Inspiratory muscle training in patients with cystic fibrosis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Jong, W.; van Aalderen, W.M.C.; Kraan, J.; Koeter, G.H.; van der Schans, C.P.

Little information is available about the effects of inspiratory muscle training in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). In this study the effects of inspiratory-threshold loading in patients with CF on strength and endurance of the inspiratory muscles, pulmonary function, exercise capacity, dyspnoea

Maximum inspiratory pressure as a clinically meaningful trial endpoint for neuromuscular diseases: A comprehensive review of the literature

NARCIS (Netherlands)

B. Schoser; Fong, E. (Edward); Geberhiwot, T. (Tarekegn); Hughes, D. (Derralynn); Kissel, J.T. (John T.); Madathil, S.C. (Shyam C.); Orlikowski, D. (David); Polkey, M.I. (Michael I.); M. Roberts (Mark); H.A.W.M. Tiddens (Harm); Young, P. (Peter)

2017-01-01

textabstractRespiratory muscle strength is a proven predictor of long-term outcome of neuromuscular disease (NMD), including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and spinal muscular atrophy. Maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), a sensitive measure of respiratory muscle

Benefits of short inspiratory muscle training on exercise capacity, dyspnea, and inspiratory fraction in COPD patients

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Barakat Shahin

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Barakat Shahin1, Michele Germain2, Alzahouri Kazem3, Guy Annat41Department of Physiology, University of Claude Bernard Lyon I, Lyon, France; 2Chef of the Service of EFR, Hospital of the Croix-Rousse at Lyon, France; 3Department of Medical Informatics, Hospital of St. Julien, Nancy, France; 4Department of Physiology, UFR Médecine Lyon Grange-Blanche Université Claude Bernard Lyon I, INSERM ESPRI ERI 22, Lyon, FranceAbstract: Static lung hyperinflation has important clinical consequences in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD. Given that most of these patients have respiratory and peripheral muscle weakness, dyspnea and functional exercise capacity may improve as a result of inspiratory muscle training (IMT. The present study is designed to investigate the benefits of a short outpatient program of IMT on inspiratory muscle performance, exercise capacity, perception of dyspnea, and the inspiratory fraction (IF. Thirty patients (24 males, 6 females with significant COPD (forced expiratory volume in one second [FEV1] = 46.21% ± 6.7% predicted, FEV1 = 33.6% ± 8.04% predicted were recruited for this study and had 3 months of IMT (30 minutes/day for 6 days/week in an outpatient clinic. Following IMT, there was a statistically significant increase in inspiratory muscle performance (an increase of the maximal inspiratory pressure from 59% ± 19.1% to 79% ± 21.85% predicted; p = 0.0342, a decrease in dyspnea (from 5.8 ± 0.78 to 1.9 ± 0.57; p = 0.0001, an increase in the distance walked during the 6 minute walk test, from 245 ± 52.37 m to 302 ± 41.30 m, and finally an increase in the IF (the new prognostic factor in COPD from 27.6 ± 9.7% to 31.4% ± 9.8%. The present study concludes that in patients with significant COPD, IMT results in improvement in performance, exercise capacity, sensation of dyspnea, and moreover an improvement in the IF prognostic factor.Keywords: inspiratory muscle training, dyspnea, inspiratory

Absence of inspiratory laryngeal constrictor muscle activity during nasal neurally adjusted ventilatory assist in newborn lambs.

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Hadj-Ahmed, Mohamed Amine; Samson, Nathalie; Bussières, Marie; Beck, Jennifer; Praud, Jean-Paul

2012-07-01

In nonsedated newborn lambs, nasal pressure support ventilation (nPSV) can lead to an active glottal closure in early inspiration, which can limit lung ventilation and divert air into the digestive system, with potentially deleterious consequences. During volume control ventilation (nVC), glottal closure is delayed to the end of inspiration, suggesting that it is reflexly linked to the maximum value of inspiratory pressure. Accordingly, the aim of the present study was to test whether inspiratory glottal closure develops at the end of inspiration during nasal neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (nNAVA), an increasingly used ventilatory mode where maximal pressure is also reached at the end of inspiration. Polysomnographic recordings were performed in eight nonsedated, chronically instrumented lambs, which were ventilated with progressively increasing levels of nPSV and nNAVA in random order. States of alertness, diaphragm, and glottal muscle electrical activity, tracheal pressure, Spo(2), tracheal Pet(CO(2)), and respiratory inductive plethysmography were continuously recorded. Although phasic inspiratory glottal constrictor electrical activity appeared during nPSV in 5 of 8 lambs, it was never observed at any nNAVA level in any lamb, even at maximal achievable nNAVA levels. In addition, a decrease in Pco(2) was neither necessary nor sufficient for the development of inspiratory glottal constrictor activity. In conclusion, nNAVA does not induce active inspiratory glottal closure, in contrast to nPSV and nVC. We hypothesize that this absence of inspiratory activity is related to the more physiological airway pressurization during nNAVA, which tightly follows diaphragm electrical activity throughout inspiration.

Changes in Cross-Sectional Area and Transverse Diameter of the Heart on Inspiratory and Expiratory Chest CT: Correlation with Changes in Lung Size and Influence on Cardiothoracic Ratio Measurement.

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Hayato Tomita

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate physiological changes in cardiac area and diameters between inspiratory and expiratory chest computed tomography (CT, and to assess their correlation with lung size change and influence on cardiothoracic ratio (CTR measurements.The institutional review board of our institution approved this study, and informed consent was waived. Forty-three subjects underwent inspiratory and expiratory chest CT as part of routine clinical care. On both inspiratory and expiratory scans, lung volumes and maximum lung diameters (transverse and vertical directions were measured. The maximum cardiac cross-sectional area (CSA and the maximum transverse cardiac diameter were measured on both scans, and the CT-based CTR was calculated. Changes in the lung and cardiac measurements were expressed as the expiratory/inspiratory (E/I ratios. Comparisons between inspiratory and expiratory measurements were made by the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Correlations between the E/I ratios of lung and heart measurements were evaluated by Spearman's rank correlation analysis.Cardiac CSA and transverse cardiac diameter was significantly larger on expiratory than on inspiratory CT (p < 0.0001. Significant negative correlations were found between the E/I ratios of these cardiac measurements and the E/I ratios of lung volume and vertical lung diameter (p < 0.01. CT-based CTR was significantly larger on expiration than on inspiration (p < 0.0001.Heart size on chest CT depends on the phase of ventilation, and is correlated with changes in lung volume and craniocaudal lung diameter. The CTR is also significantly influenced by ventilation.

Weighted Polynomial Approximation for Automated Detection of Inspiratory Flow Limitation

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Sheng-Cheng Huang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Inspiratory flow limitation (IFL is a critical symptom of sleep breathing disorders. A characteristic flattened flow-time curve indicates the presence of highest resistance flow limitation. This study involved investigating a real-time algorithm for detecting IFL during sleep. Three categories of inspiratory flow shape were collected from previous studies for use as a development set. Of these, 16 cases were labeled as non-IFL and 78 as IFL which were further categorized into minor level (20 cases and severe level (58 cases of obstruction. In this study, algorithms using polynomial functions were proposed for extracting the features of IFL. Methods using first- to third-order polynomial approximations were applied to calculate the fitting curve to obtain the mean absolute error. The proposed algorithm is described by the weighted third-order (w.3rd-order polynomial function. For validation, a total of 1,093 inspiratory breaths were acquired as a test set. The accuracy levels of the classifications produced by the presented feature detection methods were analyzed, and the performance levels were compared using a misclassification cobweb. According to the results, the algorithm using the w.3rd-order polynomial approximation achieved an accuracy of 94.14% for IFL classification. We concluded that this algorithm achieved effective automatic IFL detection during sleep.

21 CFR 868.1780 - Inspiratory airway pressure meter.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Inspiratory airway pressure meter. 868.1780 Section 868.1780 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... meter. (a) Identification. An inspiratory airway pressure meter is a device used to measure the amount...

Diagnostic methods to assess inspiratory and expiratory muscle strength

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Pedro Caruso

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Impairment of (inspiratory and expiratory respiratory muscles is a common clinical finding, not only in patients with neuromuscular disease but also in patients with primary disease of the lung parenchyma or airways. Although such impairment is common, its recognition is usually delayed because its signs and symptoms are nonspecific and late. This delayed recognition, or even the lack thereof, occurs because the diagnostic tests used in the assessment of respiratory muscle strength are not widely known and available. There are various methods of assessing respiratory muscle strength during the inspiratory and expiratory phases. These methods are divided into two categories: volitional tests (which require patient understanding and cooperation; and non-volitional tests. Volitional tests, such as those that measure maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures, are the most commonly used because they are readily available. Non-volitional tests depend on magnetic stimulation of the phrenic nerve accompanied by the measurement of inspiratory mouth pressure, inspiratory esophageal pressure, or inspiratory transdiaphragmatic pressure. Another method that has come to be widely used is ultrasound imaging of the diaphragm. We believe that pulmonologists involved in the care of patients with respiratory diseases should be familiar with the tests used in order to assess respiratory muscle function.Therefore, the aim of the present article is to describe the advantages, disadvantages, procedures, and clinical applicability of the main tests used in the assessment of respiratory muscle strength.

Reference Values for Maximal Inspiratory Pressure: A Systematic Review

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Isabela MB Sclauser Pessoa

2014-01-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP is the most commonly used measure to evaluate inspiratory muscle strength. Normative values for MIP vary significantly among studies, which may reflect differences in participant demographics and technique of MIP measurement.

Medicinal clays improve the endurance of loaded inspiratory muscles in COPD: a randomized clinical trial of nonpharmacological treatment

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Baldi S

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Simonetta Baldi,1 Gian Domenico Pinna,2 Claudio Bruschi,1 Fabrizio Caldara,3 Roberto Maestri,2 Elena Dacosto,1 Antonella Rezzani,1 Ermanno Popovich,1 Ezio Bellinzona,1 Paola Crotti,1 Silvia Montemartini,1 Claudio Fracchia1 1Department of Pneumology, 2Department of Biomedical Engineering, Scientific Institute of Montescano, Salvatore Maugeri Foundation, Istituto Di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Montescano (Pavia, 3Center of Thermal Studies Pietro d’Abano, AbanoTerme, Padua, Italy Background: Inspiratory resistive breathing (IRB challenges affect respiratory muscle endurance in healthy individuals, which is considered to be an interleukin 6 (IL-6–dependent mechanism. Whether nonpharmacological thermal therapies promote the endurance of loaded inspiratory muscles in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD is unclear. The objectives of this study were to compare the effects of two thermal interventions on endurance time (ET and plasma IL-6 concentration following an IRB challenge.Methods: This study was a randomized, parallel-group, unblinded clinical trial in a single-center setting. Forty-two patients (aged 42–76 years suffering from mild to severe COPD participated in this study. Both groups completed 12 sessions of the mud bath therapy (MBT (n=22 or leisure thermal activity (LTA (n=19 in a thermal spa center in Italy. Pre- and postintervention spirometry, maximum inspiratory pressure, and plasma mediators were obtained and ET and endurance oxygen expenditure (VO2Endur were measured following IRB challenge at 40% of maximum inspiratory pressure.Results: There was no difference in ΔIL-6 between the intervention groups. But, IRB challenge increased cytokine IL-6 plasma levels systematically. The effect size was small. A statistically significant treatment by IRB challenge effect existed in ET, which significantly increased in the MBT group (P=0.003. In analysis of covariance treatment by IRB challenge analysis with LnVO2

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) depolarizes a subset of inspiratory neurons in the newborn mouse brain stem in vitro

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rekling, J C; Champagnat, J; Denavit-Saubié, M

1996-01-01

neurons located in the rostral ventrolateral part of the slice. 2. Bath-applied TRH (1 microM) decreased the time between inspiratory discharges recorded on the XII nerve from 12.3 +/- 3.3 s to 4.9 +/- 1.1 s (n = 28; means +/- SD), i.e., caused an approximate threefold increase in the respiratory...... frequency. The coefficient of variation of the time between the inspiratory discharges decreased by one-half. Thus the respiratory output became more stable in response to TRH. The duration of the inspiratory discharges increased from 474 +/- 108 ms to 679 +/- 114 ms, and the amplitude decreased by 24...... in a thick brain stem slice preparation from the newborn mouse. The action of TRH on the respiratory output from the slice was investigated by recordings from the XII nerve. Cellular responses to TRH were investigated using whole cell recordings from hypoglossal motoneurons and three types of inspiratory...

Effects of inspiratory muscle training on respiratory function and repetitive sprint performance in wheelchair basketball players.

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Goosey-Tolfrey, V; Foden, E; Perret, C; Degens, H

2010-07-01

There is considerable evidence that respiratory muscle training improves pulmonary function, quality of life and exercise performance in healthy athletic populations. The benefits for wheelchair athletes are less well understood. Therefore, in the present study, influence of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) on respiratory function and repetitive propulsive sprint performance in wheelchair basketball players was examined. Using a placebo-controlled design, 16 wheelchair athletes were divided to an experimental (IMT; n=8) or placebo (sham-IMT; n=8) group based on selective grouping criteria. 30 dynamic breaths were performed by the IMT group twice daily at a resistance equivalent to 50% maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP), and 60 slow breaths were performed by the sham-IMT group once a day at 15% MIP for a period of 6 weeks. In the IMT group, both MIP and maximum expiratory pressure (17% and 23%, respectively; ptraining device suggested "less breathlessness" and "less tightness in the chest during the training". Although there was no improvement in sprint performance, an improved respiratory muscle function and quality of life were reported by participants in both the IMT and sham-IMT groups.

"Functional" Inspiratory and Core Muscle Training Enhances Running Performance and Economy.

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Tong, Tomas K; McConnell, Alison K; Lin, Hua; Nie, Jinlei; Zhang, Haifeng; Wang, Jiayuan

2016-10-01

Tong, TK, McConnell, AK, Lin, H, Nie, J, Zhang, H, and Wang, J. "Functional" inspiratory and core muscle training enhances running performance and economy. J Strength Cond Res 30(10): 2942-2951, 2016-We compared the effects of two 6-week high-intensity interval training interventions. Under the control condition (CON), only interval training was undertaken, whereas under the intervention condition (ICT), interval training sessions were followed immediately by core training, which was combined with simultaneous inspiratory muscle training (IMT)-"functional" IMT. Sixteen recreational runners were allocated to either ICT or CON groups. Before the intervention phase, both groups undertook a 4-week program of "foundation" IMT to control for the known ergogenic effect of IMT (30 inspiratory efforts at 50% maximal static inspiratory pressure [P0] per set, 2 sets per day, 6 days per week). The subsequent 6-week interval running training phase consisted of 3-4 sessions per week. In addition, the ICT group undertook 4 inspiratory-loaded core exercises (10 repetitions per set, 2 sets per day, inspiratory load set at 50% post-IMT P0) immediately after each interval training session. The CON group received neither core training nor functional IMT. After the intervention phase, global inspiratory and core muscle functions increased in both groups (p ≤ 0.05), as evidenced by P0 and a sport-specific endurance plank test (SEPT) performance, respectively. Compared with CON, the ICT group showed larger improvements in SEPT, running economy at the speed of the onset of blood lactate accumulation, and 1-hour running performance (3.04% vs. 1.57%, p ≤ 0.05). The changes in these variables were interindividually correlated (r ≥ 0.57, n = 16, p ≤ 0.05). Such findings suggest that the addition of inspiratory-loaded core conditioning into a high-intensity interval training program augments the influence of the interval program on endurance running performance and that this may be

Inspiratory muscle training in bronchiectasis patients: a prospective randomized controlled study.

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Liaw, Mei-Yun; Wang, Yi-Hsi; Tsai, Yu-Chin; Huang, Kuo-Tung; Chang, Pei-Wen; Chen, Yung-Che; Lin, Meng-Chih

2011-06-01

To investigate the efficacy and feasibility of home-based inspiratory muscle training in patients with bronchiectasis. A prospective, single-blind, randomized, controlled study. Outpatient clinic of a tertiary care medical centre. Twenty-six patients with bronchiectasis were randomly divided into inspiratory muscle training and control groups. In the inspiratory muscle training group (n = 13), the training programme started with an intensity of 30% maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), which was increased by 2 cmH(2)O each week, for 30 minutes daily, 5 days a week for eight weeks. The control group (n = 13) did not receive inspiratory muscle training. Main outcome measures included spirometry, resting oxyhaemoglobin saturation by pulse oximetry (SpO(2)), lowest SpO(2) and Borg Scale during 6-minute walking tests, 6-minute walking distance (6MWD), 6-minute walking work (6M(work)), MIP, maximal expiratory pressure (MEP) and St George's Respiratory Questionnaire. There were significant differences in change from baseline in 6MWD (411.9 (133.5) vs. 473.2 (117.2) m, P = 0.021), 6M(work) (21 051.0 (8286.7) vs. 23 915.5 (8343.0) kg-m, P = 0.022), MIP (60.8 (21.8) vs. 84.6 (29.0) cmH(2)O, P = 0.004), and MEP (72.3 (31.1) vs. 104.2 (35.7) cmH(2)O, P = 0.004) in the inspiratory muscle training group. Significant improvements in both MIP (23.8 (25.3) vs. 2.3 (16.4) cmH(2)O, adjusted P-value = 0.005) and MEP (31.9 (30.8) vs. 11.5 (20.8) cmH(2)O, adjusted P-value = 0.038) levels after adjusting for age by linear regression analysis were observed between groups. An eight-week home-based inspiratory muscle training is feasible and effective in improving both inspiratory and expiratory muscle strength, but has no effect on respiratory function and quality of life in patients with bronchiectasis.

Chronic and acute inspiratory muscle loading augment the effect of a 6-week interval program on tolerance of high-intensity intermittent bouts of running.

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Tong, Tom K; Fu, Frank H; Eston, Roger; Chung, Pak-Kwong; Quach, Binh; Lu, Kui

2010-11-01

This study examined the hypothesis that chronic (training) and acute (warm-up) loaded ventilatory activities applied to the inspiratory muscles (IM) in an integrated manner would augment the training volume of an interval running program. This in turn would result in additional improvement in the maximum performance of the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test in comparison with interval training alone. Eighteen male nonprofessional athletes were allocated to either an inspiratory muscle loading (IML) group or control group. Both groups participated in a 6-week interval running program consisting of 3-4 workouts (1-3 sets of various repetitions of selected distance [100-2,400 m] per workout) per week. For the IML group, 4-week IM training (30 inspiratory efforts at 50% maximal static inspiratory pressure [P0] per set, 2 sets·d-1, 6 d·wk-1) was applied before the interval program. Specific IM warm-up (2 sets of 30 inspiratory efforts at 40% P0) was performed before each workout of the program. For the control group, neither IML was applied. In comparison with the control group, the interval training volume as indicated by the repeatability of running bouts at high intensity was approximately 27% greater in the IML group. Greater increase in the maximum performance of the Yo-Yo test (control: 16.9 ± 5.5%; IML: 30.7 ± 4.7% baseline value) was also observed after training. The enhanced exercise performance was partly attributable to the greater reductions in the sensation of breathlessness and whole-body metabolic stress during the Yo-Yo test. These findings show that the combination of chronic and acute IML into a high-intensity interval running program is a beneficial training strategy for enhancing the tolerance to high-intensity intermittent bouts of running.

Inspiratory and expiratory HRCT findings in healthy smokers' lung

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Hyeon Seon; Kwak, Byung Kook; Choi, Chi Hoon; Yang, Keun Mung; Lee, Chang Joon; Joo, Dong Il; Kim, Yang Soo

1998-01-01

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the lung changes in healthy smokers, as seen on inspiratory and expiratory high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT). Twenty-seven healthy smokers (light smokers, below 20 pack-years, n=16; heavy smokers, above 20 pack-years, n=11) and 25 nonsmokers underwent inspiratory and expiratory HRCT. All healthy smokers had normal pulmonary function and chest radiography. Parenchymal and subpleural micronodules, ground-glass attenuation, centrilobular and paraseptal emphysema, bronchial wall thickening, bronchiectasis and septal line were evaluated on inspiratory scan and by air-trapping on expiratory scan. According to the findings of HRCT, heavy smokers and higher frequency of parenchymal micronodules, ground-glass attenuation, centrilobular and paraseptal emphysema, and air-trapping than nonsmokers and light smokers. (author). 13 refs., 1 tab., 4 figs

Dendritic calcium activity precedes inspiratory bursts in preBotzinger complex neurons

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Del Negro, Christopher A; Hayes, John A; Rekling, Jens C

2011-01-01

to evoke a Ca(2+)-activated inward current that contributes to inspiratory burst generation. We measured Ca(2+) transients by two-photon imaging dendrites while recording neuronal somata electrophysiologically. Dendritic Ca(2+) accumulation frequently precedes inspiratory bursts, particularly at recording...

Neopuff T-piece resuscitator mask ventilation: Does mask leak vary with different peak inspiratory pressures in a manikin model?

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Maheshwari, Rajesh; Tracy, Mark; Hinder, Murray; Wright, Audrey

2017-08-01

The aim of this study was to compare mask leak with three different peak inspiratory pressure (PIP) settings during T-piece resuscitator (TPR; Neopuff) mask ventilation on a neonatal manikin model. Participants were neonatal unit staff members. They were instructed to provide mask ventilation with a TPR with three PIP settings (20, 30, 40 cm H 2 O) chosen in a random order. Each episode was for 2 min with 2-min rest period. Flow rate and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) were kept constant. Airway pressure, inspiratory and expiratory tidal volumes, mask leak, respiratory rate and inspiratory time were recorded. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used for statistical analysis. A total of 12 749 inflations delivered by 40 participants were analysed. There were no statistically significant differences (P > 0.05) in the mask leak with the three PIP settings. No statistically significant differences were seen in respiratory rate and inspiratory time with the three PIP settings. There was a significant rise in PEEP as the PIP increased. Failure to achieve the desired PIP was observed especially at the higher settings. In a neonatal manikin model, the mask leak does not vary as a function of the PIP when the flow rate is constant. With a fixed rate and inspiratory time, there seems to be a rise in PEEP with increasing PIP. © 2017 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Inspiratory muscle training in difficult to wean patients: work it harder, make it better, do it faster, makes us stronger.

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Nava, Stefano; Fasano, Luca

2011-01-01

Weaning from prolonged mechanical ventilation is a complex, time-consuming process that involves the loss of force/generating capacity of the inspiratory muscle. In their study 'Inspiratory muscle strength training improves the outcome in failure to wean patients: a randomized trial', Martin and colleagues showed that the use of an inspiratory muscle strength program increased the maximal inspiratory pressure and improved weaning success compared to a control group. The study was performed mainly in post-surgical patients, however, and the results, therefore, may not be generalizable to other subsets of patients, such as those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or congestive heart failure. Indeed, the study applied so-called 'strength training' and not 'endurance training', which may be more appropriate in certain circumstances.

Effect of inspiratory muscle training with load compared with sham training on blood pressure in individuals with hypertension: study protocol of a double-blind randomized clinical trial.

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Posser, Simone Regina; Callegaro, Carine Cristina; Beltrami-Moreira, Marina; Moreira, Leila Beltrami

2016-08-02

Hypertension is a complex chronic condition characterized by elevated arterial blood pressure. Management of hypertension includes non-pharmacologic strategies, which may include techniques that effectively reduce autonomic sympathetic activity. Respiratory exercises improve autonomic control over cardiovascular system and attenuate muscle metaboreflex. Because of these effects, respiratory exercises may be useful to lower blood pressure in subjects with hypertension. This randomized, double-blind clinical trial will test the efficacy of inspiratory muscle training in reducing blood pressure in adults with essential hypertension. Subjects are randomly allocated to intervention or control groups. Intervention consists of inspiratory muscle training loaded with 40 % of maximum inspiratory pressure, readjusted weekly. Control sham intervention consists of unloaded exercises. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures are co-primary endpoint measures assessed with 24 h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Secondary outcome measures include cardiovascular autonomic control, inspiratory muscle metaboreflex, cardiopulmonary capacity, and inspiratory muscle strength and endurance. Previously published work suggests that inspiratory muscle training reduces blood pressure in persons with hypertension, but the effectiveness of this intervention is yet to be established. We propose an adequately sized randomized clinical trial to test this hypothesis rigorously. If an effect is found, this study will allow for the investigation of putative mechanisms to mediate this effect, including autonomic cardiovascular control and metaboreflex. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02275377 . Registered on 30 September 2014.

Electroresponsive properties and membrane potential trajectories of three types of inspiratory neurons in the newborn mouse brain stem in vitro

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rekling, J C; Champagnat, J; Denavit-Saubié, M

1996-01-01

with the aim of extending the classification of inspiratory neurons to include analysis of active membrane properties. 2. The slice generated a regular rhythmic motor output recorded as burst of action potentials on a XII nerve root with a peak to peak time of 11.5 +/- 3.4 s and a duration of 483 +/- 54 ms......1. The electrophysiological properties of inspiratory neurons were studied in a rhythmically active thick-slice preparation of the newborn mouse brain stem maintained in vitro. Whole cell patch recordings were performed from 60 inspiratory neurons within the rostral ventrolateral part of the slice...

Acute effects of inspiratory muscle warm-up on pulmonary function in healthy subjects.

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Özdal, Mustafa

2016-06-15

The acute effects of inspiratory muscle warm-up on pulmonary functions were examined in 26 healthy male subjects using the pulmonary function test (PFT) in three different trials. The control trial (CON) did not involve inspiratory muscle warm-up, while the placebo (IMWp) and experimental (IMW) trials involved inspiratory muscle warm-up. There were no significant changes between the IMWp and CON trials (p>0.05). All the PFT measurements, including slow vital capacity, inspiratory vital capacity, forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second, maximal voluntary ventilation, and maximal inspiratory pressure were significantly increased by 3.55%, 12.52%, 5.00%, 2.75%, 2.66%, and 7.03% respectively, in the subjects in the IMW trial than those in the CON trial (pcooperation of the upper thorax, neck, and respiratory muscles, and increased level of reactive O2 species in muscle tissue, and potentially improvement of muscle O2 delivery-to-utilization. However, further investigation is required to determine the precise mechanisms responsible from among these candidates. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reliability and validity of the test of incremental respiratory endurance measures of inspiratory muscle performance in COPD.

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Formiga, Magno F; Roach, Kathryn E; Vital, Isabel; Urdaneta, Gisel; Balestrini, Kira; Calderon-Candelario, Rafael A; Campos, Michael A; Cahalin, Lawrence P

2018-01-01

The Test of Incremental Respiratory Endurance (TIRE) provides a comprehensive assessment of inspiratory muscle performance by measuring maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) over time. The integration of MIP over inspiratory duration (ID) provides the sustained maximal inspiratory pressure (SMIP). Evidence on the reliability and validity of these measurements in COPD is not currently available. Therefore, we assessed the reliability, responsiveness and construct validity of the TIRE measures of inspiratory muscle performance in subjects with COPD. Test-retest reliability, known-groups and convergent validity assessments were implemented simultaneously in 81 male subjects with mild to very severe COPD. TIRE measures were obtained using the portable PrO2 device, following standard guidelines. All TIRE measures were found to be highly reliable, with SMIP demonstrating the strongest test-retest reliability with a nearly perfect intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.99, while MIP and ID clustered closely together behind SMIP with ICC values of about 0.97. Our findings also demonstrated known-groups validity of all TIRE measures, with SMIP and ID yielding larger effect sizes when compared to MIP in distinguishing between subjects of different COPD status. Finally, our analyses confirmed convergent validity for both SMIP and ID, but not MIP. The TIRE measures of MIP, SMIP and ID have excellent test-retest reliability and demonstrated known-groups validity in subjects with COPD. SMIP and ID also demonstrated evidence of moderate convergent validity and appear to be more stable measures in this patient population than the traditional MIP.

Increased inspiratory pressure for reduction of atelectasis in children anesthetized for CT scan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sargent, Michael A.; Jamieson, Douglas H.; McEachern, Anita M.; Blackstock, Derek

2002-01-01

Background: Atelectasis is more frequent and more severe in children anesthetized for CT scan than it is in children sedated for CT scan.Objective: To determine the effect of increased inspiratory pressure on atelectasis during chest CT in anesthetized children. Materials and methods: Atelectasis on chest CT was assessed by two observers in three groups of patients. Group A comprised 13 children (26 lungs) anesthetized at inspiratory pressures up to and including 25 cm H 2 O. Group B included 11 children anesthetized at inspiratory pressures ≥30 cm H 2 O. Group C included 8 children under deep sedation. Results: Atelectasis was significantly more severe in group A than in groups B and C. There was no significant difference between groups B and C. Conclusion: An inspiratory pressure of 30 cm H 2 O is recommended for children anesthetized for CT scan of the chest. (orig.)

Functional Magnetic Stimulation of Inspiratory and Expiratory Muscles in Subjects With Tetraplegia.

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Zhang, Xiaoming; Plow, Ela; Ranganthan, Vinoth; Huang, Honglian; Schmitt, Melissa; Nemunaitis, Gregory; Kelly, Clay; Frost, Frederick; Lin, Vernon

2016-07-01

Respiratory complications are major causes of morbidity and mortality in persons with a spinal cord injury, partly because of respiratory muscle paralysis. Earlier investigation has demonstrated that functional magnetic stimulation (FMS) can be used as a noninvasive technology for activating expiratory muscles, thus producing useful expiratory functions (simulated cough) in subjects with spinal cord injury. To evaluate the effectiveness of FMS for conditioning inspiratory and expiratory muscles in persons with tetraplegia. A prospective before and after trial. FMS Laboratory, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, Cleveland, OH. Six persons with tetraplegia. Each subject participated in a 6-week FMS protocol for conditioning the inspiratory and expiratory muscles. A magnetic stimulator was used with the center of a magnetic coil placed at the C7-T1 and T9-T10 spinous processes, respectively. Pulmonary function tests were performed before, during, and after the protocol. Respiratory variables included maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), inspiratory reserve volume (IRV), peak inspiratory flow (PIF), maximal expiratory pressure (MEP), expiratory reserve volume (ERV), and peak expiratory flow (PEF). After 6 weeks of conditioning, the main outcome measurements (mean ± standard error) were as follows: MIP, 89.6 ± 7.3 cm H2O; IRV, 1.90 ± 0.34 L; PIF, 302.4 ± 36.3 L/min; MEP, 67.4 ± 11.1 cm H2O; ERV, 0.40 ± 0.06 L; and PEF, 372.4 ± 31.9 L/min. These values corresponded to 117%, 107%, 136%, 109%, 130%, and 124% of pre-FMS conditioning values, respectively. Significant improvements were observed in MIP (P = .022), PIF (P = .0001), and PEF (P = .0006), respectively. When FMS was discontinued for 4 weeks, these values showed decreases from their values at the end of the conditioning protocol, which suggests that continual FMS may be necessary to maintain improved respiratory functions. FMS conditioning of the inspiratory and expiratory muscles improved

Volume-monitored chest CT: a simplified method for obtaining motion-free images near full inspiratory and end expiratory lung volumes

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Mueller, Kathryn S. [The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH (United States); Long, Frederick R. [Nationwide Children' s Hospital, The Children' s Radiological Institute, Columbus, OH (United States); Flucke, Robert L. [Nationwide Children' s Hospital, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Columbus, OH (United States); Castile, Robert G. [The Research Institute at Nationwide Children' s Hospital, Center for Perinatal Research, Columbus, OH (United States)

2010-10-15

Lung inflation and respiratory motion during chest CT affect diagnostic accuracy and reproducibility. To describe a simple volume-monitored (VM) method for performing reproducible, motion-free full inspiratory and end expiratory chest CT examinations in children. Fifty-two children with cystic fibrosis (mean age 8.8 {+-} 2.2 years) underwent pulmonary function tests and inspiratory and expiratory VM-CT scans (1.25-mm slices, 80-120 kVp, 16-40 mAs) according to an IRB-approved protocol. The VM-CT technique utilizes instruction from a respiratory therapist, a portable spirometer and real-time documentation of lung volume on a computer. CT image quality was evaluated for achievement of targeted lung-volume levels and for respiratory motion. Children achieved 95% of vital capacity during full inspiratory imaging. For end expiratory scans, 92% were at or below the child's end expiratory level. Two expiratory exams were judged to be at suboptimal volumes. Two inspiratory (4%) and three expiratory (6%) exams showed respiratory motion. Overall, 94% of scans were performed at optimal volumes without respiratory motion. The VM-CT technique is a simple, feasible method in children as young as 4 years to achieve reproducible high-quality full inspiratory and end expiratory lung CT images. (orig.)

Exercise-induced inspiratory symptoms in school children

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Buchvald, Frederik; Phillipsen, Lue Drasbaek; Hjuler, Thomas

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Exercise-induced inspiratory symptoms (EIIS) have multiple causes, one of which is exercise-induced laryngeal obstruction (EILO). There is limited knowledge regarding EIIS in children, both in primary care practices and in pediatric asthma clinics. The aim of this study was t...

Influence of inspiratory resistance on performance during graded exercise tests on a cycle ergometer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heus, R.; Hartog, E.A. den; Kistemaker, L.J.A.; Dijk, W.J. van; Swenker, G.

2004-01-01

Due to more stringent requirements to protect personnel against hazardous gasses, the inspiratory resistance of the present generation of respiratory protective devices tends to increase. Therefore an important question is to what extent inspiratory resistance may increase without giving problems

Learning to breathe? Feedforward regulation of the inspiratory motor drive.

Science.gov (United States)

Zaman, Jonas; Van den Bergh, Omer; Fannes, Stien; Van Diest, Ilse

2014-09-15

Claims have been made that breathing is in part controlled by feedforward regulation. In a classical conditioning paradigm, we investigated anticipatory increases in the inspiratory motor drive as measured by inspiratory occlusion pressure (P100). In an acquisition phase, an experimental group (N=13) received a low-intensity resistive load (5 cmH2O/l/s) for three consecutive inspirations as Conditioned Stimulus (CS), preceding a load of a stronger intensity (20 cmH2O/l/s) for three subsequent inspirations as unconditioned stimulus (US). The control group (N=11) received the low-intensity load for six consecutive inspirations. In a post-acquisition phase both groups received the low-intensity load for six consecutive inspirations. Responses to the CS-load only differed between groups during the first acquisition trials and a strong increase in P100 during the US-loads was observed, which habituated across the experiment. Our results suggest that the disruption caused by adding low to moderate resistive loads to three consecutive inspirations results in a short-lasting anticipatory increase in inspiratory motor drive. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Inspiratory and expiratory computed tomographic volumetry for lung volume reduction surgery.

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Morimura, Yuki; Chen, Fengshi; Sonobe, Makoto; Date, Hiroshi

2013-06-01

Three-dimensional (3D) computed tomographic (CT) volumetry has been introduced into the field of thoracic surgery, and a combination of inspiratory and expiratory 3D-CT volumetry provides useful data on regional pulmonary function as well as the volume of individual lung lobes. We report herein a case of a 62-year-old man with severe emphysema who had undergone lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) to assess this technique as a tool for the evaluation of regional lung function and volume before and after LVRS. His postoperative pulmonary function was maintained in good condition despite a gradual slight decrease 2 years after LVRS. This trend was also confirmed by a combination of inspiratory and expiratory 3D-CT volumetry. We confirm that a combination of inspiratory and expiratory 3D-CT volumetry might be effective for the preoperative assessment of LVRS in order to determine the amount of lung tissue to be resected as well as for postoperative evaluation. This novel technique could, therefore, be used more widely to assess local lung function.

The influence of inspiratory effort and emphysema on pulmonary nodule volumetry reproducibility.

Science.gov (United States)

Moser, J B; Mak, S M; McNulty, W H; Padley, S; Nair, A; Shah, P L; Devaraj, A

2017-11-01

To evaluate the impact of inspiratory effort and emphysema on reproducibility of pulmonary nodule volumetry. Eighty-eight nodules in 24 patients with emphysema were studied retrospectively. All patients had undergone volumetric inspiratory and end-expiratory thoracic computed tomography (CT) for consideration of bronchoscopic lung volume reduction. Inspiratory and expiratory nodule volumes were measured using commercially available software. Local emphysema extent was established by analysing a segmentation area extended circumferentially around each nodule (quantified as percent of lung with density of -950 HU or less). Lung volumes were established using the same software. Differences in inspiratory and expiratory nodule volumes were illustrated using the Bland-Altman test. The influences of percentage reduction in lung volume at expiration, local emphysema extent, and nodule size on nodule volume variability were tested with multiple linear regression. The majority of nodules (59/88 [67%]) showed an increased volume at expiration. Mean difference in nodule volume between expiration and inspiration was +7.5% (95% confidence interval: -24.1, 39.1%). No relationships were demonstrated between nodule volume variability and emphysema extent, degree of expiration, or nodule size. Expiration causes a modest increase in volumetry-derived nodule volumes; however, the effect is unpredictable. Local emphysema extent had no significant effect on volume variability in the present cohort. Copyright © 2017 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inspiratory muscle training is used in some intensive care units, but many training methods have uncertain efficacy: a survey of French physiotherapists

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Tristan Bonnevie

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Questions: How common is inspiratory muscle training by physiotherapists in the intensive care unit (ICU? Which patients receive the training? What methods are used to administer the training? Is maximal inspiratory pressure used to evaluate the need for the training and the patient's outcome after training? Design: Cross-sectional survey of all ICUs in France. Participants: Two hundred and sixty-five senior physiotherapists. Results: The response rate was 99% among eligible units. Therapist experience in ICU was significantly associated with the use of inspiratory muscle training (p = 0.02. Therapists mainly used inspiratory muscle training either systematically or specifically in patients who failed to wean from mechanical ventilation. The training was used significantly more in non-sedated patients (p < 0.0001. The most commonly nominated technique that respondents claimed to use to apply the training was controlled diaphragmatic breathing (83% of respondents, whereas 13% used evidence-based methods. Among those who applied some form of inspiratory muscle training, 16% assessed maximal inspiratory pressure. Six respondents (2%, 95% CI 1 to 5 used both an evidence-based method to administer inspiratory muscle training and the recommended technique for assessment of inspiratory muscle strength. Conclusion: Most physiotherapists in French ICUs who apply inspiratory muscle training use methods of uncertain efficacy without assessment of maximal inspiratory pressure. Further efforts need to be made in France to disseminate information regarding evidence-based assessment and techniques for inspiratory muscle training in the ICU. The alignment of inspiratory muscle training practice with evidence could be investigated in other regions. [Bonnevie T, Villiot-Danger J-C, Gravier F-E, Dupuis J, Prieur G, Médrinal C (2015 Inspiratory muscle training is used in some intensive care units, but many training methods have uncertain efficacy: a survey of

A five-week-old girl with inspiratory stridor due to infantile hemangiopericytoma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Jonas K; Sørensen, Flemming Brandt; Christensen, Mogens Fjord

2006-01-01

UNLABELLED: A 5-week-old girl with inspiratory stridor is presented. No immediate cause of the stridor was found, but eventually a diagnosis of infantile hemangiopericytoma located in the rhinopharynx was made. After surgery all respiratory symptoms disappeared.CONCLUSION: Infantile hemangioperic......UNLABELLED: A 5-week-old girl with inspiratory stridor is presented. No immediate cause of the stridor was found, but eventually a diagnosis of infantile hemangiopericytoma located in the rhinopharynx was made. After surgery all respiratory symptoms disappeared.CONCLUSION: Infantile...

Inspiratory Muscle Training and Arterial Blood Oxygen Saturation in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

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Bakhshandeh Bavarsad

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background One of the problems of the patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD is the weakness of the respiratory muscles that causes oxygen desaturation at rest and activity and decreases exercise tolerance. Objectives This study aimed to investigate the effect of inspiratory muscle training on arterial oxygen saturation (SPO2. Patients and Methods Forty patients with mild to very severe COPD were recruited for this study, which is a randomized control trail. The patients were randomized to IMT (inspiratory muscle training and control group. Training was performed with Respivol (a kind of inspiratory muscle trainer for 8 weeks (15 min/d for 6 d/week. SPSS software version 16 was used to analyze the data by performing independent t test, paired t test, and Fisher exact test. Results Results showed that, after 8 weeks of inspiratory muscle training, there was a little increase (but not statistically significant improvement in SPO2 (from 92.6 ± 8.71 % to 95.13 ± 7.08 %, with P = 0.06, whereas it remained unchanged in the control group (from 96.0 ± 3.46 % to 96.4 ± 3.35 % with P = 0.51. No statistically significant difference was seen between the two groups (P > 0.05. Conclusions Although inspiratory muscles training can prevent desaturation, which is caused by activity, it fails to improve it.

[Exercise-induced inspiratory stridor. An important differential diagnosis of exercise-induced asthma].

Science.gov (United States)

Christensen, Pernille; Thomsen, Simon Francis; Rasmussen, Niels; Backer, Vibeke

2007-11-19

Recent studies suggest that exercise-induced inspiratory stridor (EIIS) is an important and often overlooked differential diagnosis of exercise-induced asthma. EIIS is characterised by astma-like symptoms, but differs by inspiratory limitation, fast recovery, and a lack of effect of inhaled bronchodilators. The prevalence of EIIS is reported to be 5-27%, and affects both children and adults. The pathophysiology, the pathogenesis, and the treatment of the condition are not yet clarified. At present, a population-based study is being conducted in order to address these points.

Guiding Inspiratory Flow: Development of the In-Check DIAL G16, a Tool for Improving Inhaler Technique

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Mark Jeremy Sanders

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Portable inhalers are divisible into those that deliver medication by patient triggering (pMDIs: a gentle slow inhalation and those that use the patient’s inspiratory effort as the force for deaggregation and delivery (DPIs: a stronger deeper inspiratory effort. Patient confusion and poor technique are commonplace. The use of training tools has become standard practice, and unique amongst these is an inspiratory flow meter (In-Check which is able to simulate the resistance characteristics of different inhalers and, thereby, guide the patient to the correct effort. In-Check’s origins lie in the 1960s peak expiratory flow meters, the development of the Mini-Wright peak flow meter, and inspiratory flow assessment via the nose during the 1970s–1980s. The current device (In-Check DIAL G16 is the third iteration of the original 1998 training tool, with detailed and ongoing assessments of all common inhaler resistances (including combination and breath-actuated inhaler types summarised into resistance ranges that are preset within the device. The device works by interpolating one of six ranges with the inspiratory effort. Use of the tool has been shown to be contributory to significant improvements in asthma care and control, and it is being advocated for assessment and training in irreversible lung disease.

The Effect of Inspiratory Resistance on Exercise Performance and Perception in Moderate Normobaric Hypoxia.

Science.gov (United States)

Seo, Yongsuk; Vaughan, Jeremiah; Quinn, Tyler D; Followay, Brittany; Roberge, Raymond; Glickman, Ellen L; Kim, Jung-Hyun

2017-12-01

Seo, Yongsuk, Jeremiah Vaughan, Tyler D. Quinn, Brittany Followay, Raymond Roberge, Ellen L. Glickman, and Jung-Hyun Kim. The effect of inspiratory resistance on exercise performance and perception in moderate normobaric hypoxia. High Alt Med Biol. 18:417-424, 2017. Respirators are simple and efficient in protecting workers against toxic airborne substances; however, their use may limit the physical performance of workers. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of inspiratory resistance on physical performance and breathing perception in normobaric hypoxia. Nine healthy men wore a tight-fitting respiratory mask outfitted with one of four different inspiratory resistors (R) (0, 1.5, 4.5, 7.5 cm H 2 O/L/Sec) while exercising at normobaric hypoxia (17% O 2 ) at submaximal exercise workloads of 50, 100, and 150 W on a cycle ergometer for 10 minutes each, followed by a maximal oxygen uptake (VO 2 max) test to exhaustion. Maximal power output at R7.5 was significantly lower than R0 (p = 0.016) and R1.5 (p = 0.035). Respiration rate was significantly reduced at R4.5 (p = 0.011) and R7.5 (p ≤ 0.001) compared with R0. Minute ventilation was significantly decreased in R7.5 compared with R0 (p = 0.003), R1.5 (p = 0.010), and R4.5 (p = 0.016), whereas VO 2 was not significantly changed. Breathing comfort (BC) and breathing effort (BE) were significantly impaired in R7.5 (BC: p = 0.025, BE: p = 0.001) and R4.5 (BC: p = 0.007, BE: p = 0.001) compared with R0, but rating of perceived exertion (RPE) remained unchanged. Added inspiratory resistance limited maximal power output and increased perceptions of BC and BE in normobaric hypoxia. However, low-to-moderate inspiratory resistance did not have a deleterious effect on VO 2 or RPE at submaximal or maximal exercise. Perceptual and physiological characteristics of respirators of varying inspiratory resistances should be considered by manufacturers and end users during

Reprint of "Learning to breathe? Feedforward regulation of the inspiratory motor drive".

Science.gov (United States)

Zaman, Jonas; Van den Bergh, Omer; Fannes, Stien; Van Diest, Ilse

2014-12-01

Claims have been made that breathing is in part controlled by feedforward regulation. In a classical conditioning paradigm, we investigated anticipatory increases in the inspiratory motor drive as measured by inspiratory occlusion pressure (P100). In an acquisition phase, an experimental group (N = 13) received a low-intensity resistive load (5 cmH2O/l/s) for three consecutive inspirations as Conditioned Stimulus (CS), preceding a load of a stronger intensity (20 cmH2O/l/s) for three subsequent inspirations as unconditioned stimulus (US). The control group (N = 11) received the low-intensity load for six consecutive inspirations. In a post-acquisition phase both groups received the low-intensity load for six consecutive inspirations. Responses to the CS-load only differed between groups during the first acquisition trials and a strong increase in P100 during the US-loads was observed, which habituated across the experiment. Our results suggest that the disruption caused by adding low to moderate resistive loads to three consecutive inspirations results in a short-lasting anticipatory increase in inspiratory motor drive. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Developmental plasticity of phrenic motoneuron and diaphragm properties with the inception of inspiratory drive transmission in utero.

