Kittell, Aaron W.; Hustedt, Eric J.; Hyde, James S.
2014-01-01
Site-directed spin-labeling electron paramagnetic resonance (SDSL EPR) provides insight into the local structure and motion of a spin probe strategically attached to a molecule. When a second spin is introduced to the system, macromolecular information can be obtained through measurement of inter-spin distances either by continuous wave (CW) or pulsed electron double resonance (ELDOR) techniques. If both methodologies are considered, inter-spin distances of 8 to 80 Å can be experimentally determined. However, there exists a region at the upper limit of the conventional X-band (9.5 GHz) CW technique and the lower limit of the four-pulse double electron-electron resonance (DEER) experiment where neither method is particularly reliable. The work presented here utilizes L-band (1.9 GHz) in combination with non-adiabatic rapid sweep (NARS) EPR to address this opportunity by increasing the upper limit of the CW technique. Because L-band linewidths are three to seven times narrower than those at X-band, dipolar broadenings that are small relative to the X-band inhomogeneous linewidth become observable, but the signal loss due to the frequency dependence of the Boltzmann factor, has made L-band especially challenging. NARS has been shown to increase sensitivity by a factor of five, and overcomes much of this loss, making L-band distance determination more feasible [1]. Two different systems are presented and distances of 18–30 Å have been experimentally determined at physiologically relevant temperatures. Measurements are in excellent agreement with a helical model and values determined by DEER. PMID:22750251
Fielding, Alistair J.; Usselman, Robert J.; Watmough, Nicholas; Simkovic, Martin; Frerman, Frank E.; Eaton, Gareth R.; Eaton, Sandra S.
2008-02-01
Electron transfer flavoprotein-ubiquinone oxidoreductase (ETF-QO) is a membrane-bound electron transfer protein that links primary flavoprotein dehydrogenases with the main respiratory chain. Human, porcine, and Rhodobacter sphaeroides ETF-QO each contain a single [4Fe-4S] 2+,1+ cluster and one equivalent of FAD, which are diamagnetic in the isolated enzyme and become paramagnetic on reduction with the enzymatic electron donor or with dithionite. The anionic flavin semiquinone can be reduced further to diamagnetic hydroquinone. The redox potentials for the three redox couples are so similar that it is not possible to poise the proteins in a state where both the [4Fe-4S] + cluster and the flavoquinone are fully in the paramagnetic form. Inversion recovery was used to measure the electron spin-lattice relaxation rates for the [4Fe-4S] + between 8 and 18 K and for semiquinone between 25 and 65 K. At higher temperatures the spin-lattice relaxation rates for the [4Fe-4S] + were calculated from the temperature-dependent contributions to the continuous wave linewidths. Although mixtures of the redox states are present, it was possible to analyze the enhancement of the electron spin relaxation of the FAD semiquinone signal due to dipolar interaction with the more rapidly relaxing [4Fe-4S] + and obtain point-dipole interspin distances of 18.6 ± 1 Å for the three proteins. The point-dipole distances are within experimental uncertainty of the value calculated based on the crystal structure of porcine ETF-QO when spin delocalization is taken into account. The results demonstrate that electron spin relaxation enhancement can be used to measure distances in redox poised proteins even when several redox states are present.
Fielding, Alistair J; Usselman, Robert J; Watmough, Nicholas; Simkovic, Martin; Frerman, Frank E; Eaton, Gareth R; Eaton, Sandra S
2008-02-01
Electron transfer flavoprotein-ubiquinone oxidoreductase (ETF-QO) is a membrane-bound electron transfer protein that links primary flavoprotein dehydrogenases with the main respiratory chain. Human, porcine, and Rhodobacter sphaeroides ETF-QO each contain a single [4Fe-4S](2+,1+) cluster and one equivalent of FAD, which are diamagnetic in the isolated enzyme and become paramagnetic on reduction with the enzymatic electron donor or with dithionite. The anionic flavin semiquinone can be reduced further to diamagnetic hydroquinone. The redox potentials for the three redox couples are so similar that it is not possible to poise the proteins in a state where both the [4Fe-4S](+) cluster and the flavoquinone are fully in the paramagnetic form. Inversion recovery was used to measure the electron spin-lattice relaxation rates for the [4Fe-4S](+) between 8 and 18K and for semiquinone between 25 and 65K. At higher temperatures the spin-lattice relaxation rates for the [4Fe-4S](+) were calculated from the temperature-dependent contributions to the continuous wave linewidths. Although mixtures of the redox states are present, it was possible to analyze the enhancement of the electron spin relaxation of the FAD semiquinone signal due to dipolar interaction with the more rapidly relaxing [4Fe-4S](+) and obtain point-dipole interspin distances of 18.6+/-1A for the three proteins. The point-dipole distances are within experimental uncertainty of the value calculated based on the crystal structure of porcine ETF-QO when spin delocalization is taken into account. The results demonstrate that electron spin relaxation enhancement can be used to measure distances in redox poised proteins even when several redox states are present.
Lee, Chang-Hyung; Derby, Richard; Choi, Hyun-Seok; Lee, Sang-Heon; Kim, Se Hoon; Kang, Yoon Kyu
2010-01-01
One technique in radiofrequency neurotomies uses 2 electrodes that are simultaneously placed to lie parallel to one another. Comparing lesions on cadaveric interspinous ligament tissue and measuring the temperature change in egg white allows us to accurately measure quantitatively the area of the lesion. Fresh cadaver spinal tissue and egg white tissue were used. A series of samples were prepared with the electrodes placed 1 to 7 mm apart. Using radiofrequency, the needle electrodes were heated in sequential or simultaneous order and the distance of the escaped lesion area and temperature were measured. Samples of cadaver interspinous ligament showed sequential heating of the needles limits the placement of the needle electrodes up to 2 mm apart from each other and up to 4 mm apart when heated simultaneously. The temperature at the escaped lesion area decreased according to the distance for egg white. There was a significant difference in temperature at the escaped lesion area up to 6 mm apart and the temperature was above 50 degrees celsius up to 5 mm in simultaneous lesion and 3 mm in the sequential lesion. The limitations of this study include cadaveric experimentation and use of intraspinous ligament rather than medial branch of the dorsal ramus which is difficult to identify. Heating the 2 electrodes simultaneously appears to coagulate a wider area and potentially produce better results in less time.
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Djernaes, Julie D.; Nielsen, Jon V.; Berg, Lise C.
2017-01-01
The widths of spaces between the thoracolumbar processi spinosi (interspinous spaces) are frequently assessed using radiography in sports horses; however effects of varying X-ray beam angles and geometric distortion have not been previously described. The aim of this prospective, observational...... study was to determine whether X-ray beam angle has an effect on apparent widths of interspinous spaces. Thoracolumbar spine specimens were collected from six equine cadavers and left-right lateral radiographs and sagittal and dorsal reconstructed computed tomographic (CT) images were acquired...... measurements. Effect of geometric distortion was evaluated by comparing the interspinous space in radiographs with sagittal and dorsal reconstructed CT images. A total of 49 interspinous spaces were sampled, yielding 274 measurements. X-ray beam angle significantly affected measured width of interspinous...
Kristjánsson, Baldur; Limthongkul, Worawat; Yingsakmongkol, Wicharn; Thantiworasit, Pattarawat; Jirathanathornnukul, Napaphat; Honsawek, Sittisak
2016-01-01
A descriptive in vitro study on isolation and differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from the facet joints and interspinous ligaments. To isolate cells from the facet joints and interspinous ligaments and investigate their surface marker profile and differentiation potentials. Lumbar spinal canal stenosis and ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament are progressive conditions characterized by the hypertrophy and ossification of ligaments and joints within the spinal canal. MSCs are believed to play a role in the advancement of these diseases and the existence of MSCs has been demonstrated within the ligamentum flavum and posterior longitudinal ligament. The aim of this study was to investigate whether these cells could also be found within facet joints and interspinous ligaments. Samples were harvested from 10 patients undergoing spinal surgery. The MSCs from facet joints and interspinous ligaments were isolated using direct tissue explant technique. Cell surface antigen profilings were performed via flow cytometry. Their lineage differentiation potentials were analyzed. The facet joints and interspinous ligaments-derived MSCs have the tri-lineage potential to be differentiated into osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic cells under appropriate inductions. Flow cytometry analysis revealed both cell lines expressed MSCs markers. Both facet joints and interspinous ligaments-derived MSCs expressed marker genes for osteoblasts, adipocytes, and chondrocytes. The facet joints and interspinous ligaments may provide alternative sources of MSCs for tissue engineering applications. The facet joints and interspinous ligaments-derived MSCs are part of the microenvironment of the human ligaments of the spinal column and might play a crucial role in the development and progression of degenerative spine conditions.
Lumbar interspinous bursitis in active polymyalgia rheumatica.
Salvarani, Carlo; Barozzi, Libero; Boiardi, Luigi; Pipitone, Nicolò; Bajocchi, Gian Luigi; Macchioni, Pier Luigi; Catanoso, Mariagrazia; Pazzola, Giulia; Valentino, Massimo; De Luca, Carlo; Hunder, Gene G
2013-01-01
To evaluate the inflammatory involvement of lumbar interspinous bursae in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Ten consecutive, untreated new patients with PMR and pain in the shoulder and pelvic girdles were investigated. Seven patients with spondyloarthritis (4 with psoriatic spondyloarthrits, one with entheropatic spondyloarthritis, and 2 with ankylosing spondylitis) as well as 2 patients with spinal osteoarthritis and 2 patients with rheumatoid arthritis with lumbar pain served as controls. MRI of lumbar spine was performed in all PMR patients and controls. Nine patients (5 PMR patients and 4 controls) also had MRI of the thoracic spine. MRI evidence of interspinous lumbar bursitis was found in 9/10 patients with PMR and in 5/11 controls. A moderate to marked (grade ≥2 on a semiquantitative 0-3 scale) lumbar bursitis occurred significantly more frequently in patients with PMR than in control patients (60% vs. 9%, p=0.020). In most of the patients and controls lumbar bursitis was found at the L3-L5 interspaces. Only 2 patients had bursitis at a different level (one patient had widespread lumbar bursitis, and one control at L2-L4). No interspinous bursitis was demonstrated by MRI of the thoracic spine in patients and controls. Inflammation of lumbar bursae may be responsible for the low back pain reported by patients with PMR. The prominent inflammatory involvement of bursae including those of the lumbar spine supports the hypothesis that PMR may be a disorder affecting predominantly extra-articular synovial structures.
Interspinous Process Decompression: Expanding Treatment Options for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
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Pierce D. Nunley
2016-01-01
Full Text Available Interspinous process decompression is a minimally invasive implantation procedure employing a stand-alone interspinous spacer that functions as an extension blocker to prevent compression of neural elements without direct surgical removal of tissue adjacent to the nerves. The Superion® spacer is the only FDA approved stand-alone device available in the US. It is also the only spacer approved by the CMS to be implanted in an ambulatory surgery center. We computed the within-group effect sizes from the Superion IDE trial and compared them to results extrapolated from two randomized trials of decompressive laminectomy. For the ODI, effect sizes were all very large (>1.0 for Superion and laminectomy at 2, 3, and 4 years. For ZCQ, the 2-year Superion symptom severity (1.26 and physical function (1.29 domains were very large; laminectomy effect sizes were very large (1.07 for symptom severity and large for physical function (0.80. Current projections indicate a marked increase in the number of patients with spinal stenosis. Consequently, there remains a keen interest in minimally invasive treatment options that delay or obviate the need for invasive surgical procedures, such as decompressive laminectomy or fusion. Stand-alone interspinous spacers may fill a currently unmet treatment gap in the continuum of care and help to reduce the burden of this chronic degenerative condition on the health care system.
Lumbosacral interspinous ligament rupture associated with acute intrinsic spinal muscle degeneration
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Jinkins, Randy J.
2002-01-01
The objective of this study was to demonstrate lumbosacral interspinous ligament rupture, with or without related acute intrinsic spinal muscle degeneration. This study consisted of a prospective imaging analysis of consecutive 100 MRI studies in adult patients (mean age 56 years) presenting with low back pain. Alterations from the normal in the inter- and perispinal structures of the spine and perispinal soft tissues (e.g., spinal ligaments, perispinal muscles) were sought based upon studies on young volunteers without low back pain (n=10; mean age 23 years). Compared with the group without low back pain, many index cases (n=71, 71%) demonstrated hyperintensity (i.e., sprain or frank ligamentous rupture) of the interspinous ligament(s) on T2-weighted, fat-suppressed MRI studies at one (20 of 71, 28%) or multiple (51 of 71, 72%) levels. Associated intrinsic spinal muscle (e.g., interspinalis, multifidus muscles) degeneration was observed in a minority of cases overall (n=7, 7%), but was only seen in association with cases also demonstrating interspinous ligament degeneration/rupture (7 of 71, 10%). Lumbosacral interspinous ligament sprain or frank rupture, as well as related acute-subacute autotraumatic intrinsic spinal muscle rupture/degeneration, may be overlooked by many observers if fat-suppressed, T2-weighted MRI is not acquired. These musculoligamentous alterations are on occasion the only abnormalities recognized on MRI of the lumbosacral spine and may theoretically be sources of low back morbidity that potentially may respond to specific therapy. Because this study was an observational one, based solely upon medical imaging, future research must focus upon the correlation of the relevance of these findings with an age-matched asymptomatic control group and longitudinal clinicoradiologic therapeutic trials. (orig.)
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Brand Ronald
2010-05-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background Decompressive laminotomy is the standard surgical procedure in the treatment of patients with canal stenosis related intermittent neurogenic claudication. New techniques, such as interspinous process implants, claim a shorter hospital stay, less post-operative pain and equal long-term functional outcome. A comparative (cost- effectiveness study has not been performed yet. This protocol describes the design of a randomized controlled trial (RCT on (cost- effectiveness of the use of interspinous process implants versus conventional decompression surgery in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. Methods/Design Patients (age 40-85 presenting with intermittent neurogenic claudication due to lumbar spinal stenosis lasting more than 3 months refractory to conservative treatment, are included. Randomization into interspinous implant surgery versus bony decompression surgery will take place in the operating room after induction of anesthesia. The primary outcome measure is the functional assessment of the patient measured by the Zurich Claudication Questionnaire (ZCQ, at 8 weeks and 1 year after surgery. Other outcome parameters include perceived recovery, leg and back pain, incidence of re-operations, complications, quality of life, medical consumption, absenteeism and costs. The study is a randomized multi-institutional trial, in which two surgical techniques are compared in a parallel group design. Patients and research nurses are kept blinded of the allocated treatment during the follow-up period of 1 year. Discussion Currently decompressive laminotomy is the golden standard in the surgical treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis. Whether surgery with interspinous implants is a reasonable alternative can be determined by this trial. Trial register Dutch Trial register number: NTR1307
Minimally invasive treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis with a novel interspinous spacer
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Shabat S
2011-09-01
Full Text Available Shay Shabat1, Larry E Miller2,3, Jon E Block3, Reuven Gepstein11Spinal Care Unit, Sapir Medical Center, Kfar Saba, Israel; 2Miller Scientific Consulting, Inc, Biltmore Lake, NC, USA; 3Jon E Block, PhD, Inc, San Francisco, CA, USAPurpose: To assess the safety and effectiveness of a novel, minimally invasive interspinous spacer in patients with moderate lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS.Methods: A total of 53 patients (mean age, 70 ± 11 years; 45% female with intermittent neurogenic claudication secondary to moderate LSS, confirmed on imaging studies, were treated with the Superion® Interspinous Spacer (VertiFlex, Inc, San Clemente, CA and returned for follow-up visits at 6 weeks, 1 year, and 2 years. Study endpoints included axial and extremity pain severity with an 11-point numeric scale, Zurich Claudication Questionnaire (ZCQ, back function with the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI, health-related quality of life with the Physical Component Summary (PCS and Mental Component Summary (MCS scores from the SF-12, and adverse events.Results: Axial and extremity pain each decreased 54% (both P < 0.001 over the 2-year follow-up period. ZCQ symptom severity scores improved 43% (P < 0.001 and ZCQ physical function improved 44% (P < 0.001 from pre-treatment to 2 years post-treatment. A statistically significant 50% improvement (P < 0.001 also was noted in back function. PCS and MCS each improved 40% (both P < 0.001 from pre-treatment to 2 years. Clinical success rates at 2 years were 83%–89% for ZCQ subscores, 75% for ODI, 78% for PCS, and 80% for MCS. No device infection, implant breakage, migration, or pull-out was observed, although two (3.8% patients underwent explant with subsequent laminectomy.Conclusion: Moderate LSS can be effectively treated with a minimally invasive interspinous spacer. This device is appropriate for select patients who have failed nonoperative treatment measures for LSS and meet strict anatomical criteria.Keywords: Superion, axial
Epidural cystic masses associated with interspinous bursitis, synovial and discal cysts
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Santos, Frederico Guilherme de Paula Lopes; Souza, Ricardo Andre de; Brotto, Marcos Pama D'Almeida; Suguita, Fabio Massaaki; Amaral, Denise Tokechi; Amaral, Lazaro Luis Faria do
2009-01-01
The authors describe some cases of epidural cysts, namely synovial, discal, ligamentum flavum cysts, and cysts secondary to interspinous bursitis, all of these conditions determining radicular, dural sac compression or spinal canal stenosis. Magnetic resonance imaging findings and localization of these entities are described. (author)
INTERSPINOUS SPACER IN PERSISTENT DISCOGENIC PAIN: PERCUTANEOUS APPROACH OR OPEN TECHNIQUE
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José Antonio Cruz Ricardez
Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: To compare the postoperative clinical course of placement of interspinous spacer with open technique (ISO with percutaneous interspinous spacer (PIS. Methods: Quasi-experimental, longitudinal study of 42 patients with discogenic pain uncontrolled with analgesics, aged 35-55 years old, 21 women, and 21 men. Clinical history, location of pain, VAS scale before and after surgery, Oswestry Disability Index and Macnab modified scale at 6 months were used. Results: When performing quantitative analysis statistical significance (p = 0.0478, 0.0466, 0.0399 was demonstrated with Student's t test between the results according to VAS scale; in the qualitative analysis with the Oswestry index and Macnab modified scale it was demonstrated the hypothesis that the results is dependent of the surgical technique. Conclusions: According to the results, we can conclude that there is a statistically significant difference depending on the surgical technique used with respect to the rate of disability and functionality in daily life as well as in the improvement of pain symptoms.
Interspinöse Implantate in der Wirbelsäulenchirurgie - eine Frage der Indikation: Ein Fallbericht
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Decristoforo I
2009-01-01
Full Text Available Ein 77-jähriger Patient war wegen manifester neurogener Claudicatio spinalis bei bekannter lumbaler Spinalkanalstenose in 3 Segmenten an einer auswärtigen Institution mit perkutanen interspinösen Implantaten versorgt worden, wonach sich die klinische Symptomatik nicht änderte. Erst die mikrochirurgische Dekompression und die Entfernung der Platzhalter führten zu einer deutlichen Besserung der Beschwerden und Verlängerung der schmerzfreien Gehstrecke. Anhand dieses Falles wird die Verwendung von interspinösen Platzhaltern beleuchtet. In der bisherigen klinischen Anwendung fehlen noch die Langzeitergebnisse. Eine korrekte Indikationsstellung zur Intervention bei Spinalkanalstenose ist Voraussetzung für ein zufriedenstellendes postoperatives Ergebnis.
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Ploumis Avraam
2012-10-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background Interspinous distraction devices (IPDD are indicated as stand-alone devices for the treatment of spinal stenosis. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the results of patients undergoing surgery for spinal stenosis with a combination of unilateral microdecompression and interspinous distraction device insertion. Methods This is a prospective clinical and radiological study of minimum 2 years follow-up. Twenty-two patients (average age 64.5 years with low-back pain and unilateral sciatica underwent decompressive surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis. Visual Analogue Scale, Oswestry Disability Index and walking capacity plus radiologic measurements of posterior disc height of the involved level and lumbar lordosis Cobb angle were documented both preoperatively and postoperatively. One-sided posterior subarticular and foraminal decompression was conducted followed by dynamic stabilization of the diseased level with an IPDD (X-STOP. Results The average follow-up time was 27.4 months. Visual Analogue Scale and Oswestry Disability Index improved statistically significantly (p Conclusions The described surgical technique using unilateral microdecompression and IPDD insertion is a clinically effective and radiologically viable treatment method for symptoms of spinal stenosis resistant to non-operative treatment.
Interspinous bursitis is common in polymyalgia rheumatica, but is not associated with spinal pain.
Camellino, Dario; Paparo, Francesco; Morbelli, Silvia; Cutolo, Maurizio; Sambuceti, Gianmario; Cimmino, Marco A
2014-12-01
Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is a common inflammatory disease in older people characterized by shoulder and/or pelvic girdle, and cervical and, occasionally, lumbar pain. Interspinous bursitis has been suggested as a potential cause of spinal symptoms. We evaluated, by 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography integrated with computed tomography (PET/CT), the vertebral structures involved in PMR in a cohort of consecutive, untreated patients. Sixty-five consecutive patients with PMR were studied. After a standardized physical examination, which included evaluation of pain and tenderness in the vertebral column, they underwent FDG-PET/CT. Sites of increased uptake and their correlation with spontaneous and provoked pain were recorded. For comparison, FDG-PET/CT was performed also in 65 age- and sex-matched controls and in 10 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. The most frequent site of spontaneous and provoked pain was the cervical portion. FDG uptake was more frequent in the lumbar portion than at any other location, and in the cervical rather than in the thoracic portion (P bursitis (r = 0.34, P = 0.007). None of the control patients and one out of ten RA patients showed interspinous bursitis. Interspinous bursitis is a frequent finding in the lumbar spine of patients with PMR. However, it is not associated with clinical symptoms and can hardly explain the spinal pain reported by the patients. Cervical pain is more frequent than lumbar pain in PMR patients and may be caused by shoulder girdle involvement.
Percutaneous Decompression of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis with a New Interspinous Device
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Masala, Salvatore; Fiori, Roberto; Bartolucci, Dario Alberto; Volpi, Tommaso; Calabria, Eros; Novegno, Federica; Simonetti, Giovanni
2012-01-01
Objective: This study was designed to evaluate the feasibility of the implantation of a new interspinous device (Falena) in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. The clinical outcomes and imaging results were assessed by orthostatic MR during an up to 6-month follow-up period. Methods: Between October 2008 and February 2010, the Falena was implanted at a single level in 26 patients (17 men; mean age, 69 (range, 54–82) years) who were affected by degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis. All of the patients were clinically evaluated before the procedure and at 1 and 3 months. Furthermore, 20 patients have completed a 6-month follow-up. Pain was assessed before and after the intervention using the Visual Analogue Scale score and the Oswestry Disability Index questionnaire. Orthostatic MR imaging was performed before the implantation and at 3 months to assess the correlation with the clinical outcome. Results: The mean ODI score decreased from 48.9 before the device implantation to 31.2 at 1 month (p < 0.0001). The mean VAS score decreased from 7.6 before to 3.9 (p < 0.0001) at 1 month and 3.6 at 3 months after the procedure (p = 0.0115). These values were stable at 6 months evaluation. No postimplantation major complications were recorded. MRI evaluation documented in most cases an increased size of the spinal canal area. Similarly a bilateral foraminal area improvement was found. The variation of the intervertebral space height measured on the posterior wall was not significant. Conclusions: In our preliminary experience with the Falena in a small cohort of patients, we obtained clinical and imaging results aligned to those reported with similar interspinous devices.
W.A. Moojen (Wouter); M.P. Arts (Mark); W.C.H. Jacobs (Wilco); E.W. van Zwet (Erik); M.E. van den Akker-van Marle (Elske); B.W. Koes (Bart); C.L.A.M. Vleggeert-Lankamp (Carmen); W.C. Peul (Wilco)
2013-01-01
markdownabstractAbstract Objective To assess whether interspinous process device implantation is more effective in the short term than conventional surgical decompression for patients with intermittent neurogenic claudication due to lumbar spinal stenosis. Design Randomized controlled
Ahn, Kang; Jhun, Hyung-Joon
2015-04-22
Lumbar spondylolisthesis (LS) and lumbar instability (LI) are common disorders in patients with low back or lumbar radicular pain. However, few physical examination tests for LS and LI have been reported. In the study described herein, new physical examination tests for LS and LI were devised and evaluated for their validity. The test for LS was designated "low midline sill sign", and that for LI was designated "interspinous gap change" during lumbar flexion-extension motion. The validity of the low midline sill sign was evaluated in 96 patients with low back or lumbar radicular pain. Validity of the interspinous gap change during lumbar flexion-extension motion was evaluated in 73 patients with low back or lumbar radicular pain. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the two tests were also investigated. The sensitivity and specificity of the low midline sill sign for LS were 81.3% and 89.1%, respectively. Positive and negative predictive values of the test were 78.8% and 90.5%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the interspinous gap change test for LI were 82.2% and 60.7%, respectively. Positive and negative predictive values of the test were 77.1% and 68.0%, respectively. The low midline sill sign and interspinous gap change tests are effective for the detection of LS and LI, and can be performed easily in an outpatient setting.
Wunnicke, Dorith; Ding, Ping; Yang, Haozhe; Seela, Frank; Steinhoff, Heinz-Jürgen
2015-10-29
Parallel-stranded (ps) DNA characterized by its sugar-phosphate backbones pointing in the same direction represents an alternative pairing system to antiparallel-stranded (aps) DNA with the potential to inhibit transcription and translation. 25-mer oligonucleotides were selected containing only dA·dT base pairs to compare spin-labeled nucleobase distances over a range of 10 or 15 base pairs in ps DNA with those in aps DNA. By means of the copper(I)-catalyzed Huisgen-Meldal-Sharpless alkyne-azide cycloaddition, the spin label 4-azido-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl was clicked to 7-ethynyl-7-deaza-2'-deoxyadenosine or 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine to yield 25-mer oligonucleotides incorporating two spin labels. The interspin distances between spin labeled residues were determined by pulse EPR spectroscopy. The results reveal that in ps DNA these distances are between 5 and 10% longer than in aps DNA when the labeled DNA segment is located near the center of the double helix. The interspin distance in ps DNA becomes shorter compared with aps DNA when one of the spin labels occupies a position near the end of the double helix.
Moojen, W.A.; Arts, M.P.; Bartels, R.H.M.A.; Jacobs, W.C.; Peul, W.C.
2011-01-01
INTRODUCTION: Despite an increasing implantation rate of interspinous process distraction (IPD) devices in the treatment of intermittent neurogenic claudication (INC), definitive evidence on the clinical effectiveness of implants is lacking. The main objective of this review was to perform a
ORDERED WEIGHTED DISTANCE MEASURE
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
Zeshui XU; Jian CHEN
2008-01-01
The aim of this paper is to develop an ordered weighted distance (OWD) measure, which is thegeneralization of some widely used distance measures, including the normalized Hamming distance, the normalized Euclidean distance, the normalized geometric distance, the max distance, the median distance and the min distance, etc. Moreover, the ordered weighted averaging operator, the generalized ordered weighted aggregation operator, the ordered weighted geometric operator, the averaging operator, the geometric mean operator, the ordered weighted square root operator, the square root operator, the max operator, the median operator and the min operator axe also the special cases of the OWD measure. Some methods depending on the input arguments are given to determine the weights associated with the OWD measure. The prominent characteristic of the OWD measure is that it can relieve (or intensify) the influence of unduly large or unduly small deviations on the aggregation results by assigning them low (or high) weights. This desirable characteristic makes the OWD measure very suitable to be used in many actual fields, including group decision making, medical diagnosis, data mining, and pattern recognition, etc. Finally, based on the OWD measure, we develop a group decision making approach, and illustrate it with a numerical example.
Moojen, Wouter A.; Arts, Mark P.; Bartels, Ronald H. M. A.; Jacobs, Wilco C. H.; Peul, Wilco C.
2011-01-01
Despite an increasing implantation rate of interspinous process distraction (IPD) devices in the treatment of intermittent neurogenic claudication (INC), definitive evidence on the clinical effectiveness of implants is lacking. The main objective of this review was to perform a meta-analysis of all
Fu, Lin; Ma, Jianxiong; Lu, Bin; Jia, Haobo; Zhao, Jie; Kuang, Mingjie; Feng, Rui; Xu, Liyan; Bai, Haohao; Sun, Lei; Wang, Ying; Ma, Xinlong
2017-07-01
Pedicle screw fixation may induce abnormal activity at adjacent segment and accelerate the degeneration of lumbar vertebrae. Dynamic stabilizers could provide an intermediate solution between conservative treatment and fusion surgery. Lumbar vertebral segment cephalad to instrumented fixation was the most common localization of adjacent segment degeneration. The aim of this study is to explore the use of interspinous process devices in the lumbar vertebral segment cephalad to fixation segment in changing the mechanical distribution and limiting abnormal activity of the spine. Eight specimens were tested in the following groups: intact group, instability group (bilateral facetectomy at L3-L4), fixation group (bilateral facetectomy and pedicle screw fixation at L3-L4), and hybrid fixation group (fixation at L3-L4 and simulating interspinous device implantation of 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18 mm at L2-L3). Range of motion, motion of vertebral body, and strain distribution change were recorded. The range of motion in extension with 16- and 18-mm hybrid constructs was significantly lower than intact, instability, and fixation groups. In flexion and lateral bending, the strain values of L4 inferior articular process with 18-mm hybrid construct have a significant difference compared with other groups. In axial rotation, under the condition of a contralateral state, the strain values of L2 superior articular process with 18-mm hybrid construct have a significant difference compared with intact and fixation groups. The strain value of the L4 inferior articular process had negative correlation with height distraction in three dimensions, except extension. A negative correlation between the strain value of the L2 superior articular process and distraction height was found in contralateral bending and contralateral axial rotation. Interspinous process devices above the fixation segment can change the mechanical distribution of the spine and limit activity in some of the
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Anderson, N.G.; Fenwick, J.L.; Wells, J.E.
2006-01-01
Our aim was to determine the degree of bias in CT scanogram measurements. We obtained standard lateral and anteroposterior (AP) pelvimetry scanograms of a phantom pelvis after placing ball bearings or aluminium rods to mark bony landmarks. Computed tomography pelvimetry was carried out at the manufacturer-recommended table height on two commercial CT scanners and at 10-mm increments up to 50 mm above and below this height. The AP inlet, AP outlet, interspinous distance and transverse diameters were each measured three times for each scanogram. The true measurements were obtained directly from the disassembled phantom. Bias was defined as the difference between the CT measurement and the true measurement. Observer error was negligible. The transverse diameter was overestimated at high table positions and underestimated at low table positions on both scanners (+6 to -10 mm). After correcting for geometric distortion, up to 6 mm bias was still present. The point at which no bias occurred was different for each scanner and did not correspond to the manufacturers' recommended table height. The outlet was overestimated on both scanners by up to 5 mm. The true inlet measurement was overestimated by 1.2 mm. The interspinous distance was minimally underestimated on both scanners. The measurements on CT scanogram were underestimated or overestimated in an inconsistent and unpredictable fashion, varying from one type of measurement to another and from CT scanner to CT scanner. This has implications for the accuracy and clinical utility of measurements obtained from a CT scanogram. Copyright (2006) Blackwell Science Pty Ltd
Distance and Cable Length Measurement System
Hernández, Sergio Elias; Acosta, Leopoldo; Toledo, Jonay
2009-01-01
A simple, economic and successful design for distance and cable length detection is presented. The measurement system is based on the continuous repetition of a pulse that endlessly travels along the distance to be detected. There is a pulse repeater at both ends of the distance or cable to be measured. The endless repetition of the pulse generates a frequency that varies almost inversely with the distance to be measured. The resolution and distance or cable length range could be adjusted by varying the repetition time delay introduced at both ends and the measurement time. With this design a distance can be measured with centimeter resolution using electronic system with microsecond resolution, simplifying classical time of flight designs which require electronics with picosecond resolution. This design was also applied to position measurement. PMID:22303169
Measure synchronization in a spin-orbit-coupled bosonic Josephson junction
Wang, Wen-Yuan; Liu, Jie; Fu, Li-Bin
2015-11-01
We present measure synchronization (MS) in a bosonic Josephson junction with spin-orbit coupling. The two atomic hyperfine states are coupled by a Raman dressing scheme, and they are regarded as two orientations of a pseudo-spin-1 /2 system. A feature specific to a spin-orbit-coupled (SOC) bosonic Josephson junction is that the transition from non-MS to MS dynamics can be modulated by Raman laser intensity, even in the absence of interspin atomic interaction. A phase diagram of non-MS and MS dynamics as functions of Raman laser intensity and Josephson tunneling amplitude is presented. Taking into account interspin atomic interactions, the system exhibits MS breaking dynamics resulting from the competition between intraspin and interspin atomic interactions. When interspin atomic interactions dominate in the competition, the system always exhibits MS dynamics. For interspin interaction weaker than intraspin interaction, a window for non-MS dynamics is present. Since SOC Bose-Einstein condensates provide a powerful platform for studies on physical problems in various fields, the study of MS dynamics is valuable in researching the collective coherent dynamical behavior in a spin-orbit-coupled bosonic Josephson junction.
Yuan, Wei; Su, Qing-Jun; Liu, Tie; Yang, Jin-Cai; Kang, Nan; Guan, Li; Hai, Yong
2017-01-01
Few studies have compared the clinical and radiological outcomes between Coflex interspinous stabilization and posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) for degenerative lumbar disease. We compared the at least 5-year clinical and radiological outcomes of Coflex stabilization and PLIF for lumbar degenerative disease. Eighty-seven consecutive patients with lumbar degenerative disease were retrospectively reviewed. Forty-two patients underwent decompression and Coflex interspinous stabilization (Coflex group), 45 patients underwent decompression and PLIF (PLIF group). Clinical and radiological outcomes were evaluated. Coflex subjects experienced less blood loss, shorter hospital stays and shorter operative time than PLIF (all pdisease was higher in the PLIF group, but this did not achieve statistical significance (11.1% vs. 4.8%, p=0.277). Both groups provided sustainable improved clinical outcomes for lumbar degenerative disease through at least 5-year follow-up. The Coflex group had significantly better early efficacy than the PLIF group. Coflex interspinous implantation after decompression is safe and effective for lumbar degenerative disease. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Moojen, Wouter A.; Arts, Mark P.; Bartels, Ronald H. M. A.; Jacobs, Wilco C. H.; Peul, Wilco C.
2011-01-01
Introduction Despite an increasing implantation rate of interspinous process distraction (IPD) devices in the treatment of intermittent neurogenic claudication (INC), definitive evidence on the clinical effectiveness of implants is lacking. The main objective of this review was to perform a meta-analysis of all systematic reviews, randomized clinical trials and prospective cohort series to quantify the effectiveness of IPDs and to evaluate the potential side-effects. Methods Data from all stu...
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Santos, Frederico Guilherme de Paula Lopes; Souza, Ricardo Andre de; Brotto, Marcos Pama D' Almeida; Suguita, Fabio Massaaki; Amaral, Denise Tokechi; Amaral, Lazaro Luis Faria do [Hospital Beneficencia Portuguesa de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). MedImagem], e-mail: fgpls@yahoo.com.br
2009-03-15
The authors describe some cases of epidural cysts, namely synovial, discal, ligamentum flavum cysts, and cysts secondary to interspinous bursitis, all of these conditions determining radicular, dural sac compression or spinal canal stenosis. Magnetic resonance imaging findings and localization of these entities are described. (author)
Heterogeneity Measurement Based on Distance Measure for Polarimetric SAR Data
Xing, Xiaoli; Chen, Qihao; Liu, Xiuguo
2018-04-01
To effectively test the scene heterogeneity for polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) data, in this paper, the distance measure is introduced by utilizing the similarity between the sample and pixels. Moreover, given the influence of the distribution and modeling texture, the K distance measure is deduced according to the Wishart distance measure. Specifically, the average of the pixels in the local window replaces the class center coherency or covariance matrix. The Wishart and K distance measure are calculated between the average matrix and the pixels. Then, the ratio of the standard deviation to the mean is established for the Wishart and K distance measure, and the two features are defined and applied to reflect the complexity of the scene. The proposed heterogeneity measure is proceeded by integrating the two features using the Pauli basis. The experiments conducted on the single-look and multilook PolSAR data demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method for the detection of the scene heterogeneity.
Electromagnetic distance measurement
1967-01-01
This book brings together the work of forty-eight geodesists from twenty-five countries. They discuss various new electromagnetic distance measurement (EDM) instruments - among them the Tellurometer, Geodimeter, and air- and satellite-borne systems - and investigate the complex sources of error.
Method of measuring distance between fuel element
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Urata, Megumu.
1991-01-01
The distance between fuel elements contained in a pool is measured in a contactless manner even for a narrow distance less than 1 mm. That is, the equipment for measuring the distance between spent fuel elements of a spent fuel assembly in a nuclear reactor comprises a optical fiber scope, a lens, an industrial TV camera and a monitor TV. The top end of the optical fiber scope is inserted between fuel elements to be measured. The state thereof is displayed on the TV screen to measure the distance between the fuel elements. The measured results are compared with a previously formed calibration curve to determine the value between the fuel elements. Then, the distance between the fuel elements can be determined in the pool of a power plant without dismantling the fuel assembly, to investigate the state of the bending and estimate the fuel working life. (I.S.)
Measuring and testing dependence by correlation of distances
Székely, Gábor J.; Rizzo, Maria L.; Bakirov, Nail K.
2007-01-01
Distance correlation is a new measure of dependence between random vectors. Distance covariance and distance correlation are analogous to product-moment covariance and correlation, but unlike the classical definition of correlation, distance correlation is zero only if the random vectors are independent. The empirical distance dependence measures are based on certain Euclidean distances between sample elements rather than sample moments, yet have a compact representation analogous to the clas...
Is linear distance measured by panoramic radiography reliable?
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Nishikawa, Keiichi; Wakoh, Mamoru; Sano, Tsukasa; Suehiro, Atsushi; Sekine, Hideshi; Kousuge, Yuuji
2010-01-01
The objective of this study was to re-examine the reliability of distance measurements on clinical panoramic radiographs by comparing them with computed tomography (CT) images, from which the most accurate distance measurement is possible. Twenty pairs of images from patients examined both with panoramic radiography and CT for dental implant treatment planning in the premolar and molar regions of the mandible were used. The vertical linear distance between the alveolar crest and the closest mandibular canal was measured by three experienced oral radiologists on both images. The distances measured on panoramic radiographs were corrected for the magnification factor at the focal plane. Double-oblique cross-sectional images were used for CT. Pearson's correlation coefficient was calculated between distances obtained from both images. The paired t test was performed for statistical comparison. Error levels with the panoramic radiograph versus the CT image were also calculated. Pearson's correlation coefficient showed a significant strong linear correlation (R=0.90; p<0.01). However, the corrected value of distance measured on panoramic radiographs tended to be too small, and a significant difference was observed (p<0.05). The error level was approximately 10% (9.6±7.3%). Distance measurement on clinical panoramic radiographs is less reliable than CT images and cannot be recommended. (author)
Femtosecond frequency comb based distance measurement in air.
Balling, Petr; Kren, Petr; Masika, Pavel; van den Berg, S A
2009-05-25
Interferometric measurement of distance using a femtosecond frequency comb is demonstrated and compared with a counting interferometer displacement measurement. A numerical model of pulse propagation in air is developed and the results are compared with experimental data for short distances. The relative agreement for distance measurement in known laboratory conditions is better than 10(-7). According to the model, similar precision seems feasible even for long-distance measurement in air if conditions are sufficiently known. It is demonstrated that the relative width of the interferogram envelope even decreases with the measured length, and a fringe contrast higher than 90% could be obtained for kilometer distances in air, if optimal spectral width for that length and wavelength is used. The possibility of comb radiation delivery to the interferometer by an optical fiber is shown by model and experiment, which is important from a practical point of view.
A Survey of Binary Similarity and Distance Measures
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Seung-Seok Choi
2010-02-01
Full Text Available The binary feature vector is one of the most common representations of patterns and measuring similarity and distance measures play a critical role in many problems such as clustering, classification, etc. Ever since Jaccard proposed a similarity measure to classify ecological species in 1901, numerous binary similarity and distance measures have been proposed in various fields. Applying appropriate measures results in more accurate data analysis. Notwithstanding, few comprehensive surveys on binary measures have been conducted. Hence we collected 76 binary similarity and distance measures used over the last century and reveal their correlations through the hierarchical clustering technique.
Five-year durability of stand-alone interspinous process decompression for lumbar spinal stenosis
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Nunley PD
2017-09-01
Full Text Available Pierce D Nunley,1 Vikas V Patel,2 Douglas G Orndorff,3 William F Lavelle,4 Jon E Block,5 Fred H Geisler6 1Spine Institute of Louisiana, Shreveport, LA, 2The Spine Center, University of Colorado Hospital, Denver, CO, 3Spine Colorado, Mercy Regional Hospital, Durango, CO, 4Upstate Bone and Joint Center, East Syracuse, NY, 5Independent Consultant, San Francisco, CA, 6Independent Consultant, Chicago, IL, USA Background: Lumbar spinal stenosis is the most common indication for spine surgery in older adults. Interspinous process decompression (IPD using a stand-alone spacer that functions as an extension blocker offers a minimally invasive treatment option for intermittent neurogenic claudication associated with spinal stenosis.Methods: This study evaluated the 5-year clinical outcomes for IPD (Superion® from a randomized controlled US Food and Drug Administration (FDA noninferiority trial. Outcomes included Zurich Claudication Questionnaire (ZCQ symptom severity (ss, physical function (pf, and patient satisfaction (ps subdomains, leg and back pain visual analog scale (VAS, and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI.Results: At 5 years, 84% of patients (74 of 88 demonstrated clinical success on at least two of three ZCQ domains. Individual ZCQ domain success rates were 75% (66 of 88, 81% (71 of 88, and 90% (79 of 88 for ZCQss, ZCQpf, and ZCQps, respectively. Leg and back pain success rates were 80% (68 of 85 and 65% (55 of 85, respectively, and the success rate for ODI was 65% (57 of 88. Percentage improvements over baseline were 42%, 39%, 75%, 66%, and 58% for ZCQss, ZCQpf, leg and back pain VAS, and ODI, respectively (all P<0.001. Within-group effect sizes were classified as very large for four of five clinical outcomes (ie, >1.0; all P<0.0001. Seventy-five percent of IPD patients were free from reoperation, revision, or supplemental fixation at their index level at 5 years.Conclusion: After 5 years of follow-up, IPD with a stand-alone spacer provides
A Distance Measure for Genome Phylogenetic Analysis
Cao, Minh Duc; Allison, Lloyd; Dix, Trevor
Phylogenetic analyses of species based on single genes or parts of the genomes are often inconsistent because of factors such as variable rates of evolution and horizontal gene transfer. The availability of more and more sequenced genomes allows phylogeny construction from complete genomes that is less sensitive to such inconsistency. For such long sequences, construction methods like maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood are often not possible due to their intensive computational requirement. Another class of tree construction methods, namely distance-based methods, require a measure of distances between any two genomes. Some measures such as evolutionary edit distance of gene order and gene content are computational expensive or do not perform well when the gene content of the organisms are similar. This study presents an information theoretic measure of genetic distances between genomes based on the biological compression algorithm expert model. We demonstrate that our distance measure can be applied to reconstruct the consensus phylogenetic tree of a number of Plasmodium parasites from their genomes, the statistical bias of which would mislead conventional analysis methods. Our approach is also used to successfully construct a plausible evolutionary tree for the γ-Proteobacteria group whose genomes are known to contain many horizontally transferred genes.
Measuring distances between complex networks
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Andrade, Roberto F.S.; Miranda, Jose G.V.; Pinho, Suani T.R.; Lobao, Thierry Petit
2008-01-01
A previously introduced concept of higher order neighborhoods in complex networks, [R.F.S. Andrade, J.G.V. Miranda, T.P. Lobao, Phys. Rev. E 73 (2006) 046101] is used to define a distance between networks with the same number of nodes. With such measure, expressed in terms of the matrix elements of the neighborhood matrices of each network, it is possible to compare, in a quantitative way, how far apart in the space of neighborhood matrices two networks are. The distance between these matrices depends on both the network topologies and the adopted node numberings. While the numbering of one network is fixed, a Monte Carlo algorithm is used to find the best numbering of the other network, in the sense that it minimizes the distance between the matrices. The minimal value found for the distance reflects differences in the neighborhood structures of the two networks that arise only from distinct topologies. This procedure ends up by providing a projection of the first network on the pattern of the second one. Examples are worked out allowing for a quantitative comparison for distances among distinct networks, as well as among distinct realizations of random networks
Single-Image Distance Measurement by a Smart Mobile Device.
Chen, Shangwen; Fang, Xianyong; Shen, Jianbing; Wang, Linbo; Shao, Ling
2017-12-01
Existing distance measurement methods either require multiple images and special photographing poses or only measure the height with a special view configuration. We propose a novel image-based method that can measure various types of distance from single image captured by a smart mobile device. The embedded accelerometer is used to determine the view orientation of the device. Consequently, pixels can be back-projected to the ground, thanks to the efficient calibration method using two known distances. Then the distance in pixel is transformed to a real distance in centimeter with a linear model parameterized by the magnification ratio. Various types of distance specified in the image can be computed accordingly. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Distance Measurement Solves Astrophysical Mysteries
2003-08-01
Location, location, and location. The old real-estate adage about what's really important proved applicable to astrophysics as astronomers used the sharp radio "vision" of the National Science Foundation's Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) to pinpoint the distance to a pulsar. Their accurate distance measurement then resolved a dispute over the pulsar's birthplace, allowed the astronomers to determine the size of its neutron star and possibly solve a mystery about cosmic rays. "Getting an accurate distance to this pulsar gave us a real bonanza," said Walter Brisken, of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Socorro, NM. Monogem Ring The Monogem Ring, in X-Ray Image by ROSAT satellite CREDIT: Max-Planck Institute, American Astronomical Society (Click on Image for Larger Version) The pulsar, called PSR B0656+14, is in the constellation Gemini, and appears to be near the center of a circular supernova remnant that straddles Gemini and its neighboring constellation, Monoceros, and is thus called the Monogem Ring. Since pulsars are superdense, spinning neutron stars left over when a massive star explodes as a supernova, it was logical to assume that the Monogem Ring, the shell of debris from a supernova explosion, was the remnant of the blast that created the pulsar. However, astronomers using indirect methods of determining the distance to the pulsar had concluded that it was nearly 2500 light-years from Earth. On the other hand, the supernova remnant was determined to be only about 1000 light-years from Earth. It seemed unlikely that the two were related, but instead appeared nearby in the sky purely by a chance juxtaposition. Brisken and his colleagues used the VLBA to make precise measurements of the sky position of PSR B0656+14 from 2000 to 2002. They were able to detect the slight offset in the object's apparent position when viewed from opposite sides of Earth's orbit around the Sun. This effect, called parallax, provides a direct measurement of
Femtosecond frequency comb based distance measurement in air
Balling, P.; Kren, P.; Masika, P.; van den Berg, S.A.
2009-01-01
Interferometric measurement of distance using a femtosecond frequency comb is demonstrated and compared with a counting interferometer displacement measurement. A numerical model of pulse propagation in air is developed and the results are compared with experimental data for short distances. The
A cognitively grounded measure of pronunciation distance.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Martijn Wieling
Full Text Available In this study we develop pronunciation distances based on naive discriminative learning (NDL. Measures of pronunciation distance are used in several subfields of linguistics, including psycholinguistics, dialectology and typology. In contrast to the commonly used Levenshtein algorithm, NDL is grounded in cognitive theory of competitive reinforcement learning and is able to generate asymmetrical pronunciation distances. In a first study, we validated the NDL-based pronunciation distances by comparing them to a large set of native-likeness ratings given by native American English speakers when presented with accented English speech. In a second study, the NDL-based pronunciation distances were validated on the basis of perceptual dialect distances of Norwegian speakers. Results indicated that the NDL-based pronunciation distances matched perceptual distances reasonably well with correlations ranging between 0.7 and 0.8. While the correlations were comparable to those obtained using the Levenshtein distance, the NDL-based approach is more flexible as it is also able to incorporate acoustic information other than sound segments.
Distance measurement using frequency scanning interferometry with mode-hoped laser
Medhat, M.; Sobee, M.; Hussein, H. M.; Terra, O.
2016-06-01
In this paper, frequency scanning interferometry is implemented to measure distances up to 5 m absolutely. The setup consists of a Michelson interferometer, an external cavity tunable diode laser, and an ultra-low expansion (ULE) Fabry-Pérot (FP) cavity to measure the frequency scanning range. The distance is measured by acquiring simultaneously the interference fringes from, the Michelson and the FP interferometers, while scanning the laser frequency. An online fringe processing technique is developed to calculate the distance from the fringe ratio while removing the parts result from the laser mode-hops without significantly affecting the measurement accuracy. This fringe processing method enables accurate distance measurements up to 5 m with measurements repeatability ±3.9×10-6 L. An accurate translation stage is used to find the FP cavity free-spectral-range and therefore allow accurate measurement. Finally, the setup is applied for the short distance calibration of a laser distance meter (LDM).
Measures of lexical distance between languages
Petroni, Filippo; Serva, Maurizio
2010-06-01
The idea of measuring distance between languages seems to have its roots in the work of the French explorer Dumont D’Urville (1832) [13]. He collected comparative word lists for various languages during his voyages aboard the Astrolabe from 1826 to 1829 and, in his work concerning the geographical division of the Pacific, he proposed a method for measuring the degree of relation among languages. The method used by modern glottochronology, developed by Morris Swadesh in the 1950s, measures distances from the percentage of shared cognates, which are words with a common historical origin. Recently, we proposed a new automated method which uses the normalized Levenshtein distances among words with the same meaning and averages on the words contained in a list. Recently another group of scholars, Bakker et al. (2009) [8] and Holman et al. (2008) [9], proposed a refined version of our definition including a second normalization. In this paper we compare the information content of our definition with the refined version in order to decide which of the two can be applied with greater success to resolve relationships among languages.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
João Paulo Machado Bergamaschi
2011-01-01
Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Analisar a correlação entre a aferição manual e digital da distância interespinhosa pelo método de Neumann em fraturas toracolombares do tipo explosão, bem como a reprodutibilidade das duas técnicas. MÉTODOS: Foram avaliadas 212 radiografias de pacientes com fratura toracolombar do tipo explosão, sendo 160 do sexo masculino e 52 do sexo feminino. A idade média dos pacientes no tempo da fratura foi de 38,9 anos (variando de 12 a 76 anos. RESULTADOS: O coeficiente de Pearson, quando comparados os valores percentuais manuais e digitais da relação da distância interespinhosa do nível da vértebra fraturada e dos níveis adjacentes, foi de 0,95 (pOBJETIVO: El objetivo de este estudio es analizar la correlación entre calibrado manual y digital de la distancia interespinhosa por el método de Neumann en fracturas toracolombares tipo explosión, así como la reproducibilidad de los dos técnicas. MÉTODOS: Radiografías fueron evaluados 212 pacientes con fractura toracolombar tipo explosión, 160 hombres y 52 mujeres. La edad promedio de los pacientes en el momento de fractura fue 38.9 años (que van desde 12 a 76 años. RESULTADOS: El coeficiente de Pearson, cuando se comparan valores porcentuales digital y manuales de la relación de distancia interespinhosa el nivel de la vértebra fraturada y niveles adyacentes, fue 0.95 (pOBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to analyze the correlation between the manual and digital inter-spinous distance by the Neumann method in burst thoracolumbar fracture, as well as the reproducibility of these two techniques. METHODS: We evaluated 212 x-rays of patients with burst thoracolumbar fracture. There were 60 male and 52 female. The average age at the time of the fracture was 38,9 years (12 - 76 years. RESULTS: The Pearson' coefficient between manual and digital analyses was 0,95 (p<0,01. The agreement coefficient of manual and digital measurements was 0,97 and 0,93, respectively. CONCLUSION
An adaptive distance measure for use with nonparametric models
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Garvey, D. R.; Hines, J. W.
2006-01-01
Distance measures perform a critical task in nonparametric, locally weighted regression. Locally weighted regression (LWR) models are a form of 'lazy learning' which construct a local model 'on the fly' by comparing a query vector to historical, exemplar vectors according to a three step process. First, the distance of the query vector to each of the exemplar vectors is calculated. Next, these distances are passed to a kernel function, which converts the distances to similarities or weights. Finally, the model output or response is calculated by performing locally weighted polynomial regression. To date, traditional distance measures, such as the Euclidean, weighted Euclidean, and L1-norm have been used as the first step in the prediction process. Since these measures do not take into consideration sensor failures and drift, they are inherently ill-suited for application to 'real world' systems. This paper describes one such LWR model, namely auto associative kernel regression (AAKR), and describes a new, Adaptive Euclidean distance measure that can be used to dynamically compensate for faulty sensor inputs. In this new distance measure, the query observations that lie outside of the training range (i.e. outside the minimum and maximum input exemplars) are dropped from the distance calculation. This allows for the distance calculation to be robust to sensor drifts and failures, in addition to providing a method for managing inputs that exceed the training range. In this paper, AAKR models using the standard and Adaptive Euclidean distance are developed and compared for the pressure system of an operating nuclear power plant. It is shown that using the standard Euclidean distance for data with failed inputs, significant errors in the AAKR predictions can result. By using the Adaptive Euclidean distance it is shown that high fidelity predictions are possible, in spite of the input failure. In fact, it is shown that with the Adaptive Euclidean distance prediction
Comparative evaluation of ultrasound scanner accuracy in distance measurement
Branca, F. P.; Sciuto, S. A.; Scorza, A.
2012-10-01
The aim of the present study is to develop and compare two different automatic methods for accuracy evaluation in ultrasound phantom measurements on B-mode images: both of them give as a result the relative error e between measured distances, performed by 14 brand new ultrasound medical scanners, and nominal distances, among nylon wires embedded in a reference test object. The first method is based on a least squares estimation, while the second one applies the mean value of the same distance evaluated at different locations in ultrasound image (same distance method). Results for both of them are proposed and explained.
Study of probe-sample distance for biomedical spectra measurement
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Li Lei
2011-11-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background Fiber-based optical spectroscopy has been widely used for biomedical applications. However, the effect of probe-sample distance on the collection efficiency has not been well investigated. Method In this paper, we presented a theoretical model to maximize the illumination and collection efficiency in designing fiber optic probes for biomedical spectra measurement. This model was in general applicable to probes with single or multiple fibers at an arbitrary incident angle. In order to demonstrate the theory, a fluorescence spectrometer was used to measure the fluorescence of human finger skin at various probe-sample distances. The fluorescence spectrum and the total fluorescence intensity were recorded. Results The theoretical results show that for single fiber probes, contact measurement always provides the best results. While for multi-fiber probes, there is an optimal probe distance. When a 400- μm excitation fiber is used to deliver the light to the skin and another six 400- μm fibers surrounding the excitation fiber are used to collect the fluorescence signal, the experimental results show that human finger skin has very strong fluorescence between 475 nm and 700 nm under 450 nm excitation. The fluorescence intensity is heavily dependent on the probe-sample distance and there is an optimal probe distance. Conclusions We investigated a number of probe-sample configurations and found that contact measurement could be the primary choice for single-fiber probes, but was very inefficient for multi-fiber probes. There was an optimal probe-sample distance for multi-fiber probes. By carefully choosing the probe-sample distance, the collection efficiency could be enhanced by 5-10 times. Our experiments demonstrated that the experimental results of the probe-sample distance dependence of collection efficiency in multi-fiber probes were in general agreement with our theory.
Shape anisotropy: tensor distance to anisotropy measure
Weldeselassie, Yonas T.; El-Hilo, Saba; Atkins, M. S.
2011-03-01
Fractional anisotropy, defined as the distance of a diffusion tensor from its closest isotropic tensor, has been extensively studied as quantitative anisotropy measure for diffusion tensor magnetic resonance images (DT-MRI). It has been used to reveal the white matter profile of brain images, as guiding feature for seeding and stopping in fiber tractography and for the diagnosis and assessment of degenerative brain diseases. Despite its extensive use in DT-MRI community, however, not much attention has been given to the mathematical correctness of its derivation from diffusion tensors which is achieved using Euclidean dot product in 9D space. But, recent progress in DT-MRI has shown that the space of diffusion tensors does not form a Euclidean vector space and thus Euclidean dot product is not appropriate for tensors. In this paper, we propose a novel and robust rotationally invariant diffusion anisotropy measure derived using the recently proposed Log-Euclidean and J-divergence tensor distance measures. An interesting finding of our work is that given a diffusion tensor, its closest isotropic tensor is different for different tensor distance metrics used. We demonstrate qualitatively that our new anisotropy measure reveals superior white matter profile of DT-MR brain images and analytically show that it has a higher signal to noise ratio than fractional anisotropy.
Radio Astronomers Set New Standard for Accurate Cosmic Distance Measurement
1999-06-01
A team of radio astronomers has used the National Science Foundation's Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) to make the most accurate measurement ever made of the distance to a faraway galaxy. Their direct measurement calls into question the precision of distance determinations made by other techniques, including those announced last week by a team using the Hubble Space Telescope. The radio astronomers measured a distance of 23.5 million light-years to a galaxy called NGC 4258 in Ursa Major. "Ours is a direct measurement, using geometry, and is independent of all other methods of determining cosmic distances," said Jim Herrnstein, of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Socorro, NM. The team says their measurement is accurate to within less than a million light-years, or four percent. The galaxy is also known as Messier 106 and is visible with amateur telescopes. Herrnstein, along with James Moran and Lincoln Greenhill of the Harvard- Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics; Phillip Diamond, of the Merlin radio telescope facility at Jodrell Bank and the University of Manchester in England; Makato Inoue and Naomasa Nakai of Japan's Nobeyama Radio Observatory; Mikato Miyoshi of Japan's National Astronomical Observatory; Christian Henkel of Germany's Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy; and Adam Riess of the University of California at Berkeley, announced their findings at the American Astronomical Society's meeting in Chicago. "This is an incredible achievement to measure the distance to another galaxy with this precision," said Miller Goss, NRAO's Director of VLA/VLBA Operations. "This is the first time such a great distance has been measured this accurately. It took painstaking work on the part of the observing team, and it took a radio telescope the size of the Earth -- the VLBA -- to make it possible," Goss said. "Astronomers have sought to determine the Hubble Constant, the rate of expansion of the universe, for decades. This will in turn lead to an
Evaluation of Distance Measures Between Gaussian Mixture Models of MFCCs
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Jensen, Jesper Højvang; Ellis, Dan P. W.; Christensen, Mads Græsbøll
2007-01-01
In music similarity and in the related task of genre classification, a distance measure between Gaussian mixture models is frequently needed. We present a comparison of the Kullback-Leibler distance, the earth movers distance and the normalized L2 distance for this application. Although...
Pairwise Comparison and Distance Measure of Hesitant Fuzzy Linguistic Term Sets
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Han-Chen Huang
2014-01-01
Full Text Available A hesitant fuzzy linguistic term set (HFLTS, allowing experts using several possible linguistic terms to assess a qualitative linguistic variable, is very useful to express people’s hesitancy in practical decision-making problems. Up to now, a little research has been done on the comparison and distance measure of HFLTSs. In this paper, we present a comparison method for HFLTSs based on pairwise comparisons of each linguistic term in the two HFLTSs. Then, a distance measure method based on the pairwise comparison matrix of HFLTSs is proposed, and we prove that this distance is equal to the distance of the average values of HFLTSs, which makes the distance measure much more simple. Finally, the pairwise comparison and distance measure methods are utilized to develop two multicriteria decision-making approaches under hesitant fuzzy linguistic environments. The results analysis shows that our methods in this paper are more reasonable.
Evaluation of gene-expression clustering via mutual information distance measure
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Maimon Oded
2007-03-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background The definition of a distance measure plays a key role in the evaluation of different clustering solutions of gene expression profiles. In this empirical study we compare different clustering solutions when using the Mutual Information (MI measure versus the use of the well known Euclidean distance and Pearson correlation coefficient. Results Relying on several public gene expression datasets, we evaluate the homogeneity and separation scores of different clustering solutions. It was found that the use of the MI measure yields a more significant differentiation among erroneous clustering solutions. The proposed measure was also used to analyze the performance of several known clustering algorithms. A comparative study of these algorithms reveals that their "best solutions" are ranked almost oppositely when using different distance measures, despite the found correspondence between these measures when analysing the averaged scores of groups of solutions. Conclusion In view of the results, further attention should be paid to the selection of a proper distance measure for analyzing the clustering of gene expression data.
Distance Measures for Information System Reengineering
Poels, G.; Viaene, S.; Dedene, G.; Wangler, B.; Bergman, L.
2000-01-01
We present an approach to assess the magnitude and impact of information system reengineering caused by business process change. This approach is based on two concepts: object-oriented business modeling and distance measurement. The former concept is used to visualize changes in the business layer
High Precision Infrared Temperature Measurement System Based on Distance Compensation
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Chen Jing
2017-01-01
Full Text Available To meet the need of real-time remote monitoring of human body surface temperature for optical rehabilitation therapy, a non-contact high-precision real-time temperature measurement method based on distance compensation was proposed, and the system design was carried out. The microcontroller controls the infrared temperature measurement module and the laser range module to collect temperature and distance data. The compensation formula of temperature with distance wass fitted according to the least square method. Testing had been performed on different individuals to verify the accuracy of the system. The results indicate that the designed non-contact infrared temperature measurement system has a residual error of less than 0.2°C and the response time isless than 0.1s in the range of 0 to 60cm. This provides a reference for developing long-distance temperature measurement equipment in optical rehabilitation therapy.
How to measure distance visual acuity
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Janet Marsden
2014-04-01
Full Text Available Visual acuity (VA is a measure of the ability of the eye to distinguish shapes and the details of objects at a given distance. It is important to assess VA in a consistent way in order to detect any changes in vision. One eye is tested at a time.
A Novel Method for Short Distance Measurements
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Fernandez, M.G.; Ferrando, A.; Josa, M.I.; Molinero, A.; Oller, J.C.; Arce, P.; Calvo, E.; Figueroa, C.F.; Garcia, C.F.; Rodigrido, T.; Vila, I.; Virto, A.L.
1998-01-01
A new, accurate and un expensive device for measuring short distances, intended for monitoring in LHC experiments is presented. Data taken with a very simple prototype are shown and performance is extracted. (Author) 4 refs
Recoil distance lifetime measurements in 122,124Xe
Govil, I. M.; Kumar, A.; Iyer, H.; Li, H.; Garg, U.; Ghugre, S. S.; Johnson, T.; Kaczarowski, R.; Kharraja, B.; Naguleswaran, S.; Walpe, J. C.
1998-02-01
Lifetimes of the lower-excited states in 122,124Xe are measured using the recoil-distance Doppler-shift technique. The reactions 110Pd(16O,4n)122Xe and 110Pd(18O,4n)124Xe at a beam energy of 66 MeV were used for this experiment. The lifetimes of the 2+, 4+, 6+, and 8+ states of the ground state band were extracted using the computer code LIFETIME including the corrections due to the side feeding and the nuclear deorientation effects. The lifetime of the 2+ state in 122Xe agrees with the recoil distance method (RDM) measurements but for the 124Xe it does not agree with the RDM measurements but agrees with the Coulomb-excitation experiment. The measured B(E2) values for both the nuclei are compared with the standard algebraic and the multishell models.
Measuring sidewalk distances using Google Earth
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Janssen Ian
2012-03-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background Physical activity is an important determinant of health. Walking is the most common physical activity performed by adults and the presence of sidewalks along roads is a determinant of walking. Geographic information systems (GIS can be used to measure sidewalks; however, GIS sidewalk data are difficult to access. The purpose of this study was to present a new GIS method for measuring the distance and coverage of sidewalks along roadways. Methods The new method contains three stages. Stage 1 involves calculating the distance of all road segments within the region of interest (e.g., neighborhood, extracting geospatial information on these road segments, and saving this information as a Google Earth file. This stage was performed in ArcGIS software. Stage 2 involves opening the extracted road segment geospatial data in Google Earth, visually examining road segments to see if they contain sidewalks, and deleting road segments without sidewalks. Stage 3 involves importing the modified road geospatial data into ArcGIS and calculating the length of road segments with sidewalks. The new method was tested in 315 sites across Canada. Each site consisted of a one km radius circular buffer surrounding a school. Results A detailed, step-by-step protocol is provided in the paper. The length of road segments with sidewalks in the testing sites ranged from 0.00 to 55.05 km (median 16.20 km. When expressed relative to the length of all road segments, the length of road segments with sidewalks ranged from 0% to 100% (median 53%. By comparison to urban testing sites, rural sites had shorter sidewalk lengths and a smaller proportion of the roads had sidewalk coverage. Conclusion This study provides a new GIS protocol that researchers can use to measure the distance and coverage of sidewalks along roadways.
Ultrasound measurement of transcranial distance during head-down tilt
Torikoshi, S.; Wilson, M. H.; Ballard, R. E.; Watenpaugh, D. E.; Murthy, G.; Yost, W. T.; Cantrell, J. H.; Chang, D. S.; Hargens, A. R.
