of multidimensional Mellin-Barnes integrals. We compute the coefficients of such expansions in epsilon both numerically and analytically by complex integration over the Mellin-Barnes contours.

Analytic integration of real-virtual counterterms in NNLO jet cross sections II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bolzoni, Paolo; Moch, Sven-Olaf; Somogyi, Gabor; Trocsanyi, Zoltan; Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Debrecen

2009-05-01

We present analytic expressions of all integrals required to complete the explicit evaluation of the real-virtual integrated counterterms needed to define a recently proposed subtraction scheme for jet cross sections at next-to-next-to-leading order in QCD. We use the Mellin-Barnes representation of these integrals in 4-2ε dimensions to obtain the coefficients of their Laurent expansions around ε=0. These coefficients are given by linear combinations of multidimensional Mellin-Barnes integrals. We compute the coefficients of such expansions in ε both numerically and analytically by complex integration over the Mellin-Barnes contours. (orig.)

Real-life applications with membrane computing

CERN Document Server

Zhang, Gexiang; Gheorghe, Marian

2017-01-01

This book thoroughly investigates the underlying theoretical basis of membrane computing models, and reveals their latest applications. In addition, to date there have been no illustrative case studies or complex real-life applications that capitalize on the full potential of the sophisticated membrane systems computational apparatus; gaps that this book remedies. By studying various complex applications – including engineering optimization, power systems fault diagnosis, mobile robot controller design, and complex biological systems involving data modeling and process interactions – the book also extends the capabilities of membrane systems models with features such as formal verification techniques, evolutionary approaches, and fuzzy reasoning methods. As such, the book offers a comprehensive and up-to-date guide for all researchers, PhDs and undergraduate students in the fields of computer science, engineering and the bio-sciences who are interested in the applications of natural computing models.

Mood effects on memory and executive control in a real-life situation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lagner, Prune; Kliegel, Matthias; Phillips, Louise H; Ihle, Andreas; Hering, Alexandra; Ballhausen, Nicola; Schnitzspahn, Katharina M

2015-01-01

In the laboratory, studies have shown an inconsistent pattern of whether, and how, mood may affect cognitive functions indicating both mood-related enhancement as well as decline. Surprisingly, little is known about whether there are similar effects in everyday life. Hence, the present study aimed to investigate possible mood effects on memory and executive control in a real-life situation. Mood effects were examined in the context of winning in a sports competition. Sixty-one male handball players were tested with an extensive cognitive test battery (comprising memory and executive control) both after winning a match and after training as neutral baseline. Mood differed significantly between the two testing situations, while physiological arousal and motivation were comparable. Results showed lowered performance after the win compared with training in selected cognitive measures. Specifically, short-term and episodic memory performance was poorer following a win, whereas executive control performance was unaffected by condition. Differences in memory disappeared when emotional states after the match were entered as covariates into the initial analyses. Thus, findings suggest mood-related impairments in memory, but not in executive control processes after a positive real-life event.

Social anxiety in online and real-life interaction and their associated factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Yen, Ju-Yu; Yen, Cheng-Fang; Chen, Cheng-Sheng; Wang, Peng-Wei; Chang, Yi-Hsin; Ko, Chih-Hung

2012-01-01

Social anxiety was compared between online and real-life interaction in a sample of 2,348 college students. Severity of social anxiety in both real-life and online interaction was tested for associations with depression, Internet addiction, Internet activity type (gaming versus chatting), and scores on Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS)/Behavioral Activation System (BAS) scales. The results showed that social anxiety was lower when interacting online than when interacting offline. Depression, Internet addiction, and high BIS and BAS scores were associated with high social anxiety. The social anxiety decreased more in online interaction among subjects with high social anxiety, depression, BIS, and BAS. This result suggests that the Internet has good potential as an alternative medium for delivering interventions for social anxiety. Further, the effect of BIS on social anxiety is decreased in online interaction. More attention should be paid for BIS when the treatment for social anxiety is delivered online.

Integrative real-time geographic visualization of energy resources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sorokine, A.; Shankar, M.; Stovall, J.; Bhaduri, B.; King, T.; Fernandez, S.; Datar, N.; Omitaomu, O.

2009-01-01

'Full text:' Several models forecast that climatic changes will increase the frequency of disastrous events like droughts, hurricanes, and snow storms. Responding to these events and also to power outages caused by system errors such as the 2003 North American blackout require an interconnect-wide real-time monitoring system for various energy resources. Such a system should be capable of providing situational awareness to its users in the government and energy utilities by dynamically visualizing the status of the elements of the energy grid infrastructure and supply chain in geographic contexts. We demonstrate an approach that relies on Google Earth and similar standard-based platforms as client-side geographic viewers with a data-dependent server component. The users of the system can view status information in spatial and temporal contexts. These data can be integrated with a wide range of geographic sources including all standard Google Earth layers and a large number of energy and environmental data feeds. In addition, we show a real-time spatio-temporal data sharing capability across the users of the system, novel methods for visualizing dynamic network data, and a fine-grain access to very large multi-resolution geographic datasets for faster delivery of the data. The system can be extended to integrate contingency analysis results and other grid models to assess recovery and repair scenarios in the case of major disruption. (author)

Self-disclosure through weblogs and perceptions of online and "real-life" friendships among female bloggers.

Science.gov (United States)

Bane, Cynthia M H; Cornish, Marilyn; Erspamer, Nicole; Kampman, Lia

2010-04-01

The current study examined female bloggers' perceptions of online and "real-life" same-sex friendships and examined relationships between self-disclosure through blogs and perceptions of the two types of friendships. Three hundred seven female bloggers (M age = 34.56 years) completed an online survey regarding friendship satisfaction and perceptions of intimacy-promoting interaction patterns in friendships. One hundred respondents' weblogs were analyzed for self-disclosure. Self-reported self-disclosure was positively correlated with number of online friendships and satisfaction with online friendships. Although participants reported having close online friends, they perceived real-life friendships as more likely than online friendships to possess intimacy-promoting interaction patterns. These perceptions did not differ as a function of self-disclosure through blogging, although bloggers who were categorized as higher in disclosure were more satisfied with online friendships than were bloggers who were categorized as lower in disclosure. These results suggest a relationship between self-disclosure through blogging and online relationship satisfaction among women in middle adulthood but that these women perceive real-life friendships as more likely to offer interaction patterns that foster intimacy.

The Oral Language Process in Writing: A Real-Life Writing Session.

Science.gov (United States)

Shuy, Roger W.; Robinson, David G.

1990-01-01

Analyzes a real-life writing session involving a male executive in the construction business, his female secretary, and a male representing himself as a state official, working collaboratively to write a letter to a state official urging action on a long overdue claim. Discusses the quality of the drafts and the participants' roles. (KEH)

REAL-LIFE ACTIVITIES: BOOSTING MY STUDENTS’ AWARENESS OF HONESTY IN CREATING GENRE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rr. Dewi Wahyu Mustikasari

2017-04-01

Full Text Available My students was strugled to write genre without copypasting sentences or texts from the internet. On the other hand, it was a huge challange for me to teach five big writing classes. Each class consisted of 25-30 students who tended (mostly collecting unoriginal writing works. This paper discusses the real-life activities that can be used to enhance my students’ aweareness of honesty in creating genre. My students must write some genres namely recount, descriptive (optional, spoof (optional, procedure, hortatory (optional and analytical exposition (optional text. I also took some benefits of ICT to equip the learning process. Browsing and experiencing the menu of premierskills.britishcouncil.org were the real-life activities that explore their personal memories to be told as the recount text. Then they defined the feature of one of the menu of the previous website to be informed as the descriptive text. Furthermore, they wrote their personal funny experiences which were related to the Indonesian culture as the spoof text. The procedure text can be produced by exploring the daily activities in the pictures such as how to make a cup of tea/coffee, cook a sunny side-up egg, insert sim card into mobile phone, etc. Next, my students visited the tourism and public places in Salatiga, and they observed the strength and weekness of those places as the production of hortatory or analytical exposition text. The real-life activities were able to foster my students’ awareness of honesty. It was fantastic that my students were able to create the genre honestly.

Medical Device Integrated Vital Signs Monitoring Application with Real-Time Clinical Decision Support.

Science.gov (United States)

Moqeem, Aasia; Baig, Mirza; Gholamhosseini, Hamid; Mirza, Farhaan; Lindén, Maria

2018-01-01

This research involves the design and development of a novel Android smartphone application for real-time vital signs monitoring and decision support. The proposed application integrates market available, wireless and Bluetooth connected medical devices for collecting vital signs. The medical device data collected by the app includes heart rate, oxygen saturation and electrocardiograph (ECG). The collated data is streamed/displayed on the smartphone in real-time. This application was designed by adopting six screens approach (6S) mobile development framework and focused on user-centered approach and considered clinicians-as-a-user. The clinical engagement, consultations, feedback and usability of the application in the everyday practices were considered critical from the initial phase of the design and development. Furthermore, the proposed application is capable to deliver rich clinical decision support in real-time using the integrated medical device data.

Real-geographic-scenario-based virtual social environments: integrating geography with social research

OpenAIRE

Min Chen; Li He; Hui Lin; Chunxiao Zhang; Mingyuan Hu

2013-01-01

Existing online virtual worlds, or electronic environments, are of great significance to social science research, but are somewhat lacking in rigour. One reason is that users might not participate in those virtual worlds in the way they act in real daily life, communicating with each other in familiar environments and interacting with natural phenomena under the constraints of the human–land relationship. To help solve this problem we propose the real-geographic-scenario-based virtual social ...

An integrated real-time diagnostic concept using expert systems, qualitative reasoning and quantitative analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edwards, R.M.; Lee, K.Y.; Kumara, S.; Levine, S.H.

1989-01-01

An approach for an integrated real-time diagnostic system is being developed for inclusion as an integral part of a power plant automatic control system. In order to participate in control decisions and automatic closed loop operation, the diagnostic system must operate in real-time. Thus far, an expert system with real-time capabilities has been developed and installed on a subsystem at the Experimental Breeder Reactor (EBR-II) in Idaho, USA. Real-time simulation testing of advanced power plant concepts at the Pennsylvania State University has been developed and was used to support the expert system development and installation at EBR-II. Recently, the US National Science Foundation (NSF) and the US Department of Energy (DOE) have funded a Penn State research program to further enhance application of real-time diagnostic systems by pursuing implementation in a distributed power plant computer system including microprocessor based controllers. This paper summarizes past, current, planned, and possible future approaches to power plant diagnostic systems research at Penn State. 34 refs., 9 figs

Can virtual reality exposure therapy gains be generalized to real-life? : A meta-analysis of studies applying behavioral assessments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Morina, Nexhmedin; Ijntema, Hiske; Meyerbröker, Katharina; Emmelkamp, Paul M G

2015-01-01

In virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET), patients are exposed to virtual environments that resemble feared real-life situations. The aim of the current study was to assess the extent to which VRET gains can be observed in real-life situations. We conducted a meta-analysis of clinical trials

Can virtual reality exposure therapy gains be generalized to real life? A meta-analysis of studies applying behavioral assessments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Morina, N.; Ijntema, H.; Meyerbröker, K.; Emmelkamp, P.M.G.

2015-01-01

In virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET), patients are exposed to virtual environments that resemble feared real-life situations. The aim of the current study was to assess the extent to which VRET gains can be observed in real-life situations. We conducted a meta-analysis of clinical trials

Social Anxiety in Online and Real-Life Interaction and Their Associated Factors

Science.gov (United States)

Yen, Ju-Yu; Yen, Cheng-Fang; Chen, Cheng-Sheng; Wang, Peng-Wei; Chang, Yi-Hsin

2012-01-01

Abstract Social anxiety was compared between online and real-life interaction in a sample of 2,348 college students. Severity of social anxiety in both real-life and online interaction was tested for associations with depression, Internet addiction, Internet activity type (gaming versus chatting), and scores on Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS)/Behavioral Activation System (BAS) scales. The results showed that social anxiety was lower when interacting online than when interacting offline. Depression, Internet addiction, and high BIS and BAS scores were associated with high social anxiety. The social anxiety decreased more in online interaction among subjects with high social anxiety, depression, BIS, and BAS. This result suggests that the Internet has good potential as an alternative medium for delivering interventions for social anxiety. Further, the effect of BIS on social anxiety is decreased in online interaction. More attention should be paid for BIS when the treatment for social anxiety is delivered online. PMID:22175853

Bringing Reality into Calculus Classrooms: Mathematizing a Real-life Problem Simulated in a Virtual Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olga V. Shipulina

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The study explores how students, who had completed the AP calculus course, mathematized the optimal navigation real-life problem simulated in the Second Life Virtual Environment. The particular research interest was to investigate whether/how students’ empirical activity in VE influences the way of their mathematizing.

Double path-integral migration velocity analysis: a real data example

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costa, Jessé C; Schleicher, Jörg

2011-01-01

Path-integral imaging forms an image with no knowledge of the velocity model by summing over the migrated images obtained for a set of migration velocity models. Double path-integral imaging migration extracts the stationary velocities, i.e. those velocities at which common-image gathers align horizontally, as a byproduct. An application of the technique to a real data set demonstrates that quantitative information about the time migration velocity model can be determined by double path-integral migration velocity analysis. Migrated images using interpolations with different regularizations of the extracted velocities prove the high quality of the resulting time-migration velocity information. The so-obtained velocity model can then be used as a starting model for subsequent velocity analysis tools like migration tomography or other tomographic methods

Architecture for an integrated real-time air combat and sensor network simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Criswell, Evans A.; Rushing, John; Lin, Hong; Graves, Sara

2007-04-01

An architecture for an integrated air combat and sensor network simulation is presented. The architecture integrates two components: a parallel real-time sensor fusion and target tracking simulation, and an air combat simulation. By integrating these two simulations, it becomes possible to experiment with scenarios in which one or both sides in a battle have very large numbers of primitive passive sensors, and to assess the likely effects of those sensors on the outcome of the battle. Modern Air Power is a real-time theater-level air combat simulation that is currently being used as a part of the USAF Air and Space Basic Course (ASBC). The simulation includes a variety of scenarios from the Vietnam war to the present day, and also includes several hypothetical future scenarios. Modern Air Power includes a scenario editor, an order of battle editor, and full AI customization features that make it possible to quickly construct scenarios for any conflict of interest. The scenario editor makes it possible to place a wide variety of sensors including both high fidelity sensors such as radars, and primitive passive sensors that provide only very limited information. The parallel real-time sensor network simulation is capable of handling very large numbers of sensors on a computing cluster of modest size. It can fuse information provided by disparate sensors to detect and track targets, and produce target tracks.

Online Game Player Personality and Real-life Need Fulfillment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ching-I Teng

2009-12-01

Full Text Available This study investigates the relationship between personality and real-life need fulfillment of 114 online game adolescent players, who had an average of 14.86 years in age and a standard deviation of 1.40 years. Of the sample, 73.7% were male and 88.8% had a monthly income below US $90. Results indicate that openness negatively correlated to fulfillment of needs for achievement and affiliation. Conscientiousness positively correlated to fulfillment of needs for achievement, affiliation, autonomy, and dominance. Extraversion positively correlated to fulfillment of needs for affiliation and dominance.

A novel dataset for real-life evaluation of facial expression recognition methodologies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Siddiqi, Muhammad Hameed; Ali, Maqbool; Idris, Muhammad; Banos Legran, Oresti; Lee, Sungyoung; Choo, Hyunseung

2016-01-01

One limitation seen among most of the previous methods is that they were evaluated under settings that are far from real-life scenarios. The reason is that the existing facial expression recognition (FER) datasets are mostly pose-based and assume a predefined setup. The expressions in these datasets

Group Creativity Development by Solving Real-life Project in Engineering Education

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhou, Chunfang; Kolmos, Anette; Du, Xiangyun

2011-01-01

In recent years, problem and project based learning (PBL) has been employed by a growing number of educational institutions to foster creative engineers. Among the diverse pedagogical practices of PBL, there has been an emergence of real-life project for students. Based on literature of creativity...... along with the learning activities etc., which are necessary for group creativity development in engineering students....

Integration of Work-life Issues with Respect to Female Employees

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jitendra Kumar Sharma

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Work-life integration issue has become an agenda of board room meetings across the globe especially in India. A working person has multiple roles to play at a time at personal as well as organizational fronts; each demanding different skills and anticipations. When such role demands overlap and get clashed, serious problems are faced by the employees. Moreover, in sales, the performance pressure is high leading to work stress reflected in personal life. This research paper is an attempt to delve into the issue of work-life integration issues with reference to young women working as school teachers in private schools of Mumbai.

Electric vehicle integration in a real-time market

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Anders Bro

with an externally simulated model of the power grid, it is be possible, in real-time, to simulate the impact of EV charging and help to identify bottlenecks in the system. In EDISON the vehicles are aggregated using an entity called a Virtual Power Plant (VPP); a central server monitoring and controlling...... the distributed energy resources registered with it, in order to make them appear as a single producer in the eyes of the market. Although the concept of a VPP is used within the EcoGrid EU project, the idea of more individual control is introduced through a new proposed real-time electricity market, where......This project is rooted in the EDISON project, which dealt with Electrical Vehicle (EV) integration into the existing power grid, as well as with the infrastructure needed to facilitate the ever increasing penetration of fluctuating renewable energy resources like e.g. wind turbines. In the EDISON...

Real-life data for the optimization of the geometric layout of an intersection

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fleuren, S.T.G.; Lefeber, A.A.J.

2016-01-01

This document contains the data of ten real-life intersections. This data can be used for the optimization of the geometric layout of the intersection, e.g., optimizing the arrival lanes, departure lanes and lane markings at the intersection.

An integrated programme after pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: effect on emotional and functional dimensions of quality of life.

Science.gov (United States)

Moullec, G; Ninot, G

2010-02-01

To assess whether a maintenance integrated health care programme is effective in improving functional and emotional dimensions of quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) after a first pulmonary rehabilitation. Prospective controlled trial. Three rehabilitation centres and three patient self-help associations within a health care network in France. Forty patients with moderate to severe COPD. After a first four-week inpatient pulmonary rehabilitation programme, patients took part in a maintenance integrated health care programme or usual care for 12 months. The primary outcomes were the change in functional and emotional dimensions of quality of life measured by the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), the brief World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire (Brief-WHOQOL) and six specific questions using a 10-cm visual analogue scale. Secondary outcomes were change in exercise tolerance measured by six-minute walking test and cycle exercise. At one year, the maintenance intervention (n = 11) produced improvements in functional and emotional dimensions scores of quality of life and exercise tolerance. Patients in the usual aftercare group (n = 16) exhibited maintenance of functional dimension scores of quality of life, but a clinically relevant decline in emotional scores of quality of life and in six-minute walking distance one year after the pulmonary rehabilitation. Patient self-help association seems to be an innovative and efficient organizational structure to support patients with COPD after pulmonary rehabilitation in real-life settings. A distinction between emotional and functional dimensions of quality of life may improve the design and evaluation of integrated health care programmes in patients with COPD.

Effect of different machining processes on the tool surface integrity and fatigue life

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cao, Chuan Liang [College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanchang University, Nanchang (China); Zhang, Xianglin [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan (China)

2016-08-15

Ultra-precision grinding, wire-cut electro discharge machining and lapping are often used to machine the tools in fine blanking industry. And the surface integrity from these machining processes causes great concerns in the research field. To study the effect of processing surface integrity on the fine blanking tool life, the surface integrity of different tool materials under different processing conditions and its influence on fatigue life were thoroughly analyzed in the present study. The result shows that the surface integrity of different materials was quite different on the same processing condition. For the same tool material, the surface integrity on varying processing conditions was quite different too and deeply influenced the fatigue life.

Creating Machinima (3D) and Real Life Videos in an ESP Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Ochoa Alpala, Carol Anne; Ortíz García, William Ricardo

2018-01-01

This research paper reports on the development of oral presentation skills in a 3D virtual world called "Moviestorm" machinima, in contrast with real-life videos. In this way, the implementation of both types of videos sought to promote the improvement of oral communication skills, specifically oral presentations in a foreign language,…

How 4 Colleges Take on Veterans' Issues, in Research and Real Life

Science.gov (United States)

Sander, Libby

2012-01-01

This article features four colleges and how they take on veterans' issues in research and real life. These colleges are (1) Syracuse University; (2) Purdue University; (3) University of Southern California; and (4) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Last year Syracuse established the Institute for Veterans and Military Families to focus…

Ambiguity and risk measures in the lab and students’ real-life borrowing behavior

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fairley, Kim; Weitzel, Utz

This study analyzes the external validity of experimentally elicited ambiguity aversion, likelihood insensitivity and risk aversion on real-life decision-making in the field of student loans. Our main finding is that ambiguity aversion, likelihood insensitivity and risk aversion are not related to

Quality of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation during real-life out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gyllenborg, Tore; Granfeldt, Asger; Lippert, Freddy

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can increase survival in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). However, little is known about bystander CPR quality in real-life OHCA. AIM: To describe bystander CPR quality based on automated external defibrillator (AED) CPR process data during OH...

Note: Fully integrated 3.2 Gbps quantum random number generator with real-time extraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Xiao-Guang; Nie, You-Qi; Liang, Hao; Zhang, Jun; Pan, Jian-Wei; Zhou, Hongyi; Ma, Xiongfeng

2016-01-01

We present a real-time and fully integrated quantum random number generator (QRNG) by measuring laser phase fluctuations. The QRNG scheme based on laser phase fluctuations is featured for its capability of generating ultra-high-speed random numbers. However, the speed bottleneck of a practical QRNG lies on the limited speed of randomness extraction. To close the gap between the fast randomness generation and the slow post-processing, we propose a pipeline extraction algorithm based on Toeplitz matrix hashing and implement it in a high-speed field-programmable gate array. Further, all the QRNG components are integrated into a module, including a compact and actively stabilized interferometer, high-speed data acquisition, and real-time data post-processing and transmission. The final generation rate of the QRNG module with real-time extraction can reach 3.2 Gbps.

Note: Fully integrated 3.2 Gbps quantum random number generator with real-time extraction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Xiao-Guang; Nie, You-Qi; Liang, Hao; Zhang, Jun, E-mail: zhangjun@ustc.edu.cn; Pan, Jian-Wei [Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and Department of Modern Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China); CAS Center for Excellence and Synergetic Innovation Center in Quantum Information and Quantum Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China); Zhou, Hongyi; Ma, Xiongfeng [Center for Quantum Information, Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

2016-07-15

We present a real-time and fully integrated quantum random number generator (QRNG) by measuring laser phase fluctuations. The QRNG scheme based on laser phase fluctuations is featured for its capability of generating ultra-high-speed random numbers. However, the speed bottleneck of a practical QRNG lies on the limited speed of randomness extraction. To close the gap between the fast randomness generation and the slow post-processing, we propose a pipeline extraction algorithm based on Toeplitz matrix hashing and implement it in a high-speed field-programmable gate array. Further, all the QRNG components are integrated into a module, including a compact and actively stabilized interferometer, high-speed data acquisition, and real-time data post-processing and transmission. The final generation rate of the QRNG module with real-time extraction can reach 3.2 Gbps.

FPGA-based real-time embedded system for RISS/GPS integrated navigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdelfatah, Walid Farid; Georgy, Jacques; Iqbal, Umar; Noureldin, Aboelmagd

2012-01-01

Navigation algorithms integrating measurements from multi-sensor systems overcome the problems that arise from using GPS navigation systems in standalone mode. Algorithms which integrate the data from 2D low-cost reduced inertial sensor system (RISS), consisting of a gyroscope and an odometer or wheel encoders, along with a GPS receiver via a Kalman filter has proved to be worthy in providing a consistent and more reliable navigation solution compared to standalone GPS receivers. It has been also shown to be beneficial, especially in GPS-denied environments such as urban canyons and tunnels. The main objective of this paper is to narrow the idea-to-implementation gap that follows the algorithm development by realizing a low-cost real-time embedded navigation system capable of computing the data-fused positioning solution. The role of the developed system is to synchronize the measurements from the three sensors, relative to the pulse per second signal generated from the GPS, after which the navigation algorithm is applied to the synchronized measurements to compute the navigation solution in real-time. Employing a customizable soft-core processor on an FPGA in the kernel of the navigation system, provided the flexibility for communicating with the various sensors and the computation capability required by the Kalman filter integration algorithm.

Toward an Integrative Science of Life-Span Development and Aging

Science.gov (United States)

Piccinin, Andrea M.

2010-01-01

The study of aging demands an integrative life-span developmental framework, involving interdisciplinary collaborations and multiple methodological approaches for understanding how and why individuals change, in both normative and idiosyncratic ways. We highlight and summarize some of the issues encountered when conducting integrative research for understanding aging-related change, including, the integration of results across different levels of analysis; the integration of theory, design, and analysis; and the synthesis of results across studies of aging. We emphasize the necessity of longitudinal designs for understanding development and aging and discuss methodological issues that should be considered for achieving reproducible research on within-person processes. It will be important that current and future studies permit opportunities for quantitative comparison across populations given the extent to which historical shifts and cultural differences influence life-span processes and aging-related outcomes. PMID:20237144

Reperfusion Treatment for STEMI in Age Over 75 Years: Unsatisfactory Real-Life Practice

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Monhart, Z.; Grünfeldová, H.; Zvárová, Jana; Janský, P.

2010-01-01

Roč. 122, č. 2 (2010), e69 ISSN 0009-7322. [World Congress of Cardiology . 16.06.2010-19.06.2010, Beijing] Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10300504 Keywords : cardiology * reperfusion treatment * real-life practice Subject RIV: FA - Cardiovascular Diseases incl. Cardiotharic Surgery

Disease spreading in real-life networks

Science.gov (United States)

Gallos, Lazaros; Argyrakis, Panos

2002-08-01

In recent years the scientific community has shown a vivid interest in the network structure and dynamics of real-life organized systems. Many such systems, covering an extremely wide range of applications, have been recently shown to exhibit scale-free character in their connectivity distribution, meaning that they obey a power law. Modeling of epidemics on lattices and small-world networks suffers from the presence of a critical infection threshold, above which the entire population is infected. For scale-free networks, the original assumption was that the formation of a giant cluster would lead to an epidemic spreading in the same way as in simpler networks. Here we show that modeling epidemics on a scale-free network can greatly improve the predictions on the rate and efficiency of spreading, as compared to lattice models and small-world networks. We also show that the dynamics of a disease are greatly influenced by the underlying population structure. The exact same model can describe a plethora of networks, such as social networks, virus spreading in the Web, rumor spreading, signal transmission etc.

Quality of Life Theory I. The IQOL Theory: An Integrative Theory of the Global Quality of Life Concept

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soren Ventegodt

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Quality of life (QOL means a good life and we believe that a good life is the same as living a life with a high quality. This paper presents the theoretical and philosophical framework of the Danish Quality of Life Survey, and of the SEQOL, QOL5, and QOL1 questionnaires.The notion of a good life can be observed from subjective to the objective, where this spectrum incorporates a number of existing quality of life theories. We call this spectrum the integrative quality-of-life (IQOL theory and discuss the following aspects in this paper: well being, satisfaction with life, happiness, meaning in life, the biological information system (�balance�, realizing life potential, fulfillment of needs, and objective factors.The philosophy of life outlined in this paper tries to measure the global quality of life with questions derived from the integrative theory of the quality of life. The IQOL theory is an overall theory or meta-theory encompassing eight more factual theories in a subjective-existential-objective spectrum. Other philosophies of life can stress other aspects of life, but by this notion of introducing such an existential depth into the health and social sciences, we believe to have taken a necessary step towards a new humility and respect for the richness and complexity of life.

Importance of leadership in cardiac arrest situations: from simulation to real life and back.

Science.gov (United States)

Hunziker, Sabnina; Tschan, Franziska; Semmer, Norbert K; Marsch, Stephan

2013-04-18

The 2010 American Heart Association guidelines now recommend leadership training in Advanced Cardiac Life Support courses. In this review we provide a comprehensive summary of data derived from clinical studies that investigated the importance of leadership in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Only a few, mostly observational, studies have been conducted under real-life conditions because of the high heterogeneity of the situations, difficulties in capturing the initial phase of CPR, and ethical issues. Well-controlled studies in the human simulator can fill existing gaps and provide important insights. High-fidelity video-assisted simulator studies from different research groups have shown that a prolonged process of teambuilding is associated with significant shortcomings in CPR, whereas effective leadership improves team performance. In addition, randomised controlled studies have provided evidence that medical students receiving leadership training subsequently showed improved CPR performance, which was sustained after a follow up of 4 months. In addition, leadership is influenced by gender and other factors such as emotional stress. Future studies are needed to investigate cultural differences and how findings from the simulator can be transferred to real-life situations.

Real-life effectiveness of smoking-cessation treatments in general practice clinics in Denmark. The Escape Smoke project

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, Peter Bo; Spillemose, Heidi; Nielsen, Gerda

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: The smoking prevalence has not decreased in the last years in Denmark. General practice (GP) offers smoking cessation (SC) treatment. Studies of real-life effectiveness of daily practice SC-activities from the GP-setting opposed to efficacy results from randomized clinical trials...... are few. The study aim was to evaluate the real-life effectiveness of SC-treatments for daily smokers among Danish GP-clinics. METHODS: In a multi-centre-based observational study design Danish GP-clinics with prior SC-activity recruited daily smokers motivated for quitting. As per usual clinical practice...

Real-life memory and spatial navigation in patients with focal epilepsy: ecological validity of a virtual reality supermarket task.

Science.gov (United States)

Grewe, P; Lahr, D; Kohsik, A; Dyck, E; Markowitsch, H J; Bien, C G; Botsch, M; Piefke, M

2014-02-01

Ecological assessment and training of real-life cognitive functions such as visual-spatial abilities in patients with epilepsy remain challenging. Some studies have applied virtual reality (VR) paradigms, but external validity of VR programs has not sufficiently been proven. Patients with focal epilepsy (EG, n=14) accomplished an 8-day program in a VR supermarket, which consisted of learning and buying items on a shopping list. Performance of the EG was compared with that of healthy controls (HCG, n=19). A comprehensive neuropsychological examination was administered. Real-life performance was investigated in a real supermarket. Learning in the VR supermarket was significantly impaired in the EG on different VR measures. Delayed free recall of products did not differ between the EG and the HCG. Virtual reality scores were correlated with neuropsychological measures of visual-spatial cognition, subjective estimates of memory, and performance in the real supermarket. The data indicate that our VR approach allows for the assessment of real-life visual-spatial memory and cognition in patients with focal epilepsy. The multimodal, active, and complex VR paradigm may particularly enhance visual-spatial cognitive resources. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Real-life decision making in college students. II: Do individual differences show reliable effects?

Science.gov (United States)

Galotti, Kathleen M; Tandler, Jane M; Wiener, Hillary J D

2014-01-01

First-year undergraduates participated in a short-term longitudinal study of real-life decision making over their first 14 months of college. They were surveyed about 7 different decisions: choosing courses for upcoming terms (on 3 different occasions), choosing an academic major (twice), planning for the upcoming summer, and planning for sophomore-year housing. They also completed a survey of self-reported decision-making styles and the Need for Cognition survey (Cacioppo & Petty, 1982) to assess their focus on rationality and enjoyment of analytic thinking. Results showed few statistically significant correlations between stylistic measures and behavioral measures of decision making, in either the amount of information considered or the way in which the information integration tracked predictions of linear models of decision making applied to each participant's data. However, there were consistent correlations, across the 7 decisions, between stylistic measures and affective reactions to, or retrospective descriptions of, episodes of decision making. We suggest that decision-making styles instruments may better reflect the construction of narratives of self as a decision maker more than they do actual behavior during decision making.

Product Life Cycle - Quality Management Issues

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Alting, Leo; Majstorovic, Vidosav D.

2004-01-01

The strategic goal of our country is European and world integration. Within this context the management of sustainable development considered from the aspect of product’s life cycle and its quality management represents a real challenge for researchers, economy and educational system. The aim...

Emotional Creativity and Real-Life Involvement in Different Types of Creative Leisure Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Trnka, Radek; Zahradnik, Martin; Kuška, Martin

2016-01-01

The role of emotional creativity in practicing creative leisure activities and in the preference of college majors remains unknown. This study aims to explore how emotional creativity measured by the Emotional Creativity Inventory (ECI; Averill, 1999) is interrelated with the real-life involvement in different types of specific creative leisure…

Integrated NPP life cycle management - Agency's approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gueorguiev, B.

2002-01-01

Full text: The number of nuclear power plants (NPPs) operating in the world has been roughly constant for the past seven years. There are 438 reactors of 353,489 MW(e) capacity in the world and they generated 2448.9 TWh in 2001 giving a total world operating experience with nuclear power of 10,363 years. About 230 units have reached already over 15 years of operation and significant number of these plants are fully depreciated. Share of nuclear power in electricity production sector in Member States utilising nuclear power plants represents a meaningful amount and in 14 countries it exceeds 30%. Therefore, a loss of this share should be covered by new installed capacities either from conventional or alternative sources of electricity generation. Recent forecasts, for nuclear power use over the next two decades range from ∼350 to ∼500 GW(e) worldwide. While assessing the need for any nuclear power related programmes there are several important factors that must be considered since even 350 GW(e) is a very large programme requiring several hundred thousand highly qualified personnel and a substantial infrastructure to assure its continued safe, reliable and cost-effective operation. It is important to assure reliable, safe and economic beneficial performance of the plant, which requires in turn an appropriated management of any activity connected with any taken period of a plant life starting from design and ending by the decided mode of decommissioning. The period between the first and the last payment for the activities connected with the existence of a plant could be defined as a life cycle of the plant. Such integrated approach requires considering the life cycle of the plant in a much broader sense than just operational life and is characterized by the variety of activities and their management represents in a whole a plant life management programme (PLIM). Therefore PLIM could be defined as an aggregate (totality) of technical, financial, economical and

Can virtual reality exposure therapy gains be generalized to real-life? A meta-analysis of studies applying behavioral assessments.

Science.gov (United States)

Morina, Nexhmedin; Ijntema, Hiske; Meyerbröker, Katharina; Emmelkamp, Paul M G

2015-11-01

In virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET), patients are exposed to virtual environments that resemble feared real-life situations. The aim of the current study was to assess the extent to which VRET gains can be observed in real-life situations. We conducted a meta-analysis of clinical trials applying VRET to specific phobias and measuring treatment outcome by means of behavioral laboratory tests or recordings of behavioral activities in real-life. Data sources were searches of databases (Medline, PsycInfo, and Cochrane). We included in total 14 clinical trials on specific phobias. Results revealed that patients undergoing VRET did significantly better on behavioral assessments following treatment than before treatment, with an aggregated uncontrolled effect size of g = 1.23. Furthermore, patients undergoing VRET performed better on behavioral assessments at post-treatment than patients on wait-list (g = 1.41). Additionally, results of behavioral assessment at post-treatment and at follow-up revealed no significant differences between VRET and exposure in vivo (g = -0.09 and 0.53, respectively). Finally, behavioral measurement effect sizes were similar to those calculated from self-report measures. The findings demonstrate that VRET can produce significant behavior change in real-life situations and support its application in treating specific phobias. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a diagnostic decision tree for obstructive pulmonary diseases based on real-life data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Esther I. Metting

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to develop and explore the diagnostic accuracy of a decision tree derived from a large real-life primary care population. Data from 9297 primary care patients (45% male, mean age 53±17 years with suspicion of an obstructive pulmonary disease was derived from an asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD service where patients were assessed using spirometry, the Asthma Control Questionnaire, the Clinical COPD Questionnaire, history data and medication use. All patients were diagnosed through the Internet by a pulmonologist. The Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection method was used to build the decision tree. The tree was externally validated in another real-life primary care population (n=3215. Our tree correctly diagnosed 79% of the asthma patients, 85% of the COPD patients and 32% of the asthma–COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS patients. External validation showed a comparable pattern (correct: asthma 78%, COPD 83%, ACOS 24%. Our decision tree is considered to be promising because it was based on real-life primary care patients with a specialist's diagnosis. In most patients the diagnosis could be correctly predicted. Predicting ACOS, however, remained a challenge. The total decision tree can be implemented in computer-assisted diagnostic systems for individual patients. A simplified version of this tree can be used in daily clinical practice as a desk tool.

Development of a diagnostic decision tree for obstructive pulmonary diseases based on real-life data

Science.gov (United States)

in ’t Veen, Johannes C.C.M.; Dekhuijzen, P.N. Richard; van Heijst, Ellen; Kocks, Janwillem W.H.; Muilwijk-Kroes, Jacqueline B.; Chavannes, Niels H.; van der Molen, Thys

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to develop and explore the diagnostic accuracy of a decision tree derived from a large real-life primary care population. Data from 9297 primary care patients (45% male, mean age 53±17 years) with suspicion of an obstructive pulmonary disease was derived from an asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) service where patients were assessed using spirometry, the Asthma Control Questionnaire, the Clinical COPD Questionnaire, history data and medication use. All patients were diagnosed through the Internet by a pulmonologist. The Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection method was used to build the decision tree. The tree was externally validated in another real-life primary care population (n=3215). Our tree correctly diagnosed 79% of the asthma patients, 85% of the COPD patients and 32% of the asthma–COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) patients. External validation showed a comparable pattern (correct: asthma 78%, COPD 83%, ACOS 24%). Our decision tree is considered to be promising because it was based on real-life primary care patients with a specialist's diagnosis. In most patients the diagnosis could be correctly predicted. Predicting ACOS, however, remained a challenge. The total decision tree can be implemented in computer-assisted diagnostic systems for individual patients. A simplified version of this tree can be used in daily clinical practice as a desk tool. PMID:27730177

Measurement of Walking Ground Reactions in Real-Life Environments: A Systematic Review of Techniques and Technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Shahabpoor, Erfan; Pavic, Aleksandar

2017-09-12

Monitoring natural human gait in real-life environments is essential in many applications, including quantification of disease progression, monitoring the effects of treatment, and monitoring alteration of performance biomarkers in professional sports. Nevertheless, developing reliable and practical techniques and technologies necessary for continuous real-life monitoring of gait is still an open challenge. A systematic review of English-language articles from scientific databases including Scopus, ScienceDirect, Pubmed, IEEE Xplore, EBSCO and MEDLINE were carried out to analyse the 'accuracy' and 'practicality' of the current techniques and technologies for quantitative measurement of the tri-axial walking ground reactions outside the laboratory environment, and to highlight their strengths and shortcomings. In total, 679 relevant abstracts were identified, 54 full-text papers were included in the paper and the quantitative results of 17 papers were used for meta-analysis and comparison. Three classes of methods were reviewed: (1) methods based on measured kinematic data; (2) methods based on measured plantar pressure; and (3) methods based on direct measurement of ground reactions. It was found that all three classes of methods have competitive accuracy levels with methods based on direct measurement of the ground reactions showing highest accuracy while being least practical for long-term real-life measurement. On the other hand, methods that estimate ground reactions using measured body kinematics show highest practicality of the three classes of methods reviewed. Among the most prominent technical and technological challenges are: (1) reducing the size and price of tri-axial load-cells; (2) improving the accuracy of orientation measurement using IMUs; (3) minimizing the number and optimizing the location of required IMUs for kinematic measurement; (4) increasing the durability of pressure insole sensors, and (5) enhancing the robustness and versatility of the

Measurement of Walking Ground Reactions in Real-Life Environments: A Systematic Review of Techniques and Technologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erfan Shahabpoor

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Monitoring natural human gait in real-life environments is essential in many applications, including quantification of disease progression, monitoring the effects of treatment, and monitoring alteration of performance biomarkers in professional sports. Nevertheless, developing reliable and practical techniques and technologies necessary for continuous real-life monitoring of gait is still an open challenge. A systematic review of English-language articles from scientific databases including Scopus, ScienceDirect, Pubmed, IEEE Xplore, EBSCO and MEDLINE were carried out to analyse the ‘accuracy’ and ‘practicality’ of the current techniques and technologies for quantitative measurement of the tri-axial walking ground reactions outside the laboratory environment, and to highlight their strengths and shortcomings. In total, 679 relevant abstracts were identified, 54 full-text papers were included in the paper and the quantitative results of 17 papers were used for meta-analysis and comparison. Three classes of methods were reviewed: (1 methods based on measured kinematic data; (2 methods based on measured plantar pressure; and (3 methods based on direct measurement of ground reactions. It was found that all three classes of methods have competitive accuracy levels with methods based on direct measurement of the ground reactions showing highest accuracy while being least practical for long-term real-life measurement. On the other hand, methods that estimate ground reactions using measured body kinematics show highest practicality of the three classes of methods reviewed. Among the most prominent technical and technological challenges are: (1 reducing the size and price of tri-axial load-cells; (2 improving the accuracy of orientation measurement using IMUs; (3 minimizing the number and optimizing the location of required IMUs for kinematic measurement; (4 increasing the durability of pressure insole sensors, and (5 enhancing the robustness and

Integrated design strategy for product life-cycle management

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, G. Patrick

2001-02-01

Two major trends suggest new considerations for environmentally conscious manufacturing (ECM) -- the continuation of dematerialization and the growing trend toward goods becoming services. A diversity of existing research could be integrated around those trends in ways that can enhance ECM. Major research-based achievements in information, computation, and communications systems, sophisticated and inexpensive sensing capabilities, highly automated and precise manufacturing technologies, and new materials continue to drive the phenomenon of dematerialization - the reduction of the material and energy content of per capita GDP. Knowledge is also growing about the sociology, economics, mathematics, management and organization of complex socio-economic systems. And that has driven a trend towards goods evolving into services. But even with these significant trends, the value of material, energy, information and human resources incorporated into the manufacture, use and disposal of modern products and services often far exceeds the benefits realized. Multi-disciplinary research integrating these drivers with advances in ECM concepts could be the basis for a new strategy of production. It is argued that a strategy of integrating information resources with physical and human resources over product life cycles, together with considering products as streams of service over time, could lead to significant economic payoff. That strategy leads to an overall design concept to minimize costs of all resources over the product life cycle to more fully capture benefits of all resources incorporated into modern products. It is possible by including life cycle monitoring, periodic component replacement, re-manufacture, salvage and human factor skill enhancement into initial design.

Engineers and the Web: An analysis of real life gaps in information usage

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kraaijenbrink, Jeroen

2007-01-01

Engineers face a wide range of gaps when trying to identify, acquire, and utilize information from the Web. To be able to avoid creating such gaps, it is essential to understand them in detail. This paper reports the results of a study of the real life gaps in information usage processes of 17

Virginia Tech's Center For Real Life Kitchen Design Is A Success!

OpenAIRE

Todd, Jane Anne

2003-01-01

Explore Your Dream Kitchen, a two-day workshop offered in Virginia Tech's Center for Real Life Kitchen Design, will be offered twice in May to participants who want to learn about planning and designing a kitchen that really meets their needs. Attendees explore and experience kitchens with a wide variety of designs, products, materials, and technologies during this fun and interactive course. Participants are asked to bring plans, ideas, and questions about their homes and kitchens as everyon...

Influence of an integral life practice workshop on health and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate the effect of an Integral Life Practice workshop on perceptions of health and spirituality. An integral psychological approach using mixed quantitative and qualitative methods in a pre- and post-test, quasi experimental and control group design was used to assess changes ...

Images of eyes enhance investments in a real-life public good.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Damien Francey

Full Text Available A key issue in cooperation research is to determine the conditions under which individuals invest in a public good. Here, we tested whether cues of being watched increase investments in an anonymous public good situation in real life. We examined whether individuals would invest more by removing experimentally placed garbage (paper and plastic bottles from bus stop benches in Geneva in the presence of images of eyes compared to controls (images of flowers. We provided separate bins for each of both types of garbage to investigate whether individuals would deposit more items into the appropriate bin in the presence of eyes. The treatment had no effect on the likelihood that individuals present at the bus stop would remove garbage. However, those individuals that engaged in garbage clearing, and were thus likely affected by the treatment, invested more time to do so in the presence of eyes. Images of eyes had a direct effect on behaviour, rather than merely enhancing attention towards a symbolic sign requesting removal of garbage. These findings show that simple images of eyes can trigger reputational effects that significantly enhance on non-monetary investments in anonymous public goods under real life conditions. We discuss our results in the light of previous findings and suggest that human social behaviour may often be shaped by relatively simple and potentially unconscious mechanisms instead of very complex cognitive capacities.

System Engineering and Integration of Controls for Advanced Life Support

Science.gov (United States)

Overland, David; Hoo, Karlene; Ciskowski, Marvin

2006-01-01

The Advanced Integration Matrix (AIM) project at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) was chartered to study and solve systems-level integration issues for exploration missions. One of the first issues identified was an inability to conduct trade studies on control system architectures due to the absence of mature evaluation criteria. Such architectures are necessary to enable integration of regenerative life support systems. A team was formed to address issues concerning software and hardware architectures and system controls.. The team has investigated what is required to integrate controls for the types of non-linear dynamic systems encountered in advanced life support. To this end, a water processing bioreactor testbed is being developed which will enable prototyping and testing of integration strategies and technologies. Although systems such as the water bioreactors exhibit the complexities of interactions between control schemes most vividly, it is apparent that this behavior and its attendant risks will manifest itself among any set of interdependent autonomous control systems. A methodology for developing integration requirements for interdependent and autonomous systems is a goal of this team and this testbed. This paper is a high-level summary of the current status of the investigation, the issues encountered, some tentative conclusions, and the direction expected for further research.