Science.gov (United States)

Greer, John J; Martin-Caraballo, Miguel

2017-01-01

The review outlines data consistent with the hypothesis that inspiratory drive transmission that generates fetal breathing movements (FBMs) is essential for the developmental plasticity of phrenic motoneurons (PMNs) and diaphragm musculature prior to birth. A systematic examination during the perinatal period demonstrated a very marked transformation of PMN and diaphragm properties coinciding with the onset and strengthening of inspiratory drive and FBMs in utero. This included studies of age-dependent changes of: i) morphology, neuronal coupling, passive and electrophysiological properties of PMNs; ii) rhythmic inspiratory activity in vitro; iii) FBMs generated in vivo detected by ultrasonography; iv) contractile and end-plate potential properties of diaphragm musculature. We also propose how the hypothesis can be further evaluated with studies of perinatal hypoglossal motoneuron-tongue musculature and the use of Dbx1 null mice that provide an experimental model lacking descending inspiratory drive transmission in utero. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Variations in peak nasal inspiratory flow among healthy students after using saline solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Olbrich Neto, Jaime; Olbrich, Sandra Regina Leite Rosa; Mori, Natália Leite Rosa; Oliveira, Ana Elisa de; Corrente, José Eduardo

2016-01-01

Nasal hygiene with saline solutions has been shown to relieve congestion, reduce the thickening of the mucus and keep nasal cavity clean and moist. Evaluating whether saline solutions improve nasal inspiratory flow among healthy children. Students between 8 and 11 years of age underwent 6 procedures with saline solutions at different concentrations. The peak nasal inspiratory flow was measured before and 30 min after each procedure. Statistical analysis was performed by means of t test, analysis of variance, and Tukey's test, considering p<0.05. We evaluated 124 children at all stages. There were differences on the way a same concentration was used. There was no difference between 0.9% saline solution and 3% saline solution by using a syringe. The 3% saline solution had higher averages of peak nasal inspiratory flow, but it was not significantly higher than the 0.9% saline solution. It is important to offer various options to patients. Copyright © 2015 Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facial. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Reliability and validity of the test of incremental respiratory endurance measures of inspiratory muscle performance in COPD

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Formiga MF

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Magno F Formiga,1,2 Kathryn E Roach,1 Isabel Vital,3 Gisel Urdaneta,3 Kira Balestrini,3 Rafael A Calderon-Candelario,3,4 Michael A Campos,3,4,* Lawrence P Cahalin1,* 1Department of Physical Therapy, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Coral Gables, FL, USA; 2CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil, Brasilia, Brazil; 3Pulmonary Section, Miami Veterans Administration Medical Center, Miami, FL, USA; 4Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA *These authors contributed equally to this work Purpose: The Test of Incremental Respiratory Endurance (TIRE provides a comprehensive assessment of inspiratory muscle performance by measuring maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP over time. The integration of MIP over inspiratory duration (ID provides the sustained maximal inspiratory pressure (SMIP. Evidence on the reliability and validity of these measurements in COPD is not currently available. Therefore, we assessed the reliability, responsiveness and construct validity of the TIRE measures of inspiratory muscle performance in subjects with COPD. Patients and methods: Test–retest reliability, known-groups and convergent validity assessments were implemented simultaneously in 81 male subjects with mild to very severe COPD. TIRE measures were obtained using the portable PrO2 device, following standard guidelines. Results: All TIRE measures were found to be highly reliable, with SMIP demonstrating the strongest test–retest reliability with a nearly perfect intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC of 0.99, while MIP and ID clustered closely together behind SMIP with ICC values of about 0.97. Our findings also demonstrated known-groups validity of all TIRE measures, with SMIP and ID yielding larger effect sizes when compared to MIP in distinguishing between subjects of different COPD status. Finally, our analyses confirmed convergent validity for both SMIP

Optimal arrangement of magnetic coils for functional magnetic stimulation of the inspiratory muscles in dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Vernon Weh-Hau; Zhu, Ercheng; Sasse, Scott A; Sassoon, Catherine; Hsiao, Ian N

2005-12-01

In an attempt to maximize inspiratory pressure and volume, the optimal position of a single or of dual magnetic coils during functional magnetic stimulation (FMS) of the inspiratory muscles was evaluated in twenty-three dogs. Unilateral phrenic magnetic stimulation (UPMS) or bilateral phrenic magnetic stimulation (BPMS), posterior cervical magnetic stimulation (PCMS), anterior cervical magnetic stimulation (ACMS) as well as a combination of PCMS and ACMS were performed. Trans-diaphragmatic pressure (Pdi), flow, and lung volume changes with an open airway were measured. Transdiaphragmatic pressure was also measured with an occluded airway. Changes in inspiratory parameters during FMS were compared with 1) electrical stimulation of surgically exposed bilateral phrenic nerves (BPES) and 2) ventral root electrical stimulation at C5-C7 (VRES C5-C7). Relative to the Pdi generated by BPES of 36.3 +/- 4.5 cm H2O (Mean +/- SEM), occluded Pdi(s) produced by UPMS, BPMS, PCMS, ACMS, and a combined PCMS + ACMS were 51.7%, 61.5%, 22.4%, 100.3%, and 104.5% of the maximal Pdi, respectively. Pdi(s) produced by UPMS, BPMS, PCMS, ACMS, and combined ACMS + PCMS were 38.0%, 45.2%, 16.5%, 73.8%, and 76.8%, respectively, of the Pdi induced by VRES (C5-C7) (48.0 +/- 3.9 cm H2O). The maximal Pdi(s) generated during ACMS and combined PCMS + ACMS were higher than the maximal Pdi(s) generated during UPMS, BPMS, or PCMS (p BPMS or PCMS. ACMS can be used to generate sufficient inspiratory pressure, flow, and volume for activation of the inspiratory muscles.

Inspiratory muscle training in pediatrics: main indications and technical characteristics of the protocols

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Cristhiele Tais Woszezenki

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction: Inspiratory muscle training (IMT is a resource widely used in pediatrics. However, there is great variability in relation to the characteristics of the protocols used. Objective: To identify the main clinical conditions and IMT protocols used in the pediatric age group. Methods: Integrative review of the literature by searching on Pubmed, Scielo, PEDro and EMBASE databases using the following strategy: threshold OR inspiratory muscle training OR muscle endurance OR muscle resistance OR endurance training OR maximal inspiratory pressure AND respiratory muscle. We have selected clinical trials that performed IMT in children and adolescents (0 to 18 years old, with a clinical diagnosis, and published in English, Portuguese and Spanish. Results: 17 studies were included. From these, 11 underwent IMT in patients with some neuromuscular disorder, being Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy the most common. The selected articles included a total sample of 327 participants. As for the characteristics of the protocols, 7 performed strength training, 5 endurance and 5 strength and endurance. The training load ranged from 30 to 80% of maximal inspiratory pressure. Moreover, 8 studies performed IMT twice daily and the session duration and the training period varied between 10 and 30 minutes, and from 3 weeks to 24 months, respectively. Conclusion: The IMT was used more frequently in patients with some neuromuscular disorder. Although there is no consensus as to the characteristics of the protocols, the choice of the load should take into account the purpose of IMT and the disease severity.

Benefits of combining inspiratory muscle with 'whole muscle' training in children with cystic fibrosis: a randomised controlled trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Santana-Sosa, Elena; Gonzalez-Saiz, Laura; Groeneveld, Iris F.; Villa-Asensi, José R.; Barrio Gómez de Aguero, María I.; Fleck, Steven J.; López-Mojares, Luis M.; Pérez, Margarita; Lucia, Alejandro

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study (randomised controlled trial) was to assess the effects of an 8-week combined 'whole muscle' (resistance+aerobic) and inspiratory muscle training (IMT) on lung volume, inspiratory muscle strength (PImax) and cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2 peak) (primary outcomes), and

Diagnosis of tracheal instability: inspiratory and expiratory spiral CT and cine CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heussel, C.P.; Thelen, M.; Kauczor, H.U.; Hafner, B.; Lill, J.

2000-01-01

Purpose: In tracheo- and bronchomalacia, localization and determination of collapse is necessary for planning a surgical procedure. We compared inspiratory and spiral CT, cine CT, and bronchoscopy and evaluated the relevance of each method. Methods: Seventeen patients with suspected or verified tracheal stonosis or collapse underwent paired inspiratory and exspiratory spiral CT and cine CT during continuous respiration (temporal increment 100 ms). The tracheal cross-sectional area was calculated and compared. Results: In addition to bronchoscopy, further information concerning localization, extent, collapse, stability of the tracheal wall, distal portions of the stenosis, and extraluminal compressions was obtained. A significantly higher degree of tracheal collapse was seen using cine CT compared to paired spiral CT (p [de

Effect of hyperinflation on inspiratory function of the diaphragm.

Science.gov (United States)

Minh, V D; Dolan, G F; Konopka, R F; Moser, K M

1976-01-01

The inspiratory efficiency of the diaphragm during unilateral and bilateral phrenic stimulation (UEPS and BEPS) with constant stimulus was studied in seven dogs from FRC to 120% TLC. Alveolar pressures (PAl) were recorded during relaxation, BEPS and UEPS at each lung volume in the closed respiratory system. From the PAl-lung volume curves, tidal volume (VT), and pressure developed by the diaphragm (Pmus) were derived. Results are summarized below. a) Hyperinflation impaired the inspiratory efficiency of the diaphragm which behaved as an expiratory muscle beyond the lung volume of 103.7% TLC (Vinef). b) The diaphragm during UEPS became expiratory at the same Vinef as during (BEPS. C) The VT-lung volume relationship was linear during BEPS, allowing simple quantitation of VT loss with hyperinflation and prediction of Vinef. d) With only one phrenic nerve stimulated, the functional loss is less pronounced in VT than in Pmus, as compared to BEPS, indicating that the respiratory system was more compliant during UEPS than BEPS. This compliance difference from UEPS to BEPS diminished with severe hyperinflation.

Reduced phrenic motoneuron recruitment during sustained inspiratory threshold loading compared to single-breath loading: a twitch interpolation study

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Mathieu Raux

2016-11-01

Full Text Available In humans, inspiratory constraints engage cortical networks involving the supplementary motor area. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI shows that the spread and intensity of the corresponding respiratory-related cortical activation dramatically decrease when a discrete load becomes sustained. This has been interpreted as reflecting motor cortical reorganisation and automatisation, but could proceed from sensory and/or affective habituation. To corroborate the existence of motor reorganisation between single-breath and sustained inspiratory loading (namely changes in motor neurones recruitment, we conducted a diaphragm twitch interpolation study based on the hypothesis that motor reorganisation should result in changes in the twitch interpolation slope. Fourteen healthy subjects (age: 21 – 40 years were studied. Bilateral phrenic stimulation was delivered at rest, upon prepared and targeted voluntary inspiratory efforts (vol, upon unprepared inspiratory efforts against a single-breath inspiratory threshold load (single-breath, and upon sustained inspiratory efforts against the same type of load (continuous. The slope of the relationship between diaphragm twitch transdiaphragmatic pressure and the underlying transdiaphragmatic pressure was –1.1 ± 0.2 during vol, –1.5 ± 0.7 during single-breath, and -0.6 ± 0.4 during continuous (all slopes expressed in percent of baseline.percent of baseline-1 all comparisons significant at the 5% level. The contribution of the diaphragm to inspiration, as assessed by the gastric pressure to transdiaphragmatic pressure ratio, was 31 ± 17 % during vol, 22 ± 16 % during single-breath (p=0.13, and 19 ± 9 % during continuous (p = 0.0015 vs. vol. This study shows that the relationship between the amplitude of the transdiaphragmatic pressure produced by a diaphragm twitch and its counterpart produced by the underlying diaphragm contraction is not unequivocal. If twitch interpolation is interpreted as

Some infant ventilators do not limit peak inspiratory pressure reliably during active expiration.

Science.gov (United States)

Kirpalani, H; Santos-Lyn, R; Roberts, R

1988-09-01

In order to minimize barotrauma in newborn infants with respiratory failure, peak inspiratory pressures should not exceed those required for adequate gas exchange. We examined whether four commonly used pressure-limited, constant flow ventilators limit pressure reliably during simulated active expiration against the inspiratory stroke of the ventilator. Three machines of each type were tested at 13 different expiratory flow rates (2 to 14 L/min). Flow-dependent pressure overshoot above a dialed pressure limit of 20 cm H2O was observed in all machines. However, the magnitude differed significantly between ventilators from different manufacturers (p = .0009). Pressure overshoot above 20 cm H2O was consistently lowest in the Healthdyne (0.8 cm H2O at 2 L/min, 3.6 cm H2O at 14 L/min) and highest in the Bourns BP200 (3.0 cm H2O at 2 L/min, 15.4 cm H2O at 14 L/min). We conclude that peak inspiratory pressure overshoots on pressure-limited ventilators occur during asynchronous expiration. This shortcoming may contribute to barotrauma in newborn infants who "fight" positive-pressure ventilation.

Inspiratory stridor and dysphagia because of prolonged oesophageal foreign body

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vos, G. D.; Heymans, H. S.; Urbanus, N. A.

1987-01-01

A 2-year-old boy with severe inspiratory stridor and dysphagia is described. The delay in the diagnosis of an impacted foreign body resulted in severe deformation of the oesophagus. After surgical extraction of the foreign body the oesophagus was splinted for 4 months by a nasogastric tube because

Cystic lung disease: a comparison of cystic size, as seen on expiratory and inspiratory HRCT scans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Ki Nam; Yoon, Seong Kuk; Nam, Kyung Jin; Choi, Seok Jin; Goo, Jin Mo

2000-01-01

To determine the effects of respiration on the size of lung cysts by comparing inspiratory and expiratory high-resolution CT (HRCT) scans. The authors evaluated the size of cystic lesions, as seen on paired inspiratory and expiratory HRCT scans, in 54 patients with Langerhans cell histiocytosis (n = 3), pulmonary lymphangiomyomatosis (n = 4), confluent centrilobular emphysema (n = 9), paraseptal emphysema and bullae (n = 16), cystic bronchiectasis (n = 13), and honeycombing (n = 9). Using paired inspiratory and expiratory HRCT scans obtained at the corresponding anatomic level, a total of 270 cystic lesions were selected simultaneously on the basis of five lesions per lung disease. Changes in lung cyst size observed during respiration were assessed by two radiologists. In a limited number of cases (n = 11), pathologic specimens were obtained by open lung biopsy or lobectomy. All cystic lesions in patients with Langerhans cell histiocytosis, lymphangiomyomatosis, cystic bronchiectasis, honeycombing, and confluent centrilobular emphysema became smaller on expiration, but in two cases of paraseptal emphysema and bullae there was no change. In cases in which expiratory CT scans indicate that cysts have become smaller, cystic lesions may communicate with the airways. To determine whether, for cysts and cystic lesions, this connection does in fact exist, paired inspiratory and expiratory HRCT scans are necessary

Cystic lung disease: a comparison of cystic size, as seen on expiratory and inspiratory HRCT scans

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Lee, Ki Nam; Yoon, Seong Kuk; Nam, Kyung Jin [Donga University College of Medicine, Pusan (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Seok Jin [Inje University College of Medicine, Gimhae (Korea, Republic of); Goo, Jin Mo [Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2000-06-01

To determine the effects of respiration on the size of lung cysts by comparing inspiratory and expiratory high-resolution CT (HRCT) scans. The authors evaluated the size of cystic lesions, as seen on paired inspiratory and expiratory HRCT scans, in 54 patients with Langerhans cell histiocytosis (n = 3), pulmonary lymphangiomyomatosis (n = 4), confluent centrilobular emphysema (n = 9), paraseptal emphysema and bullae (n = 16), cystic bronchiectasis (n = 13), and honeycombing (n = 9). Using paired inspiratory and expiratory HRCT scans obtained at the corresponding anatomic level, a total of 270 cystic lesions were selected simultaneously on the basis of five lesions per lung disease. Changes in lung cyst size observed during respiration were assessed by two radiologists. In a limited number of cases (n = 11), pathologic specimens were obtained by open lung biopsy or lobectomy. All cystic lesions in patients with Langerhans cell histiocytosis, lymphangiomyomatosis, cystic bronchiectasis, honeycombing, and confluent centrilobular emphysema became smaller on expiration, but in two cases of paraseptal emphysema and bullae there was no change. In cases in which expiratory CT scans indicate that cysts have become smaller, cystic lesions may communicate with the airways. To determine whether, for cysts and cystic lesions, this connection does in fact exist, paired inspiratory and expiratory HRCT scans are necessary.

Physiologic effects of alveolar recruitment and inspiratory pauses during moderately-high-frequency ventilation delivered by a conventional ventilator in a severe lung injury model.

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Ricardo Luiz Cordioli

Full Text Available To investigate whether performing alveolar recruitment or adding inspiratory pauses could promote physiologic benefits (VT during moderately-high-frequency positive pressure ventilation (MHFPPV delivered by a conventional ventilator in a porcine model of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS.Prospective experimental laboratory study with eight pigs. Induction of acute lung injury with sequential pulmonary lavages and injurious ventilation was initially performed. Then, animals were ventilated on a conventional mechanical ventilator with a respiratory rate (RR = 60 breaths/minute and PEEP titrated according to ARDS Network table. The first two steps consisted of a randomized order of inspiratory pauses of 10 and 30% of inspiratory time. In final step, we removed the inspiratory pause and titrated PEEP, after lung recruitment, with the aid of electrical impedance tomography. At each step, PaCO2 was allowed to stabilize between 57-63 mmHg for 30 minutes.The step with RR of 60 after lung recruitment had the highest PEEP when compared with all other steps (17 [16,19] vs 14 [10, 17]cmH2O, but had lower driving pressures (13 [13,11] vs 16 [14, 17]cmH2O, higher P/F ratios (212 [191,243] vs 141 [105, 184] mmHg, lower shunt (23 [20, 23] vs 32 [27, 49]%, lower dead space ventilation (10 [0, 15] vs 30 [20, 37]%, and a more homogeneous alveolar ventilation distribution. There were no detrimental effects in terms of lung mechanics, hemodynamics, or gas exchange. Neither the addition of inspiratory pauses or the alveolar recruitment maneuver followed by decremental PEEP titration resulted in further reductions in VT.During MHFPPV set with RR of 60 bpm delivered by a conventional ventilator in severe ARDS swine model, neither the inspiratory pauses or PEEP titration after recruitment maneuver allowed reduction of VT significantly, however the last strategy decreased driving pressures and improved both shunt and dead space.

Benefits of combined aerobic/resistance/inspiratory training in patients with chronic heart failure. A complete exercise model? A prospective randomised study.

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Laoutaris, Ioannis D; Adamopoulos, Stamatis; Manginas, Athanassios; Panagiotakos, Demosthenes B; Kallistratos, Manolis S; Doulaptsis, Costas; Kouloubinis, Alexandros; Voudris, Vasilis; Pavlides, Gregory; Cokkinos, Dennis V; Dritsas, Athanasios

2013-09-01

We hypothesised that combined aerobic training (AT) with resistance training (RT) and inspiratory muscle training (IMT) could result in additional benefits over AT alone in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Twenty-seven patients, age 58 ± 9 years, NYHA II/III and LVEF 29 ± 7% were randomly assigned to a 12-week AT (n=14) or a combined AT/RT/IMT (ARIS) (n=13) exercise program. AT consisted of bike exercise at 70-80% of max heart rate. ARIS training consisted of AT with RT of the quadriceps at 50% of 1 repetition maximum (1RM) and upper limb exercises using dumbbells of 1-2 kg as well as IMT at 60% of sustained maximal inspiratory pressure (SPI(max)). At baseline and after intervention patients underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing, echocardiography, evaluation of dyspnea, muscle function and quality of life (QoL) scores. The ARIS program as compared to AT alone, resulted in additional improvement in quadriceps muscle strength (1RM, p=0.005) and endurance (50%1 RM × number of max repetitions, p=0.01), SPI(max) (pexercise time (p=0.01), circulatory power (peak oxygen consumption × peak systolic blood pressure, p=0.05), dyspnea (p=0.03) and QoL (p=0.03). ARIS training was safe and resulted in incremental benefits in both peripheral and respiratory muscle weakness, cardiopulmonary function and QoL compared to that of AT. The present findings may add a new prospective to cardiac rehabilitation programs of heart failure patients whilst the clinical significance of these outcomes need to be addressed in larger randomised studies. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reference Values for Inspiratory Muscle Endurance in Healthy Children and Adolescents.

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Cristhiele Taís Woszezenki

Full Text Available To generate reference values for two inspiratory muscle endurance (IME protocols in healthy children and adolescents.This is an observational, cross-sectional study, in healthy children and adolescents from 4 to 18 years of age. Weight, height, maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP and IME were measured using two protocols. A fixed load of 30% of MIP with a 10% increment every 2 minutes was used in the incremental threshold loading protocol. As for the maximal loading protocol, a fixed load of 70% of MIP was used and the time limit (Tlim achieved until fatigue was measured.A total of 462 participants were included, 281 corresponding to the incremental loading protocol and 181 to maximal loading. There were moderate and positive correlations between IME and age, MIP, weight and height in the incremental threshold loading. However, the regression model demonstrated that MIP and age were the best variables to predict the IME. Otherwise, weak and positive correlations with age, weight and height were found in the maximal loading. Only age and height influenced endurance in the regression model. The predictive power (r2 of the incremental threshold loading protocol was 0.65, while the maximal loading was 0.15. The reproducibility measured by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC was higher in the incremental loading (0.96 compared to the maximal loading test (0.69.IME in healthy children and adolescents can be explained by age, height and MIP. The incremental threshold loading protocol showed more reliable results and should be the model of choice to evaluate IME in the pediatric age group.

Excitatory Modulation of the preBötzinger Complex Inspiratory Rhythm Generating Network by Endogenous Hydrogen Sulfide

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Glauber S. F. da Silva

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S is one of three gasotransmitters that modulate excitability in the CNS. Global application of H2S donors or inhibitors of H2S synthesis to the respiratory network has suggested that inspiratory rhythm is modulated by exogenous and endogenous H2S. However, effects have been variable, which may reflect that the RTN/pFRG (retrotrapezoid nucleus, parafacial respiratory group and the preBötzinger Complex (preBötC, critical for inspiratory rhythm generation are differentially modulated by exogenous H2S. Importantly, site-specific modulation of respiratory nuclei by H2S means that targeted, rather than global, manipulation of respiratory nuclei is required to understand the role of H2S signaling in respiratory control. Thus, our aim was to test whether endogenous H2S, which is produced by cystathionine-β-synthase (CBS in the CNS, acts specifically within the preBötC to modulate inspiratory activity under basal (in vitro/in vivo and hypoxic conditions (in vivo. Inhibition of endogenous H2S production by bath application of the CBS inhibitor, aminooxyacetic acid (AOAA, 0.1–1.0 mM to rhythmic brainstem spinal cord (BSSC and medullary slice preparations from newborn rats, or local application of AOAA into the preBötC (slices only caused a dose-dependent decrease in burst frequency. Unilateral injection of AOAA into the preBötC of anesthetized, paralyzed adult rats decreased basal inspiratory burst frequency, amplitude and ventilatory output. AOAA in vivo did not affect the initial hypoxia-induced (10% O2, 5 min increase in ventilatory output, but enhanced the secondary hypoxic respiratory depression. These data suggest that the preBötC inspiratory network receives tonic excitatory modulation from the CBS-H2S system, and that endogenous H2S attenuates the secondary hypoxic respiratory depression.

Stochastic behavior of a cold standby system with maximum repair time

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Ashish Kumar

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The main aim of the present paper is to analyze the stochastic behavior of a cold standby system with concept of preventive maintenance, priority and maximum repair time. For this purpose, a stochastic model is developed in which initially one unit is operative and other is kept as cold standby. There is a single server who visits the system immediately as and when required. The server takes the unit under preventive maintenance after a maximum operation time at normal mode if one standby unit is available for operation. If the repair of the failed unit is not possible up to a maximum repair time, failed unit is replaced by new one. The failure time, maximum operation time and maximum repair time distributions of the unit are considered as exponentially distributed while repair and maintenance time distributions are considered as arbitrary. All random variables are statistically independent and repairs are perfect. Various measures of system effectiveness are obtained by using the technique of semi-Markov process and RPT. To highlight the importance of the study numerical results are also obtained for MTSF, availability and profit function.

The role of arterial chemoreceptors in the breath-by-breath augmentation of inspiratory effort in rabbits during airway occlusion or elastic loading.

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Callanan, D; Read, D J

1974-08-01

1. The breath-by-breath augmentation of inspiratory effort in the five breaths following airway occlusion or elastic loading was assessed in anaesthetized rabbits from changes of airway pressure, diaphragm e.m.g. and lung volume.2. When the airway was occluded in animals breathing air, arterial O(2) tension fell by 20 mmHg and CO(2) tension rose by 7 mmHg within the time of the first five loaded breaths.3. Inhalation of 100% O(2) or carotid denervation markedly reduced the breath-by-breath progression but had little or no effect on the responses at the first loaded breath.4. These results indicate that the breath-by-breath augmentation of inspiratory effort following addition of a load is mainly due to asphyxial stimulation of the carotid bodies, rather than to the gradual emergence of a powerful load-compensating reflex originating in the chest-wall, as postulated by some workers.5. The small residual progression seen in animals breathing 100% O(2) or following carotid denervation was not eliminated (a) by combining these procedures or (b) by addition of gas to the lungs to prevent the progressive lung deflation which occurred during airway occlusion.6. Bilateral vagotomy, when combined with carotid denervation, abolished the residual breath-by-breath progression of inspiratory effort.

Effects of inspiratory muscle training on pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength and functional capacity in patients with atrial fibrillation: a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeren, Melih; Demir, Rengin; Yigit, Zerrin; Gurses, Hulya N

2016-12-01

To investigate the effects of inspiratory muscle training on pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength and functional capacity in patients with atrial fibrillation. Prospective randomized controlled single-blind study. Cardiology department of a university hospital. A total of 38 patients with permanent atrial fibrillation were randomly allocated to either a treatment group (n = 19; age 66.2 years (8.8)) or a control group (n = 19; age 67.1 years (6.4)). The training group received inspiratory muscle training at 30% of maximal inspiratory pressure for 15 minutes twice a day, 7 days a week, for 12 weeks alongside the standard medical treatment. The control group received standard medical treatment only. Spirometry, maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures and 6-minute walking distance was measured at the beginning and end of the study. There was a significant increase in maximal inspiratory pressure (27.94 cmH 2 O (8.90)), maximal expiratory pressure (24.53 cmH 2 O (10.34)), forced vital capacity (10.29% (8.18) predicted), forced expiratory volume in one second (13.88% (13.42) predicted), forced expiratory flow 25%-75% (14.82% (12.44) predicted), peak expiratory flow (19.82% (15.62) predicted) and 6-minute walking distance (55.53 m (14.13)) in the training group (p  0.05). Inspiratory muscle training can improve pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength and functional capacity in patients with atrial fibrillation. © The Author(s) 2016.

Effect of an external resistance to airflow on the inspiratory flow curve

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Koning, J P; van der Mark, Th W; Coenegracht, P M J; Tromp, Th F J; Frijlink, H W

2002-01-01

Inhalation is a convenient way to deliver drugs to the respiratory tract in the treatment of respiratory diseases. For dry powder inhalers (DPI's), the principle of operation is to use the patient-generated inspiratory flow as energy source for emptying of the dose system and the delivery of fine

Are glucose levels, glucose variability and autonomic control influenced by inspiratory muscle exercise in patients with type 2 diabetes? Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Schein, Aso; Correa, Aps; Casali, Karina Rabello; Schaan, Beatriz D

2016-01-20

Physical exercise reduces glucose levels and glucose variability in patients with type 2 diabetes. Acute inspiratory muscle exercise has been shown to reduce these parameters in a small group of patients with type 2 diabetes, but these results have yet to be confirmed in a well-designed study. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of acute inspiratory muscle exercise on glucose levels, glucose variability, and cardiovascular autonomic function in patients with type 2 diabetes. This study will use a randomized clinical trial crossover design. A total of 14 subjects will be recruited and randomly allocated to two groups to perform acute inspiratory muscle loading at 2 % of maximal inspiratory pressure (PImax, placebo load) or 60 % of PImax (experimental load). Inspiratory muscle training could be a novel exercise modality to be used to decrease glucose levels and glucose variability. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02292810 .

Effect of acute inspiratory muscle exercise on blood flow of resting and exercising limbs and glucose levels in type 2 diabetes.

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Corrêa, Ana Paula dos Santos; Antunes, Cristiano Fetter; Figueira, Franciele Ramos; de Castro, Marina Axmann; Ribeiro, Jorge Pinto; Schaan, Beatriz D'Agord

2015-01-01

To evaluate the effects of inspiratory loading on blood flow of resting and exercising limbs in patients with diabetic autonomic neuropathy. Ten diabetic patients without cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (DM), 10 patients with cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (DM-CAN) and 10 healthy controls (C) were randomly assigned to inspiratory muscle load of 60% or 2% of maximal inspiratory pressure (PImax) for approximately 5 min, while resting calf blood flow (CBF) and exercising forearm blood flow (FBF) were measured. Reactive hyperemia was also evaluated. From the 20 diabetic patients initially allocated, 6 wore a continuous glucose monitoring system to evaluate the glucose levels during these two sessions (2%, placebo or 60%, inspiratory muscle metaboreflex). Mean age was 58 ± 8 years, and mean HbA1c, 7.8% (62 mmol/mol) (DM and DM-CAN). A PImax of 60% caused reduction of CBF in DM-CAN and DM (Pexercise was blunted during 60% of PImax in DM-CAN and DM, and augmented in C (Pexercise that recruits the diaphragm can abruptly reduce glucose levels.

Effect of pilates method on inspiratory and expiratory muscle strength in the elderly

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Beatriz Mendes Tozim

2018-03-01

Full Text Available With aging, the respiratory muscle strength decreases and the pilates method is a technique that uses respiration as one of its principles. The present study has the aim of analyzing the influence of the pilates method on respiratory muscle strength in older women. For the evaluation of respiratory muscle strength (inspiratory and expiratory, manovacuometer was used. Thirty-one older women were divided into two groups: 14 participated in the pilates group and 17 in the control group. Participants of the pilates group performed 16 sessions of pilates method with an hour of training, twice week for eight weeks. The control group participated in four educational lectures for eight weeks. For statistical analysis, Shapiro-Wilk, ANOVA for repeated measures (p <0.05 and Cohen’s D index were performed. The results showed significant difference and the mean effect for the Cohen’s D index expiratory muscle strength of the pilates group when comparing before (69.71 ± 25.48 and after (85.23 ± 22.21 training (p<0.05 with an increase of 23%. The results of inspiratory muscle strength were not significant but presented an average effect for the Cohen’s D index for the pilates group before (69.71 ± 35.46 and after (88.00 ± 34.87 training, with an increase of 27%. The control group did not present significant differences for the variables evaluated. It could be concluded that the pilates method is effective in improving expiratory muscle strength and provides positive effects on the increase in inspiratory muscle strength.

Effects of thoracic dorsal rhizotomy or vagotomy on inspiratory muscle activity at various levels of chemical drive.

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D'Angelo, E; Schieppati, M

1982-11-01

The relationship between relative peak activity (moving average EMG) of the diaphragm (Adi) and of the cranial (2nd and 3rd) external intercostal or parasternal muscles (Aic) was assessed during rebreathing in animals before and after bilateral thoracic (T1-T4) dorsal rhizotomy (TDR) and/or bilateral vagotomy (VGT). The relationship had the form Aic=a Adib under all conditions. In intact rabbits and cats mean values for b were 1.48 and 1.79, respectively, a being unity by definition. Neither TDR nor VGT changed b; a decreased to about 0.15 with TDR and halved with VGT only if performed before TDR. Selective reflex facilitation of inspiratory intercostals with occlusions at FRC was observed after VGT and was abolished by TDR. Neither VGT nor TDR affected Adi time course. Hence: (1) central command to alpha-motoneurones of the major inspiratory muscles differs; (2) proprioceptive feedback markedly increases external intercostal activity, apparently by multiplying Aic due to central command to alpha-motoneurones by a factor independent of chemical drive; (3) vagally mediated augmentation of Aic depends entirely on intact proprioceptive feedback. The possible role of fusimotor drive is discussed.

Theoretical study of inspiratory flow waveforms during mechanical ventilation on pulmonary blood flow and gas exchange.

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Niranjan, S C; Bidani, A; Ghorbel, F; Zwischenberger, J B; Clark, J W

1999-08-01

A lumped two-compartment mathematical model of respiratory mechanics incorporating gas exchange and pulmonary circulation is utilized to analyze the effects of square, descending and ascending inspiratory flow waveforms during mechanical ventilation. The effects on alveolar volume variation, alveolar pressure, airway pressure, gas exchange rate, and expired gas species concentration are evaluated. Advantages in ventilation employing a certain inspiratory flow profile are offset by corresponding reduction in perfusion rates, leading to marginal effects on net gas exchange rates. The descending profile provides better CO2 exchange, whereas the ascending profile is more advantageous for O2 exchange. Regional disparities in airway/lung properties create maldistribution of ventilation and a concomitant inequality in regional alveolar gas composition and gas exchange rates. When minute ventilation is maintained constant, for identical time constant disparities, inequalities in compliance yield pronounced effects on net gas exchange rates at low frequencies, whereas the adverse effects of inequalities in resistance are more pronounced at higher frequencies. Reduction in expiratory air flow (via increased airway resistance) reduces the magnitude of upstroke slope of capnogram and oxigram time courses without significantly affecting end-tidal expired gas compositions, whereas alterations in mechanical factors that result in increased gas exchanges rates yield increases in CO2 and decreases in O2 end-tidal composition values. The model provides a template for assessing the dynamics of cardiopulmonary interactions during mechanical ventilation by combining concurrent descriptions of ventilation, capillary perfusion, and gas exchange. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

Multiperiod Maximum Loss is time unit invariant.

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Kovacevic, Raimund M; Breuer, Thomas

2016-01-01

Time unit invariance is introduced as an additional requirement for multiperiod risk measures: for a constant portfolio under an i.i.d. risk factor process, the multiperiod risk should equal the one period risk of the aggregated loss, for an appropriate choice of parameters and independent of the portfolio and its distribution. Multiperiod Maximum Loss over a sequence of Kullback-Leibler balls is time unit invariant. This is also the case for the entropic risk measure. On the other hand, multiperiod Value at Risk and multiperiod Expected Shortfall are not time unit invariant.

Space-Time Chip Equalization for Maximum Diversity Space-Time Block Coded DS-CDMA Downlink Transmission

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Petré Frederik

2004-01-01

Full Text Available In the downlink of DS-CDMA, frequency-selectivity destroys the orthogonality of the user signals and introduces multiuser interference (MUI. Space-time chip equalization is an efficient tool to restore the orthogonality of the user signals and suppress the MUI. Furthermore, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO communication techniques can result in a significant increase in capacity. This paper focuses on space-time block coding (STBC techniques, and aims at combining STBC techniques with the original single-antenna DS-CDMA downlink scheme. This results into the so-called space-time block coded DS-CDMA downlink schemes, many of which have been presented in the past. We focus on a new scheme that enables both the maximum multiantenna diversity and the maximum multipath diversity. Although this maximum diversity can only be collected by maximum likelihood (ML detection, we pursue suboptimal detection by means of space-time chip equalization, which lowers the computational complexity significantly. To design the space-time chip equalizers, we also propose efficient pilot-based methods. Simulation results show improved performance over the space-time RAKE receiver for the space-time block coded DS-CDMA downlink schemes that have been proposed for the UMTS and IS-2000 W-CDMA standards.

Effects of a pre-operative home-based inspiratory muscle training programme on perceived health-related quality of life in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

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Valkenet, K; Trappenburg, J C A; Hulzebos, E H; van Meeteren, N L U; Backx, F J G

2017-09-01

Pre-operative inspiratory muscle training has been shown to decrease the incidence of postoperative pneumonia and length of hospital stay in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). This study investigated if this decrease acted as a mediator on the time course of quality of life. Complementary analyses of a published randomised controlled trial. The initial trial included patients awaiting CABG surgery at a Dutch university hospital. The secondary analyses used data from the initial trial for patients who had completed at least one quality-of-life questionnaire. Participants were allocated at random to the intervention group or the usual care group. The intervention group followed a home-based pre-operative inspiratory muscle training programme. Quality of life was measured at five time points. Between-group differences in quality-of-life scores were analysed using mixed linear modelling. The secondary analyses used data for 235 patients. In line with the initial trial, pneumonia and length of hospital stay were decreased significantly in the intervention group. The time courses for all patients showed significant improvements in quality of life after surgery compared with baseline. No significant differences in quality of life were observed over time between the two groups. Despite decreased incidence of pneumonia and length of hospital stay in the intervention group, this study did not find any improvements in quality of life due to the pre-operative home-based inspiratory muscle training programme. Clinical trial registration number ISRCTN17691887. Copyright © 2016 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effect of entrainment site and inspiratory pressure on the delivery of oxygen therapy during non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIMV in acute COPD patients

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Sundeep Kaul

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Supplemental O2 is frequently added to bi-level non-invasive ventilation circuits to maintain Sa,O2 >90%. Oxygen can be added at several points & in the presence of different inspiratory pressures. The effect of varying entrainment sites and inspiratory pressures (IPAP on PO2, PCO2, Fio2, inspiratory triggering and expiratory triggering in COPD patients is unknown. 18 patients with stable COPD (mean FEV1 47% participated in the study. Oxygen was added at 4 sites in the ventilatory circuit (site 1: between mask and exhalation port; site 2: just distal to exhalation port; site 3: at ventilator outlet; site 4: directly into the mask via an inlet. The effect of varying entrainment sites and inspiratory pressures on arterial PO2, PCO2, FIO2, was recorded at 3 mins. The same full face mask (Respironics, Image 3 & ventilator (Respironics, BIPAP ST 30 was used.

Cycle ergometer and inspiratory muscle training offer modest benefit compared with cycle ergometer alone: a comprehensive assessment in stable COPD patients

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Wang K

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Kai Wang,1,* Guang-qiao Zeng,2,* Rui Li,1,* Yu-wen Luo,1 Mei Wang,1 Yu-he Hu,1 Wen-hui Xu,1 Lu-qian Zhou,2 Rong-chang Chen,2 Xin Chen1 1Department of Respiratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China; 2Department of Respiratory Medicine, The State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Disease, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: Cycle ergometer training (CET has been shown to improve exercise performance of the quadriceps muscles in patients with COPD, and inspiratory muscle training (IMT may improve the pressure-generating capacity of the inspiratory muscles. However, the effects of combined CET and IMT remain unclear and there is a lack of comprehensive assessment.Materials and methods: Eighty-one patients with COPD were randomly allocated to three groups: 28 received 8 weeks of CET + IMT (combined training group, 27 received 8 weeks of CET alone (CET group, and 26 only received 8 weeks of free walking (control group. Comprehensive assessment including respiratory muscle strength, exercise capacity, pulmonary function, dyspnea, quality of life, emotional status, nutritional status, and body mass index, airflow obstruction, and exercise capacity index were measured before and after the pulmonary rehabilitation program.Results: Respiratory muscle strength, exercise capacity, inspiratory capacity, dyspnea, quality of life, depression and anxiety, and nutritional status were all improved in the combined training and CET groups when compared with that in the control group (P<0.05 after pulmonary rehabilitation program. Inspiratory muscle strength increased significantly in the combined training group when compared with that in the CET group (ΔPImax [maximal inspiratory pressure] 5.20±0.89 cmH2O vs 1.32±0.91 cmH2O

Extending the maximum operation time of the MNSR reactor.

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Dawahra, S; Khattab, K; Saba, G

2016-09-01

An effective modification to extend the maximum operation time of the Miniature Neutron Source Reactor (MNSR) to enhance the utilization of the reactor has been tested using the MCNP4C code. This modification consisted of inserting manually in each of the reactor inner irradiation tube a chain of three polyethylene-connected containers filled of water. The total height of the chain was 11.5cm. The replacement of the actual cadmium absorber with B(10) absorber was needed as well. The rest of the core structure materials and dimensions remained unchanged. A 3-D neutronic model with the new modifications was developed to compare the neutronic parameters of the old and modified cores. The results of the old and modified core excess reactivities (ρex) were: 3.954, 6.241 mk respectively. The maximum reactor operation times were: 428, 1025min and the safety reactivity factors were: 1.654 and 1.595 respectively. Therefore, a 139% increase in the maximum reactor operation time was noticed for the modified core. This increase enhanced the utilization of the MNSR reactor to conduct a long time irradiation of the unknown samples using the NAA technique and increase the amount of radioisotope production in the reactor. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Computing the Maximum Detour of a Plane Graph in Subquadratic Time

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wulff-Nilsen, Christian

Let G be a plane graph where each edge is a line segment. We consider the problem of computing the maximum detour of G, defined as the maximum over all pairs of distinct points p and q of G of the ratio between the distance between p and q in G and the distance |pq|. The fastest known algorithm f...... for this problem has O(n^2) running time. We show how to obtain O(n^{3/2}*(log n)^3) expected running time. We also show that if G has bounded treewidth, its maximum detour can be computed in O(n*(log n)^3) expected time....

A maximum principle for time dependent transport in systems with voids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schofield, S.L.; Ackroyd, R.T.

1996-01-01

A maximum principle is developed for the first-order time dependent Boltzmann equation. The maximum principle is a generalization of Schofield's κ(θ) principle for the first-order steady state Boltzmann equation, and provides a treatment of time dependent transport in systems with void regions. The formulation comprises a direct least-squares minimization allied with a suitable choice of bilinear functional, and gives rise to a maximum principle whose functional is free of terms that have previously led to difficulties in treating void regions. (Author)

Maximum Likelihood Blind Channel Estimation for Space-Time Coding Systems

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Hakan A. Çırpan

2002-05-01

Full Text Available Sophisticated signal processing techniques have to be developed for capacity enhancement of future wireless communication systems. In recent years, space-time coding is proposed to provide significant capacity gains over the traditional communication systems in fading wireless channels. Space-time codes are obtained by combining channel coding, modulation, transmit diversity, and optional receive diversity in order to provide diversity at the receiver and coding gain without sacrificing the bandwidth. In this paper, we consider the problem of blind estimation of space-time coded signals along with the channel parameters. Both conditional and unconditional maximum likelihood approaches are developed and iterative solutions are proposed. The conditional maximum likelihood algorithm is based on iterative least squares with projection whereas the unconditional maximum likelihood approach is developed by means of finite state Markov process modelling. The performance analysis issues of the proposed methods are studied. Finally, some simulation results are presented.

Laryngeal schwannoma in an 8-year-old boy with inspiratory dyspnea.

Science.gov (United States)

Rognone, Elisa; Rossi, Andrea; Conte, Massimo; Nozza, Paolo; Tarantino, Vincenzo; Fibbi, Antonio; Saetti, Roberto; Cutrone, Cesare; Tortori-Donati, Paolo

2007-10-01

Schwannomas of the larynx are rare lesions in the pediatric age group. In this article, we report on the neuroimaging features of a schwannoma arising from the left aryepiglottic fold in an 8-year-old boy with a 6-month history of inspiratory dyspnea. Neuroimaging showed a well-defined, avoid mass originating from the left aryepiglottic fold. The lesion was removed endoscopically. Complete removal of laryngeal schwannomas is curative, and adjuvant treatment is not required.

Effect of PEEP, blood volume, and inspiratory hold maneuvers on venous return.

Science.gov (United States)

Berger, David; Moller, Per W; Weber, Alberto; Bloch, Andreas; Bloechlinger, Stefan; Haenggi, Matthias; Sondergaard, Soren; Jakob, Stephan M; Magder, Sheldon; Takala, Jukka

2016-09-01

According to Guyton's model of circulation, mean systemic filling pressure (MSFP), right atrial pressure (RAP), and resistance to venous return (RVR) determine venous return. MSFP has been estimated from inspiratory hold-induced changes in RAP and blood flow. We studied the effect of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) and blood volume on venous return and MSFP in pigs. MSFP was measured by balloon occlusion of the right atrium (MSFPRAO), and the MSFP obtained via extrapolation of pressure-flow relationships with airway occlusion (MSFPinsp_hold) was extrapolated from RAP/pulmonary artery flow (QPA) relationships during inspiratory holds at PEEP 5 and 10 cmH2O, after bleeding, and in hypervolemia. MSFPRAO increased with PEEP [PEEP 5, 12.9 (SD 2.5) mmHg; PEEP 10, 14.0 (SD 2.6) mmHg, P = 0.002] without change in QPA [2.75 (SD 0.43) vs. 2.56 (SD 0.45) l/min, P = 0.094]. MSFPRAO decreased after bleeding and increased in hypervolemia [10.8 (SD 2.2) and 16.4 (SD 3.0) mmHg, respectively, P waterfall. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Maintained inspiratory activity during proportional assist ventilation in surfactant-depleted cats early after surfactant instillation: phrenic nerve and pulmonary stretch receptor activity

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Schaller Peter

2006-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Inspiratory activity is a prerequisite for successful application of patient triggered ventilation such as proportional assist ventilation (PAV. It has recently been reported that surfactant instillation increases the activity of slowly adapting pulmonary stretch receptors (PSRs followed by a shorter inspiratory time (Sindelar et al, J Appl Physiol, 2005 [Epub ahead of print]. Changes in lung mechanics, as observed in preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome and after surfactant treatment, might therefore influence the inspiratory activity when applying PAV early after surfactant treatment. Objective To investigate the regulation of breathing and ventilatory response in surfactant-depleted young cats during PAV and during continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP early after surfactant instillation in relation to phrenic nerve activity (PNA and the activity of PSRs. Methods Seven anesthetized, endotracheally intubated young cats were exposed to periods of CPAP and PAV with the same end-expiratory pressure (0.2–0.5 kPa before and after lung lavage and after surfactant instillation. PAV was set to compensate for 75% of the lung elastic recoil. Results Tidal volume and respiratory rate were higher with lower PaCO2 and higher PaO2 during PAV than during CPAP both before and after surfactant instillation (p Conclusion PSR activity and the control of breathing are maintained during PAV in surfactant-depleted cats early after surfactant instillation, with a higher ventilatory response and a lower breathing effort than during CPAP.

Increased long-term mortality after a high perioperative inspiratory oxygen fraction during abdominal surgery

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meyhoff, Christian Sylvest; Jorgensen, Lars N; Wetterslev, Jørn

2012-01-01

A high perioperative inspiratory oxygen fraction (80%) has been recommended to prevent postoperative wound infections. However, the most recent and one of the largest trials, the PROXI trial, found no reduction in surgical site infection, and 30-day mortality was higher in patients given 80% oxygen...