1995-01-01
Exposure to microgravity elevates blood pressure and flow in the head, which may increase intracranial volume (ICV) and intracranial pressure (ICP). Rhesus monkeys exposed to simulated microgravity in the form of 6 degree head-down tilt (HDT) experience elevated ICP. With humans, twenty-four hours of 6 degree HDT bed rest increases cerebral blood flow velocity relative to pre-HDT upright posture. Humans exposed to acute 6 degree HDT experiments increased ICP, measured with the tympanic membrane displacement (TMD) technique. Other studies suggest that increased ICP in humans and cats causes measurable cranial bone movement across the sagittal suture. Due to the slightly compliant nature of the cranium, elevation of the ICP will increase ICV and transcranial distance. Currently, several non-invasive approaches to monitor ICP are being investigated. Such techniques include TMD and modal analysis of the skull. TMD may not be reliable over a large range of ICP and neither method is capable of measuring the small changes in pressure. Ultrasound, however, may reliably measure small distance changes that accompany ICP fluctuations. The purpose of our study was to develop and evaluate an ultrasound technique to measure transcranial distance changes during HDT.
An Introduction to Distance Measurement in Astronomy
de Grijs, Richard
2011-01-01
Distance determination is an essential technique in astronomy, and is briefly covered in most textbooks on astrophysics and cosmology. It is rarely covered as a coherent topic in its own right. When it is discussed the approach is frequently very dry, splitting the teaching into, for example, stars, galaxies and cosmologies, and as a consequence, books lack depth and are rarely comprehensive. Adopting a unique and engaging approach to the subject An Introduction to distance Measurement in Astronomy will take the reader on a journey from the solar neighbourhood to the edge of the Universe, dis
Dynamic frequency-domain interferometer for absolute distance measurements with high resolution
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Weng, Jidong; Liu, Shenggang; Ma, Heli; Tao, Tianjiong; Wang, Xiang; Liu, Cangli; Tan, Hua
2014-01-01
A unique dynamic frequency-domain interferometer for absolute distance measurement has been developed recently. This paper presents the working principle of the new interferometric system, which uses a photonic crystal fiber to transmit the wide-spectrum light beams and a high-speed streak camera or frame camera to record the interference stripes. Preliminary measurements of harmonic vibrations of a speaker, driven by a radio, and the changes in the tip clearance of a rotating gear wheel show that this new type of interferometer has the ability to perform absolute distance measurements both with high time- and distance-resolution
Dynamic frequency-domain interferometer for absolute distance measurements with high resolution
Weng, Jidong; Liu, Shenggang; Ma, Heli; Tao, Tianjiong; Wang, Xiang; Liu, Cangli; Tan, Hua
2014-11-01
A unique dynamic frequency-domain interferometer for absolute distance measurement has been developed recently. This paper presents the working principle of the new interferometric system, which uses a photonic crystal fiber to transmit the wide-spectrum light beams and a high-speed streak camera or frame camera to record the interference stripes. Preliminary measurements of harmonic vibrations of a speaker, driven by a radio, and the changes in the tip clearance of a rotating gear wheel show that this new type of interferometer has the ability to perform absolute distance measurements both with high time- and distance-resolution.
A Scale Elasticity Measure for Directional Distance Function and its Dual
Valentin Zelenyuk
2011-01-01
In this paper we introduce a scale elasticity measure based on directional distance function for multi-output-multi-input technologies and explore its fundamental properties. Specifically, we derive necessary and sufficient condition for equivalence of the scale elasticity measure based on the directional distance function with the input oriented and output oriented scale elasticity measures. We also establish duality relationship between the scale elasticity measure based on the directional ...
Lu, Cheng; Liu, Guodong; Liu, Bingguo; Chen, Fengdong; Zhuang, Zhitao; Xu, Xinke; Gan, Yu
2015-10-01
Absolute distance measurement systems are of significant interest in the field of metrology, which could improve the manufacturing efficiency and accuracy of large assemblies in fields such as aircraft construction, automotive engineering, and the production of modern windmill blades. Frequency scanning interferometry demonstrates noticeable advantages as an absolute distance measurement system which has a high precision and doesn't depend on a cooperative target. In this paper , the influence of inevitable vibration in the frequency scanning interferometry based absolute distance measurement system is analyzed. The distance spectrum is broadened as the existence of Doppler effect caused by vibration, which will bring in a measurement error more than 103 times bigger than the changes of optical path difference. In order to decrease the influence of vibration, the changes of the optical path difference are monitored by a frequency stabilized laser, which runs parallel to the frequency scanning interferometry. The experiment has verified the effectiveness of this method.
Calibration Base Lines for Electronic Distance Measuring Instruments (EDMI)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — A calibration base line (CBL) is a precisely measured, straight-line course of approximately 1,400 m used to calibrate Electronic Distance Measuring Instruments...
Geometric model of pseudo-distance measurement in satellite location systems
Panchuk, K. L.; Lyashkov, A. A.; Lyubchinov, E. V.
2018-04-01
The existing mathematical model of pseudo-distance measurement in satellite location systems does not provide a precise solution of the problem, but rather an approximate one. The existence of such inaccuracy, as well as bias in measurement of distance from satellite to receiver, results in inaccuracy level of several meters. Thereupon, relevance of refinement of the current mathematical model becomes obvious. The solution of the system of quadratic equations used in the current mathematical model is based on linearization. The objective of the paper is refinement of current mathematical model and derivation of analytical solution of the system of equations on its basis. In order to attain the objective, geometric analysis is performed; geometric interpretation of the equations is given. As a result, an equivalent system of equations, which allows analytical solution, is derived. An example of analytical solution implementation is presented. Application of analytical solution algorithm to the problem of pseudo-distance measurement in satellite location systems allows to improve the accuracy such measurements.
Improvement of Ultrasonic Distance Measuring System
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jiang Yu
2018-01-01
Full Text Available This paper mainly introduces a kind of ultrasonic distance measuring system with AT89C51 single chip as the core component. The paper expounds the principle of ultrasonic sensor and ultrasonic ranging, hardware circuit and software program, and the results of experiment and analysis.The hardware circuit based on SCM, the software design adopts the advanced microcontroller programming language.The amplitude of the received signal and the time of ultrasonic propagation are regulated by closed loop control. [1,2]The double closed loop control technology for amplitude and time improves the measuring accuracy of the instrument. The experimental results show that greatly improves the measurement accuracy of the system.
Change of Measure between Light Travel Time and Euclidean Distances
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Heymann Y.
2013-04-01
Full Text Available The problem of cosmological distances is approached using a method based on the propagation of light in an expanding Universe. From the chan ge of measure between Light Travel Time and Euclidean Distances, a formula is deri ved to compute distances as a function of redshift. This formula is identical to Matti g’s formula (with q 0 = 1 / 2 which is based on Friedmann’s equations of general relativi ty.
Metrics for measuring distances in configuration spaces
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Sadeghi, Ali; Ghasemi, S. Alireza; Schaefer, Bastian; Mohr, Stephan; Goedecker, Stefan; Lill, Markus A.
2013-01-01
In order to characterize molecular structures we introduce configurational fingerprint vectors which are counterparts of quantities used experimentally to identify structures. The Euclidean distance between the configurational fingerprint vectors satisfies the properties of a metric and can therefore safely be used to measure dissimilarities between configurations in the high dimensional configuration space. In particular we show that these metrics are a perfect and computationally cheap replacement for the root-mean-square distance (RMSD) when one has to decide whether two noise contaminated configurations are identical or not. We introduce a Monte Carlo approach to obtain the global minimum of the RMSD between configurations, which is obtained from a global minimization over all translations, rotations, and permutations of atomic indices
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Christopher A. Loebach
2018-03-01
Full Text Available Introduction Alliaria petiolata, an herbaceous plant, has invaded woodlands in North America. Its ecology has been thoroughly studied, but an overlooked aspect of its biology is seed dispersal distances and mechanisms. We measured seed dispersal distances in the field and tested if epizoochory is a potential mechanism for long-distance seed dispersal. Methods Dispersal distances were measured by placing seed traps in a sector design around three seed point sources, which consisted of 15 second-year plants transplanted within a 0.25 m radius circle. Traps were placed at intervals ranging from 0.25–3.25 m from the point source. Traps remained in the field until a majority of seeds were dispersed. Eight probability density functions were fitted to seed trap counts via maximum likelihood. Epizoochory was tested as a potential seed dispersal mechanism for A. petiolata through a combination of field and laboratory experiments. To test if small mammals transport A. petiolata seeds in their fur, experimental blocks were placed around dense A. petiolata patches. Each block contained a mammal inclusion treatment (MIT and control. The MIT consisted of a wood-frame (31 × 61× 31 cm covered in wire mesh, except for the two 31 × 31 cm ends, placed over a germination tray filled with potting soil. A pan filled with bait was placed in the center of the tray. The control frame (11 × 31 × 61 cm was placed over a germination tray and completely covered in wire mesh to exclude animal activity. Treatments were in the field for peak seed dispersal. In March, trays were moved to a greenhouse and A. petiolata seedlings were counted and then compared between treatments. To determine if A. petiolata seeds attach to raccoon (Procyon lotor and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus fur, wet and dry seeds were dropped onto wet and dry fur. Furs were rotated 180 degrees and the seeds that remained attached were counted. To measure seed retention, seeds
A comparison between using distance sensors for measuring the pantograph vertically movement
Rob, R.; Panoiu, C.; Rusu-Anghel, S.; Panoiu, M.
2018-01-01
In railway transportation the most important problem to solve consists in assuring the safety traffic of people and freight. In this scope some of the geometrical parameters regarding the contact line must be measured. One of this parameter is the pantograph vertically movement, so it must use distance sensors. Present paper studies the performance of two kinds of distance sensors, an ultrasonic distance sensor and an infrared sensor. The performances are studied from the point of view of error distance measurement and the possibility of using a real time acquisition system. The researches were made on a laboratory model for the pantograph realized at the scale 1:2.
The Edit Distance as a Measure of Perceived Rhythmic Similarity
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Olaf Post
2012-07-01
Full Text Available The ‘edit distance’ (or ‘Levenshtein distance’ measure of distance between two data sets is defined as the minimum number of editing operations – insertions, deletions, and substitutions – that are required to transform one data set to the other (Orpen and Huron, 1992. This measure of distance has been applied frequently and successfully in music information retrieval, but rarely in predicting human perception of distance. In this study, we investigate the effectiveness of the edit distance as a predictor of perceived rhythmic dissimilarity under simple rhythmic alterations. Approaching rhythms as a set of pulses that are either onsets or silences, we study two types of alterations. The first experiment is designed to test the model’s accuracy for rhythms that are relatively similar; whether rhythmic variations with the same edit distance to a source rhythm are also perceived as relatively similar by human subjects. In addition, we observe whether the salience of an edit operation is affected by its metric placement in the rhythm. Instead of using a rhythm that regularly subdivides a 4/4 meter, our source rhythm is a syncopated 16-pulse rhythm, the son. Results show a high correlation between the predictions by the edit distance model and human similarity judgments (r = 0.87; a higher correlation than for the well-known generative theory of tonal music (r = 0.64. In the second experiment, we seek to assess the accuracy of the edit distance model in predicting relatively dissimilar rhythms. The stimuli used are random permutations of the son’s inter-onset intervals: 3-3-4-2-4. The results again indicate that the edit distance correlates well with the perceived rhythmic dissimilarity judgments of the subjects (r = 0.76. To gain insight in the relationships between the individual rhythms, the results are also presented by means of graphic phylogenetic trees.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Kae Y. Foo
2010-01-01
Full Text Available The task of localizing underwater assets involves the relative localization of each unit using only pairwise distance measurements, usually obtained from time-of-arrival or time-delay-of-arrival measurements. In the fluctuating underwater environment, a complete set of pair-wise distance measurements can often be difficult to acquire, thus hindering a straightforward closed-form solution in deriving the assets' relative coordinates. An iterative multidimensional scaling approach is presented based upon a weighted-majorization algorithm that tolerates missing or inaccurate distance measurements. Substantial modifications are proposed to optimize the algorithm, while the effects of refractive propagation paths are considered. A parametric study of the algorithm based upon simulation results is shown. An acoustic field-trial was then carried out, presenting field measurements to highlight the practical implementation of this algorithm.
Index of Refraction Measurements Using a Laser Distance Meter
Ochoa, Romulo; Fiorillo, Richard; Ochoa, Cris
2014-01-01
We present a simple method to determine the refractive indices of transparent media using a laser distance meter. Indices of refraction have been obtained by measuring the speed of light in materials. Some speed of light techniques use time-of-flight measurements in which pulses are emitted by lasers and the time interval is measured for the pulse…
Anatomy-Based navigation for ventriculostomy: Nasion-coronal suture distance measurement
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Mevci Özdemir
2014-09-01
Full Text Available Objective: In this study we aimed to determine a landmark that can be measured through the skin with nasal mid-point (bregma to coronal suture, and additionally an average value was calculated. We report, to our knowledge, the distance between the nasion-coronal sutures is reported for the first time in Turkish population. Methods: The study included 30 craniums and 30 frontal bones. Each skull from midline nasal suture to coronal suture curved up at the distance was measured with tape measure. Results: Mean values were determined. Nasal suture between coronal suture distance average 12,2 cm (min10,3 cm, up to 13,5 cm were detected. Conclusion: Nasal suture is an easily palpable area through the skin. A small incision is carried down through skin to bone at the spot 12 cm back from the nasion 3 cm lateral to the midline for ventricular drainage operation. This data provide practical information for neurosurgeon and is available everywhere. J Clin Exp Invest 2014; 5 (3: 368-370
DISTANCES TO DARK CLOUDS: COMPARING EXTINCTION DISTANCES TO MASER PARALLAX DISTANCES
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Foster, Jonathan B.; Jackson, James M.; Stead, Joseph J.; Hoare, Melvin G.; Benjamin, Robert A.
2012-01-01
We test two different methods of using near-infrared extinction to estimate distances to dark clouds in the first quadrant of the Galaxy using large near-infrared (Two Micron All Sky Survey and UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey) surveys. Very long baseline interferometry parallax measurements of masers around massive young stars provide the most direct and bias-free measurement of the distance to these dark clouds. We compare the extinction distance estimates to these maser parallax distances. We also compare these distances to kinematic distances, including recent re-calibrations of the Galactic rotation curve. The extinction distance methods agree with the maser parallax distances (within the errors) between 66% and 100% of the time (depending on method and input survey) and between 85% and 100% of the time outside of the crowded Galactic center. Although the sample size is small, extinction distance methods reproduce maser parallax distances better than kinematic distances; furthermore, extinction distance methods do not suffer from the kinematic distance ambiguity. This validation gives us confidence that these extinction methods may be extended to additional dark clouds where maser parallaxes are not available.
Alves, E O S; Cerqueira-Silva, C B M; Souza, A M; Santos, C A F; Lima Neto, F P; Corrêa, R X
2012-03-14
We investigated seven distance measures in a set of observations of physicochemical variables of mango (Mangifera indica) submitted to multivariate analyses (distance, projection and grouping). To estimate the distance measurements, five mango progeny (total of 25 genotypes) were analyzed, using six fruit physicochemical descriptors (fruit weight, equatorial diameter, longitudinal diameter, total soluble solids in °Brix, total titratable acidity, and pH). The distance measurements were compared by the Spearman correlation test, projection in two-dimensional space and grouping efficiency. The Spearman correlation coefficients between the seven distance measurements were, except for the Mahalanobis' generalized distance (0.41 ≤ rs ≤ 0.63), high and significant (rs ≥ 0.91; P < 0.001). Regardless of the origin of the distance matrix, the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean grouping method proved to be the most adequate. The various distance measurements and grouping methods gave different values for distortion (-116.5 ≤ D ≤ 74.5), cophenetic correlation (0.26 ≤ rc ≤ 0.76) and stress (-1.9 ≤ S ≤ 58.9). Choice of distance measurement and analysis methods influence the.
Techy, Fernando; Mageswaran, Prasath; Colbrunn, Robb W; Bonner, Tara F; McLain, Robert F
2013-05-01
Segmental fixation improves fusion rates and promotes patient mobility by controlling instability after lumbar surgery. Efforts to obtain stability using less invasive techniques have lead to the advent of new implants and constructs. A new interspinous fixation device (ISD) has been introduced as a minimally invasive method of stabilizing two adjacent interspinous processes by augmenting an interbody cage in transforaminal interbody fusion. The ISD is intended to replace the standard pedicle screw instrumentation used for posterior fixation. The purpose of this study is to compare the rigidity of these implant systems when supplementing an interbody cage as used in transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion. An in vitro human cadaveric biomechanical study. Seven human cadaver spines (T12 to the sacrum) were mounted in a custom-designed testing apparatus, for biomechanical testing using a multiaxial robotic system. A comparison of segmental stiffness was carried out among five conditions: intact spine control; interbody spacer (IBS), alone; interbody cage with ISD; IBS, ISD, and unilateral pedicle screws (unilat); and IBS, with bilateral pedicle screws (bilat). An industrial robot (KUKA, GmbH, Augsburg, Germany) applied a pure moment (±5 Nm) in flexion-extension (FE), lateral bending (LB), and axial rotation (AR) through an anchor to the T12 vertebral body. The relative vertebral motion was captured using an optoelectronic camera system (Optotrak; Northern Digital, Inc., Waterloo, Ontario, Canada). The load sensor and the camera were synchronized. Maximum rotation was measured at each level and compared with the intact control. Implant constructs were compared with the control and with each other. A statistical analysis was performed using analysis of variance. A comparison between the intact spine and the IBS group showed no significant difference in the range of motion (ROM) in FE, LB, or AR for the operated level, L3-L4. After implantation of the ISD to augment
A Test of the Validity of Projective and Quasi-Projective Measures of Interpersonal Distance.
Jones, Stanley E.; Aiello, John R.
1979-01-01
Discusses research supporting the conclusion that projective and quasi-projective measures of interpersonal distance do not measure the same phenomena as interactional measures. It is possible that they are more indicative of psychological rather than physical distance. (JMF)
An International Parallax Campaign to Measure Distance to the Moon and Mars
Cenadelli, D.; Zeni, M.; Bernagozzi, A.; Calcidese, P.; Ferreira, L.; Hoang, C.; Rijsdijk, C.
2009-01-01
Trigonometric parallax is a powerful method to work out the distance of celestial bodies, and it was used in the past to measure the distance of the Moon, Venus, Mars and nearby stars. We set up an observation campaign for high school and undergraduate students with the purpose to measure both the Moon's and Mars' parallax. To have a large enough…
EPR-based distance measurements at ambient temperature
Krumkacheva, Olesya; Bagryanskaya, Elena
2017-07-01
Pulsed dipolar (PD) EPR spectroscopy is a powerful technique allowing for distance measurements between spin labels in the range of 2.5-10.0 nm. It was proposed more than 30 years ago, and nowadays is widely used in biophysics and materials science. Until recently, PD EPR experiments were limited to cryogenic temperatures (T biomolecules, the influence of a linker between the spin probe and biomolecule, and future opportunities.
Wang, Guochao; Tan, Lilong; Yan, Shuhua
2018-02-07
We report on a frequency-comb-referenced absolute interferometer which instantly measures long distance by integrating multi-wavelength interferometry with direct synthetic wavelength interferometry. The reported interferometer utilizes four different wavelengths, simultaneously calibrated to the frequency comb of a femtosecond laser, to implement subwavelength distance measurement, while direct synthetic wavelength interferometry is elaborately introduced by launching a fifth wavelength to extend a non-ambiguous range for meter-scale measurement. A linearity test performed comparatively with a He-Ne laser interferometer shows a residual error of less than 70.8 nm in peak-to-valley over a 3 m distance, and a 10 h distance comparison is demonstrated to gain fractional deviations of ~3 × 10 -8 versus 3 m distance. Test results reveal that the presented absolute interferometer enables precise, stable, and long-term distance measurements and facilitates absolute positioning applications such as large-scale manufacturing and space missions.
THE DISTANCE MEASUREMENT OF NGC 1313 WITH CEPHEIDS
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Qing, Gao; Wang, Wei; Liu, Ji-Feng; Yoachim, Peter
2015-01-01
We present the detection of Cepheids in the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1313, using the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 on the Hubble Space Telescope. Twenty B(F450W) and V(F555W) epochs of observations spanning over three weeks were obtained, on which the profile-fitting photometry of all stars in the monitored field was performed using the package HSTphot. A sample of 26 variable stars have been identified to be Cepheids, with periods between 3 and 14 days. Based on the derived period-luminosity relations in B- and V-bands, we obtain an extinction-corrected distance modulus of μ NGC 1313 = 28.32 ± 0.08 (random) ± 0.06 (systematic), employing the Large Magellanic Cloud as the distance zero point calibrator. The above moduli correspond to a distance of 4.61 ± 0.17 (random) ±0.13 (systematic) Mpc, consistent with previous measurements reported in the literature within uncertainties. In addition, the reddening to NGC 1313 is found to be small
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Frederico Guilherme de Paula Lopes Santos
2009-04-01
Full Text Available Os autores apresentam casos de cistos epidurais, dentre eles os cistos sinoviais, discais, do ligamento amarelo e relacionados a bursite interespinhosa, todas essas condições determinando compressão radicular, do saco dural ou estenose do canal vertebral. Descrevem as características de imagem e localização na ressonância magnética nessas diferentes afecções.The authors describe some cases of epidural cysts, namely synovial, discal, ligamentum flavum cysts, and cysts secondary to interspinous bursitis, all of these conditions determining radicular, dural sac compression or spinal canal stenosis. Magnetic resonance imaging findings and localization of these entities are described.
Experience of precision measuring distances by invar wires at accelerators
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Porubaj, N.I.
1977-01-01
With a view to determining the deformations and displacements of the ring foundation of the ITEP accelerator, the method of very accurate distance measurements by means of invar wires and strips is described. Measurement errors are analyzed. This method has allowed to measure distances up to 40 m with a mean-square error of less than 40 μm. The calibration accuracy of 3 and 25-m measuring wires has been determined to be +- 27 μm. Time instability of the wires is +- 16 μm. It is shown that strips are more stable in time than wires. Elongation of 6, 19, 25 and 38 m invar wires has been measured as function of the tension time. The error due to tension of a 38-m wire may be tangible. Data on thermal coefficient variation in time has been obtained for invar wires and strips. The multiannual measurements of the ring foundation deformations show that variations of the mean radius are caused by increases of concrete temperature. Temperature increase by only 1 deg caused mean radius increase of 0.3 mm
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Guochao Wang
2018-02-01
Full Text Available We report on a frequency-comb-referenced absolute interferometer which instantly measures long distance by integrating multi-wavelength interferometry with direct synthetic wavelength interferometry. The reported interferometer utilizes four different wavelengths, simultaneously calibrated to the frequency comb of a femtosecond laser, to implement subwavelength distance measurement, while direct synthetic wavelength interferometry is elaborately introduced by launching a fifth wavelength to extend a non-ambiguous range for meter-scale measurement. A linearity test performed comparatively with a He–Ne laser interferometer shows a residual error of less than 70.8 nm in peak-to-valley over a 3 m distance, and a 10 h distance comparison is demonstrated to gain fractional deviations of ~3 × 10−8 versus 3 m distance. Test results reveal that the presented absolute interferometer enables precise, stable, and long-term distance measurements and facilitates absolute positioning applications such as large-scale manufacturing and space missions.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Roga, W; Illuminati, F; Spehner, D
2016-01-01
We investigate and compare three distinguished geometric measures of bipartite quantum correlations that have been recently introduced in the literature: the geometric discord, the measurement-induced geometric discord, and the discord of response, each one defined according to three contractive distances on the set of quantum states, namely the trace, Bures, and Hellinger distances. We establish a set of exact algebraic relations and inequalities between the different measures. In particular, we show that the geometric discord and the discord of response based on the Hellinger distance are easy to compute analytically for all quantum states whenever the reference subsystem is a qubit. These two measures thus provide the first instance of discords that are simultaneously fully computable, reliable (since they satisfy all the basic Axioms that must be obeyed by a proper measure of quantum correlations), and operationally viable (in terms of state distinguishability). We apply the general mathematical structure to determine the closest classical-quantum state of a given state and the maximally quantum-correlated states at fixed global state purity according to the different distances, as well as a necessary condition for a channel to be quantumness breaking. (paper)
Distance measurements from supernovae and dark energy constraints
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Wang Yun
2009-01-01
Constraints on dark energy from current observational data are sensitive to how distances are measured from Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) data. We find that flux averaging of SNe Ia can be used to test the presence of unknown systematic uncertainties, and yield more robust distance measurements from SNe Ia. We have applied this approach to the nearby+SDSS+ESSENCE+SNLS+HST set of 288 SNe Ia, and the 'Constitution' set of 397 SNe Ia. Combining the SN Ia data with cosmic microwave background anisotropy data from Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe 5 yr observations, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey baryon acoustic oscillation measurements, the data of 69 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) , and the Hubble constant measurement from the Hubble Space Telescope project SHOES, we measure the dark energy density function X(z)≡ρ X (z)/ρ X (0) as a free function of redshift (assumed to be a constant at z>1 or z>1.5). Without the flux averaging of SNe Ia, the combined data using the Constitution set of SNe Ia seem to indicate a deviation from a cosmological constant at ∼95% confidence level at 0 98% confidence level for z≤0.75 using the combined data with 288 SNe Ia from nearby+SDSS+ESSENCE+SNLS+HST, independent of the assumptions about X(z≥1). We quantify dark energy constraints without assuming a flat Universe using the dark energy figure of merit for both X(z) and a dark energy equation-of-state linear in the cosmic scale factor.
Bullet Ultrasonic Obstruction Detection & Distance Measurement Using AVR Microcontroller
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Satish Pandey
2008-08-01
Full Text Available This paper describes the practical implementation of a short range ultrasonic obstruction detection and distance measurement device. By employing an ultrasonic transducer pair for producing ultrasonic sounds and sensing the reflected sound waves, the obstructions are detected. The hardware interface uses an Atmel ATmega8 AVR microcontroller to facilitate the generation of 40 kHz signal burst which is used in the transmitter circuit, and also to process the received signal for measuring the time of flight of reflected waves and exact distance of the obstruction. The program for this device is developed in WinAVR, and the code generated is dumped into microcontroller using AVR Studio. Educational aspects of this project include the mastery of a programming language and corresponding tools, the design of a functional and intuitive embedded application, and the development of appropriate hardware to build the device.
Measuring the Accuracy of Simple Evolving Connectionist System with Varying Distance Formulas
Al-Khowarizmi; Sitompul, O. S.; Suherman; Nababan, E. B.
2017-12-01
Simple Evolving Connectionist System (SECoS) is a minimal implementation of Evolving Connectionist Systems (ECoS) in artificial neural networks. The three-layer network architecture of the SECoS could be built based on the given input. In this study, the activation value for the SECoS learning process, which is commonly calculated using normalized Hamming distance, is also calculated using normalized Manhattan distance and normalized Euclidean distance in order to compare the smallest error value and best learning rate obtained. The accuracy of measurement resulted by the three distance formulas are calculated using mean absolute percentage error. In the training phase with several parameters, such as sensitivity threshold, error threshold, first learning rate, and second learning rate, it was found that normalized Euclidean distance is more accurate than both normalized Hamming distance and normalized Manhattan distance. In the case of beta fibrinogen gene -455 G/A polymorphism patients used as training data, the highest mean absolute percentage error value is obtained with normalized Manhattan distance compared to normalized Euclidean distance and normalized Hamming distance. However, the differences are very small that it can be concluded that the three distance formulas used in SECoS do not have a significant effect on the accuracy of the training results.
Measuring the Distance of Moving Objects from Big Trajectory Data
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Khaing Phyo Wai
2017-03-01
Full Text Available Location-based services have become important in social networking, mobile applications, advertising, traffic monitoring, and many other domains. The growth of location sensing devices has led to the vast generation of dynamic spatial-temporal data in the form of moving object trajectories which can be characterized as big trajectory data. Big trajectory data enables the opportunities such as analyzing the groups of moving objects. To obtain such facilities, the issue of this work is to find a distance measurement method that respects the geographic distance and the semantic similarity for each trajectory. Measurement of similarity between moving objects is a difficult task because not only their position changes but also their semantic features vary. In this research, a method to measure trajectory similarity based on both geographical features and semantic features of motion is proposed. Finally, the proposed methods are practically evaluated by using real trajectory dataset.
Wu, Hanzhong; Zhang, Fumin; Liu, Tingyang; Li, Jianshuang; Qu, Xinghua
2016-10-17
Two-color interferometry is powerful for the correction of the air refractive index especially in the turbulent air over long distance, since the empirical equations could introduce considerable measurement uncertainty if the environmental parameters cannot be measured with sufficient precision. In this paper, we demonstrate a method for absolute distance measurement with high-accuracy correction of air refractive index using two-color dispersive interferometry. The distances corresponding to the two wavelengths can be measured via the spectrograms captured by a CCD camera pair in real time. In the long-term experiment of the correction of air refractive index, the experimental results show a standard deviation of 3.3 × 10-8 for 12-h continuous measurement without the precise knowledge of the environmental conditions, while the variation of the air refractive index is about 2 × 10-6. In the case of absolute distance measurement, the comparison with the fringe counting interferometer shows an agreement within 2.5 μm in 12 m range.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Wakoh, Mamoru; Harada, Takuya; Otonari, Takamichi
2006-01-01
The purpose of this study was to investigate the accuracy of distance measurements of implant length based on periapical radiographs compared with that of other modalities. We carried out an experimental trial to compare precision in distance measurement. Dental implant fixtures were buried in the canine and first molar regions. These were then subjected to periapical (PE) radiography, panoramic (PA) radiography conventional (CV) and medical computed (CT) tomography. The length of the implant fixture on each film was measured by nine observers and degree of precision was statistically analyzed. The precision of both PE radiographs and CT tomograms was closest at the highest level. Standardized PE radiography, in particular, was superior to CT tomography in the first molar region. This suggests that standardized PE radiographs should be utilized as a reliable modality for longitudinal and linear distance measurement, depending on implant length at local implantation site. (author)
New Trends Of Measurement And Assessment In Distance Education
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Zeki KAYA
2014-01-01
Full Text Available Distance education is a discipline that offers solutions to some important education problems. Distance education, contribute to the solution to the problems such as; inequality of opportunities, lifelong education, the implementation of a series of individual and social goals that can contribute to and benefit from educational technology and self-learning. In distance education, methods of measurement and assessment must be consistent with the objectives and contents of teaching. A major interest of formative assessment is determining the students’ learning level of each behavior in the interested unit. In summative assessment, performances of students on some units are measured broader than formative assessment. A computerized adaptive testing, CAT, is the test managed by computer in which each item is introduced and the decision to stop are dynamically imposed based on the students answers and his/her estimated knowledge level. In CAT applications, students do not take the same test. Despite item numbers and properties of items are different for the students; the precise of measures improves in positioning students on an ability or success continuum in CAT applications. In CAT applications, questions answered by a student depend on the student's ability or learning level. In item response theory, there are some models to estimate a student’s ability level, such as three-parameter logistic model. Cheating in exams or other academic assignments can be defined as use resources not allowed to use or having someone else to take exams or assignments. Some precautions must be taken about cheating such as a live proctoring, using web cams, and using a plagiarism detection program.
Measurement of a Cosmographic Distance Ratio with Galaxy and Cosmic Microwave Background Lensing.
Miyatake, Hironao; Madhavacheril, Mathew S; Sehgal, Neelima; Slosar, Anže; Spergel, David N; Sherwin, Blake; van Engelen, Alexander
2017-04-21
We measure the gravitational lensing shear signal around dark matter halos hosting constant mass galaxies using light sources at z∼1 (background galaxies) and at the surface of last scattering at z∼1100 (the cosmic microwave background). The galaxy shear measurement uses data from the CFHTLenS survey, and the microwave background shear measurement uses data from the Planck satellite. The ratio of shears from these cross-correlations provides a purely geometric distance measurement across the longest possible cosmological lever arm. This is because the matter distribution around the halos, including uncertainties in galaxy bias and systematic errors such as miscentering, cancels in the ratio for halos in thin redshift slices. We measure this distance ratio in three different redshift slices of the constant mass (CMASS) sample and combine them to obtain a 17% measurement of the distance ratio, r=0.390_{-0.062}^{+0.070}, at an effective redshift of z=0.53. This is consistent with the predicted ratio from the Planck best-fit cold dark matter model with a cosmological constant cosmology of r=0.419.
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D. L. Nkweteyim
2018-03-01
Full Text Available It is reported in this paper, the results of a study of the partitioning around medoids (PAM clustering algorithm applied to four datasets, both standardized and not, and of varying sizes and numbers of clusters. The angular distance proximity measure in addition to the two more traditional proximity measures, namely the Euclidean distance and Manhattan distance, was used to compute object-object similarity. The data used in the study comprise three widely available datasets, and one that was constructed from publicly available climate data. Results replicate some of the well known facts about the PAM algorithm, namely that the quality of the clusters generated tend to be much better for small datasets, that the silhouette value is a good, even if not perfect, guide for the optimal number of clusters to generate, and that human intervention is required to interpret generated clusters. Additionally, results also indicate that the angular distance measure, which traditionally has not been widely used in clustering, outperforms both the Euclidean and Manhattan distance metrics in certain situations.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Le Floch, Sebastien; Salvade, Yves; Droz, Nathalie; Mitouassiwou, Rostand; Favre, Patrick
2010-01-01
We present a new superheterodyne technique for long-distance measurements by two-wavelength interferometry (TWI). While conventional systems use two acousto-optic modulators to generate two different heterodyne frequencies, here the two frequencies result from synchronized sweeps of optical and radio frequencies. A distributed feedback laser source is injected in an intensity modulator that is driven at the half-wave voltage mode. A radio-frequency signal is applied to this intensity modulator to generate two optical sidebands around the optical carrier. This applied radio frequency consists of a digital ramp between 13 and 15 GHz, with 1 ms duration and with an accuracy of better than 1 ppm. Simultaneously, the laser source is frequency modulated by a current modulation that is synchronized on the radio-frequency ramp as well as on a triangle waveform. These two frequency-swept optical signals at the output of the modulator illuminate a Michelson interferometer and create two distinct distance-dependent heterodyne frequencies on the photodetector. The superheterodyne signal is then detected and bandpass filtered to retrieve the absolute distance measurement. Experiments between 1 and 15 m confirm the validity of this new concept, leading to a distance accuracy of ± 50 μm for a 1 ms acquisition time.
Precision lifetime measurements using the recoil distance method
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kruecken, R.
2000-01-01
The recoil distance method (RDM) for the measurements of lifetimes of excited nuclear levels in the range from about 1 ps to 1,000 ps is reviewed. The New Yale Plunger Device for RDM experiments is introduced and the Differential Decay Curve Method for their analysis is reviewed. Results from recent RDM experiments on SD bands in the mass-190 region, shears bands in the neutron deficient lead isotopes, and ground state bands in the mass-130 region are presented. Perspectives for the use of RDM measurements in the study of neutron-rich nuclei are discussed
Precision Lifetime Measurements Using the Recoil Distance Method
Krücken, R.
2000-01-01
The recoil distance method (RDM) for the measurements of lifetimes of excited nuclear levels in the range from about 1 ps to 1000 ps is reviewed. The New Yale Plunger Device for RDM experiments is introduced and the Differential Decay Curve Method for their analysis is reviewed. Results from recent RDM experiments on SD bands in the mass-190 region, shears bands in the neutron deficient lead isotopes, and ground state bands in the mass-130 region are presented. Perspectives for the use of RDM measurements in the study of neutron-rich nuclei are discussed. PMID:27551587
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Astrua Milena
2014-01-01
Full Text Available A method to measure the real time temperature distribution along an interferometer path based on the propagation of acoustic waves is presented. It exploits the high sensitivity of the speed of sound in air to the air temperature. In particular, it takes advantage of a special set-up where the generation of the acoustic waves is synchronous with the amplitude modulation of a laser source. A photodetector converts the laser light to an electronic signal considered as reference, while the incoming acoustic waves are focused on a microphone and generate a second signal. In this condition, the phase difference between the two signals substantially depends on the temperature of the air volume interposed between the sources and the receivers. The comparison with the traditional temperature sensors highlighted the limit of the latter in case of fast temperature variations and the advantage of a measurement integrated along the optical path instead of a sampling measurement. The capability of the acoustic method to compensate the interferometric distance measurements due to air temperature variations has been demonstrated for distances up to 27 m.
Performance considerations of ultrasonic distance measurement with well defined properties
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Elmer, Hannes; Schweinzer, Herbert
2005-01-01
Conventional ultrasonic distance measurement systems based on narrow bandwidth ultrasonic bursts and amplitude detection are often used because of their low costs and easy implementation. However, the achievable results strongly depend on the actual environments where the system is implemented: in case of well defined objects that are always located near the measurement direction of the system, in general good results are obtained. If arbitrary objects are expected that are moreover located in arbitrary positions in front of the sensor, strongly object dependent areas where objects are detected with decreasing accuracy towards their borders must be taken into account. In previous works we developed an ultrasonic measurement system that provides accurate distance measurement values within a well defined detection area that is independent of the reflection properties of the objects. This measurement system is based on the One Bit Correlation method that is described in the following. To minimise its implementation efforts, it is necessary to examine the influence of the system parameters as e.g. the correlation length to the results that are expected in case of different signal to noise ratios of the received signal. In the following, these examinations are shown and the obtained results are discussed that allow getting a well conditioned system that makes best use of given system resources
Automation by microcomputer of a geodetic distance measuring instrument: The distinvar
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Bain, G.; Bore, C.; Coosemans, W.; Dupont, J.; Fabre, J.P.; Gavaggio, R.; Peron, F.
1985-01-01
The distinvar is an instrument for the precision measurement of distances up to 50 m. This report describes the latest developments at CERN which have improved its resolution to 2 μm and increased its speed of use. Measurements are automated by incorporating a microcomputer programmed in BASIC. (orig.)
Automation by microprocessor of an geodesic distance measuring instrument: The distinvar
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Bain, G.; Bore, C.; Coosemans, W.; Dupont, J.; Fabre, J.P.; Gavaggio, R.; Peron, F.
1984-01-01
The distinvar is an instrument for the precision measurement of distances up to 50 m. This report describes the latest developments at CERN which have improved its resolution to 2 micrometers and increased its speed of use. Measurements are automated by incorporating a microcomputer programmed in BASIC. (orig.)
Measuring the Dust Grains and Distance to X Persei Via Its X-ray Halo
Smith, Randall
2006-09-01
We propose to observe the X-ray halo of the high mass X-ray binary pulsar X Per to measure interstellar dust grains along the line of sight (LOS) and to determine the distance to X Per. The X-ray halo is formed by scattering from grains along the LOS, which for X Per appear to be concentrated in one molecular cloud. Unlike many other X-ray halo observations, this low-absorption high-latitude sightline is well-characterized from absorption spectroscopy done with HST, Copernicus, and FUSE. This halo observation will measure the distance to the cloud and the dust size distribution in it. We will also be able to determine the distance to X Per by measuring the time delayed pulses in the X-ray halo.
Salonen, Maria; Maeda, Eduardo Eiji; Toivonen, Tuuli
2014-10-01
Land use and land cover change (LUCC) models frequently employ different accessibility measures as a proxy for human influence on land change processes. Here, we simulate deforestation in Peruvian Amazonia and evaluate different accessibility measures as LUCC model inputs. We demonstrate how the selection, and different combinations, of accessibility measures impact simulation results. Out of the individual measures, time distance to market center catches the essential aspects of accessibility in our study area. The most accurate simulation is achieved when time distance to market center is used in association with distance to transport network and additional landscape variables. Although traditional Euclidean measures result in clearly lower simulation accuracy when used separately, the combination of two complementary Euclidean measures enhances simulation accuracy significantly. Our results highlight the need for site and context sensitive selection of accessibility variables. More sophisticated accessibility measures can potentially improve LUCC models' spatial accuracy, which often remains low.
A Scale Elasticity Measure for Directional Distance Function and its Dual: Theory and DEA Estimation
Valentin Zelenyuk
2012-01-01
In this paper we focus on scale elasticity measure based on directional distance function for multi-output-multi-input technologies, explore its fundamental properties and show its equivalence with the input oriented and output oriented scale elasticity measures. We also establish duality relationship between the scale elasticity measure based on the directional distance function with scale elasticity measure based on the profit function. Finally, we discuss the estimation issues of the scale...
Mori, Kanji; Yoshii, Toshitaka; Hirai, Takashi; Iwanami, Akio; Takeuchi, Kazuhiro; Yamada, Tsuyoshi; Seki, Shoji; Tsuji, Takashi; Fujiyoshi, Kanehiro; Furukawa, Mitsuru; Nishimura, Soraya; Wada, Kanichiro; Koda, Masao; Furuya, Takeo; Matsuyama, Yukihiro; Hasegawa, Tomohiko; Takeshita, Katsushi; Kimura, Atsushi; Abematsu, Masahiko; Haro, Hirotaka; Ohba, Tetsuro; Watanabe, Masahiko; Katoh, Hiroyuki; Watanabe, Kei; Ozawa, Hiroshi; Kanno, Haruo; Imagama, Shiro; Ito, Zenya; Fujibayashi, Shunsuke; Yamazaki, Masashi; Matsumoto, Morio; Nakamura, Masaya; Okawa, Atsushi; Kawaguchi, Yoshiharu
2016-12-01
Supra/interspinous ligaments connect adjacent spinous processes and act as a stabilizer of the spine. As with other spinal ligaments, it can become ossified. However, few report have discussed ossification supra/interspinous ligaments (OSIL), so its epidemiology remains unknown. We therefore aimed to investigate the prevalence and distribution of OSIL in symptomatic patients with cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL). The participants of our study were symptomatic patients with cervical OPLL who were diagnosed by standard radiographs of the cervical spine. The whole spine CT data as well as clinical parameters such as age and sex were obtained from 20 institutions belong to the Japanese Multicenter Research Organization for Ossification of the Spinal Ligament (JOSL). The prevalence and distribution of OSIL and the association between OSIL and clinical parameters were reviewed. The sum of the levels involved by OPLL (OP-index) and OSIL (OSI-index) as well as the prevalence of ossification of the nuchal ligament (ONL) were also investigated. A total of 234 patients with a mean age of 65 years was recruited. The CT-based evidence of OSIL was noted in 68 (54 males and 14 females) patients (29%). The distribution of OSIL showed a significant thoracic preponderance. In OSIL-positive patients, single-level involvement was noted in 19 cases (28%), whereas 49 cases (72%) presented multi-level involvement. We found a significant positive correlation between the OP-index grade and OSI-index. ONL was noted at a significantly higher rate in OSIL-positive patients compared to negative patients. The prevalence of OSIL in symptomatic patients with cervical OPLL was 29%. The distribution of OSIL showed a significant thoracic preponderance.
In-situ position and vibration measurement of rough surfaces using laser Doppler distance sensors
Czarske, J.; Pfister, T.; Günther, P.; Büttner, L.
2009-06-01
In-situ measurement of distances and shapes as well as dynamic deformations and vibrations of fast moving and especially rotating objects, such as gear shafts and turbine blades, is an important task at process control. We recently developed a laser Doppler distance frequency sensor, employing two superposed fan-shaped interference fringe systems with contrary fringe spacing gradients. Via two Doppler frequency evaluations the non-incremental position (i.e. distance) and the tangential velocity of rotating bodies are determined simultaneously. The distance uncertainty is in contrast to e.g. triangulation in principle independent of the object velocity. This unique feature allows micrometer resolutions of fast moved rough surfaces. The novel sensor was applied at turbo machines in order to control the tip clearance. The measurements at a transonic centrifugal compressor were performed during operation at up to 50,000 rpm, i.e. 586 m/s velocity of the blade tips. Due to the operational conditions such as temperatures of up to 300 °C, a flexible and robust measurement system with a passive fiber-coupled sensor, using diffractive optics, has been realized. Since the tip clearance of individual blades could be temporally resolved an analysis of blade vibrations was possible. A Fourier transformation of the blade distances results in an average period of 3 revolutions corresponding to a frequency of 1/3 of the rotary frequency. Additionally, a laser Doppler distance sensor using two tilted fringe systems and phase evaluation will be presented. This phase sensor exhibits a minimum position resolution of σz = 140 nm. It allows precise in-situ shape measurements at grinding and turning processes.
Yu, Guizhen; Zhou, Bin; Wang, Yunpeng; Wun, Xinkai; Wang, Pengcheng
2015-12-01
Due to more severe challenges of traffic safety problems, the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) has received widespread attention. Measuring the distance to a preceding vehicle is important for ADAS. However, the existing algorithm focuses more on straight road sections than on curve measurements. In this paper, we present a novel measuring algorithm for the distance to a preceding vehicle on a curve road using on-board monocular camera. Firstly, the characteristics of driving on the curve road is analyzed and the recognition of the preceding vehicle road area is proposed. Then, the vehicle detection and distance measuring algorithms are investigated. We have verified these algorithms on real road driving. The experimental results show that this method proposed in the paper can detect the preceding vehicle on curve roads and accurately calculate the longitudinal distance and horizontal distance to the preceding vehicle.
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Riva Mylène
2008-02-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background Over the past two decades, geographical accessibility of urban resources for population living in residential areas has received an increased focus in urban health studies. Operationalising and computing geographical accessibility measures depend on a set of four parameters, namely definition of residential areas, a method of aggregation, a measure of accessibility, and a type of distance. Yet, the choice of these parameters may potentially generate different results leading to significant measurement errors. The aim of this paper is to compare discrepancies in results for geographical accessibility of selected health care services for residential areas (i.e. census tracts computed using different distance types and aggregation methods. Results First, the comparison of distance types demonstrates that Cartesian distances (Euclidean and Manhattan distances are strongly correlated with more accurate network distances (shortest network and shortest network time distances across the metropolitan area (Pearson correlation greater than 0.95. However, important local variations in correlation between Cartesian and network distances were observed notably in suburban areas where Cartesian distances were less precise. Second, the choice of the aggregation method is also important: in comparison to the most accurate aggregation method (population-weighted mean of the accessibility measure for census blocks within census tracts, accessibility measures computed from census tract centroids, though not inaccurate, yield important measurement errors for 5% to 10% of census tracts. Conclusion Although errors associated to the choice of distance types and aggregation method are only important for about 10% of census tracts located mainly in suburban areas, we should not avoid using the best estimation method possible for evaluating geographical accessibility. This is especially so if these measures are to be included as a dimension of the
Chiu, Chun-Huo; Chao, Anne
2014-01-01
Hill numbers (or the “effective number of species”) are increasingly used to characterize species diversity of an assemblage. This work extends Hill numbers to incorporate species pairwise functional distances calculated from species traits. We derive a parametric class of functional Hill numbers, which quantify “the effective number of equally abundant and (functionally) equally distinct species” in an assemblage. We also propose a class of mean functional diversity (per species), which quantifies the effective sum of functional distances between a fixed species to all other species. The product of the functional Hill number and the mean functional diversity thus quantifies the (total) functional diversity, i.e., the effective total distance between species of the assemblage. The three measures (functional Hill numbers, mean functional diversity and total functional diversity) quantify different aspects of species trait space, and all are based on species abundance and species pairwise functional distances. When all species are equally distinct, our functional Hill numbers reduce to ordinary Hill numbers. When species abundances are not considered or species are equally abundant, our total functional diversity reduces to the sum of all pairwise distances between species of an assemblage. The functional Hill numbers and the mean functional diversity both satisfy a replication principle, implying the total functional diversity satisfies a quadratic replication principle. When there are multiple assemblages defined by the investigator, each of the three measures of the pooled assemblage (gamma) can be multiplicatively decomposed into alpha and beta components, and the two components are independent. The resulting beta component measures pure functional differentiation among assemblages and can be further transformed to obtain several classes of normalized functional similarity (or differentiation) measures, including N-assemblage functional generalizations of
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Chun-Huo Chiu
Full Text Available Hill numbers (or the "effective number of species" are increasingly used to characterize species diversity of an assemblage. This work extends Hill numbers to incorporate species pairwise functional distances calculated from species traits. We derive a parametric class of functional Hill numbers, which quantify "the effective number of equally abundant and (functionally equally distinct species" in an assemblage. We also propose a class of mean functional diversity (per species, which quantifies the effective sum of functional distances between a fixed species to all other species. The product of the functional Hill number and the mean functional diversity thus quantifies the (total functional diversity, i.e., the effective total distance between species of the assemblage. The three measures (functional Hill numbers, mean functional diversity and total functional diversity quantify different aspects of species trait space, and all are based on species abundance and species pairwise functional distances. When all species are equally distinct, our functional Hill numbers reduce to ordinary Hill numbers. When species abundances are not considered or species are equally abundant, our total functional diversity reduces to the sum of all pairwise distances between species of an assemblage. The functional Hill numbers and the mean functional diversity both satisfy a replication principle, implying the total functional diversity satisfies a quadratic replication principle. When there are multiple assemblages defined by the investigator, each of the three measures of the pooled assemblage (gamma can be multiplicatively decomposed into alpha and beta components, and the two components are independent. The resulting beta component measures pure functional differentiation among assemblages and can be further transformed to obtain several classes of normalized functional similarity (or differentiation measures, including N-assemblage functional
Application of digital image correlation for long-distance bridge deflection measurement
Tian, Long; Pan, Bing; Cai, Youfa; Liang, Hui; Zhao, Yan
2013-06-01
Due to its advantages of non-contact, full-field and high-resolution measurement, digital image correlation (DIC) method has gained wide acceptance and found numerous applications in the field of experimental mechanics. In this paper, the application of DIC for real-time long-distance bridge deflection detection in outdoor environments is studied. Bridge deflection measurement using DIC in outdoor environments is more challenging than regular DIC measurements performed under laboratory conditions. First, much more image noise due to variations in ambient light will be presented in the images recorded in outdoor environments. Second, how to select the target area becomes a key factor because long-distance imaging results in a large field of view of the test object. Finally, the image acquisition speed of the camera must be high enough (larger than 100 fps) to capture the real-time dynamic motion of a bridge. In this work, the above challenging issues are addressed and several improvements were made to DIC method. The applicability was demonstrated by real experiments. Experimental results indicate that the DIC method has great potentials in motion measurement in various large building structures.
EPR-based distance measurements at ambient temperature.
Krumkacheva, Olesya; Bagryanskaya, Elena
2017-07-01
Pulsed dipolar (PD) EPR spectroscopy is a powerful technique allowing for distance measurements between spin labels in the range of 2.5-10.0nm. It was proposed more than 30years ago, and nowadays is widely used in biophysics and materials science. Until recently, PD EPR experiments were limited to cryogenic temperatures (TEPR as well as other approaches based on EPR (e.g., relaxation enhancement; RE). In this paper, we review the features of PD EPR and RE at ambient temperatures, in particular, requirements on electron spin phase memory time, ways of immobilization of biomolecules, the influence of a linker between the spin probe and biomolecule, and future opportunities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Liu, Yang; Yang, Linghui; Lin, Jiarui; Zhu, Jigui
2018-01-01
Precise distance measurement is of interest for large-scale manufacturing, future space satellite missions, and other industrial applications. The ranging system with femtosecond optical frequency comb (FOFC) could offer high accuracy, stability and direct traceability to SI definition of the meter. Here, we propose a scheme for length measurement based on the frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) ladar with a FOFC. In this scheme, the reference interferometer in the FMCW ladar is calibrated by the intensity detection using the FOFC in the time domain within an optical wavelength resolution. With analysis of the theoretical model, this system has the potential to a high-speed, high-accuracy absolute distance measurement. Then, based on the experimental results, the evaluation of the performance of the calibration of the reference arm is discussed. In addition, the performance of this system is evaluated by a single position measurement with different tuning velocities of wavelength. The experimental results show that the reproducibility of the distance measurement is 10-5 level.
Seki, Takeshi; Oka, Kiyoshi; Naganawa, Akihiro; Yamashita, Hiromasa; Kim, Keri; Chiba, Toshio
2010-10-01
Twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is a condition of twins disproportionately sharing blood by the communicating vessels in the shared placenta and resulting in the significantly high fetal and perinatal mortality rate. Fetoscopic laser surgery is performed to block these communicating vessels. It is difficult, however, to perceive the distance from the tip of the fetoscope to the placental surface with only a two-dimensional fetoscopic view. When the distance is too short it causes excessive irradiation and even the risk of inadvertent damage to the placenta. On the other hand, not only target vessels but also adjacent tissues can be irradiated when it is too long. We have developed a composite-type optical fiberscope (COF) that was able to observe the target area and also to perform laser irradiation at the same time. In this paper, we studied a method to estimate the distance from the tip of the COF to the target area. We combined the COF with a laser blood-flow meter. Using laser light from the meter, we measured the total amount of light received ("REFLEX") and estimated the relation between the "REFLEX" value and the laser irradiation distance. Further in vivo experiments were subsequently carried out using porcine mesenteric blood vessels. The results showed that the distance and the "REFLEX" value were inversely proportional, irrespective of the experimental environment (e.g. in air, water and amniotic fluid-like solution) and the target object. In the in vivo experiments, we quantitatively measured the distance within an accuracy of ±1 mm (approximately 10%). In conclusion, our new system was able to measure the distance in vivo enabling a surgeon to safely and effectively perform laser irradiation at a suitable distance. The system can be used not only for fetoscopic surgery but also for general endoscopic surgery.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Goldman, Ashton H.; Hoover, Kevin B.
2017-01-01
Multiple radiographic acquisition techniques have been evaluated for their effect on measurements of acetabular morphology. This cadaveric study examined the effect of two acquisition parameters not previously evaluated: beam center position and source-to-detector distance. This study also evaluated the effect of reader differences on measurements. Following calibration of measurements between two readers using five clinical radiographs (training), radiographs were obtained from two cadavers using four different source-to-detector distances and three different radiographic centers for a total of 12 radiographic techniques (experimental). Two physician readers acquired four types of measurements from each cadaver radiograph: lateral center edge angle, peak-to-edge distance, Sharp's angle, and the Tonnis angle. All measurements were evaluated for intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), kappa statistics for hip dysplasia, and factors that resulted in measurement differences using a mixed statistical model. After training of the two physician readers, there was strong agreement in their hip morphology measurements (ICC 0.84-0.93), agreement in the presence of hip dysplasia (κ = 0.58-1.0), and no measurement difference between physician readers (p = 0.12-1.0). Experimental cadaver measurements showed moderate-to-strong agreement of the readers (ICC 0.74-0.93) and complete agreement on dysplasia (κ = 1). After accounting for reader and radiographic technique, there was no difference in hip morphology measurements (p = 0.83-0.99). In this cadaveric study, measurements of hip morphology were not affected by varying source-to-detector distance or beam center. We conclude that these acquisition parameters are not likely to affect the diagnosis of hip dysplasia in a clinical setting. (orig.)
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Goldman, Ashton H. [Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA (United States); Hoover, Kevin B. [Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Radiology, 1250 E Marshall St. 3rd Floor, PO Box 980615, Richmond, VA (United States)
2017-04-15
Multiple radiographic acquisition techniques have been evaluated for their effect on measurements of acetabular morphology. This cadaveric study examined the effect of two acquisition parameters not previously evaluated: beam center position and source-to-detector distance. This study also evaluated the effect of reader differences on measurements. Following calibration of measurements between two readers using five clinical radiographs (training), radiographs were obtained from two cadavers using four different source-to-detector distances and three different radiographic centers for a total of 12 radiographic techniques (experimental). Two physician readers acquired four types of measurements from each cadaver radiograph: lateral center edge angle, peak-to-edge distance, Sharp's angle, and the Tonnis angle. All measurements were evaluated for intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), kappa statistics for hip dysplasia, and factors that resulted in measurement differences using a mixed statistical model. After training of the two physician readers, there was strong agreement in their hip morphology measurements (ICC 0.84-0.93), agreement in the presence of hip dysplasia (κ = 0.58-1.0), and no measurement difference between physician readers (p = 0.12-1.0). Experimental cadaver measurements showed moderate-to-strong agreement of the readers (ICC 0.74-0.93) and complete agreement on dysplasia (κ = 1). After accounting for reader and radiographic technique, there was no difference in hip morphology measurements (p = 0.83-0.99). In this cadaveric study, measurements of hip morphology were not affected by varying source-to-detector distance or beam center. We conclude that these acquisition parameters are not likely to affect the diagnosis of hip dysplasia in a clinical setting. (orig.)
Recoil distance measurements of litetimes of levels in 2120F and 16N
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kozub, R.L.; Mateja, J.F.; Lin, J.; Lister, C.J.; Olness, J.; Warburton, E.K.; Bynum, M.R.; Matthews, T.L.
1981-01-01
The previously-reported measurements of meanlives of 20 21 F levels using the recoil-distance method (RDM) and 18 O + 7 Li reactions have been repeated using improved experimental techniques. In addition, the lifetimes of two 16 N levels were measured, using the same experimental setup and 11 B + 7 Li reactions. Data were taken using the BNL precision plunger, in which were mounted a stretched Ta stopper foil (approx. 20 /sub cm 2 //sup mg/ thick) and a 300 μg/cm 2 - thick Li target condensed onto a stretched, 1.4 mg/cm 2 - thick Ta backing. Changes in target-to-stopper distance (d) could be controlled to an accuracy of about +- 1 μm, and were monitored by measuring target-to-stopper capacitance
A Game Map Complexity Measure Based on Hamming Distance
Li, Yan; Su, Pan; Li, Wenliang
With the booming of PC game market, Game AI has attracted more and more researches. The interesting and difficulty of a game are relative with the map used in game scenarios. Besides, the path-finding efficiency in a game is also impacted by the complexity of the used map. In this paper, a novel complexity measure based on Hamming distance, called the Hamming complexity, is introduced. This measure is able to estimate the complexity of binary tileworld. We experimentally demonstrated that Hamming complexity is highly relative with the efficiency of A* algorithm, and therefore it is a useful reference to the designer when developing a game map.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Kristoffer Petersson
2017-07-01
Full Text Available We present a clinical distance measure for Pareto front evaluation studies in radiotherapy, which we show strongly correlates (r = 0.74 and 0.90 with clinical plan quality evaluation. For five prostate cases, sub-optimal treatment plans located at a clinical distance value of >0.32 (0.28–0.35 from fronts of Pareto optimal plans, were assessed to be of lower plan quality by our (12 observers (p < .05. In conclusion, the clinical distance measure can be used to determine if the difference between a front and a given plan (or between different fronts corresponds to a clinically significant plan quality difference.
Lifetime measurements using the recoil distance method—achievements and perspectives
Krücken, R.
2001-07-01
The recoil distance method (RDM) for measuring pico-second nuclear level lifetimes and its use in nuclear structure studies is reviewed and perspectives for the future are presented. High precision measurements in the mass-130 region, studies of multi-phonon states in rare earth nuclei, the investigation of shape coexistence and the recently discovered phenomenon of "magnetic rotation" are reviewed. Prospects for lifetime measurements in exotic regions of nuclei such as the measurement of lifetimes in neutron rich nuclei populated via spontaneous and heavy-ion induced fission are discussed. Other prospects include the use of the RDM technique in conjunction with recoil separators. The relevance of these techniques for experiments with radioactive ion beams will be discussed.
Lifetime measurements using the recoil distance method - achievements and perspectives
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kruecken, R.
2001-01-01
The recoil distance method (RDM) for measuring pico-second nuclear level lifetimes and its use in nuclear structure studies is reviewed and perspectives for the future are presented. High precision measurements in the mass-130 region, studies of multi-phonon states in rare earth nuclei, the investigation of shape coexistence and the recently discovered phenomenon of 'magnetic rotation' are reviewed. Prospects for lifetime measurements in exotic regions of nuclei such as the measurement of lifetimes in neutron rich nuclei populated via spontaneous and heavy-ion induced fission are discussed. Other prospects include the use of the RDM technique in conjunction with recoil separators. The relevance of these techniques for experiments with radioactive ion beams will be discussed
Distance Measurement Methods for Improved Insider Threat Detection
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Owen Lo
2018-01-01
Full Text Available Insider threats are a considerable problem within cyber security and it is often difficult to detect these threats using signature detection. Increasing machine learning can provide a solution, but these methods often fail to take into account changes of behaviour of users. This work builds on a published method of detecting insider threats and applies Hidden Markov method on a CERT data set (CERT r4.2 and analyses a number of distance vector methods (Damerau–Levenshtein Distance, Cosine Distance, and Jaccard Distance in order to detect changes of behaviour, which are shown to have success in determining different insider threats.
The Hetu'u Global Network: Measuring the Distance to the Sun with the Transit of Venus
Rodriguez, David; Faherty, J.
2013-01-01
In the spirit of historic astronomical endeavors, we invited school groups across the globe to collaborate in a solar distance measurement using the 2012 transit of Venus. In total, our group (stationed at Easter Island, Chile) recruited 19 school groups spread over 6 continents and 10 countries to participate in our Hetu’u Global Network. Applying the methods of French astronomer Joseph-Nicolas Delisle, we used individual second and third Venus-Sun contact times to calculate the distance to the Sun. Ten of the sites in our network had amiable weather; 8 of which measured second contact and 5 of which measured third contact leading to consistent solar distance measurements of 152+/-30 million km and 163+/-30 million km respectively. The distance to the Sun at the time of the transit was 152.25 million km; therefore, our measurements are also consistent within 1-sigma of the known value. The goal of our international school group network was to inspire the next generation of scientists using the excitement and accessibility of such a rare astronomical event. In the process, we connected hundreds of participating students representing a diverse, multi-cultural group with differing political, economic, and racial backgrounds.
The Czech national long distances measuring standard Koštice - State of play
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ladislav Červinka
2009-11-01
Full Text Available This article gives information about new Czech national long distances measuring standard, which has been preparedat the distance base near the Koštice village. Submitter of the project is the Czech Office for Standards, Metrology and Testing.Research and document preparation for creation of the measuring standard were ensured by the Research Institute of Geodesy,Topography and Cartography. Interlaboratory comparisons were made by staff of the Bundeswehr University in Munich. The paperreports about works, which will be carried out on national standard in the second half of this year. Purpose of this works is to improvecharacteristics of accuracy of national etalon.
Jang, Yoon-Soo; Lee, Keunwoo; Han, Seongheum; Lee, Joohyung; Kim, Young-Jin; Kim, Seung-Woo
2014-12-01
We revisit the method of synthetic wavelength interferometry (SWI) for absolute measurement of long distances using the radio-frequency harmonics of the pulse repetition rate of a mode-locked femtosecond laser. Our intention here is to extend the nonambiguity range (NAR) of the SWI method using a coarse virtual wavelength synthesized by shifting the pulse repetition rate. The proposed concept of NAR extension is experimentally verified by measuring a ˜13-m distance with repeatability of 9.5 μm (root-mean-square). The measurement precision is estimated to be 31.2 μm in comparison with an incremental He-Ne laser interferometer. This extended SWI method is found to be well suited for long-distance measurements demanded in the fields of large-scale precision engineering, geodetic survey, and future space missions.
A Chroma-based Tempo-insensitive Distance Measure for Cover Song Identification
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Jensen, Jesper Højvang; Ellis, Dan P. W.; Christensen, Mads Græsbøll
In the context of music, a cover version is a remake of a song, often with significant stylistic variation. In this paper we describe a distance measure between sampled audio files that is designed to be insensitive to instrumentation, time shift, temporal scaling and transpositions. The algorithm...
Recoil distance method lifetime measurements at TRIUMF-ISAC using the TIGRESS Integrated Plunger
Chester, A.; Ball, G. C.; Bernier, N.; Cross, D. S.; Domingo, T.; Drake, T. E.; Evitts, L. J.; Garcia, F. H.; Garnsworthy, A. B.; Hackman, G.; Hallam, S.; Henderson, J.; Henderson, R.; Krücken, R.; MacConnachie, E.; Moukaddam, M.; Padilla-Rodal, E.; Paetkau, O.; Pore, J. L.; Rizwan, U.; Ruotsalainen, P.; Shoults, J.; Smallcombe, J.; Smith, J. K.; Starosta, K.; Svensson, C. E.; Van Wieren, K.; Williams, J.; Williams, M.
2018-02-01
The TIGRESS Integrated Plunger device (TIP) has been developed for recoil distance method (RDM) lifetime measurements using the TIGRESS array of HPGe γ-ray detectors at TRIUMF's ISAC-II facility. A commissioning experiment was conducted utilizing a 250 MeV 84Kr beam at ≈ 2 × 108 particles per second. The 84Kr beam was Coulomb excited to the 21+ state on a movable 27Al target. A thin Cu foil fixed downstream from the target was used as a degrader. Excited nuclei emerged from the target and decayed by γ-ray emission at a distance determined by their velocity and the lifetime of the 21+ state. The ratio of decays which occur between the target and degrader to those occurring after traversing the degrader changes as a function of the target-degrader separation distance. Gamma-ray spectra at 13 target-degrader separation distances were measured and compared to simulated lineshapes to extract the lifetime. The result of τ = 5 . 541 ± 0 . 013(stat.) ± 0 . 063(sys.) ps is shorter than the literature value of 5 . 84 ± 0 . 18 ps with a reduction in uncertainty by a factor of approximately two. The TIP plunger device, experimental technique, analysis tools, and result are discussed.