Integrating and Visualizing Tropical Cyclone Data Using the Real Time Mission Monitor

Science.gov (United States)

Goodman, H. Michael; Blakeslee, Richard; Conover, Helen; Hall, John; He, Yubin; Regner, Kathryn

2009-01-01

The Real Time Mission Monitor (RTMM) is a visualization and information system that fuses multiple Earth science data sources, to enable real time decision-making for airborne and ground validation experiments. Developed at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, RTMM is a situational awareness, decision-support system that integrates satellite imagery, radar, surface and airborne instrument data sets, model output parameters, lightning location observations, aircraft navigation data, soundings, and other applicable Earth science data sets. The integration and delivery of this information is made possible using data acquisition systems, network communication links, network server resources, and visualizations through the Google Earth virtual globe application. RTMM is extremely valuable for optimizing individual Earth science airborne field experiments. Flight planners, scientists, and managers appreciate the contributions that RTMM makes to their flight projects. A broad spectrum of interdisciplinary scientists used RTMM during field campaigns including the hurricane-focused 2006 NASA African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses (NAMMA), 2007 NOAA-NASA Aerosonde Hurricane Noel flight, 2007 Tropical Composition, Cloud, and Climate Coupling (TC4), plus a soil moisture (SMAP-VEX) and two arctic research experiments (ARCTAS) in 2008. Improving and evolving RTMM is a continuous process. RTMM recently integrated the Waypoint Planning Tool, a Java-based application that enables aircraft mission scientists to easily develop a pre-mission flight plan through an interactive point-and-click interface. Individual flight legs are automatically calculated "on the fly". The resultant flight plan is then immediately posted to the Google Earth-based RTMM for interested scientists to view the planned flight track and subsequently compare it to the actual real time flight progress. We are planning additional capabilities to RTMM including collaborations with the Jet Propulsion

Work-life integration in neuropsychology: a review of the existing literature and preliminary recommendations.

Science.gov (United States)

Feigon, Maia; Block, Cady; Guidotti Breting, Leslie; Boxley, Laura; Dawson, Erica; Cobia, Derin

2018-02-01

The purpose of the current review paper is to identify and describe challenges to work-life integration in neuropsychology, and from this review extrapolate an initial set of recommendations and present a set of scenarios in which the recommendations might apply in the hopes of improving quality of life for current and prospective neuropsychologists. Specific areas of focus include diversity, early and mid-career transitions, and potential barriers to advancement in specific practice settings. A broad review was conducted of extant literature on work-life integration. There is scant scientific literature in this area that is specific to neuropsychologists, or even psychology as a whole. Subsequently, the majority of this review was collected from more developed literatures in business and medical fields. The authors then provided recommendations based on experiences in their respective careers. Attempts were made to promote generalizability of recommendations for neuropsychologists in different settings. Evidence supports a potentially adverse impact on quality of life and overall life satisfaction when work and personal lives conflict. This manuscript identifies some of the potential risks when work and life responsibilities are not well integrated. It is anticipated this will serve as a catalyst for future studies on work-life integration in the field of neuropsychology, specifically.

Control of asthma in real life: still a valuable goal?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andriana I. Papaioannou

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Although studies show that control of asthma can be achieved in the majority of patients, surveys repeatedly show that this is not the case in real life. Important measures to implement in order to achieve asthma control are trained healthcare professionals, a good patient–doctor relationship, patient education, avoidance of exposure to triggers, personalised management and adherence to treatment. These measures help the majority of asthma patients but have not yet been widely implemented and there should be a concerted action for their implementation. Moreover, further and focused research is needed in severe/refractory asthma.

Life cycle assessment of biofuels from an integrated Brazilian algae-sugarcane biorefinery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souza, Simone P.; Gopal, Anand R.; Seabra, Joaquim E.A.

2015-01-01

Sugarcane ethanol biorefineries in Brazil produce carbon dioxide, electricity and heat as byproducts. These are essential inputs for algae biodiesel production. In this paper, we assessed ethanol's life cycle greenhouse gas emissions and fossil energy use produced in an integrated sugarcane and algae biorefinery where biodiesel replaces petroleum diesel for all agricultural operations. Carbon dioxide from cane juice fermentation is used as the carbon source for algae cultivation, and sugarcane bagasse is the sole source of energy for the entire facility. Glycerin produced from the biodiesel plant is consumed by algae during the mixotrophic growth phase. We assessed the uncertainties through a detailed Monte-Carlo analysis. We found that this integrated system can improve both the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions and the fossil energy use of sugarcane ethanol by around 10% and 50%, respectively, compared to a traditional Brazilian sugarcane ethanol distillery. - Highlights: • A high diesel consumption is associated to the ethanol sugarcane life-cycle. • Sugarcane industry can provide sources of carbon and energy for the algae growing. • The sugarcane-algae integration can improve the ethanol life-cycle performance. • This integration is a promising pathway for the deployment of algae biodiesel. • There are still significant techno-economic barriers associated with algae biodiesel

Technical life cycle of real estates

OpenAIRE

Taina Koskelo

2001-01-01

Real estate business is developing fast. Development needs are challenging because of interdiciplinariness and diverseness of the branch. The main mission of real estate business is to provide premises for its customers. Designers are planning the buildings, contractors are building them and owners are supplying premises for users. During the use the real estate market needs different kinds of facilitating services directed to users or owner of buildings. Facilities Management services (FM) c...

Chronic urticaria in the real-life clinical practice setting in Sweden, Norway and Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, S F; Pritzier, E C; Anderson, C D

2017-01-01

]; chronic urticaria quality of life questionnaire [CU-Q2 oL; Danish patients only]) and work productivity and activity impairment (WPAI) scores were also assessed. RESULTS: Overall, 158 CU patients from seven centres in Denmark (n = 80), Norway (n = 50) and Sweden (n = 28) were included in this baseline......BACKGROUND: Chronic urticaria (CU) is characterized by the recurrence of itchy hives and/or angioedema for more than 6 weeks. AWARE (A World-wide Antihistamine-Refractory Chronic Urticaria Patient Evaluation) is a multinational study designed to document the real-life treatment situation, burden...... (>2 months) that is refractory to H1-antihistamines. Baseline patient characteristics, disease activity (urticaria control test [UCT]), pharmacological treatment, comorbidities and healthcare usage were documented by the treating physician. Quality of life (QoL; dermatology life quality index [DLQI...

Structural Equation Modeling on Life-world Integration in People with Severe Burns

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gyeong Suk Lee, PhD, RN

2013-09-01

Conclusion: Physical function should be directly improved to adjust to life-world integration. A comprehensive integration approach is also necessary to help people with severe burns successfully return to society.

Real-Time PCR using a PCR Microchip with Integrated Thermal System and Polymer Waveguides for the Detection of Campylobacter jejuni

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Zhenyu; Sekulovic, Andrea; Kutter, Jörg Peter

2006-01-01

A novel real-time PCR microchip platform with integrated thermal system and polymer waveguides has been developed. By using the integrated optical system of the real-time PCR chip, cadF – a virulence gene of Campylobacter jejuni, could specifically be detected. Two different DNA binding dyes, SYTOX...

Understanding future emissions from low-carbon power systems by integration of life-cycle assessment and integrated energy modelling

Science.gov (United States)

Pehl, Michaja; Arvesen, Anders; Humpenöder, Florian; Popp, Alexander; Hertwich, Edgar G.; Luderer, Gunnar

2017-12-01

Both fossil-fuel and non-fossil-fuel power technologies induce life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions, mainly due to their embodied energy requirements for construction and operation, and upstream CH4 emissions. Here, we integrate prospective life-cycle assessment with global integrated energy-economy-land-use-climate modelling to explore life-cycle emissions of future low-carbon power supply systems and implications for technology choice. Future per-unit life-cycle emissions differ substantially across technologies. For a climate protection scenario, we project life-cycle emissions from fossil fuel carbon capture and sequestration plants of 78-110 gCO2eq kWh-1, compared with 3.5-12 gCO2eq kWh-1 for nuclear, wind and solar power for 2050. Life-cycle emissions from hydropower and bioenergy are substantial (˜100 gCO2eq kWh-1), but highly uncertain. We find that cumulative emissions attributable to upscaling low-carbon power other than hydropower are small compared with direct sectoral fossil fuel emissions and the total carbon budget. Fully considering life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions has only modest effects on the scale and structure of power production in cost-optimal mitigation scenarios.

Case study on Integral Life Practice intervention for physical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Findings indicated significant improvements in physical exercise, psychophysiological coherence, general health, psychological well-being, mental skills, mindfulness, mood, resilience, sense of coherence and spirituality. Findings endorse Integral Life Practice theoretical principles and practical guidelines for implementing ...

Decision-Making for Supply Chain Integration Supply Chain Integration

CERN Document Server

Lettice, Fiona; Durowoju, Olatunde

2012-01-01

Effective supply chain integration, and the tight co-ordination it creates, is an essential pre-requisite for successful supply chain management.  Decision-Making for Supply Chain Integration is a practical reference on recent research in the area of supply chain integration focusing on distributed decision-making problems. Recent applications of various decision-making tools for integrating supply chains are covered including chapters focusing on: •Supplier selection, pricing strategy and inventory decisions in multi-level supply chains, •RFID-enabled distributed decision-making, •Operational risk issues and time-critical decision-making for sensitive logistics nodes, Modelling end to end processes to improve supply chain integration, and •Integrated systems to improve service delivery and optimize resource use. Decision-Making for Supply Chain Integration provides an insight into the tools and methodologies of this field with support from real-life case studies demonstrating successful application ...

Long-term Course of Alzheimer Disease in Patients Treated According to the Dutch Dementia Guideline at a Memory Clinic A "Real-Life" Study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Droogsma, Erika; van Asselt, Dieneke; van Steijn, Jolanda; Diekhuis, Marjolein; Veeger, Nic; De Deyn, Peter P.

2016-01-01

Introduction:There is little knowledge of the long-term course of Alzheimer disease (AD) in light of current pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions provided in a real-life setting.Methods:The Frisian Alzheimer's Disease Cohort study is a real-life study of the course of AD in patients

A Simple Method for Solving Fully Intuitionistic Fuzzy Real Life Assignment Problem

OpenAIRE

Senthil Kumar, P.; Jahir Hussain, R.

2016-01-01

In solving real life assignment problem we often face the state of uncertainty as well as hesitation due to various uncontrollable factors. To deal with uncertainty and hesitation many authors have suggested the intuitionistic fuzzy representations for the data. So, in this paper, the authors consider the assignment problem having uncertainty and hesitation in cost/time/profit. They formulate the problem and utilize triangular intuitionistic fuzzy numbers (TIFNs) to deal with uncertainty and ...

Metacognition in Real Life Situations and Study Skills and Habits: Two Types of Processes

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Hilawani, Yasser A.

2016-01-01

The relationship between metacognition in real life situations and study skills and habits was examined using a sample of college students. Results showed no significant relationship between these two variables nor was there a significant relationship between study skills and reaction time as measured on the metacognitive test. However, there was…

Moral Emotions and Moral Judgments in Children's Narratives: Comparing Real-Life and Hypothetical Transgressions

Science.gov (United States)

Gutzwiller-Helfenfinger, Eveline; Gasser, Luciano; Malti, Tina

2010-01-01

How children make meaning of their own social experiences in situations involving moral issues is central to their subsequent affective and cognitive moral learning. Our study of young children's narratives describing their interpersonal conflicts shows that the emotions and judgments constructed in the course of these real-life narratives differ…

How Do Volcanoes Affect Human Life? Integrated Unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Dayton, Rebecca; Edwards, Carrie; Sisler, Michelle

This packet contains a unit on teaching about volcanoes. The following question is addressed: How do volcanoes affect human life? The unit covers approximately three weeks of instruction and strives to present volcanoes in an holistic form. The five subject areas of art, language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies are integrated into…

An Anomalous Noise Events Detector for Dynamic Road Traffic Noise Mapping in Real-Life Urban and Suburban Environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joan Claudi Socoró

2017-10-01

Full Text Available One of the main aspects affecting the quality of life of people living in urban and suburban areas is their continued exposure to high Road Traffic Noise (RTN levels. Until now, noise measurements in cities have been performed by professionals, recording data in certain locations to build a noise map afterwards. However, the deployment of Wireless Acoustic Sensor Networks (WASN has enabled automatic noise mapping in smart cities. In order to obtain a reliable picture of the RTN levels affecting citizens, Anomalous Noise Events (ANE unrelated to road traffic should be removed from the noise map computation. To this aim, this paper introduces an Anomalous Noise Event Detector (ANED designed to differentiate between RTN and ANE in real time within a predefined interval running on the distributed low-cost acoustic sensors of a WASN. The proposed ANED follows a two-class audio event detection and classification approach, instead of multi-class or one-class classification schemes, taking advantage of the collection of representative acoustic data in real-life environments. The experiments conducted within the DYNAMAP project, implemented on ARM-based acoustic sensors, show the feasibility of the proposal both in terms of computational cost and classification performance using standard Mel cepstral coefficients and Gaussian Mixture Models (GMM. The two-class GMM core classifier relatively improves the baseline universal GMM one-class classifier F1 measure by 18.7% and 31.8% for suburban and urban environments, respectively, within the 1-s integration interval. Nevertheless, according to the results, the classification performance of the current ANED implementation still has room for improvement.

"Real life" longevity of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Manolis, Antonis S; Maounis, Themistoklis; Koulouris, Spyridon; Vassilikos, Vassilios

2017-09-01

Manufacturers of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) promise a 5- to 9-year projected longevity; however, real-life data indicate otherwise. The aim of the present study was to assess ICD longevity among 685 consecutive patients over the last 20 years. Real-life longevity of ICDs may differ from that stated by the manufacturers. The study included 601 men and 84 women (mean age, 63.1 ± 13.3 years). The underlying disease was coronary (n = 396) or valvular (n = 15) disease, cardiomyopathy (n = 220), or electrical disease (n = 54). The mean ejection fraction was 35%. Devices were implanted for secondary (n = 562) or primary (n = 123) prevention. Single- (n = 292) or dual-chamber (n = 269) or cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) devices (n = 124) were implanted in the abdomen (n = 17) or chest (n = 668). Over 20 years, ICD pulse generator replacements were performed in 238 patients (209 men; age 63.7 ± 13.9 years; ejection fraction, 37.7% ± 14.0%) who had an ICD for secondary (n = 210) or primary (n = 28) prevention. The mean ICD longevity was 58.3 ± 18.7 months. In 20 (8.4%) patients, devices exhibited premature battery depletion within 36 months. Most (94%) patients had none, minor, or modest use of ICD therapy. Longevity was longest for single-chamber devices and shortest for CRT devices. Latest-generation devices replaced over the second decade lasted longer compared with devices replaced during the first decade. When analyzed by manufacturer, Medtronic devices appeared to have longer longevity by 13 to 18 months. ICDs continue to have limited longevity of 4.9 ± 1.6 years, and 8% demonstrate premature battery depletion by 3 years. CRT devices have the shortest longevity (mean, 3.8 years) by 13 to 17 months, compared with other ICD devices. These findings have important implications, particularly in view of the high expense involved with this type of electrical

Age differences in virtual environment and real world path integration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diane E Adamo

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Accurate path integration requires the integration of visual, proprioceptive, and vestibular self-motion cues and age effects associated with alterations in processing information from these systems may contribute to declines in path integration abilities. The present study investigated age-related differences in path integration in conditions that varied as a function of available sources of sensory information. Twenty-two healthy, young (23.8 ± 3.0 yrs. and 16 older (70.1 ± 6.4 yrs. adults participated in distance reproduction and triangle completion tasks performed in a virtual environment and two real world conditions: guided walking and wheelchair propulsion. For walking and wheelchair propulsion conditions, participants wore a blindfold and wore noise-blocking headphones and were guided through the workspace by the experimenter. For the virtual environment (VE condition, participants viewed self-motion information on a computer monitor and used a joystick to navigate through the environment. For triangle completion tasks, older compared to younger individuals showed greater errors in rotation estimations performed in the wheelchair condition; and for rotation and distance estimations in the VE condition. Distance reproduction tasks, in contrast, did not show any age effects. These findings demonstrate that age differences in path integration vary as a function of the available sources of information and by the complexity of outbound pathway.

Time-Frequency Feature Representation Using Multi-Resolution Texture Analysis and Acoustic Activity Detector for Real-Life Speech Emotion Recognition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kun-Ching Wang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The classification of emotional speech is mostly considered in speech-related research on human-computer interaction (HCI. In this paper, the purpose is to present a novel feature extraction based on multi-resolutions texture image information (MRTII. The MRTII feature set is derived from multi-resolution texture analysis for characterization and classification of different emotions in a speech signal. The motivation is that we have to consider emotions have different intensity values in different frequency bands. In terms of human visual perceptual, the texture property on multi-resolution of emotional speech spectrogram should be a good feature set for emotion classification in speech. Furthermore, the multi-resolution analysis on texture can give a clearer discrimination between each emotion than uniform-resolution analysis on texture. In order to provide high accuracy of emotional discrimination especially in real-life, an acoustic activity detection (AAD algorithm must be applied into the MRTII-based feature extraction. Considering the presence of many blended emotions in real life, in this paper make use of two corpora of naturally-occurring dialogs recorded in real-life call centers. Compared with the traditional Mel-scale Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC and the state-of-the-art features, the MRTII features also can improve the correct classification rates of proposed systems among different language databases. Experimental results show that the proposed MRTII-based feature information inspired by human visual perception of the spectrogram image can provide significant classification for real-life emotional recognition in speech.

Map Matching and Real World Integrated Sensor Data Warehousing (Presentation)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burton, E.

2014-02-01

The inclusion of interlinked temporal and spatial elements within integrated sensor data enables a tremendous degree of flexibility when analyzing multi-component datasets. The presentation illustrates how to warehouse, process, and analyze high-resolution integrated sensor datasets to support complex system analysis at the entity and system levels. The example cases presented utilizes in-vehicle sensor system data to assess vehicle performance, while integrating a map matching algorithm to link vehicle data to roads to demonstrate the enhanced analysis possible via interlinking data elements. Furthermore, in addition to the flexibility provided, the examples presented illustrate concepts of maintaining proprietary operational information (Fleet DNA) and privacy of study participants (Transportation Secure Data Center) while producing widely distributed data products. Should real-time operational data be logged at high resolution across multiple infrastructure types, map matched to their associated infrastructure, and distributed employing a similar approach; dependencies between urban environment infrastructures components could be better understood. This understanding is especially crucial for the cities of the future where transportation will rely more on grid infrastructure to support its energy demands.

Integrated real-time control strategy in multi-tank A2O process for biological nutrient removal treating real domestic wastewater

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saad Abualhail

2017-02-01

Full Text Available An integrated real-time anaerobic–anoxic/oxic (A2O operated with multi-tank called IMT–A2O process was designed and operated with fluctuating influent loads for biological nutrient removal for treating real domestic wastewater. IMT–A2O process, a “phased isolation tank” technology, varies both aeration pattern and flow path in a continuous flow multi-tank system to force fluctuation of organic and nutrient concentrations in process reactors. Using an eight-phase cycle, desired biochemical transformations, are accomplished at different times in the same tank. On-line sensors (pH, ORP, and DO were used as real-time control parameters to adjust the duration of each operational phase in the IMT–A2O process. The control system is an algorithm that automatically adjusts the cycle length to the influent wastewater characteristics according to the end points. It was found that on-line sensor values of pH, ORP, and DO were somehow related with the dynamic behaviors of nutrient concentrations in IMT–A2O. The algorithm acts in the reaction phases of the IMT–A2O cycle using ORP and pH break points of tank one to distinguish the end of denitrification and the beginning of phosphorus release, pH break point of tank two to control the end of denitrification and beginning of phosphorus release and a sudden increase in DO pattern, pH break point and ORP to control phosphorus uptake and the end of the nitrification process. Although the fluctuations in raw wastewater concentration are extreme; an influent with a low C/N ratio is deficient in organic carbon, and a low carbon source level can limit the overall biological denitrification process, the average removal efficiencies achieved for COD, ammonia–nitrogen, total nitrogen and total phosphorus were not less than 76.11%, 87.78%, 76.45% and 83.75%, respectively, using the integrated real-time control strategy. The integrated IMT–A2O exhibited a better performance in nutrient removal than the

Ride comfort optimization of a multi-axle heavy motorized wheel dump truck based on virtual and real prototype experiment integrated Kriging model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bian Gong

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The optimization of hydro-pneumatic suspension parameters of a multi-axle heavy motorized wheel dump truck is carried out based on virtual and real prototype experiment integrated Kriging model in this article. The root mean square of vertical vibration acceleration, in the center of sprung mass, is assigned as the optimization objective. The constraints are the natural frequency, the working stroke, and the dynamic load of wheels. The suspension structure for the truck is the adjustable hydro-pneumatic suspension with ideal vehicle nonlinear characteristics, integrated with elastic and damping elements. Also, the hydraulic systems of two adjacent hydro-pneumatic suspension are interconnected. Considering the high complexity of the engineering model, a novel kind of meta-model called virtual and real prototype experiment integrated Kriging is proposed in this article. The interpolation principle and the construction of virtual and real prototype experiment integrated Kriging model were elucidated. Being different from traditional Kriging, virtual and real prototype experiment integrated Kriging combines the respective advantages of actual test and Computer Aided Engineering simulation. Based on the virtual and real prototype experiment integrated Kriging model, the optimization results, obtained by experimental verification, showed significant improvement in the ride comfort by 12.48% for front suspension and 11.79% for rear suspension. Compared with traditional Kriging, the optimization effect was improved by 3.05% and 3.38% respectively. Virtual and real prototype experiment integrated Kriging provides an effective way to approach the optimal solution for the optimization of high-complexity engineering problems.

Real-time impact of power balancing on power system operation with large scale integration of wind power

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Basit, Abdul; Hansen, Anca Daniela; Sørensen, Poul Ejnar

2017-01-01

Highly wind power integrated power system requires continuous active power regulation to tackle the power imbalances resulting from the wind power forecast errors. The active power balance is maintained in real-time with the automatic generation control and also from the control room, where...... power system model. The power system model takes the hour-ahead regulating power plan from power balancing model and the generation and power exchange capacities for the year 2020 into account. The real-time impact of power balancing in a highly wind power integrated power system is assessed...

Effects of Healthy Aging and Mild Cognitive Impairment on a Real-Life Decision-Making Task.

Science.gov (United States)

Pertl, Marie-Theres; Benke, Thomas; Zamarian, Laura; Delazer, Margarete

2017-01-01

In this study, we investigated the effects of age and of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) on decision making under risk by adopting a task representing real-life health-related situations and involving complex numerical information. Moreover, we assessed the relationship of real-life decision making to other cognitive functions such as number processing, executive functions, language, memory, and attention. For this reason, we compared the performance of 19 healthy, relatively younger adults with that of 18 healthy older adults and the performance of the 18 healthy older adults with that of 17 patients with MCI. Results indicated difficulties in real-life decision making for the healthy older adults compared with the healthy, relatively younger adults. Difficulties of patients with MCI relative to the healthy older adults arose in particular in difficult items requiring processing of frequencies and fractions. Significant effects of age and of MCI in processing frequencies were also evident in a ratio number comparison task. Decision-making performance of healthy participants and of the patient group correlated significantly with number processing. There was a further significant correlation with executive functions for the healthy participants and with reading comprehension for the patients. Our results suggest that healthy older individuals and patients with MCI make less advantageous decisions when the information is complex and high demands are put on executive functions and numerical abilities. Moreover, we show that executive functions and numerical abilities are not only essential in laboratory gambling tasks but also in more realistic and ecological decision situations within the health context.

Adapting the SLIM diabetes prevention intervention to a Dutch real-life setting: joint decision making by science and practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Jansen, Sophia C; Haveman-Nies, Annemien; Duijzer, Geerke; Ter Beek, Josien; Hiddink, Gerrit J; Feskens, Edith J M

2013-05-08

Although many evidence-based diabetes prevention interventions exist, they are not easily applicable in real-life settings. Moreover, there is a lack of examples which describe the adaptation process of these interventions to practice. In this paper we present an example of such an adaptation. We adapted the SLIM (Study on Lifestyle intervention and Impaired glucose tolerance Maastricht) diabetes prevention intervention to a Dutch real-life setting, in a joint decision making process of intervention developers and local health care professionals. We used 3 adaptation steps in accordance with current adaptation frameworks. In the first step, the elements of the SLIM intervention were identified. In the second step, these elements were judged for their applicability in a real-life setting. In the third step, adaptations were proposed and discussed for those elements which were deemed not applicable. Participants invited for this process included intervention developers and local health care professionals (n=19). In the first adaptation step, a total of 22 intervention elements were identified. In the second step, 12 of these 22 intervention elements were judged as inapplicable. In the third step, a consensus was achieved for the adaptations of all 12 elements. The adapted elements were in the following categories: target population, techniques, intensity, delivery mode, materials, organisational structure, and political and financial conditions. The adaptations either lay in changing the SLIM protocol (6 elements) or the real-life working procedures (1 element), or a combination of both (4 elements). The positive result of this study is that a consensus was achieved within a relatively short time period (nine months) between the developers of the SLIM intervention and local health care professionals on the adaptations needed to make SLIM applicable in a Dutch real-life setting. Our example shows that it is possible to combine the perspectives of scientists and

Center for Real Life Kitchen Design open house to showcase latest in residential kitchens

OpenAIRE

Elliott, Jean

2007-01-01

Virginia Tech will unveil its newly refurbished Center for Real Life Kitchen Design at an open house set for Monday, April 2. The 1,500-square foot center, located in 247 Wallace Hall, features six fully functional residential kitchen designs that reflect a variety of price levels, lifestyles, and use of space for today's homeowner.

Real remote physics experiments across Internet-- inherent part of Integrated e-Learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frantisek Lustig

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract— The implementation of the real remote experiments across the Internet into teaching process, up till now not available, enables introduction of Integrated e-Learning, composed of three components: the real remote experiments across the Internet, the simulation applets and the electronic interactive textbooks. We present here the prospective remote laboratory system with data transfer using Intelligent School Experimental System (ISES as hardware and ISES WEB Control kit as software. This approach enables the simple construction of remote experiments without building any hardware and virtually no programming, only with paste and copy approach of pre-built typical blocks as camera view, controls, graphs, displays etc. In conclusion we summarize the achieved experience with remote experiments.

Community Integration and Quality of Life in Aphasia after Stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hyejin; Lee, Yuna; Choi, Hyunsoo; Pyun, Sung-Bom

2015-11-01

To examine community integration and contributing factors in people with aphasia (PWA) following stroke and to investigate the relationship between community integration and quality of life (QOL). Thirty PWA and 42 age-and education-matched control subjects were involved. Main variables were as follows: socioeconomic status, mobility, and activity of daily living (ADL) (Modified Barthel Index), language function [Frenchay Aphasia Screening Test (FAST)], depression [Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)], Community Integration Questionnaire (CIQ) and Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life Scale-39 (SAQOL-39). Differences between aphasia and control groups and factors affecting community integration and QOL were analyzed. Home and social integration and productive activity were significantly decreased in the aphasia group compared to the control group; 8.5 and 18.3 points in total CIQ score, respectively. Amount of time spent outside the home and frequency of social contact were also significantly reduced in the aphasia group. Total mean score on the SAQOL-39 was 2.75±0.80 points and was significantly correlated with economic status, gait performance, ADL, depressive mood, and social domain score on the CIQ. Depression score measured by GDS was the single most important factor for the prediction of QOL, but the FAST score was significantly correlated only with the communication domain of the SAQOL-39. Community activities of PWA were very limited, and depression was highly associated with decreased community integration and QOL. Enhancing social participation and reducing emotional distress should be emphasized for rehabilitation of PWA.

Does Playing Sports Video Games Predict Increased Involvement in Real-Life Sports Over Several Years Among Older Adolescents and Emerging Adults?

Science.gov (United States)

Adachi, Paul J C; Willoughby, Teena

2016-02-01

Given the extreme popularity of video games among older adolescents and emerging adults, the investigation of positive outcomes of video game play during these developmental periods is crucial. An important direction for research in this area is the investigation of a link between sports video game play and involvement in real-life sports among youth. Yet, this association has not been examined in the long-term among older adolescents and emerging adults, and thus represents an exciting new area for discovery. The primary goal of the current study, therefore, was to examine the long-term association between sports video game play and involvement in real-life sports clubs among older adolescents and emerging adults. In addition, we examined whether self-esteem was an underlying mechanism of this longitudinal association. We surveyed older adolescents and emerging adults (N = 1132; 70.6 % female; M age = 19.06 years, range of 17-25 years at the first assessment) annually over 3 years about their video game play, self-esteem, and involvement in real-life sports. We found a long-term predictive effect of sports video game play on increased involvement in real-life sports over the 3 years. Furthermore, we demonstrated that self-esteem was an underlying mechanism of this long-term association. Our findings make an important contribution to an emerging body of literature on the positive outcomes of video game play, as they suggest that sports video game play may be an effective tool to promote real-life sports participation and physical activity among older adolescents and emerging adults.

The Other Side of the Screen - Simultaneously maintaining social relationships in real life and on social media

OpenAIRE

Gruenke, Solveig Wiland

2017-01-01

Social media as a social concept is becoming a prominent fixture in social life and is taking on a significant increase in social relevance, both academically and in popular discourse. The academic research is often focused on either the online content itself or the macro societal implications, more than the real-life social aspect of social media. People using social media are now simultaneously producing content about their life online, whilst they are, in fact, living it. The new social fe...

Mapping real-life applications on run-time reconfigurable NoC-based MPSoC on FPGA.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Singh, A.K.; Kumar, A.; Srikanthan, Th.; Ha, Y.

2010-01-01

Multiprocessor systems-on-chip (MPSoC) are required to fulfill the performance demand of modern real-life embedded applications. These MPSoCs are employing Network-on-Chip (NoC) for reasons of efficiency and scalability. Additionally, these systems need to support run-time reconfiguration of their

Real-Life Challenges in Using Augmentative and Alternative Communication by Persons with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Science.gov (United States)

Ray, Jayanti

2015-01-01

Given the linguistic and cognitive demands of communication, adult Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) users with acquired communication disorders may have difficulty using AAC systems consistently and effectively in "real-life" situations. The process of recommending AAC systems and strategies is an area of exploration,…

Children with Imaginary Companions Focus on Mental Characteristics When Describing Their Real-life Friends

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Paige E.; Meins, Elizabeth; Fernyhough, Charles

2014-01-01

Relations between having an imaginary companion (IC) and (i) descriptions of a real-life friend, (ii) theory of mind performance, and (iii) reported prosocial behaviour and behavioural difficulties were investigated in a sample of 5-year-olds (N?=?159). Children who had an IC were more likely than their peers without an IC to describe their best…

Real Life Active Gaming Practices of 7-11-Year-Old Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Allsop, Susan; Rumbold, Penny Louise Sheena; Debuse, Dorothée; Dodd-Reynolds, Caroline

2013-12-01

In the laboratory, active gaming has been shown to increase physical activity levels in children compared with seated media activities. The information is sparse, however, about children's real life active gaming practices, and the laboratory protocols used thus far might not be representative. The purpose of the present study was to establish the sociodemographic characteristics, real life active gaming practices, and reasons for gameplay, to later inform intervention studies. An "Active Gaming Questionnaire" was purposely developed and distributed to 44 7-11-year-old children and their parents. Forty questionnaires were completed and returned. Analysis found 95 percent of the children had access to active gaming consoles "at home." The favorite console was the Nintendo (Kyoto, Japan) Wii™, and the favorite game was Nintendo "Wii Sports." The majority of children frequently played active games against other people. The average reported gameplay time was 81 minutes on 1-2 days per week, usually on a Saturday. More than half of the children (52.5 percent) consumed foods and/or drinks during play, which was significantly associated (P=0.000) with an extended average gameplay time (increased by 25 minutes). The majority of participants (65 percent) considered active gaming to be an alternative form of exercise, and main reasons for active videogame play included for entertainment, health benefits, and the environment. In conclusion, children 9.3±1.4 years old typically play Nintendo "Wii Sports," once or twice per week for 81 minutes. Reported active gameplay time is extended by 25 minutes when food and/or drinks are consumed.

ELT-scale Adaptive Optics real-time control with thes Intel Xeon Phi Many Integrated Core Architecture

Science.gov (United States)

Jenkins, David R.; Basden, Alastair; Myers, Richard M.

2018-05-01

We propose a solution to the increased computational demands of Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) scale adaptive optics (AO) real-time control with the Intel Xeon Phi Knights Landing (KNL) Many Integrated Core (MIC) Architecture. The computational demands of an AO real-time controller (RTC) scale with the fourth power of telescope diameter and so the next generation ELTs require orders of magnitude more processing power for the RTC pipeline than existing systems. The Xeon Phi contains a large number (≥64) of low power x86 CPU cores and high bandwidth memory integrated into a single socketed server CPU package. The increased parallelism and memory bandwidth are crucial to providing the performance for reconstructing wavefronts with the required precision for ELT scale AO. Here, we demonstrate that the Xeon Phi KNL is capable of performing ELT scale single conjugate AO real-time control computation at over 1.0kHz with less than 20μs RMS jitter. We have also shown that with a wavefront sensor camera attached the KNL can process the real-time control loop at up to 966Hz, the maximum frame-rate of the camera, with jitter remaining below 20μs RMS. Future studies will involve exploring the use of a cluster of Xeon Phis for the real-time control of the MCAO and MOAO regimes of AO. We find that the Xeon Phi is highly suitable for ELT AO real time control.

The Real-Time Monitoring Service Platform for Land Supervision Based on Cloud Integration

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, J.; Mao, M.; Xiang, H.; Wang, G.; Liang, Y.

2018-04-01

Remote sensing monitoring has become the important means for land and resources departments to strengthen supervision. Aiming at the problems of low monitoring frequency and poor data currency in current remote sensing monitoring, this paper researched and developed the cloud-integrated real-time monitoring service platform for land supervision which enhanced the monitoring frequency by acquiring the domestic satellite image data overall and accelerated the remote sensing image data processing efficiency by exploiting the intelligent dynamic processing technology of multi-source images. Through the pilot application in Jinan Bureau of State Land Supervision, it has been proved that the real-time monitoring technical method for land supervision is feasible. In addition, the functions of real-time monitoring and early warning are carried out on illegal land use, permanent basic farmland protection and boundary breakthrough in urban development. The application has achieved remarkable results.

Integrated Chamber Design for the Laser Inertial Fusion Energy (LIFE) Engine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Latkowski, J.F.; Kramer, K.J.; Abbott, R.P.; Morris, K.R.; DeMuth, J.; Divol, L.; El-Dasher, B.; Lafuente, A.; Loosmore, G.; Reyes, S.; Moses, G.A.; Fratoni, M.; Flowers, D.; Aceves, S.; Rhodes, M.; Kane, J.; Scott, H.; Kramer, R.; Pantano, C.; Scullard, C.; Sawicki, R.; Wilks, S.; Mehl, M.

2010-01-01

The Laser Inertial Fusion Energy (LIFE) concept is being designed to operate as either a pure fusion or hybrid fusion-fission system. A key component of a LIFE engine is the fusion chamber subsystem. The present work details the chamber design for the pure fusion option. The fusion chamber consists of the first wall and blanket. This integrated system must absorb the fusion energy, produce fusion fuel to replace that burned in previous targets, and enable both target and laser beam transport to the ignition point. The chamber system also must mitigate target emissions, including ions, x-rays and neutrons and reset itself to enable operation at 10-15 Hz. Finally, the chamber must offer a high level of availability, which implies both a reasonable lifetime and the ability to rapidly replace damaged components. An integrated LIFE design that meets all of these requirements is described herein.

Integrated Chamber Design for the Laser Inertial Fusion Energy (LIFE) Engine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Latkowski, J F; Kramer, K J; Abbott, R P; Morris, K R; DeMuth, J; Divol, L; El-Dasher, B; Lafuente, A; Loosmore, G; Reyes, S; Moses, G A; Fratoni, M; Flowers, D; Aceves, S; Rhodes, M; Kane, J; Scott, H; Kramer, R; Pantano, C; Scullard, C; Sawicki, R; Wilks, S; Mehl, M

2010-12-07

The Laser Inertial Fusion Energy (LIFE) concept is being designed to operate as either a pure fusion or hybrid fusion-fission system. A key component of a LIFE engine is the fusion chamber subsystem. The present work details the chamber design for the pure fusion option. The fusion chamber consists of the first wall and blanket. This integrated system must absorb the fusion energy, produce fusion fuel to replace that burned in previous targets, and enable both target and laser beam transport to the ignition point. The chamber system also must mitigate target emissions, including ions, x-rays and neutrons and reset itself to enable operation at 10-15 Hz. Finally, the chamber must offer a high level of availability, which implies both a reasonable lifetime and the ability to rapidly replace damaged components. An integrated LIFE design that meets all of these requirements is described herein.

An integrated life cycle sustainability assessment of electricity generation in Turkey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atilgan, Burcin; Azapagic, Adisa

2016-01-01

This paper presents for the first time an integrated life cycle sustainability assessment of the electricity sector in Turkey, considering environmental, economic and social aspects. Twenty life cycle sustainability indicators (11 environmental, three economic and six social) are used to evaluate the current electricity options. Geothermal power is the best option for six environmental impacts but it has the highest capital costs. Small reservoir and run-of-river power has the lowest global warming potential while large reservoir is best for the depletion of elements and fossil resources, and acidification. It also has the lowest levelised costs, worker injuries and fatalities but provides the lowest life cycle employment opportunities. Gas power has the lowest capital costs but it provides the lowest direct employment and has the highest levelised costs and ozone layer depletion. Given these trade-offs, a multi-criteria decision analysis has been carried out to identify the most sustainable options assuming different stakeholder preferences. For all the preferences considered, hydropower is the most sustainable option for Turkey, followed by geothermal and wind electricity. This work demonstrates the importance for energy policy of an integrated life cycle sustainability assessment and how tensions between different aspects can be reconciled to identify win-win solutions. - Highlights: •First integrated life cycle sustainability assessment of the electricity sector in Turkey. •11 environmental, three economic and six social sustainability indicators estimated. •Multi-criteria decision analysis carried out to identify most sustainable options. •Hydro is the most sustainable option for Turkey, followed by geothermal and wind. •This work demonstrates how tensions among sustainability aspects can be reconciled.

Life stressors and social resources: an integrated assessment approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Moos, R H; Fenn, C B; Billings, A G

1988-01-01

The Life Stressors and Social Resources Inventory (LISRES) is described. The inventory provides an integrated assessment of an individual's life context. It taps both relatively stable and new aspects of life stressors and social resources in eight domains: physical health, home/neighborhood, financial, work, spouse/partner, children, extended family, and friends. The indices were developed on data obtained at two points in time from groups of depressed patients, alcoholic patients, arthritic patients, and healthy adults. The indices are internally consistent, moderately intercorrelated, and relatively stable over time. In addition, they are predictably related to changes in respondents' functioning. Although more developmental work is needed, the LISRES has some potential clinical and research applications and may be helpful in examining the process of stress and coping.

Integration of real-time operational data in geographical information for power and gas business; Integrando em tempo real os dados operacionais aos sistemas geo referenciados do negocio gas e energia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salcedo, Fernando Jose de Carvalho; Carvalho, Ronaldo Jose Seixas de [PETROBRAS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2005-07-01

The Strategical Management of Data and Information of the Gas e Energia, has as its being reason, the provision of right information, in the right place and in the right time, based on the correct sources, adding strategic value to Business. The SCADA systems (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition), give to the Thermoelectrical Plant Operators and Electrical Transporting Operators the integration with the operational stations, measurement and energy delivery. The Geographical Information Systems - GIS, give the maps visualization with geopolitics aspects, gas pipeline infrastructure and satellite images. The Historical Data systems, have as its requirements the interface between many SCADA systems by means of accompaniment of historical data, real time data of the common variables of the process (outflow, pressure, temperature, egg.) and KPI's visualization - typical performance indicators of energy systems (non-availability, generation efficiency and distribution, egg.). Based on the business systemic vision, the Real-Time Enterprise Architecture - Real Time data integration and Performance Indicators based on the GIS software platform was developed in the Gas e Energia enterprise scenario. The present action has, as its focus, the dynamic visualization in real-time of the integrated data to the GIS infrastructure of the Gas Pipelines and Thermoelectrical Plants, guaranteeing the integrity, the audit trail of the information and a pro active vision for the Management of the Gas e Energia Business. (author)

Integration of real-time operational data in geographical information for power and gas business; Integrando em tempo real os dados operacionais aos sistemas geo referenciados do negocio gas e energia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salcedo, Fernando Jose de Carvalho; Carvalho, Ronaldo Jose Seixas de [PETROBRAS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2005-07-01

The Strategical Management of Data and Information of the Gas e Energia, has as its being reason, the provision of right information, in the right place and in the right time, based on the correct sources, adding strategic value to Business. The SCADA systems (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition), give to the Thermoelectrical Plant Operators and Electrical Transporting Operators the integration with the operational stations, measurement and energy delivery. The Geographical Information Systems - GIS, give the maps visualization with geopolitics aspects, gas pipeline infrastructure and satellite images. The Historical Data systems, have as its requirements the interface between many SCADA systems by means of accompaniment of historical data, real time data of the common variables of the process (outflow, pressure, temperature, egg.) and KPI's visualization - typical performance indicators of energy systems (non-availability, generation efficiency and distribution, egg.). Based on the business systemic vision, the Real-Time Enterprise Architecture - Real Time data integration and Performance Indicators based on the GIS software platform was developed in the Gas e Energia enterprise scenario. The present action has, as its focus, the dynamic visualization in real-time of the integrated data to the GIS infrastructure of the Gas Pipelines and Thermoelectrical Plants, guaranteeing the integrity, the audit trail of the information and a pro active vision for the Management of the Gas e Energia Business. (author)

The Use of a Real Life Simulated Problem Based Learning Activity in a Corporate Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Laurent, Mark A.

2013-01-01

This narrative study examines using a real life simulated problem base learning activity during education of clinical staff, which is expected to design and develop clinically correct electronic charting systems. Expertise in healthcare does not readily transcend to the realm of manipulating software to collect patient data that is pertinent to…

Development of a diagnostic decision tree for obstructive pulmonary diseases based on real-life data

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Metting, Esther I; In 't Veen, Johannes C C M; Dekhuijzen, P N Richard; van Heijst, Ellen; Kocks, Janwillem W H; Muilwijk-Kroes, Jacqueline B; Chavannes, Niels H; van der Molen, Thys

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to develop and explore the diagnostic accuracy of a decision tree derived from a large real-life primary care population. Data from 9297 primary care patients (45% male, mean age 53±17 years) with suspicion of an obstructive pulmonary disease was derived from an

Using a data-centric event-driven architecture approach in the integration of real-time systems at DTP2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tuominen, Janne; Viinikainen, Mikko; Alho, Pekka; Mattila, Jouni

2014-01-01

Integration of heterogeneous and distributed systems is a challenging task, because they might be running on different platforms and written with different implementation languages by multiple organizations. Data-centricity and event-driven architecture (EDA) are concepts that help to implement versatile and well-scaling distributed systems. This paper focuses on the implementation of inter-subsystem communication in a prototype distributed remote handling control system developed at Divertor Test Platform 2 (DTP2). The control system consists of a variety of heterogeneous subsystems, including a client–server web application and hard real-time controllers. A standardized middleware solution (Data Distribution Services (DDS)) that supports a data-centric EDA approach is used to integrate the system. One of the greatest challenges in integrating a system with a data-centric EDA approach is in defining the global data space model. The selected middleware is currently only used for non-deterministic communication. For future application, we evaluated the performance of point-to-point communication with and without the presence of additional network load to ensure applicability to real-time systems. We found that, under certain limitations, the middleware can be used for soft real-time communication. Hard real-time use will require more validation with a more suitable environment

Using a data-centric event-driven architecture approach in the integration of real-time systems at DTP2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tuominen, Janne, E-mail: janne.m.tuominen@tut.fi; Viinikainen, Mikko; Alho, Pekka; Mattila, Jouni

2014-10-15

Integration of heterogeneous and distributed systems is a challenging task, because they might be running on different platforms and written with different implementation languages by multiple organizations. Data-centricity and event-driven architecture (EDA) are concepts that help to implement versatile and well-scaling distributed systems. This paper focuses on the implementation of inter-subsystem communication in a prototype distributed remote handling control system developed at Divertor Test Platform 2 (DTP2). The control system consists of a variety of heterogeneous subsystems, including a client–server web application and hard real-time controllers. A standardized middleware solution (Data Distribution Services (DDS)) that supports a data-centric EDA approach is used to integrate the system. One of the greatest challenges in integrating a system with a data-centric EDA approach is in defining the global data space model. The selected middleware is currently only used for non-deterministic communication. For future application, we evaluated the performance of point-to-point communication with and without the presence of additional network load to ensure applicability to real-time systems. We found that, under certain limitations, the middleware can be used for soft real-time communication. Hard real-time use will require more validation with a more suitable environment.

Developing a Web-based system by integrating VGI and SDI for real estate management and marketing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Salajegheh

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Property importance of various aspects, especially the impact on various sectors of the economy and the country's macroeconomic is clear. Because of the real, multi-dimensional and heterogeneous nature of housing as a commodity, the lack of an integrated system includes comprehensive information of property, the lack of awareness of some actors in this field about comprehensive information about property and the lack of clear and comprehensive rules and regulations for the trading and pricing, several problems arise for the people involved in this field. In this research implementation of a crowd-sourced Web-based real estate support system is desired. Creating a Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI in this system for collecting, updating and integrating all official data about property is also desired in this study. In this system a Web2.0 broker and technologies such as Web services and service composition has been used. This work aims to provide comprehensive and diverse information about property from different sources. For this purpose five-level real estate support system architecture is used. PostgreSql DBMS is used to implement the desired system. Geoserver software is also used as map server and reference implementation of OGC (Open Geospatial Consortium standards. And Apache server is used to run web pages and user interfaces. Integration introduced methods and technologies provide a proper environment for various users to use the system and share their information. This goal is only achieved by cooperation between all involved organizations in real estate with implementation their required infrastructures in interoperability Web services format.