Immediate effect of manual therapy on respiratory functions and inspiratory muscle strength in patients with COPD

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Yilmaz Yelvar GD

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Gul Deniz Yilmaz Yelvar,1 Yasemin Çirak,2 Yasemin Parlak Demir,3 Murat Dalkilinç,1 Bülent Bozkurt4 1Department of Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy, 2Department of Cardiopulmonary Physiotherapy, 3Department of Neurological Rehabilitation, School of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, 4Department of Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Turgut Özal University, Ankara, Turkey Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the immediate effect of manual therapy (MT on respiratory functions and inspiratory muscle strength in patients with COPD.Participants and methods: Thirty patients with severe COPD (eight females and 22 males; mean age 62.4±6.8 years referred to pulmonary physiotherapy were included in this study. The patients participated in a single session of MT to measure the short-term effects. The lung function was measured using a portable spirometer. An electronic pressure transducer was used to measure respiratory muscle strength. Heart rate, breathing frequency, and oxygen saturation were measured with a pulse oximeter. For fatigue and dyspnea perception, the modified Borg rating of perceived exertion scale was used. All measurements were taken before and immediately after the first MT session. The ease-of-breathing visual analog scale was used for rating patients’ symptoms subjectively during the MT session.Results: There was a significant improvement in the forced expiratory volume in the first second, forced vital capacity, and vital capacity values (P<0.05. The maximal inspiratory pressure and maximal expiratory pressure values increased significantly after MT, compared to the pre-MT session (P<0.05. There was a significant decrease in heart rate, respiratory rate (P<0.05, and dyspnea and fatigue perception (P<0.05.Conclusion: A single MT session immediately improved pulmonary function, inspiratory muscle strength, and oxygen saturation and reduced dyspnea, fatigue, and heart and respiratory rates in patients with

Variabilidad del patrón respiratorio durante la carga elástica inspiratoria Variability of breathing pattern during inspiratory elastic load

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Carlos E. D´Negri

2009-06-01

Full Text Available La ventilación pulmonar en humanos tiene una variabilidad respiración a respiración no lineal, compleja y caótica. El objetivo del trabajo fue: caracterizar la variabilidad del patrón respiratorio en perros (n: 8 anestesiados respirando bajo carga elástica umbral (CEU inspiratoria (7 a 50 cm H2O. Con el flujo, presión traqueal y esofágica, se analizaron: tiempo inspiratorio (Ti, ritmo [tiempo espiratorio (Te; tiempo total (Ttot, y Ti/Ttot] e impulso central (Vt/Ti, variables relacionadas [volumen corriente (Vt y ventilación pulmonar (Ve]. Se determinaron: variabilidad grosera (varianzas, oscilaciones de baja frecuencia (análisis espectral y memoria a corto plazo (análisis de autocorrelación. La CEU produjo disminución de la varianza de medias en Te, Ttot, Vt y Vt/Ti (p In humans, lung ventilation exhibits breath-to-breath variability and dynamics that are nonlinear, complex and chaotic. Our objective was to characterize the breathing pattern variational activity in anesthetized dogs (n: 8 breathing through threshold inspiratory elastic load (7 to 50 cm H2O. Starting from flow signal and tracheal and esophageal pressures, we analyzed inspiratory time (Ti, timing (expiratory time, Te; total time, Ttot; and Ti/Ttot and central drive (Vt/Ti and variables related to it (tidal volume, Vt and pulmonary ventilation, Ve. We measured gross variability (variances, low frequency oscillations (spectral analysis, and short term memory (autocorrelation analysis. Loading decreased variance of the mean values of Te, Ttot, Vt and Vt/Ti (p < 0.05; the mean of variances for Ti/Ttot increased (p < 0.005 while it decreased for Vt and Vt/Ti (p < 0.05. In general, percent of data recordings with low frequency oscillations (OB% decreased (p < 0.02. During heavy load, timing parameters percent of data recordings with autocorrelations (AU% did not change, but Vt and its related parameters decreased their AU% (p < 0.005. There was a positive correlation (r: 0

Is serial determination of inspiratory muscle strength a useful prognostic marker in chronic heart failure?

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Frankenstein, Lutz; Meyer, Franz Joachim; Sigg, Caroline; Nelles, Manfred; Schellberg, Dieter; Remppis, Andrew; Katus, Hugo A; Zugck, Christian

2008-04-01

Little data exists on the prognostic role of inspiratory muscle strength (PImax) in chronic heart failure (CHF). Training studies, however, frequently use it as a therapeutic target and surrogate marker for prognosis. The prognostic value of changes of PImax that allow this extrapolation is unknown. Patients with stable CHF were prospectively included and 1-year and all-time event rates recorded for endpoint analysis. In 158 patients (85% men; New York Heart Association functional class: 2.4+/-0.6), PImax was measured along with clinical evaluations at two visits, the initial visit and the second visit, 6.4+/-1.4 months apart. The mean follow-up was 59+/-34 months. Overall, 59 patients (37%) reached the primary endpoint of death or hospitalization (endpoint positive), and overall mortality rate (secondary endpoint) was 26% (42 patients). PImax did not differ between endpoint-negative and endpoint-positive patients, both at the initial and at the second visit (8.3+/-5.6 vs. 7.3+/-3.4 kPa and 8.8+/-6.0 vs. 7.9+/-3.6 kPa, respectively; P=NS), and both groups showed increased PImax (0.6+/-2.6 vs. 0.6+/-2.8 kPa; P=NS). Cox analyses found neither the absolute nor the relative change of PImax to be significant predictors for the primary and secondary endpoints (P=NS for both), both for the 1-year and for the all-time event rates. Endpoint rates did not differ between patients showing increasing or decreasing PImax (P=NS; relative risk (RR): 0.77; 95% confidence interval: 0.47-1.27). Trials focusing on inspiratory muscle function should use the actual levels of PImax as a surrogate marker to represent prognostic information, rather than relative or absolute changes. This is the first study to investigate the prognostic information of the changes of PImax over time, regarding both short-term and long-term morbidity and mortality in patients with stable CHF.

Whole-lung volume and density in spirometrically-gated inspiratory and expiratory CT in systemic sclerosis: correlation with static volumes at pulmonary function tests.

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Camiciottoli, G; Diciotti, S; Bartolucci, M; Orlandi, I; Bigazzi, F; Matucci-Cerinic, M; Pistolesi, M; Mascalchi, M

2013-03-01

Spiral low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) permits to measure whole-lung volume and density in a single breath-hold. To evaluate the agreement between static lung volumes measured with LDCT and pulmonary function test (PFT) and the correlation between the LDCT volumes and lung density in restrictive lung disease. Patients with Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) with (n = 24) and without (n = 16) pulmonary involvement on sequential thin-section CT and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)(n = 29) underwent spirometrically-gated LDCT at 90% and 10% of vital capacity to measure inspiratory and expiratory lung volumes and mean lung attenuation (MLA). Total lung capacity and residual volume were measured the same day of CT. Inspiratory [95% limits of agreement (95% LoA)--43.8% and 39.2%] and expiratory (95% LoA -45.8% and 37.1%) lung volumes measured on LDCT and PFT showed poor agreement in SSc patients with pulmonary involvement, whereas they were in substantial agreement (inspiratory 95% LoA -14.1% and 16.1%; expiratory 95% LoA -13.5% and 23%) in SSc patients without pulmonary involvement and in inspiratory scans only (95% LoA -23.1% and 20.9%) of COPD patients. Inspiratory and expiratory LDCT volumes, MLA and their deltas differentiated both SSc patients with or without pulmonary involvement from COPD patients. LDCT lung volumes and density were not correlated in SSc patients with pulmonary involvement, whereas they did correlate in SSc without pulmonary involvement and in COPD patients. In restrictive lung disease due to SSc there is poor agreement between static lung volumes measured using LDCT and PFT and the relationship between volume and density values on CT is altered.

Maximum likelihood window for time delay estimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Young Sup; Yoon, Dong Jin; Kim, Chi Yup

2004-01-01

Time delay estimation for the detection of leak location in underground pipelines is critically important. Because the exact leak location depends upon the precision of the time delay between sensor signals due to leak noise and the speed of elastic waves, the research on the estimation of time delay has been one of the key issues in leak lovating with the time arrival difference method. In this study, an optimal Maximum Likelihood window is considered to obtain a better estimation of the time delay. This method has been proved in experiments, which can provide much clearer and more precise peaks in cross-correlation functions of leak signals. The leak location error has been less than 1 % of the distance between sensors, for example the error was not greater than 3 m for 300 m long underground pipelines. Apart from the experiment, an intensive theoretical analysis in terms of signal processing has been described. The improved leak locating with the suggested method is due to the windowing effect in frequency domain, which offers a weighting in significant frequencies.

Utility of the inspiratory phase in high-resolution computed tomography evaluations of pediatric patients with bronchiolitis obliterans after allogeneic bone marrow transplant: reducing patient radiation exposure

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Togni Filho, Paulo Henrique; Casagrande, Joao Luiz Marin; Lederman, Henrique Manoel, E-mail: paulotognifilho@gmail.com [Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo (EPM/UNIFESP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Escola Paulista de Medicina. Dept. of Diagnostico por Imagem; Universidade de Sao Paulo (InRad/HC/FMUSP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Hospital das Clinicas. Instituto de Radiologia

2017-03-15

Objective: To evaluate the utility of the inspiratory phase in high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the chest for the diagnosis of post-bone marrow transplantation bronchiolitis obliterans. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective, observational, cross-sectional study. We selected patients of either gender who underwent bone marrow transplantation and chest HRCT between March 1, 2002 and December 12, 2014. Ages ranged from 3 months to 20.7 years. We included all examinations in which the HRCT was performed appropriately. The examinations were read by two radiologists, one with extensive experience in pediatric radiology and another in the third year of residency, who determined the presence or absence of the following imaging features: air trapping, bronchiectasis, alveolar opacities, nodules, and atelectasis. Results: A total of 222 examinations were evaluated (mean, 5.4 ± 4.5 examinations per patient). The expiratory phase findings were comparable to those obtained in the inspiratory phase, except in one patient, in whom a small uncharacteristic nodule was identified only in the inspiratory phase. Air trapping was identified in a larger number of scans in the expiratory phase than in the inspiratory phase, as was atelectasis, although the difference was statistically significant only for air trapping. Conclusion: In children being evaluated for post-bone marrow transplantation bronchiolitis obliterans, the inspiratory phase can be excluded from the chest HRCT protocol, thus reducing by half the radiation exposure in this population. (author)

Utility of the inspiratory phase in high-resolution computed tomography evaluations of pediatric patients with bronchiolitis obliterans after allogeneic bone marrow transplant: reducing patient radiation exposure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Togni Filho, Paulo Henrique; Casagrande, Joao Luiz Marin; Lederman, Henrique Manoel; Universidade de Sao Paulo

2017-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the utility of the inspiratory phase in high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the chest for the diagnosis of post-bone marrow transplantation bronchiolitis obliterans. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective, observational, cross-sectional study. We selected patients of either gender who underwent bone marrow transplantation and chest HRCT between March 1, 2002 and December 12, 2014. Ages ranged from 3 months to 20.7 years. We included all examinations in which the HRCT was performed appropriately. The examinations were read by two radiologists, one with extensive experience in pediatric radiology and another in the third year of residency, who determined the presence or absence of the following imaging features: air trapping, bronchiectasis, alveolar opacities, nodules, and atelectasis. Results: A total of 222 examinations were evaluated (mean, 5.4 ± 4.5 examinations per patient). The expiratory phase findings were comparable to those obtained in the inspiratory phase, except in one patient, in whom a small uncharacteristic nodule was identified only in the inspiratory phase. Air trapping was identified in a larger number of scans in the expiratory phase than in the inspiratory phase, as was atelectasis, although the difference was statistically significant only for air trapping. Conclusion: In children being evaluated for post-bone marrow transplantation bronchiolitis obliterans, the inspiratory phase can be excluded from the chest HRCT protocol, thus reducing by half the radiation exposure in this population. (author)

Reduced Inspiratory Muscle Strength in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Obstructive Sleep Apnoea

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rehling, Thomas; Banghoj, Anne Margareta; Kristiansen, Marie Hvelplund

2017-01-01

Background: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is related to type 2 diabetes (T2DM), and it may be associated with reduced inspiratory muscle strength (IMS). The aim of this study was to investigate the IMS in patients with T2DM, with or without OSA. Methods: Patients with T2DM with OSA (n = 33...

Maximum-likelihood methods for array processing based on time-frequency distributions

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Zhang, Yimin; Mu, Weifeng; Amin, Moeness G.

1999-11-01

This paper proposes a novel time-frequency maximum likelihood (t-f ML) method for direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation for non- stationary signals, and compares this method with conventional maximum likelihood DOA estimation techniques. Time-frequency distributions localize the signal power in the time-frequency domain, and as such enhance the effective SNR, leading to improved DOA estimation. The localization of signals with different t-f signatures permits the division of the time-frequency domain into smaller regions, each contains fewer signals than those incident on the array. The reduction of the number of signals within different time-frequency regions not only reduces the required number of sensors, but also decreases the computational load in multi- dimensional optimizations. Compared to the recently proposed time- frequency MUSIC (t-f MUSIC), the proposed t-f ML method can be applied in coherent environments, without the need to perform any type of preprocessing that is subject to both array geometry and array aperture.

TU-CD-BRA-11: Application of Bone Suppression Technique to Inspiratory/expiratory Chest Radiography

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Tanaka, R; Sanada, S [Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa (Japan); Sakuta, K; Kawashima, H [Kanazawa University Hospital, Kanazawa, Ishikawa (Japan); Kishitani, Y [TOYO Corporation, Chuoh-ku, Tokyo (Japan)

2015-06-15

Purpose: The bone suppression technique based on advanced image processing can suppress the conspicuity of bones on chest radiographs, creating soft tissue images normally obtained by the dual-energy subtraction technique. This study was performed to investigate the usefulness of bone suppression technique in quantitative analysis of pulmonary function in inspiratory/expiratory chest radiography. Methods: Commercial bone suppression image processing software (ClearRead; Riverain Technologies) was applied to paired inspiratory/expiratory chest radiographs of 107 patients (normal, 33; abnormal, 74) to create corresponding bone suppression images. The abnormal subjects had been diagnosed with pulmonary diseases, such as pneumothorax, pneumonia, emphysema, asthma, and lung cancer. After recognition of the lung area, the vectors of respiratory displacement were measured in all local lung areas using a cross-correlation technique. The measured displacement in each area was visualized as displacement color maps. The distribution pattern of respiratory displacement was assessed by comparison with the findings of lung scintigraphy. Results: Respiratory displacement of pulmonary markings (soft tissues) was able to be quantified separately from the rib movements on bone suppression images. The resulting displacement map showed a left-right symmetric distribution increasing from the lung apex to the bottom region of the lung in many cases. However, patients with ventilatory impairments showed a nonuniform distribution caused by decreased displacement of pulmonary markings, which were confirmed to correspond to area with ventilatory impairments found on the lung scintigrams. Conclusion: The bone suppression technique was useful for quantitative analysis of respiratory displacement of pulmonary markings without any interruption of the rib shadows. Abnormal areas could be detected as decreased displacement of pulmonary markings. Inspiratory/expiratory chest radiography combined

Influences of Duration of Inspiratory Effort, Respiratory Mechanics, and Ventilator Type on Asynchrony With Pressure Support and Proportional Assist Ventilation.

Science.gov (United States)

Vasconcelos, Renata S; Sales, Raquel P; Melo, Luíz H de P; Marinho, Liégina S; Bastos, Vasco Pd; Nogueira, Andréa da Nc; Ferreira, Juliana C; Holanda, Marcelo A

2017-05-01

Pressure support ventilation (PSV) is often associated with patient-ventilator asynchrony. Proportional assist ventilation (PAV) offers inspiratory assistance proportional to patient effort, minimizing patient-ventilator asynchrony. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of respiratory mechanics and patient effort on patient-ventilator asynchrony during PSV and PAV plus (PAV+). We used a mechanical lung simulator and studied 3 respiratory mechanics profiles (normal, obstructive, and restrictive), with variations in the duration of inspiratory effort: 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 s. The Auto-Trak system was studied in ventilators when available. Outcome measures included inspiratory trigger delay, expiratory trigger asynchrony, and tidal volume (V T ). Inspiratory trigger delay was greater in the obstructive respiratory mechanics profile and greatest with a effort of 2.0 s (160 ms); cycling asynchrony, particularly delayed cycling, was common in the obstructive profile, whereas the restrictive profile was associated with premature cycling. In comparison with PSV, PAV+ improved patient-ventilator synchrony, with a shorter triggering delay (28 ms vs 116 ms) and no cycling asynchrony in the restrictive profile. V T was lower with PAV+ than with PSV (630 mL vs 837 mL), as it was with the single-limb circuit ventilator (570 mL vs 837 mL). PAV+ mode was associated with longer cycling delays than were the other ventilation modes, especially for the obstructive profile and higher effort values. Auto-Trak eliminated automatic triggering. Mechanical ventilation asynchrony was influenced by effort, respiratory mechanics, ventilator type, and ventilation mode. In PSV mode, delayed cycling was associated with shorter effort in obstructive respiratory mechanics profiles, whereas premature cycling was more common with longer effort and a restrictive profile. PAV+ prevented premature cycling but not delayed cycling, especially in obstructive respiratory mechanics

Impaired cortical processing of inspiratory loads in children with chronic respiratory defects

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Clément Annick

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Inspiratory occlusion evoked cortical potentials (the respiratory related-evoked potentials, RREPs bear witness of the processing of changes in respiratory mechanics by the brain. Their impairment in children having suffered near-fatal asthma supports the hypothesis that relates asthma severity with the ability of the patients to perceive respiratory changes. It is not known whether or not chronic respiratory defects are associated with an alteration in brain processing of inspiratory loads. The aim of the present study was to compare the presence, the latencies and the amplitudes of the P1, N1, P2, and N2 components of the RREPs in children with chronic lung or neuromuscular disease. Methods RREPs were recorded in patients with stable asthma (n = 21, cystic fibrosis (n = 32, and neuromuscular disease (n = 16 and in healthy controls (n = 11. Results The 4 RREP components were significantly less frequently observed in the 3 groups of patients than in the controls. Within the patient groups, the N1 and the P2 components were significantly less frequently observed in the patients with asthma (16/21 for both components and cystic fibrosis (20/32 and 14/32 than in the patients with neuromuscular disease (15/16 and 16/16. When present, the latencies and amplitudes of the 4 components were similar in the patients and controls. Conclusion Chronic ventilatory defects in children are associated with an impaired cortical processing of afferent respiratory signals.

Expiratory timing in obstructive sleep apnoeas.

Science.gov (United States)

Cibella, F; Marrone, O; Sanci, S; Bellia, V; Bonsignore, G

1990-03-01

Diaphragmatic electromyogram was recorded during NREM sleep in 4 patients affected by obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) syndrome in order to evaluate the behaviour of expiratory time (TE) in the course of the obstructive apnoea-ventilation cycle. The two components of TE, i.e. time of post-inspiratory inspiratory activity (TPIIA) and time of expiratory phase 2 (TE2) were separately analysed. TPIIA showed a short duration, with only minor variations, within the apnoea, while its duration was more variable and longer in the interapnoeic periods: the longest TPIIA values were associated with the highest inspiratory volumes in the same breaths. This behaviour seemed regulated according to the need of a more or less effective expiratory flow braking, probably as a result of pulmonary stretch receptors discharge. Conversely TE2 showed a continuous gradual modulation, progressively increasing in the pre-apnoeic period, decreasing during the apnoea and increasing in the post-apnoeic period: these TE2 variations seemed related to oscillations in chemical drive. These data show that TE in the obstructive apnoea-ventilation cycle results from a different modulation in its two components and suggest that both mechanical and chemical influences play a role in its overall duration.

Local Times of Galactic Cosmic Ray Intensity Maximum and Minimum in the Diurnal Variation

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Su Yeon Oh

2006-06-01

Full Text Available The Diurnal variation of galactic cosmic ray (GCR flux intensity observed by the ground Neutron Monitor (NM shows a sinusoidal pattern with the amplitude of 1sim 2 % of daily mean. We carried out a statistical study on tendencies of the local times of GCR intensity daily maximum and minimum. To test the influences of the solar activity and the location (cut-off rigidity on the distribution in the local times of maximum and minimum GCR intensity, we have examined the data of 1996 (solar minimum and 2000 (solar maximum at the low-latitude Haleakala (latitude: 20.72 N, cut-off rigidity: 12.91 GeV and the high-latitude Oulu (latitude: 65.05 N, cut-off rigidity: 0.81 GeV NM stations. The most frequent local times of the GCR intensity daily maximum and minimum come later about 2sim3 hours in the solar activity maximum year 2000 than in the solar activity minimum year 1996. Oulu NM station whose cut-off rigidity is smaller has the most frequent local times of the GCR intensity maximum and minimum later by 2sim3 hours from those of Haleakala station. This feature is more evident at the solar maximum. The phase of the daily variation in GCR is dependent upon the interplanetary magnetic field varying with the solar activity and the cut-off rigidity varying with the geographic latitude.

Peripheral chemoreceptors tune inspiratory drive via tonic expiratory neuron hubs in the medullary ventral respiratory column network.

Science.gov (United States)

Segers, L S; Nuding, S C; Ott, M M; Dean, J B; Bolser, D C; O'Connor, R; Morris, K F; Lindsey, B G

2015-01-01

Models of brain stem ventral respiratory column (VRC) circuits typically emphasize populations of neurons, each active during a particular phase of the respiratory cycle. We have proposed that "tonic" pericolumnar expiratory (t-E) neurons tune breathing during baroreceptor-evoked reductions and central chemoreceptor-evoked enhancements of inspiratory (I) drive. The aims of this study were to further characterize the coordinated activity of t-E neurons and test the hypothesis that peripheral chemoreceptors also modulate drive via inhibition of t-E neurons and disinhibition of their inspiratory neuron targets. Spike trains of 828 VRC neurons were acquired by multielectrode arrays along with phrenic nerve signals from 22 decerebrate, vagotomized, neuromuscularly blocked, artificially ventilated adult cats. Forty-eight of 191 t-E neurons fired synchronously with another t-E neuron as indicated by cross-correlogram central peaks; 32 of the 39 synchronous pairs were elements of groups with mutual pairwise correlations. Gravitational clustering identified fluctuations in t-E neuron synchrony. A network model supported the prediction that inhibitory populations with spike synchrony reduce target neuron firing probabilities, resulting in offset or central correlogram troughs. In five animals, stimulation of carotid chemoreceptors evoked changes in the firing rates of 179 of 240 neurons. Thirty-two neuron pairs had correlogram troughs consistent with convergent and divergent t-E inhibition of I cells and disinhibitory enhancement of drive. Four of 10 t-E neurons that responded to sequential stimulation of peripheral and central chemoreceptors triggered 25 cross-correlograms with offset features. The results support the hypothesis that multiple afferent systems dynamically tune inspiratory drive in part via coordinated t-E neurons. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

Effects of body temperature, passive limb motion and level of anesthesia on the activity of the inspiratory muscles.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Angelo, E

1984-04-01

The relationships between relative tidal activity (moving average EMG) of the diaphragm (AdiT) and of the external intercostal or parasternal muscles (AicT) and between the rate of rise of these activities (Adi and Aic) were assessed during rebreathing in rabbits with various body temperatures (BT: 34-41 degrees C) before and after vagotomy (VGT), at rest and during passive limb motion (PLM), and in vagotomized rabbits with or without thoracic dorsal rhizotomy (TDR) under light (LBA) or deep barbiturate anesthesia (DBA). Both relationships had the form AicT = a AdiTb and Aic = a' Adib'. In intact normothermic animals under LBA mean values for b and b' were 1.47 and 1.37, a and a' being unity by definition. No changes in b or b' occurred even with TDR: this suggests that the relation between the central command to phrenic and to inspiratory intercostal alpha-motoneurones was the same under all conditions. Neither BT nor PLM modified a', but a changed owing to BT and PLM dependence of the relation between central inspiratory drive and off-switch threshold. Both VGT, independently of BT, and DBA decreased a and a' before but not after TDR, when a and a' reached the lowest values (0.12 and 0.22). Hence VGT and DBA, but not BT and PLM, change the relation between the central command to inspiratory intercostal alpha- and gamma-motoneurones, the multiplicative effect of alpha-gamma linkage on AicT and Aic being prevented by TDR.

Maximum time-dependent space-charge limited diode currents

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Griswold, M. E. [Tri Alpha Energy, Inc., Rancho Santa Margarita, California 92688 (United States); Fisch, N. J. [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08543 (United States)

2016-01-15

Recent papers claim that a one dimensional (1D) diode with a time-varying voltage drop can transmit current densities that exceed the Child-Langmuir (CL) limit on average, apparently contradicting a previous conjecture that there is a hard limit on the average current density across any 1D diode, as t → ∞, that is equal to the CL limit. However, these claims rest on a different definition of the CL limit, namely, a comparison between the time-averaged diode current and the adiabatic average of the expression for the stationary CL limit. If the current were considered as a function of the maximum applied voltage, rather than the average applied voltage, then the original conjecture would not have been refuted.

The Maximum Entropy Method for Optical Spectrum Analysis of Real-Time TDDFT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toogoshi, M; Kano, S S; Zempo, Y

2015-01-01

The maximum entropy method (MEM) is one of the key techniques for spectral analysis. The major feature is that spectra in the low frequency part can be described by the short time-series data. Thus, we applied MEM to analyse the spectrum from the time dependent dipole moment obtained from the time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculation in real time. It is intensively studied for computing optical properties. In the MEM analysis, however, the maximum lag of the autocorrelation is restricted by the total number of time-series data. We proposed that, as an improved MEM analysis, we use the concatenated data set made from the several-times repeated raw data. We have applied this technique to the spectral analysis of the TDDFT dipole moment of ethylene and oligo-fluorene with n = 8. As a result, the higher resolution can be obtained, which is closer to that of FT with practically time-evoluted data as the same total number of time steps. The efficiency and the characteristic feature of this technique are presented in this paper. (paper)

Cigarette smoking decreases dynamic inspiratory capacity during maximal exercise in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kitahara, Yoshihiro; Hattori, Noboru; Yokoyama, Akihito; Yamane, Kiminori; Sekikawa, Kiyokazu; Inamizu, Tsutomu; Kohno, Nobuoki

2012-06-01

To investigate the influence of cigarette smoking on exercise capacity, respiratory responses and dynamic changes in lung volume during exercise in patients with type 2 diabetes. Forty-one men with type, 2 diabetes without cardiopulmonary disease were recruited and divided into 28 non-current smokers and 13 current smokers. All subjects received lung function tests and cardiopulmonary exercise testing using tracings of the flow-volume loop. Exercise capacity was compared using the percentage of predicted oxygen uptake at maximal workload (%VO2max). Respiratory variables and inspiratory capacity (IC) were compared between the two groups at rest and at 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100% of maximum workload. Although there was no significant difference in lung function tests between the two groups, venous carboxyhemoglobin (CO-Hb) levels were significantly higher in current smokers. %VO2max was inversely correlated with CO-Hb levels. Changing patterns in respiratory rate, respiratory equivalent and IC were significantly different between the two groups. Current smokers had rapid breathing, a greater respiratory equivalent and a limited increase in IC during exercise. Cigarette smoking diminishes the increase in dynamic IC in patients with type 2 diabetes. As this effect of smoking on dynamic changes in lung volume will exacerbate dynamic hyperinflation in cases complicated by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, physicians should consider smoking habits and lung function when evaluating exercise capacity in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Diaphragm muscle fiber dysfunction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: toward a pathophysiological concept.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ottenheijm, C.A.C.; Heunks, L.M.A.; Dekhuijzen, P.N.R.

2007-01-01

Inspiratory muscle weakness in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is of major clinical relevance; maximum inspiratory pressure generation is an independent determinant of survival in severe COPD. Traditionally, inspiratory muscle weakness has been ascribed to

Diaphragm adaptations in patients with COPD.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ottenheijm, C.A.C.; Heunks, L.M.A.; Dekhuijzen, P.N.R.

2008-01-01

Inspiratory muscle weakness in patients with COPD is of major clinical relevance. For instance, maximum inspiratory pressure generation is an independent determinant of survival in severe COPD. Traditionally, inspiratory muscle weakness has been ascribed to hyperinflation-induced diaphragm

A polynomial time algorithm for solving the maximum flow problem in directed networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tlas, M.

2015-01-01

An efficient polynomial time algorithm for solving maximum flow problems has been proposed in this paper. The algorithm is basically based on the binary representation of capacities; it solves the maximum flow problem as a sequence of O(m) shortest path problems on residual networks with nodes and m arcs. It runs in O(m"2r) time, where is the smallest integer greater than or equal to log B , and B is the largest arc capacity of the network. A numerical example has been illustrated using this proposed algorithm.(author)

Treinamento de músculos inspiratórios em pacientes com quadriplegia Inspiratory muscle training in quadriplegic patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janne Marques Silveira

2010-06-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Determinar se o treinamento de músculos inspiratórios pode aumentar a força e endurance desses músculos em pacientes com quadriplegia. MÉTODOS: Oito pacientes quadriplégicos (7 homens e 1 mulher com lesão medular cervical entre C4 e C7 foram submetidos ao treinamento de músculos inspiratórios utilizando-se um resistor de carga linear ajustado em 30% da PImáx. As sessões de treinamento foram realizadas com os pacientes sentados 5 vezes por semana por 8 semanas. Tempo de endurance, PImáx, PEmáx e CVF foram medidos antes do treinamento e nas semanas 4 e 8. RESULTADOS: Em comparação ao valor basal médio, houve um aumento da PImáx, mensurada na posição sentada, nas semanas 4 e 8 (-83,0 ± 18,9 cmH2O vs. -104,0 ± 19,4 e -111,3 ± 22,7 cmH2O. Houve aumento da PEmáx, também na posição sentada, na semana 4 (de 36,8 ± 8,1 a 42,6 ± 8,8 cmH2O. Houve uma melhora na FVC na 4ª semana (de 2,1 ± 0,8 a 2,5 ± 0,6 L, representando um incremento de 24 ± 22%. O tempo de endurance (sentado não apresentou um aumento significativo entre o momento basal e a semana 8 (29,8 ± 21,0 min vs. 35,9 ± 15,5 min; aumento de 173 ± 233%. CONCLUSÕES: Pacientes com quadriplegia podem se beneficiar com o treinamento com baixas cargas (30% da PImáx, com melhora da força dos músculos inspiratórios, CVF e efetividade dos músculos expiratórios.OBJECTIVE: To determine whether inspiratory muscle training can increase strength and endurance of these muscles in quadriplegic patients. METHODS: Eight quadriplegic patients (7 males and 1 female with injury to the lower cervical spine (segments C4-C7 were submitted to inspiratory muscle training with a threshold inspiratory muscle trainer adjusted to 30% of MIP. The training sessions were carried out with the patients in a sitting position, 5 days a week for 8 weeks. Endurance time, MIP, MEP and FVC were determined at baseline, week 4 and week 8. RESULTS: In comparison with the mean baseline value

Segmentation of expiratory and inspiratory sounds in baby cry audio recordings using hidden Markov models.

Science.gov (United States)

Aucouturier, Jean-Julien; Nonaka, Yulri; Katahira, Kentaro; Okanoya, Kazuo

2011-11-01

The paper describes an application of machine learning techniques to identify expiratory and inspiration phases from the audio recording of human baby cries. Crying episodes were recorded from 14 infants, spanning four vocalization contexts in their first 12 months of age; recordings from three individuals were annotated manually to identify expiratory and inspiratory sounds and used as training examples to segment automatically the recordings of the other 11 individuals. The proposed algorithm uses a hidden Markov model architecture, in which state likelihoods are estimated either with Gaussian mixture models or by converting the classification decisions of a support vector machine. The algorithm yields up to 95% classification precision (86% average), and its ability generalizes over different babies, different ages, and vocalization contexts. The technique offers an opportunity to quantify expiration duration, count the crying rate, and other time-related characteristics of baby crying for screening, diagnosis, and research purposes over large populations of infants.

A method of estimating inspiratory flow rate and volume from an inhaler using acoustic measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holmes, Martin S; D'Arcy, Shona; O'Brien, Ultan; Reilly, Richard B; Seheult, Jansen N; Geraghty, Colm; Costello, Richard W; Crispino O'Connell, Gloria

2013-01-01

Inhalers are devices employed to deliver medication to the airways in the treatment of respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A dry powder inhaler (DPI) is a breath actuated inhaler that delivers medication in dry powder form. When used correctly, DPIs improve patients' clinical outcomes. However, some patients are unable to reach the peak inspiratory flow rate (PIFR) necessary to fully extract the medication. Presently clinicians have no reliable method of objectively measuring PIFR in inhalers. In this study, we propose a novel method of estimating PIFR and also the inspiratory capacity (IC) of patients' inhalations from a commonly used DPI, using acoustic measurements. With a recording device, the acoustic signal of 15 healthy subjects using a DPI over a range of varying PIFR and IC values was obtained. Temporal and spectral signal analysis revealed that the inhalation signal contains sufficient information that can be employed to estimate PIFR and IC. It was found that the average power (P ave ) in the frequency band 300–600 Hz had the strongest correlation with PIFR (R 2 = 0.9079), while the power in the same frequency band was also highly correlated with IC (R 2 = 0.9245). This study has several clinical implications as it demonstrates the feasibility of using acoustics to objectively monitor inhaler use. (paper)

An implementation of the maximum-caliber principle by replica-averaged time-resolved restrained simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Capelli, Riccardo; Tiana, Guido; Camilloni, Carlo

2018-05-14

Inferential methods can be used to integrate experimental informations and molecular simulations. The maximum entropy principle provides a framework for using equilibrium experimental data, and it has been shown that replica-averaged simulations, restrained using a static potential, are a practical and powerful implementation of such a principle. Here we show that replica-averaged simulations restrained using a time-dependent potential are equivalent to the principle of maximum caliber, the dynamic version of the principle of maximum entropy, and thus may allow us to integrate time-resolved data in molecular dynamics simulations. We provide an analytical proof of the equivalence as well as a computational validation making use of simple models and synthetic data. Some limitations and possible solutions are also discussed.

Linear Time Local Approximation Algorithm for Maximum Stable Marriage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zoltán Király

2013-08-01

Full Text Available We consider a two-sided market under incomplete preference lists with ties, where the goal is to find a maximum size stable matching. The problem is APX-hard, and a 3/2-approximation was given by McDermid [1]. This algorithm has a non-linear running time, and, more importantly needs global knowledge of all preference lists. We present a very natural, economically reasonable, local, linear time algorithm with the same ratio, using some ideas of Paluch [2]. In this algorithm every person make decisions using only their own list, and some information asked from members of these lists (as in the case of the famous algorithm of Gale and Shapley. Some consequences to the Hospitals/Residents problem are also discussed.

49 CFR 398.6 - Hours of service of drivers; maximum driving time.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... REGULATIONS TRANSPORTATION OF MIGRANT WORKERS § 398.6 Hours of service of drivers; maximum driving time. No person shall drive nor shall any motor carrier permit or require a driver employed or used by it to drive...

The Research of Car-Following Model Based on Real-Time Maximum Deceleration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Longhai Yang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper is concerned with the effect of real-time maximum deceleration in car-following. The real-time maximum acceleration is estimated with vehicle dynamics. It is known that an intelligent driver model (IDM can control adaptive cruise control (ACC well. The disadvantages of IDM at high and constant speed are analyzed. A new car-following model which is applied to ACC is established accordingly to modify the desired minimum gap and structure of the IDM. We simulated the new car-following model and IDM under two different kinds of road conditions. In the first, the vehicles drive on a single road, taking dry asphalt road as the example in this paper. In the second, vehicles drive onto a different road, and this paper analyzed the situation in which vehicles drive from a dry asphalt road onto an icy road. From the simulation, we found that the new car-following model can not only ensure driving security and comfort but also control the steady driving of the vehicle with a smaller time headway than IDM.

A theory of timing in scintillation counters based on maximum likelihood estimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomitani, Takehiro

1982-01-01

A theory of timing in scintillation counters based on the maximum likelihood estimation is presented. An optimum filter that minimizes the variance of timing is described. A simple formula to estimate the variance of timing is presented as a function of photoelectron number, scintillation decay constant and the single electron transit time spread in the photomultiplier. The present method was compared with the theory by E. Gatti and V. Svelto. The proposed method was applied to two simple models and rough estimations of potential time resolution of several scintillators are given. The proposed method is applicable to the timing in Cerenkov counters and semiconductor detectors as well. (author)

Inspiratory Capacity during Exercise: Measurement, Analysis, and Interpretation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jordan A. Guenette

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET is an established method for evaluating dyspnea and ventilatory abnormalities. Ventilatory reserve is typically assessed as the ratio of peak exercise ventilation to maximal voluntary ventilation. Unfortunately, this crude assessment provides limited data on the factors that limit the normal ventilatory response to exercise. Additional measurements can provide a more comprehensive evaluation of respiratory mechanical constraints during CPET (e.g., expiratory flow limitation and operating lung volumes. These measurements are directly dependent on an accurate assessment of inspiratory capacity (IC throughout rest and exercise. Despite the valuable insight that the IC provides, there are no established recommendations on how to perform the maneuver during exercise and how to analyze and interpret the data. Accordingly, the purpose of this manuscript is to comprehensively examine a number of methodological issues related to the measurement, analysis, and interpretation of the IC. We will also briefly discuss IC responses to exercise in health and disease and will consider how various therapeutic interventions influence the IC, particularly in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Our main conclusion is that IC measurements are both reproducible and responsive to therapy and provide important information on the mechanisms of dyspnea and exercise limitation during CPET.

On the maximum-entropy/autoregressive modeling of time series

Science.gov (United States)

Chao, B. F.

1984-01-01

The autoregressive (AR) model of a random process is interpreted in the light of the Prony's relation which relates a complex conjugate pair of poles of the AR process in the z-plane (or the z domain) on the one hand, to the complex frequency of one complex harmonic function in the time domain on the other. Thus the AR model of a time series is one that models the time series as a linear combination of complex harmonic functions, which include pure sinusoids and real exponentials as special cases. An AR model is completely determined by its z-domain pole configuration. The maximum-entropy/autogressive (ME/AR) spectrum, defined on the unit circle of the z-plane (or the frequency domain), is nothing but a convenient, but ambiguous visual representation. It is asserted that the position and shape of a spectral peak is determined by the corresponding complex frequency, and the height of the spectral peak contains little information about the complex amplitude of the complex harmonic functions.

Unidirectional Expiratory Valve Method to Assess Maximal Inspiratory Pressure in Individuals without Artificial Airway.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samantha Torres Grams

Full Text Available Maximal Inspiratory Pressure (MIP is considered an effective method to estimate strength of inspiratory muscles, but still leads to false positive diagnosis. Although MIP assessment with unidirectional expiratory valve method has been used in patients undergoing mechanical ventilation, no previous studies investigated the application of this method in subjects without artificial airway.This study aimed to compare the MIP values assessed by standard method (MIPsta and by unidirectional expiratory valve method (MIPuni in subjects with spontaneous breathing without artificial airway. MIPuni reproducibility was also evaluated.This was a crossover design study, and 31 subjects performed MIPsta and MIPuni in a random order. MIPsta measured MIP maintaining negative pressure for at least one second after forceful expiration. MIPuni evaluated MIP using a unidirectional expiratory valve attached to a face mask and was conducted by two evaluators (A and B at two moments (Tests 1 and 2 to determine interobserver and intraobserver reproducibility of MIP values. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC[2,1] was used to determine intraobserver and interobserver reproducibility.The mean values for MIPuni were 14.3% higher (-117.3 ± 24.8 cmH2O than the mean values for MIPsta (-102.5 ± 23.9 cmH2O (p<0.001. Interobserver reproducibility assessment showed very high correlation for Test 1 (ICC[2,1] = 0.91, and high correlation for Test 2 (ICC[2,1] = 0.88. The assessment of the intraobserver reproducibility showed high correlation for evaluator A (ICC[2,1] = 0.86 and evaluator B (ICC[2,1] = 0.77.MIPuni presented higher values when compared with MIPsta and proved to be reproducible in subjects with spontaneous breathing without artificial airway.

STATIONARITY OF ANNUAL MAXIMUM DAILY STREAMFLOW TIME SERIES IN SOUTH-EAST BRAZILIAN RIVERS

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Jorge Machado Damázio

2015-08-01

Full Text Available DOI: 10.12957/cadest.2014.18302The paper presents a statistical analysis of annual maxima daily streamflow between 1931 and 2013 in South-East Brazil focused in detecting and modelling non-stationarity aspects. Flood protection for the large valleys in South-East Brazil is provided by multiple purpose reservoir systems built during 20th century, which design and operation plans has been done assuming stationarity of historical flood time series. Land cover changes and rapidly-increasing level of atmosphere greenhouse gases of the last century may be affecting flood regimes in these valleys so that it can be that nonstationary modelling should be applied to re-asses dam safety and flood control operation rules at the existent reservoir system. Six annual maximum daily streamflow time series are analysed. The time series were plotted together with fitted smooth loess functions and non-parametric statistical tests are performed to check the significance of apparent trends shown by the plots. Non-stationarity is modelled by fitting univariate extreme value distribution functions which location varies linearly with time. Stationarity and non-stationarity modelling are compared with the likelihood ratio statistic. In four of the six analyzed time series non-stationarity modelling outperformed stationarity modelling.Keywords: Stationarity; Extreme Value Distributions; Flood Frequency Analysis; Maximum Likelihood Method.

Statistics of the first passage time of Brownian motion conditioned by maximum value or area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kearney, Michael J; Majumdar, Satya N

2014-01-01

We derive the moments of the first passage time for Brownian motion conditioned by either the maximum value or the area swept out by the motion. These quantities are the natural counterparts to the moments of the maximum value and area of Brownian excursions of fixed duration, which we also derive for completeness within the same mathematical framework. Various applications are indicated. (paper)

Maximum-principle-satisfying space-time conservation element and solution element scheme applied to compressible multifluids

KAUST Repository

Shen, Hua; Wen, Chih-Yung; Parsani, Matteo; Shu, Chi-Wang

2016-01-01

A maximum-principle-satisfying space-time conservation element and solution element (CE/SE) scheme is constructed to solve a reduced five-equation model coupled with the stiffened equation of state for compressible multifluids. We first derive a sufficient condition for CE/SE schemes to satisfy maximum-principle when solving a general conservation law. And then we introduce a slope limiter to ensure the sufficient condition which is applicative for both central and upwind CE/SE schemes. Finally, we implement the upwind maximum-principle-satisfying CE/SE scheme to solve the volume-fraction-based five-equation model for compressible multifluids. Several numerical examples are carried out to carefully examine the accuracy, efficiency, conservativeness and maximum-principle-satisfying property of the proposed approach.

Maximum-principle-satisfying space-time conservation element and solution element scheme applied to compressible multifluids

KAUST Repository

Shen, Hua

2016-10-19

A maximum-principle-satisfying space-time conservation element and solution element (CE/SE) scheme is constructed to solve a reduced five-equation model coupled with the stiffened equation of state for compressible multifluids. We first derive a sufficient condition for CE/SE schemes to satisfy maximum-principle when solving a general conservation law. And then we introduce a slope limiter to ensure the sufficient condition which is applicative for both central and upwind CE/SE schemes. Finally, we implement the upwind maximum-principle-satisfying CE/SE scheme to solve the volume-fraction-based five-equation model for compressible multifluids. Several numerical examples are carried out to carefully examine the accuracy, efficiency, conservativeness and maximum-principle-satisfying property of the proposed approach.

Real time estimation of photovoltaic modules characteristics and its application to maximum power point operation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garrigos, Ausias; Blanes, Jose M.; Carrasco, Jose A. [Area de Tecnologia Electronica, Universidad Miguel Hernandez de Elche, Avda. de la Universidad s/n, 03202 Elche, Alicante (Spain); Ejea, Juan B. [Departamento de Ingenieria Electronica, Universidad de Valencia, Avda. Dr Moliner 50, 46100 Valencia, Valencia (Spain)

2007-05-15

In this paper, an approximate curve fitting method for photovoltaic modules is presented. The operation is based on solving a simple solar cell electrical model by a microcontroller in real time. Only four voltage and current coordinates are needed to obtain the solar module parameters and set its operation at maximum power in any conditions of illumination and temperature. Despite its simplicity, this method is suitable for low cost real time applications, as control loop reference generator in photovoltaic maximum power point circuits. The theory that supports the estimator together with simulations and experimental results are presented. (author)

Maximum Lateness Scheduling on Two-Person Cooperative Games with Variable Processing Times and Common Due Date

OpenAIRE

Liu, Peng; Wang, Xiaoli

2017-01-01

A new maximum lateness scheduling model in which both cooperative games and variable processing times exist simultaneously is considered in this paper. The job variable processing time is described by an increasing or a decreasing function dependent on the position of a job in the sequence. Two persons have to cooperate in order to process a set of jobs. Each of them has a single machine and their processing cost is defined as the minimum value of maximum lateness. All jobs have a common due ...

Nutritional status is related to fat-free mass, exercise capacity and inspiratory strength in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pollyane Galinari Sabino

2010-01-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Being overweight or obese is associated with a higher rate of survival in patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD. This paradoxical relationship indicates that the influence of nutritional status on functional parameters should be further investigated. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of nutritional status on body composition, exercise capacity and respiratory muscle strength in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients. METHODS: Thirty-two patients (nine women were divided into three groups according to their body mass indices (BMI: overweight/obese (25 < BMI < 34.9 kg/m², n=8, normal weight (18.5 < BMI < 24.9 kg/m², n=17 and underweight (BMI <18.5 kg/m², n=7. Spirometry, bioelectrical impedance, a six-minute walking distance test and maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures were assessed. RESULTS: Airway obstruction was similar among the groups (p=0.30; however, overweight/obese patients had a higher fat-free mass (FFM index [FFMI=FFM/body weight² (mean±SEM: 17±0.3 vs. 15±0.3 vs. 14±0.5 m/kg², p<0.01], exercise capacity (90±8 vs. 79±6 vs. 57±8 m, p=0.02 and maximal inspiratory pressure (63±7 vs. 57±5 vs. 35±8 % predicted, p=0.03 in comparison to normal weight and underweight patients, respectively. In addition, on backward multiple regression analysis, FFMI was the unique independent predictor of exercise capacity (partial r=0.52, p<0.01. CONCLUSIONS: Severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD patients who were overweight or obese had a greater FFM, exercise capacity and inspiratory muscle strength than patients with the same degree of airflow obstruction who were of normal weight or underweight, and higher FFM was independently associated with higher exercise capacity. These characteristics of overweight or obese patients might counteract the drawbacks of excess weight and lead to an improved prognosis in COPD.

Time Reversal Migration for Passive Sources Using a Maximum Variance Imaging Condition

KAUST Repository

Wang, H.; Alkhalifah, Tariq Ali

2017-01-01

The conventional time-reversal imaging approach for micro-seismic or passive source location is based on focusing the back-propagated wavefields from each recorded trace in a source image. It suffers from strong background noise and limited acquisition aperture, which may create unexpected artifacts and cause error in the source location. To overcome such a problem, we propose a new imaging condition for microseismic imaging, which is based on comparing the amplitude variance in certain windows, and use it to suppress the artifacts as well as find the right location for passive sources. Instead of simply searching for the maximum energy point in the back-propagated wavefield, we calculate the amplitude variances over a window moving in both space and time axis to create a highly resolved passive event image. The variance operation has negligible cost compared with the forward/backward modeling operations, which reveals that the maximum variance imaging condition is efficient and effective. We test our approach numerically on a simple three-layer model and on a piece of the Marmousi model as well, both of which have shown reasonably good results.

Time Reversal Migration for Passive Sources Using a Maximum Variance Imaging Condition

KAUST Repository

Wang, H.

2017-05-26

The conventional time-reversal imaging approach for micro-seismic or passive source location is based on focusing the back-propagated wavefields from each recorded trace in a source image. It suffers from strong background noise and limited acquisition aperture, which may create unexpected artifacts and cause error in the source location. To overcome such a problem, we propose a new imaging condition for microseismic imaging, which is based on comparing the amplitude variance in certain windows, and use it to suppress the artifacts as well as find the right location for passive sources. Instead of simply searching for the maximum energy point in the back-propagated wavefield, we calculate the amplitude variances over a window moving in both space and time axis to create a highly resolved passive event image. The variance operation has negligible cost compared with the forward/backward modeling operations, which reveals that the maximum variance imaging condition is efficient and effective. We test our approach numerically on a simple three-layer model and on a piece of the Marmousi model as well, both of which have shown reasonably good results.