Measuring distance “as the horse runs”: Cross-scale comparison of terrain-based metrics
Buttenfield, Barbara P.; Ghandehari, M; Leyk, S; Stanislawski, Larry V.; Brantley, M E; Qiang, Yi
2016-01-01
Distance metrics play significant roles in spatial modeling tasks, such as flood inundation (Tucker and Hancock 2010), stream extraction (Stanislawski et al. 2015), power line routing (Kiessling et al. 2003) and analysis of surface pollutants such as nitrogen (Harms et al. 2009). Avalanche risk is based on slope, aspect, and curvature, all directly computed from distance metrics (Gutiérrez 2012). Distance metrics anchor variogram analysis, kernel estimation, and spatial interpolation (Cressie 1993). Several approaches are employed to measure distance. Planar metrics measure straight line distance between two points (“as the crow flies”) and are simple and intuitive, but suffer from uncertainties. Planar metrics assume that Digital Elevation Model (DEM) pixels are rigid and flat, as tiny facets of ceramic tile approximating a continuous terrain surface. In truth, terrain can bend, twist and undulate within each pixel.Work with Light Detection and Ranging (lidar) data or High Resolution Topography to achieve precise measurements present challenges, as filtering can eliminate or distort significant features (Passalacqua et al. 2015). The current availability of lidar data is far from comprehensive in developed nations, and non-existent in many rural and undeveloped regions. Notwithstanding computational advances, distance estimation on DEMs has never been systematically assessed, due to assumptions that improvements are so small that surface adjustment is unwarranted. For individual pixels inaccuracies may be small, but additive effects can propagate dramatically, especially in regional models (e.g., disaster evacuation) or global models (e.g., sea level rise) where pixels span dozens to hundreds of kilometers (Usery et al 2003). Such models are increasingly common, lending compelling reasons to understand shortcomings in the use of planar distance metrics. Researchers have studied curvature-based terrain modeling. Jenny et al. (2011) use curvature to generate
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Hansen, Torben; Cumberland, Flemming; Solgaard, Hans Stubbe
2013-01-01
The influence of distance on consumer store choice behaviour has been considered in many studies. In that respect, frequency and budget share are frequently used methods of measurement to determine the consumer's store choice behavour. In this study, we propose that the significance of distance...... is influenced by the way in which store choice behaviour is conceptualized. A survey among 631 consuemrs was performed in order to examine the research proposition. Structural equation results suggest that the negative effect of distance on store choice behaviour is larger when store choice behaviour...... is measured as number of visits to a particular store than wehen store cjoice behaviour is measured as the percentage of budget spend at a particular store. Our results indicate that researchers should carefully consider the measurement of store choice behaviour when carrying out empirical research invlving...
Censoring distances based on labeled cortical distance maps in cortical morphometry.
Ceyhan, Elvan; Nishino, Tomoyuki; Alexopolous, Dimitrios; Todd, Richard D; Botteron, Kelly N; Miller, Michael I; Ratnanather, J Tilak
2013-01-01
It has been demonstrated that shape differences in cortical structures may be manifested in neuropsychiatric disorders. Such morphometric differences can be measured by labeled cortical distance mapping (LCDM) which characterizes the morphometry of the laminar cortical mantle of cortical structures. LCDM data consist of signed/labeled distances of gray matter (GM) voxels with respect to GM/white matter (WM) surface. Volumes and other summary measures for each subject and the pooled distances can help determine the morphometric differences between diagnostic groups, however they do not reveal all the morphometric information contained in LCDM distances. To extract more information from LCDM data, censoring of the pooled distances is introduced for each diagnostic group where the range of LCDM distances is partitioned at a fixed increment size; and at each censoring step, the distances not exceeding the censoring distance are kept. Censored LCDM distances inherit the advantages of the pooled distances but also provide information about the location of morphometric differences which cannot be obtained from the pooled distances. However, at each step, the censored distances aggregate, which might confound the results. The influence of data aggregation is investigated with an extensive Monte Carlo simulation analysis and it is demonstrated that this influence is negligible. As an illustrative example, GM of ventral medial prefrontal cortices (VMPFCs) of subjects with major depressive disorder (MDD), subjects at high risk (HR) of MDD, and healthy control (Ctrl) subjects are used. A significant reduction in laminar thickness of the VMPFC in MDD and HR subjects is observed compared to Ctrl subjects. Moreover, the GM LCDM distances (i.e., locations with respect to the GM/WM surface) for which these differences start to occur are determined. The methodology is also applicable to LCDM-based morphometric measures of other cortical structures affected by disease.
Censoring Distances Based on Labeled Cortical Distance Maps in Cortical Morphometry
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Elvan eCeyhan
2013-10-01
Full Text Available It has been demonstrated that shape differences are manifested in cortical structures due to neuropsychiatric disorders. Such morphometric differences can be measured by labeled cortical distance mapping (LCDM which characterizes the morphometry of the laminar cortical mantle of cortical structures. LCDM data consist of signed/labeled distances of gray matter (GM voxels with respect to GM/white matter (WM surface. Volumes and other summary measures for each subject and the pooled distances can help determine the morphometric differences between diagnostic groups, however they do not reveal all the morphometric information con-tained in LCDM distances. To extract more information from LCDM data, censoring of the pooled distances is introduced for each diagnostic group where the range of LCDM distances is partitioned at a fixed increment size; and at each censoring step, the distances not exceeding the censoring distance are kept. Censored LCDM distances inherit the advantages of the pooled distances but also provide information about the location of morphometric differences which cannot be obtained from the pooled distances. However, at each step, the censored distances aggregate, which might confound the results. The influence of data aggregation is investigated with an extensive Monte Carlo simulation analysis and it is demonstrated that this influence is negligible. As an illustrative example, GM of ventral medial prefrontal cortices (VMPFCs of subjects with major depressive disorder (MDD, subjects at high risk (HR of MDD, and healthy control (Ctrl subjects are used. A significant reduction in laminar thickness of the VMPFC in MDD and HR subjects is observed compared to Ctrl subjects. Moreover, the GM LCDM distances (i.e., locations with respect to the GM/WM surface for which these differences start to occur are determined. The methodology is also applicable to LCDM-based morphometric measures of other cortical structures affected by disease.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Chun, Moon-Hyun; Han, Seok-Jung; Tak, Nam-IL
2000-01-01
A simple measure of uncertainty importance using the entire change of cumulative distribution functions (CDFs) has been developed for use in probability safety assessments (PSAs). The entire change of CDFs is quantified in terms of the metric distance between two CDFs. The metric distance measure developed in this study reflects the relative impact of distributional changes of inputs on the change of an output distribution, while most of the existing uncertainty importance measures reflect the magnitude of relative contribution of input uncertainties to the output uncertainty. The present measure has been evaluated analytically for various analytical distributions to examine its characteristics. To illustrate the applicability and strength of the present measure, two examples are provided. The first example is an application of the present measure to a typical problem of a system fault tree analysis and the second one is for a hypothetical non-linear model. Comparisons of the present result with those obtained by existing uncertainty importance measures show that the metric distance measure is a useful tool to express the measure of uncertainty importance in terms of the relative impact of distributional changes of inputs on the change of an output distribution
Student Performance in Measuring Distance with Wavelengths in Various Settings
White, Gary
2015-04-01
When physics students are asked to measure the distance between two fixed locations using a pre-defined wavelength as a ruler, there is a surprising failure rate, at least partially due to the fact that the ``ruler'' to be used is not fixed in length (see ``Is a Simple Measurement Task a Roadblock to Student Understanding of Wave Phenomena?,'' by and references therein). I will show some data from introductory classes (algebra- and calculus-based) that replicate this result, and also show some interesting features when comparing a setting involving slinkies with a setting involving surface waves on water.
Aaij, R; Adeva, B; Adinolfi, M; Ajaltouni, Z; Akar, S; Albrecht, J; Alessio, F; Alexander, M; Ali, S; Alkhazov, G; Alvarez Cartelle, P; Alves, A A; Amato, S; Amerio, S; Amhis, Y; An, L; Anderlini, L; Andreassi, G; Andreotti, M; Andrews, J E; Appleby, R B; Archilli, F; d'Argent, P; Arnau Romeu, J; Artamonov, A; Artuso, M; Aslanides, E; Auriemma, G; Baalouch, M; Babuschkin, I; Bachmann, S; Back, J J; Badalov, A; Baesso, C; Baker, S; Balagura, V; Baldini, W; Barlow, R J; Barschel, C; Barsuk, S; Barter, W; Baszczyk, M; Batozskaya, V; Batsukh, B; Battista, V; Bay, A; Beaucourt, L; Beddow, J; Bedeschi, F; Bediaga, I; Bel, L J; Bellee, V; Belloli, N; Belous, K; Belyaev, I; Ben-Haim, E; Bencivenni, G; Benson, S; Berezhnoy, A; Bernet, R; Bertolin, A; Betancourt, C; Betti, F; Bettler, M-O; van Beuzekom, M; Bezshyiko, Ia; Bifani, S; Billoir, P; Bird, T; Birnkraut, A; Bitadze, A; Bizzeti, A; Blake, T; Blanc, F; Blouw, J; Blusk, S; Bocci, V; Boettcher, T; Bondar, A; Bondar, N; Bonivento, W; Bordyuzhin, I; Borgheresi, A; Borghi, S; Borisyak, M; Borsato, M; Bossu, F; Boubdir, M; Bowcock, T J V; Bowen, E; Bozzi, C; Braun, S; Britsch, M; Britton, T; Brodzicka, J; Buchanan, E; Burr, C; Bursche, A; Buytaert, J; Cadeddu, S; Calabrese, R; Calvi, M; Calvo Gomez, M; Camboni, A; Campana, P; Campora Perez, D H; Capriotti, L; Carbone, A; Carboni, G; Cardinale, R; Cardini, A; Carniti, P; Carson, L; Carvalho Akiba, K; Casse, G; Cassina, L; Castillo Garcia, L; Cattaneo, M; Cavallero, G; Cenci, R; Chamont, D; Charles, M; Charpentier, Ph; Chatzikonstantinidis, G; Chefdeville, M; Chen, S; Cheung, S-F; Chobanova, V; Chrzaszcz, M; Cid Vidal, X; Ciezarek, G; Clarke, P E L; Clemencic, M; Cliff, H V; Closier, J; Coco, V; Cogan, J; Cogneras, E; Cogoni, V; Cojocariu, L; Collazuol, G; Collins, P; Comerma-Montells, A; Contu, A; Cook, A; Coombs, G; Coquereau, S; Corti, G; Corvo, M; Costa Sobral, C M; Couturier, B; Cowan, G A; Craik, D C; Crocombe, A; Cruz Torres, M; Cunliffe, S; Currie, R; D'Ambrosio, C; Da Cunha Marinho, F; Dall'Occo, E; Dalseno, J; David, P N Y; Davis, A; De Bruyn, K; De Capua, S; De Cian, M; De Miranda, J M; De Paula, L; De Serio, M; De Simone, P; Dean, C-T; Decamp, D; Deckenhoff, M; Del Buono, L; Demmer, M; Dendek, A; Derkach, D; Deschamps, O; Dettori, F; Dey, B; Di Canto, A; Dijkstra, H; Dordei, F; Dorigo, M; Dosil Suárez, A; Dovbnya, A; Dreimanis, K; Dufour, L; Dujany, G; Dungs, K; Durante, P; Dzhelyadin, R; Dziurda, A; Dzyuba, A; Déléage, N; Easo, S; Ebert, M; Egede, U; Egorychev, V; Eidelman, S; Eisenhardt, S; Eitschberger, U; Ekelhof, R; Eklund, L; Ely, S; Esen, S; Evans, H M; Evans, T; Falabella, A; Farley, N; Farry, S; Fay, R; Fazzini, D; Ferguson, D; Fernandez Prieto, A; Ferrari, F; Ferreira Rodrigues, F; Ferro-Luzzi, M; Filippov, S; Fini, R A; Fiore, M; Fiorini, M; Firlej, M; Fitzpatrick, C; Fiutowski, T; Fleuret, F; Fohl, K; Fontana, M; Fontanelli, F; Forshaw, D C; Forty, R; Franco Lima, V; Frank, M; Frei, C; Fu, J; Funk, W; Furfaro, E; Färber, C; Gallas Torreira, A; Galli, D; Gallorini, S; Gambetta, S; Gandelman, M; Gandini, P; Gao, Y; Garcia Martin, L M; García Pardiñas, J; Garra Tico, J; Garrido, L; Garsed, P J; Gascon, D; Gaspar, C; Gavardi, L; Gazzoni, G; Gerick, D; Gersabeck, E; Gersabeck, M; Gershon, T; Ghez, Ph; Gianì, S; Gibson, V; Girard, O G; Giubega, L; Gizdov, K; Gligorov, V V; Golubkov, D; Golutvin, A; Gomes, A; Gorelov, I V; Gotti, C; Graciani Diaz, R; Granado Cardoso, L A; Graugés, E; Graverini, E; Graziani, G; Grecu, A; Griffith, P; Grillo, L; Gruberg Cazon, B R; Grünberg, O; Gushchin, E; Guz, Yu; Gys, T; Göbel, C; Hadavizadeh, T; Hadjivasiliou, C; Haefeli, G; Haen, C; Haines, S C; Hall, S; Hamilton, B; Han, X; Hansmann-Menzemer, S; Harnew, N; Harnew, S T; Harrison, J; Hatch, M; He, J; Head, T; Heister, A; Hennessy, K; Henrard, P; Henry, L; van Herwijnen, E; Heß, M; Hicheur, A; Hill, D; Hombach, C; Hopchev, H; Hulsbergen, W; Humair, T; Hushchyn, M; Hutchcroft, D; Idzik, M; Ilten, P; Jacobsson, R; Jaeger, A; Jalocha, J; Jans, E; Jawahery, A; Jiang, F; John, M; Johnson, D; Jones, C R; Joram, C; Jost, B; Jurik, N; Kandybei, S; Karacson, M; Kariuki, J M; Karodia, S; Kecke, M; Kelsey, M; Kenzie, M; Ketel, T; Khairullin, E; Khanji, B; Khurewathanakul, C; Kirn, T; Klaver, S; Klimaszewski, K; Koliiev, S; Kolpin, M; Komarov, I; Koopman, R F; Koppenburg, P; Kosmyntseva, A; Kozachuk, A; Kozeiha, M; Kravchuk, L; Kreplin, K; Kreps, M; Krokovny, P; Kruse, F; Krzemien, W; Kucewicz, W; Kucharczyk, M; Kudryavtsev, V; Kuonen, A K; Kurek, K; Kvaratskheliya, T; Lacarrere, D; Lafferty, G; Lai, A; Lanfranchi, G; Langenbruch, C; Latham, T; Lazzeroni, C; Le Gac, R; van Leerdam, J; Leflat, A; Lefrançois, J; Lefèvre, R; Lemaitre, F; Lemos Cid, E; Leroy, O; Lesiak, T; Leverington, B; Li, T; Li, Y; Likhomanenko, T; Lindner, R; Linn, C; Lionetto, F; Liu, X; Loh, D; Longstaff, I; Lopes, J H; Lucchesi, D; Lucio Martinez, M; Luo, H; Lupato, A; Luppi, E; Lupton, O; Lusiani, A; Lyu, X; Machefert, F; Maciuc, F; Maev, O; Maguire, K; Malde, S; Malinin, A; Maltsev, T; Manca, G; Mancinelli, G; Manning, P; Maratas, J; Marchand, J F; Marconi, U; Marin Benito, C; Marinangeli, M; Marino, P; Marks, J; Martellotti, G; Martin, M; Martinelli, M; Martinez Santos, D; Martinez Vidal, F; Martins Tostes, D; Massacrier, L M; Massafferri, A; Matev, R; Mathad, A; Mathe, Z; Matteuzzi, C; Mauri, A; Maurice, E; Maurin, B; Mazurov, A; McCann, M; McNab, A; McNulty, R; Meadows, B; Meier, F; Meissner, M; Melnychuk, D; Merk, M; Merli, A; Michielin, E; Milanes, D A; Minard, M-N; Mitzel, D S; Mogini, A; Molina Rodriguez, J; Monroy, I A; Monteil, S; Morandin, M; Morawski, P; Mordà, A; Morello, M J; Morgunova, O; Moron, J; Morris, A B; Mountain, R; Muheim, F; Mulder, M; Mussini, M; Müller, D; Müller, J; Müller, K; Müller, V; Naik, P; Nakada, T; Nandakumar, R; Nandi, A; Nasteva, I; Needham, M; Neri, N; Neubert, S; Neufeld, N; Neuner, M; Nguyen, T D; Nguyen-Mau, C; Nieswand, S; Niet, R; Nikitin, N; Nikodem, T; Nogay, A; Novoselov, A; O'Hanlon, D P; Oblakowska-Mucha, A; Obraztsov, V; Ogilvy, S; Oldeman, R; Onderwater, C J G; Otalora Goicochea, J M; Otto, A; Owen, P; Oyanguren, A; Pais, P R; Palano, A; Palombo, F; Palutan, M; Papanestis, A; Pappagallo, M; Pappalardo, L L; Parker, W; Parkes, C; Passaleva, G; Pastore, A; Patel, G D; Patel, M; Patrignani, C; Pearce, A; Pellegrino, A; Penso, G; Pepe Altarelli, M; Perazzini, S; Perret, P; Pescatore, L; Petridis, K; Petrolini, A; Petrov, A; Petruzzo, M; Picatoste Olloqui, E; Pietrzyk, B; Pikies, M; Pinci, D; Pistone, A; Piucci, A; Placinta, V; Playfer, S; Plo Casasus, M; Poikela, T; Polci, F; Poluektov, A; Polyakov, I; Polycarpo, E; Pomery, G J; Popov, A; Popov, D; Popovici, B; Poslavskii, S; Potterat, C; Price, E; Price, J D; Prisciandaro, J; Pritchard, A; Prouve, C; Pugatch, V; Puig Navarro, A; Punzi, G; Qian, W; Quagliani, R; Rachwal, B; Rademacker, J H; Rama, M; Ramos Pernas, M; Rangel, M S; Raniuk, I; Ratnikov, F; Raven, G; Redi, F; Reichert, S; Dos Reis, A C; Remon Alepuz, C; Renaudin, V; Ricciardi, S; Richards, S; Rihl, M; Rinnert, K; Rives Molina, V; Robbe, P; Rodrigues, A B; Rodrigues, E; Rodriguez Lopez, J A; Rodriguez Perez, P; Rogozhnikov, A; Roiser, S; Rollings, A; Romanovskiy, V; Romero Vidal, A; Ronayne, J W; Rotondo, M; Rudolph, M S; Ruf, T; Ruiz Valls, P; Saborido Silva, J J; Sadykhov, E; Sagidova, N; Saitta, B; Salustino Guimaraes, V; Sanchez Mayordomo, C; Sanmartin Sedes, B; Santacesaria, R; Santamarina Rios, C; Santimaria, M; Santovetti, E; Sarti, A; Satriano, C; Satta, A; Saunders, D M; Savrina, D; Schael, S; Schellenberg, M; Schiller, M; Schindler, H; Schlupp, M; Schmelling, M; Schmelzer, T; Schmidt, B; Schneider, O; Schopper, A; Schubert, K; Schubiger, M; Schune, M-H; Schwemmer, R; Sciascia, B; Sciubba, A; Semennikov, A; Sergi, A; Serra, N; Serrano, J; Sestini, L; Seyfert, P; Shapkin, M; Shapoval, I; Shcheglov, Y; Shears, T; Shekhtman, L; Shevchenko, V; Siddi, B G; Silva Coutinho, R; Silva de Oliveira, L; Simi, G; Simone, S; Sirendi, M; Skidmore, N; Skwarnicki, T; Smith, E; Smith, I T; Smith, J; Smith, M; Snoek, H; Soares Lavra, L; Sokoloff, M D; Soler, F J P; Souza De Paula, B; Spaan, B; Spradlin, P; Sridharan, S; Stagni, F; Stahl, M; Stahl, S; Stefko, P; Stefkova, S; Steinkamp, O; Stemmle, S; Stenyakin, O; Stevens, H; Stevenson, S; Stoica, S; Stone, S; Storaci, B; Stracka, S; Straticiuc, M; Straumann, U; Sun, L; Sutcliffe, W; Swientek, K; Syropoulos, V; Szczekowski, M; Szumlak, T; T'Jampens, S; Tayduganov, A; Tekampe, T; Tellarini, G; Teubert, F; Thomas, E; van Tilburg, J; Tilley, M J; Tisserand, V; Tobin, M; Tolk, S; Tomassetti, L; Tonelli, D; Topp-Joergensen, S; Toriello, F; Tournefier, E; Tourneur, S; Trabelsi, K; Traill, M; Tran, M T; Tresch, M; Trisovic, A; Tsaregorodtsev, A; Tsopelas, P; Tully, A; Tuning, N; Ukleja, A; Ustyuzhanin, A; Uwer, U; Vacca, C; Vagnoni, V; Valassi, A; Valat, S; Valenti, G; Vazquez Gomez, R; Vazquez Regueiro, P; Vecchi, S; van Veghel, M; Velthuis, J J; Veltri, M; Veneziano, G; Venkateswaran, A; Vernet, M; Vesterinen, M; Viana Barbosa, J V; Viaud, B; Vieira, D; Vieites Diaz, M; Viemann, H; Vilasis-Cardona, X; Vitti, M; Volkov, V; Vollhardt, A; Voneki, B; Vorobyev, A; Vorobyev, V; Voß, C; de Vries, J A; Vázquez Sierra, C; Waldi, R; Wallace, C; Wallace, R; Walsh, J; Wang, J; Ward, D R; Wark, H M; Watson, N K; Websdale, D; Weiden, A; Whitehead, M; Wicht, J; Wilkinson, G; Wilkinson, M; Williams, M; Williams, M P; Williams, M; Williams, T; Wilson, F F; Wimberley, J; Wishahi, J; Wislicki, W; Witek, M; Wormser, G; Wotton, S A; Wraight, K; Wyllie, K; Xie, Y; Xing, Z; Xu, Z; Yang, Z; Yao, Y; Yin, H; Yu, J; Yuan, X; Yushchenko, O; Zarebski, K A; Zavertyaev, M; Zhang, L; Zhang, Y; Zhang, Y; Zhelezov, A; Zheng, Y; Zhu, X; Zhukov, V; Zucchelli, S
2017-01-01
A measurement of the phase difference between the short- and long-distance contributions to the [Formula: see text] decay is performed by analysing the dimuon mass distribution. The analysis is based on pp collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3[Formula: see text] collected by the LHCb experiment in 2011 and 2012. The long-distance contribution to the [Formula: see text] decay is modelled as a sum of relativistic Breit-Wigner amplitudes representing different vector meson resonances decaying to muon pairs, each with their own magnitude and phase. The measured phases of the [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] resonances are such that the interference with the short-distance component in dimuon mass regions far from their pole masses is small. In addition, constraints are placed on the Wilson coefficients, [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], and the branching fraction of the short-distance component is measured.
Revisitation of FRET methods to measure intraprotein distances in Human Serum Albumin
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Santini, S.; Bizzarri, A.R.; Cannistraro, S., E-mail: cannistr@unitus.it
2016-11-15
We revisited the FRET methods to measure the intraprotein distance between Trp-214 (used as donor) of Human Serum Albumin and its Cys-34, labelled with 1.5-Iaedans (used as acceptor). Variation of Trp fluorescence emission in terms of both intensity and lifetime, as well the enhancement of the acceptor fluorescence emission upon Trp excitation, have been monitored. A careful statistical analysis of the fluorescence results from ten independently prepared samples, combined with suitable spectral corrections, provided reproducible distances estimations by each one of the three methods. Even if monitoring of the donor lifetime variation in the presence of the acceptor reproduces at the best the crystallographic data, by allowing even sub-nanometre distance variations to be appreciated, we suggest that a comparative analysis of all the three methods, applied with statistical significance, should be preferred to achieve a better reliability of the FRET technique.
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Supriyo CHAKRABORTY
2012-02-01
Full Text Available Quantification of the genetic distance between populations is essential in many genetic research programs. Several formulae were proposed for the estimation of genetic distance between populations using gene frequency data. But the selection of a suitable measure for estimating genetic distance between real-world human populations is a very difficult task despite the widely used measure Neis D. The present study was undertaken to estimate the genetic distance between Barak Valley Muslims (BVM and other twenty-four nations using seven different measures with ABO blood group gene frequency data for comparative analysis and to estimate the correlation coefficients between distance measures and to work out the linear regression equations. Seven genetic distance measures namely Neis D, Neis Nm, La, Neis Da, Dc, Re and Neis Ne were estimated between BVM and other 24 nations enroute the journey of mankind from Africa that commenced about 200,000 years ago (www.bradshawfoundation.com. Correlation coefficients between Neis D with other measures were estimated to find out which other genetic distance measures were closely related to Neis D. Neis D showed highly significant (p=0.01 positive correlation with Cavalli-Sforza and Edwards chord distance Dc (0.90, Reynolds Re (0.90, Neis Da (0.74 and Neis Ne (0.63 but negative correlation with Neis Nm and La. Linear regression equations of Neis D with other distance measures were estimated as Da = -0.80 + 1.34D, Dc = 1.91 + 4.44D, Re = -0.51 + 0.24D and Ne = -7.60 + 1.30D.
Comparison of Travel-Time and Amplitude Measurements for Deep-Focusing Time-Distance Helioseismology
Pourabdian, Majid; Fournier, Damien; Gizon, Laurent
2018-04-01
The purpose of deep-focusing time-distance helioseismology is to construct seismic measurements that have a high sensitivity to the physical conditions at a desired target point in the solar interior. With this technique, pairs of points on the solar surface are chosen such that acoustic ray paths intersect at this target (focus) point. Considering acoustic waves in a homogeneous medium, we compare travel-time and amplitude measurements extracted from the deep-focusing cross-covariance functions. Using a single-scattering approximation, we find that the spatial sensitivity of deep-focusing travel times to sound-speed perturbations is zero at the target location and maximum in a surrounding shell. This is unlike the deep-focusing amplitude measurements, which have maximum sensitivity at the target point. We compare the signal-to-noise ratio for travel-time and amplitude measurements for different types of sound-speed perturbations, under the assumption that noise is solely due to the random excitation of the waves. We find that, for highly localized perturbations in sound speed, the signal-to-noise ratio is higher for amplitude measurements than for travel-time measurements. We conclude that amplitude measurements are a useful complement to travel-time measurements in time-distance helioseismology.
Székely, Gábor J.; Rizzo, Maria L.
2010-01-01
Distance correlation is a new class of multivariate dependence coefficients applicable to random vectors of arbitrary and not necessarily equal dimension. Distance covariance and distance correlation are analogous to product-moment covariance and correlation, but generalize and extend these classical bivariate measures of dependence. Distance correlation characterizes independence: it is zero if and only if the random vectors are independent. The notion of covariance with...
RFDR with Adiabatic Inversion Pulses: Application to Internuclear Distance Measurements
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Leppert, Joerg; Ohlenschlaeger, Oliver; Goerlach, Matthias; Ramachandran, Ramadurai
2004-01-01
In the context of the structural characterisation of biomolecular systems via MAS solid state NMR, the potential utility of homonuclear dipolar recoupling with adiabatic inversion pulses has been assessed via numerical simulations and experimental measurements. The results obtained suggest that it is possible to obtain reliable estimates of internuclear distances via an analysis of the initial cross-peak intensity buildup curves generated from two-dimensional adiabatic inversion pulse driven longitudinal magnetisation exchange experiments
Carmignato, Simone
2009-01-01
Optical sensors are increasingly used for dimensional and geometrical metrology. However, the lack of international standards for testing optical coordinate measuring systems is currently limiting the traceability of measurements and the easy comparison of different optical systems. This paper presents an experimental investigation on artefacts and procedures for testing coordinate measuring systems equipped with optical distance sensors. The work is aimed at contributing to the standardization of testing methods. The VDI/VDE 2617-6.2:2005 guideline, which is probably the most complete document available at the state of the art for testing systems with optical distance sensors, is examined with specific experiments. Results from the experiments are discussed, with particular reference to the tests used for determining the following characteristics: error of indication for size measurement, probing error and structural resolution. Particular attention is given to the use of artefacts alternative to gauge blocks for determining the error of indication for size measurement.
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Prins Martin H
2009-03-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background Disease severity and functional impairment in patients with intermittent claudication is usually quantified by the measurement of pain-free walking distance (intermittent claudication distance, ICD and maximal walking distance (absolute claudication distance, ACD. However, the distance at which a patient would prefer to stop because of claudication pain seems a definition that is more correspondent with the actual daily life walking distance. We conducted a study in which the distance a patient prefers to stop was defined as the functional claudication distance (FCD, and estimated the reliability and validity of this measurement. Methods In this clinical validity study we included patients with intermittent claudication, following a supervised exercise therapy program. The first study part consisted of two standardised treadmill tests. During each test ICD, FCD and ACD were determined. Primary endpoint was the reliability as represented by the calculated intra-class correlation coefficients. In the second study part patients performed a standardised treadmill test and filled out the Rand-36 questionnaire. Spearman's rho was calculated to assess validity. Results The intra-class correlation coefficients of ICD, FCD and ACD were 0.940, 0.959, and 0.975 respectively. FCD correlated significantly with five out of nine domains, namely physical function (rho = 0.571, physical role (rho = 0.532, vitality (rho = 0.416, pain (rho = 0.416 and health change (rho = 0.414. Conclusion FCD is a reliable and valid measurement for determining functional capacity in trained patients with intermittent claudication. Furthermore it seems that FCD better reflects the actual functional impairment. In future studies, FCD could be used alongside ICD and ACD.
Han, Young-Geun; Tran, T V A; Kim, Sang-Hyuck; Lee, Sang Bae
2005-06-01
We propose a simple and flexible multiwavelength Raman-fiber-laser-based long-distance remote-sensing scheme for simultaneous measurement of strain and temperature by use of fiber Bragg gratings. By combining two uniform fiber Bragg gratings with a tunable chirped fiber grating, we readily achieve simultaneous two-channel sensing probes with a high extinction ratio of more than approximately 50 dB over a 50-km distance. When strain and temperature are applied, lasing wavelength separation and shift occur, respectively, since the two uniform fiber Bragg gratings have identical material composition and different cladding diameters. This allows simultaneous measurement of strain and temperature for long-distance sensing applications of more than 50 km.
Kahrs, Lueder A.; Blachon, Gregoire S.; Balachandran, Ramya; Fitzpatrick, J. Michael; Labadie, Robert F.
2012-02-01
During endoscopic procedures it is often desirable to determine the distance between anatomical features. One such clinical application is percutaneous cochlear implantation (PCI), which is a minimally invasive approach to the cochlea via a single, straight drill path and can be achieved accurately using bone-implanted markers and customized microstereotactic frame. During clinical studies to validate PCI, traditional open-field cochlear implant surgery was performed and prior to completion of the surgery, a customized microstereotactic frame designed to achieve the desired PCI trajectory was attached to the bone-implanted markers. To determine whether this trajectory would have safely achieved the target, a sham drill bit is passed through the frame to ensure that the drill bit would reach the cochlea without damaging vital structures. Because of limited access within the facial recess, the distances from the bit to anatomical features could not be measured with calipers. We hypothesized that an endoscope mounted on a sliding stage that translates only along the trajectory, would provide sufficient triangulation to accurately measure these distances. In this paper, the design, fabrication, and testing of such a system is described. The endoscope is mounted so that its optical axis is approximately aligned with the trajectory. Several images are acquired as the stage is moved, and threedimensional reconstruction of selected points allows determination of distances. This concept also has applicability in a large variety of rigid endoscopic interventions including bronchoscopy, laparoscopy, and sinus endoscopy.
Liu, Yang; Yang, Linghui; Guo, Yin; Lin, Jiarui; Cui, Pengfei; Zhu, Jigui
2018-02-01
An interferometer technique based on temporal coherence function of femtosecond pulses is demonstrated for practical distance measurement. Here, the pulse-to-pulse alignment is analyzed for large delay distance measurement. Firstly, a temporal coherence function model between two femtosecond pulses is developed in the time domain for the dispersive unbalanced Michelson interferometer. Then, according to this model, the fringes analysis and the envelope extraction process are discussed. Meanwhile, optimization methods of pulse-to-pulse alignment for practical long distance measurement are presented. The order of the curve fitting and the selection of points for envelope extraction are analyzed. Furthermore, an averaging method based on the symmetry of the coherence function is demonstrated. Finally, the performance of the proposed methods is evaluated in the absolute distance measurement of 20 μ m with path length difference of 9 m. The improvement of standard deviation in experimental results shows that these approaches have the potential for practical distance measurement.
Radioactive means for measuring distance intervals between anomalies in an earth formation
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Sandier, G.; Nels, J.P.
1975-01-01
In earth formation measurements an investigating tool having a first and a second detector at a relatively small spacing from each other and a third detector at a relatively great spacing from the first and second detectors is moved through a borehole having anomalies such as radioactive bullets or casing joints which are relatively uniformly spaced from each other by a distance which is of the order of said great spacing between the third detector and the first and the second detectors. The first and second detectors generate detection signal peaks for the same anomaly within a short time interval, and the third detector generates a detection signal peak for an adjacent anomaly at about the same time. By means of a defined apparatus, electrical signals representing the times of occurrence of the detection signal peaks from the first and second detectors for the same anomaly and the known small spacing between these detectors are used to obtain an electrical signal for the speed of the investigating tool at that time, and at least some of these electrical signals are combined with electrical signals representing the time of occurrence of the detection signal peak from the third detector for an adjacent anomaly and at least one of the known distances between the detectors to thereby obtain an accurate measure of the distance interval between the pair of adjacent anomalies. (U.S.)
Deza, Michel Marie
2016-01-01
This 4th edition of the leading reference volume on distance metrics is characterized by updated and rewritten sections on some items suggested by experts and readers, as well a general streamlining of content and the addition of essential new topics. Though the structure remains unchanged, the new edition also explores recent advances in the use of distances and metrics for e.g. generalized distances, probability theory, graph theory, coding theory, data analysis. New topics in the purely mathematical sections include e.g. the Vitanyi multiset-metric, algebraic point-conic distance, triangular ratio metric, Rossi-Hamming metric, Taneja distance, spectral semimetric between graphs, channel metrization, and Maryland bridge distance. The multidisciplinary sections have also been supplemented with new topics, including: dynamic time wrapping distance, memory distance, allometry, atmospheric depth, elliptic orbit distance, VLBI distance measurements, the astronomical system of units, and walkability distance. Lea...
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McQuinn, Kristen B. W. [University of Texas at Austin, McDonald Observatory, 2515 Speedway, Stop C1400 Austin, TX 78712 (United States); Skillman, Evan D. [Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, 116 Church Street, S.E., University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (United States); Dolphin, Andrew E. [Raytheon Company, 1151 E. Hermans Road, Tucson, AZ 85756 (United States); Berg, Danielle [Center for Gravitation, Cosmology and Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, 1900 East Kenwood Boulevard, Milwaukee, WI 53211 (United States); Kennicutt, Robert, E-mail: kmcquinn@astro.as.utexas.edu [Institute for Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA (United Kingdom)
2016-07-20
Great investments of observing time have been dedicated to the study of nearby spiral galaxies with diverse goals ranging from understanding the star formation process to characterizing their dark matter distributions. Accurate distances are fundamental to interpreting observations of these galaxies, yet many of the best studied nearby galaxies have distances based on methods with relatively large uncertainties. We have started a program to derive accurate distances to these galaxies. Here we measure the distance to M51—the Whirlpool galaxy—from newly obtained Hubble Space Telescope optical imaging using the tip of the red giant branch method. We measure the distance modulus to be 8.58 ± 0.10 Mpc (statistical), corresponding to a distance modulus of 29.67 ± 0.02 mag. Our distance is an improvement over previous results as we use a well-calibrated, stable distance indicator, precision photometry in a optimally selected field of view, and a Bayesian Maximum Likelihood technique that reduces measurement uncertainties.
Brasil, A V; Coehlo, D G; Filho, T E; Braga, F M
2000-07-01
The authors conducted a biomechanical study in which they compared the uses of the Rogers interspinous and the Lovely-Carl tension band wiring techniques for internal fixation of the cervical spine. An extensive biomechanical evaluation (stiffness in positive and negative rotations around the x, y, and z axes; range of motion in flexion-extension, bilateral axial rotation, and bilateral bending; and neutral zone in flexion-extension, bilateral axial rotation, and lateral bending to the right and to the left) was performed in two groups of intact calf cervical spines. After these initial tests, all specimens were subjected to a distractive flexion Stage 3 ligamentous lesion. Group 1 specimens then underwent surgical fixation by the Rogers technique, and Group 2 specimens underwent surgery by using the Lovely-Carl technique. After fixation, specimens were again submitted to the same biomechanical evaluation. The percentage increase or decrease between the pre- and postoperative parameters was calculated. These values were considered quantitative indicators of the efficacy of the techniques, and the efficacy of the two techniques was compared. Analysis of the findings demonstrated that in the spines treated with the Lovely-Carl technique less restriction of movement was produced without affecting stiffness, compared with those treated with the Rogers technique, thus making the Lovely-Carl technique clinically less useful.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Yang, Ruitao; Pollinger, Florian; Meiners-Hagen, Karl; Krystek, Michael; Bosse, Harald; Tan, Jiubin
2015-01-01
We present a dual-comb-based heterodyne multi-wavelength absolute interferometer capable of long distance measurements. The phase information of the various comb modes is extracted in parallel by a multi-channel digital lock-in phase detection scheme. Several synthetic wavelengths of the same order are constructed and the corresponding phases are averaged to deduce the absolute lengths with significantly reduced uncertainty. Comparison experiments with an incremental HeNe reference interferometer show a combined relative measurement uncertainty of 5.3 × 10 −7 at a measurement distance of 20 m. Combining the advantage of synthetic wavelength interferometry and dual-comb interferometry, our compact and simple approach provides sufficient precision for many industrial applications. (paper)
Yang, Ruitao; Pollinger, Florian; Meiners-Hagen, Karl; Krystek, Michael; Tan, Jiubin; Bosse, Harald
2015-08-01
We present a dual-comb-based heterodyne multi-wavelength absolute interferometer capable of long distance measurements. The phase information of the various comb modes is extracted in parallel by a multi-channel digital lock-in phase detection scheme. Several synthetic wavelengths of the same order are constructed and the corresponding phases are averaged to deduce the absolute lengths with significantly reduced uncertainty. Comparison experiments with an incremental HeNe reference interferometer show a combined relative measurement uncertainty of 5.3 × 10-7 at a measurement distance of 20 m. Combining the advantage of synthetic wavelength interferometry and dual-comb interferometry, our compact and simple approach provides sufficient precision for many industrial applications.
Motor fatigue measurement by distance-induced slow down of walking speed in multiple sclerosis.
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Rémy Phan-Ba
Full Text Available BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE: Motor fatigue and ambulation impairment are prominent clinical features of people with multiple sclerosis (pMS. We hypothesized that a multimodal and comparative assessment of walking speed on short and long distance would allow a better delineation and quantification of gait fatigability in pMS. Our objectives were to compare 4 walking paradigms: the timed 25-foot walk (T25FW, a corrected version of the T25FW with dynamic start (T25FW(+, the timed 100-meter walk (T100MW and the timed 500-meter walk (T500MW. METHODS: Thirty controls and 81 pMS performed the 4 walking tests in a single study visit. RESULTS: The 4 walking tests were performed with a slower WS in pMS compared to controls even in subgroups with minimal disability. The finishing speed of the last 100-meter of the T500MW was the slowest measurable WS whereas the T25FW(+ provided the fastest measurable WS. The ratio between such slowest and fastest WS (Deceleration Index, DI was significantly lower only in pMS with EDSS 4.0-6.0, a pyramidal or cerebellar functional system score reaching 3 or a maximum reported walking distance ≤ 4000 m. CONCLUSION: The motor fatigue which triggers gait deceleration over a sustained effort in pMS can be measured by the WS ratio between performances on a very short distance and the finishing pace on a longer more demanding task. The absolute walking speed is abnormal early in MS whatever the distance of effort when patients are unaware of ambulation impairment. In contrast, the DI-measured ambulation fatigability appears to take place later in the disease course.
Günther, Philipp; Kuschmierz, Robert; Pfister, Thorsten; Czarske, Jürgen W
2013-05-01
The precise distance measurement of fast-moving rough surfaces is important in several applications such as lathe monitoring. A nonincremental interferometer based on two mutually tilted interference fringe systems has been realized for this task. The distance is coded in the phase difference between the generated interference signals corresponding to the fringe systems. Large tilting angles between the interference fringe systems are necessary for a high sensitivity. However, due to the speckle effect at rough surfaces, different envelopes and phase jumps of the interference signals occur. At large tilting angles, these signals become dissimilar, resulting in a small correlation coefficient and a high measurement uncertainty. Based on a matching of illumination and receiving optics, the correlation coefficient and the phase difference estimation have been improved significantly. For axial displacement measurements of recurring rough surfaces, laterally moving with velocities of 5 m/s, an uncertainty of 110 nm has been attained. For nonrecurring surfaces, a distance measurement uncertainty of 830 nm has been achieved. Incorporating the additionally measured lateral velocity and the rotational speed, the two-dimensional shape of rotating objects results. Since the measurement uncertainty of the displacement, distance, and shape is nearly independent of the lateral surface velocity, this technique is predestined for fast-rotating objects, such as crankshafts, camshafts, vacuum pump shafts, or turning parts of lathes.
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Hyungjik Oh
2016-03-01
Full Text Available This study developed an approach for improving Carrier-phase Differential Global Positioning System (CDGPS based realtime satellite relative navigation by applying laser baseline measurement data. The robustness against the space operational environment was considered, and a Synthetic Wavelength Interferometer (SWI algorithm based on a femtosecond laser measurement model was developed. The phase differences between two laser wavelengths were combined to measure precise distance. Generated laser data were used to improve estimation accuracy for the float ambiguity of CDGPS data. Relative navigation simulations in real-time were performed using the extended Kalman filter algorithm. The GPS and laser-combined relative navigation accuracy was compared with GPS-only relative navigation solutions to determine the impact of laser data on relative navigation. In numerical simulations, the success rate of integer ambiguity resolution increased when laser data was added to GPS data. The relative navigational errors also improved five-fold and two-fold, relative to the GPS-only error, for 250 m and 5 km initial relative distances, respectively. The methodology developed in this study is suitable for application to future satellite formation-flying missions.
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José Alberto de Castro Guimarães Consciência
2009-09-01
criteria: age >40 and 6; Oswestry Inability Index >30; Zung Depression Rating Scale <39; Modified Somatic Perception Questionnaire <15; degenerative bone disease grade 2 and 3 according to Benzel classification and degenerative disk disease grade 3 and 4 according to Pfirmann classification. Using a special formula and a computer image program (Adobe Photoshop 9.0 CS2, side radiograms of the lumbar spine in orthostatic position and with 70% amplification were obtained pre-surgery and two years after surgery. RESULTS: after applying the mentioned formula, the results showed an increased global disk height average 1.53 mm, with a standard deviation of 1.09 mm and p=0.0002. However, there was a large increase (0.45 mm in posterior disk height (p=0.0002 when compared with anterior measurement (p=0.001 pointing out a slight kyphosing effect related to the instrumentation. CONCLUSIONS: in Benzel grade 2 and 3 and Pfirmann grade 3 and 4 degenerative lumbar disease, the use of an interspinous system seemed to be able to increase disk height and to improve neural canal dimensions.
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Jang, Junhwan; Hwang, Sungui; Park, Kyihwan, E-mail: khpark@gist.ac.kr [School of Mechatronics, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, 123 Cheomdangwagi-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of)
2015-04-15
To utilize a time-of-flight-based laser scanner as a distance measurement sensor, the measurable distance and accuracy are the most important performance parameters to consider. For these purposes, the optical system and electronic signal processing of the laser scanner should be optimally designed in order to reduce a distance error caused by the optical crosstalk and wide dynamic range input. Optical system design for removing optical crosstalk problem is proposed in this work. Intensity control is also considered to solve the problem of a phase-shift variation in the signal processing circuit caused by object reflectivity. The experimental results for optical system and signal processing design are performed using 3D measurements.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Jang, Junhwan; Hwang, Sungui; Park, Kyihwan
2015-01-01
To utilize a time-of-flight-based laser scanner as a distance measurement sensor, the measurable distance and accuracy are the most important performance parameters to consider. For these purposes, the optical system and electronic signal processing of the laser scanner should be optimally designed in order to reduce a distance error caused by the optical crosstalk and wide dynamic range input. Optical system design for removing optical crosstalk problem is proposed in this work. Intensity control is also considered to solve the problem of a phase-shift variation in the signal processing circuit caused by object reflectivity. The experimental results for optical system and signal processing design are performed using 3D measurements
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
McQuinn, Kristen B. W. [University of Texas at Austin, McDonald Observatory, 2515 Speedway, Stop C1400 Austin, TX 78712 (United States); Skillman, Evan D. [Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, 116 Church Street, SE, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (United States); Dolphin, Andrew E. [Raytheon Company, 1151 E. Hermans Road, Tucson, AZ 85756 (United States); Berg, Danielle [Center for Gravitation, Cosmology and Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, 1900 East Kenwood Boulevard, Milwaukee, WI 53211 (United States); Kennicutt, Robert, E-mail: kmcquinn@astro.as.utexas.edu [Institute for Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA (United Kingdom)
2016-11-01
M104 (NGC 4594; the Sombrero galaxy) is a nearby, well-studied elliptical galaxy included in scores of surveys focused on understanding the details of galaxy evolution. Despite the importance of observations of M104, a consensus distance has not yet been established. Here, we use newly obtained Hubble Space Telescope optical imaging to measure the distance to M104 based on the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) method. Our measurement yields the distance to M104 to be 9.55 ± 0.13 ± 0.31 Mpc equivalent to a distance modulus of 29.90 ± 0.03 ± 0.07 mag. Our distance is an improvement over previous results as we use a well-calibrated, stable distance indicator, precision photometry in a optimally selected field of view, and a Bayesian maximum likelihood technique that reduces measurement uncertainties. The most discrepant previous results are due to Tully–Fisher method distances, which are likely inappropriate for M104 given its peculiar morphology and structure. Our results are part of a larger program to measure accurate distances to a sample of well-known spiral galaxies (including M51, M74, and M63) using the TRGB method.
Robustness of Distance-to-Default
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Jessen, Cathrine; Lando, David
2013-01-01
Distance-to-default is a remarkably robust measure for ranking firms according to their risk of default. The ranking seems to work despite the fact that the Merton model from which the measure is derived produces default probabilities that are far too small when applied to real data. We use...... simulations to investigate the robustness of the distance-to-default measure to different model specifications. Overall we find distance-to-default to be robust to a number of deviations from the simple Merton model that involve different asset value dynamics and different default triggering mechanisms....... A notable exception is a model with stochastic volatility of assets. In this case both the ranking of firms and the estimated default probabilities using distance-to-default perform significantly worse. We therefore propose a volatility adjustment of the distance-to-default measure, that significantly...
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Bilková Kristína
2017-06-01
Full Text Available Over the last twenty years or so, researchers’ attention to the issue of food deserts has increased in the geographical literature. Accessibility to large-scale retail units is one of the essential and frequently-used indicators leading to the identification and mapping of food deserts. Numerous accessibility measures of various types are available for this purpose. Euclidean distance and street network distance rank among the most frequently-used approaches, although they may lead to slightly different results. The aim of this paper is to compare various approaches to the accessibility to food stores and to assess the differences in the results gained by these methods. Accessibility was measured for residential block centroids, with applications of various accessibility measures in a GIS environment. The results suggest a strong correspondence between Euclidean distance and a little more accurate street network distance approach, applied in the case of the urban environment of Bratislava-Petržalka, Slovakia.
Jourdren, Laurent; Delaveau, Thierry; Marquenet, Emelie; Jacq, Claude; Garcia, Mathilde
2010-07-01
Recent improvements in microscopy technology allow detection of single molecules of RNA, but tools for large-scale automatic analyses of particle distributions are lacking. An increasing number of imaging studies emphasize the importance of mRNA localization in the definition of cell territory or the biogenesis of cell compartments. CORSEN is a new tool dedicated to three-dimensional (3D) distance measurements from imaging experiments especially developed to access the minimal distance between RNA molecules and cellular compartment markers. CORSEN includes a 3D segmentation algorithm allowing the extraction and the characterization of the cellular objects to be processed--surface determination, aggregate decomposition--for minimal distance calculations. CORSEN's main contribution lies in exploratory statistical analysis, cell population characterization, and high-throughput assays that are made possible by the implementation of a batch process analysis. We highlighted CORSEN's utility for the study of relative positions of mRNA molecules and mitochondria: CORSEN clearly discriminates mRNA localized to the vicinity of mitochondria from those that are translated on free cytoplasmic polysomes. Moreover, it quantifies the cell-to-cell variations of mRNA localization and emphasizes the necessity for statistical approaches. This method can be extended to assess the evolution of the distance between specific mRNAs and other cellular structures in different cellular contexts. CORSEN was designed for the biologist community with the concern to provide an easy-to-use and highly flexible tool that can be applied for diverse distance quantification issues.
2H{ 19F} REDOR for distance measurements in biological solids using a double resonance spectrometer
Grage, Stephan L.; Watts, Jude A.; Watts, Anthony
2004-01-01
A new approach for distance measurements in biological solids employing 2H{ 19F} rotational echo double resonance was developed and validated on 2H, 19F- D-alanine and an imidazopyridine based inhibitor of the gastric H +/K +-ATPase. The 2H- 19F double resonance experiments presented here were performed without 1H decoupling using a double resonance NMR spectrometer. In this way, it was possible to benefit from the relatively longer distance range of fluorine without the need of specialized fluorine equipment. A distance of 2.5 ± 0.3 Å was measured in the alanine derivative, indicating a gauche conformation of the two labels. In the case of the imidazopyridine compound a lower distance limit of 5.2 Å was determined and is in agreement with an extended conformation of the inhibitor. Several REDOR variants were compared, and their advantages and limitations discussed. Composite fluorine dephasing pulses were found to enhance the frequency bandwidth significantly, and to reduce the dependence of the performance of the experiment on the exact choice of the transmitter frequency.
Miles, J.E.; Jensen, B.R.; Kirpensteijn, J.; Svalastoga, E.L.; Eriksen, T.
2013-01-01
Abstract OBJECTIVE: To describe CT image reconstruction criteria for measurement of the tibial tuberosity-trochlear groove (TT-TG) offset distance, evaluate intra- and inter-reconstruction repeatability, and identify key sources of error in the measurement technique, as determined in vulpine hind
The Distance Standard Deviation
Edelmann, Dominic; Richards, Donald; Vogel, Daniel
2017-01-01
The distance standard deviation, which arises in distance correlation analysis of multivariate data, is studied as a measure of spread. New representations for the distance standard deviation are obtained in terms of Gini's mean difference and in terms of the moments of spacings of order statistics. Inequalities for the distance variance are derived, proving that the distance standard deviation is bounded above by the classical standard deviation and by Gini's mean difference. Further, it is ...
REPRESENTATIONS OF DISTANCE: DIFFERENCES IN UNDERSTANDING DISTANCE ACCORDING TO TRAVEL METHOD
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Gunvor Riber Larsen
2017-12-01
Full Text Available This paper explores how Danish tourists represent distance in relation to their holiday mobility and how these representations of distance are a result of being aero-mobile as opposed to being land-mobile. Based on interviews with Danish tourists, whose holiday mobility ranges from the European continent to global destinations, the first part of this qualitative study identifies three categories of representations of distance that show how distance is being ‘translated’ by the tourists into non-geometric forms: distance as resources, distance as accessibility, and distance as knowledge. The representations of distance articulated by the Danish tourists show that distance is often not viewed in ‘just’ kilometres. Rather, it is understood in forms that express how transcending the physical distance through holiday mobility is dependent on individual social and economic contexts, and on whether the journey was undertaken by air or land. The analysis also shows that being aeromobile is the holiday transportation mode that removes the tourists the furthest away from physical distance, resulting in the distance travelled by air being represented in ways that have the least correlation, in the tourists’ minds, with physical distance measured in kilometres.
Machine learning enhanced optical distance sensor
Amin, M. Junaid; Riza, N. A.
2018-01-01
Presented for the first time is a machine learning enhanced optical distance sensor. The distance sensor is based on our previously demonstrated distance measurement technique that uses an Electronically Controlled Variable Focus Lens (ECVFL) with a laser source to illuminate a target plane with a controlled optical beam spot. This spot with varying spot sizes is viewed by an off-axis camera and the spot size data is processed to compute the distance. In particular, proposed and demonstrated in this paper is the use of a regularized polynomial regression based supervised machine learning algorithm to enhance the accuracy of the operational sensor. The algorithm uses the acquired features and corresponding labels that are the actual target distance values to train a machine learning model. The optimized training model is trained over a 1000 mm (or 1 m) experimental target distance range. Using the machine learning algorithm produces a training set and testing set distance measurement errors of learning. Applications for the proposed sensor include industrial scenario distance sensing where target material specific training models can be generated to realize low <1% measurement error distance measurements.
Sathyanarayana, Sheela; Grady, Richard; Redmon, J B; Ivicek, Kristy; Barrett, Emily; Janssen, Sarah; Nguyen, Ruby; Swan, Shanna H
2015-04-01
Anogenital distance (AGD) is an androgen responsive anatomic measurement that may have significant utility in clinical and epidemiological research studies. We describe development of standardized measurement methods and predictors of AGD outcomes. We examined infants born to 758 participants in The Infant Development and the Environment Study (TIDES cohort) in four clinical centers in 2011-2013. We developed and implemented a detailed training protocol that incorporated multiple quality control (QC) measures. In males, we measured anoscrotal distance (AGDAS), anopenile distance (AGDAP), and penile width (PW) and in females, anofourchette distance (AGDAF,) and anoclitoral distance (AGDAC). A single examiner obtained three repetitions of all measurements, and a second examiner obtained independent measurements for 14% of infants. We used the intra-rater ICC to assess within-examiner variability and the inter-rater ICC to assess between-examiner variability. We used multivariable linear regression to examine predictors of AGD outcomes including: gestational age at birth, birth weight, gestational age, several measures of body size, race, maternal age, and study center. In the full TIDES cohort, including 758 mothers and children, significant predictors of AGD and PW included: age at exam, gestational age at birth, weight-for-length Z-score, maternal age and study center. In 371 males, the mean (SD) AGDAS, AGDAP, and PW were 24.7 (4.5), 49.6 (5.9), and 10.8 (1.3) mm, respectively. In 387 females, the mean (SD) AGDAF and AGDAC were 16.0 (3.2) mm and 36.7 (3.8) mm, respectively. The intra-examiner ICC and inter-examiner ICC averaged over all subjects and examiners were between 0.89-0.92 and 0.69-0.84 respectively. Our study confirms that with appropriate training and quality control measures, AGD and PW measurements can be performed reliably and accurately in male and female infants. In order for reliable interpretation, these measurements should be adjusted for
Measuring Astronomical Distances with Linear Programming
Narain, Akshar
2015-01-01
A few years ago it was suggested that the distance to celestial bodies could be computed by tracking their position over about 24 hours and then solving a regression problem. One only needed to use inexpensive telescopes, cameras, and astrometry tools, and the experiment could be done from one's backyard. However, it is not obvious to an amateur…
Pulse EPR distance measurements to study multimers and multimerisation
Ackermann, Katrin; Bode, Bela E.
2018-06-01
Pulse dipolar electron paramagnetic resonance (PD-EPR) has become a powerful tool for structural biology determining distances on the nanometre scale. Recent advances in hardware, methodology, and data analysis have widened the scope to complex biological systems. PD-EPR can be applied to systems containing lowly populated conformers or displaying large intrinsic flexibility, making them all but intractable for cryo-electron microscopy and crystallography. Membrane protein applications are of particular interest due to the intrinsic difficulties for obtaining high-resolution structures of all relevant conformations. Many drug targets involved in critical cell functions are multimeric channels or transporters. Here, common approaches for introducing spin labels for PD-EPR cause the presence of more than two electron spins per multimeric complex. This requires careful experimental design to overcome detrimental multi-spin effects and to secure sufficient distance resolution in presence of multiple distances. In addition to obtaining mere distances, PD-EPR can also provide information on multimerisation degrees allowing to study binding equilibria and to determine dissociation constants.
McQuinn, Kristen. B. W.; Skillman, Evan D.; Dolphin, Andrew E.; Berg, Danielle; Kennicutt, Robert
2016-07-01
Great investments of observing time have been dedicated to the study of nearby spiral galaxies with diverse goals ranging from understanding the star formation process to characterizing their dark matter distributions. Accurate distances are fundamental to interpreting observations of these galaxies, yet many of the best studied nearby galaxies have distances based on methods with relatively large uncertainties. We have started a program to derive accurate distances to these galaxies. Here we measure the distance to M51—the Whirlpool galaxy—from newly obtained Hubble Space Telescope optical imaging using the tip of the red giant branch method. We measure the distance modulus to be 8.58 ± 0.10 Mpc (statistical), corresponding to a distance modulus of 29.67 ± 0.02 mag. Our distance is an improvement over previous results as we use a well-calibrated, stable distance indicator, precision photometry in a optimally selected field of view, and a Bayesian Maximum Likelihood technique that reduces measurement uncertainties. Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained from the Data Archive at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555.
Fast Computing for Distance Covariance
Huo, Xiaoming; Szekely, Gabor J.
2014-01-01
Distance covariance and distance correlation have been widely adopted in measuring dependence of a pair of random variables or random vectors. If the computation of distance covariance and distance correlation is implemented directly accordingly to its definition then its computational complexity is O($n^2$) which is a disadvantage compared to other faster methods. In this paper we show that the computation of distance covariance and distance correlation of real valued random variables can be...
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Yu-ichiro Ohnishi
2010-03-01
Full Text Available We report a case of intractable chronic low-back pain in a gymnast that was caused by ligamentopathia in the interspinous region of the lumbar vertebrae. Sprained interspinous ligaments are a common mechanical cause of acute low-back pain in athletes. Although conservative therapy is generally effective in such cases, in this case it was not. The patient experienced severe low-back pain during lumbar flexion with tension between the L5/S interspinous ligaments. We performed interspinous fixation by using a spinous process plate system, which has been developed for short in situ fusions, and following which the low-back pain resolved. Conservative therapy for low-back pain caused by ligamentopathia is first-line choice, but interspinous fixation with instrumentation might be recommended in intractable cases with conservative therapy.
Cepheids Geometrical Distances Using Space Interferometry
Marengo, M.; Karovska, M.; Sasselov, D. D.; Sanchez, M.
2004-05-01
A space based interferometer with a sub-milliarcsecond resolution in the UV-optical will provide a new avenue for the calibration of primary distance indicators with unprecedented accuracy, by allowing very accurate and stable measurements of Cepheids pulsation amplitudes at wavelengths not accessible from the ground. Sasselov & Karovska (1994) have shown that interferometers allow very accurate measurements of Cepheids distances by using a ``geometric'' variant of the Baade-Wesselink method. This method has been succesfully applied to derive distances and radii of nearby Cepheids using ground-based near-IR and optical interferometers, within a 15% accuracy level. Our study shows that the main source of error in these measurements is due to the perturbing effects of the Earth atmosphere, which is the limiting factor in the interferometer stability. A space interferometer will not suffer from this intrinsic limitations, and can potentially lead to improve astronomical distance measurements by an order of magnitude in precision. We discuss here the technical requirements that a space based facility will need to carry out this project, allowing distance measurements within a few percent accuracy level. We will finally discuss how a sub-milliarcsecond resolution will allow the direct distance determination for hundreds of galactic sources, and provide a substantial improvement in the zero-point of the Cepheid distance scale.
Time domain simulation of Gd3+-Gd3+ distance measurements by EPR
Manukovsky, Nurit; Feintuch, Akiva; Kuprov, Ilya; Goldfarb, Daniella
2017-07-01
Gd3+-based spin labels are useful as an alternative to nitroxides for intramolecular distance measurements at high fields in biological systems. However, double electron-electron resonance (DEER) measurements using model Gd3+ complexes featured a low modulation depth and an unexpected broadening of the distance distribution for short Gd3+-Gd3+ distances, when analysed using the software designed for S = 1/2 pairs. It appears that these effects result from the different spectroscopic characteristics of Gd3+—the high spin, the zero field splitting (ZFS), and the flip-flop terms in the dipolar Hamiltonian that are often ignored for spin-1/2 systems. An understanding of the factors affecting the modulation frequency and amplitude is essential for the correct analysis of Gd3+-Gd3+ DEER data and for the educated choice of experimental settings, such as Gd3+ spin label type and the pulse parameters. This work uses time-domain simulations of Gd3+-Gd3+ DEER by explicit density matrix propagation to elucidate the factors shaping Gd3+ DEER traces. The simulations show that mixing between the |+½, -½> and |-½, +½> states of the two spins, caused by the flip-flop term in the dipolar Hamiltonian, leads to dampening of the dipolar modulation. This effect may be mitigated by a large ZFS or by pulse frequency settings allowing for a decreased contribution of the central transition and the one adjacent to it. The simulations reproduce both the experimental line shapes of the Fourier-transforms of the DEER time domain traces and the trends in the behaviour of the modulation depth, thus enabling a more systematic design and analysis of Gd3+ DEER experiments.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Naus Krzysztof
2016-12-01
Full Text Available The article describes a study of problem of estimating the position coordinates of Autonomous Biomimetic Underwater Vehicle (ABUV using two methods: dead reckoning (DR and extended Kalman filter (EKF. In the first part of the paper, navigation system of ABUV is described and scientific problem with underwater positioning is formulated. The main part describes a way of estimating the position coordinates using DR and EKF and a numerical experiment involving motion of ABUV along the predetermined test distance. The final part of the paper contains a comparative statistical analysis of the results, carried out for assessing the accuracy of estimation of the position coordinates using DR and EKF methods. It presents the generalized conclusions from the research and the problems relating to the proper placement of the components of the system measuring distances.
Correlation measure to detect time series distances, whence economy globalization
Miśkiewicz, Janusz; Ausloos, Marcel
2008-11-01
An instantaneous time series distance is defined through the equal time correlation coefficient. The idea is applied to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) yearly increments of 21 rich countries between 1950 and 2005 in order to test the process of economic globalisation. Some data discussion is first presented to decide what (EKS, GK, or derived) GDP series should be studied. Distances are then calculated from the correlation coefficient values between pairs of series. The role of time averaging of the distances over finite size windows is discussed. Three network structures are next constructed based on the hierarchy of distances. It is shown that the mean distance between the most developed countries on several networks actually decreases in time, -which we consider as a proof of globalization. An empirical law is found for the evolution after 1990, similar to that found in flux creep. The optimal observation time window size is found ≃15 years.
Coherent dual-frequency lidar system design for distance and speed measurements
Zheng, Xingyuan; Zhao, Changming; Zhang, Haiyang; Zheng, Zheng; Yang, Hongzhi
2018-01-01
Lidars have a wide range of applications in military detection and civilian remote sensing. Coherent Dual-Frequency Lidar (CDFL) is a new concept of laser radar that is using electrical coherence instead of optical coherence. It uses laser with two coherent frequency components as transmitting wave. The method is based on the use of an optically-carried radio frequency (RF) signal, which is the frequency difference between the two components, which is specially designed for distance and speed measurements. It not only ensures the system has the characteristics of high spatial resolution, high ranging and velocity precision of laser radar, but also can use mature signal processing technology of microwave radar, and it is a research direction that attracts more concern in recent years. A CDFL detection system is constructed and field experiment is carried out. In the system, a narrow linewidth fiber laser with a wavelength of 1064nm is adopted. The dual-frequency laser with frequency difference of 200MHz and 200.6MHz is obtained by acousto-optic frequency shift and recombination. The maximum output power of dual frequency laser is 200mW. The receiver consists of all-fiber balanced InGaAs photo-detector and homemade analog signal processing board. The experimental results show that the distance resolution and velocity resolution of the system are 0.1m and 0.1m/s separately when the working distance is greater than 200m, and the spatial resolution is 0.5mrad.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Dr. Elizabeth HODGE
2004-04-01
Full Text Available Quality Assurance of Distance Education: Multiple Assessment Measures Used in a Business, Career, and Technical Education Department Assistant Professor Dr. Shelia TUCKER East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA Assistant Professor Dr. Elizabeth HODGE East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA ABSTRACT Educational institutions are being encouraged by accrediting agencies to move beyond the traditional measures of success such as satisfaction surveys from students, employers, and alumni. They stress the use of a variety of measurement tools to audit students work. Thus, this study will seek to identify multiple assessment strategies that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of distance education courses within an entire degree program. Comparisons of three courses being taught simultaneously on line and in the classroom were made. There were no significant differences noted in student outcomes assessments. Additionally, the same assessment measures used for SACS for the traditional classroom were equated with the distance education classes for those in the field of Family and Consumer Sciences, Business Education, the BE/ME program, the MAEd program in Technical teaching, and Information Technologies. No significant differences were noted in student outcomes assessments.