Developing a Web-based system by integrating VGI and SDI for real estate management and marketing

Science.gov (United States)

Salajegheh, J.; Hakimpour, F.; Esmaeily, A.

2014-10-01

Property importance of various aspects, especially the impact on various sectors of the economy and the country's macroeconomic is clear. Because of the real, multi-dimensional and heterogeneous nature of housing as a commodity, the lack of an integrated system includes comprehensive information of property, the lack of awareness of some actors in this field about comprehensive information about property and the lack of clear and comprehensive rules and regulations for the trading and pricing, several problems arise for the people involved in this field. In this research implementation of a crowd-sourced Web-based real estate support system is desired. Creating a Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) in this system for collecting, updating and integrating all official data about property is also desired in this study. In this system a Web2.0 broker and technologies such as Web services and service composition has been used. This work aims to provide comprehensive and diverse information about property from different sources. For this purpose five-level real estate support system architecture is used. PostgreSql DBMS is used to implement the desired system. Geoserver software is also used as map server and reference implementation of OGC (Open Geospatial Consortium) standards. And Apache server is used to run web pages and user interfaces. Integration introduced methods and technologies provide a proper environment for various users to use the system and share their information. This goal is only achieved by cooperation between all involved organizations in real estate with implementation their required infrastructures in interoperability Web services format.

[Required Framework for the Collection of Real-life Data: An Example from University Eye Hospital Munich].

Science.gov (United States)

Kortüm, Karsten; Kern, Christoph; Meyer, Gerhard; Priglinger, Siegfried; Hirneiß, Christoph

2017-12-01

Background The importance of evaluating real-life data is constantly increasing. Currently available computer systems better allow for analyses of data, as more and more data is available in a digital form. Before a project for real-life data analyses is started, technical considerations and staff, legal, and data protection procedures need to be addressed. In this manuscript, experiences made at the University Eye Hospital in Munich will be shared. Materials and Methods Legal requirements, as found in laws and guidelines governing documentation and data privacy, are highlighted. Technical requirements for information technology infrastructure and software are defined. A survey conducted by the German Ophthalmological Society, among German eye hospitals investigating the current state of digitalization, was conducted. Also, staff requirements are outlined. Results A database comprising results of 330,801 patients was set up. It includes all diagnoses, procedures, clinical findings and results from diagnostic devices. This database was approved by the local data protection officer. In less than half of German eye hospitals (n = 21) that participated in the survey (n = 54), a complete electronic documentation is done. Fourteen institutions are completely paper-based, and the remainder of the hospitals used a mixed system. Conclusion In this work, we examined the framework that is required to develop a comprehensive database containing real-life data from clinics. In future, these databases will become increasingly important as more and more innovation are made in decision support systems. The base for this is comprehensive and well-curated databases. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Nonlinear Heart Rate Variability features for real-life stress detection. Case study: students under stress due to university examination.

Science.gov (United States)

Melillo, Paolo; Bracale, Marcello; Pecchia, Leandro

2011-11-07

This study investigates the variations of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) due to a real-life stressor and proposes a classifier based on nonlinear features of HRV for automatic stress detection. 42 students volunteered to participate to the study about HRV and stress. For each student, two recordings were performed: one during an on-going university examination, assumed as a real-life stressor, and one after holidays. Nonlinear analysis of HRV was performed by using Poincaré Plot, Approximate Entropy, Correlation dimension, Detrended Fluctuation Analysis, Recurrence Plot. For statistical comparison, we adopted the Wilcoxon Signed Rank test and for development of a classifier we adopted the Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA). Almost all HRV features measuring heart rate complexity were significantly decreased in the stress session. LDA generated a simple classifier based on the two Poincaré Plot parameters and Approximate Entropy, which enables stress detection with a total classification accuracy, a sensitivity and a specificity rate of 90%, 86%, and 95% respectively. The results of the current study suggest that nonlinear HRV analysis using short term ECG recording could be effective in automatically detecting real-life stress condition, such as a university examination.

Integration of multidisciplinary technologies for real time target visualization and verification for radiotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Wen-Chung; Chen, Chin-Sheng; Tai, Hung-Chi; Liu, Chia-Yuan; Chen, Yu-Jen

2014-01-01

The current practice of radiotherapy examines target coverage solely from digitally reconstructed beam's eye view (BEV) in a way that is indirectly accessible and that is not in real time. We aimed to visualize treatment targets in real time from each BEV. The image data of phantom or patients from ultrasound (US) and computed tomography (CT) scans were captured to perform image registration. We integrated US, CT, US/CT image registration, robotic manipulation of US, a radiation treatment planning system, and a linear accelerator to constitute an innovative target visualization system. The performance of this algorithm segmented the target organ in CT images, transformed and reconstructed US images to match each orientation, and generated image registration in real time mode with acceptable accuracy. This image transformation allowed physicians to visualize the CT image-reconstructed target via a US probe outside the BEV that was non-coplanar to the beam's plane. It allowed the physicians to remotely control the US probe that was equipped on a robotic arm to dynamically trace and real time monitor the coverage of the target within the BEV during a simulated beam-on situation. This target visualization system may provide a direct remotely accessible and real time way to visualize, verify, and ensure tumor targeting during radiotherapy.

How to integrate proxy data from two informants in life event assessment in psychological autopsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jie; Wang, Youqing; Fang, Le

2018-04-27

Life event assessment is an important part in psychological autopsy, and how to integrate its proxy data from two informants is a major methodological issue which needs solving. Totally 416 living subjects and their two informants were interviewed by psychological autopsy, and life events were assessed with Paykel's Interview for Recent Life Events. Validities of integrated proxy data using six psychological autopsy information reconstruction methods were evaluated, with living subjects' self-reports used as gold-standard criteria. For all the life events, average value of Youden Indexes for proxy data by type C information reconstruction method (choosing positive value from two informants) was larger than other five methods'. For family life related events, proxy data by type 1st information reconstruction method were not significantly different from living subjects' self-reports (P = 0.828). For all other life events, proxy data by type C information reconstruction method were not significantly different from the gold-standard. Choosing positive value is a relatively better method for integrating dichotomous (positive vs. negative) proxy data from two informants in life event assessment in psychological autopsy, except for family life related events. In that case, using information provided by 1st informants (mainly family member) is recommended.

Life-crossroads on stage: integrating life review and drama therapy for older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Keisari, Shoshi; Palgi, Yuval

2017-10-01

This paper examines the contribution of a new group of therapeutic interventions for older adults, based on a rudimentary life-review intervention. The intervention includes narrative elements together with drama therapy. The current study examines the influence of this therapeutic intervention on key indicators of mental health and psychological well-being among older adults. Fifty-five people (n = 55), ranging in age from 62 to 93, participated in a before-after study design. The following indices - meaning in life, self-acceptance, relationships with others, depressive symptoms, and experience of successful aging - were compared between an intervention group (n = 27) and a care-as-usual control group (n = 28). Repeated measures analyses of variance showed a significant improvement over time in the experimental group. In addition, results also showed time-group interaction regarding the treatment's effectiveness for self-acceptance, relationships with others, sense of meaning in life, sense of successful aging, and depressive symptoms. Our findings confirm that the new therapeutic intervention, which integrates life-review with drama therapy, increases self-acceptance, relationships with others, sense of meaning in life, and sense of successful aging; in turn, it also decreases depressive symptoms among older adults. The contribution of this research is based on the development of a therapeutic intervention that combines narrative together with drama therapy tools, which can be used in focused and short-term group treatments with the elderly.

Real-Time Monitoring and Control of HgCdTe MBE Using an Integrated Multi-Sensor System

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Olson, G

1998-01-01

We present recent progress on the use of an integrated real-time sensing and control system for monitoring and controlling substrate temperature, layer composition, and effusion cell flux during MBE...

Machine remaining useful life prediction: An integrated adaptive neuro-fuzzy and high-order particle filtering approach

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chaochao; Vachtsevanos, George; Orchard, Marcos E.

2012-04-01

Machine prognosis can be considered as the generation of long-term predictions that describe the evolution in time of a fault indicator, with the purpose of estimating the remaining useful life (RUL) of a failing component/subsystem so that timely maintenance can be performed to avoid catastrophic failures. This paper proposes an integrated RUL prediction method using adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems (ANFIS) and high-order particle filtering, which forecasts the time evolution of the fault indicator and estimates the probability density function (pdf) of RUL. The ANFIS is trained and integrated in a high-order particle filter as a model describing the fault progression. The high-order particle filter is used to estimate the current state and carry out p-step-ahead predictions via a set of particles. These predictions are used to estimate the RUL pdf. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated via the real-world data from a seeded fault test for a UH-60 helicopter planetary gear plate. The results demonstrate that it outperforms both the conventional ANFIS predictor and the particle-filter-based predictor where the fault growth model is a first-order model that is trained via the ANFIS.

Life sciences payload definition and integration study, task C and D. Volume 2: Payload definition, integration, and planning studies

Science.gov (United States)

1973-01-01

The Life Sciences Payload Definition and Integration Study was composed of four major tasks. Tasks A and B, the laboratory definition phase, were the subject of prior NASA study. The laboratory definition phase included the establishment of research functions, equipment definitions, and conceptual baseline laboratory designs. These baseline laboratories were designated as Maxi-Nom, Mini-30, and Mini-7. The outputs of Tasks A and B were used by the NASA Life Sciences Payload Integration Team to establish guidelines for Tasks C and D, the laboratory integration phase of the study. A brief review of Tasks A and B is presented provide background continuity. The tasks C and D effort is the subject of this report. The Task C effort stressed the integration of the NASA selected laboratory designs with the shuttle sortie module. The Task D effort updated and developed costs that could be used by NASA for preliminary program planning.

CANDU plant life management - An integrated approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charlebois, P.; Hart, R.S.; Hopkins, J.R.

1998-01-01

Commercial versions of CANDU reactors were put into service starting more than 25 years ago. The first unit of Ontario Hydro's Pickering A station was put into service in 1971, and Bruce A in 1977. Most CANDU reactors, however, are only now approaching their mid-life of 15 to 20 years of operation. In particular, the first series of CANDU 6 plants which entered service in the early 1980's were designed for a 30 year life and are now approaching mid life. The current CANDU 6 design is based on a 40 year life as a result of advancement in design and materials through research and development. In order to assure safe and economic operation of these reactors, a comprehensive CANDU Plant Life Management (PLIM) program is being developed from the knowledge gained during the operation of Ontario Hydro's Pickering, Bruce, and Darlington stations, worldwide information from CANDU 6 stations, CANDU research and development programs, and other national and international sources. This integration began its first phase in 1994, with the identification of most of the critical systems structures and components in these stations, and a preliminary assessment of degradation and mechanisms that could affect their fitness for service for their planned life. Most of these preliminary assessments are now complete, together with the production of the first iteration of Life Management Plans for several of the systems and components. The Generic CANDU 6 PLIM program is now reaching its maturity, with formal processes to systematically identify and evaluate the major CSSCs in the station, and a plan to ensure that the plant surveillance, operation, and maintenance programs monitor and control component degradation well within the original design specifications essential for the plant life attainment. A Technology Watch program is being established to ensure that degradation mechanisms which could impact on plant life are promptly investigated and mitigating programs established. The

Critical Care Nurses Inadequately Assess SAPS II Scores of Very Ill Patients in Real Life

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreas Perren

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Reliable ICU severity scores have been achieved by various healthcare workers but nothing is known regarding the accuracy in real life of severity scores registered by untrained nurses. Methods. In this retrospective multicentre audit, three reviewers independently reassessed 120 SAPS II scores. Correlation and agreement of the sum-scores/variables among reviewers and between nurses and the reviewers’ gold standard were assessed globally and for tertiles. Bland and Altman (gold standard—nurses of sum scores and regression of the difference were determined. A logistic regression model identifying risk factors for erroneous assessments was calculated. Results. Correlation for sum scores among reviewers was almost perfect (mean ICC = 0.985. The mean (±SD nurse-registered SAPS II sum score was 40.3±20.2 versus 44.2±24.9 of the gold standard (32 points scores. The lowest agreement was found in high SAPS II tertiles for haemodynamics (k = 0.45–0.51. Conclusions. In real life, nurse-registered SAPS II scores of very ill patients are inaccurate. Accuracy of scores was not associated with nurses’ characteristics.

Loose and Tight GNSS/INS Integrations: Comparison of Performance Assessed in Real Urban Scenarios.

Science.gov (United States)

Falco, Gianluca; Pini, Marco; Marucco, Gianluca

2017-01-29

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSSs) remain the principal mean of positioning in many applications and systems, but in several types of environment, the performance of standalone receivers is degraded. Although many works show the benefits of the integration between GNSS and Inertial Navigation Systems (INSs), tightly-coupled architectures are mainly implemented in professional devices and are based on high-grade Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs). This paper investigates the performance improvements enabled by the tight integration, using low-cost sensors and a mass-market GNSS receiver. Performance is assessed through a series of tests carried out in real urban scenarios and is compared against commercial modules, operating in standalone mode or featuring loosely-coupled integrations. The paper describes the developed tight-integration algorithms with a terse mathematical model and assesses their efficacy from a practical perspective.

Drop-out rate among patients treated with omalizumab for severe asthma: Literature review and real-life experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Caminati, M; Senna, G; Stefanizzi, G; Bellamoli, R; Longhi, S; Chieco-Bianchi, F; Guarnieri, G; Tognella, S; Olivieri, M; Micheletto, C; Festi, G; Bertocco, E; Mazza, M; Rossi, A; Vianello, A

2016-08-25

In patients with asthma, particularly severe asthma, poor adherence to inhaled drugs negatively affects the achievement of disease control. A better adherence rate is expected in the case of injected drugs, such as omalizumab, as they are administered only in a hospital setting. However, adherence to omalizumab has never been systematically investigated. The aim of this study was to review the omalizumab drop-out rate in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and real-life studies. A comparative analysis was performed between published data and the Italian North East Omalizumab Network (NEONet) database. In RCTs the drop-out rate ranged from 7.1 to 19.4 %. Although the reasons for withdrawal were only occasionally reported, patient decision and adverse events were the most frequently reported causes. In real-life studies the drop-out rate ranged from 0 to 45.5 %. In most cases lack of efficacy was responsible for treatment discontinuation. According to NEONet data, 32 % of treated patients dropped out, with an increasing number of drop outs observed over time. Patient decision and lack of efficacy accounted for most treatment withdrawals. Treatment adherence is particularly crucial in patients with severe asthma considering the clinical impact of the disease and the cost of non-adherence. The risk of treatment discontinuation has to be carefully considered both in the experimental and real-life settings. Increased knowledge regarding the main reasons for patient withdrawal is important to improve adherence in clinical practice.

Reconstruction of biological networks based on life science data integration.

Science.gov (United States)

Kormeier, Benjamin; Hippe, Klaus; Arrigo, Patrizio; Töpel, Thoralf; Janowski, Sebastian; Hofestädt, Ralf

2010-10-27

For the implementation of the virtual cell, the fundamental question is how to model and simulate complex biological networks. Therefore, based on relevant molecular database and information systems, biological data integration is an essential step in constructing biological networks. In this paper, we will motivate the applications BioDWH--an integration toolkit for building life science data warehouses, CardioVINEdb--a information system for biological data in cardiovascular-disease and VANESA--a network editor for modeling and simulation of biological networks. Based on this integration process, the system supports the generation of biological network models. A case study of a cardiovascular-disease related gene-regulated biological network is also presented.

A new generation of real-time DOS technology for mission-oriented system integration and operation

Science.gov (United States)

Jensen, E. Douglas

1988-01-01

Information is given on system integration and operation (SIO) requirements and a new generation of technical approaches for SIO. Real-time, distribution, survivability, and adaptability requirements and technical approaches are covered. An Alpha operating system program management overview is outlined.

Real-Life Treatment Paradigms Show Adalimumab Is Cost-Effective for the Management of Ulcerative Colitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Candace L. Beilman

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Adalimumab is effective for the maintenance of remission in patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis (UC. Currently, biologic therapies are used in cases where patients fail conventional medical therapies. If biologic therapies are not available, patients often choose to remain in an unwell state rather than undergo colectomy. Objective. The aim of the study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of adalimumab in patients with UC where adalimumab was readily available compared to not available. Methods. A previously validated Markov model was used to simulate disease progression of patients with UC who are corticosteroid-dependent and/or did not respond to thiopurine therapy. Utility scores and transition probabilities between health states were determined by using data from randomized controlled trials and real-life observational studies. Costs were obtained from the Ontario Case Costing Initiative and the Alberta Health Schedule of Medical Benefits. Results. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratios for readily available adalimumab treatment of UC were $40,000 and $59,000 per quality-adjusted life year, compared with ongoing medical therapy in an unwell state, at 5-year and 10-year treatment time horizons, respectively. Conclusion. Considering real-life patient preferences to avoid colectomy, adalimumab is cost-effective according to a willingness-to-pay threshold of $80,000 for treatment of UC.

West-Life, Tools for Integrative Structural Biology

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2018-01-01

Structural biology is part of molecular biology focusing on determining structure of macromolecules inside living cells and cell membranes. As macromolecules determines most of the functions of cells the structural knowledge is very useful for further research in metabolism, physiology to application in pharmacology etc. As macromolecules are too small to be observed directly by light microscope, there are other methods used to determine the structure including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X-Ray crystalography, cryo electron microscopy and others. Each method has it's advantages and disadvantages in the terms of availability, sample preparation, resolution. West-Life project has ambition to facilitate integrative approach using multiple techniques mentioned above. As there are already lot of software tools to process data produced by the techniques above, the challenge is to integrate them together in a way they can be used by experts in one technique but not experts in other techniques. One product ...

3D Interactions between Virtual Worlds and Real Life in an E-Learning Community

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ulrike Lucke

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Virtual worlds became an appealing and fascinating component of today's internet. In particular, the number of educational providers that see a potential for E-Learning in such new platforms increases. Unfortunately, most of the environments and processes implemented up to now do not exceed a virtual modelling of real-world scenarios. In particular, this paper shows that Second Life can be more than just another learning platform. A flexible and bidirectional link between the reality and the virtual world enables synchronous and seamless interaction between users and devices across both worlds. The primary advantages of this interconnection are a spatial extension of face-to-face and online learning scenarios and a closer relationship between virtual learners and the real world.

The correlation between pedestrian injury severity in real-life crashes and Euro NCAP pedestrian test results.

Science.gov (United States)

Strandroth, Johan; Rizzi, Matteo; Sternlund, Simon; Lie, Anders; Tingvall, Claes

2011-12-01

The aim of the present study was to estimate the correlation between Euro NCAP pedestrian rating scores and injury outcome in real-life car-to-pedestrian crashes, with special focus on long-term disability. Another aim was to determine whether brake assist (BA) systems affect the injury outcome in real-life car-to-pedestrian crashes and to estimate the combined effects in injury reduction of a high Euro NCAP ranking score and BA. In the current study, the Euro NCAP pedestrian scoring was compared with the real-life outcome in pedestrian crashes that occurred in Sweden during 2003 to 2010. The real-life crash data were obtained from the data acquisition system Swedish Traffic Accident Data Acquisition (STRADA), which combines police records and hospital admission data. The medical data consisted of International Classification of Diseases (ICD) diagnoses and Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) scoring. In all, approximately 500 pedestrians submitted to hospital were included in the study. Each car model was coded according to Euro NCAP pedestrian scores. In addition, the presence or absence of BA was coded for each car involved. Cars were grouped according to their scoring. Injury outcomes were analyzed with AIS and, at the victim level, with permanent medical impairment. This was done by translating the injury scores for each individual to the risk of serious consequences (RSC) at 1, 5, and 10 percent risk of disability level. This indicates the total risk of a medical disability for each victim, given the severity and location of injuries. The mean RSC (mRSC) was then calculated for each car group and t-tests were conducted to falsify the null hypothesis at p ≤ .05 that the mRSC within the groups was equal. The results showed a significant reduction of injury severity for cars with better pedestrian scoring, although cars with a high score could not be studied due to lack of cases. The reduction in RSC for medium-performing cars in comparison with low-performing cars

Desiderio e scrittura in "The Real Life of Sebastian Knight" di Vladimir Nabokov

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valeria Invernizzi

2014-12-01

This paper examines, from a psychoanalytic standpoint, the intersection between identity and writing in the novel The Real Life of Sebastian Knight (1941 by Vladimir Nabokov. In particular, in the wake of Freud and Lacan, the following contribution will take the notions of desire, signifier, and the process of sublimation involved in artistic creation as interpretative devices. The main focus of the analysis will be the relationship between the two half-brothers of the novel, V (the narrator and Sebastian. First, I will show that Sebastian Knight holds the role of the object of desire for the characters who have established a close relationship with him and, in particular, for V. Secondly, the paper will be devoted to the analysis of the trauma experienced by the characters because of Sebastian's death, with a particular focus on the narrator's mourning through writing (the fictional biography we read in the novel; in the end, I will give evidence of the so-called signifier’s fallacy, crucial episodes in which the narrator can experience an insight into the truth of desire. Because of the not negligible question of the fictional paternity of The Real Life and the equally essential matter of V’s ‘stylistic touch’, metaliterary aspects of the novel will also be part of the following reading of the text.

Genetic influence on blood pressure measured in the office, under laboratory stress and during real life

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wang, Xiaoling; Ding, Xiuhua; Su, Shaoyong; Harshfield, Gregory; Treiber, Frank; Snieder, Harold

To determine to what extent the genetic influences on blood pressure (BP) measured in the office, under psychologically stressful conditions in the laboratory and during real life are different from each other. Office BP, BP during a video game challenge and a social stressor interview, and 24-h

The Tsimane Health and Life History Project: Integrating anthropology and biomedicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Gurven, Michael; Stieglitz, Jonathan; Trumble, Benjamin; Blackwell, Aaron D; Beheim, Bret; Davis, Helen; Hooper, Paul; Kaplan, Hillard

2017-04-01

The Tsimane Health and Life History Project, an integrated bio-behavioral study of the human life course, is designed to test competing hypotheses of human life-history evolution. One aim is to understand the bidirectional connections between life history and social behavior in a high-fertility, kin-based context lacking amenities of modern urban life (e.g. sanitation, banks, electricity). Another aim is to understand how a high pathogen burden influences health and well-being during development and adulthood. A third aim addresses how modernization shapes human life histories and sociality. Here we outline the project's goals, history, and main findings since its inception in 2002. We reflect on the implications of current findings and highlight the need for more coordinated ethnographic and biomedical study of contemporary nonindustrial populations to address broad questions that can situate evolutionary anthropology in a key position within the social and life sciences. © 2017 The Authors Evolutionary Anthropology: Issues, News, and Reviews Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Framing Mass Shootings: Fictional Depictions of Real-life Gun Massacres in American Cinema

OpenAIRE

Tryggeseid, Ane Johannessen

2017-01-01

This thesis examines the concept of real-life mass shootings and its depiction in American fictional cinema. The issue of mass shootings is a highly controversial subject of discussion, both within the public and political sphere, as it necessarily touches upon rigid perceptions of civil liberties – specifically those of the Second Amendment – which further permeates the field of fictional cinema. As opposed to assessing the issue of mass shootings as a product of a prevailing culture of guns...

A Delphi Study to Detect Deficiencies and Propose Actions in Real Life Treatment of Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alfredo García-Layana

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose. Spanish retina specialists were surveyed in order to propose actions to decrease deficiencies in real-life neovascular age macular degeneration treatment (nv-AMD. Methods. One hundred experts, members of the Spanish Vitreoretinal Society (SERV, were invited to complete an online survey of 52 statements about nv-AMD management with a modified Delphi methodology. Four rounds were performed using a 5-point Linkert scale. Recommendations were developed after analyzing the differences between the results and the SERV guidelines recommendations. Results. Eighty-seven specialists completed all the Delphi rounds. Once major potential deficiencies in real-life nv-AMD treatment were identified, 15 recommendations were developed with a high level of agreement. Consensus statements to reduce the burden of the disease included the use of treat and extend regimen and to reduce the amount of diagnostic tests during the loading phase and training technical staff to perform these tests and reduce the time between relapse detection and reinjection, as well as establishing patient referral protocols to outside general ophthalmology clinics. Conclusion. The level of agreement with the final recommendations for nv-AMD treatment among Spanish retinal specialist was high indicating that some actions could be applied in order to reduce the deficiencies in real-life nv-AMD treatment.

Fully integrated microfluidic measurement system for real-time determination of gas and liquid mixtures composition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lötters, Joost Conrad; Groenesteijn, Jarno; van der Wouden, E.J.; Sparreboom, Wouter; Lammerink, Theodorus S.J.; Wiegerink, Remco J.

2015-01-01

We have designed and realised a fully integrated microfluidic measurement system for real-time determination of both flow rate and composition of gas- and liquid mixtures. The system comprises relative permittivity sensors, pressure sensors, a Coriolis flow and density sensor, a thermal flow sensor

Reconstruction of biological networks based on life science data integration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kormeier Benjamin

2010-06-01

Full Text Available For the implementation of the virtual cell, the fundamental question is how to model and simulate complex biological networks. Therefore, based on relevant molecular database and information systems, biological data integration is an essential step in constructing biological networks. In this paper, we will motivate the applications BioDWH - an integration toolkit for building life science data warehouses, CardioVINEdb - a information system for biological data in cardiovascular-disease and VANESA- a network editor for modeling and simulation of biological networks. Based on this integration process, the system supports the generation of biological network models. A case study of a cardiovascular-disease related gene-regulated biological network is also presented.

Menu-engineering in restaurants - adapting portion sizes on plates to enhance vegetable consumption: a real-life experiment.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reinders, M.J.; Huitink, M.; Dijkstra, S.C.; Maaskant, A.J.; Heijnen, J.

2017-01-01

Background: The aim of this research was to investigate whether increased portion sizes of vegetables and decreased portion sizes of meat on main dishes increased the amount of vegetables consumed in a real-life restaurant setting without affecting customer satisfaction. The participants were

Management of bipolar disorder in the intercontinental region: an international, multicenter, non-interventional, cross-sectional study in real-life conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Samalin, Ludovic; Vieta, Eduard; Okasha, Tarek Ahmed; Uddin, Mm Jalal; Ahmadi Abhari, Seyed Ali; Nacef, Fethi; Mishyiev, Vyacheslav; Aizenberg, Dovi; Ratner, Yaël; Melas-Melt, Lydie; Sedeki, Idir; Llorca, Pierre Michel

2016-05-16

Most of the existing data on real-life management of bipolar disorder are from studies conducted in western countries (mostly United States and Europe). This multinational, observational cohort study aimed to describe the management and clinical outcomes of bipolar patients in real-life conditions across various intercontinental countries (Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Tunisia, and Ukraine). Data on socio-demographic and disease characteristics, current symptomatology, and pharmacological treatment were collected. Comparisons between groups were performed using standard statistical tests. Overall, 1180 patients were included. The median time from initial diagnosis was 80 months. Major depressive disorder was the most common initial diagnosis. Mood stabilizers and antipsychotics were the most common drugs being prescribed at the time of the study. Antidepressants (mainly selective serotonin uptake inhibitors [SSRIs]) were administered to 36.1% of patients. Patients with bipolar I disorder received higher number of antipsychotics and anxiolytics than those with bipolar II disorder (p Bipolar disorder real-life management practice, irrespective of region, shows a delay in diagnosis and an overuse of antidepressants. Clinical decision-making appears to be based on a multidimensional approach related to current symptomatology and type of bipolar disorder.

Techno-economic feasibility study of the integration of a commercial small-scale ORC in a real case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cavazzini, G.; Dal Toso, P.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • The integration of a small-scale commercial ORC in a real case study was analyzed. • The possibility of recovering the waste heat produced by an ICE was considered. • A semi-empirical steady-state model of the commercial small scale ORC was created. • Both direct and indirect costs was considered in the business model. • The ORC integration was not economically feasible due to increased indirect costs. - Abstract: The ORC certainly represents a promising solution for recovering low-grade waste heat in industries. However, the efficiency of commercial small-scale ORC solutions is still too low in comparison with the high initial costs of the machine and the lack of simulation models specifically developed for commercial ORC systems prevents industries from defining an accurate business model to correctly evaluate the ORC integration in real industrial processes. This paper presents a techno-economic feasibility analysis of the integration of a small-scale commercial ORC in a real case study, represented by a highly-efficient industrial distillery. The integration is aimed at maximizing the electricity auto-production by exploiting the heat produced by an internal combustion engine, already partially recovered in internal thermal processes. To analyze the influence of the ORC integration on the industrial processes, a semi-empirical steady-state model of the commercial small scale ORC was created. The model made it possible to simulate the performance of the commercial ORC within a hypothetical scenario involving the use of the heat from the cooling water and from the exhaust gases of the internal combustion engine. A detailed thermo-dynamic analysis has been carried out to study the effects of the ORC integration on the plant’s energy system with particular focus on the two processes directly affected by ORC integration, namely vapor production and the drying process of the grape marc. The analysis highlighted the great importance in the

Real and complex analysis

CERN Document Server

Apelian, Christopher; Taft, Earl; Nashed, Zuhair

2009-01-01

The Spaces R, Rk, and CThe Real Numbers RThe Real Spaces RkThe Complex Numbers CPoint-Set Topology Bounded SetsClassification of Points Open and Closed SetsNested Intervals and the Bolzano-Weierstrass Theorem Compactness and Connectedness Limits and Convergence Definitions and First Properties Convergence Results for SequencesTopological Results for Sequences Properties of Infinite SeriesManipulations of Series in RFunctions: Definitions and Limits DefinitionsFunctions as MappingsSome Elementary Complex FunctionsLimits of FunctionsFunctions: Continuity and Convergence Continuity Uniform Continuity Sequences and Series of FunctionsThe DerivativeThe Derivative for f: D1 → RThe Derivative for f: Dk → RThe Derivative for f: Dk → RpThe Derivative for f: D → CThe Inverse and Implicit Function TheoremsReal IntegrationThe Integral of f: [a, b] → RProperties of the Riemann Integral Further Development of Integration TheoryVector-Valued and Line IntegralsComplex IntegrationIntroduction to Complex Integrals Fu...

A commercial real-time manufacturing integration platform for the new control system on FTU

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panella, M.; Bertocchi, A.; Bozzolan, V.; Buceti, G.; Centioli, C.; Imparato, A.; Mazza, G.; Torelli, C.; Vitale, V.

1999-01-01

In 1994 a working group was set up in Frascati to investigate how to build up a new control system for FTU (Frascati tokamak upgrade) considering the evolution in the information technology. Strong emphasis was placed on the use of standard solutions (be they de-facto or de-jure) and commercial platforms where-ever possible. This paper describes our operational experience with the new control system based on the commercial DEC BASEstar family of products. BASEstar is based on client/server computing technologies, providing an environment to collect, process, manage, distribute and integrate real time manufacturing data. UNIX, VMS, PC Win, OS-9 are integrated to handle hosts, PC, VME CPUs. A 4 GL programming language, CIMfast, has been used to handle via automatic procedures the tokamak discharge. X11 standard based mimics are available to display the plants status. A real flexibility of the whole system has been experience and the further use of the this system has been planned for the ITER DTP (divertor test platform). (orig.)

Temporal compression in episodic memory for real-life events.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeunehomme, Olivier; Folville, Adrien; Stawarczyk, David; Van der Linden, Martial; D'Argembeau, Arnaud

2018-07-01

Remembering an event typically takes less time than experiencing it, suggesting that episodic memory represents past experience in a temporally compressed way. Little is known, however, about how the continuous flow of real-life events is summarised in memory. Here we investigated the nature and determinants of temporal compression by directly comparing memory contents with the objective timing of events as measured by a wearable camera. We found that episodic memories consist of a succession of moments of prior experience that represent events with varying compression rates, such that the density of retrieved information is modulated by goal processing and perceptual changes. Furthermore, the results showed that temporal compression rates remain relatively stable over one week and increase after a one-month delay, particularly for goal-related events. These data shed new light on temporal compression in episodic memory and suggest that compression rates are adaptively modulated to maintain current goal-relevant information.

Psychosocial stress based on public speech in humans: is there a real life/laboratory setting cross-adaptation?

Science.gov (United States)

Jezova, D; Hlavacova, N; Dicko, I; Solarikova, P; Brezina, I

2016-07-01

Repeated or chronic exposure to stressors is associated with changes in neuroendocrine responses depending on the type, intensity, number and frequency of stress exposure as well as previous stress experience. The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that salivary cortisol and cardiovascular responses to real-life psychosocial stressors related to public performance can cross-adapt with responses to psychosocial stress induced by public speech under laboratory setting. The sample consisted of 22 healthy male volunteers, which were either actors, more precisely students of dramatic arts or non-actors, students of other fields. The stress task consisted of 15 min anticipatory preparation phase and 15 min of public speech on an emotionally charged topic. The actors, who were accustomed to public speaking, responded with a rise in salivary cortisol as well as blood pressure to laboratory public speech. The values of salivary cortisol, systolic blood pressure and state anxiety were lower in actors compared to non-actors. Unlike non-actors, subjects with experience in public speaking did not show stress-induced rise in the heart rate. Evaluation of personality traits revealed that actors scored significantly higher in extraversion than the subjects in the non-actor group. In conclusion, neuroendocrine responses to real-life stressors in actors can partially cross-adapt with responses to psychosocial stress under laboratory setting. The most evident adaptation was at the level of heart rate responses. The public speech tasks may be of help in evaluation of the ability to cope with stress in real life in artists by simple laboratory testing.

Mutual Information Based Dynamic Integration of Multiple Feature Streams for Robust Real-Time LVCSR

Science.gov (United States)

Sato, Shoei; Kobayashi, Akio; Onoe, Kazuo; Homma, Shinichi; Imai, Toru; Takagi, Tohru; Kobayashi, Tetsunori

We present a novel method of integrating the likelihoods of multiple feature streams, representing different acoustic aspects, for robust speech recognition. The integration algorithm dynamically calculates a frame-wise stream weight so that a higher weight is given to a stream that is robust to a variety of noisy environments or speaking styles. Such a robust stream is expected to show discriminative ability. A conventional method proposed for the recognition of spoken digits calculates the weights front the entropy of the whole set of HMM states. This paper extends the dynamic weighting to a real-time large-vocabulary continuous speech recognition (LVCSR) system. The proposed weight is calculated in real-time from mutual information between an input stream and active HMM states in a searchs pace without an additional likelihood calculation. Furthermore, the mutual information takes the width of the search space into account by calculating the marginal entropy from the number of active states. In this paper, we integrate three features that are extracted through auditory filters by taking into account the human auditory system's ability to extract amplitude and frequency modulations. Due to this, features representing energy, amplitude drift, and resonant frequency drifts, are integrated. These features are expected to provide complementary clues for speech recognition. Speech recognition experiments on field reports and spontaneous commentary from Japanese broadcast news showed that the proposed method reduced error words by 9.2% in field reports and 4.7% in spontaneous commentaries relative to the best result obtained from a single stream.

Meaning in life of older persons : An integrative literature review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

MSc S.H.A. Hupkens; Anja Machielse; Dr. M.J.B.M. Goumans; P. Derkx

2016-01-01

The aim of this integrative review for nurses is to synthesize knowledge from scholarly literature to provide insight into how older persons find meaning in life, what are influencing circumstances, and what are their sources of meaning. The review serves as a starting point for including meaning in

Integrating RAMS engineering and management with the safety life cycle of IEC 61508

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lundteigen, Mary Ann; Rausand, Marvin; Utne, Ingrid Bouwer

2009-01-01

This article outlines a new approach to reliability, availability, maintainability, and safety (RAMS) engineering and management. The new approach covers all phases of the new product development process and is aimed at producers of complex products like safety instrumented systems (SIS). The article discusses main RAMS requirements to a SIS and presents these requirements in a holistic perspective. The approach is based on a new life cycle model for product development and integrates this model into the safety life cycle of IEC 61508. A high integrity pressure protection system (HIPPS) for an offshore oil and gas application is used to illustrate the approach.

Integration of domain and resource-based reasoning for real-time control in dynamic environments

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, Keith; Whitebread, Kenneth R.; Kendus, Michael; Cromarty, Andrew S.

1993-01-01

A real-time software controller that successfully integrates domain-based and resource-based control reasoning to perform task execution in a dynamically changing environment is described. The design of the controller is based on the concept of partitioning the process to be controlled into a set of tasks, each of which achieves some process goal. It is assumed that, in general, there are multiple ways (tasks) to achieve a goal. The controller dynamically determines current goals and their current criticality, choosing and scheduling tasks to achieve those goals in the time available. It incorporates rule-based goal reasoning, a TMS-based criticality propagation mechanism, and a real-time scheduler. The controller has been used to build a knowledge-based situation assessment system that formed a major component of a real-time, distributed, cooperative problem solving system built under DARPA contract. It is also being employed in other applications now in progress.

Integrating IT education and the world outside

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Brock, EO; Khosrowpour, M

2000-01-01

An important, existing challenge of IT education that will surely remain in the 21(st) century is to integrate IT education and the world outside in an early stage of the curriculum in a sensible, real-life, and useful manner: Moreover we would like to reach that goal in such a durable way that we

Process integrated modelling for steelmaking Life Cycle Inventory analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iosif, Ana-Maria; Hanrot, Francois; Ablitzer, Denis

2008-01-01

During recent years, strict environmental regulations have been implemented by governments for the steelmaking industry in order to reduce their environmental impact. In the frame of the ULCOS project, we have developed a new methodological framework which combines the process integrated modelling approach with Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method in order to carry out the Life Cycle Inventory of steelmaking. In the current paper, this new concept has been applied to the sinter plant which is the most polluting steelmaking process. It has been shown that this approach is a powerful tool to make the collection of data easier, to save time and to provide reliable information concerning the environmental diagnostic of the steelmaking processes

Fully integrated monolithic opoelectronic transducer for real.time protein and DNA detection

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Misiakos, Konstatinos; S. Petrou, Panagiota; E. Kakabakos, Sotirios

2010-01-01

The development and testing of a portable bioanalytical device which was capable for real-time monitoring of binding assays was demonstrated. The device was based on arrays of nine optoelectronic transducers monolithically integrated on silicon chips. The optocouplers consisted of nine silicon av...... by exploiting wavelength filtering on photonic crystal engineered waveguides. The proposed miniaturized sensing device with proper packaging and accompanied by a portable instrument can find wide application as a platform for reliable and cost effective point-of-care diagnosis....

Feasibility of real-time calculation of correlation integral derived statistics applied to EGG time series

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Broek, PLC; van Egmond, J; van Rijn, CM; Takens, F; Coenen, AML; Booij, LHDJ

2005-01-01

Background: This study assessed the feasibility of online calculation of the correlation integral (C(r)) aiming to apply C(r)derived statistics. For real-time application it is important to reduce calculation time. It is shown how our method works for EEG time series. Methods: To achieve online

Feasibility of real-time calculation of correlation integral derived statistics applied to EEG time series

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Broek, P.L.C. van den; Egmond, J. van; Rijn, C.M. van; Takens, F.; Coenen, A.M.L.; Booij, L.H.D.J.

2005-01-01

This study assessed the feasibility of online calculation of the correlation integral (C(r)) aiming to apply C(r)-derived statistics. For real-time application it is important to reduce calculation time. It is shown how our method works for EEG time series. Methods: To achieve online calculation of

Personal attitudes toward time: The relationship between temporal focus, space-time mappings and real life experiences.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Heng; Cao, Yu

2017-06-01

What influences how people implicitly associate "past" and "future" with "front" and "back?" Whereas previous research has shown that cultural attitudes toward time play a role in modulating space-time mappings in people's mental models (de la Fuente, Santiago, Román, Dumitrache & Casasanto, 2014), we investigated real life experiences as potential additional influences on these implicit associations. Participants within the same single culture, who are engaged in different intermediate-term educational experiences (Study 1), long-term living experiences (Study 2), and short-term visiting experiences (Study 3), showed their distinct differences in temporal focus, thereby influencing their implicit spatializations of time. Results across samples suggest that personal attitudes toward time related to real life experiences may influence people's space-time mappings. The findings we report on shed further light on the high flexibility of human conceptualization system. While culture may exert an important influence on temporal focus, a person's conceptualization of time may be attributed to a culmination of factors. © 2017 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Managing in the Virtual World: How Second Life is Rewriting the Rules of "Real Life" Business

Science.gov (United States)

Wyld, David C.

In this paper, we will explore the growth of virtual worlds - one of the most exciting and fast-growing concepts in the Web 2.0 era. We will see that while there has been significant growth across all demographic groups, online gaming in MMOGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Games) are finding particular appeal in today's youth - the so-called "digital native" generation. We then overview the today's virtual world marketplace, both in the youth and adult-oriented markets. Second Life is emerging as the most important virtual world today, due to the intense interest amongst both large organizations and individual entrepreneurs to conduct real business in the virtual environment. Due to its prominence today and its forecasted growth over the next decade, we take a look at the unscripted world of Second Life, examining the corporate presence in-world, as well as the economic, technical, legal, ethical and security issues involved for companies doing business in the virtual world. In conclusion, we present an analysis of where we stand in terms of virtual world development today and a projection of where we will be heading in the near future. Finally, we present advice to management practitioners and academicians on how to learn about virtual worlds and explore the world of opportunities in them.

Integrated approach for stress based lifing of aero gas turbine blades

Science.gov (United States)

Abu, Abdullahi Obonyegba

In order to analyse the turbine blade life, the damage due to the combined thermal and mechanical loads should be adequately accounted for. This is more challenging when detailed component geometry is limited. Therefore, a compromise between the level of geometric detail and the complexity of the lifing method to be implemented would be necessary. This research focuses on how the life assessment of aero engine turbine blades can be done, considering the balance between available design inputs and adequate level of fidelity. Accordingly, the thesis contributes to developing a generic turbine blade lifing method that is based on the engine thermodynamic cycle; as well as integrating critical design/technological factors and operational parameters that influence the aero engine blade life. To this end, thermo-mechanical fatigue was identified as the critical damage phenomenon driving the life of the turbine blade.. The developed approach integrates software tools and numerical models created using the minimum design information typically available at the early design stages. Using finite element analysis of an idealised blade geometry, the approach captures relevant impacts of thermal gradients and thermal stresses that contribute to the thermo-mechanical fatigue damage on the gas turbine blade. The blade life is evaluated using the Neu/Sehitoglu thermo-mechanical fatigue model that considers damage accumulation due to fatigue, oxidation, and creep. The leading edge is examined as a critical part of the blade to estimate the damage severity for different design factors and operational parameters. The outputs of the research can be used to better understand how the environment and the operating conditions of the aircraft affect the blade life consumption and therefore what is the impact on the maintenance cost and the availability of the propulsion system. This research also finds that the environmental (oxidation) effect drives the blade life and the blade coolant

Second life battery energy storage system for enhancing renewable energy grid integration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Koch-Ciobotaru, C.; Saez-de-Ibarra, A.; Martinez-Laserna, E.

2015-01-01

of a second life battery energy storage system (SLBESS) and secondly, to obtain the power exchange and battery state of charge profiles during the operation. These will constitute the cycling patterns for testing batteries and studying the ageing effect of this specific application. Real data from the Spanish...... electricity market for a whole year are used for validating the results....

Integrating Problem-Based Learning and Simulation: Effects on Student Motivation and Life Skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Roh, Young Sook; Kim, Sang Suk

2015-07-01

Previous research has suggested that a teaching strategy integrating problem-based learning and simulation may be superior to traditional lecture. The purpose of this study was to assess learner motivation and life skills before and after taking a course involving problem-based learning and simulation. The design used repeated measures with a convenience sample of 83 second-year nursing students who completed the integrated course. Data from a self-administered questionnaire measuring learner motivation and life skills were collected at pretest, post-problem-based learning, and post-simulation time points. Repeated-measures analysis of variance determined that the mean scores for total learner motivation (F=6.62, P=.003), communication (F=8.27, Plearning (F=4.45, P=.016) differed significantly between time points. Post hoc tests using the Bonferroni correction revealed that total learner motivation and total life skills significantly increased both from pretest to postsimulation and from post-problem-based learning test to postsimulation test. Subscales of learner motivation and life skills, intrinsic goal orientation, self-efficacy for learning and performance, problem-solving skills, and self-directed learning skills significantly increased both from pretest to postsimulation test and from post-problem-based learning test to post-simulation test. The results demonstrate that an integrating problem-based learning and simulation course elicits significant improvement in learner motivation and life skills. Simulation plus problem-based learning is more effective than problem-based learning alone at increasing intrinsic goal orientation, task value, self-efficacy for learning and performance, problem solving, and self-directed learning.

Quality of Life in People with Leg Ulcer, Integrative Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniela Alves

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Objective: To identify the main changes in the daily life of people with leg ulcer and how that affects the person’s quality of life. Methodology: We used the methodology PI [C] OD and selected four research articles, taken from EBSCO, PubMed, and EWMA. Results: The main changes identified in the people’s daily live with leg ulcers are physical (pain, decreased mobility, presence of exudate, bad smell from the wound and change in the style of clothing, psychological (sleep disorders, depression, anxiety, feelings of rejection and low self-steem, social (isolation, restriction in leisure activities, inability to perform household chores. Conclusions: The literature about the person’s quality of life with leg ulcer reported a significant impact in the daily life. The care provided by nurses should be centered on the person, integrating all the kind of needs and the leg ulcer must not be the sole focus of care

Recreating Daily life in Pompeii

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadia Magnenat-Thalmann

2010-05-01

Full Text Available We propose an integrated Mixed Reality methodology for recreating ancient daily life that features realistic simulations of animated virtual human actors (clothes, body, skin, face who augment real environments and re-enact staged storytelling dramas. We aim to go further from traditional concepts of static cultural artifacts or rigid geometrical and 2D textual augmentations and allow for 3D, interactive, augmented historical character-based event representations in a mobile and wearable setup. This is the main contribution of the described work as well as the proposed extensions to AR Enabling technologies: a VR/AR character simulation kernel framework with real-time, clothed virtual humans that are dynamically superimposed on live camera input, animated and acting based on a predefined, historically correct scenario. We demonstrate such a real-time case study on the actual site of ancient Pompeii.