Model-based setting of inspiratory pressure and respiratory rate in pressure-controlled ventilation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schranz, C; Möller, K; Becher, T; Schädler, D; Weiler, N

2014-01-01

Mechanical ventilation carries the risk of ventilator-induced-lung-injury (VILI). To minimize the risk of VILI, ventilator settings should be adapted to the individual patient properties. Mathematical models of respiratory mechanics are able to capture the individual physiological condition and can be used to derive personalized ventilator settings. This paper presents model-based calculations of inspiration pressure (p I ), inspiration and expiration time (t I , t E ) in pressure-controlled ventilation (PCV) and a retrospective evaluation of its results in a group of mechanically ventilated patients. Incorporating the identified first order model of respiratory mechanics in the basic equation of alveolar ventilation yielded a nonlinear relation between ventilation parameters during PCV. Given this patient-specific relation, optimized settings in terms of minimal p I and adequate t E can be obtained. We then retrospectively analyzed data from 16 ICU patients with mixed pathologies, whose ventilation had been previously optimized by ICU physicians with the goal of minimization of inspiration pressure, and compared the algorithm's ‘optimized’ settings to the settings that had been chosen by the physicians. The presented algorithm visualizes the patient-specific relations between inspiration pressure and inspiration time. The algorithm's calculated results highly correlate to the physician's ventilation settings with r = 0.975 for the inspiration pressure, and r = 0.902 for the inspiration time. The nonlinear patient-specific relations of ventilation parameters become transparent and support the determination of individualized ventilator settings according to therapeutic goals. Thus, the algorithm is feasible for a variety of ventilated ICU patients and has the potential of improving lung-protective ventilation by minimizing inspiratory pressures and by helping to avoid the build-up of clinically significant intrinsic positive end

Model-based setting of inspiratory pressure and respiratory rate in pressure-controlled ventilation.

Science.gov (United States)

Schranz, C; Becher, T; Schädler, D; Weiler, N; Möller, K

2014-03-01

Mechanical ventilation carries the risk of ventilator-induced-lung-injury (VILI). To minimize the risk of VILI, ventilator settings should be adapted to the individual patient properties. Mathematical models of respiratory mechanics are able to capture the individual physiological condition and can be used to derive personalized ventilator settings. This paper presents model-based calculations of inspiration pressure (pI), inspiration and expiration time (tI, tE) in pressure-controlled ventilation (PCV) and a retrospective evaluation of its results in a group of mechanically ventilated patients. Incorporating the identified first order model of respiratory mechanics in the basic equation of alveolar ventilation yielded a nonlinear relation between ventilation parameters during PCV. Given this patient-specific relation, optimized settings in terms of minimal pI and adequate tE can be obtained. We then retrospectively analyzed data from 16 ICU patients with mixed pathologies, whose ventilation had been previously optimized by ICU physicians with the goal of minimization of inspiration pressure, and compared the algorithm's 'optimized' settings to the settings that had been chosen by the physicians. The presented algorithm visualizes the patient-specific relations between inspiration pressure and inspiration time. The algorithm's calculated results highly correlate to the physician's ventilation settings with r = 0.975 for the inspiration pressure, and r = 0.902 for the inspiration time. The nonlinear patient-specific relations of ventilation parameters become transparent and support the determination of individualized ventilator settings according to therapeutic goals. Thus, the algorithm is feasible for a variety of ventilated ICU patients and has the potential of improving lung-protective ventilation by minimizing inspiratory pressures and by helping to avoid the build-up of clinically significant intrinsic positive end-expiratory pressure.

Time at which the maximum of a random acceleration process is reached

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Majumdar, Satya N; Rosso, Alberto; Zoia, Andrea

2010-01-01

We study the random acceleration model, which is perhaps one of the simplest, yet nontrivial, non-Markov stochastic processes, and is key to many applications. For this non-Markov process, we present exact analytical results for the probability density p(t m |T) of the time t m at which the process reaches its maximum, within a fixed time interval [0, T]. We study two different boundary conditions, which correspond to the process representing respectively (i) the integral of a Brownian bridge and (ii) the integral of a free Brownian motion. Our analytical results are also verified by numerical simulations.

Short-time maximum entropy method analysis of molecular dynamics simulation: Unimolecular decomposition of formic acid

Science.gov (United States)

Takahashi, Osamu; Nomura, Tetsuo; Tabayashi, Kiyohiko; Yamasaki, Katsuyoshi

2008-07-01

We performed spectral analysis by using the maximum entropy method instead of the traditional Fourier transform technique to investigate the short-time behavior in molecular systems, such as the energy transfer between vibrational modes and chemical reactions. This procedure was applied to direct ab initio molecular dynamics calculations for the decomposition of formic acid. More reactive trajectories of dehydrolation than those of decarboxylation were obtained for Z-formic acid, which was consistent with the prediction of previous theoretical and experimental studies. Short-time maximum entropy method analyses were performed for typical reactive and non-reactive trajectories. Spectrograms of a reactive trajectory were obtained; these clearly showed the reactant, transient, and product regions, especially for the dehydrolation path.

Postoperative inspiratory muscle training in addition to breathing exercises and early mobilization improves oxygenation in high-risk patients after lung cancer surgery: a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Brocki, Barbara Cristina; Andreasen, Jan Jesper; Langer, Daniel; Souza, Domingos Savio R; Westerdahl, Elisabeth

2016-05-01

The aim was to investigate whether 2 weeks of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) could preserve respiratory muscle strength in high-risk patients referred for pulmonary resection on the suspicion of or confirmed lung cancer. Secondarily, we investigated the effect of the intervention on the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications. The study was a single-centre, parallel-group, randomized trial with assessor blinding and intention-to-treat analysis. The intervention group (IG, n = 34) underwent 2 weeks of postoperative IMT twice daily with 2 × 30 breaths on a target intensity of 30% of maximal inspiratory pressure, in addition to standard postoperative physiotherapy. Standard physiotherapy in the control group (CG, n = 34) consisted of breathing exercises, coughing techniques and early mobilization. We measured respiratory muscle strength (maximal inspiratory/expiratory pressure, MIP/MEP), functional performance (6-min walk test), spirometry and peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2), assessed the day before surgery and again 3-5 days and 2 weeks postoperatively. Postoperative pulmonary complications were evaluated 2 weeks after surgery. The mean age was 70 ± 8 years and 57.5% were males. Thoracotomy was performed in 48.5% (n = 33) of cases. No effect of the intervention was found regarding MIP, MEP, lung volumes or functional performance at any time point. The overall incidence of pneumonia was 13% (n = 9), with no significant difference between groups [IG 6% (n = 2), CG 21% (n = 7), P = 0.14]. An improved SpO2 was found in the IG on the third and fourth postoperative days (Day 3: IG 93.8 ± 3.4 vs CG 91.9 ± 4.1%, P = 0.058; Day 4: IG 93.5 ± 3.5 vs CG 91 ± 3.9%, P = 0.02). We found no association between surgical procedure (thoracotomy versus thoracoscopy) and respiratory muscle strength, which was recovered in both groups 2 weeks after surgery. Two weeks of additional postoperative IMT, compared with standard physiotherapy alone, did not preserve

Comparison of different inspiratory triggering settings in automated ventilators during cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a porcine model.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Dingyu; Xu, Jun; Shao, Shihuan; Fu, Yangyang; Sun, Feng; Zhang, Yazhi; Hu, Yingying; Walline, Joseph; Zhu, Huadong; Yu, Xuezhong

2017-01-01

Mechanical ventilation via automated in-hospital ventilators is quite common during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It is not known whether different inspiratory triggering sensitivity settings of ordinary ventilators have different effects on actual ventilation, gas exchange and hemodynamics during resuscitation. 18 pigs enrolled in this study were anaesthetized and intubated. Continuous chest compressions and mechanical ventilation (volume-controlled mode, 100% O2, respiratory rate 10/min, and tidal volumes 10ml/kg) were performed after 3 minutes of ventricular fibrillation. Group trig-4, trig-10 and trig-20 (six pigs each) were characterized by triggering sensitivities of 4, 10 and 20 (cmH2O for pressure-triggering and L/min for flow-triggering), respectively. Additionally, each pig in each group was mechanically ventilated using three types of inspiratory triggering (pressure-triggering, flow-triggering and turned-off triggering) of 5 minutes duration each, and each animal matched with one of six random assortments of the three different triggering settings. Blood gas samples, respiratory and hemodynamic parameters for each period were all collected and analyzed. In each group, significantly lower actual respiratory rate, minute ventilation volume, mean airway pressure, arterial pH, PaO2, and higher end-tidal carbon dioxide, aortic blood pressure, coronary perfusion pressure, PaCO2 and venous oxygen saturation were observed in the ventilation periods with a turned-off triggering setting compared to those with pressure- or flow- triggering (all PVentilation with pressure- or flow-triggering tends to induce hyperventilation and deteriorating gas exchange and hemodynamics during CPR. A turned-off patient triggering or a pressure-triggering of 20 cmH2O is preferred for ventilation when an ordinary inpatient hospital ventilator is used during resuscitation.

Efeitos de um programa de reabilitação da musculatura inspiratória no pós-operatório de cirurgia cardíaca Efectos de un programa de rehabilitación de la musculatura inspiratoria en el postoperatorio de cirugía cardiaca Effects of an inspiratory muscle rehabilitation program in the postoperative period of cardiac surgery

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Paulo Eduardo Gomes Ferreira

2009-04-01

waiting for myocardial revascularization and/or cardiac valve surgery, were randomly assigned to two groups. Fifteen patients were included in a domiciliary program of at least 2 weeks of preoperative training of the inspiratory muscles, using a device with a load corresponding to 40% of the maximum inspiratory pressure. The other 15 patients received general advice and did not train the inspiratory muscle. Spirometry, before and after the training program, as well as the evolution of the arterial blood gases and of the maximum inspiratory and expiratory pressure, before and after the operation were evaluated in both group. The clinical outcomes of the two groups were also compared. RESULTS: We observed that inspiratory muscle training increased the forced vital capacity, the maximum voluntary ventilation and the ratio between the forced expired volume during the first second and the forced vital capacity. The evolution of the arterial blood gases and of the maximum inspiratory and expiratory pressures before and after the operation was similar in both groups, with the outcomes also being similar. CONCLUSION: We concluded that our domiciliary program of inspiratory muscle training was safe and improved the forced vital capacity and the maximum voluntary ventilation, although the clinical benefits of this program were not clearly demonstrable in the present study.

Strong Maximum Principle for Multi-Term Time-Fractional Diffusion Equations and its Application to an Inverse Source Problem

OpenAIRE

Liu, Yikan

2015-01-01

In this paper, we establish a strong maximum principle for fractional diffusion equations with multiple Caputo derivatives in time, and investigate a related inverse problem of practical importance. Exploiting the solution properties and the involved multinomial Mittag-Leffler functions, we improve the weak maximum principle for the multi-term time-fractional diffusion equation to a stronger one, which is parallel to that for its single-term counterpart as expected. As a direct application, w...

Effect of an inspiratory impedance threshold device on hemodynamics during conventional manual cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Pirrallo, Ronald G; Aufderheide, Tom P; Provo, Terry A; Lurie, Keith G

2005-07-01

In animals in cardiac arrest, an inspiratory impedance threshold device (ITD) has been shown to improve hemodynamics and neurologically intact survival. The objective of this study was to determine whether an ITD would improve blood pressure (BP) in patients receiving CPR for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. This prospective, randomized, double-blind, intention-to-treat study was conducted in the Milwaukee, WI, emergency medical services (EMS) system. EMS personnel used an active (functional) or sham (non-functional) ITD on a tracheal tube on adults in cardiac arrest of presumed cardiac etiology. Care between groups was similar except for ITD type. Low dose epinephrine (1mg) was used per American Heart Association Guidelines. Femoral arterial BP (mmHg) was measured invasively during CPR. Mean+/-S.D. time from ITD placement to first invasive BP recording was approximately 14 min. Twelve patients were treated with a sham ITD versus 10 patients with an active ITD. Systolic BPs (mean+/-S.D.) [number of patients treated at given time point] at T = 0 (time of first arterial BP measurement), and T=2, 5 and 7 min were 85+/-29 [10], 85+/-23 [10], 85+/-16 [9] and 69+/-22 [8] in the group receiving an active ITD compared with 43+/-15 [12], 47+/-16 [12], 47+/-20 [9], and 52+/-23 [9] in subjects treated with a sham ITD, respectively (p < 0.01 for all times). Diastolic BPs at T = 0, 2, 5 and 7 min were 20+/-12, 21+/-13, 23+/-15 and 25+/-14 in the group receiving an active ITD compared with 15+/-9, 17+/-8, 17+/-9 and 19+/-8 in subjects treated with a sham ITD, respectively (p = NS for all times). No significant adverse device events were reported. Use of the active ITD was found to increase systolic pressures safely and significantly in patients in cardiac arrest compared with sham controls.

Postoperative Conversion Disorder Presenting as Inspiratory Stridor and Hemiparesis in a Pediatric Patient.

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Nelson, Erik J; Wu, Jennifer Y

2017-01-17

BACKGROUND Postoperative conversion disorder is rare and has been reported. The diagnosis is usually made after all major organic causes have been ruled out. CASE REPORT We describe a case of a 13-year-old female who presented in the post-anesthesia care unit with acute-onset inspiratory stridor and unresponsiveness to verbal or painful stimuli after receiving a general anesthetic for upper endoscopy. Later in the post-anesthesia care unit, she presented with acute-onset right hemiplegia and sensory loss. She was first evaluated for causes of her stridor and unresponsiveness. The evaluation revealed paradoxical vocal cord movement, and all laboratory test values were normal. For her hemiplegia and sensory loss, she was evaluated for stroke with head MRI and CT scans, which were normal. CONCLUSIONS After extensive workup and consideration of multiple etiologies for her presenting signs and symptoms, the most likely diagnosis was conversion disorder.

Role of chemical drive in recruiting upper airway and inspiratory intercostal muscles in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

Science.gov (United States)

Okabe, S; Chonan, T; Hida, W; Satoh, M; Kikuchi, Y; Takishima, T

1993-01-01

Upper airway dilating muscle activity increases during apneic episodes in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). To elucidate the relative contribution of chemical and nonchemical stimuli to augmentation of the upper airway dilating muscle, we measured the response of genioglossus muscle (GG) and inspiratory intercostal muscle (IIM) activities to obstructive apnea during non-REM sleep and compared them with the response to progressive hypoxia and hypercapnia during awake periods in seven male patients with OSA. GG EMG was measured with a wire electrode inserted percutaneously, and IIM EMG was measured with surface electrodes placed in the second intercostal space parasternally. Responses to hypoxia and to hypercapnia were assessed by rebreathing methods in the supine position while awake. Following these measurements, a sleep study was conducted with the EMG electrodes placed in the same locations. The relationship between GG and IIM activities during the cycle of apnea and postapneic ventilation in non-REM sleep was quasi-linear, and the slope of the regression line was significantly greater than those during progressive hypoxia and progressive hypercapnia. The amplitude of GG activity at 70% of maximum IIM activities in the hypoxic test was 140 +/- 20% (mean +/- SEM) during non-REM sleep, which was also significantly greater than that during hypoxia (51 +/- 10%) and that during hypercapnia (59 +/- 15%). These results suggest that nonchemical factors contribute considerably to augmentation of GG activity during obstructive apneic episodes. The nonchemical stimuli may arise from mechanoreceptors activated by upper airway obstruction and behavioral factors associated with change in sleep states.

Inspiratory and expiratory HRCT findings in Behcet's disease and correlation with pulmonary function tests

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Oezer, Caner [Department of Radiology, Mersin University, Faculty of Medicine, Mersin (Turkey)]. E-mail: cozer@mersin.edu.tr; Duce, Meltem Nass [Department of Radiology, Mersin University, Faculty of Medicine, Mersin (Turkey); Ulubas, Bahar [Department of Respiratory Disease, Mersin University, Faculty of Medicine, Mersin (Turkey); Bicer, Ali [Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mersin University, Faculty of Medicine, Mersin (Turkey); Tuersen, Uemit [Department of Dermatology, Mersin University, Faculty of Medicine, Mersin (Turkey); Apaydin, F. Demir [Department of Radiology, Mersin University, Faculty of Medicine, Mersin (Turkey); Yildiz, Altan [Department of Radiology, Mersin University, Faculty of Medicine, Mersin (Turkey); Camdeviren, Handan [Department of Biostatistics, Mersin University, Faculty of Medicine, Mersin (Turkey)

2005-10-01

Purpose: The purpose of our study was to describe the pulmonary parenchymal changes of Behcet's disease using high-resolution computed tomography and to correlate them with pulmonary function tests. Materials and methods: Thirty-four patients with Behcet's disease (18 men, 16 women), 3 of whom were symptomatic, were included as the study group. Four of 34 patients were smokers. Twenty asymptomatic volunteers (12 men, 8 women), 4 of whom were smokers, constituted the control group. The pulmonary function tests and high-resolution computed tomography were performed for both groups. Results: Inspiratory high-resolution computed tomography findings were abnormal in nine patients (26.5%) of the study group. In eight patients, there were multiple abnormalities, whereas one patient had only one abnormality. Pleural thickening and irregularities, major fissure thickening, emphysematous changes, bronchiectasis, parenchymal bands, and irregular densities, and parenchymal nodules were the encountered abnormalities. Inspiratory high-resolution computed tomography scans were normal in the control group. On expiratory scans, there was statistically significant difference between study group and control group when air trapping, especially grades 3 and 4, was compared (P < 0.01). Pulmonary function tests of both the study and the control groups were in normal ranges, and there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups according to pulmonary function tests (P > 0.05). Discussion and conclusion: High-resolution computed tomography is sensitive in the demonstration of pulmonary changes in patients with Behcet's disease. End-expiratory high-resolution computed tomography examination is very useful and necessary to show the presence of air trapping, thus the presence of small airway disease, even if the patient is asymptomatic or has normal pulmonary function tests.

Detection of surface electromyography recording time interval without muscle fatigue effect for biceps brachii muscle during maximum voluntary contraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Soylu, Abdullah Ruhi; Arpinar-Avsar, Pinar

2010-08-01

The effects of fatigue on maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) parameters were examined by using force and surface electromyography (sEMG) signals of the biceps brachii muscles (BBM) of 12 subjects. The purpose of the study was to find the sEMG time interval of the MVC recordings which is not affected by the muscle fatigue. At least 10s of force and sEMG signals of BBM were recorded simultaneously during MVC. The subjects reached the maximum force level within 2s by slightly increasing the force, and then contracted the BBM maximally. The time index of each sEMG and force signal were labeled with respect to the time index of the maximum force (i.e. after the time normalization, each sEMG or force signal's 0s time index corresponds to maximum force point). Then, the first 8s of sEMG and force signals were divided into 0.5s intervals. Mean force, median frequency (MF) and integrated EMG (iEMG) values were calculated for each interval. Amplitude normalization was performed by dividing the force signals to their mean values of 0s time intervals (i.e. -0.25 to 0.25s). A similar amplitude normalization procedure was repeated for the iEMG and MF signals. Statistical analysis (Friedman test with Dunn's post hoc test) was performed on the time and amplitude normalized signals (MF, iEMG). Although the ANOVA results did not give statistically significant information about the onset of the muscle fatigue, linear regression (mean force vs. time) showed a decreasing slope (Pearson-r=0.9462, pfatigue starts after the 0s time interval as the muscles cannot attain their peak force levels. This implies that the most reliable interval for MVC calculation which is not affected by the muscle fatigue is from the onset of the EMG activity to the peak force time. Mean, SD, and range of this interval (excluding 2s gradual increase time) for 12 subjects were 2353, 1258ms and 536-4186ms, respectively. Exceeding this interval introduces estimation errors in the maximum amplitude calculations

Incidence of tracheobronchomalacia associated with pulmonary emphysema. Detection with paired inspiratory-expiratory multidetector computed tomography using a low-dose technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inoue, Masanori; Hasegawa, Ichiro; Nakano, Keiko; Yamaguchi, Kazuhiro; Kuribayashi, Sachio

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the frequency of tracheobronchomalacia (TBM) associated with pulmonary emphysema with paired inspiratory-expiratory multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) using a low-dose technique. This study included 56 consecutive patients (55 men, 1 woman; mean age 68.9 years) with pulmonary emphysema who had undergone paired inspiratory-expiratory CT scanning with a low-dose technique (40 mA). All images were retrospectively examined by two thoracic radiologists in a blinded fashion. The diagnosis of TBM was based on the standard criterion of >50% reduction in the cross-sectional area of the tracheobronchial lumen at the end-expiratory phase. A mild TBM criterion of >30% reduction was also reviewed. All patients underwent pulmonary function tests. The relation between the forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV 1.0% ) and TBM was statistically analyzed. Four (7.1%) and eight (14.3%) patients were diagnosed as TBM based on the standard and mild criteria, respectively. In four patients, the percentages of luminal narrowing were 63.4% and 51.2%, respectively for tracheomalacia and 59.2% and 62.0%, respectively, for bronchomalacia. The FEV 1.0% values between patients with and without TBM showed no statistical difference. The incidence of TBM associated with pulmonary emphysema was 7.1% with the standard criterion. It is possible that TBM has been underdiagnosed in a number of patients with pulmonary emphysema. (author)

Quantitative assessment of cross-sectional area of small pulmonary vessels in patients with COPD using inspiratory and expiratory MDCT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuura, Yukiko; Kawata, Naoko; Yanagawa, Noriyuki; Sugiura, Toshihiko; Sakurai, Yoriko; Sato, Misuzu; Iesato, Ken; Terada, Jiro; Sakao, Seiichiro; Tada, Yuji; Tanabe, Nobuhiro; Suzuki, Yoichi; Tatsumi, Koichiro

2013-01-01

Objectives: Structural and functional changes in pulmonary vessels are prevalent at the initial stages of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). These vascular alterations can be assessed using cross-sectional area (CSA) of small pulmonary vessels. However, neither in non-COPD smokers nor in COPD patients it has been defined whether the structural changes of pulmonary vessels detected by paired inspiratory and expiratory CT scans are associated with emphysematous changes. We quantified the CSA and low attenuation area (LAA) and evaluated the changes in these parameters in the inspiratory and expiratory phases. Materials and methods: Fifty consecutive non-COPD smokers and COPD patients were subjected to multi detector-row CT and the percentage of vessels with a CSA less than 5 mm 2 as well as the percentage LAA for total lung area (%CSA < 5, %LAA, respectively) were calculated. Results: The %CSA < 5 correlated negatively with %LAA. The %CSA < 5 was lower in COPD patients with emphysema as compared with non-COPD smokers and COPD patients with or without mild emphysema. In addition, the %CSA < 5 was lower in the no/mild emphysema subgroup as compared with non-COPD smokers. The respiratory phase change of %CSA < 5 in COPD patients was greater than that in non-COPD smokers. Conclusion: The percentage of small pulmonary vessels decreased as emphysematous changes increase, and this decrease was observed even in patients with no/mild emphysema. Furthermore, respiratory phase changes in CSA were higher in COPD patients than in non-COPD smokers

DIFFERENT TYPES OF INSPIRATORY MUSCLE TRAINING PROVIDES BETTERMENT IN ALTERED PULMONARY FUNCTIONS IN UPPER THORACIC SPINAL CORD INJURIES

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Muruganandam Periyasamy

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Respiratory problems are usual in upper thoracic spinal cord injuries when compared to Lower thoracic spinal cord injuries. Generally there are frequent respiratory complications in the individuals with spinal cord injuries. The complications of the respiratory system are severe and more prevalent source of morbidity and mortality after the spinal cord injury due to the inefficient breathing capacity including inspiratory and expiratory abilities. The present study represents the inspiratory muscle training especially in upper thoracic spinal cord injury patients to assess the improvement in the pulmonary functions. Methods: Twenty five patients with the age between 25 -40 years with the upper spinal cord injuries were selected in the present study in order to assess the efficacy of the training. Several types of exercises were practiced including diaphragmatic breathing exercises, incentive spirometry, active cycle of breathing technique and weight training. COPD Conditions, Chest wall deformities, Hypertensive patients, Cardio vascular problems were excluded in the study. Results: The results from the study showed that significant changes were found in the patients treated with all the above mentioned techniques. Axillary level, nipple level, Xiphisternum levels were analysed and the results found to be significant after the treatment. Incentive spirometry and peak flow meter observations were also found to be significant when compare to the pretreatment. Conclusion: The present study conclude that the combined effect of incentive spriometry, diaphragmatic breathing exercises, and active cycle of breathing technique is more effective in improving the pulmonary functions in upper thoracic spinal cord injuries than single method efficiency.

Maximum Power from a Solar Panel

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Michael Miller

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Solar energy has become a promising alternative to conventional fossil fuel sources. Solar panels are used to collect solar radiation and convert it into electricity. One of the techniques used to maximize the effectiveness of this energy alternative is to maximize the power output of the solar collector. In this project the maximum power is calculated by determining the voltage and the current of maximum power. These quantities are determined by finding the maximum value for the equation for power using differentiation. After the maximum values are found for each time of day, each individual quantity, voltage of maximum power, current of maximum power, and maximum power is plotted as a function of the time of day.

Evaluation of image quality and patient safety: paired inspiratory and expiratory MDCT assessment of tracheobronchomalacia in paediatric patients under general anaesthesia with breath-hold technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Edward Y.; Bastos, Maria d' Almeida; Stark, Cynthia; Carrier, Maureen; Zurakowski, David; Mason, Keira P.

2012-01-01

The purpose of our investigation was to evaluate image quality and patient safety in infants and young children who required general anaesthesia with breath-hold technique for paired inspiratory and expiratory multidetector CT (MDCT) assessment of tracheobronchomalacia (TBM). Our hospital's institutional review board approved the review of radiological and clinical data of a consecutive series of 20 paediatric patients who underwent MDCT under general anaesthesia with breath-hold technique for evaluation of TBM from May 2006 to December 2008. For each MDCT study, two fellowship-trained paediatric radiologists reviewed the inspiratory and expiratory MDCT images in an independent, randomised and blinded fashion for the presence of motion artefact at three anatomic levels (upper, middle and lower central airways). The clinical history and anaesthesia outcome, including the occurrence of any adverse events during or following the MDCT examinations until discharge, were also reviewed and recorded. The study population consisted of 20 infants and young children (13 boys/seven girls, mean age 1.7 ± 1.4 years, age range 11 days to 4 years). The imaging quality of all 20 MDCT studies was diagnostic with no motion artefact in 16 studies (80%) and minimal motion artefact in the remaining four studies (20%). Minor adverse events occurred in three patients (15%) that included one patient (5%) with a brief (<60 s) oxygen desaturation during MDCT study, which resolved with oxygen, and two patients (5%) with either a brief (<60 s) oxygen desaturation (n = 1, 5%) or cough (n = 1, 5%) during recovery period, which were completely resolved with oxygen and dexamethasone, respectively. Diagnostic quality paired inspiratory and expiratory MDCT imaging with breath-hold technique can be safely performed in infants and young children under general anaesthesia for evaluation of TBM.

Effects of inspiratory muscle exercise in the pulmonary function, autonomic modulation, and hemodynamic variables in older women with metabolic syndrome

Science.gov (United States)

Feriani, Daniele Jardim; Coelho, Hélio José; Scapini, Kátia Bilhar; de Moraes, Oscar Albuquerque; Mostarda, Cristiano; Ruberti, Olivia Moraes; Uchida, Marco Carlos; Caperuto, Érico Chagas; Irigoyen, Maria Cláudia; Rodrigues, Bruno

2017-01-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of inspiratory muscle exercise (IME) on metabolic and hemodynamic parameters, cardiac autonomic modulation and respiratory function of older women with metabolic syndrome (MS). For this, sixteen older women with MS and 12 aged-matched controls participated of the present study. Two days before and 2 days after the main experiment, fasting blood samples (i.e., total cholesterol, triglycerides and blood glucose), cardiac autonomic modulation (i.e., heart rate variability), and respiratory muscle function were obtained and evaluated. The sessions of physical exercise was based on a IME, which was performed during 7 days. Each session of IME was performed during 20 min, at 30% of maximal static inspiratory pressure. In the results, MS group presented higher levels of triglycerides, blood glucose, and systolic blood pressure when compared to control group. IME was not able to change these variables. However, although MS group showed impaired respiratory muscle strength and function, as well as cardiac autonomic modulation, IME was able to improve these parameters. Thus, the data showed that seven days of IME are capable to improve respiratory function and cardiac autonomic modulation of older women with MS. These results indicate that IME can be a profitable therapy to counteracting the clinical markers of MS, once repeated sessions of acute IME can cause chronical alterations on respiratory function and cardiac autonomic modulation. PMID:28503537

Quantitative assessment of cross-sectional area of small pulmonary vessels in patients with COPD using inspiratory and expiratory MDCT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matsuura, Yukiko, E-mail: matsuyuki_future@yahoo.co.jp [Department of Respirology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670 Japan (Japan); Kawata, Naoko, E-mail: chumito_03@yahoo.co.jp [Department of Respirology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670 Japan (Japan); Yanagawa, Noriyuki, E-mail: yanagawa@ho.chiba-u.ac.jp [Department of Respirology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670 Japan (Japan); Sugiura, Toshihiko, E-mail: sugiura@js3.so-net.ne.jp [Department of Respirology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670 Japan (Japan); Sakurai, Yoriko, E-mail: yoliri@nifty.com [Department of Respirology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670 Japan (Japan); Sato, Misuzu, E-mail: mis_misuzu@yahoo.co.jp [Department of Respirology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670 Japan (Japan); Iesato, Ken, E-mail: iesato_k@yahoo.co.jp [Department of Respirology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670 Japan (Japan); Terada, Jiro, E-mail: jirotera@chiba-u.jp [Department of Respirology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670 Japan (Japan); Sakao, Seiichiro, E-mail: sakao@faculty.chiba-u.jp [Department of Respirology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670 Japan (Japan); Tada, Yuji, E-mail: ytada@faculty.chiba-u.jp [Department of Respirology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670 Japan (Japan); Tanabe, Nobuhiro, E-mail: ntanabe@faculty.chiba-u.jp [Department of Respirology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670 Japan (Japan); Suzuki, Yoichi, E-mail: ysuzuki@faculty.chiba-u.jp [Department of public Health, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670 Japan (Japan); Tatsumi, Koichiro, E-mail: tatsumi@faculty.chiba-u.jp [Department of Respirology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670 Japan (Japan)

2013-10-01

Objectives: Structural and functional changes in pulmonary vessels are prevalent at the initial stages of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). These vascular alterations can be assessed using cross-sectional area (CSA) of small pulmonary vessels. However, neither in non-COPD smokers nor in COPD patients it has been defined whether the structural changes of pulmonary vessels detected by paired inspiratory and expiratory CT scans are associated with emphysematous changes. We quantified the CSA and low attenuation area (LAA) and evaluated the changes in these parameters in the inspiratory and expiratory phases. Materials and methods: Fifty consecutive non-COPD smokers and COPD patients were subjected to multi detector-row CT and the percentage of vessels with a CSA less than 5 mm{sup 2} as well as the percentage LAA for total lung area (%CSA < 5, %LAA, respectively) were calculated. Results: The %CSA < 5 correlated negatively with %LAA. The %CSA < 5 was lower in COPD patients with emphysema as compared with non-COPD smokers and COPD patients with or without mild emphysema. In addition, the %CSA < 5 was lower in the no/mild emphysema subgroup as compared with non-COPD smokers. The respiratory phase change of %CSA < 5 in COPD patients was greater than that in non-COPD smokers. Conclusion: The percentage of small pulmonary vessels decreased as emphysematous changes increase, and this decrease was observed even in patients with no/mild emphysema. Furthermore, respiratory phase changes in CSA were higher in COPD patients than in non-COPD smokers.

Maximum Lateness Scheduling on Two-Person Cooperative Games with Variable Processing Times and Common Due Date

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Peng Liu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A new maximum lateness scheduling model in which both cooperative games and variable processing times exist simultaneously is considered in this paper. The job variable processing time is described by an increasing or a decreasing function dependent on the position of a job in the sequence. Two persons have to cooperate in order to process a set of jobs. Each of them has a single machine and their processing cost is defined as the minimum value of maximum lateness. All jobs have a common due date. The objective is to maximize the multiplication of their rational positive cooperative profits. A division of those jobs should be negotiated to yield a reasonable cooperative profit allocation scheme acceptable to them. We propose the sufficient and necessary conditions for the problems to have positive integer solution.

Novel Maximum-based Timing Acquisition for Spread-Spectrum Communications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sibbetty, Taylor; Moradiz, Hussein; Farhang-Boroujeny, Behrouz

2016-12-01

This paper proposes and analyzes a new packet detection and timing acquisition method for spread spectrum systems. The proposed method provides an enhancement over the typical thresholding techniques that have been proposed for direct sequence spread spectrum (DS-SS). The effective implementation of thresholding methods typically require accurate knowledge of the received signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), which is particularly difficult to estimate in spread spectrum systems. Instead, we propose a method which utilizes a consistency metric of the location of maximum samples at the output of a filter matched to the spread spectrum waveform to achieve acquisition, and does not require knowledge of the received SNR. Through theoretical study, we show that the proposed method offers a low probability of missed detection over a large range of SNR with a corresponding probability of false alarm far lower than other methods. Computer simulations that corroborate our theoretical results are also presented. Although our work here has been motivated by our previous study of a filter bank multicarrier spread-spectrum (FB-MC-SS) system, the proposed method is applicable to DS-SS systems as well.

Computing the Maximum Detour of a Plane Graph in Subquadratic Time

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wulff-Nilsen, Christian

2008-01-01

Let G be a plane graph where each edge is a line segment. We consider the problem of computing the maximum detour of G, defined as the maximum over all pairs of distinct points p and q of G of the ratio between the distance between p and q in G and the distance |pq|. The fastest known algorithm...

Finite mixture model: A maximum likelihood estimation approach on time series data

Science.gov (United States)

Yen, Phoong Seuk; Ismail, Mohd Tahir; Hamzah, Firdaus Mohamad

2014-09-01

Recently, statistician emphasized on the fitting of finite mixture model by using maximum likelihood estimation as it provides asymptotic properties. In addition, it shows consistency properties as the sample sizes increases to infinity. This illustrated that maximum likelihood estimation is an unbiased estimator. Moreover, the estimate parameters obtained from the application of maximum likelihood estimation have smallest variance as compared to others statistical method as the sample sizes increases. Thus, maximum likelihood estimation is adopted in this paper to fit the two-component mixture model in order to explore the relationship between rubber price and exchange rate for Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia. Results described that there is a negative effect among rubber price and exchange rate for all selected countries.

Determination of times maximum insulation in case of internal flooding by pipe break

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Varas, M. I.; Orteu, E.; Laserna, J. A.

2014-01-01

This paper demonstrates the process followed in the preparation of the Manual of floods of Cofrentes NPP to identify the allowed maximum time available to the central in the isolation of a moderate or high energy pipe break, until it affects security (1E) participating in the safe stop of Reactor or in pools of spent fuel cooling-related equipment , and to determine the recommended isolation mode from the point of view of the location of the break or rupture, of the location of the 1E equipment and human factors. (Author)

A comparison of maximal inspiratory pressure and forced vital capacity as potential criteria for initiating non-invasive ventilation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Mendoza, Michelle; Gelinas, Deborah F; Moore, Dan H; Miller, Robert G

2007-04-01

Using a retrospective analysis of 161 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) from the Western ALS study group (WALS) database, the sensitivity of maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP)NIV) were compared. Sixty-five per cent of patients at enrollment met the MIP criterion, compared with only 8% of patients who met the FVC criterion. There were no cases in which FVCNIV, a MIP< -60 cm H(2)O allows US clinicians to obtain non-invasive ventilatory support for patients earlier than if using the FVC criterion alone.

Quantitative assessment of global and regional air trappings using non-rigid registration and regional specific volume change of inspiratory/expiratory CT scans: Studies on healthy volunteers and asthmatics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Eun Sol; Seo, Joon Beom; Lee, Hyun Joo; Chae, Eun Jin; Lee, Sang Min; Oh, Sang Young; Kim, Nam Kug

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare air trapping in healthy volunteers with asthmatics using pulmonary function test and quantitative data, such as specific volume change from paired inspiratory CT and registered expiratory CT. Sixteen healthy volunteers and 9 asthmatics underwent paired inspiratory/expiratory CT. DeltaSV, which represents the ratio of air fraction released after exhalation, was measured with paired inspiratory and anatomically registered expiratory CT scans. Air trapping indexes, DeltaSV0.4 and DeltaSV0.5, were defined as volume fraction of lung below 0.4 and 0.5 DeltaSV, respectively. To assess the gravity effect of air-trapping, DeltaSV values of anterior and posterior lung at three different levels were measured and DeltaSV ratio of anterior lung to posterior lung was calculated. Color-coded DeltaSV map of the whole lung was generated and visually assessed. Mean DeltaSV, DeltaSV0.4, and DeltaSV0.5 were compared between healthy volunteers and asthmatics. In asthmatics, correlation between air trapping indexes and clinical parameters were assessed. Mean DeltaSV, DeltaSV0.4, and DeltaSV0.5 in asthmatics were significantly higher than those in healthy volunteer group (all p < 0.05). DeltaSV values in posterior lung in asthmatics were significantly higher than those in healthy volunteer group (p = 0.049). In asthmatics, air trapping indexes, such as DeltaSV0.5 and DeltaSV0.4, showed negative strong correlation with FEF25-75, FEV1, and FEV1/FVC. DeltaSV map of asthmatics showed abnormal geographic pattern in 5 patients (55.6%) and disappearance of anterior-posterior gradient in 3 patients (33.3%). Quantitative assessment of DeltaSV (the ratio of air fraction released after exhalation) shows the difference in extent of air trapping between health volunteers and asthmatics.

Quantitative assessment of global and regional air trappings using non-rigid registration and regional specific volume change of inspiratory/expiratory CT scans: Studies on healthy volunteers and asthmatics

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Lee, Eun Sol; Seo, Joon Beom; Lee, Hyun Joo; Chae, Eun Jin; Lee, Sang Min; Oh, Sang Young; Kim, Nam Kug [Dept. of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2015-06-15

The purpose of this study was to compare air trapping in healthy volunteers with asthmatics using pulmonary function test and quantitative data, such as specific volume change from paired inspiratory CT and registered expiratory CT. Sixteen healthy volunteers and 9 asthmatics underwent paired inspiratory/expiratory CT. DeltaSV, which represents the ratio of air fraction released after exhalation, was measured with paired inspiratory and anatomically registered expiratory CT scans. Air trapping indexes, DeltaSV0.4 and DeltaSV0.5, were defined as volume fraction of lung below 0.4 and 0.5 DeltaSV, respectively. To assess the gravity effect of air-trapping, DeltaSV values of anterior and posterior lung at three different levels were measured and DeltaSV ratio of anterior lung to posterior lung was calculated. Color-coded DeltaSV map of the whole lung was generated and visually assessed. Mean DeltaSV, DeltaSV0.4, and DeltaSV0.5 were compared between healthy volunteers and asthmatics. In asthmatics, correlation between air trapping indexes and clinical parameters were assessed. Mean DeltaSV, DeltaSV0.4, and DeltaSV0.5 in asthmatics were significantly higher than those in healthy volunteer group (all p < 0.05). DeltaSV values in posterior lung in asthmatics were significantly higher than those in healthy volunteer group (p = 0.049). In asthmatics, air trapping indexes, such as DeltaSV0.5 and DeltaSV0.4, showed negative strong correlation with FEF25-75, FEV1, and FEV1/FVC. DeltaSV map of asthmatics showed abnormal geographic pattern in 5 patients (55.6%) and disappearance of anterior-posterior gradient in 3 patients (33.3%). Quantitative assessment of DeltaSV (the ratio of air fraction released after exhalation) shows the difference in extent of air trapping between health volunteers and asthmatics.

Age-Related Differences of Maximum Phonation Time in Patients after Cardiac Surgery

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Kazuhiro P. Izawa

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Background and aims: Maximum phonation time (MPT, which is related to respiratory function, is widely used to evaluate maximum vocal capabilities, because its use is non-invasive, quick, and inexpensive. We aimed to examine differences in MPT by age, following recovery phase II cardiac rehabilitation (CR. Methods: This longitudinal observational study assessed 50 consecutive cardiac patients who were divided into the middle-aged group (<65 years, n = 29 and older-aged group (≥65 years, n = 21. MPTs were measured at 1 and 3 months after cardiac surgery, and were compared. Results: The duration of MPT increased more significantly from month 1 to month 3 in the middle-aged group (19.2 ± 7.8 to 27.1 ± 11.6 s, p < 0.001 than in the older-aged group (12.6 ± 3.5 to 17.9 ± 6.0 s, p < 0.001. However, no statistically significant difference occurred in the % change of MPT from 1 month to 3 months after cardiac surgery between the middle-aged group and older-aged group, respectively (41.1% vs. 42.1%. In addition, there were no significant interactions of MPT in the two groups for 1 versus 3 months (F = 1.65, p = 0.20. Conclusion: Following phase II, CR improved MPT for all cardiac surgery patients.

Age-Related Differences of Maximum Phonation Time in Patients after Cardiac Surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Izawa, Kazuhiro P; Kasahara, Yusuke; Hiraki, Koji; Hirano, Yasuyuki; Watanabe, Satoshi

2017-12-21

Background and aims: Maximum phonation time (MPT), which is related to respiratory function, is widely used to evaluate maximum vocal capabilities, because its use is non-invasive, quick, and inexpensive. We aimed to examine differences in MPT by age, following recovery phase II cardiac rehabilitation (CR). Methods: This longitudinal observational study assessed 50 consecutive cardiac patients who were divided into the middle-aged group (<65 years, n = 29) and older-aged group (≥65 years, n = 21). MPTs were measured at 1 and 3 months after cardiac surgery, and were compared. Results: The duration of MPT increased more significantly from month 1 to month 3 in the middle-aged group (19.2 ± 7.8 to 27.1 ± 11.6 s, p < 0.001) than in the older-aged group (12.6 ± 3.5 to 17.9 ± 6.0 s, p < 0.001). However, no statistically significant difference occurred in the % change of MPT from 1 month to 3 months after cardiac surgery between the middle-aged group and older-aged group, respectively (41.1% vs. 42.1%). In addition, there were no significant interactions of MPT in the two groups for 1 versus 3 months (F = 1.65, p = 0.20). Conclusion: Following phase II, CR improved MPT for all cardiac surgery patients.

Effect of heat and moisture exchanger (HME positioning on inspiratory gas humidification

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Nishimura Masaji

2006-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In mechanically ventilated patients, we investigated how positioning the heat and moisture exchanger (HME at different places on the ventilator circuit affected inspiratory gas humidification. Methods Absolute humidity (AH and temperature (TEMP at the proximal end of endotracheal tube (ETT were measured in ten mechanically ventilated patients. The HME was connected either directly proximal to the ETT (Site 1 or at before the circuit Y-piece (Site 2: distance from proximal end of ETT and Site 2 was about 19 cm (Figure. 1. Two devices, Hygrobac S (Mallinckrodt Dar, Mirandola, Italy and Thermovent HEPA (Smiths Medical International Ltd., Kent, UK were tested. AH and TEMP were measured with a hygrometer (Moiscope, MERA Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan. Results Hygrobac S provided significantly higher AH and TEMP at both sites than Thermovent HEPA. Both Hygrobac S and with Thermovent HEPA provided significantly higher AH and TEMP when placed proximally to the ETT. Conclusion Although placement proximal to the ETT improved both AH and TEMP in both HMEs tested, one HME performed better in the distal position than the other HME in the proximal position. We conclude the both the type and placement of HME can make a significant difference in maintaining AH and TEMP during adult ventilation.

Effect of heat and moisture exchanger (HME) positioning on inspiratory gas humidification

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Inui, Daisuke; Oto, Jun; Nishimura, Masaji

2006-01-01

Background In mechanically ventilated patients, we investigated how positioning the heat and moisture exchanger (HME) at different places on the ventilator circuit affected inspiratory gas humidification. Methods Absolute humidity (AH) and temperature (TEMP) at the proximal end of endotracheal tube (ETT) were measured in ten mechanically ventilated patients. The HME was connected either directly proximal to the ETT (Site 1) or at before the circuit Y-piece (Site 2: distance from proximal end of ETT and Site 2 was about 19 cm) (Figure. 1). Two devices, Hygrobac S (Mallinckrodt Dar, Mirandola, Italy) and Thermovent HEPA (Smiths Medical International Ltd., Kent, UK) were tested. AH and TEMP were measured with a hygrometer (Moiscope, MERA Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan). Results Hygrobac S provided significantly higher AH and TEMP at both sites than Thermovent HEPA. Both Hygrobac S and with Thermovent HEPA provided significantly higher AH and TEMP when placed proximally to the ETT. Conclusion Although placement proximal to the ETT improved both AH and TEMP in both HMEs tested, one HME performed better in the distal position than the other HME in the proximal position. We conclude the both the type and placement of HME can make a significant difference in maintaining AH and TEMP during adult ventilation. PMID:16895607

Inspiratory impedance during active compression-decompression cardiopulmonary resuscitation: a randomized evaluation in patients in cardiac arrest.

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Plaisance, P; Lurie, K G; Payen, D

2000-03-07

Blood pressure is severely reduced in patients in cardiac arrest receiving standard cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Although active compression-decompression (ACD) CPR improves acute hemodynamic parameters, arterial pressures remain suboptimal with this technique. We performed ACD CPR in patients with a new inspiratory threshold valve (ITV) to determine whether lowering intrathoracic pressures during the "relaxation" phase of ACD CPR would enhance venous blood return and overall CPR efficiency. This prospective, randomized, blinded trial was performed in prehospital mobile intensive care units in Paris, France. Patients in nontraumatic cardiac arrest received ACD CPR plus the ITV or ACD CPR alone for 30 minutes during advanced cardiac life support. End tidal CO(2) (ETCO(2)), diastolic blood pressure (DAP) and coronary perfusion pressure, and time to return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) were measured. Groups were similar with respect to age, gender, and initial rhythm. Mean maximal ETCO(2), coronary perfusion pressure, and DAP values, respectively (in mm Hg), were 13.1+/-0.9, 25.0+/-1.4, and 36.5+/-1.5 with ACD CPR alone versus 19.1+/-1.0, 43.3+/-1.6, and 56.4+/-1.7 with ACD plus valve (PCPR alone after 26.5+/-0.7 minutes versus 4 of 11 patients with ACD CPR plus ITV after 19.8+/-2.8 minutes (PCPR increases the efficiency of CPR, leading to diastolic arterial pressures of >50 mm Hg. The long-term benefits of this new CPR technology are under investigation.

Linearized semiclassical initial value time correlation functions with maximum entropy analytic continuation.

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Liu, Jian; Miller, William H

2008-09-28

The maximum entropy analytic continuation (MEAC) method is used to extend the range of accuracy of the linearized semiclassical initial value representation (LSC-IVR)/classical Wigner approximation for real time correlation functions. LSC-IVR provides a very effective "prior" for the MEAC procedure since it is very good for short times, exact for all time and temperature for harmonic potentials (even for correlation functions of nonlinear operators), and becomes exact in the classical high temperature limit. This combined MEAC+LSC/IVR approach is applied here to two highly nonlinear dynamical systems, a pure quartic potential in one dimensional and liquid para-hydrogen at two thermal state points (25 and 14 K under nearly zero external pressure). The former example shows the MEAC procedure to be a very significant enhancement of the LSC-IVR for correlation functions of both linear and nonlinear operators, and especially at low temperature where semiclassical approximations are least accurate. For liquid para-hydrogen, the LSC-IVR is seen already to be excellent at T=25 K, but the MEAC procedure produces a significant correction at the lower temperature (T=14 K). Comparisons are also made as to how the MEAC procedure is able to provide corrections for other trajectory-based dynamical approximations when used as priors.