Distance measurement and wave dispersion in a Liouville-string approach to quantum gravity
Amelino-Camelia, G; Mavromatos, Nikolaos E; Nanopoulos, Dimitri V
1997-01-01
Within a Liouville approach to non-critical string theory, we discuss space-time foam effects on the propagation of low-energy particles. We find an induced frequency-dependent dispersion in the propagation of a wave packet, and observe that this would affect the outcome of measurements involving low-energy particles as probes. In particular, the maximum possible order of magnitude of the space-time foam effects would give rise to an error in the measurement of distance comparable to that independently obtained in some recent heuristic quantum-gravity analyses. We also briefly compare these error estimates with the precision of astrophysical measurements.
Modern Geometric Methods of Distance Determination
Thévenin, Frédéric; Falanga, Maurizio; Kuo, Cheng Yu; Pietrzyński, Grzegorz; Yamaguchi, Masaki
2017-11-01
Building a 3D picture of the Universe at any distance is one of the major challenges in astronomy, from the nearby Solar System to distant Quasars and galaxies. This goal has forced astronomers to develop techniques to estimate or to measure the distance of point sources on the sky. While most distance estimates used since the beginning of the 20th century are based on our understanding of the physics of objects of the Universe: stars, galaxies, QSOs, the direct measures of distances are based on the geometric methods as developed in ancient Greece: the parallax, which has been applied to stars for the first time in the mid-19th century. In this review, different techniques of geometrical astrometry applied to various stellar and cosmological (Megamaser) objects are presented. They consist in parallax measurements from ground based equipment or from space missions, but also in the study of binary stars or, as we shall see, of binary systems in distant extragalactic sources using radio telescopes. The Gaia mission will be presented in the context of stellar physics and galactic structure, because this key space mission in astronomy will bring a breakthrough in our understanding of stars, galaxies and the Universe in their nature and evolution with time. Measuring the distance to a star is the starting point for an unbiased description of its physics and the estimate of its fundamental parameters like its age. Applying these studies to candles such as the Cepheids will impact our large distance studies and calibration of other candles. The text is constructed as follows: introducing the parallax concept and measurement, we shall present briefly the Gaia satellite which will be the future base catalogue of stellar astronomy in the near future. Cepheids will be discussed just after to demonstrate the state of the art in distance measurements in the Universe with these variable stars, with the objective of 1% of error in distances that could be applied to our closest
Distance Between the Malleoli and the GroundA New Clinical Method to Measure Leg-Length Discrepancy.
Aguilar, Estela Gomez; Domínguez, Águeda Gómez; Peña-Algaba, Carolina; Castillo-López, José M
2017-03-01
The aim of this work is to introduce a useful method for the clinical diagnosis of leg-length inequality: distance between the malleoli and the ground (DMG). A transversal observational study was performed on 17 patients with leg-length discrepancy. Leg-length inequality was determined with different clinical methods: with a tape measure in a supine position from the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) to the internal and external malleoli, as the difference between the iliac crests when standing (pelvimeter), and as asymmetry between ASISs (PALpation Meter [PALM]; A&D Medical Products Healthcare, San Jose, California). The Foot Posture Index (FPI) and the navicular drop test were also used. The DMG with Perthes rule (perpendicular to the foot when standing), the distance between the internal malleolus and the ground (DIMG), and the distance between the external malleolus and the ground were designed by the authors. The DIMG is directly related to the traditional ASIS-external malleolus measurement (P = .003), the FPI (P = .010), and the navicular drop test (P DMG) is useful for diagnosing leg-length discrepancy and is related to the ASIS-external malleolus measurement. The DIMG is significantly inversely proportional to the degree of pronation according to the FPI. Conversely, determination of leg-length discrepancy with a tape measure from the ASIS to the malleoli cannot be performed interchangeably at the level of the internal or external malleolus.
Geerligs, Linda; Cam-Can; Henson, Richard N
2016-07-15
Studies of brain-wide functional connectivity or structural covariance typically use measures like the Pearson correlation coefficient, applied to data that have been averaged across voxels within regions of interest (ROIs). However, averaging across voxels may result in biased connectivity estimates when there is inhomogeneity within those ROIs, e.g., sub-regions that exhibit different patterns of functional connectivity or structural covariance. Here, we propose a new measure based on "distance correlation"; a test of multivariate dependence of high dimensional vectors, which allows for both linear and non-linear dependencies. We used simulations to show how distance correlation out-performs Pearson correlation in the face of inhomogeneous ROIs. To evaluate this new measure on real data, we use resting-state fMRI scans and T1 structural scans from 2 sessions on each of 214 participants from the Cambridge Centre for Ageing & Neuroscience (Cam-CAN) project. Pearson correlation and distance correlation showed similar average connectivity patterns, for both functional connectivity and structural covariance. Nevertheless, distance correlation was shown to be 1) more reliable across sessions, 2) more similar across participants, and 3) more robust to different sets of ROIs. Moreover, we found that the similarity between functional connectivity and structural covariance estimates was higher for distance correlation compared to Pearson correlation. We also explored the relative effects of different preprocessing options and motion artefacts on functional connectivity. Because distance correlation is easy to implement and fast to compute, it is a promising alternative to Pearson correlations for investigating ROI-based brain-wide connectivity patterns, for functional as well as structural data. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Yin, H-L; Cao, W-F; Fu, Y; Tang, Y-L; Liu, Y; Chen, T-Y; Chen, Z-B
2014-09-15
Measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD) with decoy-state method is believed to be securely applied to defeat various hacking attacks in practical quantum key distribution systems. Recently, the coherent-state superpositions (CSS) have emerged as an alternative to single-photon qubits for quantum information processing and metrology. Here, in this Letter, CSS are exploited as the source in MDI-QKD. We present an analytical method that gives two tight formulas to estimate the lower bound of yield and the upper bound of bit error rate. We exploit the standard statistical analysis and Chernoff bound to perform the parameter estimation. Chernoff bound can provide good bounds in the long-distance MDI-QKD. Our results show that with CSS, both the security transmission distance and secure key rate are significantly improved compared with those of the weak coherent states in the finite-data case.
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Xiao Luo
2017-01-01
Full Text Available An intuitionistic fuzzy VIKOR (IF-VIKOR method is proposed based on a new distance measure considering the waver of intuitionistic fuzzy information. The method aggregates all individual decision-makers’ assessment information based on intuitionistic fuzzy weighted averaging operator (IFWA, determines the weights of decision-makers and attributes objectively using intuitionistic fuzzy entropy, calculates the group utility and individual regret by the new distance measure, and then reaches a compromise solution. It can be effectively applied to multiattribute decision-making (MADM problems where the weights of decision-makers and attributes are completely unknown and the attribute values are intuitionistic fuzzy numbers (IFNs. The validity and stability of this method are verified by example analysis and sensitivity analysis, and its superiority is illustrated by the comparison with the existing method.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Weston, Mark; Juhasz, Janos
2016-01-01
Purpose: The accuracy of treatment delivery for left breast/chest wall patients using deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH) is being monitored using a distance measuring laser (DML) Methods: A commercially available DML (DLS-C15, Dimetix) was mounted behind a Varian TrilogyTM linac. Relative to the machine isocenter, the laser from the beam was offset by 8 cm to the left and by 1 cm in the superior direction. This position was selected because this point is situated on the sternum for the majority of the left breast/chest-wall patients treated at our institution. The Varian Real-Time Positioning Management™ (RPM) guided DIBH treatments at our institution is delivered by placing the system’s tracking block on the patient’s abdomen. The treatment beam is enabled only when the block is in between a predefined abdomen motion range as determined during the CT simulation process. A LabVIEW program was developed to record both beam status (i.e. on/off) and distance measurements. In this study the DML was only used to monitor the position of a single point on the chest and no clinical decisions/adjustments were made based on these measurements. Results and Conclusions: Thus far, 34 fractions have been recorded for 4 patients. As such, the performance of our DIBH treatment technique cannot be fairly evaluated at this point. However, deviations between expected and measured distances have been observed and if these are found to be reproducible, then modifications in our treatment procedures and policies will have to take place.
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Weston, Mark; Juhasz, Janos [Juravinski Cancer Centre (Canada)
2016-08-15
Purpose: The accuracy of treatment delivery for left breast/chest wall patients using deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH) is being monitored using a distance measuring laser (DML) Methods: A commercially available DML (DLS-C15, Dimetix) was mounted behind a Varian TrilogyTM linac. Relative to the machine isocenter, the laser from the beam was offset by 8 cm to the left and by 1 cm in the superior direction. This position was selected because this point is situated on the sternum for the majority of the left breast/chest-wall patients treated at our institution. The Varian Real-Time Positioning Management™ (RPM) guided DIBH treatments at our institution is delivered by placing the system’s tracking block on the patient’s abdomen. The treatment beam is enabled only when the block is in between a predefined abdomen motion range as determined during the CT simulation process. A LabVIEW program was developed to record both beam status (i.e. on/off) and distance measurements. In this study the DML was only used to monitor the position of a single point on the chest and no clinical decisions/adjustments were made based on these measurements. Results and Conclusions: Thus far, 34 fractions have been recorded for 4 patients. As such, the performance of our DIBH treatment technique cannot be fairly evaluated at this point. However, deviations between expected and measured distances have been observed and if these are found to be reproducible, then modifications in our treatment procedures and policies will have to take place.
Interferometric 30 m bench for calibrations of 1D scales and optical distance measuring instruments
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Unkuri, J; Rantanen, A; Manninen, J; Esala, V-P; Lassila, A
2012-01-01
During construction of a new metrology building for MIKES, a 30 m interferometric bench was designed. The objective was to implement a straight, stable, adjustable and multifunctional 30 m measuring bench for calibrations. Special attention was paid to eliminating the effects of thermal expansion and inevitable concrete shrinkage. The linear guide, situated on top of a monolithic concrete beam, comprises two parallel round shafts with adjustable fixtures every 1 m. A carriage is moved along the rail and its position is followed by a reference interferometer. Depending on the measurement task, one or two retro-reflectors are fixed on the carriage. A microscope with a CCD camera and a monitor can be used to detect line mark positions on different line standards. When calibrating optical distance measuring instruments, various targets can be fixed to the carriage. For the most accurate measurements an online Abbe-error correction based on simultaneous carriage pitch measurement by a separate laser interferometer is applied. The bench is used for calibrations of machinist scales, tapes, circometers, electronic distance meters, total stations and laser trackers. The estimated expanded uncertainty for 30 m displacement for highest accuracy calibrations is 2.6 µm. (paper)
Distance covariance for stochastic processes
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Matsui, Muneya; Mikosch, Thomas Valentin; Samorodnitsky, Gennady
2017-01-01
The distance covariance of two random vectors is a measure of their dependence. The empirical distance covariance and correlation can be used as statistical tools for testing whether two random vectors are independent. We propose an analog of the distance covariance for two stochastic processes...
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Kobayashi, Hirokazu [Department of Chemistry, College of Humanities and Sciences, Nihon University 3-25-40, Sakura-jo-sui, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 156-8550 (Japan)
2015-12-31
One-dimensional (1D) molecular chains of 4-substituted-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxyl (4-X-TEMPO) radicals were constructed in the crystalline 1D nanochannels of 2,4,6-tris(4-chlorophenoxy)-1,3,5-triazine (CLPOT) used as a template. The ESR spectra of CLPOT inclusion compounds (ICs) using 4-X-TEMPO were examined on the basis of spectral simulation using EasySpin program package for simulating and fitting ESR spectra. The ESR spectra of [(CLPOT){sub 2}-(TEMPO){sub 1.0}] IC were isotropic in the total range of temperatures. The peak-to-peak line width (ΔB{sub pp}) became monotonically narrower from 2.8 to 1.3 mT with increase in temperature in the range of 4.2–298 K. The effect of the rotational diffusion motion of TEMPO radicals in the CLPOT nanochannels for the inter-spin interaction of the [(CLPOT){sub 2}-(TEMPO){sub 1.0}] IC was found to be smaller than the case of [(TPP){sub 2}−(TEMPO){sub 1.0}] IC (TPP = tris(o-phenylenedioxy)cyclotriphosphazene) reported in our previous study. The ΔB{sub pp} of the [(CLPOT){sub 2}-(TEMPO){sub 1.0}] IC in the whole range of temperatures was much narrower than the estimation to be based on the Van Vleck’s formula for the second moment of the rigid lattice model where the electron spin can be considered as fixed; 11 mT of Gaussian line-width component. This suggests the possibility of exchange narrowing in the 1D organic-radical chains of the [(CLPOT){sub 2}-(TEMPO){sub 1.0}] IC. On the other hand, the ESR spectra of [(CLPOT){sub 2}-(MeO-TEMPO){sub 0.41}] IC (MeO-TEMPO = 4-methoxy-TEMPO) were reproduced by a superposition of major broad isotropic adsorption line and minor temperature-dependent modulated triplet component. This suggests that the IC has the part of 1D organic-radical chains and MeO-TEMPO molecules isolated in the CLPOT nanochannels.
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Carlsen, Martin; Koehl, Patrice; Røgen, Peter
2014-01-01
(PPD), while the other had the set of all distances filtered to reflect consistency in an ensemble of decoys (PPE). We tested four types of metric to characterize the distance between the decoy and the native structure, two based on extrinsic geometry (RMSD and GTD-TS*), and two based on intrinsic...... geometry (Q* and MT). The corresponding eight potentials were tested on a large collection of decoy sets. We found that it is usually better to train a potential using an intrinsic distance measure. We also found that PPE outperforms PPD, emphasizing the benefits of capturing consistent information...
Cortez-Lugo, Marlene; Escamilla-Núñez, Consuelo; Barraza-Villarreal, Albino; Texcalac-Sangrador, José Luis; Chow, Judith; Watson, John; Hernández-Cadena, Leticia; Romieu, Isabelle
2013-04-01
To study the relationship between light absorption measurements of PM2.5 at various distances from heavy traffic roads and diesel vehicle counts in Mexico City. PM2.5 samples were obtained from June 2003-June 2005 in three MCMA regions. Light absorption (b abs) in a subset of PM2.5 samples was determined. We evaluated the effect of distance and diesel vehicle counts to heavy traffic roads on PM2.5 b abs using generalized estimating equation models. Median PM2.5 b abs measurements significantly decrease as distance from heavy traffic roads increases (proads. Our model predicts that PM2.5 b abs measurements would increase by 20% (CI95% 3-38) as the hourly heavy diesel vehicle count increases by 150 per hour. PM2.5 b abs measurements are significantly associated with distance from motorways and traffic density and therefore can be used to assess human exposure to traffic-related emissions.
Cholewinski, Jerzy J; Kusz, Damian J; Wojciechowski, Piotr; Cielinski, Lukasz S; Zoladz, Miroslaw P
2008-04-01
The usefulness of ultrasound measurements in the diagnosis of the subacromial impingement syndrome of the shoulder was evaluated. Fifty-seven patients with unilateral symptoms of the impingement syndrome underwent ultrasound examination of both shoulder joints, which included assessment of rotator cuff integrity, measurement of rotator cuff thickness and the distance between the infero-lateral edge of acromion and the apex of the greater tuberosity of humerus (AGT distance) in the standard ultrasonographic positions. As a control group, 36 volunteers (72 shoulders) with no history of shoulder pain were examined sonographically. Ultrasonographic assessment of humeral head elevation, measured as the AGT distance, proved to be useful in establishing the diagnosis of the subacromial impingement syndrome of the shoulder. A difference in rotator cuff thickness of more than 1.1 mm and a difference in the AGT distance of more than 2.1 mm between both shoulder joints may reflect dysfunction of rotator cuff muscles.
Cohen, Alan A; Milot, Emmanuel; Li, Qing; Legault, Véronique; Fried, Linda P; Ferrucci, Luigi
2014-09-01
Measuring physiological dysregulation during aging could be a key tool both to understand underlying aging mechanisms and to predict clinical outcomes in patients. However, most existing indices are either circular or hard to interpret biologically. Recently, we showed that statistical distance of 14 common blood biomarkers (a measure of how strange an individual's biomarker profile is) was associated with age and mortality in the WHAS II data set, validating its use as a measure of physiological dysregulation. Here, we extend the analyses to other data sets (WHAS I and InCHIANTI) to assess the stability of the measure across populations. We found that the statistical criteria used to determine the original 14 biomarkers produced diverging results across populations; in other words, had we started with a different data set, we would have chosen a different set of markers. Nonetheless, the same 14 markers (or the subset of 12 available for InCHIANTI) produced highly similar predictions of age and mortality. We include analyses of all combinatorial subsets of the markers and show that results do not depend much on biomarker choice or data set, but that more markers produce a stronger signal. We conclude that statistical distance as a measure of physiological dysregulation is stable across populations in Europe and North America. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Representing distance, consuming distance
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Larsen, Gunvor Riber
Title: Representing Distance, Consuming Distance Abstract: Distance is a condition for corporeal and virtual mobilities, for desired and actual travel, but yet it has received relatively little attention as a theoretical entity in its own right. Understandings of and assumptions about distance...... are being consumed in the contemporary society, in the same way as places, media, cultures and status are being consumed (Urry 1995, Featherstone 2007). An exploration of distance and its representations through contemporary consumption theory could expose what role distance plays in forming...
Fundamental tests and measures of the structure of matter at short distances
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Brodsky, S.J.
1981-07-01
Recent progress in gauge field theories has led to a new perspective on the structure of matter and basic interactions at short distances. It is clear that at very high energies quantum electrodynamics, together with the weak and strong interactions, are part of a unified theory with new fundamental constants, new symmetries, and new conservation laws. A non-technical introduction to these topics is given, with emphasis on fundamental tests and measurements. 21 references
de-Pablo-Gómez-de-Liaño, L; Fernández-Vigo, J I; Ventura-Abreu, N; Morales-Fernández, L; García-Feijóo, J; Gómez-de-Liaño, R
2016-12-01
To assess the agreement between intraoperative measurements of the limbus-insertion distance of the extraocular muscles with those measured by spectral domain optical coherence tomography. An analysis was made of a total of 67 muscles of 21 patients with strabismus. The limbus-insertion distance of the horizontal rectus muscles were measured using pre-operative SD-OCT and intra-operatively in 2 ways: 1) direct, after a conjunctival dissection in patients who underwent surgery, or 2) transconjunctival in patients who were treated with botulinum toxin, or in those who were not going to be operated. The intraclass correlation coefficient and Bland-Altman plots were calculated to determine the concordance between the 2 methods. The mean age was 45.9 ±20.9 years (range 16 to 85), with 52% being women. The percentage of identification by direct intraoperative measurement was 95.6% (22/23), by transconjunctival intraoperative measurement 90.9% (40/44), and by OCT 85% (57/67), with 22 muscles finally being analysed for the agreement study between direct intraoperative measurement and OCT measurements, and 35 muscles for the agreement between transconjuctival intraoperative measurement and OCT. The intraclass correlation coefficient showed good agreement with OCT and direct intraoperative measurements (0.931; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.839-0.972; P<.001), and with transconjunctival intraoperative measurements (0.889; 95% CI: 0.790-0.942; P<.001). The SD-OCT is an effective technique to measure the distance from the insertion of the horizontal rectus muscles to the limbus, with a high agreement with intraoperative measurements being demonstrated. Copyright © 2016 Sociedad Española de Oftalmología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.
Measuring distance through dense weighted networks: The case of hospital-associated pathogens.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Tjibbe Donker
2017-08-01
Full Text Available Hospital networks, formed by patients visiting multiple hospitals, affect the spread of hospital-associated infections, resulting in differences in risks for hospitals depending on their network position. These networks are increasingly used to inform strategies to prevent and control the spread of hospital-associated pathogens. However, many studies only consider patients that are received directly from the initial hospital, without considering the effect of indirect trajectories through the network. We determine the optimal way to measure the distance between hospitals within the network, by reconstructing the English hospital network based on shared patients in 2014-2015, and simulating the spread of a hospital-associated pathogen between hospitals, taking into consideration that each intermediate hospital conveys a delay in the further spread of the pathogen. While the risk of transferring a hospital-associated pathogen between directly neighbouring hospitals is a direct reflection of the number of shared patients, the distance between two hospitals far-away in the network is determined largely by the number of intermediate hospitals in the network. Because the network is dense, most long distance transmission chains in fact involve only few intermediate steps, spreading along the many weak links. The dense connectivity of hospital networks, together with a strong regional structure, causes hospital-associated pathogens to spread from the initial outbreak in a two-step process: first, the directly surrounding hospitals are affected through the strong connections, second all other hospitals receive introductions through the multitude of weaker links. Although the strong connections matter for local spread, weak links in the network can offer ideal routes for hospital-associated pathogens to travel further faster. This hold important implications for infection prevention and control efforts: if a local outbreak is not controlled in time
The distances of the Galactic Novae
Ozdonmez, Aykut; Guver, Tolga; Cabrera-Lavers, Antonio; Ak, Tansel
2016-07-01
Using location of the RC stars on the CMDs obtained from the UKIDSS, VISTA and 2MASS photometry, we have derived the reddening-distance relations towards each Galactic nova for which at least one independent reddening measurement exists. We were able to determine the distances of 72 Galactic novae and set lower limits on the distances of 45 systems. The reddening curves of the systems are presented. These curves can be also used to estimate reddening or the distance of any source, whose location is close to the position of the nova in our sample. The distance measurement method in our study can be easily applicable to any source, especially for ones that concentrated along the Galactic plane.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Pfister, T; Günther, P; Nöthen, M; Czarske, J
2010-01-01
Both in production engineering and process control, multidirectional displacements, deformations and vibrations of moving or rotating components have to be measured dynamically, contactlessly and with high precision. Optical sensors would be predestined for this task, but their measurement rate is often fundamentally limited. Furthermore, almost all conventional sensors measure only one measurand, i.e. either out-of-plane or in-plane distance or velocity. To solve this problem, we present a novel phase coded heterodyne laser Doppler distance sensor (PH-LDDS), which is able to determine out-of-plane (axial) position and in-plane (lateral) velocity of rough solid-state objects simultaneously and independently with a single sensor. Due to the applied heterodyne technique, stationary or purely axially moving objects can also be measured. In addition, it is shown theoretically as well as experimentally that this sensor offers concurrently high temporal resolution and high position resolution since its position uncertainty is in principle independent of the lateral object velocity in contrast to conventional distance sensors. This is a unique feature of the PH-LDDS enabling precise and dynamic position and shape measurements also of fast moving objects. With an optimized sensor setup, an average position resolution of 240 nm was obtained
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Melikechi, N.; Mezzacappa, A. [Optical Science Center for Applied Research, Delaware State University, Dover, DE (United States); Cousin, A.; Lanza, N.L. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM (United States); Lasue, J. [Institut de Recherche en Astophysique et Planetologie (IRAP), Universite' Paul Sabatier, Toulouse (France); Clegg, S.M. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM (United States); Berger, G. [Institut de Recherche en Astophysique et Planetologie (IRAP), Universite' Paul Sabatier, Toulouse (France); Wiens, R.C. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM (United States); Maurice, S. [Institut de Recherche en Astophysique et Planetologie (IRAP), Universite' Paul Sabatier, Toulouse (France); Tokar, R.L.; Bender, S. [Planetary Science Institute, Flagstaff, AZ (United States); Forni, O. [Institut de Recherche en Astophysique et Planetologie (IRAP), Universite' Paul Sabatier, Toulouse (France); Breves, E.A.; Dyar, M.D. [Dept. of Astronomy, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA (United States); Frydenvang, J. [The Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen (Denmark); Delapp, D. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM (United States); Gasnault, O. [Institut de Recherche en Astophysique et Planetologie (IRAP), Universite' Paul Sabatier, Toulouse (France); Newsom, H.; Ollila, A.M. [Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, Alburquerque, NM (United States); Lewin, E. [Institut des Sciences de la Terre, Universite Grenoble l-CNRS, Grenoble (France); and others
2014-06-01
As part of the Mars Science Laboratory, the ChemCam instrument acquires remote laser induced breakdown spectra at distances that vary between 1.56 m and 7 m. This variation in distance affects the intensities of the measured LIBS emission lines in non-trivial ways. To determine the behavior of a LIBS emission line with distance, it is necessary to separate the effects of many parameters such as laser energy, laser spot size, target homogeneity, and optical collection efficiency. These parameters may be controlled in a laboratory on Earth but for field applications or in space this is a challenge. In this paper, we show that carefully selected ChemCam LIBS emission lines acquired from the Martian dust can be used to build an internal proxy spectroscopic standard. This in turn, allows for a direct measurement of the effects of the distance of various LIBS emission lines and hence can be used to correct ChemCam LIBS spectra for distance variations. When tested on pre-launch LIBS calibration data acquired under Martian-like conditions and with controlled and well-calibrated targets, this approach yields much improved agreement between targets observed at various distances. This work lays the foundation for future implementation of automated routines to correct ChemCam spectra for differences caused by variable distance. - Highlights: • Selected Martian dust emission lines are used to correct for variable laser-target distances. • The correction model yields improved agreement between targets observed at various distances. • The impact of the model reduces the bias between predicted and actual compositions by as much as 70%. • When implemented, the model will yield spectral corrections for various ChemCam measurements. • This work is a foundation to perform novel stand-off LIBS measurements on Earth and other planets.
Tracking frequency laser distance gauge
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Phillips, J.D.; Reasenberg, R.D.
2005-01-01
Advanced astronomical missions with greatly enhanced resolution and physics missions of unprecedented accuracy will require laser distance gauges of substantially improved performance. We describe a laser gauge, based on Pound-Drever-Hall locking, in which the optical frequency is adjusted to maintain an interferometer's null condition. This technique has been demonstrated with pm performance. Automatic fringe hopping allows it to track arbitrary distance changes. The instrument is intrinsically free of the nm-scale cyclic bias present in traditional (heterodyne) high-precision laser gauges. The output is a radio frequency, readily measured to sufficient accuracy. The laser gauge has operated in a resonant cavity, which improves precision, can suppress the effects of misalignments, and makes possible precise automatic alignment. The measurement of absolute distance requires little or no additional hardware, and has also been demonstrated. The proof-of-concept version, based on a stabilized HeNe laser and operating on a 0.5 m path, has achieved 10 pm precision with 0.1 s integration time, and 0.1 mm absolute distance accuracy. This version has also followed substantial distance changes as fast as 16 mm/s. We show that, if the precision in optical frequency is a fixed fraction of the linewidth, both incremental and absolute distance precision are independent of the distance measured. We discuss systematic error sources, and present plans for a new version of the gauge based on semiconductor lasers and fiber-coupled components
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Alberto Domínguez-Vicent
2014-08-01
Full Text Available Purpose: To compare the ocular anterior chamber depth, white-to-white distance, anterior chamber angle, and pupil diameter, as measured with two different Scheimpflug imaging devices. Methods: This transversal study included 80 right eyes from 80 subjects aged from 20 to 40 years. Their spherical equivalents ranged from -4.25 to +1.00 diopters (D. Each eye's anterior chamber depth, white-to-white distance, anterior chamber angle, and pupil diameter, were measured for far vision using both the Galilei G4 (double Scheimpflug camera and the Pentacam HR (single Scheimpflug camera systems. Results: Mean anterior chamber depths were calculated as 3.12 ± 0.23 mm and 3.19 ± 0.24 mm when measured with the Galilei G4 and the Pentacam HR, respectively. The mean white-to-white distance measured was 11.84 ± 0.31 mm and 11.90 ± 0.43 mm when measured with the Galilei G4 and the Pentacam HR, respectively. Mean pupil diameters were measured as 3.22 ± 0.58 mm and 3.22 ± 0.52 mm when measured with the Galilei G4 and the Pentacam HR, respectively. Finally, the mean anterior chamber angle was 34.30 ± 2.86 degrees when it was measured with the Galilei G4, and 39.26 ± 2.85 degrees when measured with the Pentacam HR. A comparative analysis revealed that the Galilei G4 yielded a significantly lower (P0.05 for both devices were obtained for the white-to-white distance measurements. Conclusion: The Galilei G4 and Pentacam HR Scheimpflug systems cannot be used interchangeably because they produce significant measurement differences.
Reliability of reference distances used in photogrammetry.
Aksu, Muge; Kaya, Demet; Kocadereli, Ilken
2010-07-01
To determine the reliability of the reference distances used for photogrammetric assessment. The sample consisted of 100 subjects with mean ages of 22.97 +/- 2.98 years. Five lateral and four frontal parameters were measured directly on the subjects' faces. For photogrammetric assessment, two reference distances for the profile view and three reference distances for the frontal view were established. Standardized photographs were taken and all the parameters that had been measured directly on the face were measured on the photographs. The reliability of the reference distances was checked by comparing direct and indirect values of the parameters obtained from the subjects' faces and photographs. Repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Bland-Altman analyses were used for statistical assessment. For profile measurements, the indirect values measured were statistically different from the direct values except for Sn-Sto in male subjects and Prn-Sn and Sn-Sto in female subjects. The indirect values of Prn-Sn and Sn-Sto were reliable in both sexes. The poorest results were obtained in the indirect values of the N-Sn parameter for female subjects and the Sn-Me parameter for male subjects according to the Sa-Sba reference distance. For frontal measurements, the indirect values were statistically different from the direct values in both sexes except for one in male subjects. The indirect values measured were not statistically different from the direct values for Go-Go. The indirect values of Ch-Ch were reliable in male subjects. The poorest results were obtained according to the P-P reference distance. For profile assessment, the T-Ex reference distance was reliable for Prn-Sn and Sn-Sto in both sexes. For frontal assessment, Ex-Ex and En-En reference distances were reliable for Ch-Ch in male subjects.
Measuring the e-Learning Autonomy of Distance Education Students
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Mehmet Firat
2016-08-01
Full Text Available Previous studies have provided evidence that learner autonomy is an important factor in academic achievement. However, few studies have investigated the autonomy of distance education students in e-learning environments. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the e-learning autonomy of distance education students who are responsible for their own learning. For this purpose, as the first step of the study, an e-learning autonomy scale was developed. Analyses of the validity and reliability of the scale were carried out with the participation of 1,152 distance education students from Anadolu University, Open Education System. The scale has an internal consistency coefficient of α = 0.952 and a single factorial model that explains 66.58% of the total variance. The scale was implemented with 3,293 students from 42 different programs. According to the findings, student autonomy in e-learning environments is directly proportional to level of ICT use but not affected by program or gender.
Johnson, Mark I.; Francis, Peter
2018-01-01
Context The influence of methodological parameters on the measurement of muscle contractile properties using Tensiomyography (TMG) has not been published. Objective To investigate the; (1) reliability of stimulus amplitude needed to elicit maximum muscle displacement (Dm), (2) effect of changing inter-stimulus interval on Dm (using a fixed stimulus amplitude) and contraction time (Tc), (3) the effect of changing inter-electrode distance on Dm and Tc. Design Within subject, repeated measures. Participants 10 participants for each objective. Main outcome measures Dm and Tc of the rectus femoris, measured using TMG. Results The coefficient of variance (CV) and the intra-class correlation (ICC) of stimulus amplitude needed to elicit maximum Dm was 5.7% and 0.92 respectively. Dm was higher when using an inter-electrode distance of 7cm compared to 5cm [P = 0.03] and when using an inter-stimulus interval of 10s compared to 30s [P = 0.017]. Further analysis of inter-stimulus interval data, found that during 10 repeated stimuli Tc became faster after the 5th measure when compared to the second measure [P<0.05]. The 30s inter-stimulus interval produced the most stable Tc over 10 measures compared to 10s and 5s respectively. Conclusion Our data suggest that the stimulus amplitude producing maximum Dm of the rectus femoris is reliable. Inter-electrode distance and inter-stimulus interval can significantly influence Dm and/ or Tc. Our results support the use of a 30s inter-stimulus interval over 10s or 5s. Future studies should determine the influence of methodological parameters on muscle contractile properties in a range of muscles. PMID:29451885
Application of discriminant analysis and generalized distance measures to uranium exploration
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Beauchamp, J.J.; Begovich, C.L.; Kane, V.E.; Wolf, D.A.
1979-10-01
The National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) Project has as its goal estimation of the nation's uranium resources. It is possible to use discriminant analysis methods on hydrogeochemical data collected in the NURE Program to aid in formulating geochemical models which can be used to identify the anomalous regions necessary for resource estimation. Discriminant analysis methods have been applied to data from the Plainview, Texas Quadrangle which has approximately 850 groundwater samples with more than 40 quantitative measurements per sample. Discriminant analysis topics involving estimation of misclassification probabilities, variable selection, and robust discrimination are applied. A method using generalized distance measures is given which enables assigning samples to a background population or a mineralized population whose parameters were estimated from separate studies. Each topic is related to its relevance in identifying areas of possible interest to uranium exploration
Castro Alves, D.; Abreu, Manuel; Cabral, A.; Jost, Michael; Rebordão, J. M.
2017-11-01
In this work we present a technique to perform long and absolute distance measurements based on mode-locked diode lasers. Using a Michelson interferometer, it is possible to produce an optical cross-correlation between laser pulses of the reference arm with the pulses from the measurement arm, adjusting externally their degree of overlap either changing the pulse repetition frequency (PRF) or the position of the reference arm mirror for two (or more) fixed frequencies. The correlation of the travelling pulses for precision distance measurements relies on ultra-short pulse durations, as the uncertainty associated to the method is dependent on the laser pulse width as well as on a highly stable PRF. Mode-locked Diode lasers are a very appealing technology for its inherent characteristics, associated to compactness, size and efficiency, constituting a positive trade-off with regard to other mode-locked laser sources. Nevertheless, main current drawback is the non-availability of frequency-stable laser diodes. The laser used is a monolithic mode-locked semiconductor quantum-dot (QD) laser. The laser PRF is locked to an external stabilized RF reference. In this work we will present some of the preliminary results and discuss the importance of the requirements related to laser PRF stability in the final metrology system accuracy.
NOTE ON TRAVEL TIME SHIFTS DUE TO AMPLITUDE MODULATION IN TIME-DISTANCE HELIOSEISMOLOGY MEASUREMENTS
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Nigam, R.; Kosovichev, A. G.
2010-01-01
Correct interpretation of acoustic travel times measured by time-distance helioseismology is essential to get an accurate understanding of the solar properties that are inferred from them. It has long been observed that sunspots suppress p-mode amplitude, but its implications on travel times have not been fully investigated so far. It has been found in test measurements using a 'masking' procedure, in which the solar Doppler signal in a localized quiet region of the Sun is artificially suppressed by a spatial function, and using numerical simulations that the amplitude modulations in combination with the phase-speed filtering may cause systematic shifts of acoustic travel times. To understand the properties of this procedure, we derive an analytical expression for the cross-covariance of a signal that has been modulated locally by a spatial function that has azimuthal symmetry and then filtered by a phase-speed filter typically used in time-distance helioseismology. Comparing this expression to the Gabor wavelet fitting formula without this effect, we find that there is a shift in the travel times that is introduced by the amplitude modulation. The analytical model presented in this paper can be useful also for interpretation of travel time measurements for the non-uniform distribution of oscillation amplitude due to observational effects.
Relative distance between tracers as a measure of diffusivity within moving aggregates
Pönisch, Wolfram; Zaburdaev, Vasily
2018-02-01
Tracking of particles, be it a passive tracer or an actively moving bacterium in the growing bacterial colony, is a powerful technique to probe the physical properties of the environment of the particles. One of the most common measures of particle motion driven by fluctuations and random forces is its diffusivity, which is routinely obtained by measuring the mean squared displacement of the particles. However, often the tracer particles may be moving in a domain or an aggregate which itself experiences some regular or random motion and thus masks the diffusivity of tracers. Here we provide a method for assessing the diffusivity of tracer particles within mobile aggregates by measuring the so-called mean squared relative distance (MSRD) between two tracers. We provide analytical expressions for both the ensemble and time averaged MSRD allowing for direct identification of diffusivities from experimental data.
Accuracy Improvement of Discharge Measurement with Modification of Distance Made Good Heading
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jongkook Lee
2016-01-01
Full Text Available Remote control boats equipped with an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP are widely accepted and have been welcomed by many hydrologists for water discharge, velocity profile, and bathymetry measurements. The advantages of this technique include high productivity, fast measurements, operator safety, and high accuracy. However, there are concerns about controlling and operating a remote boat to achieve measurement goals, especially during extreme events such as floods. When performing river discharge measurements, the main error source stems from the boat path. Due to the rapid flow in a flood condition, the boat path is not regular and this can cause errors in discharge measurements. Therefore, improvement of discharge measurements requires modification of boat path. As a result, the measurement errors in flood flow conditions are 12.3–21.8% before the modification of boat path, but 1.2–3.7% after the DMG modification of boat path. And it is considered that the modified discharges are very close to the observed discharge in the flood flow conditions. In this study, through the distance made good (DMG modification of the boat path, a comprehensive discharge measurement with high accuracy can be achieved.
Accurate measurements of E2 lifetimes using the coincidence recoil-distance method
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Bhalla, R.K.; Poletti, A.R.
1984-01-01
Mean lives of four E2 transitions in the (2s, 1d) shell have been measured using the recoil-distance method (RDM). γ-rays de-exciting the level of interest were detected in coincidence with particles detected in an annular detector at a backward angle thereby reducing the background and producing a beam of recoiling nuclei of well-defined energy and recoil direction. Lifetimes measured were: 22 Ne, 1.275 MeV level (2 + -> 0 + ), 5.16 +- 0.13 ps; 26 Mg, 3.588 MeV level (0 + -> 2 + ), 9.29 +- 0.23 ps; 30 Si, 3.788 MeV level (0 + -> 2 + ), 12.00 +- 0.70 ps; 38 Ar, 3.377 MeV level (0 + -> 2 + ), 34.5 +- 1.5 ps. The present measurements are compared to those of previous investigators. For the 22 Ne level, averaged results from four different measurement techniques are compared and found to be in good agreement. The experimental results are compared to shell-model calculations. (orig.)
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Arilahti, E.; Bojinov, M.; Hansson-Lyyra, L.
2004-01-01
This paper describes a novel pneumatic bellows-driven arrangement designed for controlled distance electrochemistry (CDE) measurements. The feasibility of the new arrangement has been verified by performing contact electric impedance measurements to study corrosion of Zircaloy-2 in a re-circulation loop simulating the BWR conditions. Until now, the measurements have been carried out using a step-motor driven controlled-distance electrochemistry (CDE) arrangement. The electrical and electrochemical properties of the pre transition oxide on Zircaloy-2 determined from these measurements were in good agreement with those estimated from measurements with a step-motor driven CDE. Furthermore, the results indicate that the bellows-driven CDE device is less sensitive to the contact pressure variation than the step-motor driven arrangement. This property combined with the bellows driven displacement mechanism provides a clear advantage for future in-core corrosion studies of fuel cladding materials. (Author)
Macia, Didac; Pujol, Jesus; Blanco-Hinojo, Laura; Martínez-Vilavella, Gerard; Martín-Santos, Rocío; Deus, Joan
2018-04-24
There is ample evidence from basic research in neuroscience of the importance of local cortico-cortical networks. Millimetric resolution is achievable with current functional MRI (fMRI) scanners and sequences, and consequently a number of "local" activity similarity measures have been defined to describe patterns of segregation and integration at this spatial scale. We have introduced the use of Iso-Distant local Average Correlation (IDAC), easily defined as the average fMRI temporal correlation of a given voxel with other voxels placed at increasingly separated iso-distant intervals, to characterize the curve of local fMRI signal similarities. IDAC curves can be statistically compared using parametric multivariate statistics. Furthermore, by using RGB color-coding to display jointly IDAC values belonging to three different distance lags, IDAC curves can also be displayed as multi-distance IDAC maps. We applied IDAC analysis to a sample of 41 subjects scanned under two different conditions, a resting state and an auditory-visual continuous stimulation. Multi-distance IDAC mapping was able to discriminate between gross anatomo-functional cortical areas and, moreover, was sensitive to modulation between the two brain conditions in areas known to activate and de-activate during audio-visual tasks. Unlike previous fMRI local similarity measures already in use, our approach draws special attention to the continuous smooth pattern of local functional connectivity.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Hannah V Wilson
Full Text Available The influence of methodological parameters on the measurement of muscle contractile properties using Tensiomyography (TMG has not been published.To investigate the; (1 reliability of stimulus amplitude needed to elicit maximum muscle displacement (Dm, (2 effect of changing inter-stimulus interval on Dm (using a fixed stimulus amplitude and contraction time (Tc, (3 the effect of changing inter-electrode distance on Dm and Tc.Within subject, repeated measures.10 participants for each objective.Dm and Tc of the rectus femoris, measured using TMG.The coefficient of variance (CV and the intra-class correlation (ICC of stimulus amplitude needed to elicit maximum Dm was 5.7% and 0.92 respectively. Dm was higher when using an inter-electrode distance of 7cm compared to 5cm [P = 0.03] and when using an inter-stimulus interval of 10s compared to 30s [P = 0.017]. Further analysis of inter-stimulus interval data, found that during 10 repeated stimuli Tc became faster after the 5th measure when compared to the second measure [P<0.05]. The 30s inter-stimulus interval produced the most stable Tc over 10 measures compared to 10s and 5s respectively.Our data suggest that the stimulus amplitude producing maximum Dm of the rectus femoris is reliable. Inter-electrode distance and inter-stimulus interval can significantly influence Dm and/ or Tc. Our results support the use of a 30s inter-stimulus interval over 10s or 5s. Future studies should determine the influence of methodological parameters on muscle contractile properties in a range of muscles.
Research on in-situ measurement technique of three-dimensional distance
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Shiraishi, Masatake; Aoshima, Shinichi; Aose, Shinichi; Takeuchi, Masayuki
2004-04-01
Equipments used in the nuclear facility must be done the adequate maintenance and should be exchanged to new ones by the remote control. For this aim, we need information about the objects such as a distance, a profile, and an inclination with the required accuracy. The aim of this research is, thus, to establish and equipment exchanging method by controlling the position of equipments and parts. In order to catch the whole position condition of objects, a rough measurement system was developed, and information was obtained from the front side of parts. Then, a precise measurement system that performs local measurement was constructed to obtain the information around the shade portion of the objects, which is not obtainable by the rough measurement system. Therefore, the new system performs two measurements: a rough measurement and a precise measurement. Consequently, it was found to be effective for acquiring a lot of information that are not obtained only by the rough measurement system form the front side only. Before exchanging equipments, we need to know their conditions whether they are still applicable or not. The another point of this research is, therefore, to develop an on-line deterioration diagnosis method of equipments. Specifically, a new approach in which the laser light is projected onto the equipment surface is proposed to check the contrast of the reflection pattern. Because the contrast is corresponding to the condition of the measured surface and therefore we can conjecture the surface states of the object surface by obtaining the contrast. We examined those states empirically by changing the laser angle of incidence and the receiving angle of camera. As a result, the validity of the on-line diagnosis was confirmed through various experiments. Finally, the possibility of applying VR method was discussed as a control of robot manipulator, although this research is on going. (author)
Hierarchical traits distances explain grassland Fabaceae species' ecological niches distances
Fort, Florian; Jouany, Claire; Cruz, Pablo
2015-01-01
Fabaceae species play a key role in ecosystem functioning through their capacity to fix atmospheric nitrogen via their symbiosis with Rhizobium bacteria. To increase benefits of using Fabaceae in agricultural systems, it is necessary to find ways to evaluate species or genotypes having potential adaptations to sub-optimal growth conditions. We evaluated the relevance of phylogenetic distance, absolute trait distance and hierarchical trait distance for comparing the adaptation of 13 grassland Fabaceae species to different habitats, i.e., ecological niches. We measured a wide range of functional traits (root traits, leaf traits, and whole plant traits) in these species. Species phylogenetic and ecological distances were assessed from a species-level phylogenetic tree and species' ecological indicator values, respectively. We demonstrated that differences in ecological niches between grassland Fabaceae species were related more to their hierarchical trait distances than to their phylogenetic distances. We showed that grassland Fabaceae functional traits tend to converge among species with the same ecological requirements. Species with acquisitive root strategies (thin roots, shallow root systems) are competitive species adapted to non-stressful meadows, while conservative ones (coarse roots, deep root systems) are able to tolerate stressful continental climates. In contrast, acquisitive species appeared to be able to tolerate low soil-P availability, while conservative ones need high P availability. Finally we highlight that traits converge along the ecological gradient, providing the assumption that species with similar root-trait values are better able to coexist, regardless of their phylogenetic distance. PMID:25741353
Hierarchical traits distances explain grassland Fabaceae species’ ecological niches distances
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Florian eFort
2015-02-01
Full Text Available Fabaceae species play a key role in ecosystem functioning through their capacity to fix atmospheric nitrogen via their symbiosis with Rhizobium bacteria. To increase benefits of using Fabaceae in agricultural systems, it is necessary to find ways to evaluate species or genotypes having potential adaptations to sub-optimal growth conditions. We evaluated the relevance of phylogenetic distance, absolute trait distance and hierarchical trait distance for comparing the adaptation of 13 grassland Fabaceae species to different habitats, i.e. ecological niches. We measured a wide range of functional traits (root traits, leaf traits and whole plant traits in these species. Species phylogenetic and ecological distances were assessed from a species-level phylogenetic tree and species’ ecological indicator values, respectively. We demonstrated that differences in ecological niches between grassland Fabaceae species were related more to their hierarchical trait distances than to their phylogenetic distances. We showed that grassland Fabaceae functional traits tend to converge among species with the same ecological requirements. Species with acquisitive root strategies (thin roots, shallow root systems are competitive species adapted to non-stressful meadows, while conservative ones (coarse roots, deep root systems are able to tolerate stressful continental climates. In contrast, acquisitive species appeared to be able to tolerate low soil-P availability, while conservative ones need high P availability. Finally we highlight that traits converge along the ecological gradient, providing the assumption that species with similar root-trait values are better able to coexist, regardless of their phylogenetic distance.
A Short-Range Distance Sensor with Exceptional Linearity
Simmons, Steven; Youngquist, Robert
2013-01-01
A sensor has been demonstrated that can measure distance over a total range of about 300 microns to an accuracy of about 0.1 nm (resolution of about 0.01 nm). This represents an exceptionally large dynamic range of operation - over 1,000,000. The sensor is optical in nature, and requires the attachment of a mirror to the object whose distance is being measured. This work resulted from actively developing a white light interferometric system to be used to measure the depths of defects in the Space Shuttle Orbiter windows. The concept was then applied to measuring distance. The concept later expanded to include spectrometer calibration. In summary, broadband (i.e., white) light is launched into a Michelson interferometer, one mirror of which is fixed and one of which is attached to the object whose distance is to be measured. The light emerging from the interferometer has traveled one of two distances: either the distance to the fixed mirror and back, or the distance to the moving mirror and back. These two light beams mix and produce an interference pattern where some wavelengths interfere constructively and some destructively. Sending this light into a spectrometer allows this interference pattern to be analyzed, yielding the net distance difference between the two paths. The unique feature of this distance sensor is its ability to measure accurately distance over a dynamic range of more than one million, the ratio of its range (about 300 microns) to its accuracy (about 0.1 nanometer). Such a large linear operating range is rare and arises here because both amplitude and phase-matching algorithms contribute to the performance. The sensor is limited by the need to attach a mirror of some kind to the object being tracked, and by the fairly small total range, but the exceptional dynamic range should make it of interest.
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Lassen, Tina Harmer; Frederiksen, Hanne; Kyhl, Henriette Boye
2016-01-01
, Swan SH, Main KM, Andersson AM, Lind DV, Husby S, Wohlfahrt-Veje C, Skakkebæk NE, Jensen TK. 2016. Prenatal triclosan exposure and anthropometric measures including anogenital distance in Danish infants. Environ Health Perspect 124:1261-1268; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1409637.......BACKGROUND: Triclosan (TCS) is widely used as an antibacterial agent in consumer products such as hand soap and toothpaste, and human exposure is widespread. TCS is suspected of having endocrine-disrupting properties, but few human studies have examined the developmental effects of prenatal TCS...
Ethnical distance in Vojvodina: Research results
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Lazar Žolt
2005-01-01
Full Text Available This article presents the results of the ethnical distance measuring in Vojvodina, the north Province of the Republic of Serbia. The measuring was carried out on autumn 2002, during realization of the wider project of multiculturalism research in the mentioned region. According to the results the ethnical distances in Vojvodina are quite equalized and they are grouped around the attitude "all the same". Vojvodinian Serbs are more favorable partners for the majority of social contacts, and the relatively largest distance is shown toward Roma. The ethnical distance results also discovers two very important factors for understanding the interethnic relations in Vojvodina: first, the "rational" kind of social contacts with the members of the other ethnical groups are more preferable for the majority of respondents, and second, they have very equal distances toward their own ethnical groups.
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
McQuinn, Kristen B. W.; Skillman, Evan D.; Berg, Danielle [Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, 116 Church Street, S.E., University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (United States); Cannon, John M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Macalester College, 1600 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55105 (United States); Salzer, John J.; Rhode, Katherine L. [Department of Astronomy, Indiana University, 727 East 3rd Street, Bloomington, IN 47405 (United States); Adams, Elizabeth A. K.; Giovanelli, Riccardo; Haynes, Martha P. [Center for Radiophysics and Space Research, Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); Dolphin, Andrew, E-mail: kmcquinn@astro.umn.edu, E-mail: skillman@astro.umn.edu, E-mail: berg@astro.umn.edu, E-mail: jcannon@macalester.edu, E-mail: rhode@astro.indiana.edu, E-mail: slaz@astro.indiana.edu, E-mail: betsey@astro.cornell.edu, E-mail: riccardo@astro.cornell.edu, E-mail: haynes@astro.cornell.edu [Raytheon Company, 1151 E. Hermans Road, Tucson, AZ 85756 (United States)
2013-12-01
Leo P is a low-luminosity dwarf galaxy discovered through the blind H I Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA survey. The H I and follow-up optical observations have shown that Leo P is a gas-rich dwarf galaxy with both active star formation and an underlying older population, as well as an extremely low oxygen abundance. Here, we measure the distance to Leo P by applying the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) distance method to photometry of the resolved stellar population from new Large Binocular Telescope V and I band imaging. We measure a distance modulus of 26.19{sub −0.50}{sup +0.17} mag corresponding to a distance of 1.72{sub −0.40}{sup +0.14} Mpc. Although our photometry reaches 3 mag below the TRGB, the sparseness of the red giant branch yields higher uncertainties on the lower limit of the distance. Leo P is outside the Local Group with a distance and velocity consistent with the local Hubble flow. While located in a very low-density environment, Leo P lies within ∼0.5 Mpc of a loose association of dwarf galaxies which include NGC 3109, Antlia, Sextans A, and Sextans B, and 1.1 Mpc away from its next nearest neighbor, Leo A. Leo P is one of the lowest metallicity star-forming galaxies known in the nearby universe, comparable in metallicity to I Zw 18 and DDO 68, but with stellar characteristics similar to dwarf spheriodals (dSphs) in the Local Volume such as Carina, Sextans, and Leo II. Given its physical properties and isolation, Leo P may provide an evolutionary link between gas-rich dwarf irregular galaxies and dSphs that have fallen into a Local Group environment and been stripped of their gas.
Accurate measurements of E2 lifetimes using the coincidence recoil-distance method
Bhalla, R. K.; Poletti, A. R.
1984-05-01
Mean lives of four E2 transitions in the (2s, 1d) shell have been measured using the recoil-distance method (RDM), γ-rays de-exciting the level of interest were detected in coincidence with particles detected in an annular detector at a backward angle thereby reducing the background and producing a beam of recoiling nuclei of well-defined energy and recoil direction. Lifetimes measured were: 22Ne, 1.275 MeV level (2 + → 0 +), 5.16±0.13 ps; 26Mg, 3.588 MeV level (0 + → 2 +), 9.29±0.23 ps; 30Si, 3.788 MeV level (0 +→ 2 +), 12.00±0.70 ps; 38Ar, 3.377 MeV level (0 + → 2 +), 34.5±1.5 ps. The present measurements are compared to those of previous investigators. For the 22Ne level, averaged results from four different measurement techniques are compared and found to be in good agreement. The experimental results are compared to shell-model calculations.
Application of discriminant analysis and generalized distance measures to uranium exploration
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Beauchamp, J.J.; Begovich, C.L.; Kane, V.E.; Wolf, D.A.
1980-01-01
The National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) Program has as its goal the estimation of the nation's uranium resources. It is possile to use discriminant analysis methods on hydrogeochemical data collected in the NURE Program to aid in fomulating geochemical models that can be used to identify the anomalous areas used in resource estimation. Discriminant' analysis methods have been applied to data from the Plainview, Texas Quadrangle which has approximately 850 groundwater samples with more than 40 quantitative measurements per sample. Discriminant analysis topics involving estimation of misclassification probabilities, variable selection, and robust discrimination are applied. A method using generalized distance measures is given which enables the assignment of samples to a background population or a mineralized population whose parameters were estimated from separate studies. Each topic is related to its relevance in identifying areas of possible interest to uranium exploration. However, the methodology presented here is applicable to the identification of regions associated with other types of resources. 8 figures, 3 tables
Robustness of Distance-to-Default
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Jessen, Cathrine; Lando, David
2013-01-01
. A notable exception is a model with stochastic volatility of assets. In this case both the ranking of firms and the estimated default probabilities using distance-to-default perform significantly worse. We therefore propose a volatility adjustment of the distance-to-default measure, that significantly...
A tentative theory of large distance physics
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Friedan, Daniel
2003-01-01
A theoretical mechanism is devised to determine the large distance physics of spacetime. It is a two dimensional nonlinear model, the lambda model, set to govern the string world surface in an attempt to remedy the failure of string theory, as it stands. The lambda model is formulated to cancel the infrared divergent effects of handles at short distance on the world surface. The target manifold is the manifold of background spacetimes. The coupling strength is the spacetime coupling constant. The lambda model operates at 2d distance Δ -1 , very much shorter than the 2d distance μ -1 where the world surface is seen. A large characteristic spacetime distance L is given by L 2 ln(Δ/μ). Spacetime fields of wave number up to 1=L are the local coordinates for the manifold of spacetimes. The distribution of fluctuations at 2d distances shorter than Δ -1 gives the a priori measure on the target manifold, the manifold of spacetimes. If this measure concentrates at a macroscopic spacetime, then, nearby, it is a measure on the spacetime fields. The lambda model thereby constructs a spacetime quantum field theory, cutoff at ultraviolet distance L, describing physics at distances larger than L. The lambda model also constructs an effective string theory with infrared cutoff L, describing physics at distances smaller than L. The lambda model evolves outward from zero 2d distance, Δ -1 = 0, building spacetime physics starting from L ∞ and proceeding downward in L. L can be taken smaller than any distance practical for experiments, so the lambda model, if right, gives all actually observable physics. The harmonic surfaces in the manifold of spacetimes are expected to have novel nonperturbative effects at large distances. (author)
Haptic Discrimination of Distance
van Beek, Femke E.; Bergmann Tiest, Wouter M.; Kappers, Astrid M. L.
2014-01-01
While quite some research has focussed on the accuracy of haptic perception of distance, information on the precision of haptic perception of distance is still scarce, particularly regarding distances perceived by making arm movements. In this study, eight conditions were measured to answer four main questions, which are: what is the influence of reference distance, movement axis, perceptual mode (active or passive) and stimulus type on the precision of this kind of distance perception? A discrimination experiment was performed with twelve participants. The participants were presented with two distances, using either a haptic device or a real stimulus. Participants compared the distances by moving their hand from a start to an end position. They were then asked to judge which of the distances was the longer, from which the discrimination threshold was determined for each participant and condition. The precision was influenced by reference distance. No effect of movement axis was found. The precision was higher for active than for passive movements and it was a bit lower for real stimuli than for rendered stimuli, but it was not affected by adding cutaneous information. Overall, the Weber fraction for the active perception of a distance of 25 or 35 cm was about 11% for all cardinal axes. The recorded position data suggest that participants, in order to be able to judge which distance was the longer, tried to produce similar speed profiles in both movements. This knowledge could be useful in the design of haptic devices. PMID:25116638
Haptic discrimination of distance.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Femke E van Beek
Full Text Available While quite some research has focussed on the accuracy of haptic perception of distance, information on the precision of haptic perception of distance is still scarce, particularly regarding distances perceived by making arm movements. In this study, eight conditions were measured to answer four main questions, which are: what is the influence of reference distance, movement axis, perceptual mode (active or passive and stimulus type on the precision of this kind of distance perception? A discrimination experiment was performed with twelve participants. The participants were presented with two distances, using either a haptic device or a real stimulus. Participants compared the distances by moving their hand from a start to an end position. They were then asked to judge which of the distances was the longer, from which the discrimination threshold was determined for each participant and condition. The precision was influenced by reference distance. No effect of movement axis was found. The precision was higher for active than for passive movements and it was a bit lower for real stimuli than for rendered stimuli, but it was not affected by adding cutaneous information. Overall, the Weber fraction for the active perception of a distance of 25 or 35 cm was about 11% for all cardinal axes. The recorded position data suggest that participants, in order to be able to judge which distance was the longer, tried to produce similar speed profiles in both movements. This knowledge could be useful in the design of haptic devices.
Handwriting individualization using distance and rarity
Tang, Yi; Srihari, Sargur; Srinivasan, Harish
2012-01-01
Forensic individualization is the task of associating observed evidence with a specific source. The likelihood ratio (LR) is a quantitative measure that expresses the degree of uncertainty in individualization, where the numerator represents the likelihood that the evidence corresponds to the known and the denominator the likelihood that it does not correspond to the known. Since the number of parameters needed to compute the LR is exponential with the number of feature measurements, a commonly used simplification is the use of likelihoods based on distance (or similarity) given the two alternative hypotheses. This paper proposes an intermediate method which decomposes the LR as the product of two factors, one based on distance and the other on rarity. It was evaluated using a data set of handwriting samples, by determining whether two writing samples were written by the same/different writer(s). The accuracy of the distance and rarity method, as measured by error rates, is significantly better than the distance method.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Lei Chen
2018-01-01
Full Text Available Conflict management in Dempster-Shafer theory (D-S theory is a hot topic in information fusion. In this paper, a novel weighted evidence combination rule based on evidence distance and uncertainty measure is proposed. The proposed approach consists of two steps. First, the weight is determined based on the evidence distance. Then, the weight value obtained in first step is modified by taking advantage of uncertainty. Our proposed method can efficiently handle high conflicting evidences with better performance of convergence. A numerical example and an application based on sensor fusion in fault diagnosis are given to demonstrate the efficiency of our proposed method.
Continuity Properties of Distances for Markov Processes
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Jaeger, Manfred; Mao, Hua; Larsen, Kim Guldstrand
2014-01-01
In this paper we investigate distance functions on finite state Markov processes that measure the behavioural similarity of non-bisimilar processes. We consider both probabilistic bisimilarity metrics, and trace-based distances derived from standard Lp and Kullback-Leibler distances. Two desirable...
Gualtieri, J. A.; Le Moigne, J.; Packer, C. V.
1992-01-01
Comparing two binary images and assigning a quantitative measure to this comparison finds its purpose in such tasks as image recognition, image compression, and image browsing. This quantitative measurement may be computed by utilizing the Hausdorff distance of the images represented as two-dimensional point sets. In this paper, we review two algorithms that have been proposed to compute this distance, and we present a parallel implementation of one of them on the MasPar parallel processor. We study their complexity and the results obtained by these algorithms for two different types of images: a set of displaced pairs of images of Gaussian densities, and a comparison of a Canny edge image with several edge images from a hierarchical region growing code.
Gerullis, Anita; Huber, Christian
2018-01-01
This review provides an overview of definitions and measurements of 'Social Distance' and attitudes children without disabilities carry towards children with disabilities. Measures include explicit and implicit approaches but clearly, the 'Bogardus Social Distance Scale' ("A Social Distance Scale," 1933, 14 May 2014) is the most used…
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Matthew R Holdgate
Full Text Available Research with humans and other animals suggests that walking benefits physical health. Perhaps because these links have been demonstrated in other species, it has been suggested that walking is important to elephant welfare, and that zoo elephant exhibits should be designed to allow for more walking. Our study is the first to address this suggestion empirically by measuring the mean daily walking distance of elephants in North American zoos, determining the factors that are associated with variations in walking distance, and testing for associations between walking and welfare indicators. We used anklets equipped with GPS data loggers to measure outdoor daily walking distance in 56 adult female African (n = 33 and Asian (n = 23 elephants housed in 30 North American zoos. We collected 259 days of data and determined associations between distance walked and social, housing, management, and demographic factors. Elephants walked an average of 5.3 km/day with no significant difference between species. In our multivariable model, more diverse feeding regimens were correlated with increased walking, and elephants who were fed on a temporally unpredictable feeding schedule walked 1.29 km/day more than elephants fed on a predictable schedule. Distance walked was also positively correlated with an increase in the number of social groupings and negatively correlated with age. We found a small but significant negative correlation between distance walked and nighttime Space Experience, but no other associations between walking distances and exhibit size were found. Finally, distance walked was not related to health or behavioral outcomes including foot health, joint health, body condition, and the performance of stereotypic behavior, suggesting that more research is necessary to determine explicitly how differences in walking may impact elephant welfare.
Holdgate, Matthew R; Meehan, Cheryl L; Hogan, Jennifer N; Miller, Lance J; Soltis, Joseph; Andrews, Jeff; Shepherdson, David J
2016-01-01
Research with humans and other animals suggests that walking benefits physical health. Perhaps because these links have been demonstrated in other species, it has been suggested that walking is important to elephant welfare, and that zoo elephant exhibits should be designed to allow for more walking. Our study is the first to address this suggestion empirically by measuring the mean daily walking distance of elephants in North American zoos, determining the factors that are associated with variations in walking distance, and testing for associations between walking and welfare indicators. We used anklets equipped with GPS data loggers to measure outdoor daily walking distance in 56 adult female African (n = 33) and Asian (n = 23) elephants housed in 30 North American zoos. We collected 259 days of data and determined associations between distance walked and social, housing, management, and demographic factors. Elephants walked an average of 5.3 km/day with no significant difference between species. In our multivariable model, more diverse feeding regimens were correlated with increased walking, and elephants who were fed on a temporally unpredictable feeding schedule walked 1.29 km/day more than elephants fed on a predictable schedule. Distance walked was also positively correlated with an increase in the number of social groupings and negatively correlated with age. We found a small but significant negative correlation between distance walked and nighttime Space Experience, but no other associations between walking distances and exhibit size were found. Finally, distance walked was not related to health or behavioral outcomes including foot health, joint health, body condition, and the performance of stereotypic behavior, suggesting that more research is necessary to determine explicitly how differences in walking may impact elephant welfare.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Lee, Myung Uk
1979-01-01
The radiological measurement of the interpedicular disease using a routine antero-posterior view of the spine gives important clinical criteria in evaluation of the intraspinal tumor and stenosis of the spinal canal, and aids for diagnosis of the lesions. In 1934 Elsberg and Dyke reported values of interpedicular distance as determined on roentgenograms for spine of white adult, and in 1968 Song prepared normal values of interpedicular distance for Korean adult. The present investigation was undertaken to provide normal interpedicular distance of Korean teenagers. The author observed the antero-posterior films of the spine of 200 normal teenagers which were composed of 100 male and 100 female. The normal values of the interpedicular distance of Korean teenagers were obtained, as well as 90% tolerance range for clinical use. In this statistical analysis, there were noted significant differences between male and female, and each age groups. It was observed that average male measurement were consistently larger than female by about 1 mm and the growth of the spinal canal appeared to be continued.
Measuring Oral Proficiency in Distance, Face-to-Face, and Blended Classrooms
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Robert Blake
2008-10-01
Full Text Available Although the foreign-language profession routinely stresses the importance of technology for the curriculum, many teachers still harbor deep-seated doubts as to whether or not a hybrid course, much less a completely distance-learning class, could provide L2 learners with a way to reach linguistic proficiency, especially with respect to oral language skills. In this study, we examine the case of Spanish Without Walls (SWW, a first-year language course offered at the University of California - Davis in both hybrid and distance-learning formats. The SWW curriculum includes materials delivered via CD-ROM/DVD programs, online content-based web pages, and synchronous bimodal chat that includes sound and text. The contribution of each of these components is evaluated in the context of a successful technologically assisted course. To address the issue of oral proficiency, we compare the results from both classroom and distance-learning students who took the 20-minute Versant for Spanish test, delivered by phone and automatically graded. The data generated by this instrument shows that classroom, hybrid, and distance L2 learners reach comparable levels of oral proficiency during their first year of study. Reference is also made to two other ongoing efforts to provide distance-learning courses in Arabic and Punjabi, two languages where special difficulties in their writing systems have an impact on the design of the distant-learning format. The rationale for offering language courses in either a hybrid or distance-learning format is examined in light of increasing societal pressures to help L2 learners reach advanced proficiency, especially in less commonly taught languages (LCTLs.