Pretreatment of Real Wastewater from the Chocolate Manufacturing Industry through an Integrated Process of Electrocoagulation and Sand Filtration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco A. García-Morales

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of removal of suspended solids in terms of turbidity, color, and chemical oxygen demand (COD when integrating the electrocoagulation process using aluminum sacrificial anodes and the sand filtration process as a pretreatment of wastewater from the chocolate manufacturing plant in Toluca, México. Wastewater from the chocolate manufacturing industry used in this study is classified as nontoxic, but is characterized as having a high content of color (5952 ± 76 Pt-Co, turbidity (1648 ± 49 FAU, and COD (3608 ± 250 mg/L. Therefore, enhanced performance could be achieved by combining pretreatment techniques to increase the efficiencies of the physical, chemical, and biological treatments. In the integrated process, there was a turbidity reduction of 96.1 ± 0.2% and an increase in dissolved oxygen from 3.8 ± 0.05 mg/L (inlet sand filtration to 6.05 ± 0.03 mg/L (outlet sand filtration after 120 min of treatment. These results indicate good water quality necessary for all forms of elemental life. Color and COD removals were 98.2 ± 0.2% and 39.02 ± 2.2%, respectively, during the electrocoagulation process (0.2915 mA/cm2 current density and 120 min of treatment. The proposed integrated process could be an attractive alternative of pretreatment of real wastewater to increase water quality of conventional treatments.

Integrated Metrics for Improving the Life Cycle Approach to Assessing Product System Sustainability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wesley Ingwersen

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Life cycle approaches are critical for identifying and reducing environmental burdens of products. While these methods can indicate potential environmental impacts of a product, current Life Cycle Assessment (LCA methods fail to integrate the multiple impacts of a system into unified measures of social, economic or environmental performance related to sustainability. Integrated metrics that combine multiple aspects of system performance based on a common scientific or economic principle have proven to be valuable for sustainability evaluation. In this work, we propose methods of adapting four integrated metrics for use with LCAs of product systems: ecological footprint, emergy, green net value added, and Fisher information. These metrics provide information on the full product system in land, energy, monetary equivalents, and as a unitless information index; each bundled with one or more indicators for reporting. When used together and for relative comparison, integrated metrics provide a broader coverage of sustainability aspects from multiple theoretical perspectives that is more likely to illuminate potential issues than individual impact indicators. These integrated metrics are recommended for use in combination with traditional indicators used in LCA. Future work will test and demonstrate the value of using these integrated metrics and combinations to assess product system sustainability.

Overvoltage Protection of Large Power Transformers - A Real-Life Study Case

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bak, Claus Leth; Einarsdottir, K. E.; Andresson, E.

2008-01-01

This paper demonstrates the results from a detailed study of the overvoltage protection of a particular 400/150-kV 400-MVA power transformer. The work presented here is based on a real-life power system substation design and data and initiated by Danish TSO Energinet.dk as a consequence of serious...... transformer overvoltage damage. A simulation model for the entire system consisting of overhead line, transformer, surge arrester, and earth grid has been created in PSCAD/EMTDC. The main focus has been put on the earth grid, which has been submodeled in detail in MATLAB using an electromagnetic transient...... exceeded. It is clearly illustrated that the transient performance of the earth grid plays an important role in the overall overvoltage protection system design....

Hearts and Minds: Real-Life Cardiotoxicity With Clozapine in Psychosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Joy, George; Whiskey, Eromona; Bolstridge, Mark; Porras-Segovia, Alejandro; McDonagh, Theresa A; Plymen, Carla M; Shergill, Sukhi S

2017-12-01

Schizophrenia has a 1% prevalence in the population; 30% of these patients are treatment refractory. Clozapine is the only drug licensed to treat treatment refractory psychosis, but concerns about potential adverse effects result in only a proportion of eligible patients being treated. Although a well-documented neutropenia risk is mitigated by routine blood testing, cardiac toxicity is a commonly cited reason to discontinue clozapine treatment. However, there is little data on the real-life cardiac outcomes in those receiving clozapine treatment. Retrospective review of electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, and clinical outcomes in 39 inpatients with treatment-refractory schizophrenia, treated with clozapine and other antipsychotic medication, referred for cardiology opinion. Commonest reasons for referral were development of left ventricular (LV) impairment or sinus tachycardia with normal LV function. Patients were reviewed by a range of cardiologists, receiving varied interventions.Median LV ejection fraction in the clozapine group was normal (52%). Serial echocardiograms demonstrated that clozapine-treated patients with LV impairment had no change in LV ejection fraction over a 4-month follow-up. Left ventricular ejection fraction did not differ between patients treated with clozapine and other antipsychotics. However, over an 11-year follow-up period, 48% of patients had discontinued clozapine treatment. This naturalistic study demonstrates that clozapine is not associated with significant cardiac mortality or morbidity. There is a real need for multidisciplinary working between specialist cardiologists and psychiatrists caring for these complex patients to facilitate optimal long-term physical and mental health outcomes.

Absent yet Present: On the Paradoxical Nature of Characters in Nabokov’s The Real Life of Sebastian Knight

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irina Marchesini

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The present research is focused on the theme of absence, an area of inquiry that might seem dominant in the field of Nabokov Studies. The analysis, which concentrates in particular on the key figures of the novel The Real Life of Sebastian Knight (1941, notably the narrator V. and the poet Sebastian Knight, interprets the characters’ construction through the paradigm of absence. Arguably, the construction of characters in The Real Life of Sebastian Knight is paradoxical: absence constitutes their essence at a core level, as it often happens in the context of the self-conscious genre. Moreover, absence plays a key role in characters’ design, linking them to all Nabokovian novels. However, despite their innermost ‘flatness’, to use Edward M. Forster’s terminology, they still appear to be ‘round’, i.e. plausible, mimetic figures.

Social integration, perceived discrimination, and self-esteem in mid- and later life: intersections with age and neuroticism.

Science.gov (United States)

Stokes, Jeffrey E

2018-03-15

Social relations can influence well-being throughout the life course. Integration in one's community may serve as a source of social support whereas negative interactions such as day-to-day discrimination can be psychosocial stressors, particularly for neurotic persons. Yet social connectedness may vary in importance across the age range. Individuals trim their social networks in later life to optimize emotional well-being, but older adults may also be at heightened risk of social isolation. This study examines the impacts of social integration and perceived discrimination on self-esteem, and whether such impacts differ according to individuals' age and/or neuroticism. Random effects models analyzed 2,982 observations from 1,882 individuals who participated in at least one of the two most recent waves of the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (2004-2014). Self-esteem displayed a minor cubic trajectory across the age range, including declines after age 70. Social integration, perceived discrimination, and neuroticism were all significantly associated with self-esteem, in the expected directions. Self-esteem trajectories varied according to the level of social integration, such that low social integration exacerbated later life declines in self-esteem. The influence of social integration on self-esteem was also stronger at higher levels of neuroticism. Perceived discrimination's influence on self-esteem did not vary by participants' age or neuroticism. Social ties are influential for well-being across the life course, but may take on added importance in later life. Oldest-old and neurotic adults are at particular risk of experiencing low self-esteem if they lack integration with their community.

Evaluation of RPL-compliant routing solutions in real-life WSNs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zahariadis Theodore

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN applications continue to expand and already cover almost all our daily activities improving from security and environmental efficiency to gaming experience. The diverse applications running on top of WSNs have led to the design of an immense number of routing protocols. Few years ago, the IETF standardized the IPv6 routing protocol for low-power and lossy networks (RPL which is based on routing metrics to build communication paths between a source and the destination node. While significant efforts have focused on the design of routing metrics that satisfy the various applications, limited work has been reported on validating their performance using real-life motes. In this paper, we focus on validating the simulation results (obtained through the JSim simulator using TelosB motes for a set of routing metrics that have been proposed in our previous articles.

Integrated bio-photonics to revolutionize health care enabled through PIX4life and PIXAPP

Science.gov (United States)

Jans, Hilde; O'Brien, Peter; Artundo, Iñigo; Porcel, Marco A. G.; Hoofman, Romano; Geuzebroek, Douwe; Dumon, Pieter; van der Vliet, Marcel; Witzens, Jeremy; Bourguignon, Eric; Van Dorpe, Pol; Lagae, Liesbet

2018-02-01

Photonics has become critical to life sciences. However, the field is far from benefiting fully from photonics' capabilities. Today, bulky and expensive optical systems dominate biomedical photonics, even though robust optical functionality can be realized cost-effectively on single photonic integrated circuits (PICs). Such chips are commercially available mostly for telecom applications, and at infrared wavelengths. Although proof-of-concept demonstrations for PICs in life sciences, using visible wavelengths are abundant, the gating factor for wider adoption is limited in resource capacity. Two European pilot lines, PIX4life and PIXAPP, were established to facilitate European R and D in biophotonics, by helping European companies and universities bridge the gap between research and industrial development. Through creation of an open-access model, PIX4life aims to lower barriers to entry for prototyping and validating biophotonics concepts for larger scale production. In addition, PIXAPP enables the assembly and packaging of photonic integrated circuits.

Guarantee of remaining life time. Integrity of mechanical components and control of ageing phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schuler, X.; Herter, K.H.; Koenig, G.

2012-01-01

The life time of safety relevant systems, structures and components (SSC) of Nuclear Power Plants (NPP) is determined by two main principles. First of all the required quality has to be produced during the design and fabrication process. This means that quality has to be produced and can't be improved by excessive inspections (Basis Safety - quality through production principle). The second one is assigned to the initial quality which has to be maintained during operation. This concerns safe operation during the total life time (life time management), safety against ageing phenomena (AM - ageing management) as well as proof of integrity (e.g. break preclusion or avoidance of fracture for SSC with high safety relevance). Initiated by the Fukushima Dai-ichi event in Japan in spring 2011 for German NPP's Long Term Operation (LTO) is out of question. In June 2011 legislation took decision to phase-out from nuclear by 2022. As a fact safe operation shall be guaranteed for the remaining life time. Within this technical framework the ageing management is a key element. Depending on the safety-relevance of the SSC under observation including preventive maintenance various tasks are required in particular to clarify the mechanisms which contribute systemspecifically to the damage of the components and systems and to define their controlling parameters which have to be monitored and checked. Appropriate continuous or discontinuous measures are to be considered in this connection. The approach to ensure a high standard of quality in operation for the remaining life time and the management of the technical and organizational aspects are demonstrated and explained. The basis for ageing management to be applied to NNPs is included in Nuclear Safety Standard 1403 which describes the ageing management procedures. For SSC with high safety relevance a verification analysis for rupture preclusion (proof of integrity, integrity concept) shall be performed (Nuclear Safety Standard 3206

Does a 20-week aerobic exercise training programme increase our capabilities to buffer real-life stressors? A randomized, controlled trial using ambulatory assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

von Haaren, Birte; Ottenbacher, Joerg; Muenz, Julia; Neumann, Rainer; Boes, Klaus; Ebner-Priemer, Ulrich

2016-02-01

The cross-stressor adaptation hypothesis suggests that regular exercise leads to adaptations in the stress response systems that induce decreased physiological responses to psychological stressors. Even though an exercise intervention to buffer the detrimental effects of psychological stressors on health might be of utmost importance, empirical evidence is mixed. This may be explained by the use of cross-sectional designs and non-personally relevant stressors. Using a randomized controlled trial, we hypothesized that a 20-week aerobic exercise training does reduce physiological stress responses to psychological real-life stressors in sedentary students. Sixty-one students were randomized to either a control group or an exercise training group. The academic examination period (end of the semester) served as a real-life stressor. We used ambulatory assessment methods to assess physiological stress reactivity of the autonomic nervous system (heart rate variability: LF/HF, RMSSD), physical activity and perceived stress during 2 days of everyday life and multilevel models for data analyses. Aerobic capacity (VO2max) was assessed pre- and post-intervention via cardiopulmonary exercise testing to analyze the effectiveness of the intervention. During real-life stressors, the exercise training group showed significantly reduced LF/HF (β = -0.15, t = -2.59, p = .01) and increased RMSSD (β = 0.15, t = 2.34, p = .02) compared to the control group. Using a randomized controlled trial and a real-life stressor, we could show that exercise appears to be a useful preventive strategy to buffer the effects of stress on the autonomic nervous system, which might result into detrimental health outcomes.

Real-time functional integral approach to the quantum disordered spin systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kopec, T.K.

1989-01-01

In this paper the effect of randomness and frustration in the quantum Ising spin glass in a transverse field is studied by using the thermofield dynamics (TFD), the real time, finite temperature quantum field theory. It is shown that the method can be conveniently used for the averaging of the free energy of the system by completely avoiding the use of the n-replica trick. The effective dynamic Lagrangian for the disorder averaged causal, correlations and response Green functions is derived by functional integral approach. Furthermore, the properties of this Lagrangian are analyzed by the saddle point method which leads to the self-consistent equation for the spin glass order parameter

Using Real-Worldness and Cultural Difference to Enhance Student Learning in a Foundation Phase Life Skills Module

Science.gov (United States)

Koen, Mariette; Ebrahim, Hasina Banu

2013-01-01

Our aim was to explore how real-world experience, inclusive of engagement with cultural differences, influences the quality of students' learning in a Life Skills module in pre-service Foundation Phase teacher education. The study was conducted with 147 students in their final year of the Bachelor of Education (Foundation Phase specialisation), at…

Integration of multidisciplinary technologies for real time target visualization and verification for radiotherapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chang WC

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Wen-Chung Chang,1,* Chin-Sheng Chen,2,* Hung-Chi Tai,3 Chia-Yuan Liu,4,5 Yu-Jen Chen3 1Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan; 2Graduate Institute of Automation Technology, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan; 3Department of Radiation Oncology, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 4Department of Internal Medicine, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 5Department of Medicine, Mackay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan  *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: The current practice of radiotherapy examines target coverage solely from digitally reconstructed beam's eye view (BEV in a way that is indirectly accessible and that is not in real time. We aimed to visualize treatment targets in real time from each BEV. The image data of phantom or patients from ultrasound (US and computed tomography (CT scans were captured to perform image registration. We integrated US, CT, US/CT image registration, robotic manipulation of US, a radiation treatment planning system, and a linear accelerator to constitute an innovative target visualization system. The performance of this algorithm segmented the target organ in CT images, transformed and reconstructed US images to match each orientation, and generated image registration in real time mode with acceptable accuracy. This image transformation allowed physicians to visualize the CT image-reconstructed target via a US probe outside the BEV that was non-coplanar to the beam's plane. It allowed the physicians to remotely control the US probe that was equipped on a robotic arm to dynamically trace and real time monitor the coverage of the target within the BEV during a simulated beam-on situation. This target visualization system may provide a direct remotely accessible and real time way to visualize, verify, and ensure tumor targeting during radiotherapy. Keywords: ultrasound, computerized tomography

Integration of Social Aspects in Decision Support, Based on Life Cycle Thinking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pere Fullana-i-Palmer

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Recently increasing attention has been paid to complementing environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA with social aspects. The paper discusses the selection of social impacts and indicators from existing frameworks like Social Life Cycle Assessment (SLCA and Social Impact Assessment (SIA. Two ongoing case studies, addressing sustainability assessment within decision support, were considered: (1 Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM in Indonesia; and (2 Integrated Packaging Waste Management in Spain and Portugal (FENIX. The focus was put on social impacts occurring due to decisions within these systems, such as choice of technologies, practices or suppliers. Thus, decision makers—here understood as intended users of the studies’ results—are not consumers that buy (or do not buy a product, such as in recent SLCA case-studies, but mainly institutions that decide about the design of the water or packaging waste management system. Therefore, in the FENIX project, a list of social impacts identified from literature was sent to the intended users to be ranked according to their priorities. Finally, the paper discusses to what extent the entire life cycle is reflected in SLCA impact categories and indicators, and explains how both life-cycle and on-site-related social impacts were chosen to be assessed. However, not all indicators in the two projects will assess all stages of the life cycle, because of their varying relevance in the different stages, data availability and practical interest of decision makers.

Differences between clinical "snap-shot" and "real-life" assessments of lumbar spine alignment and motion - What is the "real" lumbar lordosis of a human being?

Science.gov (United States)

Dreischarf, Marcel; Pries, Esther; Bashkuev, Maxim; Putzier, Michael; Schmidt, Hendrik

2016-03-21

The individual lumbar lordosis and lumbar motion have been identified to play an important role in pathogenesis of low back pain and are essential references for preoperative planning and postoperative evaluation. The clinical "gold-standard" for measuring lumbar lordosis and its motion are radiological "snap-shots" taken while standing and during upper-body flexion and extension. The extent to which these clinically assessed values characterise lumbar alignment and its motion in daily life merits discussion. A non-invasive measurement-system was employed to measure lumbar lordosis and lumbar motion in 208 volunteers (age: 20-74yrs; ♀/♂: 115/93). For an initial short-term measurement, comparable with the clinical "snap-shot", lumbar lordosis and its motion were assessed while standing and during flexion and extension. Subsequently, volunteers were released to their daily lives while wearing the device, and measurements were performed during the following 24h. The average lumbar lordosis during 24h (8.0°) differed significantly from the standardised measurement while standing (33.3°). Ranges of motion were significantly different throughout the day compared to standing measurements. The influence of the factors age and gender on lordosis and its motion resulted in conflicting results between long- and short-term-measurements. In conclusion, results of short-term examinations differ considerably from the average values during real-life. These findings might be important for surgical planning and increase the awareness of the biomechanical challenges that spinal structures and implants face in real-life. Furthermore, long-term assessments of spinal alignment and motion during daily life can provide valid data on spinal function and can reveal the importance of influential factors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ultrasonic wave propagation in real-life austenitic V-butt welds: Numerical modeling and validation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hannemann, R.; Marklein, R.; Langenberg, K. J.; Schurig, C.; Koehler, B.; Walte, F.

2000-01-01

In nondestructive testing the evaluation of austenitic steel welds with ultrasound is a commonly used method. But, since the wave propagation, scattering, and diffraction effects in such complicated media are hardly understood, computer simulations are very helpful to increase the knowledge of the physical phenomena in such samples. A particularly powerful numerical time domain modeling tool is the well established Elastodynamic Finite Integration Technique (EFIT). Recently, EFIT has been extended to simulate elastic waves in inhomogeneous anisotropic media. In this paper, the step-by-step evaluation of ultrasonic wave propagation in inhomogeneous anisotropic media will be described and the results will be validated against measurements. As a simplified model, a V-butt weld with perpendicular grain structure is investigated. The coincidence between the B Scans of the simulation and the measurement of an idealized V-butt weld is remarkable and even effects predicted by theory and simulation - the appearance of two coupled quasi-SV waves - can be observed. As a next step, an improved and more realistic model of the grain orientation inside the V-butt weld is introduced. This model has been implemented in the EFIT code and has been validated against measurements. For this verification, measured and simulated B-Scans for a real-life V-butt weld have been compared and a significant coincidence has been observed. Furthermore, the main pulses in the B-Scans are interpreted by analyzing the snapshot-movies of the wavefronts

The use of questionnaires in colour research in real-life settings : In search of validity and methodological pitfalls

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bakker, I.C.; van der Voordt, Theo; Vink, P.; de Boon, J

2014-01-01

This research discusses the validity of applying questionnaires in colour research in real life settings.
In the literature the conclusions concerning the influences of colours on human performance and well-being are often conflicting. This can be caused by the artificial setting of the test

Methods of modeling TCO residential real estate in the life cycles of buildings as a promising energy efficiency management tool

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kulakov Kirill

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Building and developing an affordable housing market is a huge challenge for Russia’s national economy. Today, the housing construction industry finds itself in a situation torn by a conflict caused by the simultaneous needs to minimize the housing construction costs in order to make housing more affordable for Russians and to increase the energy efficiency of the housing projects, which is associated with additional costs for developers. To find solutions to this contradictory situation, one needs new theoretical and practical approaches and economic tools. The global economic trend of managing goods and services on the basis of the value of goods and services over the life cycle is also manifested in the construction industry in Russia. The problem of forming a new economic thinking in the housing sector predetermines the perception of the value of housing not only as the price of purchased real estate, but as the equivalent of the total cost of ownership of real estate throughout its life cycle. This approach allows to compensate the initial rise in the cost of construction resulting from the introduction of energy-efficient technologies by savings in the operational phase of the life cycle of the property. In this regard, management of the total cost of real estate ownership based on energy modeling is of high research and practical relevance.

Performance Evaluation of State of the Art Systems for Physical Activity Classification of Older Subjects Using Inertial Sensors in a Real Life Scenario: A Benchmark Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Awais, Muhammad; Palmerini, Luca; Bourke, Alan K; Ihlen, Espen A F; Helbostad, Jorunn L; Chiari, Lorenzo

2016-12-11

The popularity of using wearable inertial sensors for physical activity classification has dramatically increased in the last decade due to their versatility, low form factor, and low power requirements. Consequently, various systems have been developed to automatically classify daily life activities. However, the scope and implementation of such systems is limited to laboratory-based investigations. Furthermore, these systems are not directly comparable, due to the large diversity in their design (e.g., number of sensors, placement of sensors, data collection environments, data processing techniques, features set, classifiers, cross-validation methods). Hence, the aim of this study is to propose a fair and unbiased benchmark for the field-based validation of three existing systems, highlighting the gap between laboratory and real-life conditions. For this purpose, three representative state-of-the-art systems are chosen and implemented to classify the physical activities of twenty older subjects (76.4 ± 5.6 years). The performance in classifying four basic activities of daily life (sitting, standing, walking, and lying) is analyzed in controlled and free living conditions. To observe the performance of laboratory-based systems in field-based conditions, we trained the activity classification systems using data recorded in a laboratory environment and tested them in real-life conditions in the field. The findings show that the performance of all systems trained with data in the laboratory setting highly deteriorates when tested in real-life conditions, thus highlighting the need to train and test the classification systems in the real-life setting. Moreover, we tested the sensitivity of chosen systems to window size (from 1 s to 10 s) suggesting that overall accuracy decreases with increasing window size. Finally, to evaluate the impact of the number of sensors on the performance, chosen systems are modified considering only the sensing unit worn at the lower back

Performance Evaluation of State of the Art Systems for Physical Activity Classification of Older Subjects Using Inertial Sensors in a Real Life Scenario: A Benchmark Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Awais

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The popularity of using wearable inertial sensors for physical activity classification has dramatically increased in the last decade due to their versatility, low form factor, and low power requirements. Consequently, various systems have been developed to automatically classify daily life activities. However, the scope and implementation of such systems is limited to laboratory-based investigations. Furthermore, these systems are not directly comparable, due to the large diversity in their design (e.g., number of sensors, placement of sensors, data collection environments, data processing techniques, features set, classifiers, cross-validation methods. Hence, the aim of this study is to propose a fair and unbiased benchmark for the field-based validation of three existing systems, highlighting the gap between laboratory and real-life conditions. For this purpose, three representative state-of-the-art systems are chosen and implemented to classify the physical activities of twenty older subjects (76.4 ± 5.6 years. The performance in classifying four basic activities of daily life (sitting, standing, walking, and lying is analyzed in controlled and free living conditions. To observe the performance of laboratory-based systems in field-based conditions, we trained the activity classification systems using data recorded in a laboratory environment and tested them in real-life conditions in the field. The findings show that the performance of all systems trained with data in the laboratory setting highly deteriorates when tested in real-life conditions, thus highlighting the need to train and test the classification systems in the real-life setting. Moreover, we tested the sensitivity of chosen systems to window size (from 1 s to 10 s suggesting that overall accuracy decreases with increasing window size. Finally, to evaluate the impact of the number of sensors on the performance, chosen systems are modified considering only the sensing unit worn

Optimal Energy Management for the Integrated Power and Gas Systems via Real-time Pricing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shu, KangAn; Ai, Xiaomeng; Wen, Jinyu

2018-01-01

This work proposed a bi-level formulation for energy management in the integrated power and natural gas system via real-time price signals. The upper-level problem minimizes the operational cost, in which dynamic electricity price and dynamic gas tariff are proposed. The lower level problem...... and P2Gs plants follow the system operator’s preferences such as wind power accommodation, mitigation of unsupplied load and relieving the network congestion....

Negative inferential style, emotional clarity, and life stress: integrating vulnerabilities to depression in adolescence.

Science.gov (United States)

Stange, Jonathan P; Alloy, Lauren B; Flynn, Megan; Abramson, Lyn Y

2013-01-01

Negative inferential style and deficits in emotional clarity have been identified as vulnerability factors for depression in adolescence, particularly when individuals experience high levels of life stress. However, previous research has not integrated these characteristics when evaluating vulnerability to depression. In the present study, a racially diverse community sample of 256 early adolescents (ages 12 and 13) completed a baseline visit and a follow-up visit 9 months later. Inferential style, emotional clarity, and depressive symptoms were assessed at baseline, and intervening life events and depressive symptoms were assessed at follow-up. Hierarchical linear regressions indicated that there was a significant three-way interaction between adolescents' weakest-link negative inferential style, emotional clarity, and intervening life stress predicting depressive symptoms at follow-up, controlling for initial depressive symptoms. Adolescents with low emotional clarity and high negative inferential styles experienced the greatest increases in depressive symptoms following life stress. Emotional clarity buffered against the impact of life stress on depressive symptoms among adolescents with negative inferential styles. Similarly, negative inferential styles exacerbated the impact of life stress on depressive symptoms among adolescents with low emotional clarity. These results provide evidence of the utility of integrating inferential style and emotional clarity as constructs of vulnerability in combination with life stress in the identification of adolescents at risk for depression. They also suggest the enhancement of emotional clarity as a potential intervention technique to protect against the effects of negative inferential styles and life stress on depression in early adolescence.

Systems Engineering and Integration for Advanced Life Support System and HST

Science.gov (United States)

Kamarani, Ali K.

2005-01-01

Systems engineering (SE) discipline has revolutionized the way engineers and managers think about solving issues related to design of complex systems: With continued development of state-of-the-art technologies, systems are becoming more complex and therefore, a systematic approach is essential to control and manage their integrated design and development. This complexity is driven from integration issues. In this case, subsystems must interact with one another in order to achieve integration objectives, and also achieve the overall system's required performance. Systems engineering process addresses these issues at multiple levels. It is a technology and management process dedicated to controlling all aspects of system life cycle to assure integration at all levels. The Advanced Integration Matrix (AIM) project serves as the systems engineering and integration function for the Human Support Technology (HST) program. AIM provides means for integrated test facilities and personnel for performance trade studies, analyses, integrated models, test results, and validated requirements of the integration of HST. The goal of AIM is to address systems-level integration issues for exploration missions. It will use an incremental systems integration approach to yield technologies, baselines for further development, and possible breakthrough concepts in the areas of technological and organizational interfaces, total information flow, system wide controls, technical synergism, mission operations protocols and procedures, and human-machine interfaces.

Exploring Marine Ecosystems with Elementary School Portuguese Children: Inquiry-Based Project Activities Focused on "Real-Life" Contexts

Science.gov (United States)

Guilherme, Elsa; Faria, Cláudia; Boaventura, Diana

2016-01-01

The purpose of the study was to investigate how young students engage in an inquiry-based project driven by real-life contexts. Elementary school children were engaged in a small inquiry project centred on marine biodiversity and species adaptations. All activities included the exploration of an out-of-school setting as a learning context. A total…

Self-reported Improvement in Side Effects and Quality of Life With Integrative Medicine in Breast Cancer Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Hack, Carolin C; Hackl, Janina; Hüttner, Nina B M; Langemann, Hanna; Schwitulla, Judith; Dietzel-Drentwett, Svenja; Fasching, Peter A; Beckmann, Matthias W; Theuser, Anna-Katharin

2018-05-01

Although the demand from patients for integrative medicine is increasing, complementary medicine services are still quite heterogeneous and have not been incorporated into clinical routine. The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate improvements in side effects and quality of life associated with a hospital-based integrative medicine program in the modern breast cancer patient care setting. In a cross-sectional study, integrative health counseling and treatment were evaluated in women with breast cancer. Over a 15-month period, data for 75 patients from an integrative medicine consultancy service with standardized operating procedures were collected at the University Breast Center for Franconia. At baseline, the patients answered a questionnaire on their medical history, symptoms, and the treatment goals they were hoping to achieve with integrative medicine. In the follow-up, patient-reported outcomes related to side effects of conventional cancer treatment and patients' quality of life were analyzed. Among 60 patients with the therapy goal of reducing the side effects of conventional treatment, 46 (76.7%) were successful. Among 57 patients hoping to improve disease-related quality of life, 46 (82%) reported success. Whereas patients with metastatic disease achieved a reduction in the side effects of conventional therapy, quality-of-life improvements were predominantly achieved by patients with a good treatment prognosis. Breast cancer patients benefit from the counseling and treatment provided with integrative medicine in all phases of tumor disease. Integrative treatment services should be included as part of patient care in clinical routine work to offer patients the maximum quality of care and safety with complementary therapies.

Effectiveness and tolerability of second-line therapy with vildagliptin vs. other oral agents in type 2 diabetes: A real-life worldwide observational study (EDGE)

Science.gov (United States)

Mathieu, C; Barnett, A H; Brath, H; Conget, I; de Castro, J J; Göke, R; Márquez Rodriguez, E; Nilsson, P M; Pagkalos, E; Penfornis, A; Schaper, NC; Wangnoo, S K; Kothny, W; Bader, G

2013-01-01

Aim Real-life studies are needed to confirm the clinical relevance of findings from randomised controlled trials (RCTs). This study aimed to assess the effectiveness and tolerability of vildagliptin add-on vs. other oral antihyperglycaemic drugs (OADs) added to OAD monotherapy in a real-life setting, and to explore the advantages and limitations of large-scale ‘pragmatic’ trials. Methods EDGE was a prospective, 1-year, worldwide, real-life observational study in which 2957 physicians reported on the effects of second-line OADs in 45,868 patients with T2DM not reaching glycaemic targets with monotherapy. Physicians could add any OAD, and patients entered either vildagliptin or (pooled) comparator cohort. The primary effectiveness and tolerability end-point (PEP) evaluated proportions of patients decreasing HbA1c > 0.3%, without hypoglycaemia, weight gain, peripheral oedema or gastrointestinal side effects. The most clinically relevant secondary end-point (SEP 3) was attainment of end-point HbA1c vildagliptin-based regimen. The adjusted odds ratio was 1.49 (95% CI: 1.42, 1.55; p vildagliptin-based combination and by 23% of those receiving comparator combinations. The adjusted odds ratio was 1.96 (95% CI: 1.85, 2.07; p vildagliptin and other OADs were consistent with previous data. Conclusion EDGE demonstrates that in a ‘real-life’ setting, vildagliptin as second OAD can lower HbA1c to target without well-recognised OAD side effects, more frequently than comparator OADs. In addition, EDGE illustrates that conducting large-scale, prospective, real-life studies poses challenges but yields valuable clinical information complementary to RCTs. PMID:23961850

Relationship between treatment adherence and quality of life: integrative literature review

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Samilly Márjore Dantas Liberato

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The objective of the present study is to investigate the relationships between treatment adherence and quality of life that have been published in scientific literature. This is an integrative review performed on the Virtual Health Library database, SCOPUS, ISI Web of Knowledge and CINAHL, including articles published in the period between 2007 and 2012. Considering the inclusion and exclusion criterion, 14 articles were selected. Most articles studied adults (61.5% with evidence level VI (69.2%. The number of participants involved in the studies ranged between 25 and 1,860. All studies were on chronic diseases. Of all articles, 69.2% of the studies found a significant relationship between treatment adhesion and quality of life. The studies pointed at a relationship between treatment adherence and quality of life, but it was not possible to determine the causality of the phenomenon. Including the studies that found no statistical significance, the referred relationships proved positive. Descriptors: Patient Compliance; Quality of Life; Comprehensive Health Care.

The sign problem in real-time path integral simulations: Using the cumulant action to implement multilevel blocking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mak, C. H.

2009-01-01

A practical method to tackle the sign problem in real-time path integral simulations is proposed based on the multilevel blocking idea. The formulation is made possible by using a cumulant expansion of the action, which in addition to addressing the sign problem, provides an unbiased estimator for the action from a statistically noisy sample of real-time paths. The cumulant formulation also allows the analytical gradients of the action to be computed with little extra computational effort, and it can easily be implemented in a massively parallel environment.

Integrating mental health services into primary HIV care for women: the Whole Life project.

OpenAIRE

Dodds, Sally; Nuehring, Elane M.; Blaney, Nancy T.; Blakley, Theresa; Lizzotte, Jean-Marie; Lopez, Myriam; Potter, JoNell E.; O'Sullivan, Mary J.

2004-01-01

The high rate of mental health problems in HIV-infected women jeopardizes the health of this vulnerable population, and constitutes a mandate for integrating mental health services into HIV primary care. The Whole Life project-a collaboration of the departments of Psychiatry and Obstetrics/Gynecology at the University of Miami School of Medicine-successfully integrated mental health services into primary HIV care for women. This article describes the conceptual framework of the integration, i...

Several real variables

CERN Document Server

Kantorovitz, Shmuel

2016-01-01

This undergraduate textbook is based on lectures given by the author on the differential and integral calculus of functions of several real variables. The book has a modern approach and includes topics such as: •The p-norms on vector space and their equivalence •The Weierstrass and Stone-Weierstrass approximation theorems •The differential as a linear functional; Jacobians, Hessians, and Taylor's theorem in several variables •The Implicit Function Theorem for a system of equations, proved via Banach’s Fixed Point Theorem •Applications to Ordinary Differential Equations •Line integrals and an introduction to surface integrals This book features numerous examples, detailed proofs, as well as exercises at the end of sections. Many of the exercises have detailed solutions, making the book suitable for self-study. Several Real Variables will be useful for undergraduate students in mathematics who have completed first courses in linear algebra and analysis of one real variable.

Structural integrity and fatigue crack propagation life assessment of welded and weld-repaired structures

Science.gov (United States)

Alam, Mohammad Shah

2005-11-01

Structural integrity is the science and technology of the margin between safety and disaster. Proper evaluation of the structural integrity and fatigue life of any structure (aircraft, ship, railways, bridges, gas and oil transmission pipelines, etc.) is important to ensure the public safety, environmental protection, and economical consideration. Catastrophic failure of any structure can be avoided if structural integrity is assessed and necessary precaution is taken appropriately. Structural integrity includes tasks in many areas, such as structural analysis, failure analysis, nondestructive testing, corrosion, fatigue and creep analysis, metallurgy and materials, fracture mechanics, fatigue life assessment, welding metallurgy, development of repairing technologies, structural monitoring and instrumentation etc. In this research fatigue life assessment of welded and weld-repaired joints is studied both in numerically and experimentally. A new approach for the simulation of fatigue crack growth in two elastic materials has been developed and specifically, the concept has been applied to butt-welded joint in a straight plate and in tubular joints. In the proposed method, the formation of new surface is represented by an interface element based on the interface potential energy. This method overcomes the limitation of crack growth at an artificial rate of one element length per cycle. In this method the crack propagates only when the applied load reaches the critical bonding strength. The predicted results compares well with experimental results. The Gas Metal Arc welding processes has been simulated to predict post-weld distortion, residual stresses and development of restraining forces in a butt-welded joint. The effect of welding defects and bi-axial interaction of a circular porosity and a solidification crack on fatigue crack propagation life of butt-welded joints has also been investigated. After a weld has been repaired, the specimen was tested in a universal

Estimation of Tri-Axial Walking Ground Reaction Forces of Left and Right Foot from Total Forces in Real-Life Environments

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Erfan Shahabpoor

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Continuous monitoring of natural human gait in real-life environments is essential in many applications including disease monitoring, rehabilitation, and professional sports. Wearable inertial measurement units are successfully used to measure body kinematics in real-life environments and to estimate total walking ground reaction forces GRF(t using equations of motion. However, for inverse dynamics and clinical gait analysis, the GRF(t of each foot is required separately. Using an experimental dataset of 1243 tri-axial separate-foot GRF(t time histories measured by the authors across eight years, this study proposes the ‘Twin Polynomial Method’ (TPM to estimate the tri-axial left and right foot GRF(t signals from the total GRF(t signals. For each gait cycle, TPM fits polynomials of degree five, eight, and nine to the known single-support part of the left and right foot vertical, anterior-posterior, and medial-lateral GRF(t signals, respectively, to extrapolate the unknown double-support parts of the corresponding GRF(t signals. Validation of the proposed method both with force plate measurements (gold standard in the laboratory, and in real-life environment showed a peak-to-peak normalized root mean square error of less than 2.5%, 6.5% and 7.5% for the estimated GRF(t signals in the vertical, anterior-posterior and medial-lateral directions, respectively. These values show considerable improvement compared with the currently available GRF(t decomposition methods in the literature.

French nuclear plants PWR vessel integrity assessment and life management

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bezdikian, G. [Electricite de France (EDF), Div. Production Nucleaire, 93 - Saint-Denis (France); Quinot, P. [FRAMATOME, Dept. Bloc Reacteur et Boucles Primaires, 92 - Paris-La-Defence (France); Faidy, C.; Churier-Bossennec, H. [Electricite de France (EDF), Div. Ingenierie et Service, 69 - Villeurbanne (France)

2001-07-01

The Reactor Pressure Vessel life management of 56 PWR 3 loop and 4 loop reactors units was engaged by the French Utility EDF (Electricite de France) a few years ago and is yet on going on. This paper will present the work carried out within the framework of justifying why the 34 three loop reactor vessels will remain acceptable for operation for a lifetime of at least 40-years. A summary of the measures will be given. An overall review of actions will be presented describing the French approach, using important existing databases, including studies related to irradiation surveillance monitoring program and end of life fluence assessment. The last results obtained are based on generic integrity analyses for all categories of situations (normal upset emergency and faulted conditions) until the end of lifetime, postulating circumferential an radial kinds of flaw located in the stainless steel cladding or shallow sub-cladding area. The results of structural integrity analyses beginning with elastic computations and completed with three-dimensional finite element elastic plastic computations for envelope cases, are compared with code criteria for operating plants. The objective is to evaluate the margins on different parameters as RTNDT (Reference Nil Ductility Transition Temperature), toughness or crack size, to justify the global fitness for service of all these Reactor Pressure Vessels. The paper introduces EDF's maintenance strategy, related to integrity assessment, for those nuclear power plants under operation, based on NDE in-service inspection of the first thirty millimeters in the thickness of the wall and major surveillance programs of the vessels. (author)

French nuclear plants PWR vessel integrity assessment and life management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bezdikian, G.; Quinot, P.; Faidy, C.; Churier-Bossennec, H.

2001-01-01

The Reactor Pressure Vessel life management of 56 PWR 3 loop and 4 loop reactors units was engaged by the French Utility EDF (Electricite de France) a few years ago and is yet on going on. This paper will present the work carried out within the framework of justifying why the 34 three loop reactor vessels will remain acceptable for operation for a lifetime of at least 40-years. A summary of the measures will be given. An overall review of actions will be presented describing the French approach, using important existing databases, including studies related to irradiation surveillance monitoring program and end of life fluence assessment. The last results obtained are based on generic integrity analyses for all categories of situations (normal upset emergency and faulted conditions) until the end of lifetime, postulating circumferential an radial kinds of flaw located in the stainless steel cladding or shallow sub-cladding area. The results of structural integrity analyses beginning with elastic computations and completed with three-dimensional finite element elastic plastic computations for envelope cases, are compared with code criteria for operating plants. The objective is to evaluate the margins on different parameters as RTNDT (Reference Nil Ductility Transition Temperature), toughness or crack size, to justify the global fitness for service of all these Reactor Pressure Vessels. The paper introduces EDF's maintenance strategy, related to integrity assessment, for those nuclear power plants under operation, based on NDE in-service inspection of the first thirty millimeters in the thickness of the wall and major surveillance programs of the vessels. (author)

The study of key issues about integration of GNSS and strong-motion records for real-time earthquake monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Tu, Rui; Zhang, Pengfei; Zhang, Rui; Liu, Jinhai

2016-08-01

This paper has studied the key issues about integration of GNSS and strong-motion records for real-time earthquake monitoring. The validations show that the consistence of the coordinate system must be considered firstly to exclude the system bias between GNSS and strong-motion. The GNSS sampling rate is suggested about 1-5 Hz, and we should give the strong-motion's baseline shift with a larger dynamic noise as its variation is very swift. The initialization time of solving the baseline shift is less than one minute, and ambiguity resolution strategy is not greatly improved the solution. The data quality is very important for the solution, we advised to use multi-frequency and multi-system observations. These ideas give an important guide for real-time earthquake monitoring and early warning by the tight integration of GNSS and strong-motion records.

Advancing Integrated Systems Modelling Framework for Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anthony Halog

2011-02-01

Full Text Available The need for integrated methodological framework for sustainability assessment has been widely discussed and is urgent due to increasingly complex environmental system problems. These problems have impacts on ecosystems and human well-being which represent a threat to economic performance of countries and corporations. Integrated assessment crosses issues; spans spatial and temporal scales; looks forward and backward; and incorporates multi-stakeholder inputs. This study aims to develop an integrated methodology by capitalizing the complementary strengths of different methods used by industrial ecologists and biophysical economists. The computational methodology proposed here is systems perspective, integrative, and holistic approach for sustainability assessment which attempts to link basic science and technology to policy formulation. The framework adopts life cycle thinking methods—LCA, LCC, and SLCA; stakeholders analysis supported by multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA; and dynamic system modelling. Following Pareto principle, the critical sustainability criteria, indicators and metrics (i.e., hotspots can be identified and further modelled using system dynamics or agent based modelling and improved by data envelopment analysis (DEA and sustainability network theory (SNT. The framework is being applied to development of biofuel supply chain networks. The framework can provide new ways of integrating knowledge across the divides between social and natural sciences as well as between critical and problem-solving research.

Using life cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis in a real options framework to inform the design of algal biofuel production facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Kern, Jordan D; Hise, Adam M; Characklis, Greg W; Gerlach, Robin; Viamajala, Sridhar; Gardner, Robert D

2017-02-01

This study investigates the use of "real options analysis" (ROA) to quantify the value of greater product flexibility at algal biofuel production facilities. A deterministic optimization framework is integrated with a combined life cycle assessment/techno-economic analysis model and subjected to an ensemble of 30-year commodity price trajectories. Profits are maximized for two competing plant configurations: 1) one that sells lipid-extracted algae as animal feed only; and 2) one that can sell lipid-extracted algae as feed or use it to recover nutrients and energy, due to an up-front investment in anaerobic digestion/combined heat and power. Results show that added investment in plant flexibility does not result in an improvement in net present value, because current feed meal prices discourage use of lipid-extracted algae for nutrient and energy recovery. However, this study demonstrates that ROA provides many useful insights regarding plant design that cannot be captured via traditional techno-economic modeling. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Linking the microscopic view of chemistry to real-life experiences: Intertextuality in a high-school science classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Hsin-Kai

2003-11-01

Chemistry learning involves establishing conceptual relationships among macroscopic, microscopic, and symbolic representations. Employing the notion of intertextuality to conceptualize these relationships, this study investigates how class members interactionally construct meanings of chemical representations by connecting them to real-life experiences and how the teachers' content knowledge shapes their ways to coconstruct intertextual links with students. Multiple sources of data were collected over 7 weeks with a participation of 25 eleventh graders, an experienced teacher, and a student teacher. An examination of classroom discourse shows that the intertextual links between the microscopic view of chemistry and students' real-life experiences could be initiated by students and instigated by the teachers. The teachers applied several discursive strategies to scaffold students building meaningful links based on their prior knowledge and experiences. Additionally, the experienced teacher with stronger content knowledge tended to present links in both dialogic and monologic discourses. Yet, the relatively limited content knowledge did not necessarily constrain the student teacher's interactions with students. The findings of this study provide a backdrop for further research to explore how chemistry is learned and taught in a class through the social constructivist lens.

The application of life cycle assessment to integrated solid waste management. Pt. 1: Methodology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clift, R.; Doig, A.; Finnveden, G.

2000-07-01

Integrated Waste Management is one of the holistic approaches to environmental and resource management which are emerging from applying the concept of sustainable development. Assessment of waste management options requires application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). This paper summarizes the methodology for applying LCA to Integrated Waste Management of Municipal Solid Wastes (MSW) developed for and now used by the UK Environment Agency, including recent developments in international fora. Particular attention is devoted to system definition leading to rational and clear compilation of the Life Cycle Inventory, with appropriate 'credit' for recovering materials and/or energy from the waste. LCA of waste management is best seen as a way of structuring information to help decision processes. (Author)

Integrated light-sheet imaging and flow-based enquiry (iLIFE) system for 3D in-vivo imaging of multicellular organism

Science.gov (United States)

Rasmi, Chelur K.; Padmanabhan, Sreedevi; Shirlekar, Kalyanee; Rajan, Kanhirodan; Manjithaya, Ravi; Singh, Varsha; Mondal, Partha Pratim

2017-12-01

We propose and demonstrate a light-sheet-based 3D interrogation system on a microfluidic platform for screening biological specimens during flow. To achieve this, a diffraction-limited light-sheet (with a large field-of-view) is employed to optically section the specimens flowing through the microfluidic channel. This necessitates optimization of the parameters for the illumination sub-system (illumination intensity, light-sheet width, and thickness), microfluidic specimen platform (channel-width and flow-rate), and detection sub-system (camera exposure time and frame rate). Once optimized, these parameters facilitate cross-sectional imaging and 3D reconstruction of biological specimens. The proposed integrated light-sheet imaging and flow-based enquiry (iLIFE) imaging technique enables single-shot sectional imaging of a range of specimens of varying dimensions, ranging from a single cell (HeLa cell) to a multicellular organism (C. elegans). 3D reconstruction of the entire C. elegans is achieved in real-time and with an exposure time of few hundred micro-seconds. A maximum likelihood technique is developed and optimized for the iLIFE imaging system. We observed an intracellular resolution for mitochondria-labeled HeLa cells, which demonstrates the dynamic resolution of the iLIFE system. The proposed technique is a step towards achieving flow-based 3D imaging. We expect potential applications in diverse fields such as structural biology and biophysics.