Optimal protocol for maximum work extraction in a feedback process with a time-varying potential

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Kwon, Chulan

2017-12-01

The nonequilibrium nature of information thermodynamics is characterized by the inequality or non-negativity of the total entropy change of the system, memory, and reservoir. Mutual information change plays a crucial role in the inequality, in particular if work is extracted and the paradox of Maxwell's demon is raised. We consider the Brownian information engine where the protocol set of the harmonic potential is initially chosen by the measurement and varies in time. We confirm the inequality of the total entropy change by calculating, in detail, the entropic terms including the mutual information change. We rigorously find the optimal values of the time-dependent protocol for maximum extraction of work both for the finite-time and the quasi-static process.

Separation of Stochastic and Deterministic Information from Seismological Time Series with Nonlinear Dynamics and Maximum Entropy Methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gutierrez, Rafael M.; Useche, Gina M.; Buitrago, Elias

2007-01-01

We present a procedure developed to detect stochastic and deterministic information contained in empirical time series, useful to characterize and make models of different aspects of complex phenomena represented by such data. This procedure is applied to a seismological time series to obtain new information to study and understand geological phenomena. We use concepts and methods from nonlinear dynamics and maximum entropy. The mentioned method allows an optimal analysis of the available information

Prediction of post-operative pulmonary function after lobectomy for primary lung cancer: A comparison among counting method, effective lobar volume, and lobar collapsibility using inspiratory/expiratory CT

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Yabuuchi, Hidetake, E-mail: h-yabu@med.kyushu-u.ac.jp [Department of Health Sciences, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka (Japan); Kawanami, Satoshi, E-mail: kawanami_01@mac.com [Department of Clinical Radiology, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka (Japan); Kamitani, Takeshi, E-mail: kamitani@radiol.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp [Department of Clinical Radiology, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka (Japan); Yonezawa, Masato, E-mail: ymasato@radiol.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp [Department of Clinical Radiology, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka (Japan); Yamasaki, Yuzo, E-mail: yyama@radiol.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp [Department of Clinical Radiology, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka (Japan); Yamanouchi, Torahiko, E-mail: tora0228jp@yahoo.co.jp [Department of Clinical Radiology, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka (Japan); Nagao, Michinobu, E-mail: minagao@radiol.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp [Department of Clinical Radiology, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka (Japan); Okamoto, Tatsuro, E-mail: tatsuro@surg2.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp [Department of Surgery and Science, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka (Japan); Honda, Hiroshi, E-mail: honda@radiol.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp [Department of Clinical Radiology, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka (Japan)

2016-11-15

Highlights: • ΔFEV{sub 1.0} and ppoΔFEV{sub 1.0} using lobar collapsibility were strongly correlated. • ΔVC and ppoΔVC using effective lobar volume were strongly correlated. • Counting method was inferior to lobar collapsibility for prediction of ppoFEV{sub 1.0}. • Inspiratory/expiratory CT is useful to predict post-operative pulmonary function. - Abstract: Purpose: To compare the predictabilities of postoperative pulmonary function after lobectomy for primary lung cancer among counting method, effective lobar volume, and lobar collapsibility. Methods: Forty-nine patients who underwent lobectomy for primary lung cancer were enrolled. All patients underwent inspiratory/expiratory CT and pulmonary function tests 2 weeks before surgery and postoperative pulmonary function tests 6–7 months after surgery. Pulmonary function losses (ΔFEV{sub 1.0} and ΔVC) were calculated from the pulmonary function tests. Predictive postoperative pulmonary function losses (ppoΔFEV{sub 1.0} and ppoΔVC) were calculated using counting method, effective volume, and lobar collapsibility. Correlations and agreements between ΔFEV{sub 1.0} and ppoFEV{sub 1.0} and those between ΔVC and ppoΔVC were tested among three methods using Spearman’s correlation coefficient and Bland-Altman plots. Results: ΔFEV{sub 1.0} and ppoΔFEV{sub 1.0insp-exp} were strongly correlated (r = 0.72), whereas ΔFEV{sub 1.0} and ppoΔFEV{sub 1.0count} and ΔFEV{sub 1.0} and Pred. ΔFEV{sub 1.0eff.vol.} were moderately correlated (r = 0.50, 0.56). ΔVC and ppoΔVC{sub eff.vol.} (r = 0.71) were strongly correlated, whereas ΔVC and ppoΔVC{sub count}, and ΔVC and ppoΔVC {sub insp-exp} were moderately correlated (r = 0.55, 0.42). Conclusions: Volumetry from inspiratory/expiratory CT data could be useful to predict postoperative pulmonary function after lobectomy for primary lung cancer.

Effect of volume-oriented versus flow-oriented incentive spirometry on chest wall volumes, inspiratory muscle activity, and thoracoabdominal synchrony in the elderly.

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Lunardi, Adriana C; Porras, Desiderio C; Barbosa, Renata Cc; Paisani, Denise M; Marques da Silva, Cibele C B; Tanaka, Clarice; Carvalho, Celso R F

2014-03-01

Aging causes physiological and functional changes that impair pulmonary function. Incentive spirometry is widely used for lung expansion, but the effects of volume-oriented incentive spirometry (VIS) versus flow-oriented incentive spirometry (FIS) on chest wall volumes, inspiratory muscle activity, and thoracoabdominal synchrony in the elderly are poorly understood. We compared VIS and FIS in elderly subjects and healthy adult subjects. Sixteen elderly subjects (9 women, mean ± SD age 70.6 ± 3.9 y, mean ± SD body mass index 23.8 ± 2.5 kg/m(2)) and 16 healthy adults (8 women, mean ± age 25.9 ± 4.3 y, mean ± body mass index 23.6 ± 2.4 kg/m(2)) performed quiet breathing, VIS, and FIS in randomized sequence. Chest wall kinematics (via optoelectronic plethysmography) and inspiratory muscle activity (via surface electromyography) were assessed simultaneously. Synchrony between the superior thorax and abdominal motion was calculated (phase angle). In the elderly subjects both types of incentive spirometry increased chest wall volumes similarly, whereas in the healthy adult subjects VIS increased the chest wall volume more than did FIS. FIS and VIS triggered similar lower thoracoabdominal synchrony in the elderly subjects, whereas in the healthy adults FIS induced lower synchrony than did VIS. FIS required more muscle activity in the elderly subjects to create an increase in chest wall volume. Incentive spirometry performance is influenced by age, and the differences between elderly and healthy adults response should be considered in clinical practice.

Difference in the craniocaudal gradient of the maximum pixel value change rate between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients and normal subjects using sub-mGy dynamic chest radiography with a flat panel detector system.

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Yamada, Yoshitake; Ueyama, Masako; Abe, Takehiko; Araki, Tetsuro; Abe, Takayuki; Nishino, Mizuki; Jinzaki, Masahiro; Hatabu, Hiroto; Kudoh, Shoji

2017-07-01

To compare the craniocaudal gradients of the maximum pixel value change rate (MPCR) during tidal breathing between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and normal subjects using dynamic chest radiography. This prospective study was approved by the institutional review board and all participants provided written informed consent. Forty-three COPD patients (mean age, 71.6±8.7 years) and 47 normal subjects (non-smoker healthy volunteers) (mean age, 54.8±9.8 years) underwent sequential chest radiographs during tidal breathing in a standing position using dynamic chest radiography with a flat panel detector system. We evaluated the craniocaudal gradient of MPCR. The results were analyzed using an unpaired t-test and the Tukey-Kramer method. The craniocaudal gradients of MPCR in COPD patients were significantly lower than those in normal subjects (right inspiratory phase, 75.5±48.1 vs. 108.9±42.0s -1 cm -1 , P<0.001; right expiratory phase, 66.4±40.6 vs. 89.8±31.6s -1 cm -1 , P=0.003; left inspiratory phase, 75.5±48.2 vs. 108.2±47.2s -1 cm -1 , P=0.002; left expiratory phase, 60.9±38.2 vs. 84.3±29.5s -1 cm -1 , P=0.002). No significant differences in height, weight, or BMI were observed between COPD and normal groups. In the sub-analysis, the gradients in severe COPD patients (global initiative for chronic obstructive lung disease [GOLD] 3 or 4, n=26) were significantly lower than those in mild COPD patients (GOLD 1 or 2, n=17) for both right and left inspiratory/expiratory phases (all P≤0.005). A decrease of the craniocaudal gradient of MPCR was observed in COPD patients. The craniocaudal gradient was lower in severe COPD patients than in mild COPD patients. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Activation of respiratory muscles during respiratory muscle training.

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Walterspacher, Stephan; Pietsch, Fabian; Walker, David Johannes; Röcker, Kai; Kabitz, Hans-Joachim

2018-01-01

It is unknown which respiratory muscles are mainly activated by respiratory muscle training. This study evaluated Inspiratory Pressure Threshold Loading (IPTL), Inspiratory Flow Resistive Loading (IFRL) and Voluntary Isocapnic Hyperpnea (VIH) with regard to electromyographic (EMG) activation of the sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM), parasternal muscles (PARA) and the diaphragm (DIA) in randomized order. Surface EMG were analyzed at the end of each training session and normalized using the peak EMG recorded during maximum inspiratory maneuvers (Sniff nasal pressure: SnPna, maximal inspiratory mouth occlusion pressure: PImax). 41 healthy participants were included. Maximal activation was achieved for SCM by SnPna; the PImax activated predominantly PARA and DIA. Activations of SCM and PARA were higher in IPTL and VIH than for IFRL (p<0.05). DIA was higher applying IPTL compared to IFRL or VIH (p<0.05). IPTL, IFRL and VIH differ in activation of inspiratory respiratory muscles. Whereas all methods mainly stimulate accessory respiratory muscles, diaphragm activation was predominant in IPTL. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fast Maximum-Likelihood Decoder for Quasi-Orthogonal Space-Time Block Code

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Adel Ahmadi

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Motivated by the decompositions of sphere and QR-based methods, in this paper we present an extremely fast maximum-likelihood (ML detection approach for quasi-orthogonal space-time block code (QOSTBC. The proposed algorithm with a relatively simple design exploits structure of quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM constellations to achieve its goal and can be extended to any arbitrary constellation. Our decoder utilizes a new decomposition technique for ML metric which divides the metric into independent positive parts and a positive interference part. Search spaces of symbols are substantially reduced by employing the independent parts and statistics of noise. Symbols within the search spaces are successively evaluated until the metric is minimized. Simulation results confirm that the proposed decoder’s performance is superior to many of the recently published state-of-the-art solutions in terms of complexity level. More specifically, it was possible to verify that application of the new algorithms with 1024-QAM would decrease the computational complexity compared to state-of-the-art solution with 16-QAM.

Maximum Principles for Discrete and Semidiscrete Reaction-Diffusion Equation

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Petr Stehlík

2015-01-01

Full Text Available We study reaction-diffusion equations with a general reaction function f on one-dimensional lattices with continuous or discrete time ux′  (or  Δtux=k(ux-1-2ux+ux+1+f(ux, x∈Z. We prove weak and strong maximum and minimum principles for corresponding initial-boundary value problems. Whereas the maximum principles in the semidiscrete case (continuous time exhibit similar features to those of fully continuous reaction-diffusion model, in the discrete case the weak maximum principle holds for a smaller class of functions and the strong maximum principle is valid in a weaker sense. We describe in detail how the validity of maximum principles depends on the nonlinearity and the time step. We illustrate our results on the Nagumo equation with the bistable nonlinearity.

Receiver function estimated by maximum entropy deconvolution

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

吴庆举; 田小波; 张乃铃; 李卫平; 曾融生

2003-01-01

Maximum entropy deconvolution is presented to estimate receiver function, with the maximum entropy as the rule to determine auto-correlation and cross-correlation functions. The Toeplitz equation and Levinson algorithm are used to calculate the iterative formula of error-predicting filter, and receiver function is then estimated. During extrapolation, reflective coefficient is always less than 1, which keeps maximum entropy deconvolution stable. The maximum entropy of the data outside window increases the resolution of receiver function. Both synthetic and real seismograms show that maximum entropy deconvolution is an effective method to measure receiver function in time-domain.

Maximum Likelihood Time-of-Arrival Estimation of Optical Pulses via Photon-Counting Photodetectors

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Erkmen, Baris I.; Moision, Bruce E.

2010-01-01

Many optical imaging, ranging, and communications systems rely on the estimation of the arrival time of an optical pulse. Recently, such systems have been increasingly employing photon-counting photodetector technology, which changes the statistics of the observed photocurrent. This requires time-of-arrival estimators to be developed and their performances characterized. The statistics of the output of an ideal photodetector, which are well modeled as a Poisson point process, were considered. An analytical model was developed for the mean-square error of the maximum likelihood (ML) estimator, demonstrating two phenomena that cause deviations from the minimum achievable error at low signal power. An approximation was derived to the threshold at which the ML estimator essentially fails to provide better than a random guess of the pulse arrival time. Comparing the analytic model performance predictions to those obtained via simulations, it was verified that the model accurately predicts the ML performance over all regimes considered. There is little prior art that attempts to understand the fundamental limitations to time-of-arrival estimation from Poisson statistics. This work establishes both a simple mathematical description of the error behavior, and the associated physical processes that yield this behavior. Previous work on mean-square error characterization for ML estimators has predominantly focused on additive Gaussian noise. This work demonstrates that the discrete nature of the Poisson noise process leads to a distinctly different error behavior.

μ opioid receptor activation hyperpolarizes respiratory-controlling Kölliker-Fuse neurons and suppresses post-inspiratory drive.

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Levitt, Erica S; Abdala, Ana P; Paton, Julian F R; Bissonnette, John M; Williams, John T

2015-10-01

In addition to reductions in respiratory rate, opioids also cause aspiration and difficulty swallowing, indicating impairment of the upper airways. The Kölliker-Fuse (KF) maintains upper airway patency and a normal respiratory pattern. In this study, activation of μ opioid receptors in the KF reduced respiratory frequency and tidal volume in anaesthetized rats. Nerve recordings in an in situ preparation showed that activation of μ opioid receptors in the KF eliminated the post-inspiration phase of the respiratory cycle. In brain slices, μ opioid agonists hyperpolarized a distinct population (61%) of KF neurons by activation of an inwardly rectifying potassium conductance. These results suggest that KF neurons that are hyperpolarized by opioids could contribute to opioid-induced respiratory disturbances, particularly the impairment of upper airways. Opioid-induced respiratory effects include aspiration and difficulty swallowing, suggesting impairment of the upper airways. The pontine Kölliker-Fuse nucleus (KF) controls upper airway patency and regulates respiration, in particular the inspiratory/expiratory phase transition. Given the importance of the KF in coordinating respiratory pattern, the mechanisms of μ opioid receptor activation in this nucleus were investigated at the systems and cellular level. In anaesthetized, vagi-intact rats, injection of opioid agonists DAMGO or [Met(5) ]enkephalin (ME) into the KF reduced respiratory frequency and amplitude. The μ opioid agonist DAMGO applied directly into the KF of the in situ arterially perfused working heart-brainstem preparation of rat resulted in robust apneusis (lengthened low amplitude inspiration due to loss of post-inspiratory drive) that was rapidly reversed by the opioid antagonist naloxone. In brain slice preparations, activation of μ opioid receptors on KF neurons hyperpolarized a distinct population (61%) of neurons. As expected, the opioid-induced hyperpolarization reduced the excitability of

Inspirometria de incentivo e breath stacking: repercussões sobre a capacidade inspiratória em indivíduos submetidos à cirurgia abdominal Incentive spirometry and breath stacking: effects on the inspiratory capacity of individuals submitted to abdominal surgery

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CM Dias

2008-04-01

it is necessary to know which therapeutic approaches are the best ones to implement. OBJECTIVE: To compare the inspiratory volume during the breath stacking maneuver with the volume during incentive spirometry, in abdominal surgery patients. METHODS: Twelve patients, on their first postoperative day, were instructed to take a deep breath through the VoldyneTM incentive spirometer and to make successive inspiratory efforts using a facemask that had been adapted for performing the breath stacking maneuver. Each technique was performed five times according to the randomization. Before the operation, the patients performed a spirometric test. They were also assessed and instructed about the procedures. A WrightTM ventilometer allowed inspiratory capacity to be recorded. RESULTS: The inspiratory capacity during breath stacking was significantly higher than during incentive spirometry, both before and after the operation. There was a significant reduction in volumes after the surgical procedure, independent of the technique performed. CONCLUSIONS: The breath stacking technique was shown to be effective. This technique was better than incentive spirometry for generating and sustaining inspiratory volumes. Since no adverse effects have been described, this technique can probably be used safely and effectively, particularly in uncooperative patients.

Spectral density analysis of time correlation functions in lattice QCD using the maximum entropy method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fiebig, H. Rudolf

2002-01-01

We study various aspects of extracting spectral information from time correlation functions of lattice QCD by means of Bayesian inference with an entropic prior, the maximum entropy method (MEM). Correlator functions of a heavy-light meson-meson system serve as a repository for lattice data with diverse statistical quality. Attention is given to spectral mass density functions, inferred from the data, and their dependence on the parameters of the MEM. We propose to employ simulated annealing, or cooling, to solve the Bayesian inference problem, and discuss the practical issues of the approach

The classical Starling resistor model often does not predict inspiratory airflow patterns in the human upper airway.

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Owens, Robert L; Edwards, Bradley A; Sands, Scott A; Butler, James P; Eckert, Danny J; White, David P; Malhotra, Atul; Wellman, Andrew

2014-04-15

The upper airway is often modeled as a classical Starling resistor, featuring a constant inspiratory airflow, or plateau, over a range of downstream pressures. However, airflow tracings from clinical sleep studies often show an initial peak before the plateau. To conform to the Starling model, the initial peak must be of small magnitude or dismissed as a transient. We developed a method to simulate fast or slow inspirations through the human upper airway, to test the hypothesis that this initial peak is a transient. Eight subjects [4 obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), 4 controls] slept in an "iron lung" and wore a nasal mask connected to a continuous/bilevel positive airway pressure machine. Downstream pressure was measured using an epiglottic catheter. During non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, subjects were hyperventilated to produce a central apnea, then extrathoracic pressure was decreased slowly (∼2-4 s) or abruptly (resistor model, the upper airway exhibits marked NED in some subjects.

Diaphragmatic fatigue in man.

Science.gov (United States)

Roussos, C S; Macklem, P T

1977-08-01

The time required (tlim) to produce fatigue of the diaphragm was determined in three normal seated subjects, breathing through a variety of high alinear, inspiratory resistances. During each breath in all experimental runs the subject generated a transdiaphragmatic pressure (Pdi) which was a predetermined fraction of his maximum inspiratory Pdi (Pdimax) at functional residual capacity. The breathing test was performed until the subject was unable to generate this Pdi. The relationship between Pdi/Pdimax and tlim was curvilinear so that when Pdi/Pdimax was small tlim increased markedly for little changes in Pdi/Pdimax. The value of Pdi/Pdimax that could be generated indefinitely (Pdicrit) was around 0.4. Hypoxia appeared to have no influence on Pdicrit, but probably led to a reduction in tlim at Pdi greater than Pdicrit for equal rates of energy consumption. Insofar as the behavior of the diaphragm reflects that of other respiratory muscles it appears that quite high inspiratory loads can be tolerated indefinitely. However, when the energy consumption of the respiratory muscles exceeds a critical level, fatigue should develop. This may be a mechanism of respiratory failure in a variety in a variety of lung diseases.

Increasing the maximum daily operation time of MNSR reactor by modifying its cooling system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khamis, I.; Hainoun, A.; Al Halbi, W.; Al Isa, S.

2006-08-01

thermal-hydraulic natural convection correlations have been formulated based on a thorough analysis and modeling of the MNSR reactor. The model considers detailed description of the thermal and hydraulic aspects of cooling in the core and vessel. In addition, determination of pressure drop was made through an elaborate balancing of the overall pressure drop in the core against the sum of all individual channel pressure drops employing an iterative scheme. Using this model, an accurate estimation of various timely core-averaged hydraulic parameters such as generated power, hydraulic diameters, flow cross area, ... etc. for each one of the ten-fuel circles in the core can be made. Furthermore, distribution of coolant and fuel temperatures, including maximum fuel temperature and its location in the core, can now be determined. Correlation among core-coolant average temperature, reactor power, and core-coolant inlet temperature, during both steady and transient cases, have been established and verified against experimental data. Simulating various operating condition of MNSR, good agreement is obtained for at different power levels. Various schemes of cooling have been investigated for the purpose of assessing potential benefits on the operational characteristics of the syrian MNSR reactor. A detailed thermal hydraulic model for the analysis of MNSR has been developed. The analysis shows that an auxiliary cooling system, for the reactor vessel or installed in the pool which surrounds the lower section of the reactor vessel, will significantly offset the consumption of excess reactivity due to the negative reactivity temperature coefficient. Hence, the maximum operating time of the reactor is extended. The model considers detailed description of the thermal and hydraulic aspects of cooling the core and its surrounding vessel. Natural convection correlations have been formulated based on a thorough analysis and modeling of the MNSR reactor. The suggested 'micro model

Effects of the Maximum Luminance in a Medical-grade Liquid-crystal Display on the Recognition Time of a Test Pattern: Observer Performance Using Landolt Rings.

Science.gov (United States)

Doi, Yasuhiro; Matsuyama, Michinobu; Ikeda, Ryuji; Hashida, Masahiro

2016-07-01

This study was conducted to measure the recognition time of the test pattern and to investigate the effects of the maximum luminance in a medical-grade liquid-crystal display (LCD) on the recognition time. Landolt rings as signals of the test pattern were used with four random orientations, one on each of the eight gray-scale steps. Ten observers input the orientation of the gap on the Landolt rings using cursor keys on the keyboard. The recognition times were automatically measured from the display of the test pattern on the medical-grade LCD to the input of the orientation of the gap in the Landolt rings. The maximum luminance in this study was set to one of four values (100, 170, 250, and 400 cd/m(2)), for which the corresponding recognition times were measured. As a result, the average recognition times for each observer with maximum luminances of 100, 170, 250, and 400 cd/m(2) were found to be 3.96 to 7.12 s, 3.72 to 6.35 s, 3.53 to 5.97 s, and 3.37 to 5.98 s, respectively. The results indicate that the observer's recognition time is directly proportional to the luminance of the medical-grade LCD. Therefore, it is evident that the maximum luminance of the medical-grade LCD affects the test pattern recognition time.

Polar coordinated fuzzy controller based real-time maximum-power point control of photovoltaic system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Syafaruddin; Hiyama, Takashi [Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering of Kumamoto University, 2-39-1 Kurokami, Kumamoto 860-8555 (Japan); Karatepe, Engin [Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering of Ege University, 35100 Bornova-Izmir (Turkey)

2009-12-15

It is crucial to improve the photovoltaic (PV) system efficiency and to develop the reliability of PV generation control systems. There are two ways to increase the efficiency of PV power generation system. The first is to develop materials offering high conversion efficiency at low cost. The second is to operate PV systems optimally. However, the PV system can be optimally operated only at a specific output voltage and its output power fluctuates under intermittent weather conditions. Moreover, it is very difficult to test the performance of a maximum-power point tracking (MPPT) controller under the same weather condition during the development process and also the field testing is costly and time consuming. This paper presents a novel real-time simulation technique of PV generation system by using dSPACE real-time interface system. The proposed system includes Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and fuzzy logic controller scheme using polar information. This type of fuzzy logic rules is implemented for the first time to operate the PV module at optimum operating point. ANN is utilized to determine the optimum operating voltage for monocrystalline silicon, thin-film cadmium telluride and triple junction amorphous silicon solar cells. The verification of availability and stability of the proposed system through the real-time simulator shows that the proposed system can respond accurately for different scenarios and different solar cell technologies. (author)

Real-time detection of gastric insufflation related to facemask pressure-controlled ventilation using ultrasonography of the antrum and epigastric auscultation in nonparalyzed patients: a prospective, randomized, double-blind study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bouvet, Lionel; Albert, Marie-Laure; Augris, Caroline; Boselli, Emmanuel; Ecochard, René; Rabilloud, Muriel; Chassard, Dominique; Allaouchiche, Bernard

2014-02-01

The authors sought to determine the level of inspiratory pressure minimizing the risk of gastric insufflation while providing adequate pulmonary ventilation. The primary endpoint was the increase in incidence of gastric insufflation detected by ultrasonography of the antrum while inspiratory pressure for facemask pressure-controlled ventilation increased from 10 to 25 cm H2O. In this prospective, randomized, double-blind study, patients were allocated to one of the four groups (P10, P15, P20, and P25) defined by the inspiratory pressure applied during controlled-pressure ventilation: 10, 15, 20, and 25 cm H2O. Anesthesia was induced using propofol and remifentanil; no neuromuscular-blocking agent was administered. Once loss of eyelash reflex occurred, facemask ventilation was started for a 2-min period while gastric insufflation was detected by auscultation and by real-time ultrasonography of the antrum. The cross-sectional antral area was measured using ultrasonography before and after facemask ventilation. Respiratory parameters were recorded. Sixty-seven patients were analyzed. The authors registered statistically significant increases in incidences of gastric insufflation with inspiratory pressure, from 0% (group P10) to 41% (group P25) according to auscultation, and from 19 to 59% according to ultrasonography. In groups P20 and P25, detection of gastric insufflation by ultrasonography was associated with a statistically significant increase in the antral area. Lung ventilation was insufficient for group P10. Inspiratory pressure of 15 cm H2O allowed for reduced occurrence of gastric insufflation with proper lung ventilation during induction of anesthesia with remifentanil and propofol in nonparalyzed and nonobese patients. (Anesthesiology 2014; 120:326-34).

Assessment of Diaphragm and External Intercostals Fatigue from Surface EMG using Cervical Magnetic Stimulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ya-Ju Chang

2008-03-01

Full Text Available This study was designed: (1 to test the reliability of surface electromyography (sEMG recording of the diaphragm and external intercostals contractions response to cervical magnetic stimulation (CMS, (2 to examine the amount and the types of inspiratory muscle fatigue that developed after maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV maneuvers.Ten male college students without physical disability (22.1±2.0 years old participated in the study and each completed a control (quiet breathing trial and a fatigue (MVV maneuvers trial sequentially. In the quiet breathing trial, the subjects maintained quiet breathing for five minutes. The subjects performed five maximal static inspiratory efforts and received five CMS before and after the quiet breathing. In the MVV trial, subjects performed five maximal inspiratory efforts and received five CMS before, immediately after, and ten minutes after two sets of MVV maneuvers performed five minutes apart. Maximal inspiratory pressure (PImax, sEMG of diaphragm and external intercostals during maximal static inspiratory efforts and during CMS were recorded. In the quiet breathing trial, high intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC=0.95-0.99 were observed in all the variables. In the MVV trial, the PImax, the EMG amplitude and the median power frequency during maximal static inspiratory efforts significantly decreased in both the diaphragm and the external intercostals immediately after the MVV maneuvers Sensors 2008, 8 2175 (P 0.05. It is concluded that the sEMG recordings of the diaphragm during maximal static inspiratory efforts and in response to CMS allow reproducible sequential assessment of diaphragm contractility. MVV maneuvers resulted in inspiratory muscles fatigue, possibly central fatigue.

Use of queue modelling in the analysis of elective patient treatment governed by a maximum waiting time policy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kozlowski, Dawid; Worthington, Dave

2015-01-01

chain and discrete event simulation models, to provide an insightful analysis of the public hospital performance under the policy rules. The aim of this paper is to support the enhancement of the quality of elective patient care, to be brought about by better understanding of the policy implications...... on the utilization of public hospital resources. This paper illustrates the use of a queue modelling approach in the analysis of elective patient treatment governed by the maximum waiting time policy. Drawing upon the combined strengths of analytic and simulation approaches we develop both continuous-time Markov...

Tailored Barium Swallow Study

Science.gov (United States)

... Impulse Oscillimetry (IOS) Hypoxic and Hypercapnic Drive Response Lung Diffusion Capacity Testing (DLCO) Maximum Inspiratory/Expiratory Pressures Nitrogen Washout Performing Pressure Volume Study Performing Routine Pulmonary Test Performing Spirometry Test ...

Esophagram (Barium Swallow Study)

Science.gov (United States)

... Impulse Oscillimetry (IOS) Hypoxic and Hypercapnic Drive Response Lung Diffusion Capacity Testing (DLCO) Maximum Inspiratory/Expiratory Pressures Nitrogen Washout Performing Pressure Volume Study Performing Routine Pulmonary Test Performing Spirometry Test ...

Relative timing of last glacial maximum and late-glacial events in the central tropical Andes

Science.gov (United States)

Bromley, Gordon R. M.; Schaefer, Joerg M.; Winckler, Gisela; Hall, Brenda L.; Todd, Claire E.; Rademaker, Kurt M.

2009-11-01

Whether or not tropical climate fluctuated in synchrony with global events during the Late Pleistocene is a key problem in climate research. However, the timing of past climate changes in the tropics remains controversial, with a number of recent studies reporting that tropical ice age climate is out of phase with global events. Here, we present geomorphic evidence and an in-situ cosmogenic 3He surface-exposure chronology from Nevado Coropuna, southern Peru, showing that glaciers underwent at least two significant advances during the Late Pleistocene prior to Holocene warming. Comparison of our glacial-geomorphic map at Nevado Coropuna to mid-latitude reconstructions yields a striking similarity between Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and Late-Glacial sequences in tropical and temperate regions. Exposure ages constraining the maximum and end of the older advance at Nevado Coropuna range between 24.5 and 25.3 ka, and between 16.7 and 21.1 ka, respectively, depending on the cosmogenic production rate scaling model used. Similarly, the mean age of the younger event ranges from 10 to 13 ka. This implies that (1) the LGM and the onset of deglaciation in southern Peru occurred no earlier than at higher latitudes and (2) that a significant Late-Glacial event occurred, most likely prior to the Holocene, coherent with the glacial record from mid and high latitudes. The time elapsed between the end of the LGM and the Late-Glacial event at Nevado Coropuna is independent of scaling model and matches the period between the LGM termination and Late-Glacial reversal in classic mid-latitude records, suggesting that these events in both tropical and temperate regions were in phase.

Svær cervikal kyfose som årsag til akut opstået respirationsinsufficiens

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Karen Lise Dahl; Bach, Allan; Iversen, Rikke Haahr

2017-01-01

Severe cervical kyphosis causing sudden inspiratory stridor An 85-year-old woman was brought to an accident and emergency department with breathing difficulties accompanied by inspiratory stridor. She was being treated for hypertension and severe osteoporosis which had caused thoracal and cervical...... fractures of the columna. Intubation was initiated as she desaturated and deteriorated despite maximum oxygen therapy. The intubation revealed a subglottic stenosis as a consequence of a recent osteoporotic fracture in the cervical columna. This represents a rare cause of respiratory failure as all other...

Effects of inspiratory resistance, inhaled beta-agonists and histamine on canine tracheal blood flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelly, W.T.; Baile, E.M.; Brancatisano, A.; Pare, P.D.; Engel, L.A.

1992-01-01

Tracheobronchial blood flow is potentially important in asthma as it could either influence the clearance of mediators form the airways, thus affecting the duration and severity of bronchoispasm, or enhance oedema formation with a resultant increase in airflow obstruction. In anaesthetized dogs, spontaneously breathing via a tracheostomy, we investigated the effects of three interventions which are relevant to acute asthma attacks and could potentially influence blood flow and its distribution to the mucosa and remaining tissues of the trachea: 1) increased negative intrathoracic pressure swings (-25±1 cmH 2 O) induced by an inspiratory resistance; 2) variable inhaled doses of a beta-adrenoceptor-agonist (terbutaline); and 3) aerosolized histamine sufficient to produce a threefold increase in pulmonary resistance. Microspheres labelled with different radioisotopes were used to measure blood flow. Resistive breathing did not influence tracheobronchial blood flow. Following a large dose of terbutaline, mucosal blood flow (Qmb) increased by 50%. After inhaled histamine, Qmb reached 265% of the baseline value. We conclude that, whereas increased negative pressure swings do not influence tracheobronchial blood flow or its distribution, inhalation of aerosolized terbutaline, corresponding to a conventionally nebulized dose, increases mucosal blood flow. Our results also confirm that inhaled histamine, in a dose sufficient to produce moderate bronchoconstriction, increases tracheal mucosal blood flow in the area of deposition. (au)

Effects of inspiratory resistance, inhaled beta-agonists and histamine on canine tracheal blood flow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kelly, W.T.; Baile, E.M.; Brancatisano, A.; Pare, P.D.; Engel, L.A. (Dept. of Respiratory Medicine, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW (Australia))

1992-01-01

Tracheobronchial blood flow is potentially important in asthma as it could either influence the clearance of mediators form the airways, thus affecting the duration and severity of bronchoispasm, or enhance oedema formation with a resultant increase in airflow obstruction. In anaesthetized dogs, spontaneously breathing via a tracheostomy, we investigated the effects of three interventions which are relevant to acute asthma attacks and could potentially influence blood flow and its distribution to the mucosa and remaining tissues of the trachea: (1) increased negative intrathoracic pressure swings (-25[+-]1 cmH[sub 2]O) induced by an inspiratory resistance; (2) variable inhaled doses of a beta-adrenoceptor-agonist (terbutaline); and (3) aerosolized histamine sufficient to produce a threefold increase in pulmonary resistance. Microspheres labelled with different radioisotopes were used to measure blood flow. Resistive breathing did not influence tracheobronchial blood flow. Following a large dose of terbutaline, mucosal blood flow (Qmb) increased by 50%. After inhaled histamine, Qmb reached 265% of the baseline value. We conclude that, whereas increased negative pressure swings do not influence tracheobronchial blood flow or its distribution, inhalation of aerosolized terbutaline, corresponding to a conventionally nebulized dose, increases mucosal blood flow. Our results also confirm that inhaled histamine, in a dose sufficient to produce moderate bronchoconstriction, increases tracheal mucosal blood flow in the area of deposition. (au).

Maximum permissible voltage of YBCO coated conductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wen, J.; Lin, B.; Sheng, J.; Xu, J.; Jin, Z. [Department of Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai (China); Hong, Z., E-mail: zhiyong.hong@sjtu.edu.cn [Department of Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai (China); Wang, D.; Zhou, H.; Shen, X.; Shen, C. [Qingpu Power Supply Company, State Grid Shanghai Municipal Electric Power Company, Shanghai (China)

2014-06-15

Highlights: • We examine three kinds of tapes’ maximum permissible voltage. • We examine the relationship between quenching duration and maximum permissible voltage. • Continuous I{sub c} degradations under repetitive quenching where tapes reaching maximum permissible voltage. • The relationship between maximum permissible voltage and resistance, temperature. - Abstract: Superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) could reduce short circuit currents in electrical power system. One of the most important thing in developing SFCL is to find out the maximum permissible voltage of each limiting element. The maximum permissible voltage is defined as the maximum voltage per unit length at which the YBCO coated conductors (CC) do not suffer from critical current (I{sub c}) degradation or burnout. In this research, the time of quenching process is changed and voltage is raised until the I{sub c} degradation or burnout happens. YBCO coated conductors test in the experiment are from American superconductor (AMSC) and Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU). Along with the quenching duration increasing, the maximum permissible voltage of CC decreases. When quenching duration is 100 ms, the maximum permissible of SJTU CC, 12 mm AMSC CC and 4 mm AMSC CC are 0.72 V/cm, 0.52 V/cm and 1.2 V/cm respectively. Based on the results of samples, the whole length of CCs used in the design of a SFCL can be determined.

Minimal length, Friedmann equations and maximum density

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Awad, Adel [Center for Theoretical Physics, British University of Egypt,Sherouk City 11837, P.O. Box 43 (Egypt); Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University,Cairo, 11566 (Egypt); Ali, Ahmed Farag [Centre for Fundamental Physics, Zewail City of Science and Technology,Sheikh Zayed, 12588, Giza (Egypt); Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Benha University,Benha, 13518 (Egypt)

2014-06-16

Inspired by Jacobson’s thermodynamic approach, Cai et al. have shown the emergence of Friedmann equations from the first law of thermodynamics. We extend Akbar-Cai derivation http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.75.084003 of Friedmann equations to accommodate a general entropy-area law. Studying the resulted Friedmann equations using a specific entropy-area law, which is motivated by the generalized uncertainty principle (GUP), reveals the existence of a maximum energy density closed to Planck density. Allowing for a general continuous pressure p(ρ,a) leads to bounded curvature invariants and a general nonsingular evolution. In this case, the maximum energy density is reached in a finite time and there is no cosmological evolution beyond this point which leaves the big bang singularity inaccessible from a spacetime prospective. The existence of maximum energy density and a general nonsingular evolution is independent of the equation of state and the spacial curvature k. As an example we study the evolution of the equation of state p=ωρ through its phase-space diagram to show the existence of a maximum energy which is reachable in a finite time.

Automatic maximum entropy spectral reconstruction in NMR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mobli, Mehdi; Maciejewski, Mark W.; Gryk, Michael R.; Hoch, Jeffrey C.

2007-01-01

Developments in superconducting magnets, cryogenic probes, isotope labeling strategies, and sophisticated pulse sequences together have enabled the application, in principle, of high-resolution NMR spectroscopy to biomolecular systems approaching 1 megadalton. In practice, however, conventional approaches to NMR that utilize the fast Fourier transform, which require data collected at uniform time intervals, result in prohibitively lengthy data collection times in order to achieve the full resolution afforded by high field magnets. A variety of approaches that involve nonuniform sampling have been proposed, each utilizing a non-Fourier method of spectrum analysis. A very general non-Fourier method that is capable of utilizing data collected using any of the proposed nonuniform sampling strategies is maximum entropy reconstruction. A limiting factor in the adoption of maximum entropy reconstruction in NMR has been the need to specify non-intuitive parameters. Here we describe a fully automated system for maximum entropy reconstruction that requires no user-specified parameters. A web-accessible script generator provides the user interface to the system

Predictive value of EndTidalCO2, lung mechanics and other standard parameters for weaning neurological patients from mechanical ventilation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hala A. Mohammad

2016-01-01

Conclusion: We concluded that measurements of RSBI, MIP (maximum inspiratory pressure, EndTidalCO2 and dynamic compliance were more accurate predictors of extubation failure in patients with neurological insults than other standard weaning parameters.

50 CFR 259.34 - Minimum and maximum deposits; maximum time to deposit.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... B objective. A time longer than 10 years, either by original scheduling or by subsequent extension... OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AID TO FISHERIES CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION FUND...) Minimum annual deposit. The minimum annual (based on each party's taxable year) deposit required by the...

Fractal Dimension and Maximum Sunspot Number in Solar Cycle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R.-S. Kim

2006-09-01

Full Text Available The fractal dimension is a quantitative parameter describing the characteristics of irregular time series. In this study, we use this parameter to analyze the irregular aspects of solar activity and to predict the maximum sunspot number in the following solar cycle by examining time series of the sunspot number. For this, we considered the daily sunspot number since 1850 from SIDC (Solar Influences Data analysis Center and then estimated cycle variation of the fractal dimension by using Higuchi's method. We examined the relationship between this fractal dimension and the maximum monthly sunspot number in each solar cycle. As a result, we found that there is a strong inverse relationship between the fractal dimension and the maximum monthly sunspot number. By using this relation we predicted the maximum sunspot number in the solar cycle from the fractal dimension of the sunspot numbers during the solar activity increasing phase. The successful prediction is proven by a good correlation (r=0.89 between the observed and predicted maximum sunspot numbers in the solar cycles.

Monte Carlo Maximum Likelihood Estimation for Generalized Long-Memory Time Series Models

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mesters, G.; Koopman, S.J.; Ooms, M.

2016-01-01

An exact maximum likelihood method is developed for the estimation of parameters in a non-Gaussian nonlinear density function that depends on a latent Gaussian dynamic process with long-memory properties. Our method relies on the method of importance sampling and on a linear Gaussian approximating

Atividade mioelétrica dos músculos respiratórios em crianças asmáticas durante manobra inspiratória máxima Myoelectrical activity of the respiratory muscles in asthmatic children during the maximum inspiratory maneuver

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria do Socorro Brasileiro-Santos

2012-09-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVOS: avaliar a atividade dos músculos escalenos e esternocleidomastóideo (ETMD no período basal e durante manobra de pressão inspiratória máxima (PImax em crianças asmáticas. MÉTODOS: foram estudadas 15 crianças, divididas em grupo asma (n=8 e grupo controle (n=7. Foi realizada a análise da função pulmonar e da PImax através da espirometria e da manovacuometria, respectivamente. A atividade mioelétrica dos músculos escaleno e ETMD foram realizadas pela eletromiografia de superfície durante período basal e manobra de PImax. RESULTADOS: a eletromiografia de superfície (EMGs basal do músculo escaleno é maior no grupo asma quando comparado ao grupo controle. Diferentemente, a EMGs basal do músculo ETMD não apresentou diferença significativa nos grupos estudados. O percentual da EMGs dos músculos escaleno e ETMD durante manobra de PImax foi maior no grupo asma quando comparado ao grupo controle. CONCLUSÕES: EMGs do escaleno durante o período basal está aumentada em crianças asmáticas. A atividade eletromiográfica do músculo ETMD no período basal é similar em ambos os grupos estudados. A EMGs dos músculos ETMD e escaleno na geração de pressão intratorácica, durante a manobra de PImax, está aumentada em crianças asmáticas.OBJECTIVES: to evaluate the activity of the scalene and sternocleidomastoid muscles at the baseline and during the maximum inspiratory pressure maneuver (PImax in children with asthma. METHODS: fifteen children were divided into an asthma (n=8 and a control group (n=7. Lung functioning was investigated and the PImax using spirometry and manovacometry respectively. The myoelectrical activity of the scalene and sternocleidomastoid muscles was measured using surface electromyography at the baseline and during the PImax maneuver. RESULTS: the baseline surface electromyography for the scalene muscle was greater in the asthma group than in the control. However, the base surface

Casting for infantile scoliosis: the pitfall of increased peak inspiratory pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

Dhawale, Arjun A; Shah, Suken A; Reichard, Samantha; Holmes, Laurens; Brislin, Robert; Rogers, Kenneth; Mackenzie, William G

2013-01-01

Serial cast correction is a popular treatment option for progressive infantile scoliosis. Body casting can lead to chest and abdominal expansion restriction and result in decreased chest wall compliance. There are no studies evaluating the effects of casting on ventilation in infantile scoliosis. This study examines changes in peak inspiratory pressure (PIP) during serial casting for infantile scoliosis. We retrospectively reviewed data obtained from 37 serial Cotrel elongation, derotation, and flexion cast corrections in patients with infantile scoliosis. Patient demographics, radiographic measurements, and anesthesia data were recorded. Anesthesia technique was standardized: children were intubated with rigid endotracheal tubes (ETTs); tidal volume was held constant at 8 to 10 cm(3)/kg using volume control ventilation; and PIP was recorded at baseline, after cast application before window cutout, and after window cutout before extubation. Any complications were documented. We assessed the PIP changes with a repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). The mean age at first casting was 21.8 months (range, 12 to 42 mo) and mean follow-up since first casting was 22.4 months (range, 13 to 40 mo) with mean major Cobb angle of 53±15 degrees. The mean PIP was 15.5±4.9 cm H(2)O before casting, 31.9±7.9 cm H(2)O after cast application, and 20.4±5.6 cm H2O after making windows. There was a 106% increase after casting and 32% increase after window cutout from the baseline PIP levels. There was a significant difference in PIP on repeated measures ANOVA (Pcasting and another had delayed difficulty in breathing. Casting resulted in an increased PIP due to transient restrictive pulmonary process; after windows were cut out, the PIP reduced but not to baseline. In patients with underlying pulmonary disease, the casting process may induce respiratory complications, and a proper period of observation after casting is necessary. Case series, level 4.

The timing of the maximum extent of the Rhone Glacier at Wangen a.d. Aare

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ivy-Ochs, S.; Schluechter, C. [Bern Univ. (Switzerland); Kubik, P.W. [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland); Beer, J. [EAWAG, Duebendorf (Switzerland)

1997-09-01

Erratic blocks found in the region of Wangen a.d. Aare delineate the maximum position of the Solothurn lobe of the Rhone Glacier. {sup 10}Be and {sup 26}Al exposure ages of three of these blocks show that the glacier withdraw from its maximum position at or slightly before 20,000{+-}1800 years ago. (author) 1 fig., 5 refs.

A portable storage maximum thermometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fayart, Gerard.

1976-01-01

A clinical thermometer storing the voltage corresponding to the maximum temperature in an analog memory is described. End of the measurement is shown by a lamp switch out. The measurement time is shortened by means of a low thermal inertia platinum probe. This portable thermometer is fitted with cell test and calibration system [fr

Improved efficiency of maximum likelihood analysis of time series with temporally correlated errors

Science.gov (United States)

Langbein, John

2017-08-01

Most time series of geophysical phenomena have temporally correlated errors. From these measurements, various parameters are estimated. For instance, from geodetic measurements of positions, the rates and changes in rates are often estimated and are used to model tectonic processes. Along with the estimates of the size of the parameters, the error in these parameters needs to be assessed. If temporal correlations are not taken into account, or each observation is assumed to be independent, it is likely that any estimate of the error of these parameters will be too low and the estimated value of the parameter will be biased. Inclusion of better estimates of uncertainties is limited by several factors, including selection of the correct model for the background noise and the computational requirements to estimate the parameters of the selected noise model for cases where there are numerous observations. Here, I address the second problem of computational efficiency using maximum likelihood estimates (MLE). Most geophysical time series have background noise processes that can be represented as a combination of white and power-law noise, 1/f^{α } with frequency, f. With missing data, standard spectral techniques involving FFTs are not appropriate. Instead, time domain techniques involving construction and inversion of large data covariance matrices are employed. Bos et al. (J Geod, 2013. doi: 10.1007/s00190-012-0605-0) demonstrate one technique that substantially increases the efficiency of the MLE methods, yet is only an approximate solution for power-law indices >1.0 since they require the data covariance matrix to be Toeplitz. That restriction can be removed by simply forming a data filter that adds noise processes rather than combining them in quadrature. Consequently, the inversion of the data covariance matrix is simplified yet provides robust results for a wider range of power-law indices.

Relationship between time-resolved and non-time-resolved Beer-Lambert law in turbid media.

Science.gov (United States)

Nomura, Y; Hazeki, O; Tamura, M

1997-06-01

The time-resolved Beer-Lambert law proposed for oxygen monitoring using pulsed light was extended to the non-time-resolved case in a scattered medium such as living tissues with continuous illumination. The time-resolved Beer-Lambert law was valid for the phantom model and living tissues in the visible and near-infrared regions. The absolute concentration and oxygen saturation of haemoglobin in rat brain and thigh muscle could be determined. The temporal profile of rat brain was reproduced by Monte Carlo simulation. When the temporal profiles of rat brain under different oxygenation states were integrated with time, the absorbance difference was linearly related to changes in the absorption coefficient. When the simulated profiles were integrated, there was a linear relationship within the absorption coefficient which was predicted for fractional inspiratory oxygen concentration from 10 to 100% and, in the case beyond the range of the absorption coefficient, the deviation from linearity was slight. We concluded that an optical pathlength which is independent of changes in the absorption coefficient is a good approximation for near-infrared oxygen monitoring.