Philtrum length and intercommissural distance measurements at mixed dentition period.
Mostafa, Mostafa; Hassib, Nehal; Sayed, Inas; Neamat, Amany; Ramzy, Magda; El-Badry, Tarek; ElGabry, Hisham; Salem, Haidy; Omar, Nada; Ismail, Amira; Ibrahim, Yousra; Shebaita, Amr; Allam, Ahmed; Mostafa, Magdy
2018-05-01
Anthropometric measurements of the lip and mouth are of great importance in clinical dysmorphology as well as reconstructive plastic surgery. In this study, the philtrum length (PhL) and intercommissural distance (ICmD) nomograms for Egyptian children in the mixed dentition period were established. A group of 1,338 Egyptian students in primary schools (735 boys and 603 girls) were included in the study. The students were at mixed dentition period and their ages ranged from 7 to 12 years. Anthropometric norms of PhL and ICmD were developed with significant sex difference in certain groups. A ratio between PhL and ICmD was developed. These data will help facilitate both objective and subjective evaluation of the lip and mouth for proper diagnosis of orofacial anomalies and variations as well as for ideal treatment plans. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Fast and accurate measurement of on-axis gain and on-axis polarization at a finite distance
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Pivnenko, S.; Breinbjerg, O.
2013-01-01
-field substitution technique in which the measurement distance is defined between the phase centres of the antennas. The location of the phase centre of the antenna under test (AUT) is found from a quick pattern measurement consisting of only four cuts including the main and diagonal planes. Additionally, in order...... to reduce the amount of measurement data and thus measurement time, the phase centre location is found on a sparse frequency grid and the values in the intermediate points are found by interpolation. The antenna polarization is determined from the amplitude/phase frequency sweeps with two orthogonal AUT...
Multi-Segment Radius Measurement Using an Absolute Distance Meter Through a Null Assembly
Merle, Cormic; Wick, Eric; Hayden, Joseph
2011-01-01
This system was one of the test methods considered for measuring the radius of curvature of one or more of the 18 segmented mirrors that form the 6.5 m diameter primary mirror (PM) of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The assembled telescope will be tested at cryogenic temperatures in a 17-m diameter by 27-m high vacuum chamber at the Johnson Space Center. This system uses a Leica Absolute Distance Meter (ADM), at a wavelength of 780 nm, combined with beam-steering and beam-shaping optics to make a differential distance measurement between a ring mirror on the reflective null assembly and individual PM segments. The ADM is located inside the same Pressure-Tight Enclosure (PTE) that houses the test interferometer. The PTE maintains the ADM and interferometer at ambient temperature and pressure so that they are not directly exposed to the telescope s harsh cryogenic and vacuum environment. This system takes advantage of the existing achromatic objective and reflective null assembly used by the test interferometer to direct four ADM beamlets to four PM segments through an optical path that is coincident with the interferometer beam. A mask, positioned on a linear slide, contains an array of 1.25 mm diameter circular subapertures that map to each of the 18 PM segments as well as six positions around the ring mirror. A down-collimated 4 mm ADM beam simultaneously covers 4 adjacent PM segment beamlets and one ring mirror beamlet. The radius, or spacing, of all 18 segments can be measured with the addition of two orthogonally-oriented scanning pentaprisms used to steer the ADM beam to any one of six different sub-aperture configurations at the plane of the ring mirror. The interferometer beam, at a wavelength of 687 nm, and the ADM beamlets, at a wavelength of 780 nm, pass through the objective and null so that the rays are normally incident on the parabolic PM surface. After reflecting off the PM, both the ADM and interferometer beams return to their respective
A definition of distance and method of making space-time measurements
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Brisson, D.W.
1980-01-01
The paper explores an extended definition of the absolute value of a complex number and thus a new definition of distance. This new definition, called the nabsolute value of a complex number, is (Z) where Z = (a or ia) + (b or ib), so that (Z) is equivalent to [α 2 + β 2 ]sup(1/2), and α = a or ia, β = b or ib. This is shown on a superimposed X,Y plot and iX,iY plot so that four dimensions are represented in a plane. The application of this scheme to space-time measurement is then identified with the Minkowski Plane which has identical properties with the complex plane, with this new interpretation of the absolute value of a complex number. (Auth.)
Zhang, Fangzheng; Ge, Xiaozhong; Gao, Bindong; Pan, Shilong
2015-08-24
A novel scheme for photonic generation of a phase-coded microwave signal is proposed and its application in one-dimension distance measurement is demonstrated. The proposed signal generator has a simple and compact structure based on a single dual-polarization modulator. Besides, the generated phase-coded signal is stable and free from the DC and low-frequency backgrounds. An experiment is carried out. A 2 Gb/s phase-coded signal at 20 GHz is successfully generated, and the recovered phase information agrees well with the input 13-bit Barker code. To further investigate the performance of the proposed signal generator, its application in one-dimension distance measurement is demonstrated. The measurement accuracy is less than 1.7 centimeters within a measurement range of ~2 meters. The experimental results can verify the feasibility of the proposed phase-coded microwave signal generator and also provide strong evidence to support its practical applications.
Fekete, Gábor; Fodor, Emese; Pesznyák, Csilla
2015-03-08
A novel method has been put forward for very large electron beam profile measurement. With this method, absorbed dose profiles can be measured at any depth in a solid phantom for total skin electron therapy. Electron beam dose profiles were collected with two different methods. Profile measurements were performed at 0.2 and 1.2 cm depths with a parallel plate and a thimble chamber, respectively. 108cm × 108 cm and 45 cm × 45 cm projected size electron beams were scanned by vertically moving phantom and detector at 300 cm source-to-surface distance with 90° and 270° gantry angles. The profiles collected this way were used as reference. Afterwards, the phantom was fixed on the central axis and the gantry was rotated with certain angular steps. After applying correction for the different source-to-detector distances and incidence of angle, the profiles measured in the two different setups were compared. Correction formalism has been developed. The agreement between the cross profiles taken at the depth of maximum dose with the 'classical' scanning and with the new moving gantry method was better than 0.5 % in the measuring range from zero to 71.9 cm. Inverse square and attenuation corrections had to be applied. The profiles measured with the parallel plate chamber agree better than 1%, except for the penumbra region, where the maximum difference is 1.5%. With the moving gantry method, very large electron field profiles can be measured at any depth in a solid phantom with high accuracy and reproducibility and with much less time per step. No special instrumentation is needed. The method can be used for commissioning of very large electron beams for computer-assisted treatment planning, for designing beam modifiers to improve dose uniformity, and for verification of computed dose profiles.
DL-sQUAL: A Multiple-Item Scale for Measuring Service Quality of Online Distance Learning Programs
Shaik, Naj; Lowe, Sue; Pinegar, Kem
2006-01-01
Education is a service with multiplicity of student interactions over time and across multiple touch points. Quality teaching needs to be supplemented by consistent quality supporting services for programs to succeed under the competitive distance learning landscape. ServQual and e-SQ scales have been proposed for measuring quality of traditional…
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Martin Carlsen
Full Text Available Knowledge-based potentials are energy functions derived from the analysis of databases of protein structures and sequences. They can be divided into two classes. Potentials from the first class are based on a direct conversion of the distributions of some geometric properties observed in native protein structures into energy values, while potentials from the second class are trained to mimic quantitatively the geometric differences between incorrectly folded models and native structures. In this paper, we focus on the relationship between energy and geometry when training the second class of knowledge-based potentials. We assume that the difference in energy between a decoy structure and the corresponding native structure is linearly related to the distance between the two structures. We trained two distance-based knowledge-based potentials accordingly, one based on all inter-residue distances (PPD, while the other had the set of all distances filtered to reflect consistency in an ensemble of decoys (PPE. We tested four types of metric to characterize the distance between the decoy and the native structure, two based on extrinsic geometry (RMSD and GTD-TS*, and two based on intrinsic geometry (Q* and MT. The corresponding eight potentials were tested on a large collection of decoy sets. We found that it is usually better to train a potential using an intrinsic distance measure. We also found that PPE outperforms PPD, emphasizing the benefits of capturing consistent information in an ensemble. The relevance of these results for the design of knowledge-based potentials is discussed.
Alzahrani, Khaled; Burton, David; Lilley, Francis; Gdeisat, Munther; Bezombes, Frederic; Qudeisat, Mohammad
2012-02-27
We present a novel system that can measure absolute distances of up to 300 mm with an uncertainty of the order of one micrometer, within a timeframe of 40 seconds. The proposed system uses a Michelson interferometer, a tunable laser, a wavelength meter and a computer for analysis. The principle of synthetic wave creation is used in a novel way in that the system employs an initial low precision estimate of the distance, obtained using a triangulation, or time-of-flight, laser system, or similar, and then iterates through a sequence of progressively smaller synthetic wavelengths until it reaches micrometer uncertainties in the determination of the distance. A further novel feature of the system is its use of Fourier transform phase analysis techniques to achieve sub-wavelength accuracy. This method has the major advantages of being relatively simple to realize, offering demonstrated high relative precisions better than 5 × 10(-5). Finally, the fact that this device does not require a continuous line-of-sight to the target as is the case with other configurations offers significant advantages.
The interuncal distance in elderly patients with dementia
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hanyu, Haruo; Takasaki, Masaru; Sugiyama, Takeshi; Abe, Shinei; Kobayashi, Yasutaka; Maehata, Yukihiko; Katsunuma, Hidetaka.
1993-01-01
The interuncal distance between the unci of the temporal lobes was measured from axial MR images of the brain in elderly patients with dementia including dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT), vascular dementia (VD), and others. The measured value of the interuncal distance completely separated patients with DAT from normal controls, and there was significant diference in the interuncal distance between patients with DAT and VD. This measurement is a practical method of assessing hippocampal atrophy and appears to be a useful adjunct in the clinical diagnosis of DAT. (author)
Auditory/visual distance estimation: accuracy and variability
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Paul Wallace Anderson
2014-10-01
Full Text Available Past research has shown that auditory distance estimation improves when listeners are given the opportunity to see all possible sound sources when compared to no visual input. It has also been established that distance estimation is more accurate in vision than in audition. The present study investigates the degree to which auditory distance estimation is improved when matched with a congruent visual stimulus. Virtual sound sources based on binaural room impulse response (BRIR measurements made from distances ranging from approximately 0.3 to 9.8 m in a concert hall were used as auditory stimuli. Visual stimuli were photographs taken from the listener’s perspective at each distance in the impulse response measurement setup presented on a large HDTV monitor. Listeners were asked to estimate egocentric distance to the sound source in each of three conditions: auditory only (A, visual only (V, and congruent auditory/visual stimuli (A+V. Each condition was presented within its own block. Sixty-two listeners were tested in order to quantify the response variability inherent in auditory distance perception. Distance estimates from both the V and A+V conditions were found to be considerably more accurate and less variable than estimates from the A condition.
Time-Distance Helioseismology: Noise Estimation
Gizon, L.; Birch, A. C.
2004-10-01
As in global helioseismology, the dominant source of noise in time-distance helioseismology measurements is realization noise due to the stochastic nature of the excitation mechanism of solar oscillations. Characterizing noise is important for the interpretation and inversion of time-distance measurements. In this paper we introduce a robust definition of travel time that can be applied to very noisy data. We then derive a simple model for the full covariance matrix of the travel-time measurements. This model depends only on the expectation value of the filtered power spectrum and assumes that solar oscillations are stationary and homogeneous on the solar surface. The validity of the model is confirmed through comparison with SOHO MDI measurements in a quiet-Sun region. We show that the correlation length of the noise in the travel times is about half the dominant wavelength of the filtered power spectrum. We also show that the signal-to-noise ratio in quiet-Sun travel-time maps increases roughly as the square root of the observation time and is at maximum for a distance near half the length scale of supergranulation.
Assessing distances and consistency of kinematics in Gaia/TGAS
Schönrich, Ralph; Aumer, Michael
2017-12-01
We apply the statistical methods by Schönrich, Binney & Asplund to assess the quality of distances and kinematics in the Radial Velocity Experiment (RAVE)-Tycho-Gaia Astrometric Solution (TGAS) and Large Sky Area Multiobject Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST)-TGAS samples of Solar neighbourhood stars. These methods yield a nominal distance accuracy of 1-2 per cent. Other than common tests on parallax accuracy, they directly test distance estimations including the effects of distance priors. We show how to construct these priors including the survey selection functions (SSFs) directly from the data. We demonstrate that neglecting the SSFs causes severe distance biases. Due to the decline of the SSFs in distance, the simple 1/parallax estimate only mildly underestimates distances. We test the accuracy of measured line-of-sight velocities (vlos) by binning the samples in the nominal vlos uncertainties. We find: (i) the LAMOST vlos have a ∼-5 km s-1 offset; (ii) the average LAMOST measurement error for vlos is ∼7 km s-1, significantly smaller than, and nearly uncorrelated with the nominal LAMOST estimates. The RAVE sample shows either a moderate distance underestimate, or an unaccounted source of vlos dispersion (e∥) from measurement errors and binary stars. For a subsample of suspected binary stars in RAVE, our methods indicate significant distance underestimates. Separating a sample in metallicity or kinematics to select thick-disc/halo stars, discriminates between distance bias and e∥. For LAMOST, this separation yields consistency with pure vlos measurement errors. We find an anomaly near longitude l ∼ (300 ± 60)° and distance s ∼ (0.32 ± 0.03) kpc on both sides of the galactic plane, which could be explained by either a localized distance error or a breathing mode.
Long distance measurement with a femtosecond laser based frequency comb
Bhattacharya, N.; Cui, M.; Zeitouny, M. G.; Urbach, H. P.; van den Berg, S. A.
2017-11-01
Recent advances in the field of ultra-short pulse lasers have led to the development of reliable sources of carrier envelope phase stabilized femtosecond pulses. The pulse train generated by such a source has a frequency spectrum that consists of discrete, regularly spaced lines known as a frequency comb. In this case both the frequency repetition and the carrier-envelope-offset frequency are referenced to a frequency standard, like an atomic clock. As a result the accuracy of the frequency standard is transferred to the optical domain, with the frequency comb as transfer oscillator. These unique properties allow the frequency comb to be applied as a versatile tool, not only for time and frequency metrology, but also in fundamental physics, high-precision spectroscopy, and laser noise characterization. The pulse-to-pulse phase relationship of the light emitted by the frequency comb has opened up new directions for long range highly accurate distance measurement.
Interuncal distance measurements in normal controls and patients with dementia. MR imaging study
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ishii, Kazunari; Kitagaki, Hajime; Sakamoto, Setsu; Yamaji, Shigeru; Kono, Michio.
1995-01-01
To evaluate the utility of measuring interuncal distance (IUD) as a reflection of the limbic system, we compared the IUD of 60 dementia patients with that of 10 normal controls. We also measured the width of the intracranial compartment (W1 and W2) to correct for differences in individual brain size, and calculated the ratio of IUD/W1 and IUD/W2. IUD could not separate patients with dementia from normal controls, but there were significant differences in IUD/W1 and IUD/W2 between patients with dementia and normal controls. IUD, IUD/W1 and IUD/W2 did not correlate with Mini-Mental Examination score or ADAS score in patients with dementia. We conclude that IUD measurement is not helpful in distinguishing patients with mild stage dementia from normal aged people or as a scale for dementia. However, we suggest that IUD/W1 and IUD/W2 can discriminate between cases of mild dementia and normal aged people. (author)
Nanomechanical characterization by double-pass force-distance mapping
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Dagdas, Yavuz S; Tekinay, Ayse B; Guler, Mustafa O; Dana, Aykutlu [UNAM Institute of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Bilkent University, 06800 Ankara (Turkey); Necip Aslan, M, E-mail: aykutlu@unam.bilkent.edu.tr [Department of Physics, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul (Turkey)
2011-07-22
We demonstrate high speed force-distance mapping using a double-pass scheme. The topography is measured in tapping mode in the first pass and this information is used in the second pass to move the tip over the sample. In the second pass, the cantilever dither signal is turned off and the sample is vibrated. Rapid (few kHz frequency) force-distance curves can be recorded with small peak interaction force, and can be processed into an image. Such a double-pass measurement eliminates the need for feedback during force-distance measurements. The method is demonstrated on self-assembled peptidic nanofibers.
Nanomechanical characterization by double-pass force-distance mapping
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Dagdas, Yavuz S; Tekinay, Ayse B; Guler, Mustafa O; Dana, Aykutlu; Necip Aslan, M
2011-01-01
We demonstrate high speed force-distance mapping using a double-pass scheme. The topography is measured in tapping mode in the first pass and this information is used in the second pass to move the tip over the sample. In the second pass, the cantilever dither signal is turned off and the sample is vibrated. Rapid (few kHz frequency) force-distance curves can be recorded with small peak interaction force, and can be processed into an image. Such a double-pass measurement eliminates the need for feedback during force-distance measurements. The method is demonstrated on self-assembled peptidic nanofibers.
Kawanishi, Y; Moritomo, H; Omori, S; Kataoka, T; Murase, T; Sugamoto, K
2014-06-01
Positive ulnar variance is associated with ulnar impaction syndrome and ulnar variance is reported to increase with pronation. However, radiographic measurement can be affected markedly by the incident angle of the X-ray beam. We performed three-dimensional (3-D) computed tomography measurements of ulnar variance and ulnolunate distance during forearm rotation and compared these with plain radiographic measurements in 15 healthy wrists. From supination to pronation, ulnar variance increased in all cases on the radiographs; mean ulnar variance increased significantly and mean ulnolunate distance decreased significantly. However on 3-D imaging, ulna variance decreased in 12 cases on moving into pronation and increased in three cases; neither the mean ulnar variance nor mean ulnolunate distance changed significantly. Our results suggest that the forearm position in which ulnar variance increased varies among individuals. This may explain why some patients with ulnar impaction syndrome complain of wrist pain exacerbated by forearm supination. It also suggests that standard radiographic assessments of ulnar variance are unreliable. © The Author(s) 2013.
A VLBI resolution of the Pleiades distance controversy.
Melis, Carl; Reid, Mark J; Mioduszewski, Amy J; Stauffer, John R; Bower, Geoffrey C
2014-08-29
Because of its proximity and its youth, the Pleiades open cluster of stars has been extensively studied and serves as a cornerstone for our understanding of the physical properties of young stars. This role is called into question by the "Pleiades distance controversy," wherein the cluster distance of 120.2 ± 1.5 parsecs (pc) as measured by the optical space astrometry mission Hipparcos is significantly different from the distance of 133.5 ± 1.2 pc derived with other techniques. We present an absolute trigonometric parallax distance measurement to the Pleiades cluster that uses very long baseline radio interferometry (VLBI). This distance of 136.2 ± 1.2 pc is the most accurate and precise yet presented for the cluster and is incompatible with the Hipparcos distance determination. Our results cement existing astrophysical models for Pleiades-age stars. Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Improved Iris Recognition through Fusion of Hamming Distance and Fragile Bit Distance.
Hollingsworth, Karen P; Bowyer, Kevin W; Flynn, Patrick J
2011-12-01
The most common iris biometric algorithm represents the texture of an iris using a binary iris code. Not all bits in an iris code are equally consistent. A bit is deemed fragile if its value changes across iris codes created from different images of the same iris. Previous research has shown that iris recognition performance can be improved by masking these fragile bits. Rather than ignoring fragile bits completely, we consider what beneficial information can be obtained from the fragile bits. We find that the locations of fragile bits tend to be consistent across different iris codes of the same eye. We present a metric, called the fragile bit distance, which quantitatively measures the coincidence of the fragile bit patterns in two iris codes. We find that score fusion of fragile bit distance and Hamming distance works better for recognition than Hamming distance alone. To our knowledge, this is the first and only work to use the coincidence of fragile bit locations to improve the accuracy of matches.
Green, Adam E; Kraemer, David J M; Fugelsang, Jonathan A; Gray, Jeremy R; Dunbar, Kevin N
2010-01-01
Solving problems often requires seeing new connections between concepts or events that seemed unrelated at first. Innovative solutions of this kind depend on analogical reasoning, a relational reasoning process that involves mapping similarities between concepts. Brain-based evidence has implicated the frontal pole of the brain as important for analogical mapping. Separately, cognitive research has identified semantic distance as a key characteristic of the kind of analogical mapping that can support innovation (i.e., identifying similarities across greater semantic distance reveals connections that support more innovative solutions and models). However, the neural substrates of semantically distant analogical mapping are not well understood. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain activity during an analogical reasoning task, in which we parametrically varied the semantic distance between the items in the analogies. Semantic distance was derived quantitatively from latent semantic analysis. Across 23 participants, activity in an a priori region of interest (ROI) in left frontopolar cortex covaried parametrically with increasing semantic distance, even after removing effects of task difficulty. This ROI was centered on a functional peak that we previously associated with analogical mapping. To our knowledge, these data represent a first empirical characterization of how the brain mediates semantically distant analogical mapping.
EDUCATEE'S THESAURUS AS AN OBJECT OF MEASURING LEARNED MATERIAL OF THE DISTANCE LEARNING COURSE
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Alexander Aleksandrovich RYBANOV
2013-10-01
Full Text Available Monitoring and control over the process of studying the distance learning course are based on solving the problem of making out an adequate integral mark to the educatee for mastering entire study course, by testing results. It is suggested to use the degree of correspondence between educatee's thesaurus and the study course thesaurus as an integral mark for the degree of mastering the distance learning course. Study course thesaurus is a set of the course objects with relations between them specified. The article considers metrics of the study course thesaurus complexity, made on the basis of the graph theory and the information theory. It is suggested to use the amount of information contained in the study course thesaurus graph as the metrics of the study course thesaurus complexity. Educatee's thesaurus is considered as an object of measuring educational material learned at the semantic level and is assessed on the basis of amount of information contained in its graph, taking into account the factors of learning the thesaurus objects.
VCSEL-based sensors for distance and velocity
Moench, Holger; Carpaij, Mark; Gerlach, Philipp; Gronenborn, Stephan; Gudde, Ralph; Hellmig, Jochen; Kolb, Johanna; van der Lee, Alexander
2016-03-01
VCSEL based sensors can measure distance and velocity in three dimensional space and are already produced in high quantities for professional and consumer applications. Several physical principles are used: VCSELs are applied as infrared illumination for surveillance cameras. High power arrays combined with imaging optics provide a uniform illumination of scenes up to a distance of several hundred meters. Time-of-flight methods use a pulsed VCSEL as light source, either with strong single pulses at low duty cycle or with pulse trains. Because of the sensitivity to background light and the strong decrease of the signal with distance several Watts of laser power are needed at a distance of up to 100m. VCSEL arrays enable power scaling and can provide very short pulses at higher power density. Applications range from extended functions in a smartphone over industrial sensors up to automotive LIDAR for driver assistance and autonomous driving. Self-mixing interference works with coherent laser photons scattered back into the cavity. It is therefore insensitive to environmental light. The method is used to measure target velocity and distance with very high accuracy at distances up to one meter. Single-mode VCSELs with integrated photodiode and grating stabilized polarization enable very compact and cost effective products. Besides the well know application as computer input device new applications with even higher accuracy or for speed over ground measurement in automobiles and up to 250km/h are investigated. All measurement methods exploit the known VCSEL properties like robustness, stability over temperature and the potential for packages with integrated optics and electronics. This makes VCSEL sensors ideally suited for new mass applications in consumer and automotive markets.
Distance of Sample Measurement Points to Prototype Catalog Curve
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Hjorth, Poul G.; Karamehmedovic, Mirza; Perram, John
2006-01-01
We discuss strategies for comparing discrete data points to a catalog (reference) curve by means of the Euclidean distance from each point to the curve in a pump's head H vs. flow Qdiagram. In particular we find that a method currently in use is inaccurate. We propose several alternatives...
INTERPRETING THE DISTANCE CORRELATION RESULTS FOR THE COMBO-17 SURVEY
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Richards, Mercedes T.; Richards, Donald St. P.; Martínez-Gómez, Elizabeth
2014-01-01
The accurate classification of galaxies in large-sample astrophysical databases of galaxy clusters depends sensitively on the ability to distinguish between morphological types, especially at higher redshifts. This capability can be enhanced through a new statistical measure of association and correlation, called the distance correlation coefficient, which has more statistical power to detect associations than does the classical Pearson measure of linear relationships between two variables. The distance correlation measure offers a more precise alternative to the classical measure since it is capable of detecting nonlinear relationships that may appear in astrophysical applications. We showed recently that the comparison between the distance and Pearson correlation coefficients can be used effectively to isolate potential outliers in various galaxy data sets, and this comparison has the ability to confirm the level of accuracy associated with the data. In this work, we elucidate the advantages of distance correlation when applied to large databases. We illustrate how the distance correlation measure can be used effectively as a tool to confirm nonlinear relationships between various variables in the COMBO-17 database, including the lengths of the major and minor axes, and the alternative redshift distribution. For these outlier pairs, the distance correlation coefficient is routinely higher than the Pearson coefficient since it is easier to detect nonlinear relationships with distance correlation. The V-shaped scatter plots of Pearson versus distance correlation coefficients also reveal the patterns with increasing redshift and the contributions of different galaxy types within each redshift range
Albert, A D; Watts, A; Spooner, P; Groebner, G; Young, J; Yeagle, P L
1997-08-14
Structural information on mammalian integral membrane proteins is scarce. As part of work on an alternative approach to the structure of bovine rhodopsin, a method was devised to obtain an intramolecular distance between two specific sites on rhodopsin while in the rod outer segment disk membrane. In this report, the distance between the rhodopsin kinase phosphorylation site(s) on the carboxyl terminal and the top of the third transmembrane helix was measured on native rhodopsin. Rhodopsin was labeled with a nuclear spin label (31P) by limited phosphorylation with rhodopsin kinase. Major phosphorylation occurs at serines 343 and 338 on the carboxyl terminal. The phosphorylated rhodopsin was then specifically labeled on cysteine 140 with an electron spin label. Magic angle spinning 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance revealed the resonance arising from the phosphorylated protein. The enhancement of the transverse relaxation of this resonance by the paramagnetic spin label was observed. The strength of this perturbation was used to determine the through-space distance between the phosphorylation site(s) and the spin label position. A distance of 18 +/- 3 A was obtained.
Riva Mylène; Abdelmajid Mohamed; Apparicio Philippe; Shearmur Richard
2008-01-01
Abstract Background Over the past two decades, geographical accessibility of urban resources for population living in residential areas has received an increased focus in urban health studies. Operationalising and computing geographical accessibility measures depend on a set of four parameters, namely definition of residential areas, a method of aggregation, a measure of accessibility, and a type of distance. Yet, the choice of these parameters may potentially generate different results leadi...
Long distance elementary measurement of the radiation dose ratio produced by neutron activation
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Zhou Changgeng; Lou Benchao; Wu Chunlei; Hu Yonghong; Li Yan
2009-04-01
The working principle and the structure and performances of a long distance controllable individual radiation dose ratio instrument are described. The radiation dose ratio produced by neutron activation is elementarily measured by using this instrument in the neutron generator hall with high neutron yield. When neutron yield arrives to 2 x 10 11 s -1 , the radiation dose ratio produced by neutron activation is 99.9 μSv/h in 1 h after the generator being stopped. The radiation dose ratio is reduced to 24.4 μSv/h in 39 h after the generator being stopped. When neutron yield is 3.2 x 10 10 s -1 , the radiation dose ratio produced by neutron activation is 21.9 μSv/h in 36 min, after the generator being stopped. The measurement results may provide reference for physical experimenters and neutron generator operators. (authors)
Cantiello, Michele; Blakeslee, John P.; Ferrarese, Laura; Côté, Patrick; Roediger, Joel C.; Raimondo, Gabriella; Peng, Eric W.; Gwyn, Stephen; Durrell, Patrick R.; Cuillandre, Jean-Charles
2018-04-01
We describe a program to measure surface brightness fluctuation (SBF) distances to galaxies observed in the Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey (NGVS), a photometric imaging survey covering 104 deg2 of the Virgo cluster in the u*, g, i, and z bandpasses with the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope. We describe the selection of the sample galaxies, the procedures for measuring the apparent i-band SBF magnitude {\\overline{m}}i, and the calibration of the absolute Mibar as a function of observed stellar population properties. The multiband NGVS data set provides multiple options for calibrating the SBF distances, and we explore various calibrations involving individual color indices as well as combinations of two different colors. Within the color range of the present sample, the two-color calibrations do not significantly improve the scatter with respect to wide-baseline, single-color calibrations involving u*. We adopt the ({u}* -z) calibration as a reference for the present galaxy sample, with an observed scatter of 0.11 mag. For a few cases that lack good u* photometry, we use an alternative relation based on a combination of (g-i) and (g-z) colors, with only a slightly larger observed scatter of 0.12 mag. The agreement of our measurements with the best existing distance estimates provides confidence that our measurements are accurate. We present a preliminary catalog of distances for 89 galaxies brighter than B T ≈ 13.0 mag within the survey footprint, including members of the background M and W Clouds at roughly twice the distance of the main body of the Virgo cluster. The extension of the present work to fainter and bluer galaxies is in progress.
Fabrication of 94Zr thin target for recoil distance doppler shift method of lifetime measurement
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Gupta, C.K.; Rohilla, Aman; Abhilash, S.R.; Kabiraj, D.; Singh, R.P.; Mehta, D.; Chamoli, S.K.
2014-01-01
A thin isotopic 94 Zr target of thickness 520μg/cm 2 has been prepared for recoil distance Doppler shift method (RDM) lifetime measurement by using an electron beam deposition method on tantalum backing of 3.5 mg/cm 2 thickness at Inter University Accelerator Center (IUAC), New Delhi. To meet the special requirement of smoothness of surface for RDM lifetime measurement and also to protect the outer layer of 94 Zr from peeling off, a very thin layer of gold has been evaporated on a 94 Zr target on a specially designed substrate holder. In all, 143 mg of 99.6% enriched 94 Zr target material was utilized for the fabrication of 94 Zr targets. The target has been successfully used in a recent RDM lifetime measurement experiment at IUAC
Fabrication of 94Zr thin target for recoil distance doppler shift method of lifetime measurement
Gupta, C. K.; Rohilla, Aman; Abhilash, S. R.; Kabiraj, D.; Singh, R. P.; Mehta, D.; Chamoli, S. K.
2014-11-01
A thin isotopic 94Zr target of thickness 520 μg /cm2 has been prepared for recoil distance Doppler shift method (RDM) lifetime measurement by using an electron beam deposition method on tantalum backing of 3.5 mg/cm2 thickness at Inter University Accelerator Center (IUAC), New Delhi. To meet the special requirement of smoothness of surface for RDM lifetime measurement and also to protect the outer layer of 94Zr from peeling off, a very thin layer of gold has been evaporated on a 94Zr target on a specially designed substrate holder. In all, 143 mg of 99.6% enriched 94Zr target material was utilized for the fabrication of 94Zr targets. The target has been successfully used in a recent RDM lifetime measurement experiment at IUAC.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Song, Haifeng; Liu, Jieyu; Schnieder, Eckehard
2017-01-01
Validation, verification and evaluation are necessary processes to assure the safety and functionality of a system before its application in practice. This paper presents a Train to Train Distance Measurement System (TTDMS), which can provide distance information independently from existing onboard equipment. Afterwards, we proposed a new process using Colored Petri Nets to verify the TTDMS system functional safety, as well as to evaluate the system performance. Three main contributions are carried out in the paper: Firstly, this paper proposes a formalized TTDMS model, and the model correctness is validated using state space analysis and simulation-based verification. Secondly, corresponding checking queries are proposed for the purpose of functional safety verification. Further, the TTDMS performance is evaluated by applying parameters in the formal model. Thirdly, the reliability of a functional prototype TTDMS is estimated. It is found that the procedure can cooperate with the system development, and both formal and simulation-based verifications are performed. Using our process to evaluate and verify a system is easier to read and more reliable compared to executable code and mathematical methods. - Highlights: • A new Train to Train Distance Measurement System. • New approach verifying system functional safety and evaluating system performance by means of CPN. • System formalization using the system property concept. • Verification of system functional safety using state space analysis. • Evaluation of system performance applying simulation-based analysis.
Effect of Image Linearization on Normalized Compression Distance
Mortensen, Jonathan; Wu, Jia Jie; Furst, Jacob; Rogers, John; Raicu, Daniela
Normalized Information Distance, based on Kolmogorov complexity, is an emerging metric for image similarity. It is approximated by the Normalized Compression Distance (NCD) which generates the relative distance between two strings by using standard compression algorithms to compare linear strings of information. This relative distance quantifies the degree of similarity between the two objects. NCD has been shown to measure similarity effectively on information which is already a string: genomic string comparisons have created accurate phylogeny trees and NCD has also been used to classify music. Currently, to find a similarity measure using NCD for images, the images must first be linearized into a string, and then compared. To understand how linearization of a 2D image affects the similarity measure, we perform four types of linearization on a subset of the Corel image database and compare each for a variety of image transformations. Our experiment shows that different linearization techniques produce statistically significant differences in NCD for identical spatial transformations.
Calibrating the Type Ia Supernova Distance Scale Using Surface Brightness Fluctuations
Potter, Cicely; Jensen, Joseph B.; Blakeslee, John; Milne, Peter; Garnavich, Peter M.; Brown, Peter
2018-06-01
We have observed 20 supernova host galaxies with HST WFC3/IR in the F110W filter, and prepared the data for Surface Brightness Fluctuation (SBF) distance measurements. The purpose of this study is to determine if there are any discrepancies between the SBF distance scale and the type-Ia SN distance scale, for which local calibrators are scarce. We have now measured SBF magnitudes to all early-type galaxies that have hosted SN Ia within 80 Mpc for which SBF measurements are possible. SBF is the only distance measurement technique with statistical uncertainties comparable to SN Ia that can be applied to galaxies out to 80 Mpc.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Martins, L Lages; Ribeiro, A Silva; Rebordão, J M
2013-01-01
This paper describes the conception and development of an optical system applied to suspension bridge structural monitoring, aiming real-time and long-distance measurement of dynamical three-dimensional displacement, namely, in the central section of the main span. The main innovative issues related to this optical approach are described and a comparison with other optical and non-optical measurement systems is performed. Moreover, a computational simulator tool developed for the optical system design and validation of the implemented image processing and calculation algorithms is also presented
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Santamaria, L.; Siller, H. R.; Garcia-Ortiz, C. E.; Cortes, R.; Coello, V.
2016-01-01
In this work, we present an alternative optical method to determine the probe-sample separation distance in a scanning near-field optical microscope. The experimental method is based in a Lloyd’s mirror interferometer and offers a measurement precision deviation of ∼100 nm using digital image processing and numerical analysis. The technique can also be strategically combined with the characterization of piezoelectric actuators and stability evaluation of the optical system. It also opens the possibility for the development of an automatic approximation control system valid for probe-sample distances from 5 to 500 μm.
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Santamaria, L.; Siller, H. R. [Tecnológico de Monterrey, Eugenio Garza Sada 2501 Sur, Monterrey, N.L., 64849 (Mexico); Garcia-Ortiz, C. E., E-mail: cegarcia@cicese.mx [CONACYT Research Fellow – CICESE, Unidad Monterrey, Alianza Centro 504, Apodaca, NL, 66629 (Mexico); Cortes, R.; Coello, V. [CICESE, Unidad Monterrey, PIIT, Alianza Centro 504, Apodaca, NL, 66629 (Mexico)
2016-04-15
In this work, we present an alternative optical method to determine the probe-sample separation distance in a scanning near-field optical microscope. The experimental method is based in a Lloyd’s mirror interferometer and offers a measurement precision deviation of ∼100 nm using digital image processing and numerical analysis. The technique can also be strategically combined with the characterization of piezoelectric actuators and stability evaluation of the optical system. It also opens the possibility for the development of an automatic approximation control system valid for probe-sample distances from 5 to 500 μm.
An independent distance estimate to the AGB star R Sculptoris
Maercker, M.; Brunner, M.; Mecina, M.; De Beck, E.
2018-04-01
Context. Distance measurements to astronomical objects are essential for understanding their intrinsic properties. For asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars it is particularly difficult to derive accurate distance estimates. Period-luminosity relationships rely on the correlation of different physical properties of the stars, while the angular sizes and variability of AGB stars make parallax measurements inherently inaccurate. For the carbon AGB star R Sculptoris, the uncertain distance significantly affects the interpretation of observations regarding the evolution of the stellar mass loss during and after the most recent thermal pulse. Aim. We aim to provide a new, independent measurement of the distance to R Sculptoris, reducing the absolute uncertainty of the distance estimate to this source. Methods: R Scl is a semi-regular pulsating star, surrounded by a thin shell of dust and gas created during a thermal pulse ≈2000 years ago. The stellar light is scattered by the dust particles in the shell at a radius of ≈19″. The variation in the stellar light affects the amount of dust-scattered light with the same period and amplitude ratio, but with a phase lag that depends on the absolute size of the shell. We measured this phase lag by observing the star R Scl and the dust-scattered stellar light from the shell at five epochs between June-December 2016. By observing in polarised light, we imaged the shell in the plane of the sky, removing any uncertainty due to geometrical effects. The phase lag gives the absolute size of the shell, and together with the angular size of the shell directly gives the absolute distance to R Sculptoris. Results: We measured a phase lag between the stellar variations and the variation in the shell of 40.0 ± 4.0 days. The angular size of the shell is measured to be 19.″1 ± 0.″7. Combined, this gives an absolute distance to R Sculptoris of 361 ± 44 pc. Conclusions: We independently determined the absolute distance to R Scl with
The Concept of Distance in International Management Research
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Ambos, Björn; Håkanson, Lars
2014-01-01
The effect of distance on firms' performance when entering, operating in and across foreign markets is a central issue in international management. However, our understanding of the impact of distance has long been constrained by flawed conceptualizations and unreliable measures. The papers...... in this issue break new ground both by advancing our theoretical understanding and by introducing new and potentially more useful measures. In this introduction, we provide a brief overview of the evolution of the distance concept before introducing the individual papers. We end by offering observations...... for future research based on the issues they raise....
Multi-image acquisition-based distance sensor using agile laser spot beam.
Riza, Nabeel A; Amin, M Junaid
2014-09-01
We present a novel laser-based distance measurement technique that uses multiple-image-based spatial processing to enable distance measurements. Compared with the first-generation distance sensor using spatial processing, the modified sensor is no longer hindered by the classic Rayleigh axial resolution limit for the propagating laser beam at its minimum beam waist location. The proposed high-resolution distance sensor design uses an electronically controlled variable focus lens (ECVFL) in combination with an optical imaging device, such as a charged-coupled device (CCD), to produce and capture different laser spot size images on a target with these beam spot sizes different from the minimal spot size possible at this target distance. By exploiting the unique relationship of the target located spot sizes with the varying ECVFL focal length for each target distance, the proposed distance sensor can compute the target distance with a distance measurement resolution better than the axial resolution via the Rayleigh resolution criterion. Using a 30 mW 633 nm He-Ne laser coupled with an electromagnetically actuated liquid ECVFL, along with a 20 cm focal length bias lens, and using five spot images captured per target position by a CCD-based Nikon camera, a proof-of-concept proposed distance sensor is successfully implemented in the laboratory over target ranges from 10 to 100 cm with a demonstrated sub-cm axial resolution, which is better than the axial Rayleigh resolution limit at these target distances. Applications for the proposed potentially cost-effective distance sensor are diverse and include industrial inspection and measurement and 3D object shape mapping and imaging.
Language distance and tree reconstruction
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Petroni, Filippo; Serva, Maurizio
2008-01-01
Languages evolve over time according to a process in which reproduction, mutation and extinction are all possible. This is very similar to haploid evolution for asexual organisms and for the mitochondrial DNA of complex ones. Exploiting this similarity, it is possible, in principle, to verify hypotheses concerning the relationship among languages and to reconstruct their family tree. The key point is the definition of the distances among pairs of languages in analogy with the genetic distances among pairs of organisms. Distances can be evaluated by comparing grammar and/or vocabulary, but while it is difficult, if not impossible, to quantify grammar distance, it is possible to measure a distance from vocabulary differences. The method used by glottochronology computes distances from the percentage of shared 'cognates', which are words with a common historical origin. The weak point of this method is that subjective judgment plays a significant role. Here we define the distance of two languages by considering a renormalized edit distance among words with the same meaning and averaging over the two hundred words contained in a Swadesh list. In our approach the vocabulary of a language is the analogue of DNA for organisms. The advantage is that we avoid subjectivity and, furthermore, reproducibility of results is guaranteed. We apply our method to the Indo-European and the Austronesian groups, considering, in both cases, fifty different languages. The two trees obtained are, in many respects, similar to those found by glottochronologists, with some important differences as regards the positions of a few languages. In order to support these different results we separately analyze the structure of the distances of these languages with respect to all the others
Language distance and tree reconstruction
Petroni, Filippo; Serva, Maurizio
2008-08-01
Languages evolve over time according to a process in which reproduction, mutation and extinction are all possible. This is very similar to haploid evolution for asexual organisms and for the mitochondrial DNA of complex ones. Exploiting this similarity, it is possible, in principle, to verify hypotheses concerning the relationship among languages and to reconstruct their family tree. The key point is the definition of the distances among pairs of languages in analogy with the genetic distances among pairs of organisms. Distances can be evaluated by comparing grammar and/or vocabulary, but while it is difficult, if not impossible, to quantify grammar distance, it is possible to measure a distance from vocabulary differences. The method used by glottochronology computes distances from the percentage of shared 'cognates', which are words with a common historical origin. The weak point of this method is that subjective judgment plays a significant role. Here we define the distance of two languages by considering a renormalized edit distance among words with the same meaning and averaging over the two hundred words contained in a Swadesh list. In our approach the vocabulary of a language is the analogue of DNA for organisms. The advantage is that we avoid subjectivity and, furthermore, reproducibility of results is guaranteed. We apply our method to the Indo-European and the Austronesian groups, considering, in both cases, fifty different languages. The two trees obtained are, in many respects, similar to those found by glottochronologists, with some important differences as regards the positions of a few languages. In order to support these different results we separately analyze the structure of the distances of these languages with respect to all the others.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Giuseppe Arbia
2015-10-01
Full Text Available In many microeconometric models we use distances. For instance, in modelling the individual behavior in labor economics or in health studies, the distance from a relevant point of interest (such as a hospital or a workplace is often used as a predictor in a regression framework. However, in order to preserve confidentiality, spatial micro-data are often geo-masked, thus reducing their quality and dramatically distorting the inferential conclusions. In particular in this case, a measurement error is introduced in the independent variable which negatively affects the properties of the estimators. This paper studies these negative effects, discusses their consequences, and suggests possible interpretations and directions to data producers, end users, and practitioners.
Camp, Christopher L; Heidenreich, Mark J; Dahm, Diane L; Bond, Jeffrey R; Collins, Mark S; Krych, Aaron J
2016-03-01
Tibial tubercle-trochlear groove (TT-TG) distance is a variable that helps guide surgical decision-making in patients with patellar instability. The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy and reliability of an MRI TT-TG measuring technique using a simple external alignment method to a previously validated gold standard technique that requires advanced software read by radiologists. TT-TG was calculated by MRI on 59 knees with a clinical diagnosis of patellar instability in a blinded and randomized fashion by two musculoskeletal radiologists using advanced software and by two orthopaedists using the study technique which utilizes measurements taken on a simple electronic imaging platform. Interrater reliability between the two radiologists and the two orthopaedists and intermethods reliability between the two techniques were calculated using interclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and concordance correlation coefficients (CCC). ICC and CCC values greater than 0.75 were considered to represent excellent agreement. The mean TT-TG distance was 14.7 mm (Standard Deviation (SD) 4.87 mm) and 15.4 mm (SD 5.41) as measured by the radiologists and orthopaedists, respectively. Excellent interobserver agreement was noted between the radiologists (ICC 0.941; CCC 0.941), the orthopaedists (ICC 0.978; CCC 0.976), and the two techniques (ICC 0.941; CCC 0.933). The simple TT-TG distance measurement technique analysed in this study resulted in excellent agreement and reliability as compared to the gold standard technique. This method can predictably be performed by orthopaedic surgeons without advanced radiologic software. II.
Influence of the intergonial distance on image distortion in panoramic radiographs.
Ladeira, D B S; Cruz, A D; Almeida, S M; Bóscolo, F N
2012-07-01
The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the intergonial distance during the formation of panoramic radiographic images by means of horizontal and vertical measurements. 30 macerated mandibles were categorized into 3 different groups (n = 10) according to their intergonial distances as follows: G1, mean distance 8.2 cm, G2, mean distance 9.0 cm and G3, mean distance 9.6 cm. Three metal spheres 0.198 cm in diameter and placed at an incline using an isosceles triangle were separately placed over the internal and external surfaces of the mandibles before radiographic exposure for the purpose of taking the horizontal and vertical measurements. The occlusal planes of the mandibles were horizontally placed on the chin rest of the panoramic machine Orthopantomograph® OP 100 (Instrumentarium Imaging, Tuusula, Finland) and were then radiographed. In the panoramic radiographs, an expert radiologist measured the distances between the metal spheres in the horizontal and vertical directions using a digital caliper. The data were tabled and statistically analysed by Student's t-test and analysis of variance with Tukey post-test (α = 0.05). In all three groups magnification of the distances between spheres was observed when compared with the real distance in both horizontal and vertical measurements (p 0.05). Differences between horizontal and vertical measurements were observed in different regions in all evaluated groups (p image formation in the panoramic radiograph.
The Cognition of Maximal Reach Distance in Parkinson’s Disease
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Satoru Otsuki
2016-01-01
Full Text Available This study aimed to investigate whether the cognition of spatial distance in reaching movements was decreased in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD and whether this cognition was associated with various symptoms of PD. Estimated and actual maximal reaching distances were measured in three directions in PD patients and healthy elderly volunteers. Differences between estimated and actual measurements were compared within each group. In the PD patients, the associations between “error in cognition” of reaching distance and “clinical findings” were also examined. The results showed that no differences were observed in any values regardless of dominance of hand and severity of symptoms. The differences between the estimated and actual measurements were negatively deviated in the PD patients, indicating that they tended to underestimate reaching distance. “Error in cognition” of reaching distance correlated with the items of posture in the motor section of the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale. This suggests that, in PD patients, postural deviation and postural instability might affect the cognition of the distance from a target object.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Stefano Bertuletti
2017-06-01
Full Text Available Magneto-inertial measurement units (MIMU are a suitable solution to assess human motor performance both indoors and outdoors. However, relevant quantities such as step width and base of support, which play an important role in gait stability, cannot be directly measured using MIMU alone. To overcome this limitation, we developed a wearable platform specifically designed for human movement analysis applications, which integrates a MIMU and an Infrared Time-of-Flight proximity sensor (IR-ToF, allowing for the estimate of inter-object distance. We proposed a thorough testing protocol for evaluating the IR-ToF sensor performances under experimental conditions resembling those encountered during gait. In particular, we tested the sensor performance for different (i target colors; (ii sensor-target distances (up to 200 mm and (iii sensor-target angles of incidence (AoI (up to 60 ∘ . Both static and dynamic conditions were analyzed. A pendulum, simulating the oscillation of a human leg, was used to generate highly repeatable oscillations with a maximum angular velocity of 6 rad/s. Results showed that the IR-ToF proximity sensor was not sensitive to variations of both distance and target color (except for black. Conversely, a relationship between error magnitude and AoI values was found. For AoI equal to 0 ∘ , the IR-ToF sensor performed equally well both in static and dynamic acquisitions with a distance mean absolute error <1.5 mm. Errors increased up to 3.6 mm (static and 11.9 mm (dynamic for AoI equal to ± 30 ∘ , and up to 7.8 mm (static and 25.6 mm (dynamic for AoI equal to ± 60 ∘ . In addition, the wearable platform was used during a preliminary experiment for the estimation of the inter-foot distance on a single healthy subject while walking. In conclusion, the combination of magneto-inertial unit and IR-ToF technology represents a valuable alternative solution in terms of accuracy, sampling frequency, dimension and power consumption
The interuncal distance in elderly patients with dementia; MRI study
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Hanyu, Haruo; Takasaki, Masaru [Tokyo Medical Coll. (Japan); Sugiyama, Takeshi; Abe, Shinei; Kobayashi, Yasutaka; Maehata, Yukihiko; Katsunuma, Hidetaka
1993-09-01
The interuncal distance between the unci of the temporal lobes was measured from axial MR images of the brain in elderly patients with dementia including dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT), vascular dementia (VD), and others. The measured value of the interuncal distance completely separated patients with DAT from normal controls, and there was significant diference in the interuncal distance between patients with DAT and VD. This measurement is a practical method of assessing hippocampal atrophy and appears to be a useful adjunct in the clinical diagnosis of DAT. (author).
Beaton, Rachael L.; Freedman, Wendy L.; Madore, Barry F.; Bono, Giuseppe; Carlson, Erika K.; Clementini, Gisella; Durbin, Meredith J.; Garofalo, Alessia; Hatt, Dylan; Jang, In Sung; Kollmeier, Juna A.; Lee, Myung Gyoon; Monson, Andrew J.; Rich, Jeffrey A.; Scowcroft, Victoria; Seibert, Mark; Sturch, Laura; Yang, Soung-Chul
2016-12-01
We present an overview of the Carnegie-Chicago Hubble Program, an ongoing program to obtain a 3% measurement of the Hubble constant (H 0) using alternative methods to the traditional Cepheid distance scale. We aim to establish a completely independent route to H 0 using RR Lyrae variables, the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB), and Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). This alternative distance ladder can be applied to galaxies of any Hubble type, of any inclination, and, using old stars in low-density environments, is robust to the degenerate effects of metallicity and interstellar extinction. Given the relatively small number of SNe Ia host galaxies with independently measured distances, these properties provide a great systematic advantage in the measurement of H 0 via the distance ladder. Initially, the accuracy of our value of H 0 will be set by the five Galactic RR Lyrae calibrators with Hubble Space Telescope Fine-Guidance Sensor parallaxes. With Gaia, both the RR Lyrae zero-point and TRGB method will be independently calibrated, the former with at least an order of magnitude more calibrators and the latter directly through parallax measurement of tip red giants. As the first end-to-end “distance ladder” completely independent of both Cepheid variables and the Large Magellanic Cloud, this path to H 0 will allow for the high-precision comparison at each rung of the traditional distance ladder that is necessary to understand tensions between this and other routes to H 0. Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555. These observations are associated with programs #13472 and #13691.
Prediction of protein conformational freedom from distance constraints
de Groot, B.L.; van Aalten, D.M.F.; Scheek, R.M.; Amadei, A; Vriend, G.; Berendsen, H.J.C.
1997-01-01
A method is presented that generates random protein structures that fulfil a set of upper and lower interatomic distance limits, These limits depend on distances measured in experimental structures and the strength of the interatomic interaction, Structural differences between generated structures
PERBANDINGAN EUCLIDEAN DISTANCE DENGAN CANBERRA DISTANCE PADA FACE RECOGNITION
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Sendhy Rachmat Wurdianarto
2014-08-01
Full Text Available Perkembangan ilmu pada dunia komputer sangatlah pesat. Salah satu yang menandai hal ini adalah ilmu komputer telah merambah pada dunia biometrik. Arti biometrik sendiri adalah karakter-karakter manusia yang dapat digunakan untuk membedakan antara orang yang satu dengan yang lainnya. Salah satu pemanfaatan karakter / organ tubuh pada setiap manusia yang digunakan untuk identifikasi (pengenalan adalah dengan memanfaatkan wajah. Dari permasalahan diatas dalam pengenalan lebih tentang aplikasi Matlab pada Face Recognation menggunakan metode Euclidean Distance dan Canberra Distance. Model pengembangan aplikasi yang digunakan adalah model waterfall. Model waterfall beriisi rangkaian aktivitas proses yang disajikan dalam proses analisa kebutuhan, desain menggunakan UML (Unified Modeling Language, inputan objek gambar diproses menggunakan Euclidean Distance dan Canberra Distance. Kesimpulan yang dapat ditarik adalah aplikasi face Recognation menggunakan metode euclidean Distance dan Canverra Distance terdapat kelebihan dan kekurangan masing-masing. Untuk kedepannya aplikasi tersebut dapat dikembangkan dengan menggunakan objek berupa video ataupun objek lainnya. Kata kunci : Euclidean Distance, Face Recognition, Biometrik, Canberra Distance
The transposition distance for phylogenetic trees
Rossello, Francesc; Valiente, Gabriel
2006-01-01
The search for similarity and dissimilarity measures on phylogenetic trees has been motivated by the computation of consensus trees, the search by similarity in phylogenetic databases, and the assessment of clustering results in bioinformatics. The transposition distance for fully resolved phylogenetic trees is a recent addition to the extensive collection of available metrics for comparing phylogenetic trees. In this paper, we generalize the transposition distance from fully resolved to arbi...
Research of the stopping distance for different road conditions
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Daniel LYUBENOV
2011-01-01
Full Text Available In this paper a modern method for determination of stopping distance is represented. Application of the non-contact VBOX 3i 100Hz GPS Data Logger speed and distance measurement system is represented. A description of the total stopping distance of vehicle main components - driver reaction time, vehicle reaction time and vehicle braking capability has been made. Research of the total stopping distance of a vehicle for different road conditions has been made. The results for the stopping distance can be very useful in the expert practice.
Why GPS makes distances bigger than they are.
Ranacher, Peter; Brunauer, Richard; Trutschnig, Wolfgang; Van der Spek, Stefan; Reich, Siegfried
2016-02-01
Global navigation satellite systems such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) is one of the most important sensors for movement analysis. GPS is widely used to record the trajectories of vehicles, animals and human beings. However, all GPS movement data are affected by both measurement and interpolation errors. In this article we show that measurement error causes a systematic bias in distances recorded with a GPS; the distance between two points recorded with a GPS is - on average - bigger than the true distance between these points. This systematic 'overestimation of distance' becomes relevant if the influence of interpolation error can be neglected, which in practice is the case for movement sampled at high frequencies. We provide a mathematical explanation of this phenomenon and illustrate that it functionally depends on the autocorrelation of GPS measurement error ( C ). We argue that C can be interpreted as a quality measure for movement data recorded with a GPS. If there is a strong autocorrelation between any two consecutive position estimates, they have very similar error. This error cancels out when average speed, distance or direction is calculated along the trajectory. Based on our theoretical findings we introduce a novel approach to determine C in real-world GPS movement data sampled at high frequencies. We apply our approach to pedestrian trajectories and car trajectories. We found that the measurement error in the data was strongly spatially and temporally autocorrelated and give a quality estimate of the data. Most importantly, our findings are not limited to GPS alone. The systematic bias and its implications are bound to occur in any movement data collected with absolute positioning if interpolation error can be neglected.
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Baba, Hiroshi; Saito, Tadashi; Takahashi, Naruto [Osaka Univ., Suita (Japan)] [and others
1997-09-01
Fission product kinetic energies were measured by the double-energy method for thermal-neutron fission of {sup 235,233}U and proton-induced fission of {sup 238}U at the 15.8-MeV excitation. From the obtained energy-mass correlation data, the kinetic-energy distribution was constructed from each mass bin to evaluate the first moment of the kinetic energy for a given fragment mass. The resulting kinetic energy was then converted to the effective distance between the charge centers at the moment of scission. The effective distances deduced for the proton-induced fission was concluded to be classified into two constant values, one for asymmetric and the other for symmetric mode, irrespective of the mass though an additional component was further extracted in the asymmetric mass region. This indicates that the fission takes place via two well-defined saddles, followed by the random neck rupture. On the contrary, the effective distances obtained for thermal-neutron induced fission turned out to lie along the contour line at the same level as the equilibrium deformation in the two-dimensional potential map. This strongly suggests that it is essentially a barrier-penetrating type of fission rather than the over-barrier fission. (author). 73 refs.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Baba, Hiroshi; Saito, Tadashi; Takahashi, Naruto
1997-01-01
Fission product kinetic energies were measured by the double-energy method for thermal-neutron fission of 235,233 U and proton-induced fission of 238 U at the 15.8-MeV excitation. From the obtained energy-mass correlation data, the kinetic-energy distribution was constructed from each mass bin to evaluate the first moment of the kinetic energy for a given fragment mass. The resulting kinetic energy was then converted to the effective distance between the charge centers at the moment of scission. The effective distances deduced for the proton-induced fission was concluded to be classified into two constant values, one for asymmetric and the other for symmetric mode, irrespective of the mass though an additional component was further extracted in the asymmetric mass region. This indicates that the fission takes place via two well-defined saddles, followed by the random neck rupture. On the contrary, the effective distances obtained for thermal-neutron induced fission turned out to lie along the contour line at the same level as the equilibrium deformation in the two-dimensional potential map. This strongly suggests that it is essentially a barrier-penetrating type of fission rather than the over-barrier fission. (author). 73 refs
Distance to VY Canis Majoris with VERA
Choi, Yoon Kyung; Hirota, Tomoya; Honma, Mareki; Kobayashi, Hideyuki; Bushimata, Takeshi; Imai, Hiroshi; Iwadate, Kenzaburo; Jike, Takaaki; Kameno, Seiji; Kameya, Osamu; Kamohara, Ryuichi; Kan-ya, Yukitoshi; Kawaguchi, Noriyuki; Kijima, Masachika; Kim, Mi Kyoung
2008-01-01
We report astrometric observations of H2O masers around the red supergiant VY Canis Majoris (VY CMa) carried out with VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry (VERA). Based on astrometric monitoring for 13 months, we successfully measured a trigonometric parallax of 0.88 +/- 0.08 mas, corresponding to a distance of 1.14 +0.11/-0.09 kpc. This is the most accurate distance to VY CMa and the first one based on an annual parallax measurement. The luminosity of VY CMa has been overestimated due to a p...
Adaptive Distance Protection for Microgrids
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Lin, Hengwei; Guerrero, Josep M.; Quintero, Juan Carlos Vasquez
2015-01-01
is adopted to accelerate the tripping speed of the relays on the weak lines. The protection methodology is tested on a mid-voltage microgrid network in Aalborg, Denmark. The results show that the adaptive distance protection methodology has good selectivity and sensitivity. What is more, this system also has......Due to the increasing penetration of distributed generation resources, more and more microgrids can be found in distribution systems. This paper proposes a phasor measurement unit based distance protection strategy for microgrids in distribution system. At the same time, transfer tripping scheme...
National Research Council Canada - National Science Library
Braddock, Joseph
1997-01-01
A study reviewing the existing Army Distance Learning Plan (ADLP) and current Distance Learning practices, with a focus on the Army's training and educational challenges and the benefits of applying Distance Learning techniques...
Li, Xue-Shi; Huang, Zi-Fang; Deng, Yao-Long; Fan, Heng-Wei; Sui, Wen-Yuan; Wang, Chong-Wen; Yang, Jun-Lin
2017-07-15
Retrospective study. This study is to measure and analyze the changes of three-dimensional (3D) distances of spinal column and spinal canal at the three-column osteotomy sites and address their clinical and neurologic significance. Three-column osteotomies were developed to treat severe and stiff spine deformities with insufficient understanding on the safe limit of spine shortening and the relationship between the shortening distance of the spinal column and that of the spinal canal. Records of 52 continuous patients with severe and stiff scoliosis treated with three-column spine osteotomies at our institution from July 2013 to June 2015 were reviewed. The preoperative spinal cord function classification were type A in 31 cases, type B in 10 cases, and type C in 11 cases. The types of osteotomies carried out were extended pedicle subtraction osteotomy in nine patients and posterior vertebral column resection in 43 patients. Multimodality neuromonitoring strategies were adopted intraoperatively. 3D pre- and postoperative spine models were reconstructed from the computed tomography (CT) scans. The distances of convex and concave spinal column and the spinal canal shortening were measured and analyzed. The spinal column shortening distance (SCSD) measured on the 3D models (27.8 mm) were statistically shorter than those measured intraoperatively (32.8 mm) (P column strut graft than in those with bone-on-bone fusion (P column cannot represent that of the central spinal canal in patients with severe scoliosis. The spinal column shortening procedure in appropriately selected patient groups with bone-on-bone fusion is a viable option with the CCSD being significantly shorter than the convex SCSD. 4.
Diaz-Balteiro, L; Belavenutti, P; Ezquerro, M; González-Pachón, J; Ribeiro Nobre, S; Romero, C
2018-05-15
There is an important body of literature using multi-criteria distance function methods for the aggregation of a battery of sustainability indicators in order to obtain a composite index. This index is considered to be a proxy of the sustainability goodness of a natural system. Although this approach has been profusely used in the literature, it is not exempt from difficulties and potential pitfalls. Thus, in this paper, a significant number of critical issues have been identified showing different procedures capable of avoiding, or at least of mitigating, the inherent potential pitfalls associated with each one. The recommendations made in the paper could increase the theoretical soundness of the multi-criteria distance function methods when this type of approach is applied in the sustainability field, thus increasing the accuracy and realism of the sustainability measurements obtained. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Adam Weintrit
2013-06-01
Full Text Available In the paper the author presents overview of the meridian distance approximations. He would like to find the answer for the question what is actually the distance from the equator to the pole - the polar distance. In spite of appearances this is not such a simple question. The problem of determining the polar distance is a great opportunity to demonstrate the multitude of possible solutions in common use. At the beginning of the paper the author discusses some approximations and a few exact expressions (infinite sums to calculate perimeter and quadrant of an ellipse, he presents convenient measurement units of the distance on the surface of the Earth, existing methods for the solution of the great circle and great elliptic sailing, and in the end he analyses and compares geodetic formulas for the meridian arc length.
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Gupta, C.K.; Rohilla, Aman [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India); Abhilash, S.R.; Kabiraj, D.; Singh, R.P. [Inter University Accelerator Centre, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067 (India); Mehta, D. [Department of Physics, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014 (India); Chamoli, S.K., E-mail: skchamoli@physics.du.ac.in [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India)
2014-11-11
A thin isotopic {sup 94}Zr target of thickness 520μg/cm{sup 2} has been prepared for recoil distance Doppler shift method (RDM) lifetime measurement by using an electron beam deposition method on tantalum backing of 3.5 mg/cm{sup 2} thickness at Inter University Accelerator Center (IUAC), New Delhi. To meet the special requirement of smoothness of surface for RDM lifetime measurement and also to protect the outer layer of {sup 94}Zr from peeling off, a very thin layer of gold has been evaporated on a {sup 94}Zr target on a specially designed substrate holder. In all, 143 mg of 99.6% enriched {sup 94}Zr target material was utilized for the fabrication of {sup 94}Zr targets. The target has been successfully used in a recent RDM lifetime measurement experiment at IUAC.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Haynie, A.; Min, T.-J.; Luan, L.; Mu, W.; Ketterson, J. B.
2009-01-01
We describe an extension of the total-internal-reflection microscopy technique that permits direct in-plane distance measurements with high accuracy (<10 nm) over a wide range of separations. This high position accuracy arises from the creation of a standing evanescent wave and the ability to sweep the nodal positions (intensity minima of the standing wave) in a controlled manner via both the incident angle and the relative phase of the incoming laser beams. Some control over the vertical resolution is available through the ability to scan the incoming angle and with it the evanescent penetration depth.
Oded Shenkar
2001-01-01
Cultural distance is a widely used construct in international business, where it has been applied to foreign investment expansion, entry mode choice, and the performance of foreign invested affiliates, among others. The present paper presents a critical review of the cultural distance construct, outlining its hidden assumptions and challenging its theoretical and methodological properties. A comprehensive framework for the treatment of the construct is developed and concrete steps aimed at en...
The distance from CERN to LNGS
Jones, M; Crespi, M; Colosimo, G; Mazzoni, A; Durand, S
2012-01-01
The calculation of the distance from CERN to Gran Sasso involves the combination of three independent sets of measurements: the calculation of the distance between pillars included in the geodetic reference network at CERN and the Lab Nationale Gran Sasso (LNGS); and the transfer on each site of coordinates, from the geodetic surface network, underground into the tunnel or experiment hall installations. The transfer of coordinates, from the surface, underground at the two sites was not done as part of the CNGS Project. Initial survey concerns for the project were directed towards the orientation of the beamline from CERN to LNGS to within ~100 m. Gyro-theodolite measurements underground were planned at CERN so a transfer would effectively only translate the target point. Given the precision estimated for previous transfers, it was decided not to undertake expensive and time-consuming measurements campaigns for a negligible gain in accuracy. Therefore only GPS measurements at the two sites were carried out. Th...
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hlubina, P.