Real/Life: New British Art and the Reception of Contemporary British Art in Japan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kajiya Kenji

2016-07-01

Full Text Available This essay explores the ways in which the exhibition Real/Life: New British Art was conceived and received in Japan, where contemporary British art has been shown since the 1960s. Taking place at five museums in the country between 1998 and 1999, the exhibition aimed to showhow British artists in the 1990s struggled with realities, internal and external, but its response was not as satisfactory as was expected. The essay examines the exhibition as a turning point for the transformation of exhibition culture in Japan from nationally themed exhibitions to showcases of contemporary art in the global context.

The fragrance hand immersion study - an experimental model simulating real-life exposure for allergic contact dermatitis on the hands

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heydorn, S; Menné, T; Andersen, K E

2003-01-01

.p.m.), whilst during the following 2 weeks, the concentration was relatively high (approximately 250 p.p.m.), imitating real-life exposure to a household product like dishwashing liquid diluted in water and the undiluted product, respectively. Evaluation was made using a clinical scale and laser Doppler flow...

Real-life compliance and persistence among users of subcutaneous and sublingual allergen immunotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kiel, Menno A; Röder, Esther; Gerth van Wijk, Roy; Al, Maiwenn J; Hop, Wim C J; Rutten-van Mölken, Maureen P M H

2013-08-01

Subcutaneous allergen immunotherapy (SCIT) and sublingual allergen immunotherapy (SLIT) are safe and effective treatments of allergic rhinitis, but high levels of compliance and persistence are crucial to achieving the desired clinical effects. Our objective was to assess levels and predictors of compliance and persistence among grass pollen, tree pollen, and house dust mite immunotherapy users in real life and to estimate the costs of premature discontinuation. We performed a retrospective analysis of a community pharmacy database from The Netherlands containing data from 6486 patients starting immunotherapy for 1 or more of the allergens of interest between 1994 and 2009. Two thousand seven hundred ninety-six patients received SCIT, and 3690 received SLIT. Time to treatment discontinuation was analyzed and included Cox proportional hazard models with time-dependent covariates, where appropriate. Overall, only 18% of users reached the minimally required duration of treatment of 3 years (SCIT, 23%; SLIT, 7%). Median durations for SCIT and SLIT users were 1.7 and 0.6 years, respectively (P < .001). Other independent predictors of premature discontinuation were prescriber, with patients of general practitioners demonstrating longer persistence than those of allergologists and other medical specialists; single-allergen immunotherapy, lower socioeconomic status; and younger age. Of the persistent patients, 56% were never late in picking up their medication from the pharmacy. Direct medication costs per nonpersistent patient discontinuing in the third year of treatment were €3800, an amount that was largely misspent. Real-life persistence is better in SCIT users than in SLIT users, although it is low overall. There is an urgent need for further identification of potential barriers and measures that will enhance persistence and compliance. Copyright © 2013 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

End-of-life care in the United States: policy issues and model programs of integrated care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joshua M. Wiener

2003-05-01

Full Text Available Background: End-of-life care financing and delivery in the United States is fragmented and uncoordinated, with little integration of acute and long-term care services. Objective: To assess policy issues involving end-of-life care, especially involving the hospice benefit, and to analyse model programs of integrated care for people who are dying. Methods: The study conducted structured interviews with stakeholders and experts in end-of-life care and with administrators of model programs in the United States, which were nominated by the experts. Results: The two major public insurance programs—Medicare and Medicaid—finance the vast majority of end-of-life care. Both programs offer a hospice benefit, which has several shortcomings, including requiring physicians to make a prognosis of a six month life expectancy and insisting that patients give up curative treatment—two steps which are difficult for doctors and patients to make—and payment levels that may be too low. In addition, quality of care initiatives for nursing homes and hospice sometimes conflict. Four innovative health systems have overcome these barriers to provide palliative services to beneficiaries in their last year of life. Three of these health systems are managed care plans which receive capitated payments. These providers integrate health, long-term and palliative care using an interdisciplinary team approach to management of services. The fourth provider is a hospice that provides palliative services to beneficiaries of all ages, including those who have not elected hospice care. Conclusions: End-of-life care is deficient in the United States. Public payers could use their market power to improve care through a number of strategies.

Integrated plant life management (PLiM)-the IAEA contribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, K.-S.; Clark, C.R.; Omoto, A.; )

2005-01-01

For the past couple of decades there has been a change of emphasis in the world nuclear power from that of building new Nuclear Power Plants (NPP) to that of taking measures to optimize the life cycle of operational plants. National approaches in many countries showed an increase of interest in Plant Life Management (PLiM), both in terms of plant service life assurance and in optimizing the service or operational life of NPP. A strong convergence of views is emerging from different National approaches, particularly in the area of the economic aspects of NPP operation and in the evolution in the scope of NPP PLIM. The latter can directly affect the cost of electricity from NPP in an increasingly competitive environment. The safety considerations of a NPP are paramount and those requirements have to be met to obtain and to extend/renew the operating license. To achieve the goal of the long term safe, economic and reliable operation of the plant an integrated Plant Life Management Programme (PLiM) is necessary. Some countries already have advanced PLiM Programmes while others still have none. The PLiM objective is to identify all that factors and requirements for the overall plant life cycle. The optimization of these requirements would allow for the minimum period of the investment return and maximum of the revenue from the sell of the produced electricity. Recognizing the importance of this issue and in response to the requests of the Member States the IAEA Division of Nuclear Power implements the Sub-programme on 'Engineering and Management Support for Competitive Nuclear Power'. Four projects within this sub-programme deal with different aspects of the NPP life cycle management with the aim to increase the capabilities of interested Member States in implementing and maintenance of the competitive and sustainable nuclear power. Although all four projects contain certain issues of PLiM there is one specific project on guidance on engineering and management practices

Natalizumab treatment reduces fatigue in multiple sclerosis. Results from the TYNERGY trial; a study in the real life setting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svenningsson, Anders; Falk, Eva; Celius, Elisabeth G

2013-01-01

. The TYNERGY study aimed to further evaluate the effects of natalizumab treatment on MS-related fatigue. In this one-armed clinical trial including 195 MS patients, natalizumab was prescribed in a real-life setting, and a validated questionnaire, the Fatigue Scale for Motor and Cognitive functions (FSMC......), was used both before and after 12 months of treatment to evaluate a possible change in the fatigue experienced by the patients. In the treated cohort all measured variables, that is, fatigue score, quality of life, sleepiness, depression, cognition, and disability progression were improved from baseline...

Real-time QRS detection using integrated variance for ECG gated cardiac MRI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Schmidt Marcus

2016-09-01

Full Text Available During magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, a patient’s vital signs are required for different purposes. In cardiac MRI (CMR, an electrocardiogram (ECG of the patient is required for triggering the image acquisition process. However, a reliable QRS detection of an ECG signal acquired inside an MRI scanner is a challenging task due to the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD effect which interferes with the ECG. The aim of this work was to develop a reliable QRS detector usable inside the MRI which also fulfills the standards for medical devices (IEC 60601-2-27. Therefore, a novel real-time QRS detector based on integrated variance measurements is presented. The algorithm was trained on ANSI/AAMI EC13 test waveforms and was then applied to two databases with 12-lead ECG signals recorded inside and outside an MRI scanner. Reliable results for both databases were achieved for the ECG signals recorded inside (DBMRI: sensitivity Se = 99.94%, positive predictive value +P = 99.84% and outside (DBInCarT: Se = 99.29%, +P = 99.72% the MRI. Due to the accurate R-peak detection in real-time this can be used for monitoring and triggering in MRI exams.

Blue Tigers, Black Tapirs, & the Pied Raven of the Faroe Islands: Teaching Genetic Drift Using Real-Life Animal Examples

Science.gov (United States)

Robischon, Marcel

2015-01-01

Genetic drift is a concept of population genetics that is central to understanding evolutionary processes and aspects of conservation biology. It is frequently taught using rather abstract representations. I introduce three real-life zoological examples, based on historical and recent color morphs of tigers, tapirs, and ravens, that can complement…

Life-cycle analysis of product integrated polymer solar cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Espinosa Martinez, Nieves; García-Valverde, Rafael; Krebs, Frederik C

2011-01-01

A life cycle analysis (LCA) on a product integrated polymer solar module is carried out in this study. These assessments are well-known to be useful in developmental stages of a product in order to identify the bottlenecks for the up-scaling in its production phase for several aspects spanning from...... economics through design to functionality. An LCA study was performed to quantify the energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from electricity use in the manufacture of a light-weight lamp based on a plastic foil, a lithium-polymer battery, a polymer solar cell, printed circuitry, blocking diode......, switch and a white light emitting semiconductor diode. The polymer solar cell employed in this prototype presents a power conversion efficiency in the range of 2 to 3% yielding energy payback times (EPBT) in the range of 1.3–2 years. Based on this it is worthwhile to undertake a life-cycle study...

Do inclusive work environments matter? Effects of community-integrated employment on quality of life for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Blick, Rachel N; Litz, Katherine S; Thornhill, Monica G; Goreczny, Anthony J

2016-01-01

More individuals with an intellectual disability now possess prerequisite skills and supports necessary for successful work force integration than did previous generations. The current study compared quality of life of community-integrated workers with those participating in sheltered vocational workshops and adult day care programs. We considered numerous indices of quality of life, including inclusion and community participation; satisfaction within professional services, home life, and day activities; dignity, rights, and respect received from others; fear; choice and control; and family satisfaction. Our data revealed several important differences in quality of life across daytime activities; participants involved in community-integrated employment tended to be younger, indicated a greater sense of community integration, and reported more financial autonomy than did those who participated in adult day care programs and sheltered workshops. However, individuals reported no differences in overall satisfaction across daytime activities. We discuss generational differences across employment status as well as possible explanations to account for high levels of satisfaction across daytime activities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measuring life by real people

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Ellen Kathrine

2010-01-01

This article describes how information about Active House is obtained through tests done on demonstration buildings. Tests in which life in intelligent and energy-optimised homes takes centre stage, and where ratings are obtained via human behaviour and wellbeing. The article also describes exper...

Dried blood spots, valid screening for viral hepatitis and human immunodeficiency virus in real-life

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mössner, Belinda K; Staugaard, Benjamin; Jensen, Janne

2016-01-01

AIM: To detect chronic hepatitis B (CHB), chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in dried blood spot (DBS) and compare these samples to venous blood sampling in real-life. METHODS: We included prospective patients with known viral infections from drug treatment......, but correctly classified 95% of the anti-HCV-positive patients with chronic and past infections. Anti-HBc and anti-HBS showed low sensitivity in DBS (68% and 42%). CONCLUSION: DBS sampling, combined with an automated analysis system, is a feasible screening method to diagnose chronic viral hepatitis and HIV...

Community integration and life satisfaction among individuals with spinal cord injury living in the community after receiving institutional care in Bangladesh.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Nayeema; Quadir, Mohammad Morshedul; Rahman, Mohammad Akhlasur; Alamgir, Hasanat

2018-05-01

This study reports level of community integration and life satisfaction among individuals who sustained traumatic spinal cord injuries, received institutional rehabilitation care services, and went back to live in the community in Bangladesh. It examines the impact of type of injury, demographic characteristics, socio-economic profile, and secondary health conditions on community integration and life satisfaction and explores the association between these two measures. Individuals with spinal cord injury were telephone interviewed by the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed, Bangladesh from February to June of 2014. Data were collected from the subjects on type of injury, demographic and socio-economic profile, and secondary health conditions. The outcome measures were determined by using two validated tools - Community Integration Questionnaire and Life Satisfaction 9 Questionnaire. Total community integration and life satisfaction scores were 15.09 and 3.69, respectively. A significant positive relationship between community integration and life satisfaction was revealed. Type of injury, gender, and age were found to be significant predictors of both community integration and life satisfaction scores. Higher education was significantly related to community integration and life satisfaction scores. Participants scored low in total community integration and life satisfaction, suggesting there is a great need to develop interventions by governmental and non-governmental organizations to better integrate individuals with spinal cord injury in the community. Implications for Rehabilitation Government and non-government organizations should offer disability friendly public transportation facilities for individuals with spinal cord injury so that they can return to education, resume employment, and involve in social activities. Entrepreneurs and businesses should develop assistive devices featuring low technology, considering the rural structure and housing

SAROTA: application of specific absorption rate (SAR) and over-the-air (OTA) data for the characterization of the real-life exposure due to mobile phones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monebhurrun, Vikass

2013-01-01

The RF exposure level of a mobile phone is quantified by the measurement of the specific absorption rate (SAR) under laboratory conditions. The SAR which is measured while the mobile phone is operated at maximum power level does not reflect the real-life exposure scenario since the mobile phone typically re-adjusts its power level and frequency depending on the quality of the communication link with the nearest base station. The choice of a low RF exposure device based on the comparison of the relative SAR values of mobile phones can be misleading. The real-life RF exposure also depends on the over-the-air (OTA) performance of the mobile phone. Taken independently, the two sets of data do not allow a straightforward comparison of the global RF performance amongst mobile phones. A unique and simple parameter denoted as the SAROTA index is proposed for the characterization of mobile phones with regard to both RF exposure and OTA performance. The SAROTA index provides the real-life exposure index of the mobile phone.

Son, you’re smoking on Facebook! College students’ disclosures on social networking sites as indicators of real-life risk behaviors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Hoof, Joris Jasper; Bekkers, Jeroen; van Vuuren, Hubrecht A.

2014-01-01

Health risk behavior in student populations is an issue of major concern, and students’ risk levels are difficult to determine. In this study, we explore the extent to which information disclosed publicly on Facebook provides reliable indications of five real-life health behaviors. Questionnaire

The evolution of "Life": A Metadarwinian integrative approach.

Science.gov (United States)

De Loof, Arnold

2017-01-01

It is undeniably very logical to first formulate an unambiguous definition of "Life" before engaging in defining the parameters instrumental to Life's evolution. Because nearly everybody assumes, erroneously in my opinion, that catching Life's essence in a single sentence is impossible, this way of thinking remained largely unexplored in evolutionary theory. Upon analyzing what exactly happens at the transition from "still alive" to "just dead," the following definition emerged. What we call "Life" (L) is an activity . It is nothing other than the total sum (∑) of all communication acts (C) executed, at moment t, by entities organized as sender-receiver compartments: L = ∑C Such "living" entities are self-electrifying and talking ( = communicating) aggregates of fossil stardust operating in an environment heavily polluted by toxic calcium. Communication is a multifaceted, complex process that is seldom well explained in introductory textbooks of biology. Communication is instrumental to adaptation because, at the cellular level, any act of communication is in fact a problem-solving act. It can be logically deduced that not Natural Selection itself but communication/problem-solving activity preceding selection is the universal driving force of evolution. This is against what textbooks usually claim, although doubt on the status of Natural Selection as driving force has been around for long. Finally, adopting the sender-receiver with its 2 memory systems (genetic and cognitive, both with their own rules) and 2 types of progeny ("physical children" and "pupils") as the universal unit of architecture and function of all living entities, also enables the seamless integration of cultural and organic evolution, another long-standing tough problem in evolutionary theory. Paraphrasing Theodosius Dobzhansky, the very essence of biology is: "Nothing in biology and evolutionary theory makes sense except in the light of the ability of living matter to communicate, and by

Numerical simulation of a cabin ventilation subsystem in a space station oriented real-time system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zezheng QIU

2017-12-01

Full Text Available An environment control and life support system (ECLSS is an important system in a space station. The ECLSS is a typical complex system, and the real-time simulation technology can help to accelerate its research process by using distributed hardware in a loop simulation system. An implicit fixed time step numerical integration method is recommended for a real-time simulation system with time-varying parameters. However, its computational efficiency is too low to satisfy the real-time data interaction, especially for the complex ECLSS system running on a PC cluster. The instability problem of an explicit method strongly limits its application in the ECLSS real-time simulation although it has a high computational efficiency. This paper proposes an improved numerical simulation method to overcome the instability problem based on the explicit Euler method. A temperature and humidity control subsystem (THCS is firstly established, and its numerical stability is analyzed by using the eigenvalue estimation theory. Furthermore, an adaptive operator is proposed to avoid the potential instability problem. The stability and accuracy of the proposed method are investigated carefully. Simulation results show that this proposed method can provide a good way for some complex time-variant systems to run their real-time simulation on a PC cluster. Keywords: Numerical integration method, Real-time simulation, Stability, THCS, Time-variant system

The ADAQ framework: An integrated toolkit for data acquisition and analysis with real and simulated radiation detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartwig, Zachary S.

2016-01-01

The ADAQ framework is a collection of software tools that is designed to streamline the acquisition and analysis of radiation detector data produced in modern digital data acquisition (DAQ) systems and in Monte Carlo detector simulations. The purpose of the framework is to maximize user scientific productivity by minimizing the effort and expertise required to fully utilize radiation detectors in a variety of scientific and engineering disciplines. By using a single set of tools to span the real and simulation domains, the framework eliminates redundancy and provides an integrated workflow for high-fidelity comparison between experimental and simulated detector performance. Built on the ROOT data analysis framework, the core of the ADAQ framework is a set of C++ and Python libraries that enable high-level control of digital DAQ systems and detector simulations with data stored into standardized binary ROOT files for further analysis. Two graphical user interface programs utilize the libraries to create powerful tools: ADAQAcquisition handles control and readout of real-world DAQ systems and ADAQAnalysis provides data analysis and visualization methods for experimental and simulated data. At present, the ADAQ framework supports digital DAQ hardware from CAEN S.p.A. and detector simulations performed in Geant4; however, the modular design will facilitate future extension to other manufacturers and simulation platforms. - Highlights: • A new software framework for radiation detector data acquisition and analysis. • Integrated acquisition and analysis of real-world and simulated detector data. • C++ and Python libraries for data acquisition hardware control and readout. • Graphical program for control and readout of digital data acquisition hardware. • Graphical program for comprehensive analysis of real-world and simulated data.

The ADAQ framework: An integrated toolkit for data acquisition and analysis with real and simulated radiation detectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hartwig, Zachary S., E-mail: hartwig@mit.edu

2016-04-11

The ADAQ framework is a collection of software tools that is designed to streamline the acquisition and analysis of radiation detector data produced in modern digital data acquisition (DAQ) systems and in Monte Carlo detector simulations. The purpose of the framework is to maximize user scientific productivity by minimizing the effort and expertise required to fully utilize radiation detectors in a variety of scientific and engineering disciplines. By using a single set of tools to span the real and simulation domains, the framework eliminates redundancy and provides an integrated workflow for high-fidelity comparison between experimental and simulated detector performance. Built on the ROOT data analysis framework, the core of the ADAQ framework is a set of C++ and Python libraries that enable high-level control of digital DAQ systems and detector simulations with data stored into standardized binary ROOT files for further analysis. Two graphical user interface programs utilize the libraries to create powerful tools: ADAQAcquisition handles control and readout of real-world DAQ systems and ADAQAnalysis provides data analysis and visualization methods for experimental and simulated data. At present, the ADAQ framework supports digital DAQ hardware from CAEN S.p.A. and detector simulations performed in Geant4; however, the modular design will facilitate future extension to other manufacturers and simulation platforms. - Highlights: • A new software framework for radiation detector data acquisition and analysis. • Integrated acquisition and analysis of real-world and simulated detector data. • C++ and Python libraries for data acquisition hardware control and readout. • Graphical program for control and readout of digital data acquisition hardware. • Graphical program for comprehensive analysis of real-world and simulated data.

Neither Right nor Wrong: How a Teacher Integrates Her Personal and Professional Life with Policy

Science.gov (United States)

Bunten, Bridget A.

2014-01-01

This article focuses on the importance of recognizing and appreciating the ways that a teacher integrates her personal and professional life with an English-only policy. Much can be learned from the ways in which she negotiates social forces and integrates them into her individual reality while making sense of the restrictive language policy.…

Integrated Design Software Predicts the Creep Life of Monolithic Ceramic Components

Science.gov (United States)

1996-01-01

Significant improvements in propulsion and power generation for the next century will require revolutionary advances in high-temperature materials and structural design. Advanced ceramics are candidate materials for these elevated-temperature applications. As design protocols emerge for these material systems, designers must be aware of several innate features, including the degrading ability of ceramics to carry sustained load. Usually, time-dependent failure in ceramics occurs because of two different, delayedfailure mechanisms: slow crack growth and creep rupture. Slow crack growth initiates at a preexisting flaw and continues until a critical crack length is reached, causing catastrophic failure. Creep rupture, on the other hand, occurs because of bulk damage in the material: void nucleation and coalescence that eventually leads to macrocracks which then propagate to failure. Successful application of advanced ceramics depends on proper characterization of material behavior and the use of an appropriate design methodology. The life of a ceramic component can be predicted with the NASA Lewis Research Center's Ceramics Analysis and Reliability Evaluation of Structures (CARES) integrated design programs. CARES/CREEP determines the expected life of a component under creep conditions, and CARES/LIFE predicts the component life due to fast fracture and subcritical crack growth. The previously developed CARES/LIFE program has been used in numerous industrial and Government applications.

Integrating Global Learning into a Psychology Course Using an Online Platform

Science.gov (United States)

Forden, Carie L.; Carrillo, Amy M.

2014-01-01

There is a demand for the integration of global learning/diversity across the curriculum. A series of cross-cultural assignments was created to facilitate global learning in two social psychology classes, one in Egypt, and one in the USA. In these assignments, students collected data and applied course concepts to real-life problems, then…

A Proficiency Based Stepwise Endovascular Curricular Training (PROSPECT) Program Enhances Operative Performance in Real Life: A Randomised Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Maertens, H; Aggarwal, R; Moreels, N; Vermassen, F; Van Herzeele, I

2017-09-01

Healthcare evolution requires optimisation of surgical training to provide safe patient care. Operating room performance after completion of proficiency based training in vascular surgery has not been investigated. A randomised controlled trial evaluated the impact of a Proficiency based Stepwise Endovascular Curricular Training program (PROSPECT) on the acquisition of endovascular skills and the transferability of these skills to real life interventions. All subjects performed two endovascular interventions treating patients with symptomatic iliac and/or superficial femoral artery stenosis under supervision. Primary outcomes were technical performances (Global Rating Scale [GRS]; Examiner Checklist), operative metrics, and patient outcomes, adjusted for case difficulty and trainee experience. Secondary outcomes included knowledge and technical performance after 6 weeks and 3 months. Thirty-two general surgical trainees were randomised into three groups. Besides traditional training, the first group (n = 11) received e-learning and simulation training (PROSPECT), the second group (n = 10) only had access to e-learning, while controls (n = 11) did not receive supplementary training. Twenty-nine trainees (3 dropouts) performed 58 procedures. Trainees who completed PROSPECT showed superior technical performance (GRS 39.36 ± 2.05; Checklist 63.51 ± 3.18) in real life with significantly fewer supervisor takeovers compared with trainees receiving e-learning alone (GRS 28.42 ± 2.15; p = .001; Checklist 53.63 ± 3.34; p = .027) or traditional education (GRS 23.09 ± 2.18; p = .001; Checklist 38.72 ± 3.38; p = .001). Supervisors felt more confident in allowing PROSPECT trained physicians to perform basic (p = .006) and complex (p = .003) procedures. No differences were detected in procedural parameters (such as fluoroscopy time, DAP, procedure time, etc.) or complications. Proficiency levels were maintained up to 3 months. A structured

Stroke and quality of life: an integrative review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mary Ângela Canuto

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Objetivo:Investigar os domínios da qualidade de vida mais afetados em sobreviventes de acidente vascular cerebral de acordo com instrumentos específicos de avaliação. Métodos: Trata-se de revisão integrativa nas bases MEDLINE, Lilacs e Cinahl, nas quais foram selecionados sete artigos. Resultados: Os artigos foram agrupados conforme a escala utilizada: na Stroke Impact Scale, os domínios mais afetados foram função física, participação social, emoção. Na Stroke Specific Quality of Life Scale, foram trabalho/produtividade, relações familiares e sociais, modo de pensar, energia, linguagem.Nohealth-related quality of life in stroke patients questionnaire, foram interação ecossocial, intelectual, físico.Conclusão: A qualidade de vida de sobreviventes é prejudicada de forma global e multifacetada. Há necessidade de ampliar as pesquisas com instrumentos específicos de medida, pois estes avaliam domínios de especial interesse, demonstrando um perfil integral das condições funcionais e psicossociais dos sobreviventes, e assim, contribuindo para melhoria da atenção à sua saúde.

Can the response to Omalizumab be influenced by treatment duration? A real-life study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sposato, Bruno; Scalese, Marco; Latorre, Manuela; Novelli, Federica; Scichilone, Nicola; Milanese, Manlio; Olivieri, Carmela; Perrella, Antonio; Paggiaro, Pierluigi

2017-06-01

It is unknown whether Omalizumab effectiveness changes over the course of time. Our retrospective real-life study tried to analyze whether Omalizumab response may be influenced by treatment duration. 340 severe asthmatics treated with Omalizumab for different periods of time were recruited. They were subdivided into 4 groups according to the Omalizumab treatment length: 60 months. Omalizumab treatment results (FEV 1 , exacerbations, ACT, SABA use, asthma control levels, medications used e and ICS doses) were compared. ACT, exacerbations, GINA control levels, ICS doses and SABA use were similar in all groups with different Omalizumab treatment durations. Using a linear regression model, corrected for all confounding variables, a higher significant positive increase in FEV 1 % in subjects treated for 12-24 (β = 9.49; p = 0.034) or 24-60 months (β = 8.56; p = 0.043) was found when compared with subjects treated for a shorter period. Treatment duration was positively associated with a step down of the other associated therapies (OR: 1.013; p = 0.019). This association was more relevant (OR: 4.167; p = 0.005) when we considered Omalizumab treatment duration >60 months compared to the shorter therapy. In particular, the percentage of subjects that were taking Montelukast, LABAs and oral corticosteroids was lower in the group treated with Omalizumab for a longer period of time. In real-life, the positive Omalizumab response remained stable for over 60 months. Long term Omalizumab treatment may lead to a discontinuation of some associated medications and to a slowing down of FEV 1 decline. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Integrate life-cycle assessment and risk analysis results, not methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Linkov, Igor; Trump, Benjamin D; Wender, Ben A; Seager, Thomas P; Kennedy, Alan J; Keisler, Jeffrey M

2017-08-04

Two analytic perspectives on environmental assessment dominate environmental policy and decision-making: risk analysis (RA) and life-cycle assessment (LCA). RA focuses on management of a toxicological hazard in a specific exposure scenario, while LCA seeks a holistic estimation of impacts of thousands of substances across multiple media, including non-toxicological and non-chemically deleterious effects. While recommendations to integrate the two approaches have remained a consistent feature of environmental scholarship for at least 15 years, the current perception is that progress is slow largely because of practical obstacles, such as a lack of data, rather than insurmountable theoretical difficulties. Nonetheless, the emergence of nanotechnology presents a serious challenge to both perspectives. Because the pace of nanomaterial innovation far outstrips acquisition of environmentally relevant data, it is now clear that a further integration of RA and LCA based on dataset completion will remain futile. In fact, the two approaches are suited for different purposes and answer different questions. A more pragmatic approach to providing better guidance to decision-makers is to apply the two methods in parallel, integrating only after obtaining separate results.

Integrative Application of Life Cycle Assessment and Risk Assessment to Environmental Impacts of Anthropogenic Pollutants at a Watershed Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Xiaodan; Yu, Shen; Ma, Hwongwen

2018-01-01

Intense human activities have led to increasing deterioration of the watershed environment via pollutant discharge, which threatens human health and ecosystem function. To meet a need of comprehensive environmental impact/risk assessment for sustainable watershed development, a biogeochemical process-based life cycle assessment and risk assessment (RA) integration for pollutants aided by geographic information system is proposed in this study. The integration is to frame a conceptual protocol of "watershed life cycle assessment (WLCA) for pollutants". The proposed WLCA protocol consists of (1) geographic and environmental characterization mapping; (2) life cycle inventory analysis; (3) integration of life-cycle impact assessment (LCIA) with RA via characterization factor of pollutant of interest; and (4) result analysis and interpretation. The WLCA protocol can visualize results of LCIA and RA spatially for the pollutants of interest, which might be useful for decision or policy makers for mitigating impacts of watershed development.

Electrochemical dehalogenisation of chlorinated aromatics - from model substances to practice-relevant ''real life'' samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voss, I.; Altrogge, M.; Francke, W.

1993-01-01

Building on methods for the dehalogenisation of chlorinated benzoles known from the literature, an investigation was carried out whether polychlorinated biphenyls, dibenzo furane and dibenzo-p-dioxin can be dehalogenated electrochemically. The experiments were carried out with pure substances and transferred to mixed substances (real life samples). The investigations showed that both pure substances and complex mixtures can be dehalogenated without problems. Even in the presence of a clear oil matrix (e.g.: Oil trickled through a deposit), dehalogenisation of the xenobiotica present is possible. First attempts at 'scaling up' show that the method is also suitable in principle, for the disposal of large quantities of contaminated liquids. (BBR) [de

Omalizumab for severe allergic asthma in clinical trials and real-life studies: what we know and what we should address.

Science.gov (United States)

Caminati, Marco; Senna, Gianenrico; Guerriero, Massimo; Dama, Anna Rita; Chieco-Bianchi, Fulvia; Stefanizzi, Giorgia; Montagni, Marcello; Ridolo, Erminia

2015-04-01

Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) are the gold standard for the assessment of any therapeutic intervention. Real-life (R-L) studies are needed to verify the provided results beyond the experimental setting. This review aims at comparing RCTs and R-L studies on omalizumab in adult severe allergic asthma, in order to highlight the concurring results and the discordant/missing data. The results of a selective literature research, including "omalizumab, controlled studies, randomized trial, real-life studies" as key words are discussed. Though some similarities between RCTs and R-L studies strengthen omalizumab efficacy and safety outcomes, significant differences concerning study population features, follow-up duration, local adverse events and drop-out rate for treatment inefficacy emerge between the two study categories. Furthermore the comparative analysis between RCTs and R-L studies highlights the need for further research, concerning in particular long-term effects of omalizumab and its impact on asthma comorbidities. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Next Generation Life Support Project Status

Science.gov (United States)

Barta, Daniel J.; Chullen, Cinda; Pickering, Karen D.; Cox, Marlon; Towsend, Neil; Campbell, Colin; Flynn, Michael; Wheeler, Raymond

2012-01-01

Next Generation Life Support (NGLS) is one of several technology development projects sponsored by NASA s Game Changing Development Program. The NGLS Project is developing life support technologies (including water recovery and space suit life support technologies) needed for humans to live and work productively in space. NGLS has three project tasks: Variable Oxygen Regulator (VOR), Rapid Cycle Amine (RCA) swing bed, and Alternative Water Processor (AWP). The RCA swing bed and VOR tasks are directed at key technology needs for the Portable Life Support System (PLSS) for an Advanced Extravehicular Mobility Unit, with focus on test article development and integrated testing in an Advanced PLSS in cooperation with the Advanced Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) Project. An RCA swing-bed provides integrated carbon dioxide removal and humidity control that can be regenerated in real time during an EVA. The VOR technology will significantly increase the number of pressure settings available to the space suit. Current space suit pressure regulators are limited to only two settings whereas the adjustability of the advanced regulator will be nearly continuous. The AWP effort, based on natural biological processes and membrane-based secondary treatment, will result in the development of a system capable of recycling wastewater from sources expected in future exploration missions, including hygiene and laundry water. This paper will provide a status of technology development activities and future plans.

The use of life review to enhance spiritual well-being in patients with terminal illnesses: An integrative review.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwan, Cecilia W M; Ng, Marques S N; Chan, Carmen W H

2017-12-01

To conduct an integrative review of the current literature on using life review as an intervention to address the spiritual need of patients with terminal illnesses. Palliative care highlights the holistic approach of care including the spiritual aspect. Life review has been used in palliative nursing intending to enhance patients' emotional and spiritual well-being, and quality of life. However, there is a lack of publications that provide a structured overview on life review programmes and their effectiveness. Integrative review. The Whittemore and Knafl integrative review method was used. Five major online databases were included in our literature search. The keywords used were "life review" and "palliative care, terminal care, terminally ill, death & dying, hospice, spiritual wellbeing, spirituality". Seven primary papers were identified, critically appraised and synthesised in the final review. There are limited clinical studies on life review programmes for patients with terminal illness. The research design of these studies is too widely varied for meta-analysis. Here, we identified two major programmes of life review as an intervention to address the spiritual well-being of patients with terminal illness. However, repeated studies on the effectiveness of these two programmes are lacking. The shorter programme of life review is more likely to be applicable and effective for terminal patients. Further research in this area is required to provide strong evidence on the effectiveness and applicability of life review in patients receiving palliative care. This review adds weight to the need of a better understanding on the use of life review in addressing the spiritual needs of patients with terminal illness. Such understanding would provide evidence for the use of life review as an alternative approach in palliative care delivery. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Description of Anomalous Noise Events for Reliable Dynamic Traffic Noise Mapping in Real-Life Urban and Suburban Soundscapes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francesc Alías

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Traffic noise is one of the main pollutants in urban and suburban areas. European authorities have driven several initiatives to study, prevent and reduce the effects of exposure of population to traffic. Recent technological advances have allowed the dynamic computation of noise levels by means of Wireless Acoustic Sensor Networks (WASN such as that developed within the European LIFE DYNAMAP project. Those WASN should be capable of detecting and discarding non-desired sound sources from road traffic noise, denoted as anomalous noise events (ANE, in order to generate reliable noise level maps. Due to the local, occasional and diverse nature of ANE, some works have opted to artificially build ANE databases at the cost of misrepresentation. This work presents the production and analysis of a real-life environmental audio database in two urban and suburban areas specifically conceived for anomalous noise events’ collection. A total of 9 h 8 min of labelled audio data is obtained differentiating among road traffic noise, background city noise and ANE. After delimiting their boundaries manually, the acoustic salience of the ANE samples is automatically computed as a contextual signal-to-noise ratio (SNR. The analysis of the real-life environmental database shows high diversity of ANEs in terms of occurrences, durations and SNRs, as well as confirming both the expected differences between the urban and suburban soundscapes in terms of occurrences and SNRs, and the rare nature of ANE.

Organizational Leadership and Work-Life Integration: Insights from Three Generations of Men

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Deborah N.; Roebuck, Deborah; Elhaddaoui, Terri

2016-01-01

The literature has traditionally portrayed work-life balance as a women's issue. However, working men, specifically those classified as Generation X and Generation Y, are starting to speak up and share that they too are struggling with integrating all aspects of their lives. Workers, as well as organizations can benefit when employees have a…

Alpha: A real-time decentralized operating system for mission-oriented system integration and operation

Science.gov (United States)

Jensen, E. Douglas

1988-01-01

Alpha is a new kind of operating system that is unique in two highly significant ways. First, it is decentralized transparently providing reliable resource management across physically dispersed nodes, so that distributed applications programming can be done largely as though it were centralized. And second, it provides comprehensive, high technology support for real-time system integration and operation, an application area which consists predominately of aperiodic activities having critical time constraints such as deadlines. Alpha is extremely adaptable so that it can be easily optimized for a wide range of problem-specific functionality, performance, and cost. Alpha is the first systems effort of the Archons Project, and the prototype was created at Carnegie-Mellon University directly on modified Sun multiprocessor workstation hardware. It has been demonstrated with a real-time C(sup 2) application. Continuing research is leading to a series of enhanced follow-ons to Alpha; these are portable but initially hosted on Concurrent's MASSCOMP line of multiprocessor products.

Integrated Approaches for the Study of Real Mineral Flotation Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea Gerson

2013-01-01

Full Text Available It is more common than not, for mineral processing studies to proceed via the examination of model flotation systems with the resulting data often lacking statistical verification. The resultant concentrates and tails may then be subjected to a restricted range of analyses, for diagnosis of the flotation behavior variations observed, that themselves bias the outcomes. For instance surface analysis may be undertaken without reference to solution speciation, or liberation may be studied but surface speciation may not be taken into account. We propose an integrated approach whereby firstly the flotation data are vigorously scrutinized and the mineralogy, liberation, surface and solution speciation are examined in parallel to establish a chemical over view of the system. It is proposed that to make progress in the understanding of flotation systems, in terms of the minerals chemistry, that a multi-dimensional analytical approach is utilized and that the focus shifts towards the analysis of real ores and industrial flotation systems.

Project Orion, Environmental Control and Life Support System Integrated Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Russell, James F.; Lewis, John F.

2008-01-01

Orion is the next vehicle for human space travel. Humans will be sustained in space by the Orion subystem, environmental control and life support (ECLS). The ECLS concept at the subsystem level is outlined by function and technology. In the past two years, the interface definition with other subsystems has increased through different integrated studies. The paper presents the key requirements and discusses three recent studies (e.g., unpressurized cargo) along with the respective impacts on the ECLS design moving forward.

Real life experimental determination of platinum group metals content in automotive catalytic converters

Science.gov (United States)

Yakoumis, I.; Moschovi, A. M.; Giannopoulou, I.; Panias, D.

2018-03-01

The real life experimental protocol for the preparation of spent automobile catalyst samples for elemental analysis is thoroughly described in the following study. Collection, sorting and dismantling, homogenization and sample preparation for X-Ray fluorescence spectroscopy and Atomic Adsorption Spectroscopy combined with Inductive coupled plasma mass spectrometry are discussed in detail for both ceramic and metallic spent catalysts. The concentrations of Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) in spent catalytic converters are presented based on typical consignments of recycled converters (more than 45,000 pieces) from the Greek Market. The conclusions clearly denoted commercial metallic catalytic foil contains higher PGMs loading than ceramic honeycombs. On the other hand, the total PGMs loading in spent ceramic catalytic converters has been found higher than the corresponding value for the metallic ones.

The impact of real life treatment strategies for Candida peritonitis-A retrospective analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Dubler, S; Laun, M; Koch, C; Hecker, A; Weiterer, S; Siegler, B H; Röhrig, R; Weigand, M A; Lichtenstern, C

2017-07-01

Candida species are commonly detected isolates from abdominal foci. The question remains as to who would benefit from early empiric treatment in cases of Candida peritonitis. This study collected real-life data on critically ill patients with Candida peritonitis to estimate the relevance of the chosen treatment strategy on the outcome of these patients. One hundred and thirty-seven surgical intensive care unit (ICU) patients with intra-abdominal invasive Candidiasis were included in the study. Fifty-six patients did not get any antifungal agent. Twenty-nine patients were empirically treated, and 52 patients were specifically treated. In the group without, with empiric and with specific antifungal treatment, the 30-day mortality rate was 33.9, 48.3 and 44.2 respectively. Candida albicans was the most frequently found species. Seven patients in the specific treatment group and one patient in the empiric treatment group emerged with candidaemia. Age, leucocyte count, APACHE II Score and acute liver failure were independent predictors of 30-day mortality in patients with Candida peritonitis. Not all patients with Candida peritonitis received antifungal treatment in real clinical practice. Patients with higher morbidity more often got antifungals. Early empirical therapy has not been associated with a better 30-day mortality. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Effectiveness of integrated science instructional material on pressure in daily life theme to improve digital age literacy of students

Science.gov (United States)

Asrizal; Amran, A.; Ananda, A.; Festiyed; Khairani, S.

2018-04-01

Integrated science learning and literacy skills are relevant issues in Indonesian’s education. However, the use of the integrated science learning and the integration of literacy in learning cannot be implemented well. An alternative solution of this problem is to develop integrated science instructional material on pressure in daily life theme by integrating digital age literacy. Purpose of research is to investigate the effectiveness of the use of integrated science instructional material on pressure in daily life theme to improve knowledge competence, attitudes competence and literacy skills of students. This research was a part of development research which has been conducted. In the product testing stage of this research and development was used before and after design of treatment for one sample group. Instruments to collect the data consist of learning outcomes test sheet, attitude observation sheet, and performance assessment sheet of students. Data analysis techniques include descriptive statistics analysis, normality test, homogeneity test, and paired comparison test. Therefore, the important result of research is the use of integrated science instructional material on pressure in daily life theme is effective in scientific approach to improve knowledge competence, attitudes competence, and digital age literacy skills of grade VIII students at 95% confidence level.

Using CASE-tools based on formal methods in real-life system development of distributed systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stoelen, Ketil; Karlsen, Tore Willy; Mohn, Peter; Sandmark, Haaakon

1998-03-01

Within the OECD Halden Reactor Project (HRP) the development and application of formal methods to enhance system quality have been prioritised tasks for the last three years per periods. The three year programme 1997-1999 identifies the need to gain experience from applying formal methods in larger real-life system developments. This motivated the initiation of the HRP research activity Integration of Formal Specification in the Development of HAMMLAB 2000 (INT-FS). The principal objective of INT-FS is to experiment with formal methods in system developments connected to HAMMLAB 2000 and thereby gain a better understanding of their suitability to support practical software engineering. In particular, INT-FS will try to measure the effect of formal methods and gain experience in combining formal methods with traditional development techniques. INT-FS was started up in January 1997. This report describes the status of INT-FS by February 1998. The report identifies objectives and plans; it motivates the choice of formal methods, CASE-tool and software process; it motivates and defines metrics for measuring achievement and the effect of formalization. The report also provides preliminary results from an experimental development of a communication manager; it describes the component to be developed and the background of the participants; it offers some provisional statistics and summarises the experiences with methods and tools. The development of the communication manager is the first attempt ever to exploit state-of-the-art CASE-tools for formal methods in practical software engineering at the HRP. (author)

NASA Johnson Space Center Life Sciences Data System

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, Hasan; Cardenas, Jeffery

1994-01-01

The Life Sciences Project Division (LSPD) at JSC, which manages human life sciences flight experiments for the NASA Life Sciences Division, augmented its Life Sciences Data System (LSDS) in support of the Spacelab Life Sciences-2 (SLS-2) mission, October 1993. The LSDS is a portable ground system supporting Shuttle, Spacelab, and Mir based life sciences experiments. The LSDS supports acquisition, processing, display, and storage of real-time experiment telemetry in a workstation environment. The system may acquire digital or analog data, storing the data in experiment packet format. Data packets from any acquisition source are archived and meta-parameters are derived through the application of mathematical and logical operators. Parameters may be displayed in text and/or graphical form, or output to analog devices. Experiment data packets may be retransmitted through the network interface and database applications may be developed to support virtually any data packet format. The user interface provides menu- and icon-driven program control and the LSDS system can be integrated with other workstations to perform a variety of functions. The generic capabilities, adaptability, and ease of use make the LSDS a cost-effective solution to many experiment data processing requirements. The same system is used for experiment systems functional and integration tests, flight crew training sessions and mission simulations. In addition, the system has provided the infrastructure for the development of the JSC Life Sciences Data Archive System scheduled for completion in December 1994.

Impact of chronic urticaria on quality of life and work in Japan: Results of a real-world study.

Science.gov (United States)

Itakura, Asako; Tani, Yumiko; Kaneko, Naoko; Hide, Michihiro

2018-06-13

Little attention has been given to the burden of chronic urticaria (CU) in Japan compared with other skin diseases, such as atopic dermatitis (AD) and psoriasis. The primary objective of the RELEASE study was to evaluate the real-life quality-of-life impairment in CU patients in Japan. Data were collected from 1443 urticaria, 1668 AD and 435 psoriatic patients; 552 urticaria patients who presented urticaria symptoms for over 6 weeks were defined as CU. The mean Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) total score was 4.8, 6.1 and 4.8 in CU, AD and psoriatic patients, respectively. Disease control of urticaria evaluated by the Urticaria Control Test (UCT) and DLQI exhibited a strong correlation with a Spearman's rank correlation coefficient of -0.7158. CU and AD patients had relatively higher scores in all Work Productivity and Activity Impairment - General Health subscales except for absenteeism. At the time of the survey, approximately 64% of CU patients reported UCT scores of <12 and demonstrated higher work productivity loss and activity impairment versus patients with UCT scores of ≥12. Patients with lower UCT scores also displayed a higher percentage of dissatisfaction with their health state and the treatment they received. Approximately 85% of patients with CU had visited dermatology clinics, and less than 20% had visited hospital, indicating existence of a highly burdened population outside specialized centers. These results highlight the unmet medical needs of CU patients, suggesting the need to increase awareness of CU burden among both physicians and patients and to pursue improved real-life patient care. © 2018 Novartis K.K. The Journal of Dermatology published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Dermatological Association.

Modern real analysis

CERN Document Server

Ziemer, William P

2017-01-01

This first year graduate text is a comprehensive resource in real analysis based on a modern treatment of measure and integration. Presented in a definitive and self-contained manner, it features a natural progression of concepts from simple to difficult. Several innovative topics are featured, including differentiation of measures, elements of Functional Analysis, the Riesz Representation Theorem, Schwartz distributions, the area formula, Sobolev functions and applications to harmonic functions. Together, the selection of topics forms a sound foundation in real analysis that is particularly suited to students going on to further study in partial differential equations. This second edition of Modern Real Analysis contains many substantial improvements, including the addition of problems for practicing techniques, and an entirely new section devoted to the relationship between Lebesgue and improper integrals. Aimed at graduate students with an understanding of advanced calculus, the text will also appeal to mo...