A simulation study of Linsley's approach to infer elongation rate and fluctuations of the EAS maximum depth from muon arrival time distributions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badea, A.F.; Brancus, I.M.; Rebel, H.; Haungs, A.; Oehlschlaeger, J.; Zazyan, M.

1999-01-01

The average depth of the maximum X m of the EAS (Extensive Air Shower) development depends on the energy E 0 and the mass of the primary particle, and its dependence from the energy is traditionally expressed by the so-called elongation rate D e defined as change in the average depth of the maximum per decade of E 0 i.e. D e = dX m /dlog 10 E 0 . Invoking the superposition model approximation i.e. assuming that a heavy primary (A) has the same shower elongation rate like a proton, but scaled with energies E 0 /A, one can write X m = X init + D e log 10 (E 0 /A). In 1977 an indirect approach studying D e has been suggested by Linsley. This approach can be applied to shower parameters which do not depend explicitly on the energy of the primary particle, but do depend on the depth of observation X and on the depth X m of shower maximum. The distribution of the EAS muon arrival times, measured at a certain observation level relatively to the arrival time of the shower core reflect the pathlength distribution of the muon travel from locus of production (near the axis) to the observation locus. The basic a priori assumption is that we can associate the mean value or median T of the time distribution to the height of the EAS maximum X m , and that we can express T = f(X,X m ). In order to derive from the energy variation of the arrival time quantities information about elongation rate, some knowledge is required about F i.e. F = - ∂ T/∂X m ) X /∂(T/∂X) X m , in addition to the variations with the depth of observation and the zenith-angle (θ) dependence, respectively. Thus ∂T/∂log 10 E 0 | X = - F·D e ·1/X v ·∂T/∂secθ| E 0 . In a similar way the fluctuations σ(X m ) of X m may be related to the fluctuations σ(T) of T i.e. σ(T) = - σ(X m )· F σ ·1/X v ·∂T/∂secθ| E 0 , with F σ being the corresponding scaling factor for the fluctuation of F. By simulations of the EAS development using the Monte Carlo code CORSIKA the energy and angle

Approximate maximum parsimony and ancestral maximum likelihood.

Science.gov (United States)

Alon, Noga; Chor, Benny; Pardi, Fabio; Rapoport, Anat

2010-01-01

We explore the maximum parsimony (MP) and ancestral maximum likelihood (AML) criteria in phylogenetic tree reconstruction. Both problems are NP-hard, so we seek approximate solutions. We formulate the two problems as Steiner tree problems under appropriate distances. The gist of our approach is the succinct characterization of Steiner trees for a small number of leaves for the two distances. This enables the use of known Steiner tree approximation algorithms. The approach leads to a 16/9 approximation ratio for AML and asymptotically to a 1.55 approximation ratio for MP.

Spatio-temporal observations of the tertiary ozone maximum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. F. Sofieva

2009-07-01

Full Text Available We present spatio-temporal distributions of the tertiary ozone maximum (TOM, based on GOMOS (Global Ozone Monitoring by Occultation of Stars ozone measurements in 2002–2006. The tertiary ozone maximum is typically observed in the high-latitude winter mesosphere at an altitude of ~72 km. Although the explanation for this phenomenon has been found recently – low concentrations of odd-hydrogen cause the subsequent decrease in odd-oxygen losses – models have had significant deviations from existing observations until recently. Good coverage of polar night regions by GOMOS data has allowed for the first time to obtain spatial and temporal observational distributions of night-time ozone mixing ratio in the mesosphere.

The distributions obtained from GOMOS data have specific features, which are variable from year to year. In particular, due to a long lifetime of ozone in polar night conditions, the downward transport of polar air by the meridional circulation is clearly observed in the tertiary ozone maximum time series. Although the maximum tertiary ozone mixing ratio is achieved close to the polar night terminator (as predicted by the theory, TOM can be observed also at very high latitudes, not only in the beginning and at the end, but also in the middle of winter. We have compared the observational spatio-temporal distributions of the tertiary ozone maximum with that obtained using WACCM (Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model and found that the specific features are reproduced satisfactorily by the model.

Since ozone in the mesosphere is very sensitive to HO_x concentrations, energetic particle precipitation can significantly modify the shape of the ozone profiles. In particular, GOMOS observations have shown that the tertiary ozone maximum was temporarily destroyed during the January 2005 and December 2006 solar proton events as a result of the HO_x enhancement from the increased ionization.

Respiratory mechanics in infants with severe bronchiolitis on controlled mechanical ventilation.

Science.gov (United States)

Cruces, Pablo; González-Dambrauskas, Sebastián; Quilodrán, Julio; Valenzuela, Jorge; Martínez, Javier; Rivero, Natalia; Arias, Pablo; Díaz, Franco

2017-10-06

Analysis of respiratory mechanics during mechanical ventilation (MV) is able to estimate resistive, elastic and inertial components of the working pressure of the respiratory system. Our aim was to discriminate the components of the working pressure of the respiratory system in infants on MV with severe bronchiolitis admitted to two PICU's. Infants younger than 1 year old with acute respiratory failure caused by severe bronchiolitis underwent neuromuscular blockade, tracheal intubation and volume controlled MV. Shortly after intubation studies of pulmonary mechanics were performed using inspiratory and expiratory breath hold. The maximum inspiratory and expiratory flow (QI and QE) as well as peak inspiratory (PIP), plateau (PPL) and total expiratory pressures (tPEEP) were measured. Inspiratory and expiratory resistances (RawI and RawE) and Time Constants (K TI and K TE ) were calculated. We included 16 patients, of median age 2.5 (1-5.8) months. Bronchiolitis due to respiratory syncytial virus was the main etiology (93.8%) and 31.3% had comorbidities. Measured respiratory pressures were PIP 29 (26-31), PPL 24 (20-26), tPEEP 9 [8-11] cmH2O. Elastic component of the working pressure was significantly higher than resistive and both higher than threshold (tPEEP - PEEP) (P mechanics of infants with severe bronchiolitis receiving MV shows that the elastic component of the working pressure of the respiratory system is the most important. The elastic and resistive components in conjunction with flow profile are characteristic of restrictive diseases. A better understanding of lung mechanics in this group of patients may lead to change the traditional ventilatory approach to severe bronchiolitis.

Maximum-entropy description of animal movement.

Science.gov (United States)

Fleming, Chris H; Subaşı, Yiğit; Calabrese, Justin M

2015-03-01

We introduce a class of maximum-entropy states that naturally includes within it all of the major continuous-time stochastic processes that have been applied to animal movement, including Brownian motion, Ornstein-Uhlenbeck motion, integrated Ornstein-Uhlenbeck motion, a recently discovered hybrid of the previous models, and a new model that describes central-place foraging. We are also able to predict a further hierarchy of new models that will emerge as data quality improves to better resolve the underlying continuity of animal movement. Finally, we also show that Langevin equations must obey a fluctuation-dissipation theorem to generate processes that fall from this class of maximum-entropy distributions when the constraints are purely kinematic.

20 CFR 10.806 - How are the maximum fees defined?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... AMENDED Information for Medical Providers Medical Fee Schedule § 10.806 How are the maximum fees defined? For professional medical services, the Director shall maintain a schedule of maximum allowable fees.../Current Procedural Terminology (HCPCS/CPT) code which represents the relative skill, effort, risk and time...

The last glacial maximum

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, P.U.; Dyke, A.S.; Shakun, J.D.; Carlson, A.E.; Clark, J.; Wohlfarth, B.; Mitrovica, J.X.; Hostetler, S.W.; McCabe, A.M.

2009-01-01

We used 5704 14C, 10Be, and 3He ages that span the interval from 10,000 to 50,000 years ago (10 to 50 ka) to constrain the timing of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in terms of global ice-sheet and mountain-glacier extent. Growth of the ice sheets to their maximum positions occurred between 33.0 and 26.5 ka in response to climate forcing from decreases in northern summer insolation, tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures, and atmospheric CO2. Nearly all ice sheets were at their LGM positions from 26.5 ka to 19 to 20 ka, corresponding to minima in these forcings. The onset of Northern Hemisphere deglaciation 19 to 20 ka was induced by an increase in northern summer insolation, providing the source for an abrupt rise in sea level. The onset of deglaciation of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet occurred between 14 and 15 ka, consistent with evidence that this was the primary source for an abrupt rise in sea level ???14.5 ka.

Binary versus non-binary information in real time series: empirical results and maximum-entropy matrix models

Science.gov (United States)

Almog, Assaf; Garlaschelli, Diego

2014-09-01

The dynamics of complex systems, from financial markets to the brain, can be monitored in terms of multiple time series of activity of the constituent units, such as stocks or neurons, respectively. While the main focus of time series analysis is on the magnitude of temporal increments, a significant piece of information is encoded into the binary projection (i.e. the sign) of such increments. In this paper we provide further evidence of this by showing strong nonlinear relations between binary and non-binary properties of financial time series. These relations are a novel quantification of the fact that extreme price increments occur more often when most stocks move in the same direction. We then introduce an information-theoretic approach to the analysis of the binary signature of single and multiple time series. Through the definition of maximum-entropy ensembles of binary matrices and their mapping to spin models in statistical physics, we quantify the information encoded into the simplest binary properties of real time series and identify the most informative property given a set of measurements. Our formalism is able to accurately replicate, and mathematically characterize, the observed binary/non-binary relations. We also obtain a phase diagram allowing us to identify, based only on the instantaneous aggregate return of a set of multiple time series, a regime where the so-called ‘market mode’ has an optimal interpretation in terms of collective (endogenous) effects, a regime where it is parsimoniously explained by pure noise, and a regime where it can be regarded as a combination of endogenous and exogenous factors. Our approach allows us to connect spin models, simple stochastic processes, and ensembles of time series inferred from partial information.

Binary versus non-binary information in real time series: empirical results and maximum-entropy matrix models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almog, Assaf; Garlaschelli, Diego

2014-01-01

The dynamics of complex systems, from financial markets to the brain, can be monitored in terms of multiple time series of activity of the constituent units, such as stocks or neurons, respectively. While the main focus of time series analysis is on the magnitude of temporal increments, a significant piece of information is encoded into the binary projection (i.e. the sign) of such increments. In this paper we provide further evidence of this by showing strong nonlinear relations between binary and non-binary properties of financial time series. These relations are a novel quantification of the fact that extreme price increments occur more often when most stocks move in the same direction. We then introduce an information-theoretic approach to the analysis of the binary signature of single and multiple time series. Through the definition of maximum-entropy ensembles of binary matrices and their mapping to spin models in statistical physics, we quantify the information encoded into the simplest binary properties of real time series and identify the most informative property given a set of measurements. Our formalism is able to accurately replicate, and mathematically characterize, the observed binary/non-binary relations. We also obtain a phase diagram allowing us to identify, based only on the instantaneous aggregate return of a set of multiple time series, a regime where the so-called ‘market mode’ has an optimal interpretation in terms of collective (endogenous) effects, a regime where it is parsimoniously explained by pure noise, and a regime where it can be regarded as a combination of endogenous and exogenous factors. Our approach allows us to connect spin models, simple stochastic processes, and ensembles of time series inferred from partial information. (paper)

Maximum permissible dose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1979-01-01

This chapter presents a historic overview of the establishment of radiation guidelines by various national and international agencies. The use of maximum permissible dose and maximum permissible body burden limits to derive working standards is discussed

Temporal changes in tumor oxygenation and perfusion upon normo- and hyperbaric inspiratory hyperoxia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thews, Oliver [University of Halle, Institute of Physiology, Halle (Saale) (Germany); Vaupel, Peter [University Medical Center Mainz, Department of Radiooncology and Radiotherapy, Tumor Pathophysiology Section, Mainz (Germany)

2016-03-15

Inspiratory hyperoxia under hyperbaric conditions has been shown to effectively reduce tumor hypoxia and to improve radiosensitivity. However, applying irradiation (RT) under hyperbaric conditions is technically difficult in the clinical setting since RT after decompression may be effective only if tumor pO{sub 2} remains elevated for a certain period of time. The aim of the present study was to analyze the time course of tumor oxygenation and perfusion during and after hyperbaric hyperoxia. Tumor oxygenation, red blood cell (RBC) flux for perfusion monitoring, and vascular resistance were assessed continuously in experimental rat DS-sarcomas by polarographic catheter electrodes and laser Doppler flowmetry at 1 and 2 atm (bar) of environmental pressure during breathing of pure O{sub 2} or carbogen (95 % O{sub 2} + 5 % CO{sub 2}). During room air breathing, the tumor pO{sub 2} followed very rapidly within a few minutes the change of the ambient pressure during compression or decompression. With O{sub 2} breathing under hyperbaric conditions, the tumor pO{sub 2} increased more than expected based on the rise of the environmental pressure, although the time course was comparably rapid. Breathing carbogen, the tumor pO{sub 2} followed with a slight delay of the pressure change, and within 10 min after decompression the baseline values were reached again. RBC flux increased during carbogen breathing but remained almost constant with pure O{sub 2}, indicating a vasodilation (decrease in vascular resistance) with carbogen but a vasoconstriction (increase in vascular resistance) with O{sub 2} during hyperbaric conditions. Since the tumor pO{sub 2} directly followed the environmental pressure, teletherapy after hyperbaric conditions does not seem to be promising as the pO{sub 2} reaches baseline values again within 5-10 min after decompression. (orig.) [German] Inspiratorische Hyperoxie unter hyperbaren Bedingungen reduziert sehr effektiv die Tumorhypoxie und erhoeht die

What controls the maximum magnitude of injection-induced earthquakes?

Science.gov (United States)

Eaton, D. W. S.

2017-12-01

Three different approaches for estimation of maximum magnitude are considered here, along with their implications for managing risk. The first approach is based on a deterministic limit for seismic moment proposed by McGarr (1976), which was originally designed for application to mining-induced seismicity. This approach has since been reformulated for earthquakes induced by fluid injection (McGarr, 2014). In essence, this method assumes that the upper limit for seismic moment release is constrained by the pressure-induced stress change. A deterministic limit is given by the product of shear modulus and the net injected fluid volume. This method is based on the assumptions that the medium is fully saturated and in a state of incipient failure. An alternative geometrical approach was proposed by Shapiro et al. (2011), who postulated that the rupture area for an induced earthquake falls entirely within the stimulated volume. This assumption reduces the maximum-magnitude problem to one of estimating the largest potential slip surface area within a given stimulated volume. Finally, van der Elst et al. (2016) proposed that the maximum observed magnitude, statistically speaking, is the expected maximum value for a finite sample drawn from an unbounded Gutenberg-Richter distribution. These three models imply different approaches for risk management. The deterministic method proposed by McGarr (2014) implies that a ceiling on the maximum magnitude can be imposed by limiting the net injected volume, whereas the approach developed by Shapiro et al. (2011) implies that the time-dependent maximum magnitude is governed by the spatial size of the microseismic event cloud. Finally, the sample-size hypothesis of Van der Elst et al. (2016) implies that the best available estimate of the maximum magnitude is based upon observed seismicity rate. The latter two approaches suggest that real-time monitoring is essential for effective management of risk. A reliable estimate of maximum

?Just-in-Time? Battery Charge Depletion Control for PHEVs and E-REVs for Maximum Battery Life

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

DeVault, Robert C [ORNL

2009-01-01

Conventional methods of vehicle operation for Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles first discharge the battery to a minimum State of Charge (SOC) before switching to charge sustaining operation. This is very demanding on the battery, maximizing the number of trips ending with a depleted battery and maximizing the distance driven on a depleted battery over the vehicle s life. Several methods have been proposed to reduce the number of trips ending with a deeply discharged battery and also eliminate the need for extended driving on a depleted battery. An optimum SOC can be maintained for long battery life before discharging the battery so that the vehicle reaches an electric plug-in destination just as the battery reaches the minimum operating SOC. These Just-in-Time methods provide maximum effective battery life while getting virtually the same electricity from the grid.

Slow loaded breathing training improves blood pressure, lung capacity and arm exercise endurance for older people with treated and stable isolated systolic hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Ublosakka-Jones, Chulee; Tongdee, Phailin; Pachirat, Orathai; Jones, David A

2018-03-28

Hypertension and reduced lung function are important features of aging. Slow loaded breathing training reduces resting blood pressure and the question is whether this can also improve lung function. Thirty-two people (67 ± 5 years, 16 male) with controlled isolated systolic hypertension undertook an eight weeks randomised controlled training trial with an inspiratory load of 25% maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP) at 6 breaths per minute (slow loaded breathing; SLB) or deep breathing control (CON). Outcome measures were resting blood pressure (BP) and heart rate; MIP; lung capacity; chest and abdominal expansion; arm cranking exercise endurance at 50% heart rate reserve. Home based measurement of resting systolic BP decreased by 20 mm Hg (15 to 25) (Mean and 95%CI) for SLB and by 5 mm Hg (1 to 7) for CON. Heart rate and diastolic BP also decreased significantly for SLB but not CON. MIP increased by 15.8 cm H 2 O (11.8 to 19.8) and slow vital capacity by 0.21 L (0.15 to 0.27) for SLB but not for CON. Chest and abdominal expansion increased by 2.3 cm (2.05 to 2.55) and 2.5 cm (2.15 to 2.85), respectively for SLB and by 0.5 cm (0.26 to 0.74) and 1.7 cm (1.32 to 2.08) for CON. Arm exercise time increased by 4.9 min (3.65 to 5.15) for SLB with no significant change for CON. Slow inspiratory muscle training is not only effective in reducing resting BP, even in older people with well controlled isolated systolic hypertension but also increases inspiratory muscle strength, lung capacity and arm exercise duration. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Time-varying block codes for synchronisation errors: maximum a posteriori decoder and practical issues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johann A. Briffa

2014-06-01

Full Text Available In this study, the authors consider time-varying block (TVB codes, which generalise a number of previous synchronisation error-correcting codes. They also consider various practical issues related to maximum a posteriori (MAP decoding of these codes. Specifically, they give an expression for the expected distribution of drift between transmitter and receiver because of synchronisation errors. They determine an appropriate choice for state space limits based on the drift probability distribution. In turn, they obtain an expression for the decoder complexity under given channel conditions in terms of the state space limits used. For a given state space, they also give a number of optimisations that reduce the algorithm complexity with no further loss of decoder performance. They also show how the MAP decoder can be used in the absence of known frame boundaries, and demonstrate that an appropriate choice of decoder parameters allows the decoder to approach the performance when frame boundaries are known, at the expense of some increase in complexity. Finally, they express some existing constructions as TVB codes, comparing performance with published results and showing that improved performance is possible by taking advantage of the flexibility of TVB codes.

Real-time implementation of optimized maximum noise fraction transform for feature extraction of hyperspectral images

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yuanfeng; Gao, Lianru; Zhang, Bing; Zhao, Haina; Li, Jun

2014-01-01

We present a parallel implementation of the optimized maximum noise fraction (G-OMNF) transform algorithm for feature extraction of hyperspectral images on commodity graphics processing units (GPUs). The proposed approach explored the algorithm data-level concurrency and optimized the computing flow. We first defined a three-dimensional grid, in which each thread calculates a sub-block data to easily facilitate the spatial and spectral neighborhood data searches in noise estimation, which is one of the most important steps involved in OMNF. Then, we optimized the processing flow and computed the noise covariance matrix before computing the image covariance matrix to reduce the original hyperspectral image data transmission. These optimization strategies can greatly improve the computing efficiency and can be applied to other feature extraction algorithms. The proposed parallel feature extraction algorithm was implemented on an Nvidia Tesla GPU using the compute unified device architecture and basic linear algebra subroutines library. Through the experiments on several real hyperspectral images, our GPU parallel implementation provides a significant speedup of the algorithm compared with the CPU implementation, especially for highly data parallelizable and arithmetically intensive algorithm parts, such as noise estimation. In order to further evaluate the effectiveness of G-OMNF, we used two different applications: spectral unmixing and classification for evaluation. Considering the sensor scanning rate and the data acquisition time, the proposed parallel implementation met the on-board real-time feature extraction.

MPBoot: fast phylogenetic maximum parsimony tree inference and bootstrap approximation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoang, Diep Thi; Vinh, Le Sy; Flouri, Tomáš; Stamatakis, Alexandros; von Haeseler, Arndt; Minh, Bui Quang

2018-02-02

The nonparametric bootstrap is widely used to measure the branch support of phylogenetic trees. However, bootstrapping is computationally expensive and remains a bottleneck in phylogenetic analyses. Recently, an ultrafast bootstrap approximation (UFBoot) approach was proposed for maximum likelihood analyses. However, such an approach is still missing for maximum parsimony. To close this gap we present MPBoot, an adaptation and extension of UFBoot to compute branch supports under the maximum parsimony principle. MPBoot works for both uniform and non-uniform cost matrices. Our analyses on biological DNA and protein showed that under uniform cost matrices, MPBoot runs on average 4.7 (DNA) to 7 times (protein data) (range: 1.2-20.7) faster than the standard parsimony bootstrap implemented in PAUP*; but 1.6 (DNA) to 4.1 times (protein data) slower than the standard bootstrap with a fast search routine in TNT (fast-TNT). However, for non-uniform cost matrices MPBoot is 5 (DNA) to 13 times (protein data) (range:0.3-63.9) faster than fast-TNT. We note that MPBoot achieves better scores more frequently than PAUP* and fast-TNT. However, this effect is less pronounced if an intensive but slower search in TNT is invoked. Moreover, experiments on large-scale simulated data show that while both PAUP* and TNT bootstrap estimates are too conservative, MPBoot bootstrap estimates appear more unbiased. MPBoot provides an efficient alternative to the standard maximum parsimony bootstrap procedure. It shows favorable performance in terms of run time, the capability of finding a maximum parsimony tree, and high bootstrap accuracy on simulated as well as empirical data sets. MPBoot is easy-to-use, open-source and available at http://www.cibiv.at/software/mpboot .

Information Entropy Production of Maximum Entropy Markov Chains from Spike Trains

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo Cofré

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The spiking activity of neuronal networks follows laws that are not time-reversal symmetric; the notion of pre-synaptic and post-synaptic neurons, stimulus correlations and noise correlations have a clear time order. Therefore, a biologically realistic statistical model for the spiking activity should be able to capture some degree of time irreversibility. We use the thermodynamic formalism to build a framework in the context maximum entropy models to quantify the degree of time irreversibility, providing an explicit formula for the information entropy production of the inferred maximum entropy Markov chain. We provide examples to illustrate our results and discuss the importance of time irreversibility for modeling the spike train statistics.

Fuzzy Controller Design Using FPGA for Photovoltaic Maximum Power Point Tracking

OpenAIRE

Basil M Hamed; Mohammed S. El-Moghany

2012-01-01

The cell has optimum operating point to be able to get maximum power. To obtain Maximum Power from photovoltaic array, photovoltaic power system usually requires Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) controller. This paper provides a small power photovoltaic control system based on fuzzy control with FPGA technology design and implementation for MPPT. The system composed of photovoltaic module, buck converter and the fuzzy logic controller implemented on FPGA for controlling on/off time of MOSF...

Studying DDT Susceptibility at Discriminating Time Intervals Focusing on Maximum Limit of Exposure Time Survived by DDT Resistant Phlebotomus argentipes (Diptera: Psychodidae): an Investigative Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Rama, Aarti; Kesari, Shreekant; Das, Pradeep; Kumar, Vijay

2017-07-24

Extensive application of routine insecticide i.e., dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) to control Phlebotomus argentipes (Diptera: Psychodidae), the proven vector of visceral leishmaniasis in India, had evoked the problem of resistance/tolerance against DDT, eventually nullifying the DDT dependent strategies to control this vector. Because tolerating an hour-long exposure to DDT is not challenging enough for the resistant P. argentipes, estimating susceptibility by exposing sand flies to insecticide for just an hour becomes a trivial and futile task.Therefore, this bioassay study was carried out to investigate the maximum limit of exposure time to which DDT resistant P. argentipes can endure the effect of DDT for their survival. The mortality rate of laboratory-reared DDT resistant strain P. argentipes exposed to DDT was studied at discriminating time intervals of 60 min and it was concluded that highly resistant sand flies could withstand up to 420 min of exposure to this insecticide. Additionally, the lethal time for female P. argentipes was observed to be higher than for males suggesting that they are highly resistant to DDT's toxicity. Our results support the monitoring of tolerance limit with respect to time and hence points towards an urgent need to change the World Health Organization's protocol for susceptibility identification in resistant P. argentipes.

Estimation of maximum credible atmospheric radioactivity concentrations and dose rates from nuclear tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Telegadas, K.

1979-01-01

A simple technique is presented for estimating maximum credible gross beta air concentrations from nuclear detonations in the atmosphere, based on aircraft sampling of radioactivity following each Chinese nuclear test from 1964 to 1976. The calculated concentration is a function of the total yield and fission yield, initial vertical radioactivity distribution, time after detonation, and rate of horizontal spread of the debris with time. calculated maximum credible concentrations are compared with the highest concentrations measured during aircraft sampling. The technique provides a reasonable estimate of maximum air concentrations from 1 to 10 days after a detonation. An estimate of the whole-body external gamma dose rate corresponding to the maximum credible gross beta concentration is also given. (author)

On the maximum of wave surface of sea waves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, B

1980-01-01

This article considers wave surface as a normal stationary random process to solve the estimation of the maximum of wave surface in a given time interval by means of the theoretical results of probability theory. The results are represented by formulas (13) to (19) in this article. It was proved in this article that when time interval approaches infinite, the formulas (3), (6) of E )eta max) that were derived from the references (Cartwright, Longuet-Higgins) can also be derived by asymptotic distribution of the maximum of wave surface provided by the article. The advantage of the results obtained from this point of view as compared with the results obtained from the references was discussed.

Modelling maximum likelihood estimation of availability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waller, R.A.; Tietjen, G.L.; Rock, G.W.

1975-01-01

Suppose the performance of a nuclear powered electrical generating power plant is continuously monitored to record the sequence of failure and repairs during sustained operation. The purpose of this study is to assess one method of estimating the performance of the power plant when the measure of performance is availability. That is, we determine the probability that the plant is operational at time t. To study the availability of a power plant, we first assume statistical models for the variables, X and Y, which denote the time-to-failure and the time-to-repair variables, respectively. Once those statistical models are specified, the availability, A(t), can be expressed as a function of some or all of their parameters. Usually those parameters are unknown in practice and so A(t) is unknown. This paper discusses the maximum likelihood estimator of A(t) when the time-to-failure model for X is an exponential density with parameter, lambda, and the time-to-repair model for Y is an exponential density with parameter, theta. Under the assumption of exponential models for X and Y, it follows that the instantaneous availability at time t is A(t)=lambda/(lambda+theta)+theta/(lambda+theta)exp[-[(1/lambda)+(1/theta)]t] with t>0. Also, the steady-state availability is A(infinity)=lambda/(lambda+theta). We use the observations from n failure-repair cycles of the power plant, say X 1 , X 2 , ..., Xsub(n), Y 1 , Y 2 , ..., Ysub(n) to present the maximum likelihood estimators of A(t) and A(infinity). The exact sampling distributions for those estimators and some statistical properties are discussed before a simulation model is used to determine 95% simulation intervals for A(t). The methodology is applied to two examples which approximate the operating history of two nuclear power plants. (author)

Trading Time with Space - Development of subduction zone parameter database for a maximum magnitude correlation assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Schaefer, Andreas; Wenzel, Friedemann

2017-04-01

technically trades time with space, considering subduction zones where we have likely not observed the maximum possible event yet. However, by identifying sources of the same class, the not-yet observed temporal behavior can be replaced by spatial similarity among different subduction zones. This database aims to enhance the research and understanding of subduction zones and to quantify their potential in producing mega earthquakes considering potential strong motion impact on nearby cities and their tsunami potential.

Modelling non-stationary annual maximum flood heights in the lower Limpopo River basin of Mozambique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Maposa

2016-05-01

Full Text Available In this article we fit a time-dependent generalised extreme value (GEV distribution to annual maximum flood heights at three sites: Chokwe, Sicacate and Combomune in the lower Limpopo River basin of Mozambique. A GEV distribution is fitted to six annual maximum time series models at each site, namely: annual daily maximum (AM1, annual 2-day maximum (AM2, annual 5-day maximum (AM5, annual 7-day maximum (AM7, annual 10-day maximum (AM10 and annual 30-day maximum (AM30. Non-stationary time-dependent GEV models with a linear trend in location and scale parameters are considered in this study. The results show lack of sufficient evidence to indicate a linear trend in the location parameter at all three sites. On the other hand, the findings in this study reveal strong evidence of the existence of a linear trend in the scale parameter at Combomune and Sicacate, whilst the scale parameter had no significant linear trend at Chokwe. Further investigation in this study also reveals that the location parameter at Sicacate can be modelled by a nonlinear quadratic trend; however, the complexity of the overall model is not worthwhile in fit over a time-homogeneous model. This study shows the importance of extending the time-homogeneous GEV model to incorporate climate change factors such as trend in the lower Limpopo River basin, particularly in this era of global warming and a changing climate. Keywords: nonstationary extremes; annual maxima; lower Limpopo River; generalised extreme value

Towards a frequency-dependent discrete maximum principle for the implicit Monte Carlo equations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wollaber, Allan B.; Larsen, Edward W.; Densmore, Jeffery D.

2011-01-01

It has long been known that temperature solutions of the Implicit Monte Carlo (IMC) equations can exceed the external boundary temperatures, a so-called violation of the 'maximum principle'. Previous attempts at prescribing a maximum value of the time-step size Δ t that is sufficient to eliminate these violations have recommended a Δ t that is typically too small to be used in practice and that appeared to be much too conservative when compared to numerical solutions of the IMC equations for practical problems. In this paper, we derive a new estimator for the maximum time-step size that includes the spatial-grid size Δ x . This explicitly demonstrates that the effect of coarsening Δ x is to reduce the limitation on Δ t , which helps explain the overly conservative nature of the earlier, grid-independent results. We demonstrate that our new time-step restriction is a much more accurate means of predicting violations of the maximum principle. We discuss how the implications of the new, grid-dependent time-step restriction can impact IMC solution algorithms. (author)

Evaluation of lung volumes, vital capacity and respiratory muscle strength after cervical, thoracic and lumbar spinal surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveira, Marcio Aparecido; Vidotto, Milena Carlos; Nascimento, Oliver Augusto; Almeida, Renato; Santoro, Ilka Lopes; Sperandio, Evandro Fornias; Jardim, José Roberto; Gazzotti, Mariana Rodrigues

2015-01-01

Studies have shown that physiopathological changes to the respiratory system can occur following thoracic and abdominal surgery. Laminectomy is considered to be a peripheral surgical procedure, but it is possible that thoracic spinal surgery exerts a greater influence on lung function. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pulmonary volumes and maximum respiratory pressures of patients undergoing cervical, thoracic or lumbar spinal surgery. Prospective study in a tertiary-level university hospital. Sixty-three patients undergoing laminectomy due to diagnoses of tumors or herniated discs were evaluated. Vital capacity, tidal volume, minute ventilation and maximum respiratory pressures were evaluated preoperatively and on the first and second postoperative days. Possible associations between the respiratory variables and the duration of the operation, surgical diagnosis and smoking status were investigated. Vital capacity and maximum inspiratory pressure presented reductions on the first postoperative day (20.9% and 91.6%, respectively) for thoracic surgery (P = 0.01), and maximum expiratory pressure showed reductions on the first postoperative day in cervical surgery patients (15.3%; P = 0.004). The incidence of pulmonary complications was 3.6%. There were reductions in vital capacity and maximum respiratory pressures during the postoperative period in patients undergoing laminectomy. Surgery in the thoracic region was associated with greater reductions in vital capacity and maximum inspiratory pressure, compared with cervical and lumbar surgery. Thus, surgical manipulation of the thoracic region appears to have more influence on pulmonary function and respiratory muscle action.

A Maximum Entropy-Based Chaotic Time-Variant Fragile Watermarking Scheme for Image Tampering Detection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guo-Jheng Yang

2013-08-01

Full Text Available The fragile watermarking technique is used to protect intellectual property rights while also providing security and rigorous protection. In order to protect the copyright of the creators, it can be implanted in some representative text or totem. Because all of the media on the Internet are digital, protection has become a critical issue, and determining how to use digital watermarks to protect digital media is thus the topic of our research. This paper uses the Logistic map with parameter u = 4 to generate chaotic dynamic behavior with the maximum entropy 1. This approach increases the security and rigor of the protection. The main research target of information hiding is determining how to hide confidential data so that the naked eye cannot see the difference. Next, we introduce one method of information hiding. Generally speaking, if the image only goes through Arnold’s cat map and the Logistic map, it seems to lack sufficient security. Therefore, our emphasis is on controlling Arnold’s cat map and the initial value of the chaos system to undergo small changes and generate different chaos sequences. Thus, the current time is used to not only make encryption more stringent but also to enhance the security of the digital media.

Maximum Power Point Tracking in Variable Speed Wind Turbine Based on Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator Using Maximum Torque Sliding Mode Control Strategy

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Esmaeil Ghaderi; Hossein Tohidi; Behnam Khosrozadeh

2017-01-01

The present study was carried out in order to track the maximum power point in a variable speed turbine by minimizing electromechanical torque changes using a sliding mode control strategy.In this strategy,fhst,the rotor speed is set at an optimal point for different wind speeds.As a result of which,the tip speed ratio reaches an optimal point,mechanical power coefficient is maximized,and wind turbine produces its maximum power and mechanical torque.Then,the maximum mechanical torque is tracked using electromechanical torque.In this technique,tracking error integral of maximum mechanical torque,the error,and the derivative of error are used as state variables.During changes in wind speed,sliding mode control is designed to absorb the maximum energy from the wind and minimize the response time of maximum power point tracking (MPPT).In this method,the actual control input signal is formed from a second order integral operation of the original sliding mode control input signal.The result of the second order integral in this model includes control signal integrity,full chattering attenuation,and prevention from large fluctuations in the power generator output.The simulation results,calculated by using MATLAB/m-file software,have shown the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy for wind energy systems based on the permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG).

Post optimization paradigm in maximum 3-satisfiability logic programming

Science.gov (United States)

Mansor, Mohd. Asyraf; Sathasivam, Saratha; Kasihmuddin, Mohd Shareduwan Mohd

2017-08-01

Maximum 3-Satisfiability (MAX-3SAT) is a counterpart of the Boolean satisfiability problem that can be treated as a constraint optimization problem. It deals with a conundrum of searching the maximum number of satisfied clauses in a particular 3-SAT formula. This paper presents the implementation of enhanced Hopfield network in hastening the Maximum 3-Satisfiability (MAX-3SAT) logic programming. Four post optimization techniques are investigated, including the Elliot symmetric activation function, Gaussian activation function, Wavelet activation function and Hyperbolic tangent activation function. The performances of these post optimization techniques in accelerating MAX-3SAT logic programming will be discussed in terms of the ratio of maximum satisfied clauses, Hamming distance and the computation time. Dev-C++ was used as the platform for training, testing and validating our proposed techniques. The results depict the Hyperbolic tangent activation function and Elliot symmetric activation function can be used in doing MAX-3SAT logic programming.

Diaphragmatic thickness ratio (inspiratory/expiratory) as a diagnostic method of diaphragmatic palsy associated with interescalene block.

Science.gov (United States)

López Escárraga, V M; Dubos España, K; Castillo Bustos, R H; Peidró, L; Sastre, S; Sala-Blanch, X

2018-02-01

Diaphragmatic paralysis is a side-effect associated with interscalene block. Thickness index of the diaphragm muscle (inspiratory thickness/expiratory thickness) obtained by ultrasound has recently been introduced in clinical practice for diagnosis of diaphragm muscle atrophy. Our objective was to evaluate this index for the diagnosis of acute phrenic paresis associated with interscalene block. We designed an observational study in 22 patients scheduled for shoulder arthroscopy. Spirometry was performed (criteria of phrenic paresis was a decrease in FVC and FEV1 ≥20%). Ultrasound apposition zone was assessed in anterior axillary line and diaphragmatic displacement was evaluated on inspiration and expiration (number of intercostal spaces; phrenic paresis considered a reduction ≥25%) and thickness of the diaphragm muscle (a phrenic paresis was considered an index block at C5-C6 with 20ml of 0.5% ropivacaine. Twenty-one patients (95%) presented phrenic nerve block according to one or more of the methods used. One patient did not show any symptoms or signs suggestive of phrenic paralysis and was excluded. All the patients presented phrenic paresis based on the diaphragmatic thickness index, with the pre-block index being 1.8±0.5 and post-block of 1.05±0.06 (Pblock (from 1.9±0.5 intercostal spaces to 0.5±0.3; Pblock. This index does not require a baseline pre-assessment. Copyright © 2017 Sociedad Española de Anestesiología, Reanimación y Terapéutica del Dolor. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

MODEL PREDICTIVE CONTROL FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC STATION MAXIMUM POWER POINT TRACKING SYSTEM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. Elzein

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to present an alternative maximum power point tracking, MPPT, algorithm for a photovoltaic module, PVM, to produce the maximum power, Pmax, using the optimal duty ratio, D, for different types of converters and load matching.We present a state-based approach to the design of the maximum power point tracker for a stand-alone photovoltaic power generation system. The system under consideration consists of a solar array with nonlinear time-varying characteristics, a step-up converter with appropriate filter.The proposed algorithm has the advantages of maximizing the efficiency of the power utilization, can be integrated to other MPPT algorithms without affecting the PVM performance, is excellent for Real-Time applications and is a robust analytical method, different from the traditional MPPT algorithms which are more based on trial and error, or comparisons between present and past states. The procedure to calculate the optimal duty ratio for a buck, boost and buck-boost converters, to transfer the maximum power from a PVM to a load, is presented in the paper. Additionally, the existence and uniqueness of optimal internal impedance, to transfer the maximum power from a photovoltaic module using load matching, is proved.

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation and inspiratory muscle training as potential adjunctive rehabilitation options for patients with heart failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Arena, Ross; Pinkstaff, Sherry; Wheeler, Emma; Peberdy, Mary Ann; Guazzi, Marco; Myers, Jonathan

2010-01-01

Aerobic and resistance exercise training programs produce an abundance of physiologic and clinical benefits in patients with heart failure (HF). Improved maximal aerobic capacity, submaximal aerobic endurance, muscle force production, perceived quality of life, and skeletal muscle characteristics are among the more established outcomes resulting from these rehabilitation techniques. Moreover, both aerobic and resistance exercise training appear to portend a low risk to patients with HF when appropriate exercise prescription methods are followed. While the aforementioned training techniques will undoubtedly continue to be at the center of a well-formulated rehabilitation program, other adjunctive interventions, which are presently underutilized in clinical practice, may prove beneficial in patients with HF. Specifically, both neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and inspiratory muscle training (IMT) appear to significantly improve several physiologic, exercise, symptomatologic, and quality-of-life parameters. NMES targets skeletal muscle abnormalities, whereas IMT primarily targets the weakened respiratory musculature, both often encountered in patients with HF. A PubMed search using relevant key words identified 19 original investigations examining the impact of NMES (13 studies) and IMT (6 studies) training programs in patients with HF. The resultant review (1) provides a summary of the original research outcomes of both NMES and IMT in patients with HF; (2) addresses current research gaps, providing a direction for future investigations; and (3) provides clinical scenarios where NMES and IMT may prove to be beneficial during the rehabilitation of patients with HF.

An Efficient Algorithm for the Maximum Distance Problem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabrielle Assunta Grün

2001-12-01

Full Text Available Efficient algorithms for temporal reasoning are essential in knowledge-based systems. This is central in many areas of Artificial Intelligence including scheduling, planning, plan recognition, and natural language understanding. As such, scalability is a crucial consideration in temporal reasoning. While reasoning in the interval algebra is NP-complete, reasoning in the less expressive point algebra is tractable. In this paper, we explore an extension to the work of Gerevini and Schubert which is based on the point algebra. In their seminal framework, temporal relations are expressed as a directed acyclic graph partitioned into chains and supported by a metagraph data structure, where time points or events are represented by vertices, and directed edges are labelled with < or ≤. They are interested in fast algorithms for determining the strongest relation between two events. They begin by developing fast algorithms for the case where all points lie on a chain. In this paper, we are interested in a generalization of this, namely we consider the problem of finding the maximum ``distance'' between two vertices in a chain ; this problem arises in real world applications such as in process control and crew scheduling. We describe an O(n time preprocessing algorithm for the maximum distance problem on chains. It allows queries for the maximum number of < edges between two vertices to be answered in O(1 time. This matches the performance of the algorithm of Gerevini and Schubert for determining the strongest relation holding between two vertices in a chain.

Cosmic shear measurement with maximum likelihood and maximum a posteriori inference

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Alex; Taylor, Andy

2017-06-01

We investigate the problem of noise bias in maximum likelihood and maximum a posteriori estimators for cosmic shear. We derive the leading and next-to-leading order biases and compute them in the context of galaxy ellipticity measurements, extending previous work on maximum likelihood inference for weak lensing. We show that a large part of the bias on these point estimators can be removed using information already contained in the likelihood when a galaxy model is specified, without the need for external calibration. We test these bias-corrected estimators on simulated galaxy images similar to those expected from planned space-based weak lensing surveys, with promising results. We find that the introduction of an intrinsic shape prior can help with mitigation of noise bias, such that the maximum a posteriori estimate can be made less biased than the maximum likelihood estimate. Second-order terms offer a check on the convergence of the estimators, but are largely subdominant. We show how biases propagate to shear estimates, demonstrating in our simple set-up that shear biases can be reduced by orders of magnitude and potentially to within the requirements of planned space-based surveys at mild signal-to-noise ratio. We find that second-order terms can exhibit significant cancellations at low signal-to-noise ratio when Gaussian noise is assumed, which has implications for inferring the performance of shear-measurement algorithms from simplified simulations. We discuss the viability of our point estimators as tools for lensing inference, arguing that they allow for the robust measurement of ellipticity and shear.

Maximum swimming speeds of sailfish and three other large marine predatory fish species based on muscle contraction time and stride length: a myth revisited

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Morten B. S. Svendsen

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Billfishes are considered to be among the fastest swimmers in the oceans. Previous studies have estimated maximum speed of sailfish and black marlin at around 35 m s−1 but theoretical work on cavitation predicts that such extreme speed is unlikely. Here we investigated maximum speed of sailfish, and three other large marine pelagic predatory fish species, by measuring the twitch contraction time of anaerobic swimming muscle. The highest estimated maximum swimming speeds were found in sailfish (8.3±1.4 m s−1, followed by barracuda (6.2±1.0 m s−1, little tunny (5.6±0.2 m s−1 and dorado (4.0±0.9 m s−1; although size-corrected performance was highest in little tunny and lowest in sailfish. Contrary to previously reported estimates, our results suggest that sailfish are incapable of exceeding swimming speeds of 10-15 m s−1, which corresponds to the speed at which cavitation is predicted to occur, with destructive consequences for fin tissues.

Maximum power point tracker based on fuzzy logic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daoud, A.; Midoun, A.

2006-01-01

The solar energy is used as power source in photovoltaic power systems and the need for an intelligent power management system is important to obtain the maximum power from the limited solar panels. With the changing of the sun illumination due to variation of angle of incidence of sun radiation and of the temperature of the panels, Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT) enables optimization of solar power generation. The MPPT is a sub-system designed to extract the maximum power from a power source. In the case of solar panels power source. the maximum power point varies as a result of changes in its electrical characteristics which in turn are functions of radiation dose, temperature, ageing and other effects. The MPPT maximum the power output from panels for a given set of conditions by detecting the best working point of the power characteristic and then controls the current through the panels or the voltage across them. Many MPPT methods have been reported in literature. These techniques of MPPT can be classified into three main categories that include: lookup table methods, hill climbing methods and computational methods. The techniques vary according to the degree of sophistication, processing time and memory requirements. The perturbation and observation algorithm (hill climbing technique) is commonly used due to its ease of implementation, and relative tracking efficiency. However, it has been shown that when the insolation changes rapidly, the perturbation and observation method is slow to track the maximum power point. In recent years, the fuzzy controllers are used for maximum power point tracking. This method only requires the linguistic control rules for maximum power point, the mathematical model is not required and therefore the implementation of this control method is easy to real control system. In this paper, we we present a simple robust MPPT using fuzzy set theory where the hardware consists of the microchip's microcontroller unit control card and

Sequential and Parallel Algorithms for Finding a Maximum Convex Polygon

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fischer, Paul

1997-01-01

This paper investigates the problem where one is given a finite set of n points in the plane each of which is labeled either ?positive? or ?negative?. We consider bounded convex polygons, the vertices of which are positive points and which do not contain any negative point. It is shown how...... such a polygon which is maximal with respect to area can be found in time O(n³ log n). With the same running time one can also find such a polygon which contains a maximum number of positive points. If, in addition, the number of vertices of the polygon is restricted to be at most M, then the running time...... becomes O(M n³ log n). It is also shown how to find a maximum convex polygon which contains a given point in time O(n³ log n). Two parallel algorithms for the basic problem are also presented. The first one runs in time O(n log n) using O(n²) processors, the second one has polylogarithmic time but needs O...

Diagnosis of asbestosis by a time expanded wave form analysis, auscultation and high resolution computed tomography: a comparative study.

Science.gov (United States)

al Jarad, N; Strickland, B; Bothamley, G; Lock, S; Logan-Sinclair, R; Rudd, R M

1993-01-01

BACKGROUND--Crackles are a prominent clinical feature of asbestosis and may be an early sign of the condition. Auscultation, however, is subjective and interexaminer disagreement is a problem. Computerised lung sound analysis can visualise, store, and analyse lung sounds and disagreement on the presence of crackles is minimal. High resolution computed tomography (HRCT) is superior to chest radiography in detecting early signs of asbestosis. The aim of this study was to compare clinical auscultation, time expanded wave form analysis (TEW), chest radiography, and HRCT in detecting signs of asbestosis in asbestos workers. METHODS--Fifty three asbestos workers (51 men and two women) were investigated. Chest radiography and HRCT were assessed by two independent readers for detection of interstitial opacities. HRCT was performed in the supine position with additional sections at the bases in the prone position. Auscultation for persistent fine inspiratory crackles was performed by two independent examiners unacquainted with the diagnosis. TEW analysis was obtained from a 33 second recording of lung sounds over the lung bases. TEW and auscultation were performed in a control group of 13 subjects who had a normal chest radiograph. There were 10 current smokers and three previous smokers. In asbestos workers the extent of pulmonary opacities on the chest radiograph was scored according to the International Labour Office (ILO) scale. Patients were divided into two groups: 21 patients in whom the chest radiograph was > 1/0 (group 1) and 32 patients in whom the chest radiograph was scored auscultation in seven (22%) patients and by TEW in 14 (44%). HRCT detected definite interstitial opacities in 11 (34%) and gravity dependent subpleural lines in two (6%) patients. All but two patients with evidence of interstitial disease or gravity dependent subpleural lines on HRCT had crackles detected by TEW. In patients with an ILO score of > 1/0 auscultation and TEW revealed mid to late

Towards a frequency-dependent discrete maximum principle for the implicit Monte Carlo equations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wollaber, Allan B [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Larsen, Edward W [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Densmore, Jeffery D [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2010-12-15

It has long been known that temperature solutions of the Implicit Monte Carlo (IMC) equations can exceed the external boundary temperatures, a so-called violation of the 'maximum principle.' Previous attempts at prescribing a maximum value of the time-step size {Delta}{sub t} that is sufficient to eliminate these violations have recommended a {Delta}{sub t} that is typically too small to be used in practice and that appeared to be much too conservative when compared to numerical solutions of the IMC equations for practical problems. In this paper, we derive a new estimator for the maximum time-step size that includes the spatial-grid size {Delta}{sub x}. This explicitly demonstrates that the effect of coarsening {Delta}{sub x} is to reduce the limitation on {Delta}{sub t}, which helps explain the overly conservative nature of the earlier, grid-independent results. We demonstrate that our new time-step restriction is a much more accurate means of predicting violations of the maximum principle. We discuss how the implications of the new, grid-dependent timestep restriction can impact IMC solution algorithms.