2004-01-01
A spectral-domain interferometric technique is applied for measuring mirror distances and displacements in a dispersive Michelson interferometer when the effect of transparent thin films coated onto the interferometer beam splitter and compensator is known. We employ a low-resolution spectrometer in two experiments with different amounts of dispersion in a Michelson interferometer that includes fused-silica optical sample. Knowing the thickness of the optical sample and the nonlinear phase function of the thin films, the positions of the interferometer mirror are determined precisely by a least-squares fitting of the theoretical spectral interferograms to the recorded ones. We compare the results of the processing that include and do not include the effect of transparent thin films (Author)
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Yunsick Sung
2016-11-01
Full Text Available Given that location information is the key to providing a variety of services in sustainable indoor computing environments, it is required to obtain accurate locations. Locations can be estimated by three distances from three fixed points. Therefore, if the distance between two points can be measured or estimated accurately, the location in indoor environments can be estimated. To increase the accuracy of the measured distance, noise filtering, signal revision, and distance estimation processes are generally performed. This paper proposes a novel framework for estimating the distance between a beacon and an access point (AP in a sustainable indoor computing environment. Diverse types of received strength signal indications (RSSIs are used for WiFi, Bluetooth, and radio signals, and the proposed distance estimation framework is unique in that it is independent of the specific wireless signal involved, being based on the Bluetooth signal of the beacon. Generally, RSSI measurement, noise filtering, and revision are required for distance estimation using RSSIs. The employed RSSIs are first measured from an AP, with multiple APs sometimes used to increase the accuracy of the distance estimation. Owing to the inevitable presence of noise in the measured RSSIs, the application of noise filtering is essential, and further revision is used to address the inaccuracy and instability that characterizes RSSIs measured in an indoor environment. The revised RSSIs are then used to estimate the distance. The proposed distance estimation framework uses one AP to measure the RSSIs, a Kalman filter to eliminate noise, and a log-distance path loss model to revise the measured RSSIs. In the experimental implementation of the framework, both a RSSI filter and a Kalman filter were respectively used for noise elimination to comparatively evaluate the performance of the latter for the specific application. The Kalman filter was found to reduce the accumulated errors by 8
Madore, Barry F.; Freedman, Wendy L.; Silbermann, N.; Harding, Paul; Huchra, John; Mould, Jeremy; Graham, John; Ferrarese, Laura; Gibson, Brad; Han, Mingsheng; Hoessel, John; Hughes, Shaun; Illingworth, Garth; Phelps, Randy; Sakai, Shoko
1998-01-01
Using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) 37 long-period Cepheid variables have been discovered in the Fornax Cluster spiral galaxy NGC 1365. The resulting V and I period-luminosity relations yield a true distance modulus of 31.35 +/- 0.07 mag, which corresponds to a distance of 18.6 +/- 0.6 Mpc. This measurement provides several routes for estimating the Hubble Constant. (1) Assuming this distance for the Fornax Cluster as a whole yields a local Hubble Constant of 70 +/-18_{random} [+/-7]_{syst...
Inland Waters - Navigation Distance Mark - Minnesota River (Non-Navigable)
Army Corps of Engineers, Department of the Army, Department of Defense — A distance mark indicates the distance measured from an origin and consists of a distinct location without special installation, used to serve as a reference along...
Distances, metallicities and origins of high-velocity clouds
van Woerden, H; Wakker, BP; Peletier, RF; Schwarz, UJ; KraanKorteweg, RC; Henning, PA; Andernach, H
2000-01-01
A review is given of distances of high-velocity clouds (HVCs) derived from absorption-line measurements, and of the metallicities of HVCs. Chain A definitely lies in the Galactic halo, between 2.5 and 7 kpc above the plane. The distance limits available for other HVCs allow a variety of locations:
Deza, Michel Marie
2014-01-01
This updated and revised third edition of the leading reference volume on distance metrics includes new items from very active research areas in the use of distances and metrics such as geometry, graph theory, probability theory and analysis. Among the new topics included are, for example, polyhedral metric space, nearness matrix problems, distances between belief assignments, distance-related animal settings, diamond-cutting distances, natural units of length, Heidegger’s de-severance distance, and brain distances. The publication of this volume coincides with intensifying research efforts into metric spaces and especially distance design for applications. Accurate metrics have become a crucial goal in computational biology, image analysis, speech recognition and information retrieval. Leaving aside the practical questions that arise during the selection of a ‘good’ distance function, this work focuses on providing the research community with an invaluable comprehensive listing of the main available di...
Visacro, Silverio; Guimaraes, Miguel; Murta Vale, Maria Helena
2017-12-01
First and subsequent return strokes' striking distances (SDs) were determined for negative cloud-to-ground flashes from high-speed videos exhibiting the development of positive and negative leaders and the pre-return stroke phase of currents measured along a short tower. In order to improve the results, a new criterion was used for the initiation and propagation of the sustained upward connecting leader, consisting of a 4 A continuous current threshold. An advanced approach developed from the combined use of this criterion and a reverse propagation procedure, which considers the calculated propagation speeds of the leaders, was applied and revealed that SDs determined solely from the first video frame showing the upward leader can be significantly underestimated. An original approach was proposed for a rough estimate of first strokes' SD using solely records of current. This approach combines the 4 A criterion and a representative composite three-dimensional propagation speed of 0.34 × 106 m/s for the leaders in the last 300 m propagated distance. SDs determined under this approach showed to be consistent with those of the advanced procedure. This approach was applied to determine the SD of 17 first return strokes of negative flashes measured at MCS, covering a wide peak-current range, from 18 to 153 kA. The estimated SDs exhibit very high dispersion and reveal great differences in relation to the SDs estimated for subsequent return strokes and strokes in triggered lightning.
Safety distance between underground natural gas and water pipeline facilities
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Mohsin, R.; Majid, Z.A.; Yusof, M.Z.
2014-01-01
A leaking water pipe bursting high pressure water jet in the soil will create slurry erosion which will eventually erode the adjacent natural gas pipe, thus causing its failure. The standard 300 mm safety distance used to place natural gas pipe away from water pipeline facilities needs to be reviewed to consider accidental damage and provide safety cushion to the natural gas pipe. This paper presents a study on underground natural gas pipeline safety distance via experimental and numerical approaches. The pressure–distance characteristic curve obtained from this experimental study showed that the pressure was inversely proportional to the square of the separation distance. Experimental testing using water-to-water pipeline system environment was used to represent the worst case environment, and could be used as a guide to estimate appropriate safety distance. Dynamic pressures obtained from the experimental measurement and simulation prediction mutually agreed along the high-pressure water jetting path. From the experimental and simulation exercises, zero effect distance for water-to-water medium was obtained at an estimated horizontal distance at a minimum of 1500 mm, while for the water-to-sand medium, the distance was estimated at a minimum of 1200 mm. - Highlights: • Safe separation distance of underground natural gas pipes was determined. • Pressure curve is inversely proportional to separation distance. • Water-to-water system represents the worst case environment. • Measured dynamic pressures mutually agreed with simulation results. • Safe separation distance of more than 1200 mm should be applied
A Method for Improving Galactic Cepheid Reddenings and Distances
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Madore, Barry F. [The Observatories Carnegie Institution for Science 813 Santa Barbara St., Pasadena, CA 91101 (United States); Freedman, Wendy L.; Moak, Sandy, E-mail: barry.f.madore@gmail.com, E-mail: sandymoak@gmail.com, E-mail: wfreedman@uchicago.edu [Dept. of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL (United States)
2017-06-10
We present a new photometric method by which improved high-precision reddenings and true distance moduli can be determined to individual Galactic Cepheids once distance measurements are available. We illustrate that the relative positioning of stars in the Cepheid period–luminosity (PL) relation (Leavitt law) is preserved as a function of wavelength. This information then provides a powerful constraint for determining reddenings to individual Cepheids, as well as their distances. As a first step, we apply this method to the 59 Cepheids in the compilation of Fouqué et al. Updated reddenings, distance moduli (or parallaxes), and absolute magnitudes in seven (optical through near-infrared) bands are given. From these intrinsic quantities, multiwavelength PL and color–color relations are derived. We find that the V -band period–luminosity–color relation has an rms scatter of only 0.06 mag, so that individual Cepheid distances can be measured to 3%, compared with dispersions of 6 to 13% for the one-parameter K through B PL relations, respectively. This method will be especially useful in conjunction with the new accurate parallax sample upcoming from Gaia .
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Kotzer, T.G.; Workman, W.J.G
1999-12-01
Concentrations of tritium have been measured in environmental samples (vegetation, water, soil, air) from sites distal and proximal to a CANDU nuclear generating station in Southern Ontario (OPG-Pickering). Levels of tissue-free water tritium (TFWT) and organically bound tritium (OBT) in vegetation are as high as 24,000 TU immediately adjacent to the nuclear generating station and rapidly decrease to levels of tritium which are comparable to natural ambient concentrations for tritium in the environment (approximately {<=} 60 TU). Tritium concentrations (OBT, TFTW) have also been measured in samples of vegetation and tree rings growing substantial distances away from nuclear generating stations and are within a factor of 1 to 2 of the ambient levels of tritium measured in precipitation in several parts of Canada (approximately {<=}30 TU). (author)
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kotzer, T.G.; Workman, W.J.G.
1999-12-01
Concentrations of tritium have been measured in environmental samples (vegetation, water, soil, air) from sites distal and proximal to a CANDU nuclear generating station in Southern Ontario (OPG-Pickering). Levels of tissue-free water tritium (TFWT) and organically bound tritium (OBT) in vegetation are as high as 24,000 TU immediately adjacent to the nuclear generating station and rapidly decrease to levels of tritium which are comparable to natural ambient concentrations for tritium in the environment (approximately ≤ 60 TU). Tritium concentrations (OBT, TFTW) have also been measured in samples of vegetation and tree rings growing substantial distances away from nuclear generating stations and are within a factor of 1 to 2 of the ambient levels of tritium measured in precipitation in several parts of Canada (approximately ≤30 TU). (author)
A large catalog of accurate distances to molecular clouds from PS1 photometry
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Schlafly, E. F.; Rix, H.-W.; Martin, N. F. [Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Green, G.; Finkbeiner, D. P. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Bell, E. F. [Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, 500 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Burgett, W. S.; Chambers, K. C.; Hodapp, K. W.; Kaiser, N.; Magnier, E. A.; Tonry, J. L. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Draper, P. W.; Metcalfe, N. [Department of Physics, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE (United Kingdom); Price, P. A. [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States)
2014-05-01
Distance measurements to molecular clouds are important but are often made separately for each cloud of interest, employing very different data and techniques. We present a large, homogeneous catalog of distances to molecular clouds, most of which are of unprecedented accuracy. We determine distances using optical photometry of stars along lines of sight toward these clouds, obtained from PanSTARRS-1. We simultaneously infer the reddenings and distances to these stars, tracking the full probability distribution function using a technique presented in Green et al. We fit these star-by-star measurements using a simple dust screen model to find the distance to each cloud. We thus estimate the distances to almost all of the clouds in the Magnani et al. catalog, as well as many other well-studied clouds, including Orion, Perseus, Taurus, Cepheus, Polaris, California, and Monoceros R2, avoiding only the inner Galaxy. Typical statistical uncertainties in the distances are 5%, though the systematic uncertainty stemming from the quality of our stellar models is about 10%. The resulting catalog is the largest catalog of accurate, directly measured distances to molecular clouds. Our distance estimates are generally consistent with available distance estimates from the literature, though in some cases the literature estimates are off by a factor of more than two.
Interface Simulation Distances
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Pavol Černý
2012-10-01
Full Text Available The classical (boolean notion of refinement for behavioral interfaces of system components is the alternating refinement preorder. In this paper, we define a distance for interfaces, called interface simulation distance. It makes the alternating refinement preorder quantitative by, intuitively, tolerating errors (while counting them in the alternating simulation game. We show that the interface simulation distance satisfies the triangle inequality, that the distance between two interfaces does not increase under parallel composition with a third interface, and that the distance between two interfaces can be bounded from above and below by distances between abstractions of the two interfaces. We illustrate the framework, and the properties of the distances under composition of interfaces, with two case studies.
Bony orbital distances among the Filipino population.
Barone, Constance M; Jimenez, David F; Laskey, Antoinette; Alcantara, Briccio G; Braddock, Stephen R
2002-03-01
Six hundred and seventy seven radiographs were selected from the logs of films taken in a major hospital in Metro Manila, Philippines over the course of the previous year. Two hundred and eighty-eight female and 389 male, healthy Filipinos between the ages of birth and twenty years were selected based on the availability of a modified Waters' projection and lateral skull film taken at the same time. Measurements for the lateral orbital wall were made at the site of the suture on the medial surface of the zygomatic bone. The medial orbital wall measurement was the distance between the dacrya using a correction factor formula of CF = D-d/D where D is the target film distance and d is the object film distance (1). The actual bony measurements were calculated. The data was gathered and plotted according to sex and in age in years. Graphs were generated using SAS over a graph software. Lines were smooth using cubic spline technique developed by Reinsch with the smoothest value of 75 (2). The mean plus two, four, and six standard deviations were included in each of the curves.
Quality evaluation in distance undergraduate courses in Brazil
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Carla Netto
2015-01-01
of distance-run undergraduate courses (D.Ed.. The data from the instruments were then processed according to Discourse Textual Analysis (DTA. The evaluation process for undergraduate distance education courses in the USA was evaluated by identifying those quality indicators adopted by international accreditation agencies. Based on the analysis of the evaluation process of distance undergraduate courses in Brazil, a further study was carried out about the results and impacts of the Brazilian system, especially the indicators used and the level of confidence that existed when measuring the quality of distance-based undergraduate courses. As a result of this research, our researchers observed there was a real need to establish a quality assurance benchmark in Brazil along these conceptual lines, namely one that represents quality in D.Ed. and includes the usage of indicators that reflect the excellence of the degree course that are offered. This level of excellence is assessed on the basis of the training, experience, knowledge and skills of the evaluators, as well as on clear, precise and transparent criteria for measuring the quality-based distance degree courses. On the other hand, it is also necessary to be equipped with a Bank of Evaluators – not only for those who work in this field, but also for a group of experts that is large enough to implement the Brazilian evaluation system in distance education programs.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Bohrer, S.P.; Klein, A.; Martin, W.
1985-01-01
''V'' shaped widening of the predens space (PDS) in flexion can be a worrisome finding in traume patients, possibly representing injury to the transverse ligament. These patients may also show widening of the C-1/C-2 interspinous distance. We think this appearance is usually due to increased flexion mobility at the atlantoaxial level with developmental elongation or laxity of the cranial end of the transverse ligament and/or the posterior ligamentous complex. Tearing of only the cranial end of the transverse ligament must be extremely rare, if it occurs at all; there is no reported proven case. Tearing of only posterior ligaments seems possible and should be evaluated clinically. (orig.)
Average geodesic distance of skeleton networks of Sierpinski tetrahedron
Yang, Jinjin; Wang, Songjing; Xi, Lifeng; Ye, Yongchao
2018-04-01
The average distance is concerned in the research of complex networks and is related to Wiener sum which is a topological invariant in chemical graph theory. In this paper, we study the skeleton networks of the Sierpinski tetrahedron, an important self-similar fractal, and obtain their asymptotic formula for average distances. To provide the formula, we develop some technique named finite patterns of integral of geodesic distance on self-similar measure for the Sierpinski tetrahedron.
Reducing the distance in distance-caregiving by technology innovation
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Lazelle E Benefield
2007-07-01
Full Text Available Lazelle E Benefield1, Cornelia Beck21College of Nursing, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; 2Pat & Willard Walker Family Memory Research Center, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USAAbstract: Family caregivers are responsible for the home care of over 34 million older adults in the United States. For many, the elder family member lives more than an hour’s distance away. Distance caregiving is a growing alternative to more familiar models where: 1 the elder and the family caregiver(s may reside in the same household; or 2 the family caregiver may live nearby but not in the same household as the elder. The distance caregiving model involves elders and their family caregivers who live at some distance, defined as more than a 60-minute commute, from one another. Evidence suggests that distance caregiving is a distinct phenomenon, differs substantially from on-site family caregiving, and requires additional assistance to support the physical, social, and contextual dimensions of the caregiving process. Technology-based assists could virtually connect the caregiver and elder and provide strong support that addresses the elder’s physical, social, cognitive, and/or sensory impairments. Therefore, in today’s era of high technology, it is surprising that so few affordable innovations are being marketed for distance caregiving. This article addresses distance caregiving, proposes the use of technology innovation to support caregiving, and suggests a research agenda to better inform policy decisions related to the unique needs of this situation.Keywords: caregiving, family, distance, technology, elders
THE EXTRAGALACTIC DISTANCE DATABASE
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Tully, R. Brent; Courtois, Helene M.; Jacobs, Bradley A.; Rizzi, Luca; Shaya, Edward J.; Makarov, Dmitry I.
2009-01-01
A database can be accessed on the Web at http://edd.ifa.hawaii.edu that was developed to promote access to information related to galaxy distances. The database has three functional components. First, tables from many literature sources have been gathered and enhanced with links through a distinct galaxy naming convention. Second, comparisons of results both at the levels of parameters and of techniques have begun and are continuing, leading to increasing homogeneity and consistency of distance measurements. Third, new material is presented arising from ongoing observational programs at the University of Hawaii 2.2 m telescope, radio telescopes at Green Bank, Arecibo, and Parkes and with the Hubble Space Telescope. This new observational material is made available in tandem with related material drawn from archives and passed through common analysis pipelines.
Training for Distance Teaching through Distance Learning.
Cadorath, Jill; Harris, Simon; Encinas, Fatima
2002-01-01
Describes a mixed-mode bachelor degree course in English language teaching at the Universidad Autonoma de Puebla (Mexico) that was designed to help practicing teachers write appropriate distance education materials by giving them the experience of being distance students. Includes a course outline and results of a course evaluation. (Author/LRW)
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Larsen, Gunvor Riber
The environmental impact of tourism mobility is linked to the distances travelled in order to reach a holiday destination, and with tourists travelling more and further than previously, an understanding of how the tourists view the distance they travel across becomes relevant. Based on interviews...... contribute to an understanding of how it is possible to change tourism travel behaviour towards becoming more sustainable. How tourists 'consume distance' is discussed, from the practical level of actually driving the car or sitting in the air plane, to the symbolic consumption of distance that occurs when...... travelling on holiday becomes part of a lifestyle and a social positioning game. Further, different types of tourist distance consumers are identified, ranging from the reluctant to the deliberate and nonchalant distance consumers, who display very differing attitudes towards the distance they all travel...
Analytic processing of distance.
Dopkins, Stephen; Galyer, Darin
2018-01-01
How does a human observer extract from the distance between two frontal points the component corresponding to an axis of a rectangular reference frame? To find out we had participants classify pairs of small circles, varying on the horizontal and vertical axes of a computer screen, in terms of the horizontal distance between them. A response signal controlled response time. The error rate depended on the irrelevant vertical as well as the relevant horizontal distance between the test circles with the relevant distance effect being larger than the irrelevant distance effect. The results implied that the horizontal distance between the test circles was imperfectly extracted from the overall distance between them. The results supported an account, derived from the Exemplar Based Random Walk model (Nosofsky & Palmieri, 1997), under which distance classification is based on the overall distance between the test circles, with relevant distance being extracted from overall distance to the extent that the relevant and irrelevant axes are differentially weighted so as to reduce the contribution of irrelevant distance to overall distance. The results did not support an account, derived from the General Recognition Theory (Ashby & Maddox, 1994), under which distance classification is based on the relevant distance between the test circles, with the irrelevant distance effect arising because a test circle's perceived location on the relevant axis depends on its location on the irrelevant axis, and with relevant distance being extracted from overall distance to the extent that this dependency is absent. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Distancing, not embracing, the Distancing-Embracing model of art reception.
Davies, Stephen
2017-01-01
Despite denials in the target article, the Distancing-Embracing model appeals to compensatory ideas in explaining the appeal of artworks that elicit negative affect. The model also appeals to the deflationary effects of psychological distancing. Having pointed to the famous rejection in the 1960s of the view that aesthetic experience involves psychological distancing, I suggest that "distance" functions here as a weak metaphor that cannot sustain the explanatory burden the theory demands of it.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Mircea Ortelecan
2016-11-01
Full Text Available The paper analyzes the possibility to establish the coefficient of scale towards the total station scale triangulation network in the conduct of geodetic and topographic observations in the points with known coordinates (old points or points whose coordinates we want to determine (new points. The purpose of the study is undertaken to simplify computing operations to reduce distances measured from the topographic surface to the Stereo 70 projection plan.
Unified treatment of the luminosity distance in cosmology
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Yoo, Jaiyul; Scaccabarozzi, Fulvio
2016-01-01
Comparing the luminosity distance measurements to its theoretical predictions is one of the cornerstones in establishing the modern cosmology. However, as shown in Biern and Yoo, its theoretical predictions in literature are often plagued with infrared divergences and gauge-dependences. This trend calls into question the sanity of the methods used to derive the luminosity distance. Here we critically investigate four different methods—the geometric approach, the Sachs approach, the Jacobi mapping approach, and the geodesic light cone (GLC) approach to modeling the luminosity distance, and we present a unified treatment of such methods, facilitating the comparison among the methods and checking their sanity. All of these four methods, if exercised properly, can be used to reproduce the correct description of the luminosity distance.
Unified treatment of the luminosity distance in cosmology
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Yoo, Jaiyul; Scaccabarozzi, Fulvio, E-mail: jyoo@physik.uzh.ch, E-mail: fulvio@physik.uzh.ch [Center for Theoretical Astrophysics and Cosmology, Institute for Computational Science, University of Zürich, Zürich (Switzerland)
2016-09-01
Comparing the luminosity distance measurements to its theoretical predictions is one of the cornerstones in establishing the modern cosmology. However, as shown in Biern and Yoo, its theoretical predictions in literature are often plagued with infrared divergences and gauge-dependences. This trend calls into question the sanity of the methods used to derive the luminosity distance. Here we critically investigate four different methods—the geometric approach, the Sachs approach, the Jacobi mapping approach, and the geodesic light cone (GLC) approach to modeling the luminosity distance, and we present a unified treatment of such methods, facilitating the comparison among the methods and checking their sanity. All of these four methods, if exercised properly, can be used to reproduce the correct description of the luminosity distance.
Constraints on the CMB temperature-redshift dependence from SZ and distance measurements
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Avgoustidis, A. [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD (United Kingdom); Luzzi, G. [Laboratoire de l' Accélérateur Linéaire, Université de Paris-Sud, CNRS/IN2P3, Bâtiment 200, BP 34, 91898 Orsay Cedex (France); Martins, C.J.A.P.; Monteiro, A.M.R.V.L., E-mail: A.Avgoustidis@damtp.cam.ac.uk, E-mail: gluzzi@lal.in2p3.fr, E-mail: Carlos.Martins@astro.up.pt, E-mail: up090322024@alunos.fc.up.pt [Centro de Astrofísica, Universidade do Porto, Rua das Estrelas, 4150-762 Porto (Portugal)
2012-02-01
The relation between redshift and the CMB temperature, T{sub CMB}(z) = T{sub 0}(1+z) is a key prediction of standard cosmology, but is violated in many non-standard models. Constraining possible deviations to this law is an effective way to test the ΛCDM paradigm and search for hints of new physics. We present state-of-the-art constraints, using both direct and indirect measurements. In particular, we point out that in models where photons can be created or destroyed, not only does the temperature-redshift relation change, but so does the distance duality relation, and these departures from the standard behaviour are related, providing us with an opportunity to improve constraints. We show that current datasets limit possible deviations of the form T{sub CMB}(z) = T{sub 0}(1+z){sup 1−β} to be β = 0.004±0.016 up to a redshift z ∼ 3. We also discuss how, with the next generation of space and ground-based experiments, these constraints can be improved by more than one order of magnitude.
Constraints on the CMB temperature-redshift dependence from SZ and distance measurements
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Avgoustidis, A.; Luzzi, G.; Martins, C.J.A.P.; Monteiro, A.M.R.V.L.
2012-01-01
The relation between redshift and the CMB temperature, T CMB (z) = T 0 (1+z) is a key prediction of standard cosmology, but is violated in many non-standard models. Constraining possible deviations to this law is an effective way to test the ΛCDM paradigm and search for hints of new physics. We present state-of-the-art constraints, using both direct and indirect measurements. In particular, we point out that in models where photons can be created or destroyed, not only does the temperature-redshift relation change, but so does the distance duality relation, and these departures from the standard behaviour are related, providing us with an opportunity to improve constraints. We show that current datasets limit possible deviations of the form T CMB (z) = T 0 (1+z) 1−β to be β = 0.004±0.016 up to a redshift z ∼ 3. We also discuss how, with the next generation of space and ground-based experiments, these constraints can be improved by more than one order of magnitude
Foundations of Distance Education. Third Edition. Routledge Studies in Distance Education.
Keegan, Desmond
This text gives an overview of distance education for students, administrators, and practitioners in distance education. Chapter 1 discusses the study of distance education. Chapter 2 analyzes forms of nonconventional education (open, nontraditional) that may have similarities to distance education but are not to be identified with it. Chapter 3…
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Robert F. Love
2001-01-01
Full Text Available Distance predicting functions may be used in a variety of applications for estimating travel distances between points. To evaluate the accuracy of a distance predicting function and to determine its parameters, a goodness-of-fit criteria is employed. AD (Absolute Deviations, SD (Squared Deviations and NAD (Normalized Absolute Deviations are the three criteria that are mostly employed in practice. In the literature some assumptions have been made about the properties of each criterion. In this paper, we present statistical analyses performed to compare the three criteria from different perspectives. For this purpose, we employ the ℓkpθ-norm as the distance predicting function, and statistically compare the three criteria by using normalized absolute prediction error distributions in seventeen geographical regions. We find that there exist no significant differences between the criteria. However, since the criterion SD has desirable properties in terms of distance modelling procedures, we suggest its use in practice.
Robustness of Distance-to-Default
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Jessen, Cathrine; Lando, David
2015-01-01
Distance-to-default (DD) is a measure of default risk derived from observed stock prices and book leverage using the structural credit risk model of Merton (1974). Despite the simplifying assumptions that underlie its derivation, DD has proven empirically to be a strong predictor of default. We use...
Physiological responses at short distances from a parametric speaker
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Lee Soomin
2012-06-01
Full Text Available Abstract In recent years, parametric speakers have been used in various circumstances. In our previous studies, we verified that the physiological burden of the sound of parametric speaker set at 2.6 m from the subjects was lower than that of the general speaker. However, nothing has yet been demonstrated about the effects of the sound of a parametric speaker at the shorter distance between parametric speakers the human body. Therefore, we studied this effect on physiological functions and task performance. Nine male subjects participated in this study. They completed three consecutive sessions: a 20-minute quiet period as a baseline, a 30-minute mental task period with general speakers or parametric speakers, and a 20-minute recovery period. We measured electrocardiogram (ECG photoplethysmogram (PTG, electroencephalogram (EEG, systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Four experiments, one with a speaker condition (general speaker and parametric speaker, the other with a distance condition (0.3 m and 1.0 m, were conducted respectively at the same time of day on separate days. To examine the effects of the speaker and distance, three-way repeated measures ANOVA (speaker factor x distance factor x time factor were conducted. In conclusion, we found that the physiological responses were not significantly different between the speaker condition and the distance condition. Meanwhile, it was shown that the physiological burdens increased with progress in time independently of speaker condition and distance condition. In summary, the effects of the parametric speaker at the 2.6 m distance were not obtained at the distance of 1 m or less.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Avgoustidis, Anastasios; Redondo, Javier; Verde, Licia; Jimenez, Raul
2010-04-01
We update constraints on cosmic opacity by combining recent SN Type Ia data compilation with the latest measurements of the Hubble expansion at redshifts between 0 and 2. The new constraint on the parameter ε parametrising deviations from the luminosity-angular diameter distance relation (d L =d A (1+z) 2+ε ), is ε=-0.04 -0.07 +0.08 (2-σ). For the redshift range between 0.2 and 0.35 this corresponds to an opacity Δτ<0.012 (95% C.L.), a factor of 2 stronger than the previous constraint. Various models of beyond the standard model physics that predict violation of photon number conservation contribute to the opacity and can be equally constrained. In this paper we put new limits on axion-like particles, including chameleons, and minicharged particles. (orig.)
Hoppe, Matthias W; Baumgart, Christian; Polglaze, Ted; Freiwald, Jürgen
2018-01-01
This study aimed to investigate the validity and reliability of global (GPS) and local (LPS) positioning systems for measuring distances covered and sprint mechanical properties in team sports. Here, we evaluated two recently released 18 Hz GPS and 20 Hz LPS technologies together with one established 10 Hz GPS technology. Six male athletes (age: 27±2 years; VO2max: 48.8±4.7 ml/min/kg) performed outdoors on 10 trials of a team sport-specific circuit that was equipped with double-light timing gates. The circuit included various walking, jogging, and sprinting sections that were performed either in straight-lines or with changes of direction. During the circuit, athletes wore two devices of each positioning system. From the reported and filtered velocity data, the distances covered and sprint mechanical properties (i.e., the theoretical maximal horizontal velocity, force, and power output) were computed. The sprint mechanical properties were modeled via an inverse dynamic approach applied to the center of mass. The validity was determined by comparing the measured and criterion data via the typical error of estimate (TEE), whereas the reliability was examined by comparing the two devices of each technology (i.e., the between-device reliability) via the coefficient of variation (CV). Outliers due to measurement errors were statistically identified and excluded from validity and reliability analyses. The 18 Hz GPS showed better validity and reliability for determining the distances covered (TEE: 1.6-8.0%; CV: 1.1-5.1%) and sprint mechanical properties (TEE: 4.5-14.3%; CV: 3.1-7.5%) than the 10 Hz GPS (TEE: 3.0-12.9%; CV: 2.5-13.0% and TEE: 4.1-23.1%; CV: 3.3-20.0%). However, the 20 Hz LPS demonstrated superior validity and reliability overall (TEE: 1.0-6.0%; CV: 0.7-5.0% and TEE: 2.1-9.2%; CV: 1.6-7.3%). For the 10 Hz GPS, 18 Hz GPS, and 20 Hz LPS, the relative loss of data sets due to measurement errors was 10.0%, 20.0%, and 15.8%, respectively. This study shows that
Herrmann, Markus; Scharhag, Jürgen; Sand-Hill, Marga; Kindermann, Wilfried; Herrmann, Wolfgang
2004-03-01
Mechanical manipulation of the prostate is a generally accepted interfering factor for the measurement of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). However, only few studies have focused on common daily mechanical manipulations, such as bicycle riding. Furthermore, physical exercise is also supposed to modulate PSA serum concentration. Long-distance mountain biking is an excellent model to study the combined effect of mechanical prostate manipulation by bicycle riding and strenuous endurance exercise on total, free and complexed PSA (tPSA, fPSA, cPSA). We investigated tPSA, fPSA and cPSA in 42 healthy male cyclists (mean age 35+/-6 years) before and after a 120 km off-road mountain bike race. Blood sampling was done before, 15 min and 3 h after the race. Mean race time was 342+/-65 min. All athletes had normal serum levels of tPSA, fPSA or cPSA. None of these parameters was modified by the race. In healthy men the measurement of tPSA, fPSA and cPSA is not disturbed by preceding long distance mountain biking or endurance exercise. Based on the present data, there is no evidence for a recommendation to limit bicycle riding or physical activity before the measurement of tPSA, fPSA or cPSA.
Species turnover and geographic distance in an urban river network
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Rouquette, James R.; Dallimer, Martin; Armsworth, Paul R.
2013-01-01
AimUnderstanding the relationships between species turnover, environmental features and the geographic distance between sites can provide important insights into the processes driving species diversity. This is particularly relevant where the effective distance between sites may be a function...... patterns of species turnover and to determine whether these patterns differ between different taxonomic groups. LocationSheffield area, UK. MethodsAquatic (macroinvertebrates, diatoms) and terrestrial (birds, plants, butterflies) organisms were surveyed at 41 sites across an urban river network. We...... of the geographic distance measures, although network distance remained significant for birds and some plant groups after removing the effect of environmental distance. Water-dispersed and neophyte plant groups were significantly related to network and flow distance. Main conclusionsThe results suggest that aquatic...
Association between cultural distance and migrant self-rated health
Detollenaere, Jens; Baert, Stijn; Willems, Sara
2018-01-01
Abstract: We study whether migrant health in Europe is associated with the cultural distance between their host country and country of origin. To this end, we run multilevel regression models on data merging self-rated health and social background of ae3800 migrants from the European Social Survey with an index of cultural distance based on country differences in values, norms and attitudes measured in the World Values Survey. We find that higher levels of cultural distance are associated wit...
Distance to VY Canis Majoris with VERA
Choi, Yoon Kyung; Hirota, Tomoya; Honma, Mareki; Kobayashi, Hideyuki; Bushimata, Takeshi; Imai, Hiroshi; Iwadate, Kenzaburo; Jike, Takaaki; Kameno, Seiji; Kameya, Osamu; Kamohara, Ryuichi; Kan-Ya, Yukitoshi; Kawaguchi, Noriyuki; Kijima, Masachika; Kim, Mi Kyoung; Kuji, Seisuke; Kurayama, Tomoharu; Manabe, Seiji; Maruyama, Kenta; Matsui, Makoto; Matsumoto, Naoko; Miyaji, Takeshi; Nagayama, Takumi; Nakagawa, Akiharu; Nakamura, Kayoko; Oh, Chung Sik; Omodaka, Toshihiro; Oyama, Tomoaki; Sakai, Satoshi; Sasao, Tetsuo; Sato, Katsuhisa; Sato, Mayumi; Shibata, Katsunori M.; Tamura, Yoshiaki; Tsushima, Miyuki; Yamashita, Kazuyoshi
2008-10-01
We report on astrometric observations of H2O masers around the red supergiant VY Canis Majoris carried out with VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry (VERA). Based on astrometric monitoring for 13 months, we successfully measured a trigonometric parallax of 0.88±0.08 mas, corresponding to a distance of 1.14+0.11-0.09kpc. This is the most accurate determined distance to VY CMa and the first one based on an annual parallax measurement. The luminosity of VY CMa has been overestimated due to a previously accepted distance. With our result, we re-estimated the luminosity of VY CMa to be (3±0.5) × 105Lodot using the bolometric flux integrated over optical and IR wavelengths. This improved luminosity value makes the location of VY CMa on the Hertzsprung-Russell (HR) diagram much closer to the theoretically allowable zone (i.e. the left side of the Hayashi track) than previous ones, though the uncertainty in the effective temperature of the stellar surface still does not permit us to make a final conclusion.
The skin-to-calyx distance measured by renal ct scan and ultrasound
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Shan, Chen Jen; Mazzucchi, Eduardo; Payão, Fabio; Gomes, Andrea Cavalanti; Baroni, Ronaldo Hueb; Torricelli, Fabio Cesar; Vicentini, Fabio Carvalho; Srougi, Miguel [Hospital das Clínicas, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)
2014-03-15
Purpose: We developed a stereotactic device to guide the puncture for percutaneous nephrolithotripsy, which uses the distance from the target calyx to its perpendicular point on skin (SCD) to calculate the needle´s entry angle. This study seeks to validate the use of measurements obtained by ultrasound (US) and computerized tomography (CT) for needle´s entry angle calculation and to study factors that may interfere in this procedure. Materials and Methods: Height, weight, abdominal circumference, CT of the urinary tract in dorsal decubitus (DD) and ventral decubitus (VD), and US of the kidneys in VD were obtained from thirty-five renal calculi patients. SCD obtained were compared and correlated with body-mass index (BMI). Results: BMI was 28.66 ± 4.6 Kg/m2. SCD on CT in DD was 8.40 ± 2.06cm, in VD was 8.32 ± 1.95cm, in US was 6.74 ± 1.68cm. SCD measured by US and CT were statistically different (p < 0.001), whereas between CT in DD and VD were not. SCD of the lower calyx presented moderate correlation with BMI. Conclusion: SCD obtained by CT in ventral and dorsal decubitus may be used for calculation of the needle´s entry angle. SCD obtained by US cannot be used. A rule for the correlation between BMI and the SCD could not be determined. (author)
Electronic distance measurement: an introduction
National Research Council Canada - National Science Library
Rüeger, J. M
1990-01-01
.... It is excellently suited as a text for undergraduate and graduate students and as an invaluable reference for practicing surveyors, geodesists and other scientists using EDM as a measuring tool...
Traversing psychological distance.
Liberman, Nira; Trope, Yaacov
2014-07-01
Traversing psychological distance involves going beyond direct experience, and includes planning, perspective taking, and contemplating counterfactuals. Consistent with this view, temporal, spatial, and social distances as well as hypotheticality are associated, affect each other, and are inferred from one another. Moreover, traversing all distances involves the use of abstraction, which we define as forming a belief about the substitutability for a specific purpose of subjectively distinct objects. Indeed, across many instances of both abstraction and psychological distancing, more abstract constructs are used for more distal objects. Here, we describe the implications of this relation for prediction, choice, communication, negotiation, and self-control. We ask whether traversing distance is a general mental ability and whether distance should replace expectancy in expected-utility theories. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Novel Distance Measure in Fuzzy TOPSIS for Supply Chain Strategy Based Supplier Selection
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B. Pardha Saradhi
2016-01-01
Full Text Available In today’s highly competitive environment, organizations need to evaluate and select suppliers based on their manufacturing strategy. Identification of supply chain strategy of the organization, determination of decision criteria, and methods of supplier selection are appearing to be the most important components in research area in the field of supply chain management. In this paper, evaluation of suppliers is done based on the balanced scorecard framework using new distance measure in fuzzy TOPSIS by considering the supply chain strategy of the manufacturing organization. To take care of vagueness in decision making, trapezoidal fuzzy number is assumed for pairwise comparisons to determine relative weights of perspectives and criteria of supplier selection. Also, linguistic variables specified in terms of trapezoidal fuzzy number are considered for the payoff values of criteria of the suppliers. These fuzzy numbers satisfied the Jensen based inequality. A detailed application of the proposed methodology is illustrated.
Doherty, Patrick; Welch, Arthur; Tharpe, Jason; Moore, Camille; Ferry, Chris
2017-05-30
Studies have shown that a significant learning curve may be associated with adopting minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS TLIF) with bilateral pedicle screw fixation (BPSF). Accordingly, several hybrid TLIF techniques have been proposed as surrogates to the accepted BPSF technique, asserting that less/fewer fixation(s) or less disruptive fixation may decrease the learning curve while still maintaining the minimally disruptive benefits. TLIF with interspinous process fixation (ISPF) is one such surrogate procedure. However, despite perceived ease of adaptability given the favorable proximity of the spinous processes, no evidence exists demonstrating whether or not the technique may possess its own inherent learning curve. The purpose of this study was to determine whether an intraoperative learning curve for one- and two-level TLIF + ISPF may exist for a single lead surgeon. Seventy-four consecutive patients who received one- or two-Level TLIF with rigid ISPF by a single lead surgeon were retrospectively reviewed. It was the first TLIF + ISPF case series for the lead surgeon. Intraoperative blood loss (EBL), hospitalization length-of-stay (LOS), fluoroscopy time, and postoperative complications were collected. EBL, LOS, and fluoroscopy time were modeled as a function of case number using multiple linear regression methods. A change point was included in each model to allow the trajectory of the outcomes to change during the duration of the case series. These change points were determined using profile likelihood methods. Models were fit using the maximum likelihood estimates for the change points. Age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and the number of treated levels were included as covariates. EBL, LOS, and fluoroscopy time did not significantly differ by age, sex, or BMI (p ≥ 0.12). Only EBL differed significantly by the number of levels (p = 0.026). The case number was not a significant predictor of EBL, LOS, or fluoroscopy time (p ≥ 0
Managing distance and covariate information with point-based clustering
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Peter A. Whigham
2016-09-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background Geographic perspectives of disease and the human condition often involve point-based observations and questions of clustering or dispersion within a spatial context. These problems involve a finite set of point observations and are constrained by a larger, but finite, set of locations where the observations could occur. Developing a rigorous method for pattern analysis in this context requires handling spatial covariates, a method for constrained finite spatial clustering, and addressing bias in geographic distance measures. An approach, based on Ripley’s K and applied to the problem of clustering with deliberate self-harm (DSH, is presented. Methods Point-based Monte-Carlo simulation of Ripley’s K, accounting for socio-economic deprivation and sources of distance measurement bias, was developed to estimate clustering of DSH at a range of spatial scales. A rotated Minkowski L1 distance metric allowed variation in physical distance and clustering to be assessed. Self-harm data was derived from an audit of 2 years’ emergency hospital presentations (n = 136 in a New Zealand town (population ~50,000. Study area was defined by residential (housing land parcels representing a finite set of possible point addresses. Results Area-based deprivation was spatially correlated. Accounting for deprivation and distance bias showed evidence for clustering of DSH for spatial scales up to 500 m with a one-sided 95 % CI, suggesting that social contagion may be present for this urban cohort. Conclusions Many problems involve finite locations in geographic space that require estimates of distance-based clustering at many scales. A Monte-Carlo approach to Ripley’s K, incorporating covariates and models for distance bias, are crucial when assessing health-related clustering. The case study showed that social network structure defined at the neighbourhood level may account for aspects of neighbourhood clustering of DSH. Accounting for
Which spike train distance is most suitable for distinguishing rate and temporal coding?
Satuvuori, Eero; Kreuz, Thomas
2018-04-01
It is commonly assumed in neuronal coding that repeated presentations of a stimulus to a coding neuron elicit similar responses. One common way to assess similarity are spike train distances. These can be divided into spike-resolved, such as the Victor-Purpura and the van Rossum distance, and time-resolved, e.g. the ISI-, the SPIKE- and the RI-SPIKE-distance. We use independent steady-rate Poisson processes as surrogates for spike trains with fixed rate and no timing information to address two basic questions: How does the sensitivity of the different spike train distances to temporal coding depend on the rates of the two processes and how do the distances deal with very low rates? Spike-resolved distances always contain rate information even for parameters indicating time coding. This is an issue for reasonably high rates but beneficial for very low rates. In contrast, the operational range for detecting time coding of time-resolved distances is superior at normal rates, but these measures produce artefacts at very low rates. The RI-SPIKE-distance is the only measure that is sensitive to timing information only. While our results on rate-dependent expectation values for the spike-resolved distances agree with Chicharro et al. (2011), we here go one step further and specifically investigate applicability for very low rates. The most appropriate measure depends on the rates of the data being analysed. Accordingly, we summarize our results in one table that allows an easy selection of the preferred measure for any kind of data. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
On Computing Breakpoint Distances for Genomes with Duplicate Genes.
Shao, Mingfu; Moret, Bernard M E
2017-06-01
A fundamental problem in comparative genomics is to compute the distance between two genomes in terms of its higher level organization (given by genes or syntenic blocks). For two genomes without duplicate genes, we can easily define (and almost always efficiently compute) a variety of distance measures, but the problem is NP-hard under most models when genomes contain duplicate genes. To tackle duplicate genes, three formulations (exemplar, maximum matching, and any matching) have been proposed, all of which aim to build a matching between homologous genes so as to minimize some distance measure. Of the many distance measures, the breakpoint distance (the number of nonconserved adjacencies) was the first one to be studied and remains of significant interest because of its simplicity and model-free property. The three breakpoint distance problems corresponding to the three formulations have been widely studied. Although we provided last year a solution for the exemplar problem that runs very fast on full genomes, computing optimal solutions for the other two problems has remained challenging. In this article, we describe very fast, exact algorithms for these two problems. Our algorithms rely on a compact integer-linear program that we further simplify by developing an algorithm to remove variables, based on new results on the structure of adjacencies and matchings. Through extensive experiments using both simulations and biological data sets, we show that our algorithms run very fast (in seconds) on mammalian genomes and scale well beyond. We also apply these algorithms (as well as the classic orthology tool MSOAR) to create orthology assignment, then compare their quality in terms of both accuracy and coverage. We find that our algorithm for the "any matching" formulation significantly outperforms other methods in terms of accuracy while achieving nearly maximum coverage.
Deep-Focusing Time-Distance Helioseismology
Duvall, T. L., Jr.; Jensen, J. M.; Kosovichev, A. G.; Birch, A. C.; Fisher, Richard R. (Technical Monitor)
2001-01-01
Much progress has been made by measuring the travel times of solar acoustic waves from a central surface location to points at equal arc distance away. Depth information is obtained from the range of arc distances examined, with the larger distances revealing the deeper layers. This method we will call surface-focusing, as the common point, or focus, is at the surface. To obtain a clearer picture of the subsurface region, it would, no doubt, be better to focus on points below the surface. Our first attempt to do this used the ray theory to pick surface location pairs that would focus on a particular subsurface point. This is not the ideal procedure, as Born approximation kernels suggest that this focus should have zero sensitivity to sound speed inhomogeneities. However, the sensitivity is concentrated below the surface in a much better way than the old surface-focusing method, and so we expect the deep-focusing method to be more sensitive. A large sunspot group was studied by both methods. Inversions based on both methods will be compared.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Kulkarni Sourabh
2016-01-01
Full Text Available Introduction: The tibial tuberosity to trochlear groove (TTTG distance in the western population is extensively studied through various modalities such as X-rays, computerised tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. However, to our knowledge there is very little or no literature support to indicate that TTTG distance has been studied in the Indian population. Methods: We therefore undertook a study to measure the TTTG distance in 100 MRI scans of normal Indian knees. Patients with the following co-morbidities were excluded from the study; ligamentous laxity, patellofemoral instability, mal-alignment and osteoarthritis. We measured TTTG distance on the axial MRI slices using OsiriX software. Results: The mean value for females was found to be 14.07 mm and that for male was found to be 13.34 mm. Our study indicates that the TTTG distance, using MRI scans as measurement modality, in the Indian population is significantly different when compared to the published western data. Discussion: We believe that this study can form the basis for future studies on the relationship between TTTG distance and patellar instability in Indian population.
A Second Ladder: Testing for Bias in the Type Ia Distance Scale with SBF
Milne, Peter
2016-10-01
We propose obtaining Surface Brightness Fluctuation (SBF) distances to the hosts galaxies of 20 nearby type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia), resulting in a sample of 29 SNe Ia in 27 galaxies when combined with HST-SBF distances from the literature. This sample can then be compared with the existing 18 SN Ia distances from Cepheids. Through these comparisons, we will determine if there are any discrepancies between the SBF distance scale, which is extended into the Hubble flow using early-type galaxies, and the SNIa distance scale, for which local calibrators are scarce and host galaxy types and SN environments are heterogenous. Since recent measurements of UV-optical colors suggest that SN Ia properties do depend on galaxy type and environment, it is essential that SNe Ia in all galaxy types are included when extending SN Ia distances to the distant Hubble flow. Since the conclusion that universal expansion is accelerating was originally based on SNe Ia distances, and because recent measurements of UV-optical colors suggest that SN Ia properties do depend on galaxy type and environment, it is essential to measure the same types of SNe in the same types of galaxies. To meet this goal, we propose to measure high-precision SBF distances to all early-type galaxies that have hosted SNIa within 80 Mpc. We will therefore be able to distinguish between systematic offsets in the derived Hubble constant between galaxies and/or SNe of different types and correct for them. SBF is the only distance measurement technique with statistical uncertainties comparable to SN Ia that can be applied to the early-type of galaxies in which the majority of the high-redshift SNIa occur.
Distances on Cosmological Scales with VLTI
Karovska, Margarita; Elvis, Martin; Marengo, Massimo
2003-01-01
We present here a new method using interferometric measurements of quasars, that allows the determination of direct geometrical distances on cosmic scales. Quasar Broad Emission Line Regions sizes provide a "meter rule" with which to measure the metric of the Universe. This method is less dependent of model assumptions, and even of variations in the fundamental constants (other than c). We discuss the spectral and spatial requirements on the VLTI observations needed to carry out these measure...
TOPSIS with statistical distances: A new approach to MADM
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Vijaya Babu Vommi
2017-01-01
Full Text Available Multiple attribute decision making (MADM methods are very useful in choosing the best alternative among the available finite but conflicting alternatives. TOPSIS is one of the MADM methods, which is simple in its methodology and logic. In TOPSIS, Euclidean distances of each alternative from the positive and negative ideal solutions are utilized to find the best alternative. In literature, apart from Euclidean distances, the city block distances have also been tried to find the separations measures. In general, the attribute data are distributed with unequal ranges and also possess moderate to high correlations. Hence, in the present paper, use of statistical distances is proposed in place of Euclidean distances. Procedures to find the best alternatives are developed using statistical and weighted statistical distances respectively. The proposed methods are illustrated with some industrial problems taken from literature. Results show that the proposed methods can be used as new alternatives in MADM for choosing the best solutions.
Ultraluminous X-ray sources: new distance indicators?
Różańska, A.; Bresler, K.; Bełdycki, B.; Madej, J.; Adhikari, T. P.
2018-05-01
Aims: In this paper we fit the NuSTAR and XMM-Newton data of three sources: NGC 7793 P13, NGC5907 ULX1, and Circinus ULX5. Methods: Our single model contains emission from a non-spherical system: a neutron star plus an accretion disk directed towards the observer. Results: We obtained a very good fit with the reduced χ2 per degree of freedom equal to 1.08 for P13, 1.01 for ULX1, and 1.14 for ULX5. The normalization of our model constrains the distance to the source. The resulting distances are D = 3.41-0.10+0.11, 6.55-0.81+0.69, and 2.60-0.03+0.05 Mpc for P13, ULX1, and ULX5 respectively. The distances to P13 and ULX5 are in perfect agreement with previous distance measurements to their host galaxies. Conclusions: Our results confirm that P13, ULX1, and ULX5 may contain central hot neutron stars. When the outgoing emission is computed by integration over the emitting surface and successfully fitted to the data, then the resulting model normalization is the direct distance indicator.
Ultrametric Distance in Syntax
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Roberts Mark D.
2015-04-01
Full Text Available Phrase structure trees have a hierarchical structure. In many subjects, most notably in taxonomy such tree structures have been studied using ultrametrics. Here syntactical hierarchical phrase trees are subject to a similar analysis, which is much simpler as the branching structure is more readily discernible and switched. The ambiguity of which branching height to choose, is resolved by postulating that branching occurs at the lowest height available. An ultrametric produces a measure of the complexity of sentences: presumably the complexity of sentences increases as a language is acquired so that this can be tested. All ultrametric triangles are equilateral or isosceles. Here it is shown that X̅ structure implies that there are no equilateral triangles. Restricting attention to simple syntax a minimum ultrametric distance between lexical categories is calculated. A matrix constructed from this ultrametric distance is shown to be different than the matrix obtained from features. It is shown that the definition of C-COMMAND can be replaced by an equivalent ultrametric definition. The new definition invokes a minimum distance between nodes and this is more aesthetically satisfying than previous varieties of definitions. From the new definition of C-COMMAND follows a new definition of of the central notion in syntax namely GOVERNMENT.
The Effect of Changing Focal Trough in a Panoramic Device on the Accuracy of Distance Measurements
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Mehrdad Abdinian
2018-01-01
Full Text Available >Introduction: Magnification and distortion are the most important limitations of panoramic radiography. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of changing focal trough option of Planmeca SCARA 3 on the accuracy of linear distance measurements.Materials and Methods: In this in-vitro study, 28 pieces of gutta-percha were attached to the assumptive place of each lost root of an adult dry skull with average size and normal shape. The actual measurements were obtained by a digital caliper. The panoramic images of the skull were taken in six different sizes and shapes of focal trough. This procedure was repeated ten times with new gutta-percha. Paired t-test was used to compare the values of different actual and radiographic images of gutta-percha dimensions.Results: The mean difference [standard deviation (SD] between actual measurement and panoramic radiography in the different groups was from 0.37 (1.1 to 0.58 (2.87 mm. The mean (SD difference of linear measurements between real and radiographic images was 0.52 (0.43 mm in average size, V-shaped group, which was statistically and clinically significant (P = 0.00.Conclusion: Changing the focal trough option of Planmeca SCARA 3 has minimal effects on the accuracy of linear measurements in panoramic radiographs.
Entropy correlation distance method. The Euro introduction effect on the Consumer Price Index
Miśkiewicz, Janusz
2010-04-01
The idea of entropy was introduced in thermodynamics, but it can be used in time series analysis. There are various ways to define and measure the entropy of a system. Here the so called Theil index, which is often used in economy and finance, is applied as it were an entropy measure. In this study the time series are remapped through the Theil index. Then the linear correlation coefficient between the remapped time series is evaluated as a function of time and time window size and the corresponding statistical distance is defined. The results are compared with the the usual correlation distance measure for the time series themselves. As an example this entropy correlation distance method (ECDM) is applied to several series, as those of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in order to test some so called globalisation processes. Distance matrices are calculated in order to construct two network structures which are next analysed. The role of two different time scales introduced by the Theil index and a correlation coefficient is also discussed. The evolution of the mean distance between the most developed countries is presented and the globalisation periods of the prices discussed. It is finally shown that the evolution of mean distance between the most developed countries on several networks follows the process of introducing the European currency - the Euro. It is contrasted to the GDP based analysis. It is stressed that the entropy correlation distance measure is more suitable in detecting significant changes, like a globalisation process than the usual statistical (correlation based) measure.
Nitschke, Ashley; Lambert, Jeffery R; Glueck, Deborah H; Jesse, Mary Kristen; Mei-Dan, Omer; Strickland, Colin; Petersen, Brian
2015-11-01
This study has three aims: (1) validate a new radiographic measure of acetabular version, the transverse axis distance (TAD) by showing equivalent TAD accuracy in predicting CT equatorial acetabular version when compared to a previously validated, but more cumbersome, radiographic measure, the p/a ratio; (2) establish predictive equations of CT acetabular version from TAD; (3) calculate a sensitive and specific cut point for predicting excessive CT acetabular anteversion using TAD. A 14-month retrospective review was performed of patients who had undergone a dedicated MSK CT pelvis study and who also had a technically adequate AP pelvis radiograph. Two trained observers measured the radiographic p/a ratio, TAD, and CT acetabular equatorial version for 110 hips on a PACS workstation. Mixed model analysis was used to find prediction equations, and ROC analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of p/a ratio and TAD. CT equatorial acetabular version can accurately be predicted from either p/a ratio (p TAD (p TAD are comparable (p =0.46). Patients whose TAD is higher than 17 mm may have excessive acetabular anteversion. For that cutpoint, the sensitivity of TAD is 0.73, with specificity of 0.82. TAD is an accurate radiographic predictor of CT acetabular anteversion and provides an easy-to-use and intuitive point-of-care assessment of acetabular version in patients with hip pain.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Lucena, Rodrigo F. de; Potiens, Maria da Penha A.; Vivolo, Vitor
2009-01-01
The objective of this work was to study the behavior of the X-ray equipment Pantak/Seifert, model MXR-160/22 of the calibration laboratory of IPEN, LCI, operating in the diagnostic radiology radiation quality RQR 5 (70 kV). For this evaluation it was used a noninvasive meter PTW, Diavolt TM model. The measurements of kVp, PPV and Dose (air kerma), were made varying the electric current and distance between the focal point and the meter. This behavior is described in the literature and was expected in the analysis of the measurements for comparison purposes. For the tests where it was only increased the electric current it was waited a linear increase of the dose (air kerma), but not a variation in the kVp and PPV. The measurements had corresponded to the waited behavior, since the Dose (air kerma) measurements presented a linear increase with the increase of the electric current and the kVp and PPV values showed a variation less than 2%. In the corresponding measurements increasing the distance between focal point and meter, it was waited the exponentially decreasing of the Dose (air kerma) and again a small variation or no variation of the PPV and kVP with the increase of the distance. Over again the measurements corresponded to the expected, where the Dose (air kerma) decreased exponentially and the PPV and the kVp had a variation less than 1.5%. (author)
Mathur, Sunil; Sadana, Ajit
2015-12-01
We present a rank-based test statistic for the identification of differentially expressed genes using a distance measure. The proposed test statistic is highly robust against extreme values and does not assume the distribution of parent population. Simulation studies show that the proposed test is more powerful than some of the commonly used methods, such as paired t-test, Wilcoxon signed rank test, and significance analysis of microarray (SAM) under certain non-normal distributions. The asymptotic distribution of the test statistic, and the p-value function are discussed. The application of proposed method is shown using a real-life data set. © The Author(s) 2011.
Miner, Daniel C; Triesch, Jochen
2014-01-01
The neuroanatomical connectivity of cortical circuits is believed to follow certain rules, the exact origins of which are still poorly understood. In particular, numerous nonrandom features, such as common neighbor clustering, overrepresentation of reciprocal connectivity, and overrepresentation of certain triadic graph motifs have been experimentally observed in cortical slice data. Some of these data, particularly regarding bidirectional connectivity are seemingly contradictory, and the reasons for this are unclear. Here we present a simple static geometric network model with distance-dependent connectivity on a realistic scale that naturally gives rise to certain elements of these observed behaviors, and may provide plausible explanations for some of the conflicting findings. Specifically, investigation of the model shows that experimentally measured nonrandom effects, especially bidirectional connectivity, may depend sensitively on experimental parameters such as slice thickness and sampling area, suggesting potential explanations for the seemingly conflicting experimental results.
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Avgoustidis, Anastasios [Centre for Theoretical Cosmology, DAMTP, CMS, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge CB3 0WA (United Kingdom); Burrage, Clare [Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, D-22607 Hamburg (Germany); Redondo, Javier [Max Planck Institut für Physik, Föhringer Ring 6, D-80805, Munich (Germany); Verde, Licia; Jimenez, Raul, E-mail: a.avgoustidis@damtp.cam.ac.uk, E-mail: clare.burrage@desy.de, E-mail: redondo@mppmu.mpg.de, E-mail: liciaverde@icc.ub.edu, E-mail: raul.jimenez@icc.ub.edu [ICREA and Institute for Sciences of the Cosmos (ICC), University of Barcelona, IEEC, Barcelona 08028 (Spain)
2010-10-01
We update constraints on cosmic opacity by combining recent SN Type Ia data with the latest measurements of the Hubble expansion at redshifts between 0 and 2. The new constraint on the parameter ε parametrising deviations from the luminosity-angular diameter distance relation (d{sub L} = d{sub A}(1+z){sup 2+ε}), is ε = −0.04{sub −0.07}{sup +0.08} (2-σ). For the redshift range between 0.2 and 0.35 this corresponds to an opacity Δτ < 0.012 (95% C.L.), a factor of 2 stronger than the previous constraint. Various models of beyond the standard model physics that predict violation of photon number conservation contribute to the opacity and can be equally constrained. In this paper we put new limits on axion-like particles, including chameleons, and mini-charged particles.
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Avgoustidis, Anastasios [DAMTP, CMS, Cambridge (United Kingdom). Centre for Theoretical Cosmology; Burrage, Clare [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany); Redondo, Javier [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Physik, Munich (Germany); Verde, Licia; Jimenez, Raul [Barcelona Univ., IEEC (ES). ICREA and Inst. for Sciences of the Cosmos (ICC)
2010-04-15
We update constraints on cosmic opacity by combining recent SN Type Ia data compilation with the latest measurements of the Hubble expansion at redshifts between 0 and 2. The new constraint on the parameter {epsilon} parametrising deviations from the luminosity-angular diameter distance relation (d{sub L}=d{sub A}(1+z){sup 2+{epsilon}}), is {epsilon}=-0.04{sub -0.07}{sup +0.08} (2-{sigma}). For the redshift range between 0.2 and 0.35 this corresponds to an opacity {delta}{tau}<0.012 (95% C.L.), a factor of 2 stronger than the previous constraint. Various models of beyond the standard model physics that predict violation of photon number conservation contribute to the opacity and can be equally constrained. In this paper we put new limits on axion-like particles, including chameleons, and minicharged particles. (orig.)
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Tabak, M.; Louro, S.R.W.
1983-11-01
Addition of copper (II) ions to Cys β-93 maleimide spin-labelled human hemoglobin A produces a dramatic decrease in the amplitude of the spin-label ESR spectra. This effect was analyzed in the framework of Leigh's theory which permits interspin distances to be deduced from the effect of dipolar coupling on the ESR spectra and led to an estimate of 9A as the distance between the label and the higher affinity copper site. Taking into account the previous results which suggest that four nitrogen atoms coordinate with copper, and that the N terminal val β-1 and His β-2 residues are involved, the location of the higher affinity copper site is proposed to be at the β 1 β 2 interface of the hemoglobin molecule, involving the N terminal of one β subunit and the C terminal of the other. (Author) [pt
Yao, Yuangen; Gui, Rong; Liu, Quan; Yi, Ming; Deng, Haiyou
2017-12-08
As one of the most successful knowledge-based energy functions, the distance-dependent atom-pair potential is widely used in all aspects of protein structure prediction, including conformational search, model refinement, and model assessment. During the last two decades, great efforts have been made to improve the reference state of the potential, while other factors that also strongly affect the performance of the potential have been relatively less investigated. Based on different distance cutoffs (from 5 to 22 Å) and residue intervals (from 0 to 15) as well as six different reference states, we constructed a series of distance-dependent atom-pair potentials and tested them on several groups of structural decoy sets collected from diverse sources. A comprehensive investigation has been performed to clarify the effects of distance cutoff and residue interval on the potential's performance. Our results provide a new perspective as well as a practical guidance for optimizing distance-dependent statistical potentials. The optimal distance cutoff and residue interval are highly related with the reference state that the potential is based on, the measurements of the potential's performance, and the decoy sets that the potential is applied to. The performance of distance-dependent statistical potential can be significantly improved when the best statistical parameters for the specific application environment are adopted.
Determining distances using asteroseismic methods
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Aguirre, Victor Silva; Casagrande, L.; Basu, Sarbina
2013-01-01
Asteroseismology has been extremely successful in determining the properties of stars in different evolutionary stages with a remarkable level of precision. However, to fully exploit its potential, robust methods for estimating stellar parameters are required and independent verification of the r......Asteroseismology has been extremely successful in determining the properties of stars in different evolutionary stages with a remarkable level of precision. However, to fully exploit its potential, robust methods for estimating stellar parameters are required and independent verification...... fluxes, and thus distances for field stars in a self-consistent manner. Applying our method to a sample of solar-like oscillators in the {\\it Kepler} field that have accurate {\\it Hipparcos} parallaxes, we find agreement in our distance determinations to better than 5%. Comparison with measurements...
Open and Distance Learning Today. Routledge Studies in Distance Education Series.
Lockwood, Fred, Ed.
This book contains the following papers on open and distance learning today: "Preface" (Daniel); "Big Bang Theory in Distance Education" (Hawkridge); "Practical Agenda for Theorists of Distance Education" (Perraton); "Trends, Directions and Needs: A View from Developing Countries" (Koul); "American…
Distance stereotest using a 3-dimensional monitor for adult subjects.
Kim, Jongshin; Yang, Hee Kyung; Kim, Youngmin; Lee, Byoungho; Hwang, Jeong-Min
2011-06-01
To evaluate the validity and test-retest reliability of a contour-based 3-dimensional (3-D) monitor distance stereotest (distance 3-D stereotest) and to measure the maximum horizontal disparity that can be fused with disparity vergence for determining the largest measurable disparity of true stereopsis. Observational case series. Sixty-four normal adult subjects (age range, 23 to 39 years) were recruited. Contour-based circles (crossed disparity, 5000 to 20 seconds of arc; Microsoft Visual Studio C(++) 6.0; Microsoft, Inc, Seattle, Washington, USA) were generated on a 3-D monitor (46-inch stereoscopic display) using polarization glasses and were presented to subjects with normal binocularity at 3 m. While the position of the stimulus changed among 4 possible locations, the subjects were instructed to press the corresponding position of the stimulus on a keypad. The results with the new distance 3-D stereotest were compared with those from the distance Randot stereotest. The results of the distance 3-D stereotest and the distance Randot stereotests were identical in 64% and within 1 disparity level in 97% of normal adults. Scores obtained with the 2 tests showed a statistically significant correlation (r = 0.324, P = .009). The half-width of the 95% limit of agreement was 0.47 log seconds of arc (1.55 octaves) using the distance 3-D stereotest--similar to or better than that obtained with conventional distance stereotests. The maximum binocular disparity that can be fused with vergence was 1828 ± 794 seconds of arc (range, 4000 to 500). The distance 3-D stereotest showed good concordance with the distance Randot stereotest and relatively good test-retest reliability, supporting the validity of the distance 3-D stereotest. The normative data set obtained from the present study can serve as a useful reference for quantitative assessment of a wide range of binocular sensory abnormalities. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Ortega, R.; Gutierrez, E.; Carciumaru, D. D.; Huesca-Perez, E.
2017-12-01
We present a method to compute the conditional and no-conditional probability density function (PDF) of the finite fault distance distribution (FFDD). Two cases are described: lines and areas. The case of lines has a simple analytical solution while, in the case of areas, the geometrical probability of a fault based on the strike, dip, and fault segment vertices is obtained using the projection of spheres in a piecewise rectangular surface. The cumulative distribution is computed by measuring the projection of a sphere of radius r in an effective area using an algorithm that estimates the area of a circle within a rectangle. In addition, we introduce the finite fault distance metrics. This distance is the distance where the maximum stress release occurs within the fault plane and generates a peak ground motion. Later, we can apply the appropriate ground motion prediction equations (GMPE) for PSHA. The conditional probability of distance given magnitude is also presented using different scaling laws. A simple model of constant distribution of the centroid at the geometrical mean is discussed, in this model hazard is reduced at the edges because the effective size is reduced. Nowadays there is a trend of using extended source distances in PSHA, however it is not possible to separate the fault geometry from the GMPE. With this new approach, it is possible to add fault rupture models separating geometrical and propagation effects.