Life sciences payload definition and integration study, task C and D. Volume 1: Management summary

Science.gov (United States)

1973-01-01

The findings of a study to define the required payloads for conducting life science experiments in space are presented. The primary objectives of the study are: (1) identify research functions to be performed aboard life sciences spacecraft laboratories and necessary equipment, (2) develop conceptual designs of potential payloads, (3) integrate selected laboratory designs with space shuttle configurations, and (4) establish cost analysis of preliminary program planning.

Real analysis and probability

CERN Document Server

Ash, Robert B; Lukacs, E

1972-01-01

Real Analysis and Probability provides the background in real analysis needed for the study of probability. Topics covered range from measure and integration theory to functional analysis and basic concepts of probability. The interplay between measure theory and topology is also discussed, along with conditional probability and expectation, the central limit theorem, and strong laws of large numbers with respect to martingale theory.Comprised of eight chapters, this volume begins with an overview of the basic concepts of the theory of measure and integration, followed by a presentation of var

Integration of plant life management in operation and maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hutin, Jean-Pierre

2002-01-01

Full text: 1 - INTRODUCTION. Electricite de France is now operating 58 PWR nuclear power plants which produce 75% of french electricity. Besides maintaining safety and availability on a routine basis, it is outmost important to protect the investment. Indeed, such an asset is a tremendous advantage just as the company is going to face the new european electricity market. That is the reason why EDF is devoting important effort to implement ageing management as an integral part of operation and maintenance programs. But it must be recognized that NPP lifetime is not threatened only by component-related problems: other less technical issues must be seriously considered like industrial support, information system, skilled people, public acceptance, etc. 2 - LIFE MANAGEMENT POLICY. In France, there is no limited licensing period for NPPs. The life management policy of nuclear power plants is based on three principles: - safe and cost-effective operation, looking for excellence in daily activities, with an effective experience feedback organisation taking advantage of the high level of standardization of the units, - every ten years, a new set of safety standards, a complete review of each facility and an upgrading of its safety level through appropriate modifications while maintaining unit standardization in all the fleet, - a Life Management Program, at corporate level, which permanently scrutinizes operation and maintenance activities to identify decisions which could impair plant lifetime and which surveys research and development programs related to ageing phenomenon understanding. 3 - INTEGRATION OF LIFETIME CONCERN IN O and M ACTIVITIES. It is outmost important to take in account lifetime concern in daily operation and maintenance activities and this must be done as early as possible in plant life. Even though sophisticated assessments require engineering capacity, many good ideas may arise from plant staff. For that reason, increasing lifetime awareness of plant

Comparative life cycle assessment of real pilot reactors for microalgae cultivation in different seasons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pérez-López, Paula; De Vree, Jeroen H.; Feijoo, Gumersindo; Bosma, Rouke; Barbosa, Maria J.; Moreira, María Teresa; Wijffels, René H.; Van Boxtel, Anton J.B.; Kleinegris, Dorinde M.M.

2017-01-01

Highlights: •Life cycle assessment was used to compare 3 real pilot systems for algae cultivation. •The temperature control system was the main contributor to environmental impacts. •Tubular reactors had lower impacts per unit of biomass produced than open pond. •Meteorological conditions on the reactors played a critical role in LCA results. •Environmental impact reductions of 17–90% were estimated for optimized full-scale reactors. -- Abstract: Microalgae are promising natural resources for biofuels, chemical, food and feed products. Besides their economic potential, the environmental sustainability must be examined. Cultivation has a significant environmental impact that depends on reactor selection and operating conditions. To identify the main environmental bottlenecks for scale-up to industrial facilities this study provides a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) of open raceway ponds and tubular photobioreactors at pilot scale. The results are based on experimental data from real pilot plants operated in summer, fall and winter at AlgaePARC (Wageningen, The Netherlands). The energy consumption for temperature regulation presented the highest environmental burden. The production of nutrients affected some categories. Despite limited differences compared to the vertical system, the horizontal PBR was found the most efficient in terms of productivity and environmental impact. The ORP was, given the Dutch climatic conditions, only feasible under summer operation. The results highlight the relevance of LCA as a tool for decision-making in process design. Weather conditions and availability of sources for temperature regulation were identified as essential factors for the selection of geographic locations and for microalgal cultivation systems based on environmental criteria. Simulation of large-scale reactors with optimized temperature regulation systems lead to environmental improvements and energy demand reductions ranging from 17% up to 90% for

Systems engineering real estate development projects

Science.gov (United States)

Gusakova, Elena; Titarenko, Boris; Stepanov, Vitaliy

2017-10-01

In recent years, real estate development has accumulated a wealth of experience in implementing major projects, which requires comprehension and systematization. The scientific instrument of system engineering is studied in the article and is substantively interpreted with reference to real estate development projects. The most perspective approaches and models are substantiated, allowing strategically to plan the life cycle of the project as a whole, and also to solve the engineering butt problems of the project. The relevance of further scientific studies of regularities and specifics of the life cycle of real estate development projects conducted at the Moscow State University of Economics and Management at the ISTA department is shown.

Integrating scientific data for drug discovery and development using the Life Sciences Grid.

Science.gov (United States)

Dow, Ernst R; Hughes, James B; Stephens, Susie M; Narayan, Vaibhav A; Bishop, Richard W

2009-06-01

There are many daunting challenges for companies who wish to bring novel drugs to market. The information complexity around potential drug targets has increased greatly with the introduction of microarrays, high-throughput screening and other technological advances over the past decade, but has not yet fundamentally increased our understanding of how to modify a disease with pharmaceuticals. Further, the bar has been raised in getting a successful drug to market as just being new is no longer enough: the drug must demonstrate improved performance compared with the ever increasing generic pharmacopeia to gain support from payers and government authorities. In addition, partly as a consequence of a climate of concern regarding the safety of drugs, regulatory authorities have approved fewer new molecular entities compared to historical norms over the past few years. To overcome these challenges, the pharmaceutical industry must fully embrace information technology to bring better understood compounds to market. An important first step in addressing an unmet medical need is in understanding the disease and identifying the physiological target(s) to be modulated by the drug. Deciding which targets to pursue for a given disease requires a multidisciplinary effort that integrates heterogeneous data from many sources, including genetic variations of populations, changes in gene expression and biochemical assays. The Life Science Grid was developed to provide a flexible framework to integrate such diverse biological, chemical and disease information to help scientists make better-informed decisions. The Life Science Grid has been used to rapidly and effectively integrate scientific information in the pharmaceutical industry and has been placed in the open source community to foster collaboration in the life sciences community.

Real analysis

CERN Document Server

McShane, Edward James

2013-01-01

This text surveys practical elements of real function theory, general topology, and functional analysis. Discusses the maximality principle, the notion of convergence, the Lebesgue-Stieltjes integral, function spaces and harmonic analysis. Includes exercises. 1959 edition.

Integration of lessons from recent research for “Earth to Mars” life support systems

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, M.; Dempster, W. F.; Allen, J. P.

Development of reliable and robust strategies for long-term life support for planetary exploration must be built from real-time experimentation to verify and improve system components. Also critical is incorporating a range of viable options to handle potential short-term life system imbalances. This paper revisits some of the conceptual framework for a Mars base prototype which has been developed by the authors along with others previously advanced ("Mars on Earth ®") in the light of three years of experimentation in the Laboratory Biosphere, further investigation of system alternatives and the advent of other innovative engineering and agri-ecosystem approaches. Several experiments with candidate space agriculture crops have demonstrated the higher productivity possible with elevated light levels and improved environmental controls. For example, crops of sweet potatoes exceeded original Mars base prototype projections by an average of 46% (53% for best crop) ultradwarf (Apogee) wheat by 9% (23% for best crop), pinto bean by 13% (31% for best crop). These production levels, although they may be increased with further optimization of lighting regimes, environmental parameters, crop density etc. offer evidence that a soil-based system can be as productive as the hydroponic systems which have dominated space life support scenarios and research. But soil also offers distinct advantages: the capability to be created on the Moon or Mars using in situ space resources, reduces long-term reliance on consumables and imported resources, and more readily recycling and incorporating crew and crop waste products. In addition, a living soil contains a complex microbial ecosystem which helps prevent the buildup of trace gases or compounds, and thus assist with air and water purification. The atmospheric dynamics of these crops were studied in the Laboratory Biosphere adding to the database necessary for managing the mixed stands of crops essential for supplying a nutritionally

Enteroviruses in blood of patients with type 1 diabetes detected by integrated cell culture and reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR.

Science.gov (United States)

Alidjinou, Enagnon Kazali; Sane, Famara; Lefevre, Christine; Baras, Agathe; Moumna, Ilham; Engelmann, Ilka; Vantyghem, Marie-Christine; Hober, Didier

2017-11-01

Enteroviruses (EV) have been associated with type 1 diabetes (T1D), but EV RNA detection has been reported in only a small proportion of T1D patients. We studied whether integrated cell culture and reverse transcription real-time PCR could improve EV detection in blood samples from patients with T1D. Blood was collected from 13 patients with T1D. The presence of EV RNA in blood was investigated by using real-time RT-PCR. In addition, plasma and white blood cells (WBC) were inoculated to BGM and Vero cell line cultures. Culture supernatants and cells collected on day 7 and day 14 were tested for EV RNA by real-time RT-PCR. Enterovirus identification was performed through sequencing of the VP4/VP2 region. Enterovirus RNA was detected in blood by using real-time RT-PCR in only one out of 13 patients. The detection of EV RNA in cultures inoculated with clinical samples (plasma and/or WBC) gave positive results in five other patients. The viral loads were low, ranging from 45 to 4420 copies/ng of total RNA. One isolate was successfully identified as coxsackievirus B1. Integrated cell culture and reverse transcription real-time PCR can improve the detection rate of EV in blood samples of patients with T1D and can be useful to investigate further the relationship between EV and the disease.

A study on integration of Waqf Real Estate and Zakat: A qualitative investigation for Asnaf Muallafs’ welfare

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, S. N. M.; Mokhtar, S.; Noor, A. H. Mohd; Johari, N.; Fauzi, N. S.; Salleh, N. A.

2018-02-01

This paper aims to explore the integration of waqf real estate and zakat in the social development of asnaf muallaf. Due to the significant integration of waqf and zakat in Malaysia, Al-Saadah Complex, Negeri Sembilan serves as a good case for this present research. The study relies on qualitative research, where primary data was collected from semi structured interviews with Al-Saadah Complex officers. The qualitative research was chosen because it represents public views and perspectives. Data was recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analyses for multiple interviews.From the result, it was revealed, from the Al-Saadah Complex officers’ perspective, there is a need for an integration between waqf and zakat to oversee the welfare of the asnaf muallaf. The officers are more concerned with the quality of services they give to the asnaf muallaf. Finally, we find the integration is a positive collaboration within the SIRC concerned but there is still limited development of this concept in Malaysia.

Integration and validation testing for PhEDEx, DBS and DAS with the PhEDEx LifeCycle agent

CERN Document Server

Wildish, Anthony

2013-01-01

The ever-increasing amount of data handled by the CMS dataflow and workflow management tools poses new challenges for cross-validation among different systems within CMS experiment at LHC. To approach this problem we developed an integration test suite based on the LifeCycle agent, a tool originally conceived for stress-testing new releases of PhEDEx, the CMS data-placement tool. The LifeCycle agent provides a framework for customising the test workflow in arbitrary ways, and can scale to levels of activity well beyond those seen in normal running. This means we can run realistic performance tests at scales not likely to be seen by the experiment for some years, or with custom topologies to examine particular situations that may cause concern some time in the future.The LifeCycle agent has recently been enhanced to become a general purpose integration and validation testing tool for major CMS services (PhEDEx, DBS, DAS). It allows cross-system integration tests of all three components to be performed in contr...

RTX Correction Accuracy and Real-Time Data Processing of the New Integrated SeismoGeodetic System with Real-Time Acceleration and Displacement Measurements for Earthquake Characterization Based on High-Rate Seismic and GPS Data

Science.gov (United States)

Zimakov, L. G.; Raczka, J.; Barrientos, S. E.

2016-12-01

We will discuss and show the results obtained from an integrated SeismoGeodetic System, model SG160-09, installed in the Chile (Chilean National Network), Italy (University of Naples Network), and California. The SG160-09 provides the user high rate GNSS and accelerometer data, full epoch-by-epoch measurement integrity and the ability to create combined GNSS and accelerometer high-rate (200Hz) displacement time series in real-time. The SG160-09 combines seismic recording with GNSS geodetic measurement in a single compact, ruggedized case. The system includes a low-power, 220-channel GNSS receiver powered by the latest Trimble-precise Maxwell™6 technology and supports tracking GPS, GLONASS and Galileo signals. The receiver incorporates on-board GNSS point positioning using Real-Time Precise Point Positioning (PPP) technology with satellite clock and orbit corrections delivered over IP networks. The seismic recording includes an ANSS Class A, force balance accelerometer with the latest, low power, 24-bit A/D converter, producing high-resolution seismic data. The SG160-09 processor acquires and packetizes both seismic and geodetic data and transmits it to the central station using an advanced, error-correction protocol providing data integrity between the field and the processing center. The SG160-09 has been installed in three seismic stations in different geographic locations with different Trimble global reference stations coverage The hardware includes the SG160-09 system, external Zephyr Geodetic-2 GNSS antenna, both radio and high-speed Internet communication media. Both acceleration and displacement data was transmitted in real-time to the centralized Data Acquisition Centers for real-time data processing. Command/Control of the field station and real-time GNSS position correction are provided via the Pivot platform. Data from the SG160-09 system was used for seismic event characterization along with data from traditional seismic and geodetic stations

Group integrative reminiscence therapy on self-esteem, life satisfaction and depressive symptoms in institutionalised older veterans.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Li-Fen

2011-08-01

The purpose of this study was to use group integrative reminiscence as a nursing intervention to evaluate the immediate effects on self-esteem, life satisfaction and depressive symptoms for a special group named 'institutionalised older veterans' after a 12-week intervention. The study group comprised institutionalised older veterans with combat experience, including being wounded in war and who were twice forced to relocate. The group participants had lower life satisfaction, and greater use for mental health services and greater non-specific health complaints were reported from this group. Reminiscence therapy has been considered an effective nursing intervention, but the effects on institutionalised older veterans have not been studied. A quasi-experimental design and purposive sampling were conducted. A total of 74 participants were studied with pre- and post-tests to measure the effect of group integrative reminiscence therapy. The activity was held once weekly for 12 weeks. The Life Satisfaction Index A, self-esteem scale and Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form were used as research tools, and the t-test, Fisher's exact test and generalised estimating equation were used for data analysis. All participants were male, with an average age of 81·34 years old, 91·9% unmarried and were in bad health. After 12 weeks of intervention, the reminiscence groups significantly improved their self-esteem and life satisfaction and decreased depressive symptoms compared with control groups. Group integrative reminiscence revealed immediate effects on improving the self-esteem and life satisfaction of institutionalised older veterans, and depressive symptoms were also decreased. Moreover, a sense of positive self-value and belonging to the institution was produced. Group integrative reminiscence is an applicable nursing intervention for vulnerable persons such as institutionalised older veterans. A structured protocol based on the characteristics of the residents and the

The Maia Spectroscopy Detector System: Engineering for Integrated Pulse Capture, Low-Latency Scanning and Real-Time Processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirkham, R.; Siddons, D.; Dunn, P.A.; Kuczewski, A.J.; Dodanwela, R.; Moorhead, G.F.; Ryan, C.G.; De Geronimo, G.; Beuttenmuller, R.; Pinelli, D.; Pfeffer, M.; Davey, P.; Jensen, M.; de Jonge, M.D.; Howard, D.L.; Kusel, M.; McKinlay, J.

2010-01-01

The Maia detector system is engineered for energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and elemental imaging at photon rates exceeding 10 7 /s, integrated scanning of samples for pixel transit times as small as 50 (micro)s and high definition images of 10 8 pixels and real-time processing of detected events for spectral deconvolution and online display of pure elemental images. The system developed by CSIRO and BNL combines a planar silicon 384 detector array, application-specific integrated circuits for pulse shaping and peak detection and sampling and optical data transmission to an FPGA-based pipelined, parallel processor. This paper describes the system and the underpinning engineering solutions.

Reversal of Dabigatran Using Idarucizumab in a Septic Patient with Impaired Kidney Function in Real-Life Practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas C. Sauter

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Immediate reversal of anticoagulation is essential when facing severe bleeding or emergency surgery. Although idarucizumab is approved for the reversal of dabigatran in many countries, clinical experiences are lacking, particularly in special patient-populations such as sepsis and impaired renal function. Case Presentation. We present the case of a 67-year-old male septic patient with a multilocular facial abscess and chronic kidney disease (GFR 36.5 mL/min. Thrombin time (TT and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT 15 hours after the last intake of 150 mg dabigatran were both prolonged (>120 sec, resp., 61 sec, as well as unbound dabigatran concentration (119.05 ng/mL. Before immediate emergency surgery dabigatran was antagonised using idarucizumab 2 × 2.5 g. Dabigatran concentration was not detectable 10 min after idarucizumab administration (<30 ng/mL. TT and aPTT time were normalised (16.2 sec, resp., 30.2 sec. Sepsis was controlled after surgery and kidney function remained stable. In the absence of postoperative bleeding, dabigatran was restarted 36 hours after admission. Conclusion. Idarucizumab successfully reversed the effect of dabigatran in real-life practice in a patient with sepsis and renal impairment and allowed emergency surgery with normal haemostasis. Efficacy and safety in real-life practice will nevertheless require prospective registries monitoring.

Quality of life improvement in HIV-1 patients treated with raltegravir in a real-life observational study: RACING.

Science.gov (United States)

Spire, Bruno; Nait-Ighil, Lella; Pugliese, Pascal; Poizot-Martin, Isabelle; Jullien, Vincent; Marcelin, Anne-Geneviève; Billaud, Eric

2017-01-01

Good efficacy and safety of raltegravir in person living with HIV was demonstrated in clinical trials over five years, but real-life data, particularly about quality of life (QoL), are lacking. QoL was evaluated over time in adult patients first treated or switched to regimens containing raltegravir in an observational cohort study. Patient QoL was evaluated using the Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS) and the HIV Symptom Index (HSI). Data were collected at baseline and at 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. Baseline FIS and HSI subscores were compared with the scores at each visit using the paired Wilcoxon test. The impact of time, sociodemographic and medical variables upon patient-perceived fatigue and symptoms was also assessed using mixed multivariate models. From baseline, all FIS and HSI subscores improved significantly after one month of treatment. In addition, psychosocial FIS subscores and both the frequency of bothersome symptoms and HSI subscores improved significantly at each visit. Physical FIS subscores also improved significantly, except at month 18, whereas both cognitive and total FIS subscores improved only after 6 months and 24 months, respectively. In multivariate analysis, employment was independently associated over time with improved improvement in both FIS and HSI subscores. Patient QoL improved significantly over a 24-month period of treatment with a raltegravir-containing regimen. FIS and HSI are sensitive tools to measure the impact of new antiretroviral combinations on a patient's perception of QoL.

Design of a robotized workstation making use of the integration of CAD models and Robotic Simulation software as way of pairing and comparing real and virtual environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Velíšek Karol

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Over the last years, there has been an increasing tendency and pressure on the faster implementation robotic devices and systems in manufacturing. Such transition involves several disciplines starting with the prototyping of CAD models itself. The paper addresses the creation of CAD models and is mainly aimed at their integration in a given simulation environment according to the conception and guidelines of Industry 4.0, where the part itself becomes the entity carrying most of the needed information at any time of a production process. The creation of such CAD models is key for the further and better customization of simulations. In other to better exemplify all this, the paper describes the whole process of “virtual to real life implementation” of a given robotized workplace needed to be developed at the Institute. The design of such robotized workplace included the use of an ABB IRB 120 robot and several other devices which were all designed, simulated and analyzed in a virtual environment before the final development and implementation. This paper helped demonstrating the importance of having exactly the same model (real and virtual with respect to the success of the offline simulations.

Sustainability as the integration of economics and ethics? Baden, Vienna/Austria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Erik Kloppenborg

2000-01-01

In this study it is argued that the corporate pursuit of sustainability calls forth attitudes in the business world which seem to integrate economic, political and moral issues. The quest for sustainability calls forth reflection and reorientation in business life concerning visions, goals, role...... in society and practices. Evidence from two cases of corporate communication seems to indicate that the "language of sustainability" implicates a certain reorientation in business life. Whether this reorientation is merely "rhetorical" rather than "real" is not discussed in this paper, but when people use...

Deceleration during 'real life' motor vehicle collisions – a sensitive predictor for the risk of sustaining a cervical spine injury?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hartwig Erich

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The predictive value of trauma impact for the severity of whiplash injuries has mainly been investigated in sled- and crash-test studies. However, very little data exist for real-life accidents. Therefore, the predictive value of the trauma impact as assessed by the change in velocity of the car due to the collision (ΔV for the resulting cervical spine injuries were investigated in 57 cases after real-life car accidents. Methods ΔV was determined for every car and clinical findings related to the cervical spine were assessed and classified according to the Quebec Task Force (QTF. Results In our study, 32 (56% subjects did not complain about symptoms and were therefore classified as QTF grade 0; 25 (44% patients complained of neck pain: 8 (14% were classified as QTF grade I, 6 (10% as QTF grade II, and 11 (19% as QTF grade IV. Only a slight correlation (r = 0.55 was found between the reported pain and ΔV. No relevant correlation was found between ΔV and the neck disability index (r = 0.46 and between ΔV and the QTF grade (r = 0.45 for any of the collision types. There was no ΔV threshold associated with acceptable sensitivity and specificity for the prognosis of a cervical spine injury. Conclusion The results of this study indicate that ΔV is not a conclusive predictor for cervical spine injury in real-life motor vehicle accidents. This is of importance for surgeons involved in medicolegal expertise jobs as well as patients who suffer from whiplash-associated disorders (WADs after motor vehicle accidents. Trial registration The study complied with applicable German law and with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration and was approved by the institutional ethics commission.

Integrating Varieties of Life Course Concepts

OpenAIRE

Duane F. Alwin

2012-01-01

A body of work referred to as the "life course" framework (also known as "life course theory," the "life course paradigm," and the "life course perspective") has been increasingly used to motivate and justify the examination of the relationships among variables in social and behavioral science, particularly in the study of population health and aging. Yet, there is very little agreement on what some of these concepts mean, and there is hardly any agreement on what the "life course" is. This a...

Issues of Application of Machine Learning Models for Virtual and Real-Life Buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Young Min Kim

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The current Building Energy Performance Simulation (BEPS tools are based on first principles. For the correct use of BEPS tools, simulationists should have an in-depth understanding of building physics, numerical methods, control logics of building systems, etc. However, it takes significant time and effort to develop a first principles-based simulation model for existing buildings—mainly due to the laborious process of data gathering, uncertain inputs, model calibration, etc. Rather than resorting to an expert’s effort, a data-driven approach (so-called “inverse” approach has received growing attention for the simulation of existing buildings. This paper reports a cross-comparison of three popular machine learning models (Artificial Neural Network (ANN, Support Vector Machine (SVM, and Gaussian Process (GP for predicting a chiller’s energy consumption in a virtual and a real-life building. The predictions based on the three models are sufficiently accurate compared to the virtual and real measurements. This paper addresses the following issues for the successful development of machine learning models: reproducibility, selection of inputs, training period, outlying data obtained from the building energy management system (BEMS, and validation of the models. From the result of this comparative study, it was found that SVM has a disadvantage in computation time compared to ANN and GP. GP is the most sensitive to a training period among the three models.

Integration of NASA-Developed Lifing Technology for PM Alloys into DARWIN (registered trademark)

Science.gov (United States)

McClung, R. Craig; Enright, Michael P.; Liang, Wuwei

2011-01-01

In recent years, Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) have worked independently on the development of probabilistic life prediction methods for materials used in gas turbine engine rotors. The two organizations have addressed different but complementary technical challenges. This report summarizes a brief investigation into the current status of the relevant technology at SwRI and GRC with a view towards a future integration of methods and models developed by GRC for probabilistic lifing of powder metallurgy (P/M) nickel turbine rotor alloys into the DARWIN (Darwin Corporation) software developed by SwRI.

Healthy food choices are happy food choices : evidence from a real life sample using smartphone based assessments

OpenAIRE

Wahl, Deborah R.; Villinger, Karoline; König, Laura M.; Ziesemer, Katrin; Schupp, Harald T.; Renner, Britta

2017-01-01

Research suggests that "healthy" food choices such as eating fruits and vegetables have not only physical but also mental health benefits and might be a long-term investment in future well-being. This view contrasts with the belief that high-caloric foods taste better, make us happy, and alleviate a negative mood. To provide a more comprehensive assessment of food choice and well-being, we investigated in-the-moment eating happiness by assessing complete, real life dietary behaviour across ei...

An integrated portable hand-held analyser for real-time isothermal nucleic acid amplification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, Matthew C.; Steimle, George; Ivanov, Stan; Holly, Mark; Fries, David P.

2007-01-01

A compact hand-held heated fluorometric instrument for performing real-time isothermal nucleic acid amplification and detection is described. The optoelectronic instrument combines a Printed Circuit Board/Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (PCB/MEMS) reaction detection/chamber containing an integrated resistive heater with attached miniature LED light source and photo-detector and a disposable glass waveguide capillary to enable a mini-fluorometer. The fluorometer is fabricated and assembled in planar geometry, rolled into a tubular format and packaged with custom control electronics to form the hand-held reactor. Positive or negative results for each reaction are displayed to the user using an LED interface. Reaction data is stored in FLASH memory for retrieval via an in-built USB connection. Operating on one disposable 3 V lithium battery >12, 60 min reactions can be performed. Maximum dimensions of the system are 150 mm (h) x 48 mm (d) x 40 mm (w), the total instrument weight (with battery) is 140 g. The system produces comparable results to laboratory instrumentation when performing a real-time nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) reaction, and also displayed comparable precision, accuracy and resolution to laboratory-based real-time nucleic acid amplification instrumentation. A good linear response (R 2 = 0.948) to fluorescein gradients ranging from 0.5 to 10 μM was also obtained from the instrument indicating that it may be utilized for other fluorometric assays. This instrument enables an inexpensive, compact approach to in-field genetic screening, providing results comparable to laboratory equipment with rapid user feedback as to the status of the reaction

An integrated portable hand-held analyser for real-time isothermal nucleic acid amplification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, Matthew C. [College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St Petersburg, FL (United States)], E-mail: msmith@marine.usf.edu; Steimle, George; Ivanov, Stan; Holly, Mark; Fries, David P. [College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St Petersburg, FL (United States)

2007-08-29

A compact hand-held heated fluorometric instrument for performing real-time isothermal nucleic acid amplification and detection is described. The optoelectronic instrument combines a Printed Circuit Board/Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (PCB/MEMS) reaction detection/chamber containing an integrated resistive heater with attached miniature LED light source and photo-detector and a disposable glass waveguide capillary to enable a mini-fluorometer. The fluorometer is fabricated and assembled in planar geometry, rolled into a tubular format and packaged with custom control electronics to form the hand-held reactor. Positive or negative results for each reaction are displayed to the user using an LED interface. Reaction data is stored in FLASH memory for retrieval via an in-built USB connection. Operating on one disposable 3 V lithium battery >12, 60 min reactions can be performed. Maximum dimensions of the system are 150 mm (h) x 48 mm (d) x 40 mm (w), the total instrument weight (with battery) is 140 g. The system produces comparable results to laboratory instrumentation when performing a real-time nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) reaction, and also displayed comparable precision, accuracy and resolution to laboratory-based real-time nucleic acid amplification instrumentation. A good linear response (R{sup 2} = 0.948) to fluorescein gradients ranging from 0.5 to 10 {mu}M was also obtained from the instrument indicating that it may be utilized for other fluorometric assays. This instrument enables an inexpensive, compact approach to in-field genetic screening, providing results comparable to laboratory equipment with rapid user feedback as to the status of the reaction.

Virtual Cerebral Aneurysm Clipping with Real-Time Haptic Force Feedback in Neurosurgical Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Gmeiner, Matthias; Dirnberger, Johannes; Fenz, Wolfgang; Gollwitzer, Maria; Wurm, Gabriele; Trenkler, Johannes; Gruber, Andreas

2018-04-01

Realistic, safe, and efficient modalities for simulation-based training are highly warranted to enhance the quality of surgical education, and they should be incorporated in resident training. The aim of this study was to develop a patient-specific virtual cerebral aneurysm-clipping simulator with haptic force feedback and real-time deformation of the aneurysm and vessels. A prototype simulator was developed from 2012 to 2016. Evaluation of virtual clipping by blood flow simulation was integrated in this software, and the prototype was evaluated by 18 neurosurgeons. In 4 patients with different medial cerebral artery aneurysms, virtual clipping was performed after real-life surgery, and surgical results were compared regarding clip application, surgical trajectory, and blood flow. After head positioning and craniotomy, bimanual virtual aneurysm clipping with an original forceps was performed. Blood flow simulation demonstrated residual aneurysm filling or branch stenosis. The simulator improved anatomic understanding for 89% of neurosurgeons. Simulation of head positioning and craniotomy was considered realistic by 89% and 94% of users, respectively. Most participants agreed that this simulator should be integrated into neurosurgical education (94%). Our illustrative cases demonstrated that virtual aneurysm surgery was possible using the same trajectory as in real-life cases. Both virtual clipping and blood flow simulation were realistic in broad-based but not calcified aneurysms. Virtual clipping of a calcified aneurysm could be performed using the same surgical trajectory, but not the same clip type. We have successfully developed a virtual aneurysm-clipping simulator. Next, we will prospectively evaluate this device for surgical procedure planning and education. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Proposal for the 4th Workshop on Mobile Gaming, Mobile Life – Interweaving the Virtual and the Real

OpenAIRE

Grüter , Barbara; Mügge , Holger; Oppermann , Leif; Billinghurst , Mark

2012-01-01

Part 18: Mobile Gaming, Mobile Life - Interweaving the Virtual and the Real; International audience; Over the last few years we have witnessed the smartphone dominating the market, the rapid growth of mobile apps, a surge in mobile augmented reality and location-based apps, and burgeoning mobile communities. While mobile topics continue to provide rich research challenges, people and companies outside academia already use these apps regularly. This is due to the increased availability of affo...

Rehabilitation of Executive Functions in a Real-Life Setting: Goal Management Training Applied to a Person with Schizophrenia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.-N. Levaux

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The aim was to assess the efficacy of a modified version of Goal Management Training (GMT in a person with schizophrenia who had difficulties in attaining the final goal for new and multitasking daily-life situations. GMT is designed to improve abilities in establishing goal-directed plans and carrying them out effectively. Beneficial effects of GMT were measured for several clinical questionnaires, laboratory tasks, and three real-life situations: meal preparation (trained, familiar; washing (nontrained, familiar; meeting preparation (nontrained, unfamiliar. The results revealed improvement in planning and on trained laboratory and meal preparation tasks and a generalization of GMT effects on nontrained laboratory and everyday tasks. Self-esteem also improved. Finally, a two-year followup indicated the durability of the beneficial effects.

Field Installation and Real-Time Data Processing of the New Integrated SeismoGeodetic System with Real-Time Acceleration and Displacement Measurements for Earthquake Characterization Based on High-Rate Seismic and GPS Data

Science.gov (United States)

Zimakov, Leonid; Jackson, Michael; Passmore, Paul; Raczka, Jared; Alvarez, Marcos; Barrientos, Sergio

2015-04-01

We will discuss and show the results obtained from an integrated SeismoGeodetic System, model SG160-09, installed in the Chilean National Network. The SG160-09 provides the user high rate GNSS and accelerometer data, full epoch-by-epoch measurement integrity and, using the Trimble Pivot™ SeismoGeodetic App, the ability to create combined GNSS and accelerometer high-rate (200Hz) displacement time series in real-time. The SG160-09 combines seismic recording with GNSS geodetic measurement in a single compact, ruggedized package. The system includes a low-power, 220-channel GNSS receiver powered by the latest Trimble-precise Maxwell™6 technology and supports tracking GPS, GLONASS and Galileo signals. The receiver incorporates on-board GNSS point positioning using Real-Time Precise Point Positioning (PPP) technology with satellite clock and orbit corrections delivered over IP networks. The seismic recording element includes an ANSS Class A, force balance triaxial accelerometer with the latest, low power, 24-bit A/D converter, which produces high-resolution seismic data. The SG160-09 processor acquires and packetizes both seismic and geodetic data and transmits it to the central station using an advanced, error-correction protocol with back fill capability providing data integrity between the field and the processing center. The SG160-09 has been installed in the seismic station close to the area of the Iquique earthquake of April 1, 2014, in northern Chile, a seismically prone area at the current time. The hardware includes the SG160-09 system, external Zephyr Geodetic-2 GNSS antenna, and high-speed Internet communication media. Both acceleration and displacement data was transmitted in real-time to the National Seismological Center in Santiago for real-time data processing using Earthworm / Early Bird software. Command/Control of the field station and real-time GNSS position correction are provided via the Pivot software suite. Data from the SG160-09 system was

Standard integral table algebras generated by non-real element of small degree

CERN Document Server

Muzychuk, Mikhail

2002-01-01

This book is addressed to the researchers working in the theory of table algebras and association schemes. This area of algebraic combinatorics has been rapidly developed during the last decade. The volume contains further developments in the theory of table algebras. It collects several papers which deal with a classification problem for standard integral table algebras (SITA). More precisely, we consider SITA with a faithful non-real element of small degree. It turns out that such SITA with some extra conditions may be classified. This leads to new infinite series of SITA which has interesting properties. The last section of the book uses a part of obtained results in the classification of association schemes. This volume summarizes the research which was done at Bar-Ilan University in the academic year 1998/99.

Integrating life-cycle environmental and economic assessment with transportation and land use planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Chester, Mikhail V; Nahlik, Matthew J; Fraser, Andrew M; Kimball, Mindy A; Garikapati, Venu M

2013-01-01

The environmental outcomes of urban form changes should couple life-cycle and behavioral assessment methods to better understand urban sustainability policy outcomes. Using Phoenix, Arizona light rail as a case study, an integrated transportation and land use life-cycle assessment (ITLU-LCA) framework is developed to assess the changes to energy consumption and air emissions from transit-oriented neighborhood designs. Residential travel, commercial travel, and building energy use are included and the framework integrates household behavior change assessment to explore the environmental and economic outcomes of policies that affect infrastructure. The results show that upfront environmental and economic investments are needed (through more energy-intense building materials for high-density structures) to produce long run benefits in reduced building energy use and automobile travel. The annualized life-cycle benefits of transit-oriented developments in Phoenix can range from 1.7 to 230 Gg CO2e depending on the aggressiveness of residential density. Midpoint impact stressors for respiratory effects and photochemical smog formation are also assessed and can be reduced by 1.2-170 Mg PM10e and 41-5200 Mg O3e annually. These benefits will come at an additional construction cost of up to $410 million resulting in a cost of avoided CO2e at $16-29 and household cost savings.

Predictors for the initiation of a basal supported oral therapy (BOT) in type 2 diabetic patients under real-life conditions in Germany.

Science.gov (United States)

Kostev, Karel; Dippel, Franz-Werner

2012-12-01

To assess the predictors for the initiation of a basal supported oral therapy (BOT) in type 2 diabetic patients under real-life conditions in Germany. A historical cohort study based on representative German real life data (IMS(®) Disease Analyzer) was performed. The study included patients with type 2 diabetes who started an oral antidiabetic drug (OAD) treatment between 01/1995 and 12/2011. Patients with consecutive treatment data for at least 12 months before the initiation of an OAD treatment were eligible for the analysis. The time-dependent rate of patients starting an insulin therapy with a long-acting insulin was calculated by use of the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariate Cox regression analyses were applied to identify associated factors. The study included 194,967 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus being on OAD therapy. 24,964 patients were switched to BOT during the observational period. The probability of switching to insulin therapy was associated with three main predictors such as (1) poor metabolic control, (2) midlife age and (3) number and type of the OAD before insulinization. The variation of the HbA1c threshold to HbA1c≥7.5 leads to comparable outcomes with significant HR. The highest probability of initiating a basal supported oral therapy (BOT) under real life conditions was found for patients with poor metabolic control, midlife age and pre-treatment with specific OADs such as SU, GLI or AGI before initiation of insulin therapy. Copyright © 2012 Primary Care Diabetes Europe. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Real-time fMRI pattern decoding and neurofeedback using FRIEND: an FSL-integrated BCI toolbox.

Science.gov (United States)

Sato, João R; Basilio, Rodrigo; Paiva, Fernando F; Garrido, Griselda J; Bramati, Ivanei E; Bado, Patricia; Tovar-Moll, Fernanda; Zahn, Roland; Moll, Jorge

2013-01-01

The demonstration that humans can learn to modulate their own brain activity based on feedback of neurophysiological signals opened up exciting opportunities for fundamental and applied neuroscience. Although EEG-based neurofeedback has been long employed both in experimental and clinical investigation, functional MRI (fMRI)-based neurofeedback emerged as a promising method, given its superior spatial resolution and ability to gauge deep cortical and subcortical brain regions. In combination with improved computational approaches, such as pattern recognition analysis (e.g., Support Vector Machines, SVM), fMRI neurofeedback and brain decoding represent key innovations in the field of neuromodulation and functional plasticity. Expansion in this field and its applications critically depend on the existence of freely available, integrated and user-friendly tools for the neuroimaging research community. Here, we introduce FRIEND, a graphic-oriented user-friendly interface package for fMRI neurofeedback and real-time multivoxel pattern decoding. The package integrates routines for image preprocessing in real-time, ROI-based feedback (single-ROI BOLD level and functional connectivity) and brain decoding-based feedback using SVM. FRIEND delivers an intuitive graphic interface with flexible processing pipelines involving optimized procedures embedding widely validated packages, such as FSL and libSVM. In addition, a user-defined visual neurofeedback module allows users to easily design and run fMRI neurofeedback experiments using ROI-based or multivariate classification approaches. FRIEND is open-source and free for non-commercial use. Processing tutorials and extensive documentation are available.

Real-time fMRI pattern decoding and neurofeedback using FRIEND: an FSL-integrated BCI toolbox.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

João R Sato

Full Text Available The demonstration that humans can learn to modulate their own brain activity based on feedback of neurophysiological signals opened up exciting opportunities for fundamental and applied neuroscience. Although EEG-based neurofeedback has been long employed both in experimental and clinical investigation, functional MRI (fMRI-based neurofeedback emerged as a promising method, given its superior spatial resolution and ability to gauge deep cortical and subcortical brain regions. In combination with improved computational approaches, such as pattern recognition analysis (e.g., Support Vector Machines, SVM, fMRI neurofeedback and brain decoding represent key innovations in the field of neuromodulation and functional plasticity. Expansion in this field and its applications critically depend on the existence of freely available, integrated and user-friendly tools for the neuroimaging research community. Here, we introduce FRIEND, a graphic-oriented user-friendly interface package for fMRI neurofeedback and real-time multivoxel pattern decoding. The package integrates routines for image preprocessing in real-time, ROI-based feedback (single-ROI BOLD level and functional connectivity and brain decoding-based feedback using SVM. FRIEND delivers an intuitive graphic interface with flexible processing pipelines involving optimized procedures embedding widely validated packages, such as FSL and libSVM. In addition, a user-defined visual neurofeedback module allows users to easily design and run fMRI neurofeedback experiments using ROI-based or multivariate classification approaches. FRIEND is open-source and free for non-commercial use. Processing tutorials and extensive documentation are available.

Real-Time fMRI Pattern Decoding and Neurofeedback Using FRIEND: An FSL-Integrated BCI Toolbox

Science.gov (United States)

Sato, João R.; Basilio, Rodrigo; Paiva, Fernando F.; Garrido, Griselda J.; Bramati, Ivanei E.; Bado, Patricia; Tovar-Moll, Fernanda; Zahn, Roland; Moll, Jorge

2013-01-01

The demonstration that humans can learn to modulate their own brain activity based on feedback of neurophysiological signals opened up exciting opportunities for fundamental and applied neuroscience. Although EEG-based neurofeedback has been long employed both in experimental and clinical investigation, functional MRI (fMRI)-based neurofeedback emerged as a promising method, given its superior spatial resolution and ability to gauge deep cortical and subcortical brain regions. In combination with improved computational approaches, such as pattern recognition analysis (e.g., Support Vector Machines, SVM), fMRI neurofeedback and brain decoding represent key innovations in the field of neuromodulation and functional plasticity. Expansion in this field and its applications critically depend on the existence of freely available, integrated and user-friendly tools for the neuroimaging research community. Here, we introduce FRIEND, a graphic-oriented user-friendly interface package for fMRI neurofeedback and real-time multivoxel pattern decoding. The package integrates routines for image preprocessing in real-time, ROI-based feedback (single-ROI BOLD level and functional connectivity) and brain decoding-based feedback using SVM. FRIEND delivers an intuitive graphic interface with flexible processing pipelines involving optimized procedures embedding widely validated packages, such as FSL and libSVM. In addition, a user-defined visual neurofeedback module allows users to easily design and run fMRI neurofeedback experiments using ROI-based or multivariate classification approaches. FRIEND is open-source and free for non-commercial use. Processing tutorials and extensive documentation are available. PMID:24312569

Comparing the happiness effects of real and on-line friends.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John F Helliwell

Full Text Available A recent large Canadian survey permits us to compare face-to-face ('real-life' and on-line social networks as sources of subjective well-being. The sample of 5,000 is drawn randomly from an on-line pool of respondents, a group well placed to have and value on-line friendships. We find three key results. First, the number of real-life friends is positively correlated with subjective well-being (SWB even after controlling for income, demographic variables and personality differences. Doubling the number of friends in real life has an equivalent effect on well-being as a 50% increase in income. Second, the size of online networks is largely uncorrelated with subjective well-being. Third, we find that real-life friends are much more important for people who are single, divorced, separated or widowed than they are for people who are married or living with a partner. Findings from large international surveys (the European Social Surveys 2002-2008 are used to confirm the importance of real-life social networks to SWB; they also indicate a significantly smaller value of social networks to married or partnered couples.

Integration of ICT in everyday life - exploration of transition processes in an environmental perspective

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Røpke, Inge

2009-01-01

Presently, one of the fastest growing fields of consumption is the use of information and communication technologies (ICT). The integration of ICT in social practices is part of wide-ranging transition processes constructing new ‘normal standards’ in everyday life, and these changes have large...

Elements of real analysis

CERN Document Server

Al-Gwaiz, MA

2006-01-01

PREFACEPRELIMINARIES Sets FunctionsREAL NUMBERSField AxiomsOrder Axioms Natural Numbers, Integers, Rational NumbersCompleteness Axiom Decimal Representation of Real Numbers Countable SetsSEQUENCESSequences and ConvergenceProperties of Convergent Sequences Monotonic SequencesThe Cauchy Criterion Subsequences Upper and Lower Limits Open and Closed Sets INFINITE SERIESBasic Properties Convergence TestsLIMIT OF A FUNCTIONLimit of a Function Basic Theorems Some Extensions of the LimitMonotonic Functions CONTINUITY Continuous Functions Combinations of Continuous Functions Continuity on an IntervalUniformContinuityCompact Sets and ContinuityDIFFERENTIATION The DerivativeTheMean Value TheoremL'Hôpital's RuleTaylor's TheoremTHE RIEMANN INTEGRALRiemann Integrability Darboux's Theorem and Riemann SumsProperties of the Integral The Fundamental Theorem of Calculus Improper IntegralsSEQUENCES AND SERIES OF FUNCTIONSSequences of FunctionsProperties of Uniform ConvergenceSeries of FunctionsPower Series LEBESGUE MEASURE Clas...

Learning motivational interviewing in a real-life setting: a randomised controlled trial in the Swedish Prison Service.

Science.gov (United States)

Forsberg, Lars; Ernst, Denise; Farbring, Carl Åke

2011-07-01

Motivational interviewing (MI) is a client-centred, directive counselling style for helping people to explore and resolve ambivalence about behaviour change and shown to decrease drug and alcohol use. A five-session semi-structured MI intervention [Beteende, Samtal, Förändring (BSF; Behaviour, Counselling, Change)] was implemented in Swedish prisons. To examine whether, in a real-life implementation of semi-structured MI, staff receiving ongoing MI training, based on audio-recorded feedback in peer groups (BSF+), possess greater MI skill compared with staff receiving workshop-only MI training (BSF), and staff conducting usual prison planning interviews (UPI). Prisoners were randomised to one of the three interventions. The fi rst sessions between staff and prisoner with complete data were assessed with the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity Code 3.0. Content analysis of 45 staff: prisoner sessions revealed that counsellors in the BSF+ group were significantly more competent in MI than those in the UPI group, but there was no difference in MI competency between the BSF and UPI groups. Overall, staff were rated as not having achieved beginning proficiency. Our findings suggest that staff delivering motivational interviewing programmes for substance-misusing prisoners in Sweden are not being given sufficient training for the task. Previous literature has suggested that staff need more than a basic 3- to 5-day workshop training, but our findings suggest that they may need longer-term continuing supervision and support than previously recognised.

Integration and validation testing for PhEDEx, DBS and DAS with the PhEDEx LifeCycle agent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boeser, C; Chwalek, T; Giffels, M; Kuznetsov, V; Wildish, T

2014-01-01

The ever-increasing amount of data handled by the CMS dataflow and workflow management tools poses new challenges for cross-validation among different systems within CMS experiment at LHC. To approach this problem we developed an integration test suite based on the LifeCycle agent, a tool originally conceived for stress-testing new releases of PhEDEx, the CMS data-placement tool. The LifeCycle agent provides a framework for customising the test workflow in arbitrary ways, and can scale to levels of activity well beyond those seen in normal running. This means we can run realistic performance tests at scales not likely to be seen by the experiment for some years, or with custom topologies to examine particular situations that may cause concern some time in the future. The LifeCycle agent has recently been enhanced to become a general purpose integration and validation testing tool for major CMS services. It allows cross-system integration tests of all three components to be performed in controlled environments, without interfering with production services. In this paper we discuss the design and implementation of the LifeCycle agent. We describe how it is used for small-scale debugging and validation tests, and how we extend that to large-scale tests of whole groups of sub-systems. We show how the LifeCycle agent can emulate the action of operators, physicists, or software agents external to the system under test, and how it can be scaled to large and complex systems.