Maximum vehicle cabin temperatures under different meteorological conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Grundstein, Andrew; Meentemeyer, Vernon; Dowd, John

2009-05-01

A variety of studies have documented the dangerously high temperatures that may occur within the passenger compartment (cabin) of cars under clear sky conditions, even at relatively low ambient air temperatures. Our study, however, is the first to examine cabin temperatures under variable weather conditions. It uses a unique maximum vehicle cabin temperature dataset in conjunction with directly comparable ambient air temperature, solar radiation, and cloud cover data collected from April through August 2007 in Athens, GA. Maximum cabin temperatures, ranging from 41-76°C, varied considerably depending on the weather conditions and the time of year. Clear days had the highest cabin temperatures, with average values of 68°C in the summer and 61°C in the spring. Cloudy days in both the spring and summer were on average approximately 10°C cooler. Our findings indicate that even on cloudy days with lower ambient air temperatures, vehicle cabin temperatures may reach deadly levels. Additionally, two predictive models of maximum daily vehicle cabin temperatures were developed using commonly available meteorological data. One model uses maximum ambient air temperature and average daily solar radiation while the other uses cloud cover percentage as a surrogate for solar radiation. From these models, two maximum vehicle cabin temperature indices were developed to assess the level of danger. The models and indices may be useful for forecasting hazardous conditions, promoting public awareness, and to estimate past cabin temperatures for use in forensic analyses.

Einstein-Dirac theory in spin maximum I

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crumeyrolle, A.

1975-01-01

An unitary Einstein-Dirac theory, first in spin maximum 1, is constructed. An original feature of this article is that it is written without any tetrapod technics; basic notions and existence conditions for spinor structures on pseudo-Riemannian fibre bundles are only used. A coupling gravitation-electromagnetic field is pointed out, in the geometric setting of the tangent bundle over space-time. Generalized Maxwell equations for inductive media in presence of gravitational field are obtained. Enlarged Einstein-Schroedinger theory, gives a particular case of this E.D. theory. E. S. theory is a truncated E.D. theory in spin maximum 1. A close relation between torsion-vector and Schroedinger's potential exists and nullity of torsion-vector has a spinor meaning. Finally the Petiau-Duffin-Kemmer theory is incorporated in this geometric setting [fr

How long do centenarians survive? Life expectancy and maximum lifespan.

Science.gov (United States)

Modig, K; Andersson, T; Vaupel, J; Rau, R; Ahlbom, A

2017-08-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the pattern of mortality above the age of 100 years. In particular, we aimed to examine whether Scandinavian data support the theory that mortality reaches a plateau at particularly old ages. Whether the maximum length of life increases with time was also investigated. The analyses were based on individual level data on all Swedish and Danish centenarians born from 1870 to 1901; in total 3006 men and 10 963 women were included. Birth cohort-specific probabilities of dying were calculated. Exact ages were used for calculations of maximum length of life. Whether maximum age changed over time was analysed taking into account increases in cohort size. The results confirm that there has not been any improvement in mortality amongst centenarians in the past 30 years and that the current rise in life expectancy is driven by reductions in mortality below the age of 100 years. The death risks seem to reach a plateau of around 50% at the age 103 years for men and 107 years for women. Despite the rising life expectancy, the maximum age does not appear to increase, in particular after accounting for the increasing number of individuals of advanced age. Mortality amongst centenarians is not changing despite improvements at younger ages. An extension of the maximum lifespan and a sizeable extension of life expectancy both require reductions in mortality above the age of 100 years. © 2017 The Association for the Publication of the Journal of Internal Medicine.

Maximum entropy deconvolution of low count nuclear medicine images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McGrath, D.M.

1998-12-01

Maximum entropy is applied to the problem of deconvolving nuclear medicine images, with special consideration for very low count data. The physics of the formation of scintigraphic images is described, illustrating the phenomena which degrade planar estimates of the tracer distribution. Various techniques which are used to restore these images are reviewed, outlining the relative merits of each. The development and theoretical justification of maximum entropy as an image processing technique is discussed. Maximum entropy is then applied to the problem of planar deconvolution, highlighting the question of the choice of error parameters for low count data. A novel iterative version of the algorithm is suggested which allows the errors to be estimated from the predicted Poisson mean values. This method is shown to produce the exact results predicted by combining Poisson statistics and a Bayesian interpretation of the maximum entropy approach. A facility for total count preservation has also been incorporated, leading to improved quantification. In order to evaluate this iterative maximum entropy technique, two comparable methods, Wiener filtering and a novel Bayesian maximum likelihood expectation maximisation technique, were implemented. The comparison of results obtained indicated that this maximum entropy approach may produce equivalent or better measures of image quality than the compared methods, depending upon the accuracy of the system model used. The novel Bayesian maximum likelihood expectation maximisation technique was shown to be preferable over many existing maximum a posteriori methods due to its simplicity of implementation. A single parameter is required to define the Bayesian prior, which suppresses noise in the solution and may reduce the processing time substantially. Finally, maximum entropy deconvolution was applied as a pre-processing step in single photon emission computed tomography reconstruction of low count data. Higher contrast results were

Maximum Acceleration Recording Circuit

Science.gov (United States)

Bozeman, Richard J., Jr.

1995-01-01

Coarsely digitized maximum levels recorded in blown fuses. Circuit feeds power to accelerometer and makes nonvolatile record of maximum level to which output of accelerometer rises during measurement interval. In comparison with inertia-type single-preset-trip-point mechanical maximum-acceleration-recording devices, circuit weighs less, occupies less space, and records accelerations within narrower bands of uncertainty. In comparison with prior electronic data-acquisition systems designed for same purpose, circuit simpler, less bulky, consumes less power, costs and analysis of data recorded in magnetic or electronic memory devices. Circuit used, for example, to record accelerations to which commodities subjected during transportation on trucks.

24 CFR 203.18c - One-time or up-front mortgage insurance premium excluded from limitations on maximum mortgage...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... insurance premium excluded from limitations on maximum mortgage amounts. 203.18c Section 203.18c Housing and...-front mortgage insurance premium excluded from limitations on maximum mortgage amounts. After... LOAN INSURANCE PROGRAMS UNDER NATIONAL HOUSING ACT AND OTHER AUTHORITIES SINGLE FAMILY MORTGAGE...

Neutron spectra unfolding with maximum entropy and maximum likelihood

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoh, Shikoh; Tsunoda, Toshiharu

1989-01-01

A new unfolding theory has been established on the basis of the maximum entropy principle and the maximum likelihood method. This theory correctly embodies the Poisson statistics of neutron detection, and always brings a positive solution over the whole energy range. Moreover, the theory unifies both problems of overdetermined and of underdetermined. For the latter, the ambiguity in assigning a prior probability, i.e. the initial guess in the Bayesian sense, has become extinct by virtue of the principle. An approximate expression of the covariance matrix for the resultant spectra is also presented. An efficient algorithm to solve the nonlinear system, which appears in the present study, has been established. Results of computer simulation showed the effectiveness of the present theory. (author)

Rapid calculation of maximum particle lifetime for diffusion in complex geometries

Science.gov (United States)

Carr, Elliot J.; Simpson, Matthew J.

2018-03-01

Diffusion of molecules within biological cells and tissues is strongly influenced by crowding. A key quantity to characterize diffusion is the particle lifetime, which is the time taken for a diffusing particle to exit by hitting an absorbing boundary. Calculating the particle lifetime provides valuable information, for example, by allowing us to compare the timescale of diffusion and the timescale of the reaction, thereby helping us to develop appropriate mathematical models. Previous methods to quantify particle lifetimes focus on the mean particle lifetime. Here, we take a different approach and present a simple method for calculating the maximum particle lifetime. This is the time after which only a small specified proportion of particles in an ensemble remain in the system. Our approach produces accurate estimates of the maximum particle lifetime, whereas the mean particle lifetime always underestimates this value compared with data from stochastic simulations. Furthermore, we find that differences between the mean and maximum particle lifetimes become increasingly important when considering diffusion hindered by obstacles.

Bayesian Maximum Entropy space/time estimation of surface water chloride in Maryland using river distances.

Science.gov (United States)

Jat, Prahlad; Serre, Marc L

2016-12-01

Widespread contamination of surface water chloride is an emerging environmental concern. Consequently accurate and cost-effective methods are needed to estimate chloride along all river miles of potentially contaminated watersheds. Here we introduce a Bayesian Maximum Entropy (BME) space/time geostatistical estimation framework that uses river distances, and we compare it with Euclidean BME to estimate surface water chloride from 2005 to 2014 in the Gunpowder-Patapsco, Severn, and Patuxent subbasins in Maryland. River BME improves the cross-validation R 2 by 23.67% over Euclidean BME, and river BME maps are significantly different than Euclidean BME maps, indicating that it is important to use river BME maps to assess water quality impairment. The river BME maps of chloride concentration show wide contamination throughout Baltimore and Columbia-Ellicott cities, the disappearance of a clean buffer separating these two large urban areas, and the emergence of multiple localized pockets of contamination in surrounding areas. The number of impaired river miles increased by 0.55% per year in 2005-2009 and by 1.23% per year in 2011-2014, corresponding to a marked acceleration of the rate of impairment. Our results support the need for control measures and increased monitoring of unassessed river miles. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Maximum likelihood estimation for integrated diffusion processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baltazar-Larios, Fernando; Sørensen, Michael

We propose a method for obtaining maximum likelihood estimates of parameters in diffusion models when the data is a discrete time sample of the integral of the process, while no direct observations of the process itself are available. The data are, moreover, assumed to be contaminated...... EM-algorithm to obtain maximum likelihood estimates of the parameters in the diffusion model. As part of the algorithm, we use a recent simple method for approximate simulation of diffusion bridges. In simulation studies for the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process and the CIR process the proposed method works...... by measurement errors. Integrated volatility is an example of this type of observations. Another example is ice-core data on oxygen isotopes used to investigate paleo-temperatures. The data can be viewed as incomplete observations of a model with a tractable likelihood function. Therefore we propose a simulated...

THE MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF RAINFALL FALLEN IN SHORT PERIODS OF TIME IN THE HILLY AREA OF CLUJ COUNTY - GENESIS, DISTRIBUTION AND PROBABILITY OF OCCURRENCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

BLAGA IRINA

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The maximum amounts of rainfall are usually characterized by high intensity, and their effects on the substrate are revealed, at slope level, by the deepening of the existing forms of torrential erosion and also by the formation of new ones, and by landslide processes. For the 1971-2000 period, for the weather stations in the hilly area of Cluj County: Cluj- Napoca, Dej, Huedin and Turda the highest values of rainfall amounts fallen in 24, 48 and 72 hours were analyzed and extracted, based on which the variation and the spatial and temporal distribution of the precipitation were analyzed. The annual probability of exceedance of maximum rainfall amounts fallen in short time intervals (24, 48 and 72 hours, based on thresholds and class values was determined, using climatological practices and the Hyfran program facilities.

FlowMax: A Computational Tool for Maximum Likelihood Deconvolution of CFSE Time Courses.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maxim Nikolaievich Shokhirev

Full Text Available The immune response is a concerted dynamic multi-cellular process. Upon infection, the dynamics of lymphocyte populations are an aggregate of molecular processes that determine the activation, division, and longevity of individual cells. The timing of these single-cell processes is remarkably widely distributed with some cells undergoing their third division while others undergo their first. High cell-to-cell variability and technical noise pose challenges for interpreting popular dye-dilution experiments objectively. It remains an unresolved challenge to avoid under- or over-interpretation of such data when phenotyping gene-targeted mouse models or patient samples. Here we develop and characterize a computational methodology to parameterize a cell population model in the context of noisy dye-dilution data. To enable objective interpretation of model fits, our method estimates fit sensitivity and redundancy by stochastically sampling the solution landscape, calculating parameter sensitivities, and clustering to determine the maximum-likelihood solution ranges. Our methodology accounts for both technical and biological variability by using a cell fluorescence model as an adaptor during population model fitting, resulting in improved fit accuracy without the need for ad hoc objective functions. We have incorporated our methodology into an integrated phenotyping tool, FlowMax, and used it to analyze B cells from two NFκB knockout mice with distinct phenotypes; we not only confirm previously published findings at a fraction of the expended effort and cost, but reveal a novel phenotype of nfkb1/p105/50 in limiting the proliferative capacity of B cells following B-cell receptor stimulation. In addition to complementing experimental work, FlowMax is suitable for high throughput analysis of dye dilution studies within clinical and pharmacological screens with objective and quantitative conclusions.

Maximum concentrations at work and maximum biologically tolerable concentration for working materials 1991

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

The meaning of the term 'maximum concentration at work' in regard of various pollutants is discussed. Specifically, a number of dusts and smokes are dealt with. The valuation criteria for maximum biologically tolerable concentrations for working materials are indicated. The working materials in question are corcinogeneous substances or substances liable to cause allergies or mutate the genome. (VT) [de

40 CFR 1042.140 - Maximum engine power, displacement, power density, and maximum in-use engine speed.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... cylinders having an internal diameter of 13.0 cm and a 15.5 cm stroke length, the rounded displacement would... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum engine power, displacement... Maximum engine power, displacement, power density, and maximum in-use engine speed. This section describes...

Two-Agent Scheduling to Minimize the Maximum Cost with Position-Dependent Jobs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Long Wan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates a single-machine two-agent scheduling problem to minimize the maximum costs with position-dependent jobs. There are two agents, each with a set of independent jobs, competing to perform their jobs on a common machine. In our scheduling setting, the actual position-dependent processing time of one job is characterized by variable function dependent on the position of the job in the sequence. Each agent wants to fulfil the objective of minimizing the maximum cost of its own jobs. We develop a feasible method to achieve all the Pareto optimal points in polynomial time.

Credal Networks under Maximum Entropy

OpenAIRE

Lukasiewicz, Thomas

2013-01-01

We apply the principle of maximum entropy to select a unique joint probability distribution from the set of all joint probability distributions specified by a credal network. In detail, we start by showing that the unique joint distribution of a Bayesian tree coincides with the maximum entropy model of its conditional distributions. This result, however, does not hold anymore for general Bayesian networks. We thus present a new kind of maximum entropy models, which are computed sequentially. ...

Computing the stretch factor and maximum detour of paths, trees, and cycles in the normed space

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wulff-Nilsen, Christian; Grüne, Ansgar; Klein, Rolf

2012-01-01

(n log n) in the algebraic computation tree model and describe a worst-case O(σn log 2 n) time algorithm for computing the stretch factor or maximum detour of a path embedded in the plane with a weighted fixed orientation metric defined by σ time algorithm to d...... time. We also obtain an optimal O(n) time algorithm for computing the maximum detour of a monotone rectilinear path in L 1 plane....

Maximum Entropy in Drug Discovery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chih-Yuan Tseng

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Drug discovery applies multidisciplinary approaches either experimentally, computationally or both ways to identify lead compounds to treat various diseases. While conventional approaches have yielded many US Food and Drug Administration (FDA-approved drugs, researchers continue investigating and designing better approaches to increase the success rate in the discovery process. In this article, we provide an overview of the current strategies and point out where and how the method of maximum entropy has been introduced in this area. The maximum entropy principle has its root in thermodynamics, yet since Jaynes’ pioneering work in the 1950s, the maximum entropy principle has not only been used as a physics law, but also as a reasoning tool that allows us to process information in hand with the least bias. Its applicability in various disciplines has been abundantly demonstrated. We give several examples of applications of maximum entropy in different stages of drug discovery. Finally, we discuss a promising new direction in drug discovery that is likely to hinge on the ways of utilizing maximum entropy.

Maximum Quantum Entropy Method

OpenAIRE

Sim, Jae-Hoon; Han, Myung Joon

2018-01-01

Maximum entropy method for analytic continuation is extended by introducing quantum relative entropy. This new method is formulated in terms of matrix-valued functions and therefore invariant under arbitrary unitary transformation of input matrix. As a result, the continuation of off-diagonal elements becomes straightforward. Without introducing any further ambiguity, the Bayesian probabilistic interpretation is maintained just as in the conventional maximum entropy method. The applications o...

Weighted Maximum-Clique Transversal Sets of Graphs

OpenAIRE

Chuan-Min Lee

2011-01-01

A maximum-clique transversal set of a graph G is a subset of vertices intersecting all maximum cliques of G. The maximum-clique transversal set problem is to find a maximum-clique transversal set of G of minimum cardinality. Motivated by the placement of transmitters for cellular telephones, Chang, Kloks, and Lee introduced the concept of maximum-clique transversal sets on graphs in 2001. In this paper, we study the weighted version of the maximum-clique transversal set problem for split grap...

It is time to abandon "expected bladder capacity." Systematic review and new models for children's normal maximum voided volumes.

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez-García, Roberto; Ubeda-Sansano, Maria Isabel; Díez-Domingo, Javier; Pérez-Hoyos, Santiago; Gil-Salom, Manuel

2014-09-01

There is an agreement to use simple formulae (expected bladder capacity and other age based linear formulae) as bladder capacity benchmark. But real normal child's bladder capacity is unknown. To offer a systematic review of children's normal bladder capacity, to measure children's normal maximum voided volumes (MVVs), to construct models of MVVs and to compare them with the usual formulae. Computerized, manual and grey literature were reviewed until February 2013. Epidemiological, observational, transversal, multicenter study. A consecutive sample of healthy children aged 5-14 years, attending Primary Care centres with no urologic abnormality were selected. Participants filled-in a 3-day frequency-volume chart. Variables were MVVs: maximum of 24 hr, nocturnal, and daytime maximum voided volumes. diuresis and its daytime and nighttime fractions; body-measure data; and gender. The consecutive steps method was used in a multivariate regression model. Twelve articles accomplished systematic review's criteria. Five hundred and fourteen cases were analysed. Three models, one for each of the MVVs, were built. All of them were better adjusted to exponential equations. Diuresis (not age) was the most significant factor. There was poor agreement between MVVs and usual formulae. Nocturnal and daytime maximum voided volumes depend on several factors and are different. Nocturnal and daytime maximum voided volumes should be used with different meanings in clinical setting. Diuresis is the main factor for bladder capacity. This is the first model for benchmarking normal MVVs with diuresis as its main factor. Current formulae are not suitable for clinical use. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Narrow band interference cancelation in OFDM: Astructured maximum likelihood approach

KAUST Repository

Sohail, Muhammad Sadiq; Al-Naffouri, Tareq Y.; Al-Ghadhban, Samir N.

2012-01-01

This paper presents a maximum likelihood (ML) approach to mitigate the effect of narrow band interference (NBI) in a zero padded orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (ZP-OFDM) system. The NBI is assumed to be time variant and asynchronous

Maximum power demand cost

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biondi, L.

1998-01-01

The charging for a service is a supplier's remuneration for the expenses incurred in providing it. There are currently two charges for electricity: consumption and maximum demand. While no problem arises about the former, the issue is more complicated for the latter and the analysis in this article tends to show that the annual charge for maximum demand arbitrarily discriminates among consumer groups, to the disadvantage of some [it

24 CFR 982.634 - Homeownership option: Maximum term of homeownership assistance.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... VOUCHER PROGRAM Special Housing Types Homeownership Option § 982.634 Homeownership option: Maximum term of... unit during the time that homeownership payments are made; or (2) Is the spouse of any member of the household who has an ownership interest in the unit during the time homeownership payments are made. (c...

A Research on Maximum Symbolic Entropy from Intrinsic Mode Function and Its Application in Fault Diagnosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhuofei Xu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Empirical mode decomposition (EMD is a self-adaptive analysis method for nonlinear and nonstationary signals. It has been widely applied to machinery fault diagnosis and structural damage detection. A novel feature, maximum symbolic entropy of intrinsic mode function based on EMD, is proposed to enhance the ability of recognition of EMD in this paper. First, a signal is decomposed into a collection of intrinsic mode functions (IMFs based on the local characteristic time scale of the signal, and then IMFs are transformed into a serious of symbolic sequence with different parameters. Second, it can be found that the entropies of symbolic IMFs are quite different. However, there is always a maximum value for a certain symbolic IMF. Third, take the maximum symbolic entropy as features to describe IMFs from a signal. Finally, the proposed features are applied to evaluate the effect of maximum symbolic entropy in fault diagnosis of rolling bearing, and then the maximum symbolic entropy is compared with other standard time analysis features in a contrast experiment. Although maximum symbolic entropy is only a time domain feature, it can reveal the signal characteristic information accurately. It can also be used in other fields related to EMD method.

Maximum total organic carbon limit for DWPF melter feed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, A.S.

1995-01-01

DWPF recently decided to control the potential flammability of melter off-gas by limiting the total carbon content in the melter feed and maintaining adequate conditions for combustion in the melter plenum. With this new strategy, all the LFL analyzers and associated interlocks and alarms were removed from both the primary and backup melter off-gas systems. Subsequently, D. Iverson of DWPF- T ampersand E requested that SRTC determine the maximum allowable total organic carbon (TOC) content in the melter feed which can be implemented as part of the Process Requirements for melter feed preparation (PR-S04). The maximum TOC limit thus determined in this study was about 24,000 ppm on an aqueous slurry basis. At the TOC levels below this, the peak concentration of combustible components in the quenched off-gas will not exceed 60 percent of the LFL during off-gas surges of magnitudes up to three times nominal, provided that the melter plenum temperature and the air purge rate to the BUFC are monitored and controlled above 650 degrees C and 220 lb/hr, respectively. Appropriate interlocks should discontinue the feeding when one or both of these conditions are not met. Both the magnitude and duration of an off-gas surge have a major impact on the maximum TOC limit, since they directly affect the melter plenum temperature and combustion. Although the data obtained during recent DWPF melter startup tests showed that the peak magnitude of a surge can be greater than three times nominal, the observed duration was considerably shorter, on the order of several seconds. The long surge duration assumed in this study has a greater impact on the plenum temperature than the peak magnitude, thus making the maximum TOC estimate conservative. Two models were used to make the necessary calculations to determine the TOC limit

MAXIMUM-LIKELIHOOD-ESTIMATION OF THE ENTROPY OF AN ATTRACTOR

NARCIS (Netherlands)

SCHOUTEN, JC; TAKENS, F; VANDENBLEEK, CM

In this paper, a maximum-likelihood estimate of the (Kolmogorov) entropy of an attractor is proposed that can be obtained directly from a time series. Also, the relative standard deviation of the entropy estimate is derived; it is dependent on the entropy and on the number of samples used in the

Efficacy of respiratory muscle training in weaning of mechanical ventilation in patients with mechanical ventilation for 48hours or more: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Sandoval Moreno, L M; Casas Quiroga, I C; Wilches Luna, E C; García, A F

2018-02-02

To evaluate the efficacy of respiratory muscular training in the weaning of mechanical ventilation and respiratory muscle strength in patients on mechanical ventilation of 48hours or more. Randomized controlled trial of parallel groups, double-blind. Ambit: Intensive Care Unit of a IV level clinic in the city of Cali. 126 patients in mechanical ventilation for 48hours or more. The experimental group received daily a respiratory muscle training program with treshold, adjusted to 50% of maximal inspiratory pressure, additional to standard care, conventional received standard care of respiratory physiotherapy. MAIN INTEREST VARIABLES: weaning of mechanical ventilation. Other variables evaluated: respiratory muscle strength, requirement of non-invasive mechanical ventilation and frequency of reintubation. intention-to-treat analysis was performed with all variables evaluated and analysis stratified by sepsis condition. There were no statistically significant differences in the median weaning time of the MV between the groups or in the probability of extubation between groups (HR: 0.82 95% CI: 0.55-1.20 P=.29). The maximum inspiratory pressure was increased in the experimental group on average 9.43 (17.48) cmsH20 and in the conventional 5.92 (11.90) cmsH20 (P=.48). The difference between the means of change in maximal inspiratory pressure was 0.46 (P=.83 95%CI -3.85 to -4.78). respiratory muscle training did not demonstrate efficacy in the reduction of the weaning period of mechanical ventilation nor in the increase of respiratory muscle strength in the study population. Registered study at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02469064). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y SEMICYUC. All rights reserved.

Maximum Power Point Tracking of Photovoltaic System for Traffic Light Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Riza Muhida

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Photovoltaic traffic light system is a significant application of renewable energy source. The development of the system is an alternative effort of local authority to reduce expenditure for paying fees to power supplier which the power comes from conventional energy source. Since photovoltaic (PV modules still have relatively low conversion efficiency, an alternative control of maximum power point tracking (MPPT method is applied to the traffic light system. MPPT is intended to catch up the maximum power at daytime in order to charge the battery at the maximum rate in which the power from the battery is intended to be used at night time or cloudy day. MPPT is actually a DC-DC converter that can step up or down voltage in order to achieve the maximum power using Pulse Width Modulation (PWM control. From experiment, we obtained the voltage of operation using MPPT is at 16.454 V, this value has error of 2.6%, if we compared with maximum power point voltage of PV module that is 16.9 V. Based on this result it can be said that this MPPT control works successfully to deliver the power from PV module to battery maximally.

Surface of Maximums of AR(2 Process Spectral Densities and its Application in Time Series Statistics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander V. Ivanov

2017-09-01

Conclusions. The obtained formula of surface of maximums of noise spectral densities gives an opportunity to realize for which values of AR(2 process characteristic polynomial coefficients it is possible to look for greater rate of convergence to zero of the probabilities of large deviations of the considered estimates.

Simultaneous measurement of the maximum oscillation amplitude and the transient decay time constant of the QCM reveals stiffness changes of the adlayer.

Science.gov (United States)

Marxer, C Galli; Coen, M Collaud; Bissig, H; Greber, U F; Schlapbach, L

2003-10-01

Interpretation of adsorption kinetics measured with a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) can be difficult for adlayers undergoing modification of their mechanical properties. We have studied the behavior of the oscillation amplitude, A(0), and the decay time constant, tau, of quartz during adsorption of proteins and cells, by use of a home-made QCM. We are able to measure simultaneously the frequency, f, the dissipation factor, D, the maximum amplitude, A(0), and the transient decay time constant, tau, every 300 ms in liquid, gaseous, or vacuum environments. This analysis enables adsorption and modification of liquid/mass properties to be distinguished. Moreover the surface coverage and the stiffness of the adlayer can be estimated. These improvements promise to increase the appeal of QCM methodology for any applications measuring intimate contact of a dynamic material with a solid surface.

49 CFR 230.24 - Maximum allowable stress.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Maximum allowable stress. 230.24 Section 230.24... Allowable Stress § 230.24 Maximum allowable stress. (a) Maximum allowable stress value. The maximum allowable stress value on any component of a steam locomotive boiler shall not exceed 1/4 of the ultimate...

Time to reach tacrolimus maximum blood concentration,mean residence time, and acute renal allograft rejection: an open-label, prospective, pharmacokinetic study in adult recipients.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuypers, Dirk R J; Vanrenterghem, Yves

2004-11-01

The aims of this study were to determine whether disposition-related pharmacokinetic parameters such as T(max) and mean residence time (MRT) could be used as predictors of clinical efficacy of tacrolimus in renal transplant recipients, and to what extent these parameters would be influenced by clinical variables. We previously demonstrated, in a prospective pharmacokinetic study in de novo renal allograft recipients, that patients who experienced early acute rejection did not differ from patients free from rejection in terms of tacrolimus pharmacokinetic exposure parameters (dose interval AUC, preadministration trough blood concentration, C(max), dose). However, recipients with acute rejection reached mean (SD) tacrolimus T(max) significantly faster than those who were free from rejection (0.96 [0.56] hour vs 1.77 [1.06] hours; P clearance nor T(1/2) could explain this unusual finding, we used data from the previous study to calculate MRT from the concentration-time curves. As part of the previous study, 100 patients (59 male, 41 female; mean [SD] age, 51.4 [13.8] years;age range, 20-75 years) were enrolled in the study The calculated MRT was significantly shorter in recipients with acute allograft rejection (11.32 [031] hours vs 11.52 [028] hours; P = 0.02), just like T(max) was an independent risk factor for acute rejection in a multivariate logistic regression model (odds ratio, 0.092 [95% CI, 0.014-0.629]; P = 0.01). Analyzing the impact of demographic, transplantation-related, and biochemical variables on MRT, we found that increasing serum albumin and hematocrit concentrations were associated with a prolonged MRT (P calculated MRT were associated with a higher incidence of early acute graft rejection. These findings suggest that a shorter transit time of tacrolimus in certain tissue compartments, rather than failure to obtain a maximum absolute tacrolimus blood concentration, might lead to inadequate immunosuppression early after transplantation.

Timing of glacier advances and climate in the High Tatra Mountains (Western Carpathians) during the Last Glacial Maximum

Science.gov (United States)

Makos, Michał; Dzierżek, Jan; Nitychoruk, Jerzy; Zreda, Marek

2014-07-01

During the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), long valley glaciers developed on the northern and southern sides of the High Tatra Mountains, Poland and Slovakia. Chlorine-36 exposure dating of moraine boulders suggests two major phases of moraine stabilization, at 26-21 ka (LGM I - maximum) and at 18 ka (LGM II). The dates suggest a significantly earlier maximum advance on the southern side of the range. Reconstructing the geometry of four glaciers in the Sucha Woda, Pańszczyca, Mlynicka and Velicka valleys allowed determining their equilibrium-line altitudes (ELAs) at 1460, 1460, 1650 and 1700 m asl, respectively. Based on a positive degree-day model, the mass balance and climatic parameter anomaly (temperature and precipitation) has been constrained for LGM I advance. Modeling results indicate slightly different conditions between northern and southern slopes. The N-S ELA gradient finds confirmation in slightly higher temperature (at least 1 °C) or lower precipitation (15%) on the south-facing glaciers during LGM I. The precipitation distribution over the High Tatra Mountains indicates potentially different LGM atmospheric circulation than at the present day, with reduced northwesterly inflow and increased southerly and westerly inflows of moist air masses.

A maximum power point tracking for photovoltaic-SPE system using a maximum current controller

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muhida, Riza [Osaka Univ., Dept. of Physical Science, Toyonaka, Osaka (Japan); Osaka Univ., Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Suita, Osaka (Japan); Park, Minwon; Dakkak, Mohammed; Matsuura, Kenji [Osaka Univ., Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Suita, Osaka (Japan); Tsuyoshi, Akira; Michira, Masakazu [Kobe City College of Technology, Nishi-ku, Kobe (Japan)

2003-02-01

Processes to produce hydrogen from solar photovoltaic (PV)-powered water electrolysis using solid polymer electrolysis (SPE) are reported. An alternative control of maximum power point tracking (MPPT) in the PV-SPE system based on the maximum current searching methods has been designed and implemented. Based on the characteristics of voltage-current and theoretical analysis of SPE, it can be shown that the tracking of the maximum current output of DC-DC converter in SPE side will track the MPPT of photovoltaic panel simultaneously. This method uses a proportional integrator controller to control the duty factor of DC-DC converter with pulse-width modulator (PWM). The MPPT performance and hydrogen production performance of this method have been evaluated and discussed based on the results of the experiment. (Author)

A practical exact maximum compatibility algorithm for reconstruction of recent evolutionary history.

Science.gov (United States)

Cherry, Joshua L

2017-02-23

Maximum compatibility is a method of phylogenetic reconstruction that is seldom applied to molecular sequences. It may be ideal for certain applications, such as reconstructing phylogenies of closely-related bacteria on the basis of whole-genome sequencing. Here I present an algorithm that rapidly computes phylogenies according to a compatibility criterion. Although based on solutions to the maximum clique problem, this algorithm deals properly with ambiguities in the data. The algorithm is applied to bacterial data sets containing up to nearly 2000 genomes with several thousand variable nucleotide sites. Run times are several seconds or less. Computational experiments show that maximum compatibility is less sensitive than maximum parsimony to the inclusion of nucleotide data that, though derived from actual sequence reads, has been identified as likely to be misleading. Maximum compatibility is a useful tool for certain phylogenetic problems, such as inferring the relationships among closely-related bacteria from whole-genome sequence data. The algorithm presented here rapidly solves fairly large problems of this type, and provides robustness against misleading characters than can pollute large-scale sequencing data.

Artificial Neural Network In Maximum Power Point Tracking Algorithm Of Photovoltaic Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Modestas Pikutis

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Scientists are looking for ways to improve the efficiency of solar cells all the time. The efficiency of solar cells which are available to the general public is up to 20%. Part of the solar energy is unused and a capacity of solar power plant is significantly reduced – if slow controller or controller which cannot stay at maximum power point of solar modules is used. Various algorithms of maximum power point tracking were created, but mostly algorithms are slow or make mistakes. In the literature more and more oftenartificial neural networks (ANN in maximum power point tracking process are mentioned, in order to improve performance of the controller. Self-learner artificial neural network and IncCond algorithm were used for maximum power point tracking in created solar power plant model. The algorithm for control was created. Solar power plant model is implemented in Matlab/Simulink environment.

Lake Basin Fetch and Maximum Length/Width

Data.gov (United States)

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — Linear features representing the Fetch, Maximum Length and Maximum Width of a lake basin. Fetch, maximum length and average width are calcuated from the lake polygon...

Efficient heuristics for maximum common substructure search.

Science.gov (United States)

Englert, Péter; Kovács, Péter

2015-05-26

Maximum common substructure search is a computationally hard optimization problem with diverse applications in the field of cheminformatics, including similarity search, lead optimization, molecule alignment, and clustering. Most of these applications have strict constraints on running time, so heuristic methods are often preferred. However, the development of an algorithm that is both fast enough and accurate enough for most practical purposes is still a challenge. Moreover, in some applications, the quality of a common substructure depends not only on its size but also on various topological features of the one-to-one atom correspondence it defines. Two state-of-the-art heuristic algorithms for finding maximum common substructures have been implemented at ChemAxon Ltd., and effective heuristics have been developed to improve both their efficiency and the relevance of the atom mappings they provide. The implementations have been thoroughly evaluated and compared with existing solutions (KCOMBU and Indigo). The heuristics have been found to greatly improve the performance and applicability of the algorithms. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the applied methods and present the experimental results.

On the quirks of maximum parsimony and likelihood on phylogenetic networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Bryant, Christopher; Fischer, Mareike; Linz, Simone; Semple, Charles

2017-03-21

Maximum parsimony is one of the most frequently-discussed tree reconstruction methods in phylogenetic estimation. However, in recent years it has become more and more apparent that phylogenetic trees are often not sufficient to describe evolution accurately. For instance, processes like hybridization or lateral gene transfer that are commonplace in many groups of organisms and result in mosaic patterns of relationships cannot be represented by a single phylogenetic tree. This is why phylogenetic networks, which can display such events, are becoming of more and more interest in phylogenetic research. It is therefore necessary to extend concepts like maximum parsimony from phylogenetic trees to networks. Several suggestions for possible extensions can be found in recent literature, for instance the softwired and the hardwired parsimony concepts. In this paper, we analyze the so-called big parsimony problem under these two concepts, i.e. we investigate maximum parsimonious networks and analyze their properties. In particular, we show that finding a softwired maximum parsimony network is possible in polynomial time. We also show that the set of maximum parsimony networks for the hardwired definition always contains at least one phylogenetic tree. Lastly, we investigate some parallels of parsimony to different likelihood concepts on phylogenetic networks. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The radial distribution of cosmic rays in the heliosphere at solar maximum

Science.gov (United States)

McDonald, F. B.; Fujii, Z.; Heikkila, B.; Lal, N.

2003-08-01

To obtain a more detailed profile of the radial distribution of galactic (GCRs) and anomalous (ACRs) cosmic rays, a unique time in the 11-year solar activity cycle has been selected - that of solar maximum. At this time of minimum cosmic ray intensity a simple, straight-forward normalization technique has been found that allows the cosmic ray data from IMP 8, Pioneer 10 (P-10) and Voyagers 1 and 2 (V1, V2) to be combined for the solar maxima of cycles 21, 22 and 23. This combined distribution reveals a functional form of the radial gradient that varies as G 0/r with G 0 being constant and relatively small in the inner heliosphere. After a transition region between ˜10 and 20 AU, G 0 increases to a much larger value that remains constant between ˜25 and 82 AU. This implies that at solar maximum the changes that produce the 11-year modulation cycle are mainly occurring in the outer heliosphere between ˜15 AU and the termination shock. These observations are not inconsistent with the concept that Global Merged Interaction. regions (GMIRs) are the principal agent of modulation between solar minimum and solar maximum. There does not appear to be a significant change in the amount of heliosheath modulation occurring between the 1997 solar minimum and the cycle 23 solar maximum.

Effects of variability in probable maximum precipitation patterns on flood losses

Science.gov (United States)

Zischg, Andreas Paul; Felder, Guido; Weingartner, Rolf; Quinn, Niall; Coxon, Gemma; Neal, Jeffrey; Freer, Jim; Bates, Paul

2018-05-01

The assessment of the impacts of extreme floods is important for dealing with residual risk, particularly for critical infrastructure management and for insurance purposes. Thus, modelling of the probable maximum flood (PMF) from probable maximum precipitation (PMP) by coupling hydrological and hydraulic models has gained interest in recent years. Herein, we examine whether variability in precipitation patterns exceeds or is below selected uncertainty factors in flood loss estimation and if the flood losses within a river basin are related to the probable maximum discharge at the basin outlet. We developed a model experiment with an ensemble of probable maximum precipitation scenarios created by Monte Carlo simulations. For each rainfall pattern, we computed the flood losses with a model chain and benchmarked the effects of variability in rainfall distribution with other model uncertainties. The results show that flood losses vary considerably within the river basin and depend on the timing and superimposition of the flood peaks from the basin's sub-catchments. In addition to the flood hazard component, the other components of flood risk, exposure, and vulnerability contribute remarkably to the overall variability. This leads to the conclusion that the estimation of the probable maximum expectable flood losses in a river basin should not be based exclusively on the PMF. Consequently, the basin-specific sensitivities to different precipitation patterns and the spatial organization of the settlements within the river basin need to be considered in the analyses of probable maximum flood losses.

A General Stochastic Maximum Principle for SDEs of Mean-field Type

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buckdahn, Rainer; Djehiche, Boualem; Li Juan

2011-01-01

We study the optimal control for stochastic differential equations (SDEs) of mean-field type, in which the coefficients depend on the state of the solution process as well as of its expected value. Moreover, the cost functional is also of mean-field type. This makes the control problem time inconsistent in the sense that the Bellman optimality principle does not hold. For a general action space a Peng’s-type stochastic maximum principle (Peng, S.: SIAM J. Control Optim. 2(4), 966–979, 1990) is derived, specifying the necessary conditions for optimality. This maximum principle differs from the classical one in the sense that here the first order adjoint equation turns out to be a linear mean-field backward SDE, while the second order adjoint equation remains the same as in Peng’s stochastic maximum principle.

An increased rectal maximum tolerable volume and long anal canal are associated with poor short-term response to biofeedback therapy for patients with anismus with decreased bowel frequency and normal colonic transit time.

Science.gov (United States)

Rhee, P L; Choi, M S; Kim, Y H; Son, H J; Kim, J J; Koh, K C; Paik, S W; Rhee, J C; Choi, K W

2000-10-01

Biofeedback is an effective therapy for a majority of patients with anismus. However, a significant proportion of patients still failed to respond to biofeedback, and little has been known about the factors that predict response to biofeedback. We evaluated the factors associated with poor response to biofeedback. Biofeedback therapy was offered to 45 patients with anismus with decreased bowel frequency (less than three times per week) and normal colonic transit time. Any differences in demographics, symptoms, and parameters of anorectal physiologic tests were sought between responders (in whom bowel frequency increased up to three times or more per week after biofeedback) and nonresponders (in whom bowel frequency remained less than three times per week). Thirty-one patients (68.9 percent) responded to biofeedback and 14 patients (31.1 percent) did not. Anal canal length was longer in nonresponders than in responders (4.53 +/- 0.5 vs. 4.08 +/- 0.56 cm; P = 0.02), and rectal maximum tolerable volume was larger in nonresponders than in responders. (361 +/- 87 vs. 302 +/- 69 ml; P = 0.02). Anal canal length and rectal maximum tolerable volume showed significant differences between responders and nonresponders on multivariate analysis (P = 0.027 and P = 0.034, respectively). This study showed that a long anal canal and increased rectal maximum tolerable volume are associated with poor short-term response to biofeedback for patients with anismus with decreased bowel frequency and normal colonic transit time.

Latitudinal Change of Tropical Cyclone Maximum Intensity in the Western North Pacific

OpenAIRE

Choi, Jae-Won; Cha, Yumi; Kim, Hae-Dong; Kang, Sung-Dae

2016-01-01

This study obtained the latitude where tropical cyclones (TCs) show maximum intensity and applied statistical change-point analysis on the time series data of the average annual values. The analysis results found that the latitude of the TC maximum intensity increased from 1999. To investigate the reason behind this phenomenon, the difference of the average latitude between 1999 and 2013 and the average between 1977 and 1998 was analyzed. In a difference of 500 hPa streamline between the two ...

Maximum leaf conductance driven by CO2 effects on stomatal size and density over geologic time.

Science.gov (United States)

Franks, Peter J; Beerling, David J

2009-06-23

Stomatal pores are microscopic structures on the epidermis of leaves formed by 2 specialized guard cells that control the exchange of water vapor and CO(2) between plants and the atmosphere. Stomatal size (S) and density (D) determine maximum leaf diffusive (stomatal) conductance of CO(2) (g(c(max))) to sites of assimilation. Although large variations in D observed in the fossil record have been correlated with atmospheric CO(2), the crucial significance of similarly large variations in S has been overlooked. Here, we use physical diffusion theory to explain why large changes in S necessarily accompanied the changes in D and atmospheric CO(2) over the last 400 million years. In particular, we show that high densities of small stomata are the only way to attain the highest g(cmax) values required to counter CO(2)"starvation" at low atmospheric CO(2) concentrations. This explains cycles of increasing D and decreasing S evident in the fossil history of stomata under the CO(2) impoverished atmospheres of the Permo-Carboniferous and Cenozoic glaciations. The pattern was reversed under rising atmospheric CO(2) regimes. Selection for small S was crucial for attaining high g(cmax) under falling atmospheric CO(2) and, therefore, may represent a mechanism linking CO(2) and the increasing gas-exchange capacity of land plants over geologic time.

Maximum swimming speeds of sailfish and three other large marine predatory fish species based on muscle contraction time and stride length

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svendsen, Morten Bo Søndergaard; Domenici, Paolo; Marras, Stefano

2016-01-01

Billfishes are considered to be among the fastest swimmers in the oceans. Previous studies have estimated maximum speed of sailfish and black marlin at around 35 m s(-1) but theoretical work on cavitation predicts that such extreme speed is unlikely. Here we investigated maximum speed of sailfish...

Bistability, non-ergodicity, and inhibition in pairwise maximum-entropy models.

Science.gov (United States)

Rostami, Vahid; Porta Mana, PierGianLuca; Grün, Sonja; Helias, Moritz

2017-10-01

Pairwise maximum-entropy models have been used in neuroscience to predict the activity of neuronal populations, given only the time-averaged correlations of the neuron activities. This paper provides evidence that the pairwise model, applied to experimental recordings, would produce a bimodal distribution for the population-averaged activity, and for some population sizes the second mode would peak at high activities, that experimentally would be equivalent to 90% of the neuron population active within time-windows of few milliseconds. Several problems are connected with this bimodality: 1. The presence of the high-activity mode is unrealistic in view of observed neuronal activity and on neurobiological grounds. 2. Boltzmann learning becomes non-ergodic, hence the pairwise maximum-entropy distribution cannot be found: in fact, Boltzmann learning would produce an incorrect distribution; similarly, common variants of mean-field approximations also produce an incorrect distribution. 3. The Glauber dynamics associated with the model is unrealistically bistable and cannot be used to generate realistic surrogate data. This bimodality problem is first demonstrated for an experimental dataset from 159 neurons in the motor cortex of macaque monkey. Evidence is then provided that this problem affects typical neural recordings of population sizes of a couple of hundreds or more neurons. The cause of the bimodality problem is identified as the inability of standard maximum-entropy distributions with a uniform reference measure to model neuronal inhibition. To eliminate this problem a modified maximum-entropy model is presented, which reflects a basic effect of inhibition in the form of a simple but non-uniform reference measure. This model does not lead to unrealistic bimodalities, can be found with Boltzmann learning, and has an associated Glauber dynamics which incorporates a minimal asymmetric inhibition.

Maximum Gene-Support Tree

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yunfeng Shan

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Genomes and genes diversify during evolution; however, it is unclear to what extent genes still retain the relationship among species. Model species for molecular phylogenetic studies include yeasts and viruses whose genomes were sequenced as well as plants that have the fossil-supported true phylogenetic trees available. In this study, we generated single gene trees of seven yeast species as well as single gene trees of nine baculovirus species using all the orthologous genes among the species compared. Homologous genes among seven known plants were used for validation of the finding. Four algorithms—maximum parsimony (MP, minimum evolution (ME, maximum likelihood (ML, and neighbor-joining (NJ—were used. Trees were reconstructed before and after weighting the DNA and protein sequence lengths among genes. Rarely a gene can always generate the “true tree” by all the four algorithms. However, the most frequent gene tree, termed “maximum gene-support tree” (MGS tree, or WMGS tree for the weighted one, in yeasts, baculoviruses, or plants was consistently found to be the “true tree” among the species. The results provide insights into the overall degree of divergence of orthologous genes of the genomes analyzed and suggest the following: 1 The true tree relationship among the species studied is still maintained by the largest group of orthologous genes; 2 There are usually more orthologous genes with higher similarities between genetically closer species than between genetically more distant ones; and 3 The maximum gene-support tree reflects the phylogenetic relationship among species in comparison.

Timing of surgical site infection and pulmonary complications after laparotomy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gundel, Ossian; Gundersen, Sofie Kirchhoff; Dahl, Rikke Maria

2018-01-01

BACKGROUND: Surgical site infection (SSI) and other postoperative complications are associated with high costs, morbidity, secondary surgery, and mortality. Many studies have identified factors that may prevent SSI and pulmonary complications, but it is important to know when they in fact occur....... The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic timing of surgical site infections and pulmonary complications after laparotomy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of the PROXI trial which was a randomized clinical trial conducted in 1400 patients undergoing elective or emergent...... laparotomy. Patients were randomly allocated to either 80% or 30% perioperative inspiratory oxygen fraction. RESULTS: SSI or pulmonary complications were diagnosed in 24.2% (95% CI: 22.0%-26.5%) of the patients at a median of 9 days [IQR: 5-15] after surgery. Most common was surgical site infection (19...