Polynomial-time Algorithms for Computing Distances of Fuzzy Transition Systems
Chen, Taolue; Han, Tingting; Cao, Yongzhi
2017-01-01
Behaviour distances to measure the resemblance of two states in a (nondeterministic) fuzzy transition system have been proposed recently in the literature. Such a distance, defined as a pseudo-ultrametric over the state space of the model, provides a quantitative analogue of bisimilarity. In this paper, we focus on the problem of computing these distances. We first extend the definition of the pseudo-ultrametric by introducing discount such that the discounting factor being equal to 1 capture...
From a distance: implications of spontaneous self-distancing for adaptive self-reflection.
Ayduk, Ozlem; Kross, Ethan
2010-05-01
Although recent experimental work indicates that self-distancing facilitates adaptive self-reflection, it remains unclear (a) whether spontaneous self-distancing leads to similar adaptive outcomes, (b) how spontaneous self-distancing relates to avoidance, and (c) how this strategy impacts interpersonal behavior. Three studies examined these issues demonstrating that the more participants spontaneously self-distanced while reflecting on negative memories, the less emotional (Studies 1-3) and cardiovascular (Study 2) reactivity they displayed in the short term. Spontaneous self-distancing was also associated with lower emotional reactivity and intrusive ideation over time (Study 1). The negative association between spontaneous self-distancing and emotional reactivity was mediated by how participants construed their experience (i.e., less recounting relative to reconstruing) rather than avoidance (Studies 1-2). In addition, spontaneous self-distancing was associated with more problem-solving behavior and less reciprocation of negativity during conflicts among couples in ongoing relationships (Study 3). Although spontaneous self-distancing was empirically related to trait rumination, it explained unique variance in predicting key outcomes. 2010 APA, all rights reserved
Baldock, Katherine L; Paquet, Catherine; Howard, Natasha J; Coffee, Neil T; Taylor, Anne W; Daniel, Mark
2018-01-29
Perceived and objective measures of neighbourhood features have shown limited correspondence. Few studies have examined whether discordance between objective measures and individual perceptions of neighbourhood environments relates to individual health. Individuals with mismatched perceptions may benefit from initiatives to improve understandings of resource availability. This study utilised data from n = 1491 adult participants in a biomedical cohort to evaluate cross-sectional associations between measures of access (perceived, objective, and perceived-objective mismatch) to fruit and vegetable retailers (FVR) and public open space (POS), and clinically-measured metabolic syndrome and its component risk factors: central obesity, dyslipidaemia, hypertension and pre-diabetes/diabetes. Access measures included perceived distances from home to the nearest FVR and POS, corresponding objectively-assessed road network distances, and the discordance between perceived and objective distances (overestimated (i.e., mismatched) distances versus matched perceived-objective distances). Individual and neighbourhood measures were spatially joined using a geographic information system. Associations were evaluated using multilevel logistic regression, accounting for individual and area-level covariates. Hypertension was positively associated with perceived distances to FVR (odds ratio (OR) = 1.14, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.02, 1.28) and POS (OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.05, 1.34), after accounting for covariates and objective distances. Hypertension was positively associated with overestimating distances to FVR (OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.02, 1.80). Overestimating distances to POS was positively associated with both hypertension (OR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.11, 1.83) and dyslipidaemia (OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.00, 1.57). Results provide new evidence for specific associations between perceived and overestimated distances from home to nearby resources and cardiometabolic risk factors.
Sicoli, Giuseppe; Mathis, Gérald; Aci-Sèche, Samia; Saint-Pierre, Christine; Boulard, Yves; Gasparutto, Didier; Gambarelli, Serge
2009-06-01
Double electron-electron resonance (DEER) was applied to determine nanometre spin-spin distances on DNA duplexes that contain selected structural alterations. The present approach to evaluate the structural features of DNA damages is thus related to the interspin distance changes, as well as to the flexibility of the overall structure deduced from the distance distribution. A set of site-directed nitroxide-labelled double-stranded DNA fragments containing defined lesions, namely an 8-oxoguanine, an abasic site or abasic site analogues, a nick, a gap and a bulge structure were prepared and then analysed by the DEER spectroscopic technique. New insights into the application of 4-pulse DEER sequence are also provided, in particular with respect to the spin probes' positions and the rigidity of selected systems. The lesion-induced conformational changes observed, which were supported by molecular dynamics studies, confirm the results obtained by other, more conventional, spectroscopic techniques. Thus, the experimental approaches described herein provide an efficient method for probing lesion-induced structural changes of nucleic acids.
van Dam, Edwin R.; Koolen, Jack H.; Tanaka, Hajime
2016-01-01
This is a survey of distance-regular graphs. We present an introduction to distance-regular graphs for the reader who is unfamiliar with the subject, and then give an overview of some developments in the area of distance-regular graphs since the monograph 'BCN'[Brouwer, A.E., Cohen, A.M., Neumaier,
Social distance and behavioral attributes of developmentally handicapped and normal children.
Sherman, L W; Burgess, D E
1985-12-01
20 behavioral attributes predicting social distance were examined among 101 junior high school students in six classrooms. The sample included 8 developmentally handicapped students, of whom at least one of each was mainstreamed into each classroom. Subjects were predominantly white, middle-class, suburban midwesterners. A sociometric nomination measure was used to obtain behavioral attribute profiles of the students which were then used to predict a psychometric measure of social distance. Handicapped students were not more socially distant than their normal peers. Factor analysis of the 20 behavioral attributes yielded four factors, three of which were significant predictors of classroom social distance, accounting for better than half the variance in social distance. These were described as Incompetent/Unassertive, Positive/Active/Assertive, and Passive/Unassertive. Social rejection in mainstreamed classrooms is more a function of perceived behavioral attributes than the label developmentally handicapped.
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Bak, Claus Leth; Sigurbjörnsson, Ragnar; Bukh, Bjarne
2016-01-01
are interconnected in a simple way but via transformers and infeed from remaining parts of the network. Distance relay measured fault loop impedance shows wide ranges of variations for both phase-phase loops as well as phase-earth loops. No simple relations exist. Simulation models can be used to study fault loop...... impedance for combined faults and thereby shed light on relay trips. This study uses actual fault records, analytical method and PSCAD simulation studies to analyse combined faults in an existing 400 and 150 kV transmission line owned by Danish TSO Energinet.dk. The results clearly show that an accurate...
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Malak, M.; Marty, F.; Bourouina, T.; Nouira, H.; Vailleau, G.
2013-01-01
A miniature Michelson interferometer is analyzed theoretically and experimentally. The fabricated micro-interferometer is incorporated at the tip of a monolithic silicon probe to achieve contactless distance measurements and surface profilometry. For infrared operation, two approaches are studied, based on the use of monochromatic light and wavelength sweep, respectively. A theoretical model is devised to depict the system characteristics taking into account Gaussian beam divergence and light spot size. Furthermore, preliminary results using visible light demonstrate operation of the probe as a visible light spectrometer, despite silicon absorbance, thanks to the micrometer thickness involved in the beam splitter.
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Malak, M.; Marty, F.; Bourouina, T. [Universite Paris-Est, Laboratoire ESYCOM, ESIEE Paris, Cite Descartes, 2 Boulevard Blaise Pascal, 93162 Noisy-le-Grand Cedex (France); Nouira, H.; Vailleau, G. [Laboratoire National de Metrologie et d' Essais, 1 rue Gaston Boissier, 75724 Paris Cedex 15 (France)
2013-04-08
A miniature Michelson interferometer is analyzed theoretically and experimentally. The fabricated micro-interferometer is incorporated at the tip of a monolithic silicon probe to achieve contactless distance measurements and surface profilometry. For infrared operation, two approaches are studied, based on the use of monochromatic light and wavelength sweep, respectively. A theoretical model is devised to depict the system characteristics taking into account Gaussian beam divergence and light spot size. Furthermore, preliminary results using visible light demonstrate operation of the probe as a visible light spectrometer, despite silicon absorbance, thanks to the micrometer thickness involved in the beam splitter.
Ziegler, Gerhard
2011-01-01
Distance protection provides the basis for network protection in transmission systems and meshed distribution systems. This book covers the fundamentals of distance protection and the special features of numerical technology. The emphasis is placed on the application of numerical distance relays in distribution and transmission systems.This book is aimed at students and engineers who wish to familiarise themselves with the subject of power system protection, as well as the experienced user, entering the area of numerical distance protection. Furthermore it serves as a reference guide for s
The Hetu'u Global Network: Measuring the Distance to the Sun Using the June 5th/6th Transit of Venus
Faherty, Jacqueline K.; Rodriguez, David R.; Miller, Scott T.
2012-01-01
In the spirit of historic astronomical endeavors, we invited school groups across the globe to collaborate in a solar distance measurement using the rare June 5/6th transit of Venus. In total, we recruited 19 school groups spread over 6 continents and 10 countries to participate in our Hetu'u Global Network. Applying the methods of French…
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Daniel Carl Miner
2014-11-01
Full Text Available The neuroanatomical connectivity of cortical circuits is believed to follow certain rules, the exact origins of which are still poorly understood. In particular, numerous nonrandom features, such as common neighbor clustering, overrepresentation of reciprocal connectivity, and overrepresentation of certain triadic graph motifs have been experimentally observed in cortical slice data. Some of these data, particularly regarding bidirectional connectivity are seemingly contradictory, and the reasons for this are unclear. Here we present a simple static geometric network model with distance-dependent connectivity on a realistic scale that naturally gives rise to certain elements of these observed behaviors, and may provide plausible explanations for some of the conflicting findings. Specifically, investigation of the model shows that experimentally measured nonrandom effects, especially bidirectional connectivity, may depend sensitively on experimental parameters such as slice thickness and sampling area, suggesting potential explanations for the seemingly conflicting experimental results.
Gao, Liqiang; Sun, Chao; Zhang, Chen; Zheng, Nenggan; Chen, Weidong; Zheng, Xiaoxiang
2013-01-01
Traditional automatic navigation methods for bio-robots are constrained to configured environments and thus can't be applied to tasks in unknown environments. With no consideration of bio-robot's own innate living ability and treating bio-robots in the same way as mechanical robots, those methods neglect the intelligence behavior of animals. This paper proposes a novel ratbot automatic navigation method in unknown environments using only reward stimulation and distance measurement. By utilizing rat's habit of thigmotaxis and its reward-seeking behavior, this method is able to incorporate rat's intrinsic intelligence of obstacle avoidance and path searching into navigation. Experiment results show that this method works robustly and can successfully navigate the ratbot to a target in the unknown environment. This work might put a solid base for application of ratbots and also has significant implication of automatic navigation for other bio-robots as well.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Bremer Hinckel, Betina; Gomes Gobbi, Riccardo; Pecora, Jose Ricardo; Camanho, Gilberto Luis; Demange, Marco Kawamura; Noda Kihara Filho, Eduardo; Bordalo Rodrigues, Marcelo
2015-01-01
To verify whether the tibial tuberosity-trochlear groove distance (TT-TG) and the tendinous-cartilaginous TT-TG (the distance between the patellar tendon and trochlear groove: PT-TG) are identical using computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques. The TT-TG and PT-TG distances were measured on the same knee samples by three observers (two measurements per observer) using CT and MRI scans collected retrospectively. The reproducibility of the measurements was assessed using the interclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The means and standard deviations of four measurements were calculated for each patient. A paired t-test was used to assess differences between measurements. Fifty knee samples (32 with patellar instability and 18 with other conditions) were evaluated. The inter- and intraobserver reliability was excellent for all four measurements (>0.8). On average, the TT-TG distance on MRI was 3.1-3.6 mm smaller than that on CT, and the PT-TG distance on MRI was 1.0-3.4 mm larger than the TT-TG distance on MRI. The osseous TT-TG and tendinous-cartilaginous PT-TG distances determined by CT and MRI were not identical. (orig.)
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Bremer Hinckel, Betina; Gomes Gobbi, Riccardo; Pecora, Jose Ricardo; Camanho, Gilberto Luis; Demange, Marco Kawamura [Institute of Orthopaedics and Traumatology of the Clinical Hospital of the Medical School of the University of Sao Paulo, Department of Orthopaedics, Sao Paulo (Brazil); Noda Kihara Filho, Eduardo; Bordalo Rodrigues, Marcelo [Institute of Orthopaedics and Traumatology of the Clinical Hospital of the Medical School of the University of Sao Paulo, Department of Musculoskeletal Radiology, Sao Paulo (Brazil)
2015-08-15
To verify whether the tibial tuberosity-trochlear groove distance (TT-TG) and the tendinous-cartilaginous TT-TG (the distance between the patellar tendon and trochlear groove: PT-TG) are identical using computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques. The TT-TG and PT-TG distances were measured on the same knee samples by three observers (two measurements per observer) using CT and MRI scans collected retrospectively. The reproducibility of the measurements was assessed using the interclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The means and standard deviations of four measurements were calculated for each patient. A paired t-test was used to assess differences between measurements. Fifty knee samples (32 with patellar instability and 18 with other conditions) were evaluated. The inter- and intraobserver reliability was excellent for all four measurements (>0.8). On average, the TT-TG distance on MRI was 3.1-3.6 mm smaller than that on CT, and the PT-TG distance on MRI was 1.0-3.4 mm larger than the TT-TG distance on MRI. The osseous TT-TG and tendinous-cartilaginous PT-TG distances determined by CT and MRI were not identical. (orig.)
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Dr. Nursel Selver RUZGAR,
2004-04-01
Full Text Available Distance Education in Turkey Assistant Professor Dr. Nursel Selver RUZGAR Technical Education Faculty Marmara University, TURKEY ABSTRACT Many countries of the world are using distance education with various ways, by internet, by post and by TV. In this work, development of distance education in Turkey has been presented from the beginning. After discussing types and applications for different levels of distance education in Turkey, the distance education was given in the cultural aspect of the view. Then, in order to create the tendencies and thoughts of graduates of Higher Education Institutions and Distance Education Institutions about being competitors in job markets, sufficiency of education level, advantages for education system, continuing education in different Institutions, a face-to-face survey was applied to 1284 graduates, 958 from Higher Education Institutions and 326 from Distance Education Institutions. The results were evaluated and discussed. In the last part of this work, suggestions to become widespread and improve the distance education in the country were made.
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Nitschke, Ashley [University of Colorado School of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Division of Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Radiology, Aurora, CO (United States); Lambert, Jeffery R. [University of Colorado, Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO (United States); Glueck, Deborah H. [University of Colorado, Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, CO (United States); University of Colorado School of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Department of Radiology, Aurora, CO (United States); Jesse, Mary Kristen; Strickland, Colin [University of Colorado School of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Division of Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Radiology and Orthopaedics, Aurora, CO (United States); Mei-Dan, Omer [University of Colorado School of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Division of Sports Medicine and Hip Preservation, Department of Orthopaedics, Aurora, CO (United States); Petersen, Brian [University of Colorado School of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Division of Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Radiology and Orthopaedics, Aurora, CO (United States); Inland Imaging, Division of Musculoskeletal Radiology, Spokane, WA (United States)
2015-11-15
This study has three aims: (1) validate a new radiographic measure of acetabular version, the transverse axis distance (TAD) by showing equivalent TAD accuracy in predicting CT equatorial acetabular version when compared to a previously validated, but more cumbersome, radiographic measure, the p/a ratio; (2) establish predictive equations of CT acetabular version from TAD; (3) calculate a sensitive and specific cut point for predicting excessive CT acetabular anteversion using TAD. A 14-month retrospective review was performed of patients who had undergone a dedicated MSK CT pelvis study and who also had a technically adequate AP pelvis radiograph. Two trained observers measured the radiographic p/a ratio, TAD, and CT acetabular equatorial version for 110 hips on a PACS workstation. Mixed model analysis was used to find prediction equations, and ROC analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of p/a ratio and TAD. CT equatorial acetabular version can accurately be predicted from either p/a ratio (p < 0.001) or TAD (p < 0.001). The diagnostic accuracies of p/a ratio and TAD are comparable (p =0.46). Patients whose TAD is higher than 17 mm may have excessive acetabular anteversion. For that cutpoint, the sensitivity of TAD is 0.73, with specificity of 0.82. TAD is an accurate radiographic predictor of CT acetabular anteversion and provides an easy-to-use and intuitive point-of-care assessment of acetabular version in patients with hip pain. (orig.)
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Nitschke, Ashley; Lambert, Jeffery R.; Glueck, Deborah H.; Jesse, Mary Kristen; Strickland, Colin; Mei-Dan, Omer; Petersen, Brian
2015-01-01
This study has three aims: (1) validate a new radiographic measure of acetabular version, the transverse axis distance (TAD) by showing equivalent TAD accuracy in predicting CT equatorial acetabular version when compared to a previously validated, but more cumbersome, radiographic measure, the p/a ratio; (2) establish predictive equations of CT acetabular version from TAD; (3) calculate a sensitive and specific cut point for predicting excessive CT acetabular anteversion using TAD. A 14-month retrospective review was performed of patients who had undergone a dedicated MSK CT pelvis study and who also had a technically adequate AP pelvis radiograph. Two trained observers measured the radiographic p/a ratio, TAD, and CT acetabular equatorial version for 110 hips on a PACS workstation. Mixed model analysis was used to find prediction equations, and ROC analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of p/a ratio and TAD. CT equatorial acetabular version can accurately be predicted from either p/a ratio (p < 0.001) or TAD (p < 0.001). The diagnostic accuracies of p/a ratio and TAD are comparable (p =0.46). Patients whose TAD is higher than 17 mm may have excessive acetabular anteversion. For that cutpoint, the sensitivity of TAD is 0.73, with specificity of 0.82. TAD is an accurate radiographic predictor of CT acetabular anteversion and provides an easy-to-use and intuitive point-of-care assessment of acetabular version in patients with hip pain. (orig.)
Computing the Quartet Distance Between Evolutionary Trees in Time O(n log n)
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Brodal, Gerth Sølfting; Fagerberg, Rolf; Pedersen, Christian Nørgaard Storm
2003-01-01
Evolutionary trees describing the relationship for a set of species are central in evolutionary biology, and quantifying differences between evolutionary trees is therefore an important task. The quartet distance is a distance measure between trees previously proposed by Estabrook, McMorris, and ...... unrooted evolutionary trees of n species, where all internal nodes have degree three, in time O(n log n. The previous best algorithm for the problem uses time O(n 2).......Evolutionary trees describing the relationship for a set of species are central in evolutionary biology, and quantifying differences between evolutionary trees is therefore an important task. The quartet distance is a distance measure between trees previously proposed by Estabrook, Mc......Morris, and Meacham. The quartet distance between two unrooted evolutionary trees is the number of quartet topology differences between the two trees, where a quartet topology is the topological subtree induced by four species. In this paper we present an algorithm for computing the quartet distance between two...
Social environments and interpersonal distance regulation in psychosis: A virtual reality study.
Geraets, Chris N W; van Beilen, Marije; Pot-Kolder, Roos; Counotte, Jacqueline; van der Gaag, Mark; Veling, Wim
2018-02-01
Experimentally studying the influence of social environments on mental health and behavior is challenging, as social context is difficult to standardize in laboratory settings. Virtual Reality (VR) enables studying social interaction in terms of interpersonal distance in a more ecologically valid manner. Regulation of interpersonal distance may be abnormal in patients with psychotic disorders and influenced by environmental stress, symptoms or distress. To investigate interpersonal distance in people with a psychotic disorder and at ultrahigh risk for psychosis (UHR) compared to siblings and controls in virtual social environments, and explore the relationship between clinical characteristics and interpersonal distance. Nineteen UHR patients, 52 patients with psychotic disorders, 40 siblings of patients with a psychotic disorder and 47 controls were exposed to virtual cafés. In five virtual café visits, participants were exposed to different levels of social stress, in terms of crowdedness, ethnicity and hostility. Measures on interpersonal distance, distress and state paranoia were obtained. Baseline measures included trait paranoia, social anxiety, depressive, positive and negative symptoms. Interpersonal distance increased when social stressors were present in the environment. No difference in interpersonal distance regulation was found between the groups. Social anxiety and distress were positively associated with interpersonal distance in the total sample. This VR paradigm indicates that interpersonal distance regulation in response to environmental social stressors is unaltered in people with psychosis or UHR. Environmental stress, social anxiety and distress trigger both people with and without psychosis to maintain larger interpersonal distances in social situations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
A Catalog of Distances to Molecular Clouds from Pan-STARRS1
Schlafly, Eddie; Green, G.; Finkbeiner, D. P.; Rix, H.
2014-01-01
We present a catalog of distances to molecular clouds, derived from PanSTARRS-1 photometry. We simultaneously infer the full probability distribution function of reddening and distance of the stars towards these clouds using the technique of Green et al. (2013) (see neighboring poster). We fit the resulting measurements using a simple dust screen model to infer the distance to each cloud. The result is a large, homogeneous catalog of distances to molecular clouds. For clouds with heliocentric distances greater than about 200 pc, typical statistical uncertainties in the distances are 5%, with systematic uncertainty stemming from the quality of our stellar models of about 10%. We have applied this analysis to many of the most well-studied clouds in the δ > -30° sky, including Orion, California, Taurus, Perseus, and Cepheus. We have also studied the entire catalog of Magnani, Blitz, and Mundy (1985; MBM), though for about half of those clouds we can provide only upper limits on the distances. We compare our distances with distances from the literature, when available, and find good agreement.
Perception of Egocentric Distance during Gravitational Changes in Parabolic Flight.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Gilles Clément
Full Text Available We explored the effect of gravity on the perceived representation of the absolute distance of objects to the observers within the range from 1.5-6 m. Experiments were performed on board the CNES Airbus Zero-G during parabolic flights eliciting repeated exposures to short periods of microgravity (0 g, hypergravity (1.8 g, and normal gravity (1 g. Two methods for obtaining estimates of perceived egocentric distance were used: verbal reports and visually directed motion toward a memorized visual target. For the latter method, because normal walking is not possible in 0 g, blindfolded subjects translated toward the visual target by pulling on a rope with their arms. The results showed that distance estimates using both verbal reports and blind pulling were significantly different between normal gravity, microgravity, and hypergravity. Compared to the 1 g measurements, the estimates of perceived distance using blind pulling were shorter for all distances in 1.8 g, whereas in 0 g they were longer for distances up to 4 m and shorter for distances beyond. These findings suggest that gravity plays a role in both the sensorimotor system and the perceptual/cognitive system for estimating egocentric distance.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Meng-Meng Shan
2016-01-01
Full Text Available With respect to multicriteria supplier selection problems with interval 2-tuple linguistic information, a new decision making approach that uses distance measures is proposed. Motivated by the ordered weighted distance (OWD measures, in this paper, we develop some interval 2-tuple linguistic distance operators such as the interval 2-tuple weighted distance (ITWD, the interval 2-tuple ordered weighted distance (ITOWD, and the interval 2-tuple hybrid weighted distance (ITHWD operators. These aggregation operators are very useful for the treatment of input data in the form of interval 2-tuple linguistic variables. We study some desirable properties of the ITOWD operator and further generalize it by using the generalized and the quasi-arithmetic means. Finally, the new approach is utilized to complete a supplier selection study for an actual hospital from the healthcare industry.
Recoil Distance Method lifetime measurements via gamma-ray and charged-particle spectroscopy at NSCL
Voss, Philip Jonathan
The Recoil Distance Method (RDM) is a well-established technique for measuring lifetimes of electromagnetic transitions. Transition matrix elements derived from the lifetimes provide valuable insight into nuclear structure. Recent RDM investigations at NSCL present a powerful new model-independent tool for the spectroscopy of nuclei with extreme proton-to-neutron ratios that exhibit surprising behavior. Neutron-rich 18C is one such example, where a small B(E2; 2+1 → 0+gs) represented a dramatic shift from the expected inverse relationship between the B(E2) and 2+1 excitation energy. To shed light on the nature of this quadrupole excitation, the RDM lifetime technique was applied with the Koln/NSCL plunger. States in 18C were populated by the one-proton knockout reaction of a 19N secondary beam. De-excitation gamma rays were detected with the Segmented Germanium Array in coincidence with reaction residues at the focal plane of the S800 Magnetic Spectrometer. The deduced B(E2) and excitation energy were both well described by ab initio no-core shell model calculations. In addition, a novel extension of RDM lifetime measurements via charged-particle spectroscopy of exotic proton emitters has been investigated. Substituting the reaction residue degrader of the Koln/NSCL plunger with a thin silicon detector permits the study of short-lived nuclei beyond the proton dripline. A proof of concept measurement of the mean lifetime of the two-proton emitter 19Mg was conducted. The results indicated a sub-picosecond lifetime, one order of magnitude smaller than the published results, and validate this new technique for lifetime measurements of charged-particle emitters.
ESTIMATION OF DISTANCES TO STARS WITH STELLAR PARAMETERS FROM LAMOST
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Carlin, Jeffrey L.; Newberg, Heidi Jo [Department of Physics, Applied Physics and Astronomy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180 (United States); Liu, Chao; Deng, Licai; Li, Guangwei; Luo, A-Li; Wu, Yue; Yang, Ming; Zhang, Haotong [Key Lab of Optical Astronomy, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100012 (China); Beers, Timothy C. [Department of Physics and JINA: Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics, University of Notre Dame, 225 Nieuwland Science Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556 (United States); Chen, Li; Hou, Jinliang; Smith, Martin C. [Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, 80 Nandan Road, Shanghai 200030 (China); Guhathakurta, Puragra [UCO/Lick Observatory, Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Hou, Yonghui [Nanjing Institute of Astronomical Optics and Technology, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210042 (China); Lépine, Sébastien [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Georgia State University, 25 Park Place, Suite 605, Atlanta, GA 30303 (United States); Yanny, Brian [Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, P.O. Box 500, Batavia, IL 60510 (United States); Zheng, Zheng, E-mail: jeffreylcarlin@gmail.com [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah, UT 84112 (United States)
2015-07-15
We present a method to estimate distances to stars with spectroscopically derived stellar parameters. The technique is a Bayesian approach with likelihood estimated via comparison of measured parameters to a grid of stellar isochrones, and returns a posterior probability density function for each star’s absolute magnitude. This technique is tailored specifically to data from the Large Sky Area Multi-object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) survey. Because LAMOST obtains roughly 3000 stellar spectra simultaneously within each ∼5° diameter “plate” that is observed, we can use the stellar parameters of the observed stars to account for the stellar luminosity function and target selection effects. This removes biasing assumptions about the underlying populations, both due to predictions of the luminosity function from stellar evolution modeling, and from Galactic models of stellar populations along each line of sight. Using calibration data of stars with known distances and stellar parameters, we show that our method recovers distances for most stars within ∼20%, but with some systematic overestimation of distances to halo giants. We apply our code to the LAMOST database, and show that the current precision of LAMOST stellar parameters permits measurements of distances with ∼40% error bars. This precision should improve as the LAMOST data pipelines continue to be refined.
High-accuracy long distance measurements\
Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database
Lešundák, Adam; Voigt, D.; Číp, Ondřej; van der Berg, M.
2017-01-01
Roč. 25, č. 26 (2017), s. 32570-32580 ISSN 1094-4087 R&D Projects: GA ČR GB14-36681G; GA MŠk(CZ) LO1212; GA MŠk ED0017/01/01 Institutional support: RVO:68081731 Keywords : measurements * filtered frequency comb Subject RIV: BH - Optics , Masers, Lasers OBOR OECD: Optics (including laser optics and quantum optics ) Impact factor: 3.307, year: 2016
Distance Education in Technological Age
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
R .C. SHARMA
2005-04-01
Education in the area of Educational Technology and has been working as Regional Director in Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU since 1996. Before joining IGNOU, Dr Sharma was a member at a Senior Faculty in a Teacher Training College for nearly ten years and taught Educational Technology, Educational Research and Statistics, Educational Measurement and Evaluation, Psychodynamics of Mental Health Courses for the B.Ed. and M.Ed. Programmes. He has conducted many training programmes for the in- and pre-service teachers on the use of Multimedia in teaching and instruction, and established a Centre of ICT in the College he was working. He is a member of many committees on implementation of technology in the Open University. His areas of specialization include ICT applications, computer networking, online learning, student support services in open and distance learning, and teacher education. Currently, he's on the Editorial Advisory Board of Distance Education published by Carfax Publishing, an imprint of the international academic publishing house, the Taylor & Francis Group, UK for 2002-2003; International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, online journal published by Athabasca University, Canada, www.irrodl.org, and Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education published by Anadolu University, Turkey (http://tojde.anadolu.edu.tr. He has recently joined the editorial team for Journal of IT Education, http://jite.org. He was also on the Editorial Advisory Board of Indian Journal of Open Learning published by IGNOU, and worked as an Associate Editor for Staff and Educational Development International ISSN 0971-9008 and Global e-Journal of Open and Flexible Learning. He has co-authored one book on distance education research and is currently co-editing a book on Interactive Multimedia in Education and Training to be published by IDEA group, USA . Ramesh C. Sharma, PhDRegional DirectorIndira Gandhi National Open University Regional
Low-Cost Ultrasonic Distance Sensor Arrays with Networked Error Correction
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Tianzhou Chen
2013-09-01
Full Text Available Distance has been one of the basic factors in manufacturing and control fields, and ultrasonic distance sensors have been widely used as a low-cost measuring tool. However, the propagation of ultrasonic waves is greatly affected by environmental factors such as temperature, humidity and atmospheric pressure. In order to solve the problem of inaccurate measurement, which is significant within industry, this paper presents a novel ultrasonic distance sensor model using networked error correction (NEC trained on experimental data. This is more accurate than other existing approaches because it uses information from indirect association with neighboring sensors, which has not been considered before. The NEC technique, focusing on optimization of the relationship of the topological structure of sensor arrays, is implemented for the compensation of erroneous measurements caused by the environment. We apply the maximum likelihood method to determine the optimal fusion data set and use a neighbor discovery algorithm to identify neighbor nodes at the top speed. Furthermore, we adopt the NEC optimization algorithm, which takes full advantage of the correlation coefficients for neighbor sensors. The experimental results demonstrate that the ranging errors of the NEC system are within 2.20%; furthermore, the mean absolute percentage error is reduced to 0.01% after three iterations of this method, which means that the proposed method performs extremely well. The optimized method of distance measurement we propose, with the capability of NEC, would bring a significant advantage for intelligent industrial automation.
Effectiveness of Distance Learning for the Battle Staff NCO Course
National Research Council Canada - National Science Library
Drenth, Debra
2001-01-01
.... Unlike previous evaluations of distance learning, the measures used to compare groups were not students' immediate reactions to the course nor their end-of-course test scores but measures delayed...
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ana Paula Ferreira de Carvalho
2013-05-01
Full Text Available Radiometric precision is difficult to maintain in orbital images due to several factors (atmospheric conditions, Earth-sun distance, detector calibration, illumination, and viewing angles. These unwanted effects must be removed for radiometric consistency among temporal images, leaving only land-leaving radiances, for optimum change detection. A variety of relative radiometric correction techniques were developed for the correction or rectification of images, of the same area, through use of reference targets whose reflectance do not change significantly with time, i.e., pseudo-invariant features (PIFs. This paper proposes a new technique for radiometric normalization, which uses three sequential methods for an accurate PIFs selection: spectral measures of temporal data (spectral distance and similarity, density scatter plot analysis (ridge method, and robust regression. The spectral measures used are the spectral angle (Spectral Angle Mapper, SAM, spectral correlation (Spectral Correlation Mapper, SCM, and Euclidean distance. The spectral measures between the spectra at times t1 and t2 and are calculated for each pixel. After classification using threshold values, it is possible to define points with the same spectral behavior, including PIFs. The distance and similarity measures are complementary and can be calculated together. The ridge method uses a density plot generated from images acquired on different dates for the selection of PIFs. In a density plot, the invariant pixels, together, form a high-density ridge, while variant pixels (clouds and land cover changes are spread, having low density, facilitating its exclusion. Finally, the selected PIFs are subjected to a robust regression (M-estimate between pairs of temporal bands for the detection and elimination of outliers, and to obtain the optimal linear equation for a given set of target points. The robust regression is insensitive to outliers, i.e., observation that appears to deviate
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
M. Katherine. Girvan
2007-12-01
Full Text Available Despite the fundamental role played by long-distance dispersal in population dynamics, the mechanisms promoting or inhibiting dispersal by migratory songbirds are poorly understood. We used stable-hydrogen isotopes (δD to evaluate several hypotheses related to long-distance dispersal in the Cerulean Warbler (Dendroica cerulea, a migratory songbird at the center of considerable conservation attention. Feather samples were collected from 103 males throughout the breeding range. We assumed feathers were molted in late summer on the breeding grounds and thus δD values provided an estimate of breeding or hatching location for the previous year. We used a likelihood-based assignment test to estimate the origin of birds the previous year and derived expected δD values for the entire Cerulean Warbler breeding range from precipitation-based maps. Using Bayes' Rule, we also incorporated a prior probability of breeding origin based on estimated rates of site fidelity and survival between breeding seasons. We found that long-distance breeding dispersal by adult male Cerulean Warblers was a fairly common occurrence with 20 of 71 (28.2% individuals originating from a region other than the one they were sampled in. Surprisingly, long-distance natal dispersal was uncommon; only three of 32 (9.4% second-year birds were estimated to have hatched in a region outside their capture region. Young males may be using a form of post-fledging prospecting or conspecific attraction when selecting their first breeding habitats. Populations on the breeding range periphery, such as Ontario and Tennessee, tended to receive fewer long-distance dispersers than did other regions but produced more dispersing individuals than did core regions, suggesting that these areas could act as important sources for other regions. The tendency of a region to produce dispersing individuals was not significantly related to its relative abundance, implying that population abundance is not a
Quasar Parallax: a Method for Determining Direct Geometrical Distances to Quasars
Elvis, Martin; Karovska, Margarita
2002-01-01
We describe a novel method to determine direct geometrical distances to quasars that can measure the cosmological constant, Lambda, with minimal assumptions. This method is equivalent to geometric parallax, with the `standard length' being the size of the quasar broad emission line region (BELR) as determined from the light travel time measurements of reverberation mapping. The effect of non-zero Lambda on angular diameter is large, 40% at z=2, so mapping angular diameter distances vs. redshi...
Managerial Distance and Virtual Ownership
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Hansmann, Henry; Thomsen, Steen
Industrial foundations are autonomous nonprofit entities that own and control one or more conventional business firms. These foundations are common in Northern Europe, where they own a number of internationally prominent companies. Previous studies have indicated, surprisingly, that companies con......, but corporate governance and fiduciary behavior more generally....... on differences among the industrial foundations themselves. We work with a rich data set comprising 113 foundation-owned Danish companies over the period 2003-2008. We focus in particular on a composite structural factor that we term “managerial distance.” We propose this as a measure of the extent to which......-seeking outside owners of the company. Consistent with this hypothesis, our empirical analysis shows a positive, significant, and robust association between managerial distance and the economic performance of foundation owned companies. The findings appear to illuminate not just foundation governance...
Performance analysis of a heat pipe solar collector having different pitch distance
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Sivaraman, B.; Mohan, N.K. [Annamalai Univ., Tamil Nadu (India). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
2006-07-01
Heat pipe solar collectors are more efficient than conventional solar collectors. This paper provided details of experimental analyses conducted to examine the effect of pitch distance on the heat pipe's performance. Two solar collectors with pitch distances of 7.5 cm and 8.5 cm were used in the study. Copper tubing was used as the container material, and methanol was selected as a working fluid for the experiments, which were conducted during the summer at a collector tilt angle of 11 degrees. Experiments were conducted and the impacts of various parameters were measured. Solar intensity was measured using a pyranometer. Water exit and inlet temperatures were measured using mercury thermometers. Results showed that the heat pipe performed optimally when the pitch distance was 0.085 m. 8 refs., 1 tab., 9 figs.
Inland Waters - Navigation Distance Mark - Red River of the North (Non-Navigable)
Army Corps of Engineers, Department of the Army, Department of Defense — A distance mark indicates the distance measured from an origin and consists of a distinct location without special installation, used to serve as a reference along...
Power Distance and Verbal Index in Kazakh Business Discourse
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Buadat Karibayeva
2017-01-01
Full Text Available Kazakh business discourse is a relatively new area for research, and hence many of the cultural preferences are yet to be explored. This paper focuses on measuring Hofstede’s power distance index for Kazakh culture. A novel technique is proposed, where verbal index is calculated from analysis of publically available texts delivered by representatives of different cultures. In particular, we analyzed public speeches delivered by leaders ofNew Zealand,UK,Germany,Australia,USA,Greece,China,India, andKazakhstan. From these texts we derived a verbal index, which closely correlated to Hofstede’s power distance data. As a result, we were able to obtain a power distance index of 58 forKazakhstan, which was previously unavailable in literature. Furthermore, this method can be used as a cheaper alternative to conducting surveys in estimating Hofstede’s power distance indexes for different cultures.
Ghosh, Shreya; Lawless, Matthew J.; Rule, Gordon S.; Saxena, Sunil
2018-01-01
Site-directed spin labeling using two strategically placed natural histidine residues allows for the rigid attachment of paramagnetic Cu2+. This double histidine (dHis) motif enables extremely precise, narrow distance distributions resolved by Cu2+-based pulsed ESR. Furthermore, the distance measurements are easily relatable to the protein backbone-structure. The Cu2+ ion has, till now, been introduced as a complex with the chelating agent iminodiacetic acid (IDA) to prevent unspecific binding. Recently, this method was found to have two limiting concerns that include poor selectivity towards α-helices and incomplete Cu2+-IDA complexation. Herein, we introduce an alternative method of dHis-Cu2+ loading using the nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA)-Cu2+ complex. We find that the Cu2+-NTA complex shows a four-fold increase in selectivity toward α-helical dHis sites. Furthermore, we show that 100% Cu2+-NTA complexation is achievable, enabling precise dHis loading and resulting in no free Cu2+ in solution. We analyze the optimum dHis loading conditions using both continuous wave and pulsed ESR. We implement these findings to show increased sensitivity of the Double Electron-Electron Resonance (DEER) experiment in two different protein systems. The DEER signal is increased within the immunoglobulin binding domain of protein G (called GB1). We measure distances between a dHis site on an α-helix and dHis site either on a mid-strand or a non-hydrogen bonded edge-strand β-sheet. Finally, the DEER signal is increased twofold within two α-helix dHis sites in the enzymatic dimer glutathione S-transferase exemplifying the enhanced α-helical selectivity of Cu2+-NTA.
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Acero, R; Pueo, M; Santolaria, J; Aguilar, J J; Brau, A
2015-01-01
High-range measuring equipment like laser trackers need large dimension calibrated reference artifacts in their calibration and verification procedures. In this paper, a new verification procedure for portable coordinate measuring instruments based on the generation and evaluation of virtual distances with an indexed metrology platform is developed. This methodology enables the definition of an unlimited number of reference distances without materializing them in a physical gauge to be used as a reference. The generation of the virtual points and reference lengths derived is linked to the concept of the indexed metrology platform and the knowledge of the relative position and orientation of its upper and lower platforms with high accuracy. It is the measuring instrument together with the indexed metrology platform one that remains still, rotating the virtual mesh around them. As a first step, the virtual distances technique is applied to a laser tracker in this work. The experimental verification procedure of the laser tracker with virtual distances is simulated and further compared with the conventional verification procedure of the laser tracker with the indexed metrology platform. The results obtained in terms of volumetric performance of the laser tracker proved the suitability of the virtual distances methodology in calibration and verification procedures for portable coordinate measuring instruments, broadening and expanding the possibilities for the definition of reference distances in these procedures. (paper)
Acero, R.; Santolaria, J.; Pueo, M.; Aguilar, J. J.; Brau, A.
2015-11-01
High-range measuring equipment like laser trackers need large dimension calibrated reference artifacts in their calibration and verification procedures. In this paper, a new verification procedure for portable coordinate measuring instruments based on the generation and evaluation of virtual distances with an indexed metrology platform is developed. This methodology enables the definition of an unlimited number of reference distances without materializing them in a physical gauge to be used as a reference. The generation of the virtual points and reference lengths derived is linked to the concept of the indexed metrology platform and the knowledge of the relative position and orientation of its upper and lower platforms with high accuracy. It is the measuring instrument together with the indexed metrology platform one that remains still, rotating the virtual mesh around them. As a first step, the virtual distances technique is applied to a laser tracker in this work. The experimental verification procedure of the laser tracker with virtual distances is simulated and further compared with the conventional verification procedure of the laser tracker with the indexed metrology platform. The results obtained in terms of volumetric performance of the laser tracker proved the suitability of the virtual distances methodology in calibration and verification procedures for portable coordinate measuring instruments, broadening and expanding the possibilities for the definition of reference distances in these procedures.
Liberman, Nira; Förster, Jens
2009-08-01
In 4 studies, the authors examined the prediction derived from construal level theory (CLT) that higher level of perceptual construal would enhance estimated egocentric psychological distance. The authors primed participants with global perception, local perception, or both (the control condition). Relative to the control condition, global processing made participants estimate larger psychological distances in time (Study 1), space (Study 2), social distance (Study 3), and hypotheticality (Study 4). Local processing had the opposite effect. Consistent with CLT, all studies show that the effect of global-versus-local processing did emerge when participants estimated egocentric distances, which are distances from the experienced self in the here and now, but did not emerge with temporal distances not from now (Study 1), spatial distances not from here (Study 2), social distances not from the self (Study 3), or hypothetical events that did not involve altering an experienced reality (Study 4).
Determination of the complexity of distance weights in Mexican city systems
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Igor Lugo
2017-03-01
Full Text Available This study tests distance weights based on the economic geography assumption of straight lines and the complex networks approach of empirical road segments in the Mexican system of cities to determine the best distance specification. We generated network graphs by using geospatial data and computed weights by measuring shortest paths, thereby characterizing their probability distributions and comparing them with spatial null models. Findings show that distributions are sufficiently different and are associated with asymmetrical beta distributions. Straight lines over- and underestimated distances compared to the empirical data, and they showed compatibility with random models. Therefore, accurate distance weights depend on the type of the network specification.
A distance learning model in a physical therapy curriculum.
English, T; Harrison, A L; Hart, A L
1998-01-01
In response to the rural health initiative established in 1991, the University of Kentucky has developed an innovative distance learning program of physical therapy instruction that combines classroom lecture and discussion via compressed video technology with laboratory experiences. The authors describe the process of planning, implementing, and evaluating a specific distance learning course in pathomechanics for the professional-level master's-degree physical therapy students at the University of Kentucky. This presentation may serve as a model for teaching distance learning. Descriptions of optimal approaches to preclass preparation, scheduling, course delivery, use of audiovisual aids, use of handout material, and video production are given. Special activities that may enhance or deter the achievement of the learning objectives are outlined, and a problem-solving approach to common problems encountered is presented. An approach to evaluating and comparing course outcomes for the distance learnere is presented. For this particular course, there was no statistically significant difference in the outcome measures utilized to compare the distance learners with the on-site learners.
The Perception of Students on E-Assessment in Distance Education
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Emine CABI
2016-06-01
Full Text Available This study was carried out to obtain the views of master's degree students studying via distance education about tools and methods of measurement and e-assessment. Exhibiting advantages and disadvantages of the use of different measurement tools and methods and assessment processes are considered to contribute to elimination of significant deficiencies in terms of both distance education institutions and teaching staff. Phenomenology, one of qualitative research designs, was used for data collection. Criterion sampling method, one of the purposive sampling methods, was taken into consideration. Being taken a course via distance education, and having the experience of measurement and evaluation by students was used as the sampling criteria. In this context, the study was conducted with a total of 10 students; four of which in the second semester and six of which in the third semester have taken course via distance education. In data collection, semi-structured interview form was used. There were five open-ended questions in the interview form. Descriptive analysis was used for the analysis of the obtained data. While assignments-projects and weekly online exams as the most preferred measurement tools by the students, navigation in the digital environment, reports and peer-evaluation were the least preferred ones. All of the students prefer e-assessment instead of the traditional evaluation for it is independent from space, providing equality of opportunity, more comprehensive. In e-assessment, it is stated that students who are responsible, highly motivated, contributor, inquisitive, skillful at using high-technology, are more successful.
An electrostatic plunger device and the analysis of recoil-distance spectra
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Marchie van Voorthuysen, E.H. du; Smith, Ph.B.
1975-01-01
In the electrostatic plunger apparatus, a large stopper foil is drawn towards the target electrostatically. The attracting field is controlled in a feedback loop by the capacity, so that the distance is stabilized during the measurement. Formulae for line-shape analysis of γ-ray spectra from recoil-distance lifetime measurements (RDM) are given. A measurement of the life-time of the 1759 keV level in 26 Al is reported yielding (3.4+-0.6)ps, in agreement with results from Doppler-shift attenuation, but in disagreement with other RDM results. In addition, accurate stopping-power measurements are reported for 2-9MeV alpha particles in Al, Ni, Cu, Au and Mylar. (Auth.)
Distance correlation methods for discovering associations in large astrophysical databases
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Martínez-Gómez, Elizabeth; Richards, Mercedes T.; Richards, Donald St. P.
2014-01-01
High-dimensional, large-sample astrophysical databases of galaxy clusters, such as the Chandra Deep Field South COMBO-17 database, provide measurements on many variables for thousands of galaxies and a range of redshifts. Current understanding of galaxy formation and evolution rests sensitively on relationships between different astrophysical variables; hence an ability to detect and verify associations or correlations between variables is important in astrophysical research. In this paper, we apply a recently defined statistical measure called the distance correlation coefficient, which can be used to identify new associations and correlations between astrophysical variables. The distance correlation coefficient applies to variables of any dimension, can be used to determine smaller sets of variables that provide equivalent astrophysical information, is zero only when variables are independent, and is capable of detecting nonlinear associations that are undetectable by the classical Pearson correlation coefficient. Hence, the distance correlation coefficient provides more information than the Pearson coefficient. We analyze numerous pairs of variables in the COMBO-17 database with the distance correlation method and with the maximal information coefficient. We show that the Pearson coefficient can be estimated with higher accuracy from the corresponding distance correlation coefficient than from the maximal information coefficient. For given values of the Pearson coefficient, the distance correlation method has a greater ability than the maximal information coefficient to resolve astrophysical data into highly concentrated horseshoe- or V-shapes, which enhances classification and pattern identification. These results are observed over a range of redshifts beyond the local universe and for galaxies from elliptical to spiral.
Portfolio Selection Based on Distance between Fuzzy Variables
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Weiyi Qian
2014-01-01
Full Text Available This paper researches portfolio selection problem in fuzzy environment. We introduce a new simple method in which the distance between fuzzy variables is used to measure the divergence of fuzzy investment return from a prior one. Firstly, two new mathematical models are proposed by expressing divergence as distance, investment return as expected value, and risk as variance and semivariance, respectively. Secondly, the crisp forms of the new models are also provided for different types of fuzzy variables. Finally, several numerical examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Distance scaling of electric-field noise in a surface-electrode ion trap
Sedlacek, J. A.; Greene, A.; Stuart, J.; McConnell, R.; Bruzewicz, C. D.; Sage, J. M.; Chiaverini, J.
2018-02-01
We investigate anomalous ion-motional heating, a limitation to multiqubit quantum-logic gate fidelity in trapped-ion systems, as a function of ion-electrode separation. Using a multizone surface-electrode trap in which ions can be held at five discrete distances from the metal electrodes, we measure power-law dependencies of the electric-field noise experienced by the ion on the ion-electrode distance d . We find a scaling of approximately d-4 regardless of whether the electrodes are at room temperature or cryogenic temperature, despite the fact that the heating rates are approximately two orders of magnitude smaller in the latter case. Through auxiliary measurements using the application of noise to the electrodes, we rule out technical limitations to the measured heating rates and scalings. We also measure the frequency scaling of the inherent electric-field noise close to 1 /f at both temperatures. These measurements eliminate from consideration anomalous-heating models which do not have a d-4 distance dependence, including several microscopic models of current interest.
The Role of Psychic Distance in International Trade
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Håkanson, Lars
2014-01-01
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the importance to international trade of impediments related to, first, geographic distance, such as freight and other costs related to the movement of physical goods, and second, “psychic distance”, such as the costs and difficulties of transferr......Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the importance to international trade of impediments related to, first, geographic distance, such as freight and other costs related to the movement of physical goods, and second, “psychic distance”, such as the costs and difficulties...... of transferring and interpreting the information necessary to effect international transactions. Design/methodology/approach – The paper highlights that psychic distance perceptions between countries are not symmetric and that both exporters’ and importers’ perceptions are important. The empirical analysis covers...... international trade in three categories of goods among 25 major trading nations for the period 1962-2008, employing structural equation modeling, incorporating the mutual interdependence of the distance measures. Findings – Exporters’ perceptions are more important for trade in differentiated products than...
Measurement of distance parameter using semiclassical model in various heavy ion interactions
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Nasir, Tabassum [Department of Physics, Gomal University D.I. Khan (Pakistan); Khan, E U [Department of Physics, CIIT, Islamabad (Pakistan); Baluch, J J [Department of Environmental Sciences, CIIT, Abbottabad (Pakistan); Qureshi, I E [Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, P.O. Box 1114, Islamabad (Pakistan); Sajid, M; Shahzad, M I; Khan, H A [Physics Research Division, PINSTECH, P.O. Nilore, Islamabad (Pakistan)
2008-08-15
The technique of solid state nuclear track detection was employed to collect data of elastic scattering as well as inelastic reaction channel. The elastic data of the reactions {sup 238}U+{sup 209}Bi, {sup 238}U+{sup 197}Au, {sup 208}Pb+{sup 197}Au and {sup 197}Au+{sup 197}Au were used to calculate the experimental elastic scattering cross-sections for various angular bins. The ratio of these cross-sections to Rutherford/Mott cross-sections were plotted with respect to distance d({theta}). Distance parameter d{sub 0} in all four reactions was obtained from the discontinuity of the slope following the method suggested in the semiclassical model. Partial reaction cross-sections were also obtained from the inelastic binary as well as multiprong events in the heavy ion interactions of {sup 208}Pb+{sup 197}Au and {sup 197}Au+{sup 197}Au both at 11.67 MeV/u beam energy. The higher values of partial cross-sections of two prong inelastic events as compared with {sigma}{sub 3} and {sigma}{sub 4} have been attributed to the emission of intermediate mass fragments in both the reactions.
An image processing approach to computing distances between RNA secondary structures dot plots
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Sapiro Guillermo
2009-02-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background Computing the distance between two RNA secondary structures can contribute in understanding the functional relationship between them. When used repeatedly, such a procedure may lead to finding a query RNA structure of interest in a database of structures. Several methods are available for computing distances between RNAs represented as strings or graphs, but none utilize the RNA representation with dot plots. Since dot plots are essentially digital images, there is a clear motivation to devise an algorithm for computing the distance between dot plots based on image processing methods. Results We have developed a new metric dubbed 'DoPloCompare', which compares two RNA structures. The method is based on comparing dot plot diagrams that represent the secondary structures. When analyzing two diagrams and motivated by image processing, the distance is based on a combination of histogram correlations and a geometrical distance measure. We introduce, describe, and illustrate the procedure by two applications that utilize this metric on RNA sequences. The first application is the RNA design problem, where the goal is to find the nucleotide sequence for a given secondary structure. Examples where our proposed distance measure outperforms others are given. The second application locates peculiar point mutations that induce significant structural alternations relative to the wild type predicted secondary structure. The approach reported in the past to solve this problem was tested on several RNA sequences with known secondary structures to affirm their prediction, as well as on a data set of ribosomal pieces. These pieces were computationally cut from a ribosome for which an experimentally derived secondary structure is available, and on each piece the prediction conveys similarity to the experimental result. Our newly proposed distance measure shows benefit in this problem as well when compared to standard methods used for assessing
Characterizing the round sphere by mean distance
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Kokkendorff, Simon Lyngby
2008-01-01
We discuss the measure theoretic metric invariants extent, rendezvous number and mean distance of a general compact metric space X and relate these to classical metric invariants such as diameter and radius. In the final section we focus attention to the category of Riemannian manifolds. The main...
Rausaria, R. R.; Lele, Nalini A.
2002-01-01
Identifies and explains the parameters relevant for self-assessment and accreditation of programs in distance mode institutions. Discusses general perspectives on quality; defining quality in higher education and in open learning and distance education modes; organization structure of open universities; measurement of quality; parameters for…
Estimating plant distance in maize using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).
Zhang, Jinshui; Basso, Bruno; Price, Richard F; Putman, Gregory; Shuai, Guanyuan
2018-01-01
Distance between rows and plants are essential parameters that affect the final grain yield in row crops. This paper presents the results of research intended to develop a novel method to quantify the distance between maize plants at field scale using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Using this method, we can recognize maize plants as objects and calculate the distance between plants. We initially developed our method by training an algorithm in an indoor facility with plastic corn plants. Then, the method was scaled up and tested in a farmer's field with maize plant spacing that exhibited natural variation. The results of this study demonstrate that it is possible to precisely quantify the distance between maize plants. We found that accuracy of the measurement of the distance between maize plants depended on the height above ground level at which UAV imagery was taken. This study provides an innovative approach to quantify plant-to-plant variability and, thereby final crop yield estimates.
Dependency distance: A new perspective on syntactic patterns in natural languages
Liu, Haitao; Xu, Chunshan; Liang, Junying
2017-07-01
Dependency distance, measured by the linear distance between two syntactically related words in a sentence, is generally held as an important index of memory burden and an indicator of syntactic difficulty. Since this constraint of memory is common for all human beings, there may well be a universal preference for dependency distance minimization (DDM) for the sake of reducing memory burden. This human-driven language universal is supported by big data analyses of various corpora that consistently report shorter overall dependency distance in natural languages than in artificial random languages and long-tailed distributions featuring a majority of short dependencies and a minority of long ones. Human languages, as complex systems, seem to have evolved to come up with diverse syntactic patterns under the universal pressure for dependency distance minimization. However, there always exist a small number of long-distance dependencies in natural languages, which may reflect some other biological or functional constraints. Language system may adapt itself to these sporadic long-distance dependencies. It is these universal constraints that have shaped such a rich diversity of syntactic patterns in human languages.
Efficient Underwater RSS Value to Distance Inversion Using the Lambert Function
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Majid Hosseini
2014-01-01
Full Text Available There are many applications for using wireless sensor networks (WSN in ocean science; however, identifying the exact location of a sensor by itself (localization is still a challenging problem, where global positioning system (GPS devices are not applicable underwater. Precise distance measurement between two sensors is a tool of localization and received signal strength (RSS, reflecting transmission loss (TL phenomena, is widely used in terrestrial WSNs for that matter. Underwater acoustic sensor networks have not been used (UASN, due to the complexity of the TL function. In this paper, we addressed these problems by expressing underwater TL via the Lambert W function, for accurate distance inversion by the Halley method, and compared this to Newton-Raphson inversion. Mathematical proof, MATLAB simulation, and real device implementation demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed equation in distance calculation, with fewer iterations, computation stability for short and long distances, and remarkably short processing time. Then, the sensitivities of Lambert W function and Newton-Raphson inversion to alteration in TL were examined. The simulation results showed that Lambert W function is more stable to errors than Newton-Raphson inversion. Finally, with a likelihood method, it was shown that RSS is a practical tool for distance measurement in UASN.
Stuberg, W A; Colerick, V L; Blanke, D J; Bruce, W
1988-08-01
The purpose of this study was to compare a clinical gait analysis method using videography and temporal-distance measures with 16-mm cinematography in a gait analysis laboratory. Ten children with a diagnosis of cerebral palsy (means age = 8.8 +/- 2.7 years) and 9 healthy children (means age = 8.9 +/- 2.4 years) participated in the study. Stride length, walking velocity, and goniometric measurements of the hip, knee, and ankle were recorded using the two gait analysis methods. A multivariate analysis of variance was used to determine significant differences between the data collected using the two methods. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients were determined to examine the relationship between the measurements recorded by the two methods. The consistency of performance of the subjects during walking was examined by intraclass correlation coefficients. No significant differences were found between the methods for the variables studied. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients ranged from .79 to .95, and intraclass coefficients ranged from .89 to .97. The clinical gait analysis method was found to be a valid tool in comparison with 16-mm cinematography for the variables that were studied.
Facile and High-Yielding Synthesis of TAM Biradicals and Monofunctional TAM Radicals.
Trukhin, Dmitry V; Rogozhnikova, Olga Yu; Troitskaya, Tatiana I; Vasiliev, Vladimir G; Bowman, Michael K; Tormyshev, Victor M
2016-04-01
Facile and high-yielding procedures for synthesis of monocarboxylic acid derivatives of triarylmethyl radicals (TAMs) were developed. Reaction of methyl thioglycolate with tris(2,3,5,6-tetrathiaaryl)methyl cation smoothly afforded the monosubstituted TAM derivative, which was hydrolyzed to a monocarboxylic acid, with the TAM moiety attached to thioglycolic acid via the sulfur atom. Alternatively, the diamagnetic tricarboxylic acid precursor of Finland trityl was transformed to a trimethyl ester and partially hydrolyzed under controlled conditions. The diester product was isolated and the remaining fractions were converted back to the trimethyl ester for production of more diester. The first representatives of TAM biradicals with different TAM cores and interspin distances were obtained by reaction of these new TAM monocaboxylic acids with N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine.
Flushing-free film test of "1"9"2Ir accuracy of position and step distance for afterloading systems
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Lu Feng; Chen Rui; Shang Yunying; Chen Yue; Min Nan; Chen Yingmin; Deng Daping
2014-01-01
Objective: To study the method of measuring the position accuracy and the step distance accuracy of afterloading system with "1"9"2Ir source by using flushing-free film. Methods: The position accuracy and the step distance accuracy of a China-made afterloading system with "1"9"2Ir source was measured by using GAFCHROMIC"® EBT"3 flushing-free film. The film was scanned to proper image format, required by dose analysis software, by EPSON PREFACTION V700 PHOTO scanner. Then images are analyzed by using film dose analysis software in SNC Patient 5.2. Results: With focus on the center of active section of source, the position accuracy of this afterloading system with "1"9"2Ir source was -0.75 mm. Using film analysis could make the step point to tell apart if the step distance was 5 mm away by the method of film analysis, but couldnot make it to tell apart if the step distance was 2.5 mm away. The 2.5 mm step distance accuracy could be judged if the distance between the 1"s"t point and the 3"r"d point was 5 mm, then the 2.5 mm step distance could be deemed to no deviation. The 5 mm step distance of this afterloading system had no deviation in continuous 9 step points measured by flushing-free film. The indirect measuring results of the 2.5 mm step distance had no deviation as well. The position accuracy of this afterloading system measured with the flushing-free film accorded with the national standards. Conclusions: The method of measuring the position accuracy and the step distance accuracy of the afterloading system with "1"9"2Ir source by using flushing-free film is technically feasible. (authors)
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Kounkel, Marina; Hartmann, Lee [Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, 1085 S. University Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Loinard, Laurent; Ortiz-León, Gisela N.; Rodríguez, Luis F.; Pech, Gerardo; Rivera, Juana L. [Instituto de Radioastronomía y Astrofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Morelia 58089 (Mexico); Mioduszewski, Amy J. [National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Domenici Science Operations Center, 1003 Lopezville Road, Socorro, NM 87801 (United States); Dzib, Sergio A. [Max Planck Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, D-53121 Bonn (Germany); Torres, Rosa M. [Centro Universitario de Tonalá, Universidad de Guadalajara, Avenida Nuevo Perifrico No. 555, Ejido San José, Tatepozco, C.P. 48525, Tonalá, Jalisco, México (Mexico); Galli, Phillip A. B. [Université Grenoble Alpes, IPAG, F-38000, Grenoble (France); Boden, Andrew F. [Division of Physics, Math and Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Evans II, Neal J. [Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin, 2515 Speedway, Stop C1400, Austin, TX 78712-1205 (United States); Briceño, Cesar [Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory, Casilla 603, La Serena (Chile); Tobin, John J., E-mail: mkounkel@umich.edu [Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Oklahoma, 440 West Brooks Street, Norman, OK 73019 (United States)
2017-01-10
We present the results of the Gould’s Belt Distances Survey of young star-forming regions toward the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex. We detected 36 young stellar objects (YSOs) with the Very Large Baseline Array, 27 of which have been observed in at least three epochs over the course of two years. At least half of these YSOs belong to multiple systems. We obtained parallax and proper motions toward these stars to study the structure and kinematics of the Complex. We measured a distance of 388 ± 5 pc toward the Orion Nebula Cluster, 428 ± 10 pc toward the southern portion L1641, 388 ± 10 pc toward NGC 2068, and roughly ∼420 pc toward NGC 2024. Finally, we observed a strong degree of plasma radio scattering toward λ Ori.
Contact- and distance-based principal component analysis of protein dynamics
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Ernst, Matthias; Sittel, Florian; Stock, Gerhard, E-mail: stock@physik.uni-freiburg.de [Biomolecular Dynamics, Institute of Physics, Albert Ludwigs University, 79104 Freiburg (Germany)
2015-12-28
To interpret molecular dynamics simulations of complex systems, systematic dimensionality reduction methods such as principal component analysis (PCA) represent a well-established and popular approach. Apart from Cartesian coordinates, internal coordinates, e.g., backbone dihedral angles or various kinds of distances, may be used as input data in a PCA. Adopting two well-known model problems, folding of villin headpiece and the functional dynamics of BPTI, a systematic study of PCA using distance-based measures is presented which employs distances between C{sub α}-atoms as well as distances between inter-residue contacts including side chains. While this approach seems prohibitive for larger systems due to the quadratic scaling of the number of distances with the size of the molecule, it is shown that it is sufficient (and sometimes even better) to include only relatively few selected distances in the analysis. The quality of the PCA is assessed by considering the resolution of the resulting free energy landscape (to identify metastable conformational states and barriers) and the decay behavior of the corresponding autocorrelation functions (to test the time scale separation of the PCA). By comparing results obtained with distance-based, dihedral angle, and Cartesian coordinates, the study shows that the choice of input variables may drastically influence the outcome of a PCA.
Distance Matters: Physical Space and Social Impact.
Latane, Bibb; And Others
1995-01-01
Studies of college students and citizens of south Florida, United States, students in Shanghai, China, and an international sample of social psychologists show that social influence, measured by the frequency of memorable interactions, is heavily determined by distance. Confirms one principle from Latane's 1981 theory of social impact. (JBJ)
The HST Key Project on the Extragalactic Distance Scale
Freedman, W. L.
1994-12-01
One of the major unresolved problems in observational cosmology is the determination of the Hubble Constant, (H_0). The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Key Project on the Extragalactic Distance Scale aims to provide a measure of H_0 to an accuracy of 10%. Historically the route to H_0 has been plagued by systematic errors; hence there is no quick and easy route to a believeable value of H_0. Achieving plausible error limits of 10% requires careful attention to eliminating potential sources of systematic error. The strategy adopted by the Key Project team is threefold: First, to discover Cepheids in spiral galaxies located in the field and in small groups that are suitable for the calibration of several independent secondary methods. Second, to make direct Cepheid measurements of 3 spiral galaxies in the Virgo cluster and 2 members of the Fornax cluster. Third, to provide a check on the the Cepheid distance scale via independent distance estimates to nearby galaxies, and in addition, to undertake an empirical test of the sensitivity of the zero point of the Cepheid PL relation to heavy-element abundances. First results from the HST Key Project will be presented. We have now determined Cepheid distances to 4 galaxies using the HST: these are the nearby galaxies M81 and M101, the edge-on galaxy NGC 925, and the face-on spiral galaxy M100 in the Virgo cluster. Recently we have measured a Cepheid distance for M100 of 17 +/- 2 Mpc, which yields a value of H_0 = 80 +/- 17 km/sec/Mpc. This work was carried out in collaboration with the other members of the HST Key Project team, R. Kennicutt, J. Mould, F. Bresolin, S. Faber, L. Ferrarese, H. Ford, J. Graham, J. Gunn, M. Han, P. Harding, J. Hoessel, R. Hill, J. Huchra, S. Hughes, G. Illingworth, D. Kelson, B. Madore, R. Phelps, A. Saha, N. Silbermann, P. Stetson, and A. Turner.
Gauge-invariance and infrared divergences in the luminosity distance
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Biern, Sang Gyu; Yoo, Jaiyul
2017-01-01
Measurements of the luminosity distance have played a key role in discovering the late-time cosmic acceleration. However, when accounting for inhomogeneities in the Universe, its interpretation has been plagued with infrared divergences in its theoretical predictions, which are in some cases used to explain the cosmic acceleration without dark energy. The infrared divergences in most calculations are artificially removed by imposing an infrared cut-off scale. We show that a gauge-invariant calculation of the luminosity distance is devoid of such divergences and consistent with the equivalence principle, eliminating the need to impose a cut-off scale. We present proper numerical calculations of the luminosity distance using the gauge-invariant expression and demonstrate that the numerical results with an ad hoc cut-off scale in previous calculations have negligible systematic errors as long as the cut-off scale is larger than the horizon scale. We discuss the origin of infrared divergences and their cancellation in the luminosity distance.