Integration and validation testing for PhEDEx, DBS and DAS with the PhEDEx LifeCycle agent

Science.gov (United States)

Boeser, C.; Chwalek, T.; Giffels, M.; Kuznetsov, V.; Wildish, T.

2014-06-01

The ever-increasing amount of data handled by the CMS dataflow and workflow management tools poses new challenges for cross-validation among different systems within CMS experiment at LHC. To approach this problem we developed an integration test suite based on the LifeCycle agent, a tool originally conceived for stress-testing new releases of PhEDEx, the CMS data-placement tool. The LifeCycle agent provides a framework for customising the test workflow in arbitrary ways, and can scale to levels of activity well beyond those seen in normal running. This means we can run realistic performance tests at scales not likely to be seen by the experiment for some years, or with custom topologies to examine particular situations that may cause concern some time in the future. The LifeCycle agent has recently been enhanced to become a general purpose integration and validation testing tool for major CMS services. It allows cross-system integration tests of all three components to be performed in controlled environments, without interfering with production services. In this paper we discuss the design and implementation of the LifeCycle agent. We describe how it is used for small-scale debugging and validation tests, and how we extend that to large-scale tests of whole groups of sub-systems. We show how the LifeCycle agent can emulate the action of operators, physicists, or software agents external to the system under test, and how it can be scaled to large and complex systems.

Safety and efficacy of venom immunotherapy: a real life study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kołaczek, Agnieszka; Skorupa, Dawid; Antczak-Marczak, Monika; Kuna, Piotr; Kupczyk, Maciej

2017-04-01

Venom immunotherapy (VIT) is recommended as the first-line treatment for patients allergic to Hymenoptera venom. To analyze the safety and efficacy of VIT in a real life setting. One hundred and eighty patients undergoing VIT were studied to evaluate the safety, efficacy, incidence and nature of symptoms after field stings and adverse reactions to VIT. Significantly more patients were allergic to wasp than bee venom (146 vs. 34, p bees, and were not associated with angiotensin convertase inhibitors (ACEi) or β-adrenergic antagonists use. Systemic reactions were observed in 4 individuals on wasp VIT (2.7%) and in 6 patients allergic to bees (17.65%). The VIT was efficacious as most patients reported no reactions (50%) or reported only mild local reactions (43.75%) to field stings. The decrease in sIgE at completion of VIT correlated with the dose of vaccine received ( r = 0.53, p = 0.004). Beekeeping (RR = 29.54, p venom allergy. Venom immunotherapy is highly efficacious and safe as most of the adverse events during the induction and maintenance phase are mild and local. Side effects of VIT are more common in subjects on bee VIT. Beekeeping and female sex are associated with a higher risk of allergy to Hymenoptera venom.

Exploring sustainability transitions in households: insights from real-life experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Baedeker, Carolin; Buhl, Johannes; Greiff, Kathrin; Hasselkuß, Marco; Liedtke, Christa; Lukas, Melanie

2016-04-01

Societal transformation towards sustainable consumption and production, especially in urban areas, is a key challenge. The design and implementation of sustainable product service systems (PSS) might be the initial point, in which private households play a major role. The Sustainable LivingLab research infrastructure was developed as an experimental setting for investigating consumption and production patterns in private households, especially to explore socio-technical innovations which are helpful to guide sustainability transitions. The suggested presentation describes results of several real-life experiments conducted in German households, e.g. the project SusLabNRW (North-Rhine Westphalia as part of the European SusLabNWE-Project), the EnerTransRuhr project as well as the PATHWAYS project that explore patterns of action, time use, social practices and the related resource use in private households. The presentation gives an overview of the employed methods and analysed data (qualitative interviews, social network analysis, survey on household activities and inventories and a sustainability assessment (resource profiles - MIPS household analysis). Households' resource consumption was calculated in all fields of activity to analyse social practices' impact. The presentation illustrates how aggregated data can inform scenario analysis and concludes with an outlook onto transition pathways at household level and socio-technical innovations in the fields of housing, nutrition and mobility.

Day-ahead optimal dispatch for wind integrated power system considering zonal reserve requirements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Fan; Bie, Zhaohong; Liu, Shiyu; Ding, Tao

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Analyzing zonal reserve requirements for wind integrated power system. • Modeling day-ahead optimal dispatch solved by chance constrained programming theory. • Determining optimal zonal reserve demand with minimum confidence interval. • Analyzing numerical results on test and large-scale real-life power systems. - Abstract: Large-scale integration of renewable power presents a great challenge for day-ahead dispatch to manage renewable resources while provide available reserve for system security. Considering zonal reserve is an effective way to ensure reserve deliverability when network congested, a random day-ahead dispatch optimization of wind integrated power system for a least operational cost is modeled including zonal reserve requirements and N − 1 security constraints. The random model is transformed into a deterministic one based on the theory of chance constrained programming and a determination method of optimal zonal reserve demand is proposed using the minimum confidence interval. After solving the deterministic model, the stochastic simulation is conducted to verify the validity of solution. Numerical tests and results on the IEEE 39 bus system and a large-scale real-life power system demonstrate the optimal day-ahead dispatch scheme is available and the proposed method is effective for improving reserve deliverability and reducing load shedding after large-capacity power outage.

Assessing acupuncture effect in the real world study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qi-Wen Zhang

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Acupuncture, with its unique set of theories and its evident results in clinical practice is an important part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM, and gaining recognition worldwide for the past few years. Although acupuncture treatment is generally accepted by the public, a few western researchers believe that sufficient evidence of its efficiency is still currently lacking, therefore creating a challenge of its acceptance on a wider scale. This article suggests the concepts of acupuncture behind clinical researches by reviewing the clinical researches done, analyzing the existing problems, and integrating real life acupuncture into the research process. By increasing the credibility of acupuncture, its reach can be extended globally and to more countries and regions.

An integrated approach to calculate life cycle costs of arms and military equipment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vlada S. Sokolović

2013-12-01

, costs are one of the most dominant parameters in decision-making. Modern trends in this area comprehensively perceive all costs during the life cycle of assets.In general, in the analysis of costs in the life cycle of AME there are two sets of costs: visible and invisible (hidden costs. The visible part of the costs is mainly present in decision-making and usually includes the cost of equipping units or purchase of assets. The invisible part of the costs is far more significant. Although it is larger than the visible part and covers more groups of costs, decision-makers often do not take it into account. The hidden costs include: distribution costs, operating costs, maintenance costs, training costs, inventory costs, information systems costs, the cost of disposal and write-offs, etc. The decision making problem about investment in the AME purchase and equipping is obviously of  multicriteria nature, whether an optimum combination of costs for one  technical system (AME is in question, or whether it is a choice of a system of AME among many offered. COST ANALYSIS OF A PARTICULAR  ASSET For the illustration of an integrated approach to the analysis of the cost of assets in their life-cycle, a model from the US Naval Postgraduate School, was adjusted and applied on an example of a real asset. The model is applied to the case of two  squadrons of identical aircraft based at different airports. With regard to the availability, confidentiality, and the variability of costs and reliability of the elements of AME, the calculations in the model are implemented on the basis of the estimated or orientation parameters. Essentially, the goal is to demonstrate the interdependence, mutual relations and influences of parameters and their ultimate impact on the overall cost of military assets. Applying the model to a particular example points to the fact that, in the first years of asset life, the dominant cost is that of asset procurement (cost of acquisition, cost of assets

Pipeline integrity model-a formative approach towards reliability and life assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sayed, A.M.; Jaffery, M.A.

2005-01-01

Pipe forms an integral part of transmission medium in oil and gas industry. This holds true for both upstream and downstream segments of this global energy business. With the aging of this asset base, emphasis on its operational aspects has been under immense considerations from the operators and regulators sides. Moreover, the milieu of information area and enhancement in global trade has lifted the barriers on means to forge forward towards better utilization of resources. This has resulted in optimized solutions as priority for business and technical manager's world over. There is a paradigm shift from mere development of 'smart materials' to 'low life cycle cost material'. The force inducing this change is a rationale one: the recovery of development costs is no more a problem in a global community; rather it is the pay-off time which matters most to the materials end users. This means that decision makers are not evaluating just the price offered but are keen to judge the entire life cycle cost of a product. The integrity of pipe are affected by factors such as corrosion, fatigue-crack growth, stress-corrosion cracking, and mechanical damage. Extensive research in the area of reliability and life assessment has been carried out. A number of models concerning with the reliability issues of pipes have been developed and are being used by a number of pipeline operators worldwide. Yet, it is emphasised that there are no substitute for sound engineering judgment and allowance for factors of safety. The ability of a laid down pipe network to transport the intended fluid under pre-defined conditions for the entire project envisaged life, is referred to the reliability of system. The reliability is built into the product through extensive benchmarking against industry standard codes. The process of pipes construction for oil and gas service is regulated through American Petroleum Institute's Specification for Line Pipe. Subsequently, specific programs have been

Real Heroes.

Science.gov (United States)

Denenberg, Dennis

2001-01-01

Presents stories taken from the book, "50 American Heroes Every Kid Should Meet," explaining that children need to learn about the value of real-life human accomplishments (versus those of athletes, television personalities, and rock stars). The heroes include Elizabeth Blackwell, first American woman doctor; George C. Marshall,…

Report on GeoData 2011 Workshop - Data Life Cycle, Integration and Citation

Science.gov (United States)

Signell, R.; Fox, P.

2012-04-01

The U.S. GeoData 2011 was inspired by a joint NSF-USGS identification of the need to hear from the broader 'geo' community on a variety of data related matters. While increasing attention needed to be paid to full life cycle of data, in the process of preparing and scoping the workshop two other hot issues were identified: integration and citation, giving the workshop three subject areas to delve into as well as to explore connections among them. Invited participants were drawn from all 'Geo' disciplines, and beyond, from information, computer and library science, from academia, agency and commercial organizations, and from student to senior faculty/ administrators. The workshop diversity provided a rich exchange of ideas, experiences and challenges for GeoData. Many key findings and recommendations have been extracted from the detail breakout discussions and syntheses during and after the workshop. Topical categories included: metadata, standards, standards-based tools, culture, collaboration and workforce. Key points that cut across all three-subject areas were: - A shift is needed within agencies to provide longer-term funding support, for communities to come together, remain coherent and to enable data stewardship, integration and citation within their communities and across to other communities (to the extent possible). - Agencies like USGS, NASA and NOAA must also play a key role in sustaining geoscience cyberinfrastructure by moving research advances into operations. - Community-wide standards and practices should build from demonstrated successes, be widely disseminated, and tools need to be developed to support them. - Education is critical to broader adoption. Marketing studies need to be conducted to provide the business case for full stewardship, integration and citation, and incentives are needed to encourage everyone to participate in making data integratable, citable, etc. While technology gaps are still evident across the three topic areas, there is

Integrated manure utilization system life-cycle value assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Row, J.; Neabel, D. [Pembina Inst. for Appropriate Development, Drayton Valley, AB (Canada)

2005-10-15

A life-cycle assessment of the Alberta Research Council (ARC) and Highmark Renewables' development of an integrated manure utilization system (IMUS) were presented. The assessment focused on an evaluation of factors of primary importance to government, investors and the livestock industry. IMUS technology uses manure as a resource to produce electricity, heat, bio-based fertilizer and reusable water. Results of the assessment indicated that IMUS plants have the potential to be financially viable if a power purchase of $90 MWh on average can be purchased from a 30,000 head livestock operation. A capital cost of under $11 million is necessary, and an established biofertilizer price of $50 per tonne should be established. An IMUS plant was estimated to reduce life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions by 70 to 80 per cent when compared to land spreading. Reductions are accomplished through displacing electricity from the provincial grid and reducing nitrous oxide (N{sub 2}O) emissions from spreading of manure The IMUS plants lessen environment impacts by reducing the extraction and consumption of non-renewable resources, and by displacing an estimated 11,700 GJ of coal and natural gas per 1000 head of cattle per year. In addition, various pathogens within manure are eliminated. The plants have the potential to eliminate the environmental hazards associated with the disposal of deadstock. The systems reduce manure odour, lessen truck traffic and are expected to contribute to rural economic diversification. Barriers to further implementation of IMUS were discussed, as well as emerging opportunities for IMUS developers. It was concluded that the initial assessments of the IMUS were positive. Further investigation is needed to determine actual life-cycle performance of the operations. 18 refs., 3 tabs., 3 figs.

An MILP approach to shelf life integrated planning and scheduling in scalded sausage production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Günther, H.O.; van Beek, P.; Grunow, Martin

2006-01-01

in which shelf life aspects are integrated into operational production planning and scheduling functions. Specifically we make use of so-called Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) models. Our research is based on an industrial case study of yogurt production. Relying on the principle of block planning...

Integrated Concentration in Science (iCons): Undergraduate Education Through Interdisciplinary, Team-Based, Real-World Problem Solving

Science.gov (United States)

Tuominen, Mark

2013-03-01

Attitude, Skills, Knowledge (ASK) - In this order, these are fundamental characteristics of scientific innovators. Through first-hand practice in using science to unpack and solve complex real-world problems, students can become self-motivated scientific leaders. This presentation describes the pedagogy of a recently developed interdisciplinary undergraduate science education program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst focused on addressing global challenges with scientific solutions. Integrated Concentration in Science (iCons) is an overarching concentration program that supplements the curricula provided within each student's chosen major. iCons is a platform for students to perform student-led research in interdisciplinary collaborative teams. With a schedule of one course per year over four years, the cohort of students move through case studies, analysis of real-world problems, development of potential solutions, integrative communication, laboratory practice, and capstone research projects. In this presentation, a track emphasizing renewable energy science is used to illustrate the iCons pedagogical methods. This includes discussion of a third-year laboratory course in renewable energy that is educationally scaffolded: beginning with a boot camp in laboratory techniques and culminating with student-designed research projects. Among other objectives, this course emphasizes the practice of using reflection and redesign, as a means of generating better solutions and embedding learning for the long term. This work is supported in part by NSF grant DUE-1140805.

'Real-life' effectiveness studies of omalizumab in adult patients with severe allergic asthma: systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Abraham, I; Alhossan, A; Lee, C S; Kutbi, H; MacDonald, K

2016-05-01

We reviewed 24 'real-life' effectiveness studies of omalizumab in the treatment of severe allergic asthma that included 4117 unique patients from 32 countries with significant heterogeneity in patients, clinicians and settings. The evidence underscores the short- and long-term benefit of anti-IgE therapy in terms of the following: improving lung function; achieving asthma control and reducing symptomatology, severe exacerbations and associated work/school days lost; reducing healthcare resource utilizations, in particular hospitalizations, hospital lengths of stay and accident specialist or emergency department visits; reducing or discontinuing other asthma medications; and improving quality of life - thus confirming, complementing and extending evidence from randomized trials. Thus, omalizumab therapy is associated with signal improvements across the full objective and subjective burden of illness chain of severe allergic asthma. Benefits of omalizumab may extend up to 2-4 years, and the majority of omalizumab-treated patients may benefit for many years. Omalizumab has positive short- and long-term safety profiles similar to what is known from randomized clinical trials. Initiated patients should be monitored for treatment response at 16 weeks. Those showing positive response at that time are highly likely to show sustained treatment response and benefit in terms of clinical, quality of life and health resource utilization outcomes. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Do children do what they say? Responses to hypothetical and real-life social problems in children with mild intellectual disabilities and behaviour problems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Nieuwenhuijzen, M; Bijman, ER; Lamberix, ICW; Wijnroks, L; de Castro, BO; Vermeer, A; Matthys, W

Background Most research on children's social problem-solving skills is based on responses to hypothetical vignettes. Just how these responses relate to actual behaviour in real-life social situations is, however, unclear, particularly for children with mild intellectual disabilities (MID). Method

Off the fence, onto the bandwagon? A large-scale survey experiment on effect of real-life poll outcomes on subsequent vote intentions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Meer, T.W.G.; Hakhverdian, A.; Aaldering, L.

2016-01-01

Despite decades of scholarly inquiry, the debate on the existence of a bandwagon effect in politics remains undecided. This article aims to overcome the limitations of previous experimental and survey research. We test to what extent success in real-life polling outcomes of the previous weeks

Cybersex addiction: Experienced sexual arousal when watching pornography and not real-life sexual contacts makes the difference.

Science.gov (United States)

Laier, Christian; Pawlikowski, Mirko; Pekal, Jaro; Schulte, Frank P; Brand, Matthias

2013-06-01

Background and aims Cybersex addiction is discussed controversially, while empirical evidence is widely missing. With respect to its mechanisms of development and maintenance Brand et al. (2011) assume that reinforcement due to cybersex should lead to the development of cue-reactivity and craving explaining recurrent cybersex use in the face of growing but neglected negative consequences. To support this hypothesis, two experimental studies were conducted. Methods In a cue-reactivity paradigm 100 pornographic cues were presented to participants and indicators of sexual arousal and craving were assessed. The first study aimed at identifying predictors of cybersex addiction in a freely recruited sample of 171 heterosexual males. The aim of the second study was to verify the findings of the first study by comparing healthy (n = 25) and problematic (n = 25) cybersex users. Results The results show that indicators of sexual arousal and craving to Internet pornographic cues predicted tendencies towards cybersex addiction in the first study. Moreover, it was shown that problematic cybersex users report greater sexual arousal and craving reactions resulting from pornographic cue presentation. In both studies, the number and subjective quality of real-life sexual contacts were not associated to cybersex addiction. Discussion The results support the gratification hypothesis, which assumes reinforcement, learning mechanisms, and craving to be relevant processes in the development and maintenance of cybersex addiction. Poor or unsatisfying sexual real-life contacts cannot sufficiently explain cybersex addiction. Conclusions Positive reinforcement in terms of gratification plays a major role in cybersex addiction.

Innovative curriculum: Integrating the bio-behavioral and social science principles across the LifeStages in basic science years.

Science.gov (United States)

Lele Mookerjee, Anuradha; Fischer, Bradford D; Cavanaugh, Susan; Rajput, Vijay

2018-05-20

Behavioral and social science integration in clinical practice improves health outcomes across the life stages. The medical school curriculum requires an integration of the behavioral and social science principles in early medical education. We developed and delivered a four-week course entitled "LifeStages" to the first year medical students. The learning objectives of the bio-behavioral and social science principles along with the cultural, economic, political, and ethical parameters were integrated across the lifespan in the curriculum matrix. We focused on the following major domains: Growth and Brain Development; Sexuality, Hormones and Gender; Sleep; Cognitive and Emotional Development; Mobility, Exercise, Injury and Safety; Nutrition, Diet and Lifestyle; Stress and coping skills, Domestic Violence; Substance Use Disorders; Pain, Illness and Suffering; End of Life, Ethics and Death along with Intergenerational issues and Family Dynamics. Collaboration from the clinical and biomedical science departments led to the dynamic delivery of the course learning objectives and content. The faculty developed and led a scholarly discussion, using the case of a multi-racial, multi-generational family during Active Learning Group (ALG) sessions. The assessment in the LifeStages course involved multiple assessment tools: including the holistic assessment by the faculty facilitator inside ALGs, a Team-Based Learning (TBL) exercise, multiple choice questions and Team Work Assessment during which the students had to create a clinical case on a LifeStages domain along with the facilitators guide and learning objectives.

Life Cycle Thinking and Integrated Product Deliveries in renovation projects: Extending the concept of Integrated Product Deliveries with Product Service Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schipull Kauschen, Jan

2012-01-01

on renovation projects from Denmark, using different forms of IPDs for façade renovation and discusses the different stakeholder’s perspectives on life cycle thinking and their interests and values regarding sustainable building. Furthermore is the concept of Product Service Systems (PSS) as a valuable...... IPDs with regard to longevity and adaptability. CONCLUSION The new type of service-focused IPD and the related life-cycle responsibility (development, building phase, maintenance and dismantling/adaption/recycling) creates incentive to integrate life cycle thinking into the development process of IPDs......, resulting in more sustainable building solutions with a greater extend of positive environmental, economical and social impacts. The research presented will also show the importance of adaption and configuration of these complex building components by architects and planners, as they will have a great...

Devices development and techniques research for space life sciences

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, A.; Liu, B.; Zheng, C.

The development process and the status quo of the devices and techniques for space life science in China and the main research results in this field achieved by Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics SITP CAS are reviewed concisely in this paper On the base of analyzing the requirements of devices and techniques for supporting space life science experiments and researches one designment idea of developing different intelligent modules with professional function standard interface and easy to be integrated into system is put forward and the realization method of the experiment system with intelligent distributed control based on the field bus are discussed in three hierarchies Typical sensing or control function cells with certain self-determination control data management and communication abilities are designed and developed which are called Intelligent Agents Digital hardware network system which are consisted of the distributed Agents as the intelligent node is constructed with the normative opening field bus technology The multitask and real-time control application softwares are developed in the embedded RTOS circumstance which is implanted into the system hardware and space life science experiment system platform with characteristic of multitasks multi-courses professional and instant integration will be constructed

Sexual life in Pharaonic Egypt: towards a urological view.

Science.gov (United States)

Shokeir, A A; Hussein, M I

2004-10-01

Sex is a basic human need, common to all people at all times. It is evident that the ancient Egyptians were real human beings, not only a people who built massive pyramids and made mummies of their dead. The ancient Egyptians had a rich and varied sexual life, which they found an opportunity to describe in words and pictures. As in the other early primitive civilizations, erotic matters were of prime importance and became an integral part of life. In Pharaonic times, the Egyptians described impotence and recorded several methods to increase the sexual power. In the present paper, we will shed light on some aspects of the sexual life in ancient Egypt that may be interesting to the urologists, including ancient Egyptian concepts of sex and erotic matters, their own way of treatment of impotence and Min, the Egyptian fertility God.

The Smart-life : A qualitative study on smartphone use and integration

OpenAIRE

Hurlen, Ingrid Gabi Høium

2013-01-01

The smartphone diffusion in Norway is prevalent, and we have downloaded countless “apps” for our “droids” and iPhones. The purpose of this master thesis is to examine what people use their smartphones for in their everyday life. It also examines whether, or how, the smartphone has become an integrated and mundane feature in the lives of the users. Embedded in this effort is an attempt to get behind the smartphone hype of “constant connectedness”. Through 32 spontaneous focused interviews with...

From real to complex analysis

CERN Document Server

Dyer, R H

2014-01-01

The purpose of this book is to provide an integrated course in real and complex analysis for those who have already taken a preliminary course in real analysis. It particularly emphasises the interplay between analysis and topology. Beginning with the theory of the Riemann integral (and its improper extension) on the real line, the fundamentals of metric spaces are then developed, with special attention being paid to connectedness, simple connectedness and various forms of homotopy. The final chapter develops the theory of complex analysis, in which emphasis is placed on the argument, the winding number, and a general (homology) version of Cauchy's theorem which is proved using the approach due to Dixon. Special features are the inclusion of proofs of Montel's theorem, the Riemann mapping theorem and the Jordan curve theorem that arise naturally from the earlier development. Extensive exercises are included in each of the chapters, detailed solutions of the majority of which are given at the end. From Real to...

The Italian compassionate use of sofosbuvir in HCV patients waitlisted for liver transplantation: A national real-life experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Martini, Silvia; Donato, Maria Francesca; Mazzarelli, Chiara; Rendina, Maria; Visco-Comandini, Ubaldo; Filì, Daniela; Gianstefani, Alice; Fagiuoli, Stefano; Melazzini, Mario; Montilla, Simona; Pani, Luca; Petraglia, Sandra; Russo, Pierluigi; Trotta, Maria Paola; Carrai, Paola; Caraceni, Paolo

2018-04-01

This study aimed to assess the real-life clinical and virological outcomes of HCV waitlisted patients for liver transplantation (LT) who received sofosbuvir/ribavirin (SOF/R) within the Italian compassionate use program. Clinical and virological data were collected in 224 patients with decompensated cirrhosis and/or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) receiving daily SOF/R until LT or up a maximum of 48 weeks. Of 100 transplanted patients, 51 were HCV-RNA negative for >4 weeks before LT (SVR12: 88%) and 49 negative for <4 weeks or still viraemic at transplant: 34 patients continued treatment after LT (bridging therapy) (SVR12: 88%), while 15 stopped treatment (SVR12: 53%). 98 patients completed SOF/R without LT (SVR12: 73%). In patients with advanced decompensated cirrhosis (basal MELD ≥15 and/or C-P ≥B8), a marked improvement of the scores occurred in about 50% of cases and almost 20% of decompensated patients without HCC reached a condition suitable for inactivation and delisting. These real-life data indicate that in waitlisted patients: (i) bridging antiviral therapy can be an option for patients still viraemic or negative <4 weeks at LT; and (ii) clinical improvement to a condition suitable for delisting can occur even in patients with advanced decompensated cirrhosis. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Timing Analysis of Mixed-Criticality Hard Real-Time Applications Implemented on Distributed Partitioned Architectures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Marinescu, Sorin Ovidiu; Tamas-Selicean, Domitian; Acretoaie, Vlad

In this paper we are interested in the timing analysis of mixed-criticality embedded real-time applications mapped on distributed heterogeneous architectures. Mixedcriticality tasks can be integrated onto the same architecture only if there is enough spatial and temporal separation among them. We...... in partitions using fixedpriority preemptive scheduling. We have extended the stateof- the-art algorithms for schedulability analysis to take into account the partitions. The proposed algorithm has been evaluated using several synthetic and real-life benchmarks....... consider that the separation is provided by partitioning, such that applications run in separate partitions, and each partition is allocated several time slots on a processor. Each partition can have its own scheduling policy. We are interested to determine the worst-case response times of tasks scheduled...

Integration of design and inspection

Science.gov (United States)

Simmonds, William H.

1990-08-01

Developments in advanced computer integrated manufacturing technology, coupled with the emphasis on Total Quality Management, are exposing needs for new techniques to integrate all functions from design through to support of the delivered product. One critical functional area that must be integrated into design is that embracing the measurement, inspection and test activities necessary for validation of the delivered product. This area is being tackled by a collaborative project supported by the UK Government Department of Trade and Industry. The project is aimed at developing techniques for analysing validation needs and for planning validation methods. Within the project an experimental Computer Aided Validation Expert system (CAVE) is being constructed. This operates with a generalised model of the validation process and helps with all design stages: specification of product requirements; analysis of the assurance provided by a proposed design and method of manufacture; development of the inspection and test strategy; and analysis of feedback data. The kernel of the system is a knowledge base containing knowledge of the manufacturing process capabilities and of the available inspection and test facilities. The CAVE system is being integrated into a real life advanced computer integrated manufacturing facility for demonstration and evaluation.

Prototyping real-time systems

OpenAIRE

Clynch, Gary

1994-01-01

The traditional software development paradigm, the waterfall life cycle model, is defective when used for developing real-time systems. This thesis puts forward an executable prototyping approach for the development of real-time systems. A prototyping system is proposed which uses ESML (Extended Systems Modelling Language) as a prototype specification language. The prototyping system advocates the translation of non-executable ESML specifications into executable LOOPN (Language of Object ...

The Integrative Business Experience: Real Choices and Real Consequences Create Real Thinking

Science.gov (United States)

McCord, Mary; Houseworth, Matthew; Michaelsen, Larry K.

2015-01-01

This article describes an innovation called the Integrative Business Experience (IBE) that links a set of required core business courses to an entrepreneurial practicum course in which two things occur. One is that students are concurrently enrolled in the required core business courses and a practicum course while they create a start-up business…

Quality of life improvement after a three-year course of sublingual immunotherapy in patients with house dust mite and grass pollen induced allergic rhinitis: results from real-life.

Science.gov (United States)

Novakova, Silviya Mihaylova; Staevska, Maria Toncheva; Novakova, Plamena Ivanova; Yoncheva, Manuela Dimitrova; Bratoycheva, Maria Stoykova; Musurlieva, Nina Mihaylova; Tzekov, Valeri Dimitrov; Nicolov, Dimitar Georgiev

2017-09-29

Along with its high prevalence, the burden of allergic rhinitis rests upon the serious impact on quality of life of patients. Allergic rhinitis is associated with impairments in daily activities, work and school performance, and practical problems. Patients suffer from sleep disorders and emotional problems. Тhe advantages of sublingual immunotherapy on quality of life have only recently begun to emerge. The objective of this prospective real-life study was to evaluate the effect of a three-year course of sublingual immunotherapy with house dust mite (HDM) and grass pollen extracts on quality of life in adults with allergic rhinitis. A total number of 191 adult patients [105 (54,979%) men; mean age 27.3 years (SD-6.14)] with moderate to severe allergic rhinitis and clinically relevant sensitization to house dust mites or grass pollen were prospectively evaluated in the course of management of their disease. Health-related quality of life was assessed by Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire at baseline and after three-year course of sublingual immunotherapy. The mean overall Qol score assessed at baseline and at the end of the third year of treatment decreased significantly in patients treated with HDM extract (from 2.95 to 0.76) as well as with Grass pollen extract (from 2.83 to 1.22) (р life provided evidence that a three-year course of SLIT with HDM extract as well as with grass pollen extract significantly increased QoL in patients with allergic rhinitis.

Comparison of cortical activation during Mahjong game play in a video game setting and a real-life setting

OpenAIRE

Fujimori, Satomi; Terasawa, Koji; Murata, Yuki; Ogawa, Kishiko; Tabuchi, Hisaaki; Yanagisawa, Hiroki; Terasawa, Saiki; Shinohara, Kikunori; Yanagisawa, Akitaka

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the hemodynamic changes that occur during Mahjong game play in virtual and real-life settings. Fourteen healthy right-handed men (average age ± standard deviation; 36.7 ± 14.9 years) played: 1) a Mahjong solitaire game on a video console against virtual rivals; 2) a Mahjong game against human opponents without conversation; and 3) a Mahjong game against human opponents with conversation. We measured oxygenated hemoglobin concentration at 44 locations o...

Life cycle integrated thermoeconomic assessment method for energy conversion systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanbur, Baris Burak; Xiang, Liming; Dubey, Swapnil; Choo, Fook Hoong; Duan, Fei

2017-01-01

Highlights: • A new LCA integrated thermoeconomic approach is presented. • The new unit fuel cost is found 4.8 times higher than the classic method. • The new defined parameter increased the sustainability index by 67.1%. • The case studies are performed for countries with different CO 2 prices. - Abstract: Life cycle assessment (LCA) based thermoeconomic modelling has been applied for the evaluation of energy conversion systems since it provided more comprehensive and applicable assessment criteria. This study proposes an improved thermoeconomic method, named as life cycle integrated thermoeconomic assessment (LCiTA), which combines the LCA based enviroeconomic parameters in the production steps of the system components and fuel with the conventional thermoeconomic method for the energy conversion systems. A micro-cogeneration system is investigated and analyzed with the LCiTA method, the comparative studies show that the unit cost of fuel by using the LCiTA method is 3.8 times higher than the conventional thermoeconomic model. It is also realized that the enviroeconomic parameters during the operation of the system components do not have significant impacts on the system streams since the exergetic parameters are dominant in the thermoeconomic calculations. Moreover, the improved sustainability index is found roundly 67.2% higher than the previously defined sustainability index, suggesting that the enviroeconomic and thermoeconomic parameters decrease the impact of the exergy destruction in the sustainability index definition. To find the feasible operation conditions for the micro-cogeneration system, different assessment strategies are presented. Furthermore, a case study for Singapore is conducted to see the impact of the forecasted carbon dioxide prices on the thermoeconomic performance of the micro-cogeneration system.

24. MPA-seminar: safety and reliability of plant technology with special emphasis on integrity and life management. Vol. 2. Papers 28-63

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

The second volume is dedicated to the safety and reliability of plant technology with special emphasis on the integrity and life management. The following topics are discussed: 1. Integrity of vessels, pipes and components. 2. Fracture mechanics. 3. Measures for the extension of service life, and 4. Online Monitoring. All 30 contributions are separately analyzed for this database. (orig.)

An introduction to real analysis

CERN Document Server

Ball, Derek G

1973-01-01

An Introduction to Real Analysis presents the concepts of real analysis and highlights the problems which necessitate the introduction of these concepts. Topics range from sets, relations, and functions to numbers, sequences, series, derivatives, and the Riemann integral. This volume begins with an introduction to some of the problems which are met in the use of numbers for measuring, and which provide motivation for the creation of real analysis. Attention then turns to real numbers that are built up from natural numbers, with emphasis on integers, rationals, and irrationals. The chapters tha

Physiologically based pharmacokinetic toolkit to evaluate environmental exposures: Applications of the dioxin model to study real life exposures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Emond, Claude, E-mail: claude.emond@biosmc.com [BioSimulation Consulting Inc, Newark, DE (United States); Ruiz, Patricia; Mumtaz, Moiz [Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Atlanta, GA (United States)

2017-01-15

Chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (CDDs) are a series of mono- to octa-chlorinated homologous chemicals commonly referred to as polychlorinated dioxins. One of the most potent, well-known, and persistent member of this family is 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). As part of translational research to make computerized models accessible to health risk assessors, we present a Berkeley Madonna recoded version of the human physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the recent dioxin assessment. This model incorporates CYP1A2 induction, which is an important metabolic vector that drives dioxin distribution in the human body, and it uses a variable elimination half-life that is body burden dependent. To evaluate the model accuracy, the recoded model predictions were compared with those of the original published model. The simulations performed with the recoded model matched well with those of the original model. The recoded model was then applied to available data sets of real life exposure studies. The recoded model can describe acute and chronic exposures and can be useful for interpreting human biomonitoring data as part of an overall dioxin and/or dioxin-like compounds risk assessment. - Highlights: • The best available dioxin PBPK model for interpreting human biomonitoring data is presented. • The original PBPK model was recoded from acslX to the Berkeley Madonna (BM) platform. • Comparisons were made of the accuracy of the recoded model with the original model. • The model is a useful addition to the ATSDR's BM based PBPK toolkit that supports risk assessors. • The application of the model to real-life exposure data sets is illustrated.

A Real-Time Recording Model of Key Indicators for Energy Consumption and Carbon Emissions of Sustainable Buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weiwei Wu

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Buildings’ sustainability is one of the crucial parts for achieving urban sustainability. Applied to buildings, life-cycle assessment encompasses the analysis and assessment of the environmental effects of building materials, components and assemblies throughout the entire life of the building construction, use and demolition. Estimate of carbon emissions is essential and crucial for an accurate and reasonable life-cycle assessment. Addressing the need for more research into integrating analysis of real-time and automatic recording of key indicators for a more accurate calculation and comparison, this paper aims to design a real-time recording model of these crucial indicators concerning the calculation and estimation of energy use and carbon emissions of buildings based on a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID-based system. The architecture of the RFID-based carbon emission recording/tracking system, which contains four functional layers including data record layer, data collection/update layer, data aggregation layer and data sharing/backup layer, is presented. Each of these layers is formed by RFID or network devices and sub-systems that operate at a specific level. In the end, a proof-of-concept system is developed to illustrate the implementation of the proposed architecture and demonstrate the feasibility of the design. This study would provide the technical solution for real-time recording system of building carbon emissions and thus is of great significance and importance to improve urban sustainability.

A Real-Time Recording Model of Key Indicators for Energy Consumption and Carbon Emissions of Sustainable Buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Weiwei; Yang, Huanjia; Chew, David; Hou, Yanhong; Li, Qiming

2014-01-01

Buildings' sustainability is one of the crucial parts for achieving urban sustainability. Applied to buildings, life-cycle assessment encompasses the analysis and assessment of the environmental effects of building materials, components and assemblies throughout the entire life of the building construction, use and demolition. Estimate of carbon emissions is essential and crucial for an accurate and reasonable life-cycle assessment. Addressing the need for more research into integrating analysis of real-time and automatic recording of key indicators for a more accurate calculation and comparison, this paper aims to design a real-time recording model of these crucial indicators concerning the calculation and estimation of energy use and carbon emissions of buildings based on a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)-based system. The architecture of the RFID-based carbon emission recording/tracking system, which contains four functional layers including data record layer, data collection/update layer, data aggregation layer and data sharing/backup layer, is presented. Each of these layers is formed by RFID or network devices and sub-systems that operate at a specific level. In the end, a proof-of-concept system is developed to illustrate the implementation of the proposed architecture and demonstrate the feasibility of the design. This study would provide the technical solution for real-time recording system of building carbon emissions and thus is of great significance and importance to improve urban sustainability. PMID:24831109

An accurate real-time model of maglev planar motor based on compound Simpson numerical integration

Science.gov (United States)

Kou, Baoquan; Xing, Feng; Zhang, Lu; Zhou, Yiheng; Liu, Jiaqi

2017-05-01

To realize the high-speed and precise control of the maglev planar motor, a more accurate real-time electromagnetic model, which considers the influence of the coil corners, is proposed in this paper. Three coordinate systems for the stator, mover and corner coil are established. The coil is divided into two segments, the straight coil segment and the corner coil segment, in order to obtain a complete electromagnetic model. When only take the first harmonic of the flux density distribution of a Halbach magnet array into account, the integration method can be carried out towards the two segments according to Lorenz force law. The force and torque analysis formula of the straight coil segment can be derived directly from Newton-Leibniz formula, however, this is not applicable to the corner coil segment. Therefore, Compound Simpson numerical integration method is proposed in this paper to solve the corner segment. With the validation of simulation and experiment, the proposed model has high accuracy and can realize practical application easily.

Flexible Conductive Composite Integrated with Personal Earphone for Wireless, Real-Time Monitoring of Electrophysiological Signs.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Joong Hoon; Hwang, Ji-Young; Zhu, Jia; Hwang, Ha Ryeon; Lee, Seung Min; Cheng, Huanyu; Lee, Sang-Hoon; Hwang, Suk-Won

2018-06-14

We introduce optimized elastomeric conductive electrodes using a mixture of silver nanowires (AgNWs) with carbon nanotubes/polydimethylsiloxane (CNTs/PDMS), to build a portable earphone type of wearable system that is designed to enable recording electrophysiological activities as well as listening to music at the same time. A custom-built, plastic frame integrated with soft, deformable fabric-based memory foam of earmuffs facilitates essential electronic components, such as conductive elastomers, metal strips, signal transducers and a speaker. Such platform incorporates with accessory cables to attain wireless, real-time monitoring of electrical potentials whose information can be displayed on a cell phone during outdoor activities and music appreciation. Careful evaluations on experimental results reveal that the performance of fabricated dry electrodes are comparable to that of commercial wet electrodes, and position-dependent signal behaviors provide a route toward accomplishing maximized signal quality. This research offers a facile approach for a wearable healthcare monitor via integration of soft electronic constituents with personal belongings.

Enhancing the Interdisciplinary Perspective in the Marketing Management Decision Process through an Applied, Integrated, Client Project

Science.gov (United States)

Askim-Lovseth, Mary K.; O'Keefe, Timothy P.

2012-01-01

Businesses function within a cross-functional, integrative setting, and this necessitates providing a learning environment for students that is comparable to real-life work projects. Two upper-level university classes in marketing and information systems worked collaboratively with a snack food business to design and build a Web site based on a…

Comparative analysis of methods for integrating various environmental impacts as a single index in life cycle assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ji, Changyoon; Hong, Taehoon

2016-01-01

Previous studies have proposed several methods for integrating characterized environmental impacts as a single index in life cycle assessment. Each of them, however, may lead to different results. This study presents internal and external normalization methods, weighting factors proposed by panel methods, and a monetary valuation based on an endpoint life cycle impact assessment method as the integration methods. Furthermore, this study investigates the differences among the integration methods and identifies the causes of the differences through a case study in which five elementary school buildings were used. As a result, when using internal normalization with weighting factors, the weighting factors had a significant influence on the total environmental impacts whereas the normalization had little influence on the total environmental impacts. When using external normalization with weighting factors, the normalization had more significant influence on the total environmental impacts than weighing factors. Due to such differences, the ranking of the five buildings varied depending on the integration methods. The ranking calculated by the monetary valuation method was significantly different from that calculated by the normalization and weighting process. The results aid decision makers in understanding the differences among these integration methods, and, finally, help them select the method most appropriate for the goal at hand.

Comparative analysis of methods for integrating various environmental impacts as a single index in life cycle assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ji, Changyoon, E-mail: changyoon@yonsei.ac.kr; Hong, Taehoon, E-mail: hong7@yonsei.ac.kr

2016-02-15

Previous studies have proposed several methods for integrating characterized environmental impacts as a single index in life cycle assessment. Each of them, however, may lead to different results. This study presents internal and external normalization methods, weighting factors proposed by panel methods, and a monetary valuation based on an endpoint life cycle impact assessment method as the integration methods. Furthermore, this study investigates the differences among the integration methods and identifies the causes of the differences through a case study in which five elementary school buildings were used. As a result, when using internal normalization with weighting factors, the weighting factors had a significant influence on the total environmental impacts whereas the normalization had little influence on the total environmental impacts. When using external normalization with weighting factors, the normalization had more significant influence on the total environmental impacts than weighing factors. Due to such differences, the ranking of the five buildings varied depending on the integration methods. The ranking calculated by the monetary valuation method was significantly different from that calculated by the normalization and weighting process. The results aid decision makers in understanding the differences among these integration methods, and, finally, help them select the method most appropriate for the goal at hand.

Heterogeneous Embedded Real-Time Systems Environment

Science.gov (United States)

2003-12-01

AFRL-IF-RS-TR-2003-290 Final Technical Report December 2003 HETEROGENEOUS EMBEDDED REAL - TIME SYSTEMS ENVIRONMENT Integrated...HETEROGENEOUS EMBEDDED REAL - TIME SYSTEMS ENVIRONMENT 6. AUTHOR(S) Cosmo Castellano and James Graham 5. FUNDING NUMBERS C - F30602-97-C-0259

Life Stories and Trauma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kongshøj, Inge Lise Lundsgaard; Bohn, Annette; Berntsen, Dorthe

Research has shown a connection between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and integration of traumatic experiences into the life story. Furthermore, empirical evidence suggests that life story formation begins in mid to late adolescence. Following these findings, the present study investigated...... whether experiencing trauma in youth was associated with a greater risk to integrate the trauma into the life story compared to adult traumatic exposure. Life stories were collected from 115 participants recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Moreover, participants filled out questionnaires regarding...... often integrate the trauma into their life story? Results will be discussed in relation to theories of development of life stories and of PTSD....

Space Station Freedom environmental control and life support system phase 3 simplified integrated test detailed report

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, B. C.; Carrasquillo, R. L.; Dubiel, M. Y.; Ogle, K. Y.; Perry, J. L.; Whitley, K. M.

1990-01-01

A description of the phase 3 simplified integrated test (SIT) conducted at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Core Module Integration Facility (CMIF) in 1989 is presented. This was the first test in the phase 3 series integrated environmental control and life support systems (ECLSS) tests. The basic goal of the SIT was to achieve full integration of the baseline air revitalization (AR) subsystems for Space Station Freedom. Included is a description of the SIT configuration, a performance analysis of each subsystem, results from air and water sampling, and a discussion of lessons learned from the test. Also included is a full description of the preprototype ECLSS hardware used in the test.

Integration Processes of a Romanian Group in a Huelva Village through Family Life Stories

Science.gov (United States)

Díaz-Reales, Antonia-María; Aguaded-Gómez, Ignacio

2015-01-01

This paper examines the integration of Romanian immigrants in Lucena del Puerto (Huelva, Spain) through the life stories of two families of Romanian origin. The experiences of the groups presented in this study were analyzed. Both families were in the town for work, to grow and harvest strawberries. We observed a contrast between idealistic views…

A Novel Computational Tool for Mining Real-Life Data: Application in the Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Care Setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Siegelmann-Danieli, Nava; Farkash, Ariel; Katzir, Itzhak; Vesterman Landes, Janet; Rotem Rabinovich, Hadas; Lomnicky, Yossef; Carmeli, Boaz; Parush-Shear-Yashuv, Naama

2016-01-01

Randomized clinical trials constitute the gold-standard for evaluating new anti-cancer therapies; however, real-life data are key in complementing clinically useful information. We developed a computational tool for real-life data analysis and applied it to the metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) setting. This tool addressed the impact of oncology/non-oncology parameters on treatment patterns and clinical outcomes. The developed tool enables extraction of any computerized information including comorbidities and use of drugs (oncological/non-oncological) per individual HMO member. The study in which we evaluated this tool was a retrospective cohort study that included Maccabi Healthcare Services members with mCRC receiving bevacizumab with fluoropyrimidines (FP), FP plus oxaliplatin (FP-O), or FP plus irinotecan (FP-I) in the first-line between 9/2006 and 12/2013. The analysis included 753 patients of whom 15.4% underwent subsequent metastasectomy (the Surgery group). For the entire cohort, median overall survival (OS) was 20.5 months; in the Surgery group, median duration of bevacizumab-containing therapy (DOT) pre-surgery was 6.1 months; median OS was not reached. In the Non-surgery group, median OS and DOT were 18.7 and 11.4 months, respectively; no significant OS differences were noted between FP-O and FP-I, whereas FP use was associated with shorter OS (12.3 month; p controlling for age and gender) identified several non-oncology parameters associated with poorer clinical outcomes including concurrent use of diuretics and proton-pump inhibitors. Our tool provided insights that confirmed/complemented information gained from randomized-clinical trials. Prospective tool implementation is warranted.