Gauge-invariance and infrared divergences in the luminosity distance
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Biern, Sang Gyu; Yoo, Jaiyul, E-mail: sgbiern@physik.uzh.ch, E-mail: jyoo@physik.uzh.ch [Center for Theoretical Astrophysics and Cosmology, Institute for Computational Science, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zürich (Switzerland)
2017-04-01
Measurements of the luminosity distance have played a key role in discovering the late-time cosmic acceleration. However, when accounting for inhomogeneities in the Universe, its interpretation has been plagued with infrared divergences in its theoretical predictions, which are in some cases used to explain the cosmic acceleration without dark energy. The infrared divergences in most calculations are artificially removed by imposing an infrared cut-off scale. We show that a gauge-invariant calculation of the luminosity distance is devoid of such divergences and consistent with the equivalence principle, eliminating the need to impose a cut-off scale. We present proper numerical calculations of the luminosity distance using the gauge-invariant expression and demonstrate that the numerical results with an ad hoc cut-off scale in previous calculations have negligible systematic errors as long as the cut-off scale is larger than the horizon scale. We discuss the origin of infrared divergences and their cancellation in the luminosity distance.
Long distance atomic teleportation with as good success as desired
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Mishra, Manoj K.; Prakash, Hari
2015-01-01
Long distance atomic teleportation (LDAT) is of prime importance in long distance quantum communication. Scheme proposed by Bose et al. (1999) in principle enables us to have LDAT using cavity decay. However it gives message state dependent fidelity and success rate. Here, using interaction of entangled coherent states with atom–cavity systems and a two-step measurement, we show how, LDAT can be achieved with unit fidelity and as good success as desired under ideal conditions. The scheme is unique in that, the first measurement predicts success or failure. If success is predicted then second measurement gives perfect teleportation. If failure is predicted the message-qubit remains conserved therefore a second attempt may be started. We found that even in presence of decoherence due to dissipation of energy our scheme gives message state independent success rate and almost perfect teleportation in single attempt with mean fidelity of teleportation equal to 0.9 at long distances. However if first attempt fails, unlike ideal case where message-qubit remains conserved with unit fidelity, in presence of decoherence the message-qubit remains conserved to some degree, therefore mean fidelity of teleportation can be increased beyond 0.9 by repeating the process
Long distance atomic teleportation with as good success as desired
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Mishra, Manoj K., E-mail: manoj.qit@gmail.com [Physics Department, University of Allahabad (India); Space Applications Centre, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Ahmedabad (India); Prakash, Hari [Physics Department, University of Allahabad (India); Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad (India)
2015-09-15
Long distance atomic teleportation (LDAT) is of prime importance in long distance quantum communication. Scheme proposed by Bose et al. (1999) in principle enables us to have LDAT using cavity decay. However it gives message state dependent fidelity and success rate. Here, using interaction of entangled coherent states with atom–cavity systems and a two-step measurement, we show how, LDAT can be achieved with unit fidelity and as good success as desired under ideal conditions. The scheme is unique in that, the first measurement predicts success or failure. If success is predicted then second measurement gives perfect teleportation. If failure is predicted the message-qubit remains conserved therefore a second attempt may be started. We found that even in presence of decoherence due to dissipation of energy our scheme gives message state independent success rate and almost perfect teleportation in single attempt with mean fidelity of teleportation equal to 0.9 at long distances. However if first attempt fails, unlike ideal case where message-qubit remains conserved with unit fidelity, in presence of decoherence the message-qubit remains conserved to some degree, therefore mean fidelity of teleportation can be increased beyond 0.9 by repeating the process.
Deza, Michel Marie
2009-01-01
Distance metrics and distances have become an essential tool in many areas of pure and applied Mathematics. This title offers both independent introductions and definitions, while at the same time making cross-referencing easy through hyperlink-like boldfaced references to original definitions.
Association between cultural distance and migrant self-rated health.
Detollenaere, Jens; Baert, Stijn; Willems, Sara
2018-03-01
We study whether migrant health in Europe is associated with the cultural distance between their host country and country of origin. To this end, we run multilevel regression models on data merging self-rated health and social background of ≥3800 migrants from the European Social Survey with an index of cultural distance based on country differences in values, norms and attitudes measured in the World Values Survey. We find that higher levels of cultural distance are associated with worse migrant health. This association is comparable in size with the negative association between health and female (compared with male) gender but less important than the association between health and education level. In addition, this association is less significant among second-generation than first-generation migrants.
Rendon-Nava, Adrian E; Díaz-Méndez, J Alejandro; Nino-de-Rivera, Luis; Calleja-Arriaga, Wilfrido; Gil-Carrasco, Felix; Díaz-Alonso, Daniela
2014-01-01
An analysis of the effect of distance and alignment between two magnetically coupled coils for wireless power transfer in intraocular pressure measurement is presented. For measurement purposes, a system was fabricated consisting of an external device, which is a Maxwell-Wien bridge circuit variation, in charge of transferring energy to a biomedical implant and reading data from it. The biomedical implant is an RLC tank circuit, encapsulated by a polyimide coating. Power transfer was done by magnetic induction coupling method, by placing one of the inductors of the Maxwell-Wien bridge circuit and the inductor of the implant in close proximity. The Maxwell-Wien bridge circuit was biased with a 10 MHz sinusoidal signal. The analysis presented in this paper proves that wireless transmission of power for intraocular pressure measurement is feasible with the measurement system proposed. In order to have a proper inductive coupling link, special care must be taken when placing the two coils in proximity to avoid misalignment between them.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Adrian E. Rendon-Nava
2014-01-01
Full Text Available An analysis of the effect of distance and alignment between two magnetically coupled coils for wireless power transfer in intraocular pressure measurement is presented. For measurement purposes, a system was fabricated consisting of an external device, which is a Maxwell-Wien bridge circuit variation, in charge of transferring energy to a biomedical implant and reading data from it. The biomedical implant is an RLC tank circuit, encapsulated by a polyimide coating. Power transfer was done by magnetic induction coupling method, by placing one of the inductors of the Maxwell-Wien bridge circuit and the inductor of the implant in close proximity. The Maxwell-Wien bridge circuit was biased with a 10 MHz sinusoidal signal. The analysis presented in this paper proves that wireless transmission of power for intraocular pressure measurement is feasible with the measurement system proposed. In order to have a proper inductive coupling link, special care must be taken when placing the two coils in proximity to avoid misalignment between them.
Improve forest inventory with access data-measure transport distance and cost to market.
Dennis P. Bradley
1972-01-01
Describes a method for relating forest inventory volumes to transport distances and costs. The process, originally developed in Sweden, includes a computer program that can be used to summarize volumes by transport costs per cord to specified delivery point. The method has many potential applications in all aspects of resource analysis.
Effect of race distance on muscle oxygenation in short-track speed skating.
Hesford, Catherine M; Laing, Stewart; Cardinale, Marco; Cooper, Chris E
2013-01-01
Previous work identified an asymmetry in tissue desaturation changes in the left and right quadriceps muscles during on-ice skating at maximal speed in males. The effect of changing race distance on the magnitude of desaturation or leg asymmetry is unknown. Six elite male skaters (age = 23 ± 1.8 yr, height = 1.8 ± 0.1 m, mass = 80.1 ± 5.7 kg, midthigh skinfold thickness = 7 ± 2 mm) and four elite female skaters (age = 21 ± 4 yr, height = 1.6 ± 0.1 m, mass = 65.2 ± 4.3 kg, midthigh skinfold thickness = 10 ± 1 mm) were studied. Subjects completed time trials over three race distances. Blood lactate concentration and O2 uptake measurements were combined with near-infrared spectroscopy measures of muscle oxygenation (TSI) and blood volume (tHb) in the right and left vastus lateralis. Neither race distance nor gender had a significant effect on the magnitude of maximal muscle desaturation (ΔTSI(max)). Pattern of local changes in tHb during individual laps was dependent upon subtle differences in skating technique used for the different race distances. Linear regression analysis revealed asymmetry between the right and left leg desaturation in males during the final stages of each race distance, but not in females. At all race distances, local muscle desaturation reached maximal values much more quickly than global VO(2peak). The use of wearable near-infrared spectroscopy devices enabled measurement of muscle oxygenation during competitive race simulation, thus providing unique insight into the effects of velocity and technique changes on local muscle oxygenation. This may have implications for training and race pacing in speed skating.
First trimester phthalate exposure and anogenital distance in newborns
Swan, S.H.; Sathyanarayana, S.; Barrett, E.S.; Janssen, S.; Liu, F.; Nguyen, R.H.N.; Redmon, J.B.; Liu, Fan; Scher, Erica; Stasenko, Marina; Ayash, Erin; Schirmer, Melissa; Farrell, Jason; Thiet, Mari-Paule; Baskin, Laurence; Gray Chelsea Georgesen, Heather L.; Rody, Brooke J.; Terrell, Carrie A.; Kaur, Kapilmeet; Brantley, Erin; Fiore, Heather; Kochman, Lynda; Parlett, Lauren; Marino, Jessica; Hulbert, William; Mevorach, Robert; Pressman, Eva; Ivicek, Kristy; Salveson, Bobbie; Alcedo, Garry
2015-01-01
STUDY QUESTION Is first trimester phthalate exposure associated with anogenital distance (AGD), a biomarker of prenatal androgen exposure, in newborns? SUMMARY ANSWER Concentrations of diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) metabolites in first trimester maternal urine samples are inversely associated with AGD in male, but not female, newborns. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY AGD is a sexually dimorphic measure reflecting prenatal androgen exposure. Prenatal phthalate exposure has been associated with shorter male AGD in multiple animal studies. Prior human studies, which have been limited by small sample size and imprecise timing of exposure and/or outcome, have reported conflicting results. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION The Infant Development and the Environment Study (TIDES) is a prospective cohort study of pregnant women recruited in prenatal clinics in San Francisco, CA, Minneapolis, MN, Rochester, NY and Seattle, WA in 2010–2012. Participants delivered 787 infants; 753 with complete data are included in this analysis. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Any woman over 18 years old who was able to read and write English (or Spanish in CA), who was <13 weeks pregnant, whose pregnancy was not medically threatened and who planned to deliver in a study hospital was eligible to participate. Analyses include all infants whose mothers provided a first trimester urine sample and who were examined at or shortly after birth. Specific gravity (SpG) adjusted concentrations of phthalate metabolites in first trimester urine samples were examined in relation to genital measurements. In boys (N = 366), we obtained two measures of anogenital distance (AGD) (anoscrotal distance, or AGDAS and anopenile distance, AGDAP) as well as penile width (PW). In girls (N = 373), we measured anofourchette distance (AGDAF) and anoclitoral distance (AGDAC). We used multivariable regression models that adjusted for the infant's age at exam, gestational age, weight-for-length Z-score, time of day of urine
Learner characteristics involved in distance learning
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Cernicek, A.T.; Hahn, H.A.
1991-01-01
Distance learning represents a strategy for leveraging resources to solve educational and training needs. Although many distance learning programs have been developed, lessons learned regarding differences between distance learning and traditional education with respect to learner characteristics have not been well documented. Therefore, we conducted a survey of 20 distance learning professionals. The questionnaire was distributed to experts attending the second Distance Learning Conference sponsored by Los Alamos National Laboratory. This survey not only acquired demographic information from each of the respondents but also identified important distance learning student characteristics. Significant distance learner characteristics, which were revealed statistically and which influence the effectiveness of distance learning, include the following: reading level, student autonomy, and self-motivation. Distance learning cannot become a more useful and effective method of instruction without identifying and recognizing learner characteristics. It will be important to consider these characteristics when designing all distance learning courses. This paper will report specific survey findings and their implications for developing distance learning courses. 9 refs., 6 tabs.
Optimizing distance-based methods for large data sets
Scholl, Tobias; Brenner, Thomas
2015-10-01
Distance-based methods for measuring spatial concentration of industries have received an increasing popularity in the spatial econometrics community. However, a limiting factor for using these methods is their computational complexity since both their memory requirements and running times are in {{O}}(n^2). In this paper, we present an algorithm with constant memory requirements and shorter running time, enabling distance-based methods to deal with large data sets. We discuss three recent distance-based methods in spatial econometrics: the D&O-Index by Duranton and Overman (Rev Econ Stud 72(4):1077-1106, 2005), the M-function by Marcon and Puech (J Econ Geogr 10(5):745-762, 2010) and the Cluster-Index by Scholl and Brenner (Reg Stud (ahead-of-print):1-15, 2014). Finally, we present an alternative calculation for the latter index that allows the use of data sets with millions of firms.
Power and sample-size estimation for microbiome studies using pairwise distances and PERMANOVA
Kelly, Brendan J.; Gross, Robert; Bittinger, Kyle; Sherrill-Mix, Scott; Lewis, James D.; Collman, Ronald G.; Bushman, Frederic D.; Li, Hongzhe
2015-01-01
Motivation: The variation in community composition between microbiome samples, termed beta diversity, can be measured by pairwise distance based on either presence–absence or quantitative species abundance data. PERMANOVA, a permutation-based extension of multivariate analysis of variance to a matrix of pairwise distances, partitions within-group and between-group distances to permit assessment of the effect of an exposure or intervention (grouping factor) upon the sampled microbiome. Within-...
Katherine Spradley, M; Jantz, Richard L
2016-07-01
Standard cranial measurements are commonly used for ancestry estimation; however, 3D digitizers have made cranial landmark data collection and geometric morphometric (GM) analyses more popular within forensic anthropology. Yet there has been little focus on which data type works best. The goal of the present research is to test the discrimination ability of standard and nonstandard craniometric measurements and data derived from GM analysis. A total of 31 cranial landmarks were used to generate 465 interlandmark distances, including a subset of 20 commonly used measurements, and to generate principal component scores from procrustes coordinates. All were subjected to discriminant function analysis to ascertain which type of data performed best for ancestry estimation of American Black and White and Hispanic males and females. The nonstandard interlandmark distances generated the highest classification rates for females (90.5%) and males (88.2%). Using nonstandard interlandmark distances over more commonly used measurements leads to better ancestry estimates for our current population structure. © 2016 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.
Dependency distance: A new perspective on syntactic patterns in natural languages.
Liu, Haitao; Xu, Chunshan; Liang, Junying
2017-07-01
Dependency distance, measured by the linear distance between two syntactically related words in a sentence, is generally held as an important index of memory burden and an indicator of syntactic difficulty. Since this constraint of memory is common for all human beings, there may well be a universal preference for dependency distance minimization (DDM) for the sake of reducing memory burden. This human-driven language universal is supported by big data analyses of various corpora that consistently report shorter overall dependency distance in natural languages than in artificial random languages and long-tailed distributions featuring a majority of short dependencies and a minority of long ones. Human languages, as complex systems, seem to have evolved to come up with diverse syntactic patterns under the universal pressure for dependency distance minimization. However, there always exist a small number of long-distance dependencies in natural languages, which may reflect some other biological or functional constraints. Language system may adapt itself to these sporadic long-distance dependencies. It is these universal constraints that have shaped such a rich diversity of syntactic patterns in human languages. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Distance Magic-Type and Distance Antimagic-Type Labelings of Graphs
Freyberg, Bryan J.
Generally speaking, a distance magic-type labeling of a graph G of order n is a bijection l from the vertex set of the graph to the first n natural numbers or to the elements of a group of order n, with the property that the weight of each vertex is the same. The weight of a vertex x is defined as the sum (or appropriate group operation) of all the labels of vertices adjacent to x. If instead we require that all weights differ, then we refer to the labeling as a distance antimagic-type labeling. This idea can be generalized for directed graphs; the weight will take into consideration the direction of the arcs. In this manuscript, we provide new results for d-handicap labeling, a distance antimagic-type labeling, and introduce a new distance magic-type labeling called orientable Gamma-distance magic labeling. A d-handicap distance antimagic labeling (or just d-handicap labeling for short) of a graph G = ( V,E) of order n is a bijection l from V to the set {1,2,...,n} with induced weight function [special characters omitted]. such that l(xi) = i and the sequence of weights w(x 1),w(x2),...,w (xn) forms an arithmetic sequence with constant difference d at least 1. If a graph G admits a d-handicap labeling, we say G is a d-handicap graph. A d-handicap incomplete tournament, H(n,k,d ) is an incomplete tournament of n teams ranked with the first n natural numbers such that each team plays exactly k games and the strength of schedule of the ith ranked team is d more than the i + 1st ranked team. That is, strength of schedule increases arithmetically with strength of team. Constructing an H(n,k,d) is equivalent to finding a d-handicap labeling of a k-regular graph of order n.. In Chapter 2 we provide general constructions for every d for large classes of both n and k, providing breadfth and depth to the catalog of known H(n,k,d)'s. In Chapters 3 - 6, we introduce a new type of labeling called orientable Gamma-distance magic labeling. Let Gamma be an abelian group of order
The effect of uncertainties in distance-based ranking methods for multi-criteria decision making
Jaini, Nor I.; Utyuzhnikov, Sergei V.
2017-08-01
Data in the multi-criteria decision making are often imprecise and changeable. Therefore, it is important to carry out sensitivity analysis test for the multi-criteria decision making problem. The paper aims to present a sensitivity analysis for some ranking techniques based on the distance measures in multi-criteria decision making. Two types of uncertainties are considered for the sensitivity analysis test. The first uncertainty is related to the input data, while the second uncertainty is towards the Decision Maker preferences (weights). The ranking techniques considered in this study are TOPSIS, the relative distance and trade-off ranking methods. TOPSIS and the relative distance method measure a distance from an alternative to the ideal and antiideal solutions. In turn, the trade-off ranking calculates a distance of an alternative to the extreme solutions and other alternatives. Several test cases are considered to study the performance of each ranking technique in both types of uncertainties.
Cohen, A.M.; Beineke, L.W.; Wilson, R.J.; Cameron, P.J.
2004-01-01
In this chapter we investigate the classification of distance-transitive graphs: these are graphs whose automorphism groups are transitive on each of the sets of pairs of vertices at distance i, for i = 0, 1,.... We provide an introduction into the field. By use of the classification of finite
Zhao, Yiyi
2017-07-01
Dependency Distance, proposed by Hudson [1], calculated by Liu [2,3], is an important concept in Dependency Theory. It can be used as a measure of the syntactic difficulty, and lots of research [2,4] have testified the universal of Dependency Distance in various languages. Human languages seem to present a preference for short dependency distance, which may be explained in terms of general cognitive constraint of limited working memory [5]. Psychological experiments in English, German, Russian and Chinese support the hypothesis that Dependency Distance minimization (DDM) make languages to evolve into some syntactic patterns to reduce memory burden [6-9]. The study of psychology focuses on the process and mechanism of syntactic structure selection in speech comprehension. In many speech comprehension experiments [10], ambiguous structure is an important experimental material.
Distance determinations to shield galaxies from Hubble space telescope imaging
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
McQuinn, Kristen B. W.; Skillman, Evan D. [Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, 116 Church Street, S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455 (United States); Cannon, John M.; Cave, Ian [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Macalester College, 1600 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55105 (United States); Dolphin, Andrew E. [Raytheon Company, 1151 E. Hermans Road, Tucson, AZ 85756 (United States); Salzer, John J. [Department of Astronomy, Indiana University, 727 East 3rd Street, Bloomington, IN 47405 (United States); Haynes, Martha P.; Adams, Elizabeth; Giovanelli, Riccardo [Center for Radiophysics and Space Research, Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); Elson, Ed C. [Astrophysics, Cosmology and Gravity Centre (ACGC), Department of Astronomy, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch 7701 (South Africa); Ott, Juërgen [National Radio Astronomy Observatory, P.O. Box O, 1003 Lopezville Road, Socorro, NM 87801 (United States); Saintonge, Amélie, E-mail: kmcquinn@astro.umn.edu [Max-Planck-Institute for Astrophysics, D-85741 Garching (Germany)
2014-04-10
The Survey of H I in Extremely Low-mass Dwarf (SHIELD) galaxies is an ongoing multi-wavelength program to characterize the gas, star formation, and evolution in gas-rich, very low-mass galaxies. The galaxies were selected from the first ∼10% of the H I Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA (ALFALFA) survey based on their inferred low H I mass and low baryonic mass, and all systems have recent star formation. Thus, the SHIELD sample probes the faint end of the galaxy luminosity function for star-forming galaxies. Here, we measure the distances to the 12 SHIELD galaxies to be between 5 and 12 Mpc by applying the tip of the red giant method to the resolved stellar populations imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope. Based on these distances, the H I masses in the sample range from 4 × 10{sup 6} to 6 × 10{sup 7} M {sub ☉}, with a median H I mass of 1 × 10{sup 7} M {sub ☉}. The tip of the red giant branch distances are up to 73% farther than flow-model estimates in the ALFALFA catalog. Because of the relatively large uncertainties of flow-model distances, we are biased toward selecting galaxies from the ALFALFA catalog where the flow model underestimates the true distances. The measured distances allow for an assessment of the native environments around the sample members. Five of the galaxies are part of the NGC 672 and NGC 784 groups, which together constitute a single structure. One galaxy is part of a larger linear ensemble of nine systems that stretches 1.6 Mpc from end to end. Three galaxies reside in regions with 1-9 neighbors, and four galaxies are truly isolated with no known system identified within a radius of 1 Mpc.
Institutional Distance and International Business Strategies in Emerging Economies
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Ionascu, Delia Simona; Meyer, Klaus E.; Estrin, Saul
2004-01-01
The concept of `distance' has been used by international business scholars to explain variations in international business strategies and operations across countries. The more distant a host country is from the organizational centre of a multinational enterprise (MNE), the more it has to manage...... for the investing MNE. Using a unique dataset of foreign direct investment in emerging economies that incorporates multi-host as well as multi-home countries, we find empirical support for our propositions, and provide an explanation for apparently inconsistent results in the previous literature....... on Hofstede's work on culture. However, these measures capture only very partially the dimensions of distance of concern to international business. In this paper, we show how the broader theoretical concept of institutional distance, which incorporates normative, regulatory and cognitive aspects, affects...
Comparison of distance information given by SN Ia, BAO and CMB
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Li Hong
2011-01-01
The observations of Type Ia supernovae (SN Ia), Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) and Cosmic Microwave Background radiation (CMB) provide powerful tools for the measurement of cosmological parameters. One of the most useful information encodes in the distance measured by those probes. In this Letter, we test the coherence of the observational information provided by SN Ia, BAO and CMB experiments. We make two kinds of comparison: the first is the constraints on cosmological parameters of the equation of state parameter (EoS) of dark energy (DE) and matter budget parameter Ω m from the latest data by global fitting, and we find the large discrepancy from those different probes. The second comparison is performed among the derived distance information from these observations at certain appointed redshift, the results show that the distance provided by WMAP5 are larger than those from SN Ia and BAO on the whole.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Xudong Guan
2016-01-01
Full Text Available Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS time-series data has been widely used in the fields of crop and rice classification. The cloudy and rainy weather characteristics of the monsoon season greatly reduce the likelihood of obtaining high-quality optical remote sensing images. In addition, the diverse crop-planting system in Vietnam also hinders the comparison of NDVI among different crop stages. To address these problems, we apply a Dynamic Time Warping (DTW distance-based similarity measure approach and use the entire yearly NDVI time series to reduce the inaccuracy of classification using a single image. We first de-noise the NDVI time series using S-G filtering based on the TIMESAT software. Then, a standard NDVI time-series base for rice growth is established based on field survey data and Google Earth sample data. NDVI time-series data for each pixel are constructed and the DTW distance with the standard rice growth NDVI time series is calculated. Then, we apply thresholds to extract rice growth areas. A qualitative assessment using statistical data and a spatial assessment using sampled data from the rice-cropping map reveal a high mapping accuracy at the national scale between the statistical data, with the corresponding R2 being as high as 0.809; however, the mapped rice accuracy decreased at the provincial scale due to the reduced number of rice planting areas per province. An analysis of the results indicates that the 500-m resolution MODIS data are limited in terms of mapping scattered rice parcels. The results demonstrate that the DTW-based similarity measure of the NDVI time series can be effectively used to map large-area rice cropping systems with diverse cultivation processes.
Correlation Between Cometary Gas/Dust Ratios and Heliocentric Distance
Harrington, Olga; Womack, Maria; Lastra, Nathan
2017-10-01
We compiled CO-based gas/dust ratios for several comets out to heliocentric distances, rh, of 8 au to probe whether there is a noticeable change in comet behavior over the range that water-ice sublimation starts. Previously, gas/dust ratios were calculated for an ensemble of comets using Q(CO2)/efp values derived from infrared measurements, which showed that the gas/dust ratio follows a rh-2 within 4 AU, but is flat at greater distances (Bauer et al. 2015). Our project focuses on gas/dust ratios for which CO is assumed to be the dominant gas, in order to test whether similar breaks in slope occur for CO. The gas/dust ratios were calculated from measurements of CO production rates (mostly from millimeter-wavelength spectroscopy) and reflected sunlight of comets (mostly via reported visual magnitudes of dusty comets). We present our new CO-based gas/dust ratios at different heliocentric distances, compare them to existing CO2-based gas/dust ratios, and discuss implications for CO-driven and CO2-driven activity. We discuss O.H. acknowledges support from the Hartmann Student Travel Grant program. M.W. acknowledges support from NSF grant AST-1615917.
Towards Long-Distance Atom-Photon Entanglement
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Rosenfeld, W.; Hocke, F.; Henkel, F.; Krug, M.; Volz, J.; Weber, M.; Weinfurter, H.
2008-01-01
We report the observation of entanglement between a single trapped atom and a single photon at remote locations. The degree of coherence of the entangled atom-photon pair is verified via appropriate local correlation measurements, after communicating the photon via an optical fiber link of 300 m length to a receiver 3.5 m apart. In addition, we measured the temporal evolution of the atomic density matrix after projecting the atom via a state measurement of the photon onto several well-defined spin states. We find that the state of the single atom dephases on a time scale of 150 μs, which represents an important step towards long-distance quantum networking with individual neutral atoms
Vafeiadi, Marina; Agramunt, Silvia; Papadopoulou, Eleni; Besselink, Harrie; Mathianaki, Kleopatra; Karakosta, Polyxeni; Spanaki, Ariana; Koutis, Antonis; Chatzi, Leda; Vrijheid, Martine; Kogevinas, Manolis
2013-01-01
Anogenital distance in animals is used as a measure of fetal androgen action. Prenatal exposure to dioxins and dioxin-like compounds in rodents causes reproductive changes in male offspring and decreases anogenital distance. We assessed whether in utero exposure to dioxins and dioxin-like compounds adversely influences anogenital distance in newborns and young children (median age, 16 months; range, 1-31 months). We measured anogenital distance among participants of the "Rhea" mother-child cohort study in Crete and the Hospital del Mar (HMAR) cohort in Barcelona. Anogenital distance (AGD; anus to upper penis), anoscrotal distance (ASD; anus to scrotum), and penis width (PW) were measured in 119 newborn and 239 young boys; anoclitoral (ACD; anus to clitoris) and anofourchetal distance (AFD; anus to fourchette) were measured in 118 newborn and 223 young girls. We estimated plasma dioxin-like activity in maternal blood samples collected at delivery with the Dioxin-Responsive Chemically Activated LUciferase eXpression (DR CALUX®) bioassay. Anogenital distances were sexually dimorphic, being longer in males than females. Plasma dioxin-like activity was negatively associated with AGD in male newborns. The estimated change in AGD per 10 pg CALUX®-toxic equivalent/g lipid increase was -0.44 mm (95% CI: -0.80, -0.08) after adjusting for confounders. Negative but smaller and nonsignificant associations were observed for AGD in young boys. No associations were found in girls. Male infants may be susceptible to endocrine-disrupting effects of dioxins. Our findings are consistent with the experimental animal evidence used by the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization to set recommendations for human dioxin intake.
Distance Students’ Readiness for Social Media and Collaboration
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Bruno Poellhuber
2011-10-01
Full Text Available In recent years, there has been a rapid growth in the use of social networking tools (e.g., Facebook and social media in general, mainly for social, recreational, and entertainment purposes (Smith, Salaway, & Caruso, 2009. Many educators believe that these tools offer new educational affordances and avenues for students to interact with each other and with their teachers or tutors. Considering the traditional dropout rate problem documented in distance courses (Rovai, 2003; Woodley, 2004, these tools may be of special interest for distance education institutions as they have the potential to assist in the critical “social integration” associated with persistence (Sweet, 1986; Tinto, 1975. However, as distance students are typically older than regular on-campus students (Bean & Metzner, 1985; Rovai, 2003, little is known about their expertise with social media or their interest in harnessing these tools for informal learning or collaborating with peers.To investigate these issues, an online questionnaire was distributed to students from four large Canadian distance education institutions. A systematic sampling procedure led to 3,462 completed questionnaires. The results show that students have diverse views and experiences, but they also show strong and significant age and gender differences in a variety of measures, as well as an important institution effect on the student’s interest in collaboration. Males and younger students scored higher on almost all indicators (past teamwork experience, cooperative preferences, attitudes toward technology, experience with social software, etc.. These age and gender differences should be interpreted cautiously, however, as they are based on self-reported measures. The limits of the study, as well as future developments and research questions, are outlined.
The Attitude Scale towards Distance Nursing Education (AstDNE)
Boz Yuksekdag, Belgian; Unsal Barlas, Gul
2015-01-01
In this study, a measurement is seen as an instrument to measure the attitudes of the nurses towards the distance nursing education was developed. The study population consist of nurses who working in two hospitals of the ministry of health and two special hospitals in Istanbul. The sample of the study consisted of 194 nurses who agreed to…
McGrail, Matthew Richard; Humphreys, John Stirling; Ward, Bernadette
2015-05-29
Poor access to doctors at times of need remains a significant impediment to achieving good health for many rural residents. The two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) method has emerged as a key tool for measuring healthcare access in rural areas. However, the choice of catchment size, a key component of the 2SFCA method, is problematic because little is known about the distance tolerance of rural residents for health-related travel. Our study sought new evidence to test the hypothesis that residents of sparsely settled rural areas are prepared to travel further than residents of closely settled rural areas when accessing primary health care at times of need. A questionnaire survey of residents in five small rural communities of Victoria and New South Wales in Australia was used. The two outcome measures were current travel time to visit their usual doctor and maximum time prepared to travel to visit a doctor, both for non-emergency care. Kaplan-Meier charts were used to compare the association between increased distance and decreased travel propensity for closely-settled and sparsely-settled areas, and ordinal multivariate regression models tested significance after controlling for health-related travel moderating factors and town clustering. A total of 1079 questionnaires were completed with 363 from residents in closely-settled locations and 716 from residents in sparsely-settled areas. Residents of sparsely-settled communities travel, on average, 10 min further than residents of closely-settled communities (26.3 vs 16.9 min, p time prepared to travel (54.1 vs 31.9 min, p time remained significant after controlling for demographic and other constraints to access, such as transport availability or difficulties getting doctor appointments, as well as after controlling for town clustering and current travel times. Improved geographical access remains a key issue underpinning health policies designed to improve the provision of rural primary health care
Making Distance Visible: Assembling Nearness in an Online Distance Learning Programme
Ross, Jen; Gallagher, Michael Sean; Macleod, Hamish
2013-01-01
Online distance learners are in a particularly complex relationship with the educational institutions they belong to (Bayne, Gallagher, & Lamb, 2012). For part-time distance students, arrivals and departures can be multiple and invisible as students take courses, take breaks, move into independent study phases of a programme, find work or…
Inverse-designed stretchable metalens with tunable focal distance
Callewaert, Francois; Velev, Vesselin; Jiang, Shizhou; Sahakian, Alan Varteres; Kumar, Prem; Aydin, Koray
2018-02-01
In this paper, we present an inverse-designed 3D-printed all-dielectric stretchable millimeter wave metalens with a tunable focal distance. A computational inverse-design method is used to design a flat metalens made of disconnected polymer building blocks with complex shapes, as opposed to conventional monolithic lenses. The proposed metalens provides better performance than a conventional Fresnel lens, using lesser amount of material and enabling larger focal distance tunability. The metalens is fabricated using a commercial 3D-printer and attached to a stretchable platform. Measurements and simulations show that the focal distance can be tuned by a factor of 4 with a stretching factor of only 75%, a nearly diffraction-limited focal spot, and with a 70% relative focusing efficiency, defined as the ratio between power focused in the focal spot and power going through the focal plane. The proposed platform can be extended for design and fabrication of multiple electromagnetic devices working from visible to microwave radiation depending on scaling of the devices.
The impact of SFCL and SMES integration on the distance relay
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Yang, Jun, E-mail: JYang@whu.edu.cn [School of Electrical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072 (China); Zhang, Liling; Wang, Xinpu; Chen, Lei [School of Electrical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072 (China); Chen, Yanxia [Beijing Electric Power Research Institute, Beijing 100075 (China)
2016-11-15
Highlights: • The impact of SFCL and SMES integration on the circle distance relay is studied. • The detailed models of SFCL and SMES with distance delay are built in MATLAB. • The integration of SFCL and SMES does influence the operation of distance relay. • An improved distance relay to prevent mal-operation is proposed and verified. - Abstract: The superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) is an ideal short-circuit fault current limiting device that can limit the fault current without any delay and control the voltage drop of the non-fault line. The superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) device can exchange the active and reactive power independently, so it is applied broadly to improve power system stability. With SFCL, the low voltage ride-through capability of SMES can be enhanced as well as its MW and MJ capacities. The distance relay is a key electrical apparatus that will trip circuit breakers to protect electrical devices from short circuit faults. Due to the application of SFCL and SMES integration, the voltage and current in power grid will change accordingly, and the operation characteristic of distance relay may be affected. In this paper, the impact of a bridge-type SFCL and SMES integration on the circle distance relay is studied. And simulation results show that the integration of SFCL and SMES does influence the measured impedance of distance relay, which can lead to mal-operation of the circle distance relay. Furthermore, an improved distance relay is proposed and verified.
The impact of SFCL and SMES integration on the distance relay
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Yang, Jun; Zhang, Liling; Wang, Xinpu; Chen, Lei; Chen, Yanxia
2016-01-01
Highlights: • The impact of SFCL and SMES integration on the circle distance relay is studied. • The detailed models of SFCL and SMES with distance delay are built in MATLAB. • The integration of SFCL and SMES does influence the operation of distance relay. • An improved distance relay to prevent mal-operation is proposed and verified. - Abstract: The superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) is an ideal short-circuit fault current limiting device that can limit the fault current without any delay and control the voltage drop of the non-fault line. The superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) device can exchange the active and reactive power independently, so it is applied broadly to improve power system stability. With SFCL, the low voltage ride-through capability of SMES can be enhanced as well as its MW and MJ capacities. The distance relay is a key electrical apparatus that will trip circuit breakers to protect electrical devices from short circuit faults. Due to the application of SFCL and SMES integration, the voltage and current in power grid will change accordingly, and the operation characteristic of distance relay may be affected. In this paper, the impact of a bridge-type SFCL and SMES integration on the circle distance relay is studied. And simulation results show that the integration of SFCL and SMES does influence the measured impedance of distance relay, which can lead to mal-operation of the circle distance relay. Furthermore, an improved distance relay is proposed and verified.
Steiner Distance in Graphs--A Survey
Mao, Yaping
2017-01-01
For a connected graph $G$ of order at least $2$ and $S\\subseteq V(G)$, the \\emph{Steiner distance} $d_G(S)$ among the vertices of $S$ is the minimum size among all connected subgraphs whose vertex sets contain $S$. In this paper, we summarize the known results on the Steiner distance parameters, including Steiner distance, Steiner diameter, Steiner center, Steiner median, Steiner interval, Steiner distance hereditary graph, Steiner distance stable graph, average Steiner distance, and Steiner ...
Semiconductor Laser Tracking Frequency Distance Gauge
Phillips, James D.; Reasenberg, Robert D.
2009-01-01
Advanced astronomical missions with greatly enhanced resolution and physics missions of unprecedented accuracy will require a spaceworthy laser distance gauge of substantially improved performance. The Tracking Frequency Gauge (TFG) uses a single beam, locking a laser to the measurement interferometer. We have demonstrated this technique with pm (10(exp -12) m) performance. We report on the version we are now developing based on space-qualifiable, fiber-coupled distributed-feedback semiconductor lasers.
Theoretical Principles of Distance Education.
Keegan, Desmond, Ed.
This book contains the following papers examining the didactic, academic, analytic, philosophical, and technological underpinnings of distance education: "Introduction"; "Quality and Access in Distance Education: Theoretical Considerations" (D. Randy Garrison); "Theory of Transactional Distance" (Michael G. Moore);…
Markov chain of distances between parked cars
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Seba, Petr
2008-01-01
We describe the distribution of distances between parked cars as a solution of certain Markov processes and show that its solution is obtained with the help of a distributional fixed point equation. Under certain conditions the process is solved explicitly. The resulting probability density is compared with the actual parking data measured in the city. (fast track communication)
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Clausen, M. P.; Colin-York, H.; Schneider, Falk
2017-01-01
and accurately measure the density distribution of the cortical actin cytoskeleton and the distance between the actin cortex and the membrane in live Jurkat T-cells. We found an asymmetric cortical actin density distribution with a mean width of 230 (+105/-125) nm. The spatial distances measured between...
Are contemporary tourists consuming distance?
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Larsen, Gunvor Riber
2012. Background The background for this research, which explores how tourists represent distance and whether or not distance can be said to be consumed by contemporary tourists, is the increasing leisure mobility of people. Travelling for the purpose of visiting friends and relatives is increasing...... of understanding mobility at a conceptual level, and distance matters to people's manifest mobility: how they travel and how far they travel are central elements of their movements. Therefore leisure mobility (indeed all mobility) is the activity of relating across distance, either through actual corporeal...... metric representation. These representations are the focus for this research. Research Aim and Questions The aim of this research is thus to explore how distance is being represented within the context of leisure mobility. Further the aim is to explore how or whether distance is being consumed...
Terminology report respect distance. The Use of the term respect distance in Posiva and SKB
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Lampinen, H.
2007-09-01
The term respect distance is used in some key publications of the Finnish Nuclear Waste Management Company, Posiva, and the Swedish Nuclear Waste Management Company, SKB (Svensk Kaernbrenslehantering). Posiva and SKB researchers use the same terms in their reports, and it is acknowledged that the terms used by both companies are not used in the same way, though the differences are often subtle. This report is a literature study of the term 'respect distance' and the terms immediately associated to it. Vital terms related to the respect distance and issues concerning the use of scale concepts in Posiva and SKB are gathered in the end of report. Posiva's respect distances consider the seismic, hydrological and mechanical properties of the deterministic deformation zones as important issues that constitute a risk for longterm safety. These requirements for respect distances are an interpretation of STUK's YVL 8.4 Guide. At present, Posiva's criteria regarding respect distances follow the instructions given in the Host Rock Classification system (HRC), whereas the size of a deformation zone to which respect distances are applied vary from the regional to local major and minor. This and other criteria that are given for respect distances may, however, change in the near future as Posiva's Rock Suitability Criteria (RSC) programme proceeds. SKB's considerations of respect distances acknowledge that the hydraulic and mechanical aspects of a deformation zone have an effect on the respect distance. However, the seismic risk is considered to overshadow the other effects on a regional scale. The respect distance defined for a deformation zone is coupled with the size of a fracture where secondary slip could occur. In the safety assessment it is assumed that this fracture cuts a deposition hole location. In SKB the respect distance is determined for regional and local major deformation zones. The trace length of such a zone is defined as being ≥ 3 km. For deformation zones
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Lisonek, Petr
1996-01-01
A two-distance set in E^d is a point set X inthe d-dimensional Euclidean spacesuch that the distances between distinct points in Xassume only two different non-zero values. Based on results from classical distance geometry, we developan algorithm to classify, for a given dimension, all maximal...... (largest possible)two-distance sets in E^d.Using this algorithm we have completed the full classificationfor all dimensions less than or equal to 7, andwe have found one set in E^8 whosemaximality follows from Blokhuis' upper bound on sizes of s-distance sets.While in the dimensions less than or equal to 6...
Can a clinical placement influence stigma? An analysis of measures of social distance.
Moxham, Lorna; Taylor, Ellie; Patterson, Christopher; Perlman, Dana; Brighton, Renee; Sumskis, Susan; Keough, Emily; Heffernan, Tim
2016-09-01
The way people who experience mental illness are perceived by health care professionals, which often includes stigmatising attitudes, can have a significant impact on treatment outcomes and on their quality of life. To determine whether stigma towards people with mental illness varied for undergraduate nursing students who attended a non-traditional clinical placement called Recovery Camp compared to students who attended a 'typical' mental health clinical placement. Quasi-experimental. Seventy-nine third-year nursing students were surveyed; n=40 attended Recovery Camp (intervention), n=39 (comparison group) attended a 'typical' mental health clinical placement. All students completed the Social Distance Scale (SDS) pre- and post-placement and at three-month follow-up. Data analysis consisted of a one-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) exploring parameter estimates between group scores across three time points. Two secondary repeated measures ANOVAs were performed to demonstrate the differences in SDS scores for each group across time. Pairwise comparisons demonstrated the differences between time intervals. A statistically significant difference in ratings of stigma between the intervention group and the comparison group existed. Parameter estimates revealed that stigma ratings for the intervention group were significantly reduced post-placement and remained consistently low at three-month follow-up. There was no significant difference in ratings of stigma for the comparison group over time. Students who attended Recovery Camp reported significant decreases in stigma towards people with a mental illness over time, compared to the typical placement group. Findings suggest that a therapeutic recreation based clinical placement was more successful in reducing stigma regarding mental illness in undergraduate nursing students compared to those who attended typical mental health clinical placements. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Dey, Soumyabrata; Rao, A Ravishankar; Shah, Mubarak
2014-01-01
Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) is getting a lot of attention recently for two reasons. First, it is one of the most commonly found childhood disorders and second, the root cause of the problem is still unknown. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) data has become a popular tool for the analysis of ADHD, which is the focus of our current research. In this paper we propose a novel framework for the automatic classification of the ADHD subjects using their resting state fMRI (rs-fMRI) data of the brain. We construct brain functional connectivity networks for all the subjects. The nodes of the network are constructed with clusters of highly active voxels and edges between any pair of nodes represent the correlations between their average fMRI time series. The activity level of the voxels are measured based on the average power of their corresponding fMRI time-series. For each node of the networks, a local descriptor comprising of a set of attributes of the node is computed. Next, the Multi-Dimensional Scaling (MDS) technique is used to project all the subjects from the unknown graph-space to a low dimensional space based on their inter-graph distance measures. Finally, the Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier is used on the low dimensional projected space for automatic classification of the ADHD subjects. Exhaustive experimental validation of the proposed method is performed using the data set released for the ADHD-200 competition. Our method shows promise as we achieve impressive classification accuracies on the training (70.49%) and test data sets (73.55%). Our results reveal that the detection rates are higher when classification is performed separately on the male and female groups of subjects.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Soumyabrata eDey
2014-06-01
Full Text Available Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD is getting a lot of attention recently for two reasons. First, it is one of the most commonly found childhood disorders and second, the root cause of the problem is still unknown. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI data has become a popular tool for the analysis of ADHD, which is the focus of our current research. In this paper we propose a novel framework for the automatic classification of the ADHD subjects using their resting state fMRI (rs-fMRI data of the brain. We construct brain functional connectivity networks for all the subjects. The nodes of the network are constructed with clusters of highly active voxels and edges between any pair of nodes represent the correlations between their average fMRI time series. The activity level of the voxels are measured based on the average power of their corresponding fMRI time-series. For each node of the networks, a local descriptor comprising of a set of attributes of the node is computed. Next, the Multi-Dimensional Scaling (MDS technique is used to project all the subjects from the unknown graph-space to a low dimensional space based on their inter-graph distance measures. Finally, the Support Vector Machine (SVM classifier is used on the low dimensional projected space for automatic classification of the ADHD subjects. Exhaustive experimental validation of the proposed method is performed using the data set released for the ADHD-200 competition. Our method shows promise as we achieve impressive classification accuracies on the training (70.49% and test data sets (73.55%. Our results reveal that the detection rates are higher when classification is performed separately on the male and female groups of subjects.
Couvidat, S.; Zhao, J.; Birch, A. C.; Kosovichev, A. G.; Duvall, T. L., Jr.; Parchevsky, K.; Scherrer, P. H.
2009-01-01
The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) instrument on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) satellite is designed to produce high-resolution Doppler velocity maps of oscillations at the solar surface with high temporal cadence. To take advantage of these high-quality oscillation data, a time-distance helioseismology pipeline has been implemented at the Joint Science Operations Center (JSOC) at Stanford University. The aim of this pipeline is to generate maps of acoustic travel times from oscillations on the solar surface, and to infer subsurface 3D flow velocities and sound-speed perturbations. The wave travel times are measured from cross covariances of the observed solar oscillation signals. For implementation into the pipeline we have investigated three different travel-time definitions developed in time-distance helioseismology: a Gabor wavelet fitting (Kosovichev and Duvall, 1997), a minimization relative to a reference cross-covariance function (Gizon and Birch, 2002), and a linearized version of the minimization method (Gizon and Birch, 2004). Using Doppler velocity data from the Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) instrument on board SOHO, we tested and compared these definitions for the mean and difference travel-time perturbations measured from reciprocal signals. Although all three procedures return similar travel times in a quiet Sun region, the method of Gizon and Birch (2004) gives travel times that are significantly different from the others in a magnetic (active) region. Thus, for the pipeline implementation we chose the procedures of Kosovichev and Duvall (1997) and Gizon and Birch (2002). We investigated the relationships among these three travel-time definitions, their sensitivities to fitting parameters, and estimated the random errors they produce
Distance-based relative orbital elements determination for formation flying system
He, Yanchao; Xu, Ming; Chen, Xi
2016-01-01
The present paper deals with determination of relative orbital elements based only on distance between satellites in the formation flying system, which has potential application in engineering, especially suited for rapid orbit determination required missions. A geometric simplification is performed to reduce the formation configuration in three-dimensional space to a plane. Then the equivalent actual configuration deviating from its nominal design is introduced to derive a group of autonomous linear equations on the mapping between the relative orbital elements differences and distance errors. The primary linear equations-based algorithm is initially proposed to conduct the rapid and precise determination of the relative orbital elements without the complex computation, which is further improved by least-squares method with more distance measurements taken into consideration. Numerical simulations and comparisons with traditional approaches are presented to validate the effectiveness of the proposed methods. To assess the performance of the two proposed algorithms, accuracy validation and Monte Carlo simulations are implemented in the presence of noises of distance measurements and the leader's absolute orbital elements. It is demonstrated that the relative orbital elements determination accuracy of two approaches reaches more than 90% and even close to the actual values for the least-squares improved one. The proposed approaches can be alternates for relative orbit determination without assistance of additional facilities in engineering for their fairly high efficiency with accuracy and autonomy.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Katarina Pucelj
2006-12-01
Full Text Available I would like to underline the role and importance of knowledge, which is acquired by individuals as a result of a learning process and experience. I have established that a form of learning, such as distance learning definitely contributes to a higher learning quality and leads to innovative, dynamic and knowledgebased society. Knowledge and skills enable individuals to cope with and manage changes, solve problems and also create new knowledge. Traditional learning practices face new circumstances, new and modern technologies appear, which enable quick and quality-oriented knowledge implementation. The centre of learning process at distance learning is to increase the quality of life of citizens, their competitiveness on the workforce market and ensure higher economic growth. Intellectual capital is the one, which represents the biggest capital of each society and knowledge is the key factor for succes of everybody, who are fully aware of this. Flexibility, openness and willingness of people to follow new IT solutions form suitable environment for developing and deciding to take up distance learning.
An Initialization Method Based on Hybrid Distance for k-Means Algorithm.
Yang, Jie; Ma, Yan; Zhang, Xiangfen; Li, Shunbao; Zhang, Yuping
2017-11-01
The traditional [Formula: see text]-means algorithm has been widely used as a simple and efficient clustering method. However, the performance of this algorithm is highly dependent on the selection of initial cluster centers. Therefore, the method adopted for choosing initial cluster centers is extremely important. In this letter, we redefine the density of points according to the number of its neighbors, as well as the distance between points and their neighbors. In addition, we define a new distance measure that considers both Euclidean distance and density. Based on that, we propose an algorithm for selecting initial cluster centers that can dynamically adjust the weighting parameter. Furthermore, we propose a new internal clustering validation measure, the clustering validation index based on the neighbors (CVN), which can be exploited to select the optimal result among multiple clustering results. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms existing initialization methods on real-world data sets and demonstrates the adaptability of the proposed algorithm to data sets with various characteristics.
Model quality assessment using distance constraints from alignments
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Paluszewski, Martin; Karplus, Kevin
2008-01-01
that model which is closest to the true structure. In this article, we present a new approach for addressing the MQA problem. It is based on distance constraints extracted from alignments to templates of known structure, and is implemented in the Undertaker program for protein structure prediction. One novel...... feature is that we extract noncontact constraints as well as contact constraints. We describe how the distance constraint extraction is done and we show how they can be used to address the MQA problem. We have compared our method on CASP7 targets and the results show that our method is at least comparable...... with the best MQA methods that were assessed at CASP7. We also propose a new evaluation measure, Kendall's tau, that is more interpretable than conventional measures used for evaluating MQA methods (Pearson's r and Spearman's rho). We show clear examples where Kendall's tau agrees much more with our intuition...
Precision Distances with the Tip of the Red Giant Branch Method
Beaton, Rachael Lynn; Carnegie-Chicago Hubble Program Team
2018-01-01
The Carnegie-Chicago Hubble Program aims to construct a distance ladder that utilizes old stellar populations in the outskirts of galaxies to produce a high precision measurement of the Hubble Constant that is independent of Cepheids. The CCHP uses the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) method, which is a statistical measurement technique that utilizes the termination of the red giant branch. Two innovations combine to make the TRGB a competitive route to the Hubble Constant (i) the large-scale measurement of trigonometric parallax by the Gaia mission and (ii) the development of both precise and accurate means of determining the TRGB in both nearby (~1 Mpc) and distant (~20 Mpc) galaxies. Here I will summarize our progress in developing these standardized techniques, focusing on both our edge-detection algorithm and our field selection strategy. Using these methods, the CCHP has determined equally precise (~2%) distances to galaxies in the Local Group (< 1 Mpc) and across the Local Volume (< 20 Mpc). The TRGB is, thus, an incredibly powerful and straightforward means to determine distances to galaxies of any Hubble Type and, thus, has enormous potential for putting any number of astrophyiscal phenomena on absolute units.
EFFECTIVENESS OF LEARNING PROCESS USING “WEB TECHNOLOGY” IN THE DISTANCE LEARNING SYSTEM
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Manoj KILLEDAR
2008-10-01
Full Text Available Web is a globally distributed, still highly personalized media for cost-effective delivery of multimedia information and services. Web is expected to have a strong impact on almost every aspect of how we learn. ‘Total Quality’ is the totality of features, as perceived by the customers of the product or service. Totality of features includes stated as well as implied needs and expectations of all types of customers. No quality improvement is possible without its unambiguous measurement. But, ‘Total Quality’ of the learning experience in ‘Open and Distance Education System’ cannot be measured unless it is expressed in measurable clear terms which include complete spectrum of student support and educational services. A model for ‘Total Quality’ of an open and distance education system was used to measure impact of the “Web Technology” on the ‘Total Quality’ of the learning experience in ‘Open and Distance Education System’. Evidence indicates that application of the proposed model for ‘Total Quality’ and ‘Web Technology’ can simultaneously optimize quality, access and cost. Thus, a better learning experience can be provided even in open and distance education system, which can be comparable with the best. This study found that it was difficult for the subjects to decide the clear cut superiority regarding the effectiveness of ‘Traditional Classroom’ or ‘Virtual Classroom’.
A novel copper(II) coordination at His186 in full-length murine prion protein
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Watanabe, Yasuko [Laboratory of Radiation Biology, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0818 (Japan); Hiraoka, Wakako [Laboratory of Biophysics, School of Science and Technology, Meiji University, Kawasaki 214-8571 (Japan); Igarashi, Manabu; Ito, Kimihito [Department of Global Epidemiology, Hokkaido University Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Sapporo 001-0020 (Japan); Shimoyama, Yuhei [Soft-Matter Physics Laboratory, Graduate School of Emergent Science, Muroran Institute of Technology, Muroran 050-8585 (Japan); Horiuchi, Motohiro [Laboratory of Prion Diseases, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0818 (Japan); Yamamori, Tohru; Yasui, Hironobu; Kuwabara, Mikinori [Laboratory of Radiation Biology, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0818 (Japan); Inagaki, Fuyuhiko [Laboratory of Structural Biology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0812 (Japan); Inanami, Osamu, E-mail: inanami@vetmed.hokudai.ac.jp [Laboratory of Radiation Biology, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0818 (Japan)
2010-04-09
To explore Cu(II) ion coordination by His{sup 186} in the C-terminal domain of full-length prion protein (moPrP), we utilized the magnetic dipolar interaction between a paramagnetic metal, Cu(II) ion, and a spin probe introduced in the neighborhood of the postulated binding site by the spin labeling technique (SDSL technique). Six moPrP mutants, moPrP(D143C), moPrP(Y148C), moPrP(E151C), moPrP(Y156C), moPrP(T189C), and moPrP(Y156C,H186A), were reacted with a methane thiosulfonate spin probe and a nitroxide residue (R1) was created in the binding site of each one. Line broadening of the ESR spectra was induced in the presence of Cu(II) ions in moPrP(Y148R1), moPrP(Y151R1), moPrP(Y156R1), and moPrP(T189R1) but not moPrP(D143R1). This line broadening indicated the presence of electron-electron dipolar interaction between Cu(II) and the nitroxide spin probe, suggesting that each interspin distance was within 20 A. The interspin distance ranges between Cu(II) and the spin probes of moPrP(Y148R1), moPrP(Y151R1), moPrP(Y156R1), and moPrP(T189R1) were estimated to be 12.1 A, 18.1 A, 10.7 A, and 8.4 A, respectively. In moPrP(Y156R1,H186A), line broadening between Cu(II) and the spin probe was not observed. These results suggest that a novel Cu(II) binding site is involved in His186 in the Helix2 region of the C-terminal domain of moPrP{sup C}.
A novel copper(II) coordination at His186 in full-length murine prion protein
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Watanabe, Yasuko; Hiraoka, Wakako; Igarashi, Manabu; Ito, Kimihito; Shimoyama, Yuhei; Horiuchi, Motohiro; Yamamori, Tohru; Yasui, Hironobu; Kuwabara, Mikinori; Inagaki, Fuyuhiko; Inanami, Osamu
2010-01-01
To explore Cu(II) ion coordination by His 186 in the C-terminal domain of full-length prion protein (moPrP), we utilized the magnetic dipolar interaction between a paramagnetic metal, Cu(II) ion, and a spin probe introduced in the neighborhood of the postulated binding site by the spin labeling technique (SDSL technique). Six moPrP mutants, moPrP(D143C), moPrP(Y148C), moPrP(E151C), moPrP(Y156C), moPrP(T189C), and moPrP(Y156C,H186A), were reacted with a methane thiosulfonate spin probe and a nitroxide residue (R1) was created in the binding site of each one. Line broadening of the ESR spectra was induced in the presence of Cu(II) ions in moPrP(Y148R1), moPrP(Y151R1), moPrP(Y156R1), and moPrP(T189R1) but not moPrP(D143R1). This line broadening indicated the presence of electron-electron dipolar interaction between Cu(II) and the nitroxide spin probe, suggesting that each interspin distance was within 20 A. The interspin distance ranges between Cu(II) and the spin probes of moPrP(Y148R1), moPrP(Y151R1), moPrP(Y156R1), and moPrP(T189R1) were estimated to be 12.1 A, 18.1 A, 10.7 A, and 8.4 A, respectively. In moPrP(Y156R1,H186A), line broadening between Cu(II) and the spin probe was not observed. These results suggest that a novel Cu(II) binding site is involved in His186 in the Helix2 region of the C-terminal domain of moPrP C .
The Effect of Focal Distance, Age, and Brightness on Near-Field Augmented Reality Depth Matching
Singh, Gujot; Ellis, Stephen R.; Swan II, J. Edward
2017-01-01
Many augmented reality (AR) applications operate within near-field reaching distances, and require matching the depth of a virtual object with a real object. The accuracy of this matching was measured in three experiments, which examined the effect of focal distance, age, and brightness, within distances of 33.3 to 50 cm, using a custom-built AR haploscope. Experiment I examined the effect of focal demand, at the levels of collimated (infinite focal distance), consistent with other depth cues...
Two new tests to the distance duality relation with galaxy clusters
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Santos-da-Costa, Simony [Departamento de Astronomia, Observatório Nacional, Street General José Cristino, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Busti, Vinicius C. [Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, Astrophysics, Cosmology and Gravity Centre, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town (South Africa); Holanda, Rodrigo F.L., E-mail: simonycosta.nic@gmail.com, E-mail: vcbusti@astro.iag.usp.br, E-mail: holanda@uepb.edu.br [Departamento de Física, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Street Baraúnas, Campina Grande (Brazil)
2015-10-01
The cosmic distance duality relation is a milestone of cosmology involving the luminosity and angular diameter distances. Any departure of the relation points to new physics or systematic errors in the observations, therefore tests of the relation are extremely important to build a consistent cosmological framework. Here, two new tests are proposed based on galaxy clusters observations (angular diameter distance and gas mass fraction) and H(z) measurements. By applying Gaussian Processes, a non-parametric method, we are able to derive constraints on departures of the relation where no evidence of deviation is found in both methods, reinforcing the cosmological and astrophysical hypotheses adopted so far.
Fast Exact Euclidean Distance (FEED): A new class of adaptable distance transforms
Schouten, Theo E.; van den Broek, Egon
2014-01-01
A new unique class of foldable distance transforms of digital images (DT) is introduced, baptized: Fast Exact Euclidean Distance (FEED) transforms. FEED class algorithms calculate the DT starting directly from the definition or rather its inverse. The principle of FEED class algorithms is
Fast Exact Euclidean Distance (FEED) : A new class of adaptable distance transforms
Schouten, Theo E.; van den Broek, Egon L.
2014-01-01
A new unique class of foldable distance transforms of digital images (DT) is introduced, baptized: Fast Exact Euclidean Distance (FEED) transforms. FEED class algorithms calculate the DT startingdirectly from the definition or rather its inverse. The principle of FEED class algorithms is introduced,
Dose as a function of radial distance from a 930 MeV 4He ion beam
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Varma, M.N.; Paretzke, H.; Baum, J.W.; Lyman, J.T.; Howard, J.
1975-01-01
A unique mesh wall ionization chamber (approximating a wall-less ionization chamber) was used to measure dose as a function of radial distance from a 930 MeV 4 He ion beam in air. Measurements were made at distances from about 10 to 40 cm from the ion path. This represents simulated distances of approximately 102 to 404 μm in tissue having a density of 1 g/cm 3 . Experimental values are compared with theoretical calculations, and probable causes of differences found are discussed. (auth)
Social distance and anonymity modulate fairness consideration: An ERP study
Yu, Rongjun; Hu, Pan; Zhang, Ping
2015-01-01
Previous research indicated that fairness consideration can be influenced by social distance. However, it is not clear whether social distance and anonymity have an interactive impact on fairness evaluation during asset distribution and whether these processes can be documented in brain activity. Using a modified ultimatum game combined with measures of event related potential (ERP), we examined how social distance and anonymity modulate brain response to inequality. At the behavior level, we found that acceptance rate and reaction time can be substantially modified by social distance and anonymity. Feedback-related negativity, an ERP component associated with conflict between cognitive and emotion motives, was more negative in response to unfairness than fairness from strangers; however, it showed an opposite trend for unfair offers provided by friends, suggesting that the influence of social distance on fairness perception is relatively fast. The P300 in response to fair offers was more positive when the proposers made offers when uncertain about partner identity than when certain about partner identity. These results suggest that unfairness is evaluated in a fast conflict detection stage and a slower stage that integrates more complex social contextual factors such as anonymity. PMID:26293456
Moeglin, Pierre; Vidal, Martine
2015-01-01
The purpose of this review, spanning over 12 years of publication of "Distances et Médiations des Savoirs" ("DMS"), formerly "Distance et Savoirs" ("DMS") (2003-2014), is guided by the question why and how French-speaking researchers addressed the issues of time, workload and costs in distance learning, and…
Phylo_dCor: distance correlation as a novel metric for phylogenetic profiling.
Sferra, Gabriella; Fratini, Federica; Ponzi, Marta; Pizzi, Elisabetta
2017-09-05
Elaboration of powerful methods to predict functional and/or physical protein-protein interactions from genome sequence is one of the main tasks in the post-genomic era. Phylogenetic profiling allows the prediction of protein-protein interactions at a whole genome level in both Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes. For this reason it is considered one of the most promising methods. Here, we propose an improvement of phylogenetic profiling that enables handling of large genomic datasets and infer global protein-protein interactions. This method uses the distance correlation as a new measure of phylogenetic profile similarity. We constructed robust reference sets and developed Phylo-dCor, a parallelized version of the algorithm for calculating the distance correlation that makes it applicable to large genomic data. Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Escherichia coli genome datasets, we showed that Phylo-dCor outperforms phylogenetic profiling methods previously described based on the mutual information and Pearson's correlation as measures of profile similarity. In this work, we constructed and assessed robust reference sets and propose the distance correlation as a measure for comparing phylogenetic profiles. To make it applicable to large genomic data, we developed Phylo-dCor, a parallelized version of the algorithm for calculating the distance correlation. Two R scripts that can be run on a wide range of machines are available upon request.
Critical Points in Distance Learning System
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Airina Savickaitė
2013-08-01
Full Text Available Purpose – This article presents the results of distance learning system analysis, i.e. the critical elements of the distance learning system. The critical points of distance learning are a part of distance education online environment interactivity/community process model. The most important is the fact that the critical point is associated with distance learning participants. Design/methodology/approach – Comparative review of articles and analysis of distance learning module. Findings – A modern man is a lifelong learner and distance learning is a way to be a modern person. The focus on a learner and feedback is the most important thing of learning distance system. Also, attention should be paid to the lecture-appropriate knowledge and ability to convey information. Distance system adaptation is the way to improve the learner’s learning outcomes. Research limitations/implications – Different learning disciplines and learning methods may have different critical points. Practical implications – The information of analysis could be important for both lecturers and students, who studies distance education systems. There are familiar critical points which may deteriorate the quality of learning. Originality/value – The study sought to develop remote systems for applications in order to improve the quality of knowledge. Keywords: distance learning, process model, critical points. Research type: review of literature and general overview.
Voirin, Jordan; Manara, Carlo F.; Prusti, Timo
2018-03-01
Context. The determination of the distance to dark star-forming clouds is a key parameter to derive the properties of the cloud itself and of its stellar content. This parameter is still loosely constrained even in nearby star-forming regions. Aim. We want to determine the distances to the clouds in the Chamaeleon-Musca complex and explore the connection between these clouds and the large-scale cloud structures in the Galaxy. Methods: We used the newly estimated distances obtained from the parallaxes measured by the Gaia satellite and included in the Tycho-Gaia Astrometric Solution catalog. When known members of a region are included in this catalog we used their distances to infer the distance to the cloud. Otherwise, we analyzed the dependence of the color excess on the distance of the stars and looked for a turn-on of this excess, which is a proxy of the position of the front-edge of the star-forming cloud. Results: We are able to measure the distance to the three Chamaeleon clouds. The distance to Chamaeleon I is 179-10-10+11+11 pc, where the quoted uncertainties are statistical and systematic uncertainties, respectively, 20 pc further away than previously assumed. The Chamaeleon II cloud is located at the distance of 181-5-10+6+11 pc, which agrees with previous estimates. We are able to measure for the first time a distance to the Chamaeleon III cloud of 199-7-11+8+12 pc. Finally, the distance of the Musca cloud is smaller than 603-70-92+91+133 pc. These estimates do not allow us to distinguish between the possibility that the Chamaeleon clouds are part of a sheet of clouds parallel to the Galactic plane, or perpendicular to it. Conclusions: We measured a larger distance to the Chamaeleon I cloud than assumed in the past, confirmed the distance to the Chamaeleon II region, and measured for the first time the distance to the Chamaleon III cloud. These values are consistent with the scenario in which the three clouds are part of a single large-scale structure
Automatic Samples Selection Using Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG Feature Distance
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Inzar Salfikar
2018-01-01
Full Text Available Finding victims at a disaster site is the primary goal of Search-and-Rescue (SAR operations. Many technologies created from research for searching disaster victims through aerial imaging. but, most of them are difficult to detect victims at tsunami disaster sites with victims and backgrounds which are look similar. This research collects post-tsunami aerial imaging data from the internet to builds dataset and model for detecting tsunami disaster victims. Datasets are built based on distance differences from features every sample using Histogram-of-Oriented-Gradient (HOG method. We use the longest distance to collect samples from photo to generate victim and non-victim samples. We claim steps to collect samples by measuring HOG feature distance from all samples. the longest distance between samples will take as a candidate to build the dataset, then classify victim (positives and non-victim (negatives samples manually. The dataset of tsunami disaster victims was re-analyzed using cross-validation Leave-One-Out (LOO with Support-Vector-Machine (SVM method. The experimental results show the performance of two test photos with 61.70% precision, 77.60% accuracy, 74.36% recall and f-measure 67.44% to distinguish victim (positives and non-victim (negatives.