An integrative review of health-related quality of life in patients with critical limb ischaemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Monaro, Susan; West, Sandra; Gullick, Janice

2017-10-01

To examine the domains and the domain-specific characteristics within a peripheral arterial disease health-related quality of life framework for their usefulness in defining critical limb ischaemia health-related quality of life. Critical Limb Ischaemia presents a highly individualised set of personal and health circumstances. Treatment options include conservative management, revascularisation or amputation. However, the links between treatment decisions and quality of life require further investigation. The framework for this integrative review was the peripheral arterial disease-specific health-related quality of life domains identified by Treat-Jacobson et al. The literature expanded and refined Treat-Jacobson's framework by modifying the characteristics to better describe health-related quality of life in critical limb ischaemia. Given that critical limb ischaemia is a highly individualised situation with powerful health-related quality of life implications, further research focusing on patient and family-centred decision-making relating to therapeutic options and advanced care planning is required. A critical limb ischaemia-specific, health-related quality of life tool is required to capture both the unique characteristics of this disorder, and the outcomes for active or conservative care among this complex group of patients. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Exploring and modelling impacts of third molar experience on quality of life: a real-time qualitative study using Twitter.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanna, Kamal; Sambrook, Paul; Armfield, Jason M; Brennan, David S

2017-10-01

This study had two objectives: (i) to explore and model domains describing the real-time impact of third molars (TMs) on quality of life (QoL); and (ii) to assess the percentage coverage, in some generic health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) instruments, of the TM QoL domains identified in this study. A global cross-sectional sample of tweets containing 'wisdom tooth' over a 1-week period retrieved 3,537 tweets. After random quota sampling, classification and filtering, only 843 tweets were included in the thematic analysis. A TM QoL model was constructed based on the associations of the identified domains. Domains for the selected generic HRQoL and OHRQoL instruments were plotted against the domains identified in the study to calculate the percentage coverage for each. The QoL domains identified were pain (n = 348, 41%), mood (n = 173, 20%), anxiety and fear (n = 54, 7%), enjoying food (n = 41, 4%), coping (n = 37, 4%), daily activities (n = 34, 4%), sleep (n = 24, 2%), social life (n = 19, 2%), physical health (n = 17, 2%), ability to think (n = 9, 1%), self-care (n = 8, 1%) and sporting & recreation (n = 2, <1%). The Assessment Quality of Life instrument (AQoL-8D) covers 87% of the TM QoL domains, while the rest of the HRQoL and OHRQoL instruments cover 33-60%. This study shows how Twitter can be used to obtain real-time QoL data, which might be used to model how TMs impact on QoL. The TM QoL domains identified in the study were generally under-represented among the generic OHRQoL instruments assessed while, the HRQoL AQoL-8D covered most of the TM QoL domains. The QoL domains identified in the study might be used to develop a new OHRQoL measure for TMs. © 2017 FDI World Dental Federation.

Real-time RT-PCR analysis of mRNA decay: half-life of Beta-actin mRNA in human leukemia CCRF-CEM and Nalm-6 cell lines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barredo Julio C

2002-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background We describe an alternative method to determine mRNA half-life (t1/2 based on the Real-Time RT-PCR procedure. This approach was evaluated by using the β-actin gene as a reference molecule for measuring of mRNA stability. Results Human leukemia Nalm-6 and CCRF-CEM cells were treated with various concentrations of Actinomycin D to block transcription and aliquots were removed periodically. Total RNA was isolated and quantified using the RiboGreen® fluorescent dye with the VersaFluor Fluorometer System. One μg of total RNA was reverse transcribed and used as template for the amplification of a region of the β-actin gene (231 bp. To generate the standard curve, serial ten-fold dilutions of the pBactin-231 vector containing the cDNA amplified fragment were employed, β-actin mRNAs were quantified by Real-Time RT-PCR using the SYBR® Green I fluorogenic dye and data analyzed using the iCycle iQ system software. Using this method, the β-actin mRNA exhibited a half-life of 6.6 h and 13.5 h in Nalm-6 and CCRF-CEM cells, respectively. The t1/2 value obtained for Nalm-6 is comparable to those estimated from Northern blot studies, using normal human leukocytes (5.5 h. Conclusions We have developed a rapid, sensitive, and reliable method based on Real-Time RT-PCR for measuring mRNA half-life. Our results confirm that β-actin mRNA half-life can be affected by the cellular growth rate.

The real limits to marine life: a further critique of the Respiration Index

Science.gov (United States)

Seibel, B. A.; Childress, J. J.

2013-05-01

The recently proposed "Respiration Index" (RI = log PO2/PCO2) suggests that aerobic metabolism is limited by the ratio of reactants (oxygen) to products (carbon dioxide) according to the thermodynamics of cellular respiration. Here, we demonstrate further that, because of the large standard free energy change for organic carbon oxidation (ΔG° = -686 kcal mol-1), carbon dioxide can never reach concentrations that would limit the thermodynamics of this reaction. A PCO2 to PO2 ratio of 10503 would be required to reach equilibrium (equilibrium constant, Keq = 10503), where ΔG = 0. Thus, a Respiration Index of -503 would be the real thermodynamic limit to aerobic life. Such a Respiration Index is never reached, either in the cell or in the environment. Moreover, cellular respiration and oxygen provision are kinetically controlled such that, within limits, environmental oxygen and CO2 concentrations have little to do with intracellular concentrations. The RI is fundamentally different from the aragonite saturation state, a thermodynamic index used to quantify the potential effect of CO2 on calcification rates, because of its failure to incorporate the equilibrium constant of the reaction. Not only is the RI invalid, but its use leads to incorrect and misleading predictions of the threat of changing oxygen and carbon dioxide to marine life. We provide a physiological framework that identifies oxygen thresholds and allows for synergistic effects of ocean acidification and global warming.

The real limits to marine life: a further critique of the Respiration Index

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. A. Seibel

2013-05-01

Full Text Available The recently proposed "Respiration Index" (RI = log PO2/PCO2 suggests that aerobic metabolism is limited by the ratio of reactants (oxygen to products (carbon dioxide according to the thermodynamics of cellular respiration. Here, we demonstrate further that, because of the large standard free energy change for organic carbon oxidation (ΔG° = −686 kcal mol−1, carbon dioxide can never reach concentrations that would limit the thermodynamics of this reaction. A PCO2 to PO2 ratio of 10503 would be required to reach equilibrium (equilibrium constant, Keq = 10503, where ΔG = 0. Thus, a Respiration Index of −503 would be the real thermodynamic limit to aerobic life. Such a Respiration Index is never reached, either in the cell or in the environment. Moreover, cellular respiration and oxygen provision are kinetically controlled such that, within limits, environmental oxygen and CO2 concentrations have little to do with intracellular concentrations. The RI is fundamentally different from the aragonite saturation state, a thermodynamic index used to quantify the potential effect of CO2 on calcification rates, because of its failure to incorporate the equilibrium constant of the reaction. Not only is the RI invalid, but its use leads to incorrect and misleading predictions of the threat of changing oxygen and carbon dioxide to marine life. We provide a physiological framework that identifies oxygen thresholds and allows for synergistic effects of ocean acidification and global warming.

Basic real analysis

CERN Document Server

Sohrab, Houshang H

2014-01-01

This expanded second edition presents the fundamentals and touchstone results of real analysis in full rigor, but in a style that requires little prior familiarity with proofs or mathematical language. The text is a comprehensive and largely self-contained introduction to the theory of real-valued functions of a real variable. The chapters on Lebesgue measure and integral have been rewritten entirely and greatly improved. They now contain Lebesgue’s differentiation theorem as well as his versions of the Fundamental Theorem(s) of Calculus. With expanded chapters, additional problems, and an expansive solutions manual, Basic Real Analysis, Second Edition, is ideal for senior undergraduates and first-year graduate students, both as a classroom text and a self-study guide. Reviews of first edition: The book is a clear and well-structured introduction to real analysis aimed at senior undergraduate and beginning graduate students. The prerequisites are few, but a certain mathematical sophistication is required. ....

The potential of clustering methods to define intersection test scenarios: Assessing real-life performance of AEB.

Science.gov (United States)

Sander, Ulrich; Lubbe, Nils

2018-04-01

Intersection accidents are frequent and harmful. The accident types 'straight crossing path' (SCP), 'left turn across path - oncoming direction' (LTAP/OD), and 'left-turn across path - lateral direction' (LTAP/LD) represent around 95% of all intersection accidents and one-third of all police-reported car-to-car accidents in Germany. The European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) have announced that intersection scenarios will be included in their rating from 2020; however, how these scenarios are to be tested has not been defined. This study investigates whether clustering methods can be used to identify a small number of test scenarios sufficiently representative of the accident dataset to evaluate Intersection Automated Emergency Braking (AEB). Data from the German In-Depth Accident Study (GIDAS) and the GIDAS-based Pre-Crash Matrix (PCM) from 1999 to 2016, containing 784 SCP and 453 LTAP/OD accidents, were analyzed with principal component methods to identify variables that account for the relevant total variances of the sample. Three different methods for data clustering were applied to each of the accident types, two similarity-based approaches, namely Hierarchical Clustering (HC) and Partitioning Around Medoids (PAM), and the probability-based Latent Class Clustering (LCC). The optimum number of clusters was derived for HC and PAM with the silhouette method. The PAM algorithm was both initiated with random start medoid selection and medoids from HC. For LCC, the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) was used to determine the optimal number of clusters. Test scenarios were defined from optimal cluster medoids weighted by their real-life representation in GIDAS. The set of variables for clustering was further varied to investigate the influence of variable type and character. We quantified how accurately each cluster variation represents real-life AEB performance using pre-crash simulations with PCM data and a generic algorithm for AEB intervention. The

Interplay Among Psychopathologic Variables, Personal Resources, Context-Related Factors, and Real-life Functioning in Individuals With Schizophrenia: A Network Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Galderisi, Silvana; Rucci, Paola; Kirkpatrick, Brian; Mucci, Armida; Gibertoni, Dino; Rocca, Paola; Rossi, Alessandro; Bertolino, Alessandro; Strauss, Gregory P; Aguglia, Eugenio; Bellomo, Antonello; Murri, Martino Belvederi; Bucci, Paola; Carpiniello, Bernardo; Comparelli, Anna; Cuomo, Alessandro; De Berardis, Domenico; Dell'Osso, Liliana; Di Fabio, Fabio; Gelao, Barbara; Marchesi, Carlo; Monteleone, Palmiero; Montemagni, Cristiana; Orsenigo, Giulia; Pacitti, Francesca; Roncone, Rita; Santonastaso, Paolo; Siracusano, Alberto; Vignapiano, Annarita; Vita, Antonio; Zeppegno, Patrizia; Maj, Mario

2018-04-01

Enhanced understanding of factors associated with symptomatic and functional recovery is instrumental to designing personalized treatment plans for people with schizophrenia. To date, this is the first study using network analysis to investigate the associations among cognitive, psychopathologic, and psychosocial variables in a large sample of community-dwelling individuals with schizophrenia. To assess the interplay among psychopathologic variables, cognitive dysfunctions, functional capacity, personal resources, perceived stigma, and real-life functioning in individuals with schizophrenia, using a data-driven approach. This multicenter, cross-sectional study involved 26 university psychiatric clinics and/or mental health departments. A total of 921 community-dwelling individuals with a DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia who were stabilized on antipsychotic treatment were recruited from those consecutively presenting to the outpatient units of the sites between March 1, 2012, and September 30, 2013. Statistical analysis was conducted between July 1 and September 30, 2017. Measures covered psychopathologic variables, neurocognition, social cognition, functional capacity, real-life functioning, resilience, perceived stigma, incentives, and service engagement. Of 740 patients (221 women and 519 men; mean [SD] age, 40.0 [10.9] years) with complete data on the 27 study measures, 163 (22.0%) were remitted (with a score of mild or better on 8 core symptoms). The network analysis showed that functional capacity and everyday life skills were the most central and highly interconnected nodes in the network. Psychopathologic variables split in 2 domains, with positive symptoms being one of the most peripheral and least connected nodes. Functional capacity bridged cognition with everyday life skills; the everyday life skills node was connected to disorganization and expressive deficits. Interpersonal relationships and work skills were connected to avolition; the interpersonal

Intelligibility in microbial complex systems: Wittgenstein and the score of life.

Science.gov (United States)

Baquero, Fernando; Moya, Andrés

2012-01-01

Knowledge in microbiology is reaching an extreme level of diversification and complexity, which paradoxically results in a strong reduction in the intelligibility of microbial life. In our days, the "score of life" metaphor is more accurate to express the complexity of living systems than the classic "book of life." Music and life can be represented at lower hierarchical levels by music scores and genomic sequences, and such representations have a generational influence in the reproduction of music and life. If music can be considered as a representation of life, such representation remains as unthinkable as life itself. The analysis of scores and genomic sequences might provide mechanistic, phylogenetic, and evolutionary insights into music and life, but not about their real dynamics and nature, which is still maintained unthinkable, as was proposed by Wittgenstein. As complex systems, life or music is composed by thinkable and only showable parts, and a strategy of half-thinking, half-seeing is needed to expand knowledge. Complex models for complex systems, based on experiences on trans-hierarchical integrations, should be developed in order to provide a mixture of legibility and imageability of biological processes, which should lead to higher levels of intelligibility of microbial life.

When Cognitive Sciences Meet Real Life

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Smith, Viktor; Selsøe Sørensen, Henrik; Nissilä, Niina

2012-01-01

Consumers in general pay little attention to food labels. The study of expert-to-layperson communication related to food labels integrates many aspects of what cognitive sciences are about: Knowledge modelling and knowledge transfer, termhood and precision as well as fuzziness, interaction between...

Do Children Do What They Say? Responses to Hypothetical and Real-Life Social Problems in Children with Mild Intellectual Disabilities and Behaviour Problems

Science.gov (United States)

van Nieuwenhuijzen, M.; Bijman, E. R.; Lamberix, I. C. W.; Wijnroks, L.; de Castro, B. Orobio; Vermeer, A.; Matthys, W.

2005-01-01

Abstract: Background Most research on children's social problem-solving skills is based on responses to hypothetical vignettes. Just how these responses relate to actual behaviour in real-life social situations is, however, unclear, particularly for children with mild intellectual disabilities (MID). Method: In the present study, the spontaneous…

The Cost of Your Shirt. A Simulation Exercise for Secondary Students and Adults, Based on the Real-Life Drama of Guatemalan Textile Workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Swenson, Mary, Comp.; Austin, Jane, Comp.

This simulation exercise requires participants to practice critical thinking, problem solving, and negotiating skills as they role play real-life conflicts concerning working conditions in a factory in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Participants also learn about Guatemala's history, its social, economic, and political status as of April 1994. Based on…

Caracter y caricature, virtual and real

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chris Hables Gray

2004-12-01

Full Text Available Character, as personality, is formed through biology and culture. But the influence these forces have and the actual processes involved are not really known. Technology, as an important and always changing part of culture, offers us a window on the construction of character especially in that strange new place: cyberspace. The virtual world allows people to play with their character in ways that are very difficult “in real life.” This play reveals a great deal about what is biologically immutable and what isn’t after all. In particular gender, race, and embodiment in general are treated quite differently on-line then in the flesh. And character/caricature formation in the MUDS and MOOS and other cyber-places throws light on the processes of character, such as the roles of evocative technologies, the feedback loops of will and non-will (addiction, and the potentiality of fantasies actualized. In particular political participation on the internet reveals the limits of what real character can be manifested in a simulated environment. It seems cyborgian character is more plastic in some ways than most observers would have predicted; but character, as integrity, will still determine how far the role of caricature will go in supplanting character .

Real time detection of antibody-antigen interaction using a laser scanning confocal imaging-surface plasmon resonance system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Hong-Yan; Yang Li-Quan; Ning Ting-Yin; Liu Wei-Min; Sun Jia-Yu; Wang Peng-Fei; Meng Lan; Nie Jia-Cai

2012-01-01

A laser scanning confocal imaging-surface plasmon resonance (LSCI-SPR) instrument integrated with a wavelength-dependent surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor and a laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) is built to detect the bonding process of human IgG and fluorescent-labeled affinity purified antibodies in real time. The shifts of resonant wavelength at different reaction time stages are obtained by SPR, corresponding well with the changes of the fluorescence intensity collected by using LSCM. The instrument shows the merits of the combination and complementation of the SPR and LSCM, with such advantages as quantificational analysis, high spatial resolution and real time monitor, which are of great importance for practical applications in biosensor and life science. (general)

Integrating real-time subsurface hydrologic monitoring with empirical rainfall thresholds to improve landslide early warning

Science.gov (United States)

Mirus, Benjamin B.; Becker, Rachel E.; Baum, Rex L.; Smith, Joel B.

2018-01-01

Early warning for rainfall-induced shallow landsliding can help reduce fatalities and economic losses. Although these commonly occurring landslides are typically triggered by subsurface hydrological processes, most early warning criteria rely exclusively on empirical rainfall thresholds and other indirect proxies for subsurface wetness. We explore the utility of explicitly accounting for antecedent wetness by integrating real-time subsurface hydrologic measurements into landslide early warning criteria. Our efforts build on previous progress with rainfall thresholds, monitoring, and numerical modeling along the landslide-prone railway corridor between Everett and Seattle, Washington, USA. We propose a modification to a previously established recent versus antecedent (RA) cumulative rainfall thresholds by replacing the antecedent 15-day rainfall component with an average saturation observed over the same timeframe. We calculate this antecedent saturation with real-time telemetered measurements from five volumetric water content probes installed in the shallow subsurface within a steep vegetated hillslope. Our hybrid rainfall versus saturation (RS) threshold still relies on the same recent 3-day rainfall component as the existing RA thresholds, to facilitate ready integration with quantitative precipitation forecasts. During the 2015–2017 monitoring period, this RS hybrid approach has an increase of true positives and a decrease of false positives and false negatives relative to the previous RA rainfall-only thresholds. We also demonstrate that alternative hybrid threshold formats could be even more accurate, which suggests that further development and testing during future landslide seasons is needed. The positive results confirm that accounting for antecedent wetness conditions with direct subsurface hydrologic measurements can improve thresholds for alert systems and early warning of rainfall-induced shallow landsliding.

Life: Here? There? Elsewhere? The Search for Life on Venus and Mars. Life in the Universe Series.

Science.gov (United States)

1996

This classroom kit, designed by curriculum developers working with teachers and scientists from the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute, helps teachers guide students in the exploration of life through the multidisciplinary sciences of paleontology and exobiology. It reflects the real-life methods of science: making…

Integration of balance and strength training into daily life activity to reduce rate of falls in older people (the LiFE study): randomised parallel trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Clemson, Lindy; Fiatarone Singh, Maria A; Bundy, Anita; Cumming, Robert G; Manollaras, Kate; O'Loughlin, Patricia; Black, Deborah

2012-08-07

To determine whether a lifestyle integrated approach to balance and strength training is effective in reducing the rate of falls in older, high risk people living at home. Three arm, randomised parallel trial; assessments at baseline and after six and 12 months. Randomisation done by computer generated random blocks, stratified by sex and fall history and concealed by an independent secure website. Residents in metropolitan Sydney, Australia. Participants aged 70 years or older who had two or more falls or one injurious fall in past 12 months, recruited from Veteran's Affairs databases and general practice databases. Exclusion criteria were moderate to severe cognitive problems, inability to ambulate independently, neurological conditions that severely influenced gait and mobility, resident in a nursing home or hostel, or any unstable or terminal illness that would affect ability to do exercises. Three home based interventions: Lifestyle integrated Functional Exercise (LiFE) approach (n=107; taught principles of balance and strength training and integrated selected activities into everyday routines), structured programme (n=105; exercises for balance and lower limb strength, done three times a week), sham control programme (n=105; gentle exercise). LiFE and structured groups received five sessions with two booster visits and two phone calls; controls received three home visits and six phone calls. Assessments made at baseline and after six and 12 months. Primary measure: rate of falls over 12 months, collected by self report. Secondary measures: static and dynamic balance; ankle, knee and hip strength; balance self efficacy; daily living activities; participation; habitual physical activity; quality of life; energy expenditure; body mass index; and fat free mass. After 12 months' follow-up, we recorded 172, 193, and 224 falls in the LiFE, structured exercise, and control groups, respectively. The overall incidence of falls in the LiFE programme was 1.66 per person

Bio-integrated electronics and sensor systems

Science.gov (United States)

Yeo, Woon-Hong; Webb, R. Chad; Lee, Woosik; Jung, Sungyoung; Rogers, John A.

2013-05-01

Skin-mounted epidermal electronics, a strategy for bio-integrated electronics, provide an avenue to non-invasive monitoring of clinically relevant physiological signals for healthcare applications. Current conventional systems consist of single-point sensors fastened to the skin with adhesives, and sometimes with conducting gels, which limits their use outside of clinical settings due to loss of adhesion and irritation to the user. In order to facilitate extended use of skin-mounted healthcare sensors without disrupting everyday life, we envision electronic monitoring systems that integrate seamlessly with the skin below the notice of the user. This manuscript reviews recent significant results towards our goal of wearable electronic sensor systems for long-term monitoring of physiological signals. Ultra-thin epidermal electronic systems (EES) are demonstrated for extended use on the skin, in a conformal manner, including during everyday bathing and sleeping activities. We describe the assessment of clinically relevant physiological parameters, such as electrocardiograms (ECG), electromyograms (EMG), electroencephalograms (EEG), temperature, mechanical strain and thermal conductivity, using examples of multifunctional EES devices. Additionally, we demonstrate capability for real life application of EES by monitoring the system functionality, which has no discernible change, during cyclic fatigue testing.

Hospital executive leadership: a critical component for improving care at the end of life.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooney, James P; Landers, Glenn M; Williams, Julianna M

2002-01-01

End-of-life care and its planning by individuals, in concert with their families and professional healthcare givers, pose important social, legal, and ethical issues. The authors evaluate the results of a multi-year (1997-2001) collaborative effort among representatives of Georgia healthcare providers, healthcare payers, and the general public that was designed to (a) improve end-of-life care through a community-focused field effort to increase public awareness, execution, and institutional management of advance directives and (b) impact institutional and state government systems and policies around end-of-life care. The authors conclude that a proactive presence of senior management is integral in implementing systematic change in hospital-based end-of-life care and offer practical recommendations to hospital leaders to affect real change in their institutions.

An Integrated Real-Time Beamforming and Postfiltering System for Nonstationary Noise Environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gannot Sharon

2003-01-01

Full Text Available We present a novel approach for real-time multichannel speech enhancement in environments of nonstationary noise and time-varying acoustical transfer functions (ATFs. The proposed system integrates adaptive beamforming, ATF identification, soft signal detection, and multichannel postfiltering. The noise canceller branch of the beamformer and the ATF identification are adaptively updated online, based on hypothesis test results. The noise canceller is updated only during stationary noise frames, and the ATF identification is carried out only when desired source components have been detected. The hypothesis testing is based on the nonstationarity of the signals and the transient power ratio between the beamformer primary output and its reference noise signals. Following the beamforming and the hypothesis testing, estimates for the signal presence probability and for the noise power spectral density are derived. Subsequently, an optimal spectral gain function that minimizes the mean square error of the log-spectral amplitude (LSA is applied. Experimental results demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed system in nonstationary noise environments.

Quality of life of Brazilian and Spanish cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy: an integrative literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Sawada, Namie Okino; Nicolussi, Adriana Cristina; de Paula, Juliana Maria; Garcia-Caro, Maria Paz; Marti-Garcia, Celia; Cruz-Quintana, Francisco

2016-01-01

characterize the scientific production of Brazil and Spain in regard to methodological aspects and aspects of health-related quality of life experienced by cancer patients receiving chemotherapy in both countries. integrative literature review was conducted using the following databases: CINAHL, MEDLINE, SCOPUS and CUIDEN and the electronic libraries PubMed and SciELO, conducted in September 2013. a total of 28 papers met the inclusion criteria. The synthesis of knowledge was presented in three categories of analysis: assessment of quality of life in different types of cancer; sociodemographic factors that influenced quality of life; and type of cancer and interventions that improve quality of life. Chemotherapy affects health-related quality of life and the most important factors were: age, sex, chemotherapy protocol, type of surgery, stage of the disease, educational level, and emotional intelligence. Complementary therapies such as acupuncture, guided visualization, prayers and exercise were positive and reduced side effects. the results showed a poor level of evidence, since 86% of the studies were cross-sectional descriptive studies; the instrument most frequently used to measure health-related quality of life was EORTC QLQ C-30 and more studies were conducted in Brazil than in Spain.

Virtual timers in hierarchical real-time systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heuvel, van den M.M.H.P.; Holenderski, M.J.; Cools, W.A.; Bril, R.J.; Lukkien, J.J.; Zhu, D.

2009-01-01

Hierarchical scheduling frameworks (HSFs) provide means for composing complex real-time systems from welldefined subsystems. This paper describes an approach to provide hierarchically scheduled real-time applications with virtual event timers, motivated by the need for integrating priority

Long-term treatment of ADHD with stimulants: A large observational study of real-life patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Powell, Shelagh G.; Thomsen, Per Hove; Frydenberg, Morten

2011-01-01

: The diversity of ADHD patients was evident from the comorbidity, age at start, comedication, and treatment needs over time. Dosages corresponded to guidelines in most patients, but some needed higher dosages or got along on lower dosages for long periods. Age at start and comorbidity influenced dosage......, and dosage was associated to differential outcome groups. Conclusion: The study findings underscored the diversity of ADHD patients and that individual factors should be taken into account when tailoring individual treatment schedules. Findings further showed that stimulant dosages are dynamic over time......Objective: To evaluate 410 real-life patients treated with stimulants and assessed systematically over several years. Method: Naturalistic observational study. A database was compiled on the basis of a review of the medical charts of patients attending a specialized ADHD clinic. Results...

Real life working shift assignment problem

Science.gov (United States)

Sze, San-Nah; Kwek, Yeek-Ling; Tiong, Wei-King; Chiew, Kang-Leng

2017-07-01

This study concerns about the working shift assignment in an outlet of Supermarket X in Eastern Mall, Kuching. The working shift assignment needs to be solved at least once in every month. Current approval process of working shifts is too troublesome and time-consuming. Furthermore, the management staff cannot have an overview of manpower and working shift schedule. Thus, the aim of this study is to develop working shift assignment simulation and propose a working shift assignment solution. The main objective for this study is to fulfill manpower demand at minimum operation cost. Besides, the day off and meal break policy should be fulfilled accordingly. Demand based heuristic is proposed to assign working shift and the quality of the solution is evaluated by using the real data.

An accurate real-time model of maglev planar motor based on compound Simpson numerical integration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baoquan Kou

2017-05-01

Full Text Available To realize the high-speed and precise control of the maglev planar motor, a more accurate real-time electromagnetic model, which considers the influence of the coil corners, is proposed in this paper. Three coordinate systems for the stator, mover and corner coil are established. The coil is divided into two segments, the straight coil segment and the corner coil segment, in order to obtain a complete electromagnetic model. When only take the first harmonic of the flux density distribution of a Halbach magnet array into account, the integration method can be carried out towards the two segments according to Lorenz force law. The force and torque analysis formula of the straight coil segment can be derived directly from Newton-Leibniz formula, however, this is not applicable to the corner coil segment. Therefore, Compound Simpson numerical integration method is proposed in this paper to solve the corner segment. With the validation of simulation and experiment, the proposed model has high accuracy and can realize practical application easily.

Robust Real-Time Tracking for Visual Surveillance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aguilera Josep

2007-01-01

Full Text Available This paper describes a real-time multi-camera surveillance system that can be applied to a range of application domains. This integrated system is designed to observe crowded scenes and has mechanisms to improve tracking of objects that are in close proximity. The four component modules described in this paper are (i motion detection using a layered background model, (ii object tracking based on local appearance, (iii hierarchical object recognition, and (iv fused multisensor object tracking using multiple features and geometric constraints. This integrated approach to complex scene tracking is validated against a number of representative real-world scenarios to show that robust, real-time analysis can be performed.

Midlife Family Economic Hardship and Later Life Cardiometabolic Health: The Protective Role of Marital Integration.

Science.gov (United States)

Wickrama, Kandauda A S; O'Neal, Catherine Walker; Neppl, Tricia K

2018-05-25

The current study assesses the unique influences of family economic hardship (FEH) in early and late midlife on husbands' and wives' body mass index (BMI) and the influence of BMI on the onset of cardiometabolic (CM) disease in later adulthood. The protective role of marital integration is also considered in relation to the stress-response link between FEH and BMI. Analyses were performed using structural equation modeling with prospective data from 257 husbands and wives in enduring marriages over a period of 25 years beginning when they were approximately 40 years old. A multigroup analysis tested the moderating role of marital integration. The distal influence of FEH in early midlife on BMI in later adulthood remained statistically significant even after controlling for proximal FEH. Proximal FEH in later midlife was influential for wives', but not husbands', BMI. BMI in later midlife was related to the onset of CM disease in their later life. Moderation analysis showed that FEH and subsequent BMI were associated for couples with below average levels of behavioral integration but not for couples with above average levels of integration. Taken together, these findings suggest a family-health process stemming from early FEH and operating cumulatively over the life course. FEH in early midlife is a persistent determinant of physiological dysregulation as reflected by BMI. Findings identify BMI as a modifiable leverage point for the long-term reduction of CM disease risk and highlight the role of spouses as a buffer against the detrimental stress-health association.

Making mathematics and science integration happen: key aspects of practice

Science.gov (United States)

Ríordáin, Máire Ní; Johnston, Jennifer; Walshe, Gráinne

2016-02-01

The integration of mathematics and science teaching and learning facilitates student learning, engagement, motivation, problem-solving, criticality and real-life application. However, the actual implementation of an integrative approach to the teaching and learning of both subjects at classroom level, with in-service teachers working collaboratively, at second-level education, is under-researched due to the complexities of school-based research. This study reports on a year-long case study on the implementation of an integrated unit of learning on distance, speed and time, within three second-level schools in Ireland. This study employed a qualitative approach and examined the key aspects of practice that impact on the integration of mathematics and science teaching and learning. We argue that teacher perspective, teacher knowledge of the 'other subject' and of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK), and teacher collaboration and support all impact on the implementation of an integrative approach to mathematics and science education.

Integration of lessons from recent research for "Earth to Mars" life support systems

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, M.; Allen, J. P.; Alling, A.; Dempster, W. F.; Silverstone, S.; van Thillo, M.

Development of reliable and robust strategies for long-term life support for mbox planetary exploration needs to be built on real-time experimentation to verify and improve system components Also critical is the incorporation of a range of viable options to handle potential short-term life system imbalances This paper revisits some of the conceptual framework for a Mars base prototype previously advanced Mars on Earth in the light of three years of experimentation by the authors in the Laboratory Biosphere further investigation of system alternatives and the advent of other innovative engineering and agri-ecosystem approaches Several experiments with candidate space agriculture crops have demonstrated the higher productivity possible with elevated light levels and improved environmental controls For example crops of sweet potatoes exceeded original Mars base prototype projections by 83 ultradwarf Apogee wheat by 27 pinto bean by 240 and cowpeas slightly exceeded anticipated dry bean yield These production levels although they may be increased with further optimization of lighting regimes environmental parameters crop density etc offer evidence that a soil-based system can be as productive as the hydroponic systems which have dominated space life support scenarios and research Soil also offers several distinct advantages the capability to be created using in-situ space resources reducing reliance on consumables and imported resources and more easily recycling and

Life Cycle Based Evaluation of Environmental and Economic Impacts of Agricultural Productions in the Mediterranean Area

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Tamburini

2015-03-01

Full Text Available In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA applied to estimate the cradle-to-grave environmental impact of agricultural products or processes. Furthermore, including in the analysis an economic evaluation, from the perspective of an integrated life cycle approach, appears nowadays as a fundamental improvement. In particular, Life Cycle Costing (LCC, is a method that could integrate financial data and cost information with metrics of life cycle approaches. In this study, LCA in conjunction with LCC methods were used, with the aim to evaluate the main cost drivers—environmental and economic—of five widely diffused and market-valued agricultural productions (organic tomato and pear, integrated wheat, apple and chicory and to combine the results in order to understand the long-term externalities impacts of agricultural productions. Data obtained in local assessment show a wide margin of improvement of resources management at farms level in the short-term, but also allow for the investigation of future effects of environmental impacts not expressed in product price on the market. Reaching a real sustainable model for agriculture could be a value added approach firstly for farmers, but also for all the people who live in rural areas or use agricultural products.

Dynamic analysis of holiday travel behavior with integrated multimodal travel information usage : a life-oriented approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wang, B.; Shao, C.; Ji, X.

2017-01-01

The Integrated Multimodal Travel Information (IMTI) plays an important role in the evolution process of holiday travel behaviour, which is seldom investigated. To fill this gap, this study analyses holiday travel behaviour dynamics with IMTI usage, based on the life-oriented approach. IMTI usage is

Real Convergence, Steps from Adherence to Integration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mihail Busu

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The macroeconomic model Solow-Swan shows that the marginal rates of capital, technology and labor force, with positive values, have the capacity to stimulate the economic growth of the emergent economies, as in the case of Romania, for the 2005-2014 period, facilitating the determination of specific correlations between macroeconomic indicators to analyze the convergence towards the average European Union (EU. The economic theory, highlighted in particular by the Solow-Swan model, was applied in the current paper, to determine the potential of real convergence. Moreover, the statistics for the period 2005-2014 facilitated the analysis of the growth and recession factors specific to economies of Central and Eastern Europe and placed Romania amongst the EU countries with emergent economies and potential of economic growth. The European Commission’s reports regarding the macroeconomic imbalance procedure draw attention on the same indicators presented in the article to address proper recommendations and support corrective measures. Making a step from nominal to real convergence, the latter derives naturally from the need to recoup the gaps in comparison with developed economies amongst countries of the Euro Area.

Integrating Real-Time Room Acoustics Simulation into a CAD Modeling Software to Enhance the Architectural Design Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sönke Pelzer

2014-04-01

Full Text Available For architects, real-time 3D visual rendering of CAD-models is a valuable tool. The architect usually perceives the visual appearance of the building interior in a natural and realistic way during the design process. Unfortunately this only emphasizes the role of the visual appearance of a building, while the acoustics often remain disregarded. Controlling the room acoustics is not integrated into most architects’ workflows—due to a lack of tools. The present contribution describes a newly developed plug-in for adding an adequate 3D-acoustics feedback to the architect. To present intuitively the acoustical effect of the current design project, the plug-in uses real-time audio rendering and 3D-reproduction. The room acoustics of the design can be varied by modifying structural shapes as well as by changing the material selection. In addition to the audio feedback, also a visualization of important room acoustics qualities is provided by displaying color-coded maps inside the CAD software.

Real-time isothermal RNA amplification of toxic marine microalgae using preserved reagents on an integrated microfluidic platform.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsaloglou, Maria-Nefeli; Laouenan, Florian; Loukas, Christos-Moritz; Monsalve, Lisandro Gabriel; Thanner, Christine; Morgan, Hywel; Ruano-López, Jesus M; Mowlem, Matthew C

2013-01-21

Quantitation of specific RNA sequences is a useful technique in marine biology that can elucidate cell abundance, speciation and viability, especially for early detection of harmful algal blooms. We are thus developing an integrated microfluidic system for cell concentration and lysis, RNA extraction/purification and quantitative RNA detection for environmental applications. The portable system is based on a microfluidic cartridge, or "lab-card", using a low-cost injection moulded device, with a laminated lid. Here we present real-time isothermal RNA amplification using reagent master-mixes preserved on-chip in a gel at 4 °C for up to eight months. We demonstrate quantitation by reference to an internal control in a competitive assay with 500 cell equivalents of the toxic microalga Karenia brevis. Annealing of primers, amplification at 41 °C and real-time fluorescence detection of the internal control and target using sequence-specific molecular beacons were all performed on-chip.

The Performance Analysis of a Real-Time Integrated INS/GPS Vehicle Navigation System with Abnormal GPS Measurement Elimination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jhen-Kai Liao

2013-08-01

Full Text Available The integration of an Inertial Navigation System (INS and the Global Positioning System (GPS is common in mobile mapping and navigation applications to seamlessly determine the position, velocity, and orientation of the mobile platform. In most INS/GPS integrated architectures, the GPS is considered to be an accurate reference with which to correct for the systematic errors of the inertial sensors, which are composed of biases, scale factors and drift. However, the GPS receiver may produce abnormal pseudo-range errors mainly caused by ionospheric delay, tropospheric delay and the multipath effect. These errors degrade the overall position accuracy of an integrated system that uses conventional INS/GPS integration strategies such as loosely coupled (LC and tightly coupled (TC schemes. Conventional tightly coupled INS/GPS integration schemes apply the Klobuchar model and the Hopfield model to reduce pseudo-range delays caused by ionospheric delay and tropospheric delay, respectively, but do not address the multipath problem. However, the multipath effect (from reflected GPS signals affects the position error far more significantly in a consumer-grade GPS receiver than in an expensive, geodetic-grade GPS receiver. To avoid this problem, a new integrated INS/GPS architecture is proposed. The proposed method is described and applied in a real-time integrated system with two integration strategies, namely, loosely coupled and tightly coupled schemes, respectively. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, field tests with various scenarios are conducted and the results are compared with a reliable reference system.

IoT European Large-Scale Pilots – Integration, Experimentation and Testing

OpenAIRE

Guillén, Sergio Gustavo; Sala, Pilar; Fico, Giuseppe; Arredondo, Maria Teresa; Cano, Alicia; Posada, Jorge; Gutierrez, Germán; Palau, Carlos; Votis, Konstantinos; Verdouw, Cor N.; Wolfert, Sjaak; Beers, George; Sundmaeker, Harald; Chatzikostas, Grigoris; Ziegler, Sébastien

2017-01-01

The IoT European Large-Scale Pilots Programme includes the innovation consortia that are collaborating to foster the deployment of IoT solutions in Europe through the integration of advanced IoT technologies across the value chain, demonstration of multiple IoT applications at scale and in a usage context, and as close as possible to operational conditions. The programme projects are targeted, goal-driven initiatives that propose IoT approaches to specific real-life industrial/societal challe...

Getting started with Oracle SOA B2B Integration a hands-on tutorial

CERN Document Server

Bhatia, Krishnaprem; Perlovsky, Alan

2013-01-01

This hands on tutorial gives you the best possible start you could hope for with Oracle B2B. Learn using real life scenarios and examples to give you a solid footing of B2B.This book is for B2B architects, consultants and developers who would like to design and develop B2B integrations using Oracle B2B. This book assumes no prior knowledge of Oracle B2B and explains all concepts from scratch using illustrations, real world examples and step-by-step instructions. The book covers enough depth and details to be useful for both beginner and advanced B2B users.

Case Studies of Integrated Pedagogy in Vocational Education: A Three-Tier Approach to Empowering Vulnerable Youth in Urban Cambodia

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, I-Hsuan

2010-01-01

This paper starts with the real-life issues pertaining to the educational, economic and socio-cultural vulnerability of young Cambodians; and the latter in turn has called for greater integrated stance in vocational education. A multiple-case study of nine educational NGOs located in four cities was conducted, whereby what constitutes an…

Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Newly Diagnosed Diabetic Macular Edema in Turkey: A Real-Life Registry Study—TURK-DEM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bora Eldem

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose. To evaluate the clinical and diagnostic characteristics of patients with newly diagnosed diabetic macular edema (DME in Turkey in a real-life setting. Methods. A total of 945 consecutive patients (mean (SD age: 61.3 (9.9 years, 55.2% male with newly diagnosed DME were included. Data on patient demographics, comorbidities, ocular history, ophthalmic examination findings including type of DME, central macular thickness (CMT via time domain (TD and spectral domain (SD optical coherence tomography (OCT, and planned treatments were recorded. Results. OCT (98.8% and fundoscopy (92.9% were the two most common diagnostic methods. Diffuse and focal DMEs were detected in 39.2% and 36.9% of cases, respectively. Laser photocoagulation (32.1% and antivascular endothelial growth factors (anti-VEGF; 31.8% were the most commonly planned treatments. The median CMT in the right eye was significantly greater in untreated than in treated patients [376.5 μm (range: 160–840 versus 342 μm (range: 146–999 (p=0.002] and in the left eye [370 μm (range: 201–780 versus 329 μm (range: 148–999 (p<0.001]. Conclusions. This study is the first large-scale real-life registry of DME patients in Turkey. SD-OCT and fundoscopy were the most common diagnostic methods. Laser photocoagulation and anti-VEGF therapy were the most common treatments.

Integrating SAR with Optical and Thermal Remote Sensing for Operational Near Real-Time Volcano Monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, F. J.; Webley, P.; Dehn, J.; Arko, S. A.; McAlpin, D. B.

2013-12-01

multiple observation geometries in change detection procedures. Additionally, it will be shown how SAR-based hazard information can be integrated with data from optical satellites, thermal sensors, webcams and models to create near-real time volcano hazard information. We will introduce a prototype monitoring system that integrates SAR-based hazard information into the near real-time volcano hazard monitoring system of the Alaska Volcano Observatory. This prototype system was applied to historic eruptions of the volcanoes Okmok and Augustine, both located in the North Pacific. We will show that for these historic eruptions, the addition of SAR data lead to a significant improvement in activity detection and eruption monitoring, and improved the accuracy and timeliness of eruption alerts.

Integrating life cycle assessment into managing potential EHS risks of engineered nanomaterials: reviewing progress to date

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walker, William C.; Bosso, Christopher J.; Eckelman, Matthew; Isaacs, Jacqueline A.; Pourzahedi, Leila

2015-01-01

The 2011 National Nanotechnology Initiative’s Environmental Health and Safety Research Strategy stressed the need for research to integrate life cycle considerations into risk management and, then, to better integrate risk assessment into decisionmaking on environmental, health, and safety (EHS) dimensions of nanomanufacturing. This paper reviews scholarly articles published 2010–2015 that in some way apply life cycle analysis to nanotechnology to assess the extent to which current research reflects the priorities lain out in the NNI report. As the NNI’s focus was primarily on the “responsible development of nanotechnology” we also focus our examination on the ways in which LCA, in concert with other methodologies, can provide utility to decision makers facing the challenge of implementing that broad goal. We explore some of the challenges and opportunities inherent in using LCA, a tool built to optimize manufacturing decisions, as a guide for policy formulation or tool for policy implementation

Integrated waste management and the tool of life cycle inventory : a route to sustainable waste management

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McDougall, F.R.; White, P.R. [Procter and Gamble Newcastle Technical Centre, Newcastle (United Kingdom). Corporate Sustainable Development

2000-07-01

An overall approach to municipal waste management which integrates sustainable development principles was discussed. The three elements of sustainability which have to be balanced are environmental effectiveness, economic affordability and social acceptability. An integrated waste management (IWM) system considers different treatment options and deals with the entire waste stream. A life cycle inventory (LCI) and life cycle assessment (LCA) is used to determine the environmental burdens associated with IWM systems. LCIs for waste management are currently available for use in Europe, the United States, Canada and elsewhere. LCI is being used by waste management companies to assess the environmental attributes of future contract tenders. The models are used as benchmarking tools to assess the current environmental profile of a waste management system. They are also a comparative planning and communication tool. The authors are currently looking into publishing, at a future date, the experience of users of this LCI environmental management tool. 12 refs., 3 figs.

Integrating life cycle assessment into managing potential EHS risks of engineered nanomaterials: reviewing progress to date

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walker, William C.; Bosso, Christopher J., E-mail: c.bosso@neu.edu [Northeastern University, School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs (United States); Eckelman, Matthew [Northeastern University, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (United States); Isaacs, Jacqueline A. [Northeastern University, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (United States); Pourzahedi, Leila [Northeastern University, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (United States)

2015-08-15

The 2011 National Nanotechnology Initiative’s Environmental Health and Safety Research Strategy stressed the need for research to integrate life cycle considerations into risk management and, then, to better integrate risk assessment into decisionmaking on environmental, health, and safety (EHS) dimensions of nanomanufacturing. This paper reviews scholarly articles published 2010–2015 that in some way apply life cycle analysis to nanotechnology to assess the extent to which current research reflects the priorities lain out in the NNI report. As the NNI’s focus was primarily on the “responsible development of nanotechnology” we also focus our examination on the ways in which LCA, in concert with other methodologies, can provide utility to decision makers facing the challenge of implementing that broad goal. We explore some of the challenges and opportunities inherent in using LCA, a tool built to optimize manufacturing decisions, as a guide for policy formulation or tool for policy implementation.

Quality of life of Brazilian and Spanish cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy: an integrative literature review

Science.gov (United States)

Sawada, Namie Okino; Nicolussi, Adriana Cristina; de Paula, Juliana Maria; Garcia-Caro, Maria Paz; Marti-Garcia, Celia; Cruz-Quintana, Francisco

2016-01-01

Objective: characterize the scientific production of Brazil and Spain in regard to methodological aspects and aspects of health-related quality of life experienced by cancer patients receiving chemotherapy in both countries. Method: integrative literature review was conducted using the following databases: CINAHL, MEDLINE, SCOPUS and CUIDEN and the electronic libraries PubMed and SciELO, conducted in September 2013. Results: a total of 28 papers met the inclusion criteria. The synthesis of knowledge was presented in three categories of analysis: assessment of quality of life in different types of cancer; sociodemographic factors that influenced quality of life; and type of cancer and interventions that improve quality of life. Chemotherapy affects health-related quality of life and the most important factors were: age, sex, chemotherapy protocol, type of surgery, stage of the disease, educational level, and emotional intelligence. Complementary therapies such as acupuncture, guided visualization, prayers and exercise were positive and reduced side effects. Conclusion: the results showed a poor level of evidence, since 86% of the studies were cross-sectional descriptive studies; the instrument most frequently used to measure health-related quality of life was EORTC QLQ C-30 and more studies were conducted in Brazil than in Spain. PMID:27192414