24 CFR 982.508 - Maximum family share at initial occupancy.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... URBAN DEVELOPMENT SECTION 8 TENANT BASED ASSISTANCE: HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM Rent and Housing Assistance Payment § 982.508 Maximum family share at initial occupancy. At the time the PHA approves a... program, and where the gross rent of the unit exceeds the applicable payment standard for the family, the...

Determing and monitoring of maximum permissible power for HWRR-3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jia Zhanli; Xiao Shigang; Jin Huajin; Lu Changshen

1987-01-01

The operating power of a reactor is an important parameter to be monitored. This report briefly describes the determining and monitoring of maximum permissiable power for HWRR-3. The calculating method is described, and the result of calculation and analysis of error are also given. On-line calculation and real time monitoring have been realized at the heavy water reactor. It provides the reactor with a real time and reliable supervision. This makes operation convenient and increases reliability

Algorithms of maximum likelihood data clustering with applications

Science.gov (United States)

Giada, Lorenzo; Marsili, Matteo

2002-12-01

We address the problem of data clustering by introducing an unsupervised, parameter-free approach based on maximum likelihood principle. Starting from the observation that data sets belonging to the same cluster share a common information, we construct an expression for the likelihood of any possible cluster structure. The likelihood in turn depends only on the Pearson's coefficient of the data. We discuss clustering algorithms that provide a fast and reliable approximation to maximum likelihood configurations. Compared to standard clustering methods, our approach has the advantages that (i) it is parameter free, (ii) the number of clusters need not be fixed in advance and (iii) the interpretation of the results is transparent. In order to test our approach and compare it with standard clustering algorithms, we analyze two very different data sets: time series of financial market returns and gene expression data. We find that different maximization algorithms produce similar cluster structures whereas the outcome of standard algorithms has a much wider variability.

Maximum Kolmogorov-Sinai Entropy Versus Minimum Mixing Time in Markov Chains

Science.gov (United States)

Mihelich, M.; Dubrulle, B.; Paillard, D.; Kral, Q.; Faranda, D.

2018-01-01

We establish a link between the maximization of Kolmogorov Sinai entropy (KSE) and the minimization of the mixing time for general Markov chains. Since the maximisation of KSE is analytical and easier to compute in general than mixing time, this link provides a new faster method to approximate the minimum mixing time dynamics. It could be interesting in computer sciences and statistical physics, for computations that use random walks on graphs that can be represented as Markov chains.

Maximum neutron flux in thermal reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strugar, P.V.

1968-12-01

Direct approach to the problem is to calculate spatial distribution of fuel concentration if the reactor core directly using the condition of maximum neutron flux and comply with thermal limitations. This paper proved that the problem can be solved by applying the variational calculus, i.e. by using the maximum principle of Pontryagin. Mathematical model of reactor core is based on the two-group neutron diffusion theory with some simplifications which make it appropriate from maximum principle point of view. Here applied theory of maximum principle are suitable for application. The solution of optimum distribution of fuel concentration in the reactor core is obtained in explicit analytical form. The reactor critical dimensions are roots of a system of nonlinear equations and verification of optimum conditions can be done only for specific examples

Estimation of daily maximum and minimum air temperatures in urban landscapes using MODIS time series satellite data

Science.gov (United States)

Yoo, Cheolhee; Im, Jungho; Park, Seonyoung; Quackenbush, Lindi J.

2018-03-01

Urban air temperature is considered a significant variable for a variety of urban issues, and analyzing the spatial patterns of air temperature is important for urban planning and management. However, insufficient weather stations limit accurate spatial representation of temperature within a heterogeneous city. This study used a random forest machine learning approach to estimate daily maximum and minimum air temperatures (Tmax and Tmin) for two megacities with different climate characteristics: Los Angeles, USA, and Seoul, South Korea. This study used eight time-series land surface temperature (LST) data from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), with seven auxiliary variables: elevation, solar radiation, normalized difference vegetation index, latitude, longitude, aspect, and the percentage of impervious area. We found different relationships between the eight time-series LSTs with Tmax/Tmin for the two cities, and designed eight schemes with different input LST variables. The schemes were evaluated using the coefficient of determination (R2) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) from 10-fold cross-validation. The best schemes produced R2 of 0.850 and 0.777 and RMSE of 1.7 °C and 1.2 °C for Tmax and Tmin in Los Angeles, and R2 of 0.728 and 0.767 and RMSE of 1.1 °C and 1.2 °C for Tmax and Tmin in Seoul, respectively. LSTs obtained the day before were crucial for estimating daily urban air temperature. Estimated air temperature patterns showed that Tmax was highly dependent on the geographic factors (e.g., sea breeze, mountains) of the two cities, while Tmin showed marginally distinct temperature differences between built-up and vegetated areas in the two cities.

75 FR 43840 - Inflation Adjustment of the Ordinary Maximum and Aggravated Maximum Civil Monetary Penalties for...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-27

...-17530; Notice No. 2] RIN 2130-ZA03 Inflation Adjustment of the Ordinary Maximum and Aggravated Maximum... remains at $250. These adjustments are required by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act [email protected] . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990...

Half-width at half-maximum, full-width at half-maximum analysis

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

addition to the well-defined parameter full-width at half-maximum (FWHM). The distribution of ... optical side-lobes in the diffraction pattern resulting in steep central maxima [6], reduc- tion of effects of ... and broad central peak. The idea of.

Modelling information flow along the human connectome using maximum flow.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyoo, Youngwook; Kim, Jieun E; Yoon, Sujung

2018-01-01

The human connectome is a complex network that transmits information between interlinked brain regions. Using graph theory, previously well-known network measures of integration between brain regions have been constructed under the key assumption that information flows strictly along the shortest paths possible between two nodes. However, it is now apparent that information does flow through non-shortest paths in many real-world networks such as cellular networks, social networks, and the internet. In the current hypothesis, we present a novel framework using the maximum flow to quantify information flow along all possible paths within the brain, so as to implement an analogy to network traffic. We hypothesize that the connection strengths of brain networks represent a limit on the amount of information that can flow through the connections per unit of time. This allows us to compute the maximum amount of information flow between two brain regions along all possible paths. Using this novel framework of maximum flow, previous network topological measures are expanded to account for information flow through non-shortest paths. The most important advantage of the current approach using maximum flow is that it can integrate the weighted connectivity data in a way that better reflects the real information flow of the brain network. The current framework and its concept regarding maximum flow provides insight on how network structure shapes information flow in contrast to graph theory, and suggests future applications such as investigating structural and functional connectomes at a neuronal level. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Two-dimensional maximum entropy image restoration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brolley, J.E.; Lazarus, R.B.; Suydam, B.R.; Trussell, H.J.

1977-07-01

An optical check problem was constructed to test P LOG P maximum entropy restoration of an extremely distorted image. Useful recovery of the original image was obtained. Comparison with maximum a posteriori restoration is made. 7 figures

Maximum power point tracking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Enslin, J.H.R.

1990-01-01

A well engineered renewable remote energy system, utilizing the principal of Maximum Power Point Tracking can be m ore cost effective, has a higher reliability and can improve the quality of life in remote areas. This paper reports that a high-efficient power electronic converter, for converting the output voltage of a solar panel, or wind generator, to the required DC battery bus voltage has been realized. The converter is controlled to track the maximum power point of the input source under varying input and output parameters. Maximum power point tracking for relative small systems is achieved by maximization of the output current in a battery charging regulator, using an optimized hill-climbing, inexpensive microprocessor based algorithm. Through practical field measurements it is shown that a minimum input source saving of 15% on 3-5 kWh/day systems can easily be achieved. A total cost saving of at least 10-15% on the capital cost of these systems are achievable for relative small rating Remote Area Power Supply systems. The advantages at larger temperature variations and larger power rated systems are much higher. Other advantages include optimal sizing and system monitor and control

7 CFR 3565.210 - Maximum interest rate.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Maximum interest rate. 3565.210 Section 3565.210... AGRICULTURE GUARANTEED RURAL RENTAL HOUSING PROGRAM Loan Requirements § 3565.210 Maximum interest rate. The interest rate for a guaranteed loan must not exceed the maximum allowable rate specified by the Agency in...

Attitude determination and calibration using a recursive maximum likelihood-based adaptive Kalman filter

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, D. A.; Fermelia, A.; Lee, G. K. F.

1990-01-01

An adaptive Kalman filter design that utilizes recursive maximum likelihood parameter identification is discussed. At the center of this design is the Kalman filter itself, which has the responsibility for attitude determination. At the same time, the identification algorithm is continually identifying the system parameters. The approach is applicable to nonlinear, as well as linear systems. This adaptive Kalman filter design has much potential for real time implementation, especially considering the fast clock speeds, cache memory and internal RAM available today. The recursive maximum likelihood algorithm is discussed in detail, with special attention directed towards its unique matrix formulation. The procedure for using the algorithm is described along with comments on how this algorithm interacts with the Kalman filter.

A Maximum Principle for SDEs of Mean-Field Type

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andersson, Daniel, E-mail: danieand@math.kth.se; Djehiche, Boualem, E-mail: boualem@math.kth.se [Royal Institute of Technology, Department of Mathematics (Sweden)

2011-06-15

We study the optimal control of a stochastic differential equation (SDE) of mean-field type, where the coefficients are allowed to depend on some functional of the law as well as the state of the process. Moreover the cost functional is also of mean-field type, which makes the control problem time inconsistent in the sense that the Bellman optimality principle does not hold. Under the assumption of a convex action space a maximum principle of local form is derived, specifying the necessary conditions for optimality. These are also shown to be sufficient under additional assumptions. This maximum principle differs from the classical one, where the adjoint equation is a linear backward SDE, since here the adjoint equation turns out to be a linear mean-field backward SDE. As an illustration, we apply the result to the mean-variance portfolio selection problem.

A Maximum Principle for SDEs of Mean-Field Type

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andersson, Daniel; Djehiche, Boualem

2011-01-01

We study the optimal control of a stochastic differential equation (SDE) of mean-field type, where the coefficients are allowed to depend on some functional of the law as well as the state of the process. Moreover the cost functional is also of mean-field type, which makes the control problem time inconsistent in the sense that the Bellman optimality principle does not hold. Under the assumption of a convex action space a maximum principle of local form is derived, specifying the necessary conditions for optimality. These are also shown to be sufficient under additional assumptions. This maximum principle differs from the classical one, where the adjoint equation is a linear backward SDE, since here the adjoint equation turns out to be a linear mean-field backward SDE. As an illustration, we apply the result to the mean-variance portfolio selection problem.

Dependence of US hurricane economic loss on maximum wind speed and storm size

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhai, Alice R; Jiang, Jonathan H

2014-01-01

Many empirical hurricane economic loss models consider only wind speed and neglect storm size. These models may be inadequate in accurately predicting the losses of super-sized storms, such as Hurricane Sandy in 2012. In this study, we examined the dependences of normalized US hurricane loss on both wind speed and storm size for 73 tropical cyclones that made landfall in the US from 1988 through 2012. A multi-variate least squares regression is used to construct a hurricane loss model using both wind speed and size as predictors. Using maximum wind speed and size together captures more variance of losses than using wind speed or size alone. It is found that normalized hurricane loss (L) approximately follows a power law relation with maximum wind speed (V max ) and size (R), L = 10 c V max a R b , with c determining an overall scaling factor and the exponents a and b generally ranging between 4–12 and 2–4 respectively. Both a and b tend to increase with stronger wind speed. Hurricane Sandy’s size was about three times of the average size of all hurricanes analyzed. Based on the bi-variate regression model that explains the most variance for hurricanes, Hurricane Sandy’s loss would be approximately 20 times smaller if its size were of the average size with maximum wind speed unchanged. It is important to revise conventional empirical hurricane loss models that are only dependent on maximum wind speed to include both maximum wind speed and size as predictors. (letters)

Maximum Safety Regenerative Power Tracking for DC Traction Power Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guifu Du

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Direct current (DC traction power systems are widely used in metro transport systems, with running rails usually being used as return conductors. When traction current flows through the running rails, a potential voltage known as “rail potential” is generated between the rails and ground. Currently, abnormal rises of rail potential exist in many railway lines during the operation of railway systems. Excessively high rail potentials pose a threat to human life and to devices connected to the rails. In this paper, the effect of regenerative power distribution on rail potential is analyzed. Maximum safety regenerative power tracking is proposed for the control of maximum absolute rail potential and energy consumption during the operation of DC traction power systems. The dwell time of multiple trains at each station and the trigger voltage of the regenerative energy absorbing device (READ are optimized based on an improved particle swarm optimization (PSO algorithm to manage the distribution of regenerative power. In this way, the maximum absolute rail potential and energy consumption of DC traction power systems can be reduced. The operation data of Guangzhou Metro Line 2 are used in the simulations, and the results show that the scheme can reduce the maximum absolute rail potential and energy consumption effectively and guarantee the safety in energy saving of DC traction power systems.

Evaluation of changes in central airway dimensions, lung area and mean lung density at paired inspiratory/expiratory high-resolution computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ederle, J.R.; Heussel, C.P.; Hast, J.; Ley, S.; Thelen, M.; Kauczor, H.U.; Fischer, B.; Beek, E.J.R. van

2003-01-01

The aim of this study was to improve the understanding of interdependencies of dynamic changes in central airway dimensions, lung area and lung density on HRCT. The HRCT scans of 156 patients obtained at full inspiratory and expiratory position were evaluated retrospectively. Patients were divided into four groups according to lung function tests: normal subjects (n=47); obstructive (n=74); restrictive (n=19); or mixed ventilatory impairment (n=16). Mean lung density (MLD) was correlated with cross-sectional area of the lung (CSA L ), cross-sectional area of the trachea (CSA T ) and diameter of main-stem bronchi (D B ). The CSA L was correlated with CSA T and D B . MLD correlated with CSA L in normal subjects (r=-0.66, p T in the control group (r=-0.50, p B was found (r=-0.52, p L and CSA T correlated in the control group (r=0.67, p L and D B correlated in the control group (r=0.42, p<0.0001) and in patients with obstructive lung disease (r=0.24, p<0.05). Correlations for patients with restrictive and mixed lung disease were constantly lower. Dependencies between central and peripheral airway dimensions and lung parenchyma are demonstrated by HRCT. Best correlations are observed in normal subjects and patients with obstructive lung disease. Based on these findings we postulate that the dependencies are the result of air-flow and pressure patterns. (orig.)

MXLKID: a maximum likelihood parameter identifier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gavel, D.T.

1980-07-01

MXLKID (MaXimum LiKelihood IDentifier) is a computer program designed to identify unknown parameters in a nonlinear dynamic system. Using noisy measurement data from the system, the maximum likelihood identifier computes a likelihood function (LF). Identification of system parameters is accomplished by maximizing the LF with respect to the parameters. The main body of this report briefly summarizes the maximum likelihood technique and gives instructions and examples for running the MXLKID program. MXLKID is implemented LRLTRAN on the CDC7600 computer at LLNL. A detailed mathematical description of the algorithm is given in the appendices. 24 figures, 6 tables

Joint Maximum Likelihood Time Delay Estimation of Unknown Event-Related Potential Signals for EEG Sensor Signal Quality Enhancement

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kyungsoo; Lim, Sung-Ho; Lee, Jaeseok; Kang, Won-Seok; Moon, Cheil; Choi, Ji-Woong

2016-01-01

Electroencephalograms (EEGs) measure a brain signal that contains abundant information about the human brain function and health. For this reason, recent clinical brain research and brain computer interface (BCI) studies use EEG signals in many applications. Due to the significant noise in EEG traces, signal processing to enhance the signal to noise power ratio (SNR) is necessary for EEG analysis, especially for non-invasive EEG. A typical method to improve the SNR is averaging many trials of event related potential (ERP) signal that represents a brain’s response to a particular stimulus or a task. The averaging, however, is very sensitive to variable delays. In this study, we propose two time delay estimation (TDE) schemes based on a joint maximum likelihood (ML) criterion to compensate the uncertain delays which may be different in each trial. We evaluate the performance for different types of signals such as random, deterministic, and real EEG signals. The results show that the proposed schemes provide better performance than other conventional schemes employing averaged signal as a reference, e.g., up to 4 dB gain at the expected delay error of 10°. PMID:27322267

Joint Maximum Likelihood Time Delay Estimation of Unknown Event-Related Potential Signals for EEG Sensor Signal Quality Enhancement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyungsoo Kim

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Electroencephalograms (EEGs measure a brain signal that contains abundant information about the human brain function and health. For this reason, recent clinical brain research and brain computer interface (BCI studies use EEG signals in many applications. Due to the significant noise in EEG traces, signal processing to enhance the signal to noise power ratio (SNR is necessary for EEG analysis, especially for non-invasive EEG. A typical method to improve the SNR is averaging many trials of event related potential (ERP signal that represents a brain’s response to a particular stimulus or a task. The averaging, however, is very sensitive to variable delays. In this study, we propose two time delay estimation (TDE schemes based on a joint maximum likelihood (ML criterion to compensate the uncertain delays which may be different in each trial. We evaluate the performance for different types of signals such as random, deterministic, and real EEG signals. The results show that the proposed schemes provide better performance than other conventional schemes employing averaged signal as a reference, e.g., up to 4 dB gain at the expected delay error of 10°.

Study of forecasting maximum demand of electric power

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoo, B.C.; Hwang, Y.J. [Korea Energy Economics Institute, Euiwang (Korea, Republic of)

1997-08-01

As far as the past performances of power supply and demand in Korea is concerned, one of the striking phenomena is that there have been repeated periodic surpluses and shortages of power generation facilities. Precise assumption and prediction of power demands is the basic work in establishing a supply plan and carrying out the right policy since facilities investment of the power generation industry requires a tremendous amount of capital and a long construction period. The purpose of this study is to study a model for the inference and prediction of a more precise maximum demand under these backgrounds. The non-parametric model considered in this study, paying attention to meteorological factors such as temperature and humidity, does not have a simple proportionate relationship with the maximum power demand, but affects it through mutual complicated nonlinear interaction. I used the non-parametric inference technique by introducing meteorological effects without importing any literal assumption on the interaction of temperature and humidity preliminarily. According to the analysis result, it is found that the non-parametric model that introduces the number of tropical nights which shows the continuity of the meteorological effect has better prediction power than the linear model. The non- parametric model that considers both the number of tropical nights and the number of cooling days at the same time is a model for predicting maximum demand. 7 refs., 6 figs., 9 tabs.

Influence of Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization Approach on Maximum Kayak Paddling Force

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Davidek Pavel

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS exercise on maximum paddling force (PF and self-reported pain perception in the shoulder girdle area in flatwater kayakers. Twenty male flatwater kayakers from a local club (age = 21.9 ± 2.4 years, body height = 185.1 ± 7.9 cm, body mass = 83.9 ± 9.1 kg were randomly assigned to the intervention or control groups. During the 6-week study, subjects from both groups performed standard off-season training. Additionally, the intervention group engaged in a DNS-based core stabilization exercise program (quadruped exercise, side sitting exercise, sitting exercise and squat exercise after each standard training session. Using a kayak ergometer, the maximum PF stroke was measured four times during the six weeks. All subjects completed the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH questionnaire before and after the 6-week interval to evaluate subjective pain perception in the shoulder girdle area. Initially, no significant differences in maximum PF and the DASH questionnaire were identified between the two groups. Repeated measures analysis of variance indicated that the experimental group improved significantly compared to the control group on maximum PF (p = .004; Cohen’s d = .85, but not on the DASH questionnaire score (p = .731 during the study. Integration of DNS with traditional flatwater kayak training may significantly increase maximum PF, but may not affect pain perception to the same extent.

Hydraulic Limits on Maximum Plant Transpiration

Science.gov (United States)

Manzoni, S.; Vico, G.; Katul, G. G.; Palmroth, S.; Jackson, R. B.; Porporato, A. M.

2011-12-01

Photosynthesis occurs at the expense of water losses through transpiration. As a consequence of this basic carbon-water interaction at the leaf level, plant growth and ecosystem carbon exchanges are tightly coupled to transpiration. In this contribution, the hydraulic constraints that limit transpiration rates under well-watered conditions are examined across plant functional types and climates. The potential water flow through plants is proportional to both xylem hydraulic conductivity (which depends on plant carbon economy) and the difference in water potential between the soil and the atmosphere (the driving force that pulls water from the soil). Differently from previous works, we study how this potential flux changes with the amplitude of the driving force (i.e., we focus on xylem properties and not on stomatal regulation). Xylem hydraulic conductivity decreases as the driving force increases due to cavitation of the tissues. As a result of this negative feedback, more negative leaf (and xylem) water potentials would provide a stronger driving force for water transport, while at the same time limiting xylem hydraulic conductivity due to cavitation. Here, the leaf water potential value that allows an optimum balance between driving force and xylem conductivity is quantified, thus defining the maximum transpiration rate that can be sustained by the soil-to-leaf hydraulic system. To apply the proposed framework at the global scale, a novel database of xylem conductivity and cavitation vulnerability across plant types and biomes is developed. Conductivity and water potential at 50% cavitation are shown to be complementary (in particular between angiosperms and conifers), suggesting a tradeoff between transport efficiency and hydraulic safety. Plants from warmer and drier biomes tend to achieve larger maximum transpiration than plants growing in environments with lower atmospheric water demand. The predicted maximum transpiration and the corresponding leaf water

Effects of lag and maximum growth in contaminant transport and biodegradation modeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wood, B.D.; Dawson, C.N.

1992-06-01

The effects of time lag and maximum microbial growth on biodegradation in contaminant transport are discussed. A mathematical model is formulated that accounts for these effects, and a numerical case study is presented that demonstrates how lag influences biodegradation

A Hybrid Maximum Power Point Tracking Method for Automobile Exhaust Thermoelectric Generator

Science.gov (United States)

Quan, Rui; Zhou, Wei; Yang, Guangyou; Quan, Shuhai

2017-05-01

To make full use of the maximum output power of automobile exhaust thermoelectric generator (AETEG) based on Bi2Te3 thermoelectric modules (TEMs), taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of existing maximum power point tracking methods, and according to the output characteristics of TEMs, a hybrid maximum power point tracking method combining perturb and observe (P&O) algorithm, quadratic interpolation and constant voltage tracking method was put forward in this paper. Firstly, it searched the maximum power point with P&O algorithms and a quadratic interpolation method, then, it forced the AETEG to work at its maximum power point with constant voltage tracking. A synchronous buck converter and controller were implemented in the electric bus of the AETEG applied in a military sports utility vehicle, and the whole system was modeled and simulated with a MATLAB/Simulink environment. Simulation results demonstrate that the maximum output power of the AETEG based on the proposed hybrid method is increased by about 3.0% and 3.7% compared with that using only the P&O algorithm and the quadratic interpolation method, respectively. The shorter tracking time is only 1.4 s, which is reduced by half compared with that of the P&O algorithm and quadratic interpolation method, respectively. The experimental results demonstrate that the tracked maximum power is approximately equal to the real value using the proposed hybrid method,and it can preferentially deal with the voltage fluctuation of the AETEG with only P&O algorithm, and resolve the issue that its working point can barely be adjusted only with constant voltage tracking when the operation conditions change.

Catastrophic Disruption Threshold and Maximum Deflection from Kinetic Impact

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, A. F.

2017-12-01

The use of a kinetic impactor to deflect an asteroid on a collision course with Earth was described in the NASA Near-Earth Object Survey and Deflection Analysis of Alternatives (2007) as the most mature approach for asteroid deflection and mitigation. The NASA DART mission will demonstrate asteroid deflection by kinetic impact at the Potentially Hazardous Asteroid 65803 Didymos in October, 2022. The kinetic impactor approach is considered to be applicable with warning times of 10 years or more and with hazardous asteroid diameters of 400 m or less. In principle, a larger kinetic impactor bringing greater kinetic energy could cause a larger deflection, but input of excessive kinetic energy will cause catastrophic disruption of the target, leaving possibly large fragments still on collision course with Earth. Thus the catastrophic disruption threshold limits the maximum deflection from a kinetic impactor. An often-cited rule of thumb states that the maximum deflection is 0.1 times the escape velocity before the target will be disrupted. It turns out this rule of thumb does not work well. A comparison to numerical simulation results shows that a similar rule applies in the gravity limit, for large targets more than 300 m, where the maximum deflection is roughly the escape velocity at momentum enhancement factor β=2. In the gravity limit, the rule of thumb corresponds to pure momentum coupling (μ=1/3), but simulations find a slightly different scaling μ=0.43. In the smaller target size range that kinetic impactors would apply to, the catastrophic disruption limit is strength-controlled. A DART-like impactor won't disrupt any target asteroid down to significantly smaller size than the 50 m below which a hazardous object would not penetrate the atmosphere in any case unless it is unusually strong.

Maximum likelihood-based analysis of photon arrival trajectories in single-molecule FRET

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Waligorska, Marta [Adam Mickiewicz University, Faculty of Chemistry, Grunwaldzka 6, 60-780 Poznan (Poland); Molski, Andrzej, E-mail: amolski@amu.edu.pl [Adam Mickiewicz University, Faculty of Chemistry, Grunwaldzka 6, 60-780 Poznan (Poland)

2012-07-25

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We study model selection and parameter recovery from single-molecule FRET experiments. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We examine the maximum likelihood-based analysis of two-color photon trajectories. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The number of observed photons determines the performance of the method. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer For long trajectories, one can extract mean dwell times that are comparable to inter-photon times. -- Abstract: When two fluorophores (donor and acceptor) are attached to an immobilized biomolecule, anti-correlated fluctuations of the donor and acceptor fluorescence caused by Foerster resonance energy transfer (FRET) report on the conformational kinetics of the molecule. Here we assess the maximum likelihood-based analysis of donor and acceptor photon arrival trajectories as a method for extracting the conformational kinetics. Using computer generated data we quantify the accuracy and precision of parameter estimates and the efficiency of the Akaike information criterion (AIC) and the Bayesian information criterion (BIC) in selecting the true kinetic model. We find that the number of observed photons is the key parameter determining parameter estimation and model selection. For long trajectories, one can extract mean dwell times that are comparable to inter-photon times.

Effects of respiratory muscle training (RMT) in children with infantile-onset Pompe disease and respiratory muscle weakness.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Harrison N; Crisp, Kelly D; Moss, Tronda; Strollo, Katherine; Robey, Randy; Sank, Jeffrey; Canfield, Michelle; Case, Laura E; Mahler, Leslie; Kravitz, Richard M; Kishnani, Priya S

2014-01-01

Respiratory muscle weakness is a primary therapeutic challenge for patients with infantile Pompe disease. We previously described the clinical implementation of a respiratory muscle training (RMT) regimen in two adults with late-onset Pompe disease; both demonstrated marked increases in inspiratory and expiratory muscle strength in response to RMT. However, the use of RMT in pediatric survivors of infantile Pompe disease has not been previously reported. We report the effects of an intensive RMT program on maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximum expiratory pressure (MEP) using A-B-A (baseline-treatment-posttest) single subject experimental design in two pediatric survivors of infantile Pompe disease. Both subjects had persistent respiratory muscle weakness despite long-term treatment with alglucosidase alfa. Subject 1 demonstrated negligible to modest increases in MIP/MEP (6% increase in MIP, d=0.25; 19% increase in MEP, d=0.87), while Subject 2 demonstrated very large increases in MIP/MEP (45% increase in MIP, d=2.38; 81% increase in MEP, d=4.31). Following three-month RMT withdrawal, both subjects maintained these strength increases and demonstrated maximal MIP and MEP values at follow-up. Intensive RMT may be a beneficial treatment for respiratory muscle weakness in pediatric survivors of infantile Pompe disease.

Improved air trapping evaluation in chest computed tomography in children with cystic fibrosis using real-time spirometric monitoring and biofeedback

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kongstad, Thomas; Buchvald, Frederik F; Green, Kent

2013-01-01

CTs were evaluated. Mean (95%CI) change in inspiratory-expiratory lung density differences was 436 Hounsfield Units (HU) (408 to 464) in the COP cohort with spirometric breath hold monitoring versus 229 HU (188 to 269) in the GOT cohort with unmonitored breath hold manoeuvres (p...BACKGROUND: The quality of chest Computed Tomography (CT) images in children is dependent upon a sufficient breath hold during CT scanning. This study evaluates the influence of spirometric breath hold monitoring with biofeedback software on inspiratory and expiratory chest CT lung density measures......, and on trapped air (TA) scoring in children with cystic fibrosis (CF). This is important because TA is an important component of early and progressive CF lung disease. METHODS: A cross sectional comparison study was completed for chest CT imaging in two cohorts of CF children with comparable disease severity...

Estimating the maximum potential revenue for grid connected electricity storage :

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Byrne, Raymond Harry; Silva Monroy, Cesar Augusto.

2012-12-01

The valuation of an electricity storage device is based on the expected future cash flow generated by the device. Two potential sources of income for an electricity storage system are energy arbitrage and participation in the frequency regulation market. Energy arbitrage refers to purchasing (stor- ing) energy when electricity prices are low, and selling (discharging) energy when electricity prices are high. Frequency regulation is an ancillary service geared towards maintaining system frequency, and is typically procured by the independent system operator in some type of market. This paper outlines the calculations required to estimate the maximum potential revenue from participating in these two activities. First, a mathematical model is presented for the state of charge as a function of the storage device parameters and the quantities of electricity purchased/sold as well as the quantities o ered into the regulation market. Using this mathematical model, we present a linear programming optimization approach to calculating the maximum potential revenue from an elec- tricity storage device. The calculation of the maximum potential revenue is critical in developing an upper bound on the value of storage, as a benchmark for evaluating potential trading strate- gies, and a tool for capital nance risk assessment. Then, we use historical California Independent System Operator (CAISO) data from 2010-2011 to evaluate the maximum potential revenue from the Tehachapi wind energy storage project, an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) energy storage demonstration project. We investigate the maximum potential revenue from two di erent scenarios: arbitrage only and arbitrage combined with the regulation market. Our analysis shows that participation in the regulation market produces four times the revenue compared to arbitrage in the CAISO market using 2010 and 2011 data. Then we evaluate several trading strategies to illustrate how they compare to the

An Efficient UD-Based Algorithm for the Computation of Maximum Likelihood Sensitivity of Continuous-Discrete Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boiroux, Dimitri; Juhl, Rune; Madsen, Henrik

2016-01-01

This paper addresses maximum likelihood parameter estimation of continuous-time nonlinear systems with discrete-time measurements. We derive an efficient algorithm for the computation of the log-likelihood function and its gradient, which can be used in gradient-based optimization algorithms....... This algorithm uses UD decomposition of symmetric matrices and the array algorithm for covariance update and gradient computation. We test our algorithm on the Lotka-Volterra equations. Compared to the maximum likelihood estimation based on finite difference gradient computation, we get a significant speedup...

78 FR 9845 - Minimum and Ordinary Maximum and Aggravated Maximum Civil Monetary Penalties for a Violation of...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-12

... maximum penalty amount of $75,000 for each violation, except that if the violation results in death... the maximum civil penalty for a violation is $175,000 if the violation results in death, serious... Penalties for a Violation of the Hazardous Materials Transportation Laws or Regulations, Orders, Special...

Performance analysis and comparison of an Atkinson cycle coupled to variable temperature heat reservoirs under maximum power and maximum power density conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, P.-Y.; Hou, S.-S.

2005-01-01

In this paper, performance analysis and comparison based on the maximum power and maximum power density conditions have been conducted for an Atkinson cycle coupled to variable temperature heat reservoirs. The Atkinson cycle is internally reversible but externally irreversible, since there is external irreversibility of heat transfer during the processes of constant volume heat addition and constant pressure heat rejection. This study is based purely on classical thermodynamic analysis methodology. It should be especially emphasized that all the results and conclusions are based on classical thermodynamics. The power density, defined as the ratio of power output to maximum specific volume in the cycle, is taken as the optimization objective because it considers the effects of engine size as related to investment cost. The results show that an engine design based on maximum power density with constant effectiveness of the hot and cold side heat exchangers or constant inlet temperature ratio of the heat reservoirs will have smaller size but higher efficiency, compression ratio, expansion ratio and maximum temperature than one based on maximum power. From the view points of engine size and thermal efficiency, an engine design based on maximum power density is better than one based on maximum power conditions. However, due to the higher compression ratio and maximum temperature in the cycle, an engine design based on maximum power density conditions requires tougher materials for engine construction than one based on maximum power conditions

Superfast maximum-likelihood reconstruction for quantum tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Shang, Jiangwei; Zhang, Zhengyun; Ng, Hui Khoon

2017-06-01

Conventional methods for computing maximum-likelihood estimators (MLE) often converge slowly in practical situations, leading to a search for simplifying methods that rely on additional assumptions for their validity. In this work, we provide a fast and reliable algorithm for maximum-likelihood reconstruction that avoids this slow convergence. Our method utilizes the state-of-the-art convex optimization scheme, an accelerated projected-gradient method, that allows one to accommodate the quantum nature of the problem in a different way than in the standard methods. We demonstrate the power of our approach by comparing its performance with other algorithms for n -qubit state tomography. In particular, an eight-qubit situation that purportedly took weeks of computation time in 2005 can now be completed in under a minute for a single set of data, with far higher accuracy than previously possible. This refutes the common claim that MLE reconstruction is slow and reduces the need for alternative methods that often come with difficult-to-verify assumptions. In fact, recent methods assuming Gaussian statistics or relying on compressed sensing ideas are demonstrably inapplicable for the situation under consideration here. Our algorithm can be applied to general optimization problems over the quantum state space; the philosophy of projected gradients can further be utilized for optimization contexts with general constraints.

Trigger performance of mid-level ICU mechanical ventilators during assisted ventilation: a bench study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferreira, Juliana C; Chipman, Daniel W; Kacmarek, Robert M

2008-09-01

To compare the triggering performance of mid-level ICU mechanical ventilators with a standard ICU mechanical ventilator. Experimental bench study. The respiratory care laboratory of a university-affiliated teaching hospital. A computerized mechanical lung model, the IngMar ASL5000. Ten mid-level ICU ventilators were compared to an ICU ventilator at two levels of lung model effort, three combinations of respiratory mechanics (normal, COPD and ARDS) and two modes of ventilation, volume and pressure assist/control. A total of 12 conditions were compared. Performance varied widely among ventilators. Mean inspiratory trigger time was ventilators. The mean inspiratory delay time (time from initiation of the breath to return of airway pressure to baseline) was longer than that for the ICU ventilator for all tested ventilators except one. The pressure drop during triggering (Ptrig) was comparable with that of the ICU ventilator for only two ventilators. Expiratory Settling Time (time for pressure to return to baseline) had the greatest variability among ventilators. Triggering differences among these mid-level ICU ventilators and with the ICU ventilator were identified. Some of these ventilators had a much poorer triggering response with high inspiratory effort than the ICU ventilator. These ventilators do not perform as well as ICU ventilators in patients with high ventilatory demand.

Probable Maximum Earthquake Magnitudes for the Cascadia Subduction

Science.gov (United States)

Rong, Y.; Jackson, D. D.; Magistrale, H.; Goldfinger, C.

2013-12-01

The concept of maximum earthquake magnitude (mx) is widely used in seismic hazard and risk analysis. However, absolute mx lacks a precise definition and cannot be determined from a finite earthquake history. The surprising magnitudes of the 2004 Sumatra and the 2011 Tohoku earthquakes showed that most methods for estimating mx underestimate the true maximum if it exists. Thus, we introduced the alternate concept of mp(T), probable maximum magnitude within a time interval T. The mp(T) can be solved using theoretical magnitude-frequency distributions such as Tapered Gutenberg-Richter (TGR) distribution. The two TGR parameters, β-value (which equals 2/3 b-value in the GR distribution) and corner magnitude (mc), can be obtained by applying maximum likelihood method to earthquake catalogs with additional constraint from tectonic moment rate. Here, we integrate the paleoseismic data in the Cascadia subduction zone to estimate mp. The Cascadia subduction zone has been seismically quiescent since at least 1900. Fortunately, turbidite studies have unearthed a 10,000 year record of great earthquakes along the subduction zone. We thoroughly investigate the earthquake magnitude-frequency distribution of the region by combining instrumental and paleoseismic data, and using the tectonic moment rate information. To use the paleoseismic data, we first estimate event magnitudes, which we achieve by using the time interval between events, rupture extent of the events, and turbidite thickness. We estimate three sets of TGR parameters: for the first two sets, we consider a geographically large Cascadia region that includes the subduction zone, and the Explorer, Juan de Fuca, and Gorda plates; for the third set, we consider a narrow geographic region straddling the subduction zone. In the first set, the β-value is derived using the GCMT catalog. In the second and third sets, the β-value is derived using both the GCMT and paleoseismic data. Next, we calculate the corresponding mc

LCLS Maximum Credible Beam Power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clendenin, J.

2005-01-01

The maximum credible beam power is defined as the highest credible average beam power that the accelerator can deliver to the point in question, given the laws of physics, the beam line design, and assuming all protection devices have failed. For a new accelerator project, the official maximum credible beam power is determined by project staff in consultation with the Radiation Physics Department, after examining the arguments and evidence presented by the appropriate accelerator physicist(s) and beam line engineers. The definitive parameter becomes part of the project's safety envelope. This technical note will first review the studies that were done for the Gun Test Facility (GTF) at SSRL, where a photoinjector similar to the one proposed for the LCLS is being tested. In Section 3 the maximum charge out of the gun for a single rf pulse is calculated. In Section 4, PARMELA simulations are used to track the beam from the gun to the end of the photoinjector. Finally in Section 5 the beam through the matching section and injected into Linac-1 is discussed

Study of the X-ray binary AM Herculis. II - Spectrophotometry at maximum light

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voikhanskaia, N.F.

1980-01-01

The spectrum of the AM Her system at maximum light is analyzed, and a comparison is made between the spectra when the system is at different levels of brightness. At maximum light the equivalent line widths fluctuate rapidly on a time scale of about 1 min at all phases of the orbit period. As the brightness drops, the system becomes less strongly excited consequently, the high-excitation elements represented in the spectrum first fade and then vanish. At maximum light the bulk of the radiation comes from the hottest and densest parts of the luminous region. As the light wanes the contribution of their radiation to the total light of the system diminishes, and the radiation of the cooler, more tenuous parts of the emission region becomes perceptible. In addition, the pronounced change in the shape of the emission-line profiles during the orbital period at minimum light implies a considerable amount of irregularity in the region producing the lines, unlike the uniform emission region at maximum light

Phrenic and hypoglossal nerve activity during respiratory response to hypoxia in 6-OHDA unilateral model of Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Andrzejewski, Kryspin; Budzińska, Krystyna; Kaczyńska, Katarzyna

2017-07-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) patients apart from motor dysfunctions exhibit respiratory disturbances. Their mechanism is still unknown and requires investigation. Our research was designed to examine the activity of phrenic (PHR) and hypoglossal (HG) nerves activity during a hypoxic respiratory response in the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) model of PD. Male adult Wistar rats were injected unilaterally with 6-OHDA (20μg) or the vehicle into the right medial forebrain bundle (MFB). Two weeks after the surgery the activity of the phrenic and hypoglossal nerve was registered in anesthetized, vagotomized, paralyzed, and mechanically ventilated rats under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Lesion effectiveness was confirmed by the cylinder test, performed before the MFB injection and 14days after, before the respiratory experiment. 6-OHDA lesioned animals showed a significant increase in normoxic inspiratory time. Expiratory time and total time of the respiratory cycle were prolonged in PD rats after hypoxia. The amplitude of the PHR activity and its minute activity were increased in comparison to the sham group at recovery time and during 30s of hypoxia. The amplitude of the HG activity was increased in response to hypoxia in 6-OHDA lesioned animals. The degeneration of dopaminergic neurons decreased the pre-inspiratory/inspiratory ratio of the hypoglossal burst amplitude during and after hypoxia. Unilateral MFB lesion changed the activity of the phrenic and hypoglossal nerves. The altered pre-inspiratory hypoglossal nerve activity indicates modifications to the central mechanisms controlling the activity of the HG nerve and may explain respiratory disorders seen in PD, i.e. apnea. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

13 CFR 107.840 - Maximum term of Financing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Maximum term of Financing. 107.840... COMPANIES Financing of Small Businesses by Licensees Structuring Licensee's Financing of An Eligible Small Business: Terms and Conditions of Financing § 107.840 Maximum term of Financing. The maximum term of any...

LASER: A Maximum Likelihood Toolkit for Detecting Temporal Shifts in Diversification Rates From Molecular Phylogenies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel L. Rabosky

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Rates of species origination and extinction can vary over time during evolutionary radiations, and it is possible to reconstruct the history of diversification using molecular phylogenies of extant taxa only. Maximum likelihood methods provide a useful framework for inferring temporal variation in diversification rates. LASER is a package for the R programming environment that implements maximum likelihood methods based on the birth-death process to test whether diversification rates have changed over time. LASER contrasts the likelihood of phylogenetic data under models where diversification rates have changed over time to alternative models where rates have remained constant over time. Major strengths of the package include the ability to detect temporal increases in diversification rates and the inference of diversification parameters under multiple rate-variable models of diversification. The program and associated documentation are freely available from the R package archive at http://cran.r-project.org.

20 CFR 226.52 - Total annuity subject to maximum.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Total annuity subject to maximum. 226.52... COMPUTING EMPLOYEE, SPOUSE, AND DIVORCED SPOUSE ANNUITIES Railroad Retirement Family Maximum § 226.52 Total annuity subject to maximum. The total annuity amount which is compared to the maximum monthly amount to...

Space-Time Chip Equalization for Maximum Diversity Space-Time Block Coded DS-CDMA Downlink Transmission

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leus, G.; Petré, F.; Moonen, M.

2004-01-01

In the downlink of DS-CDMA, frequency-selectivity destroys the orthogonality of the user signals and introduces multiuser interference (MUI). Space-time chip equalization is an efficient tool to restore the orthogonality of the user signals and suppress the MUI. Furthermore, multiple-input

Improved air trapping evaluation in chest computed tomography in children with cystic fibrosis using real-time spirometric monitoring and biofeedback.

Science.gov (United States)

Kongstad, Thomas; Buchvald, Frederik F; Green, Kent; Lindblad, Anders; Robinson, Terry E; Nielsen, Kim G

2013-12-01

The quality of chest Computed Tomography (CT) images in children is dependent upon a sufficient breath hold during CT scanning. This study evaluates the influence of spirometric breath hold monitoring with biofeedback software on inspiratory and expiratory chest CT lung density measures, and on trapped air (TA) scoring in children with cystic fibrosis (CF). This is important because TA is an important component of early and progressive CF lung disease. A cross sectional comparison study was completed for chest CT imaging in two cohorts of CF children with comparable disease severity, using spirometric breath hold monitoring and biofeedback software (Copenhagen (COP)) or unmonitored breath hold manoeuvres (Gothenburg (GOT)). Inspiratory-expiratory lung density differences were calculated, and TA was scored to assess the difference between the two cohorts. Eighty-four chest CTs were evaluated. Mean (95%CI) change in inspiratory-expiratory lung density differences was 436 Hounsfield Units (HU) (408 to 464) in the COP cohort with spirometric breath hold monitoring versus 229 HU (188 to 269) in the GOT cohort with unmonitored breath hold manoeuvres (pchildren with comparable CF lung disease, spirometric breath hold monitoring during examination yielded a large difference in lung volume between inhalation and exhalation, and allowed for a significantly greater measured change in lung density and TA score, compared to unmonitored breath hold maneuvers. This has implications to the clinical use of chest CT, especially in children with early CF lung disease. Copyright © 2013 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Voluntary Cough Production and Swallow Dysfunction in Parkinson’s Disease

Science.gov (United States)

Bolser, Donald; Rosenbek, John; Troche, Michelle; Sapienza, Christine

2014-01-01

Cough is important for airway clearance, particularly if penetration/aspiration of foreign material occurs during swallow. Measures of voluntary cough production from ten male participants with stage II–III Parkinson’s disease (PD) who showed no videofluorographic evidence of penetration/aspiration (Group 1) were examined and compared with those of ten male participants with stage II–III PD who showed videofluorographic evidence of penetration/aspiration (Group 2). The degree of penetration/ aspiration was expertly judged from the videofluorographic examinations of the participants’ sequential swallow of a thin, 30-cc bolus. Measured cough parameters included inspiratory phase duration, inspiratory peak flow, compression phase duration, expiratory peak flow, expiratory rise time, and cough volume acceleration. Results indicated significant group differences for the majority of cough measures, except for inspiratory phase duration and inspiratory peak flow. A modest relationship existed between voluntary cough parameters and penetration/aspiration scores. Decreased ability to adequately clear material from the airway with voluntary cough may exacerbate symptoms resulting from penetration/aspiration, particularly for those with neurodegenerative disease. Measurement of voluntary cough may be useful for the evaluation of airway clearance ability. PMID:18483823

Lung volumes and maximal respiratory pressures in collegiate swimmers and runners.

Science.gov (United States)

Cordain, L; Tucker, A; Moon, D; Stager, J M

1990-03-01

To determine whether respiratory muscle strength is related to pulmonary volume differences in athletes and nonathletes, 11 intercollegiate female swimmers, 11 female cross-country runners, and two nonathletic control groups, matched to the athletes in height and age, were evaluated for pulmonary parameters including maximal inspiratory pressure (PImax) and maximal expiratory pressure (PEmax). Swimmers exhibited larger (p less than .05) vital capacities (VC), residual lung volumes (RV), inspiratory capacities (IC), and functional residual capacities (FRC) than both the runners or the controls but no difference (p greater than .05) in either PImax or inspiratory flow (FIV 25%-75%). Timed expiratory volumes (FEV 0.5 and FEV 1.0) were significantly (p less than .05) lower in the swimmers than in the controls. These data suggest that an adaptational growth may be responsible, in part, for the augmented static lung volumes demonstrated in swimmers.

Maximum likely scale estimation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Loog, Marco; Pedersen, Kim Steenstrup; Markussen, Bo

2005-01-01

A maximum likelihood local scale estimation principle is presented. An actual implementation of the estimation principle uses second order moments of multiple measurements at a fixed location in the image. These measurements consist of Gaussian derivatives possibly taken at several scales and/or ...

Maximum Recommended Dosage of Lithium for Pregnant Women Based on a PBPK Model for Lithium Absorption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Scott Horton

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Treatment of bipolar disorder with lithium therapy during pregnancy is a medical challenge. Bipolar disorder is more prevalent in women and its onset is often concurrent with peak reproductive age. Treatment typically involves administration of the element lithium, which has been classified as a class D drug (legal to use during pregnancy, but may cause birth defects and is one of only thirty known teratogenic drugs. There is no clear recommendation in the literature on the maximum acceptable dosage regimen for pregnant, bipolar women. We recommend a maximum dosage regimen based on a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK model. The model simulates the concentration of lithium in the organs and tissues of a pregnant woman and her fetus. First, we modeled time-dependent lithium concentration profiles resulting from lithium therapy known to have caused birth defects. Next, we identified maximum and average fetal lithium concentrations during treatment. Then, we developed a lithium therapy regimen to maximize the concentration of lithium in the mother’s brain, while maintaining the fetal concentration low enough to reduce the risk of birth defects. This maximum dosage regimen suggested by the model was 400 mg lithium three times per day.

Statistical assessment of changes in extreme maximum temperatures over Saudi Arabia, 1985-2014

Science.gov (United States)

Raggad, Bechir

2018-05-01

In this study, two statistical approaches were adopted in the analysis of observed maximum temperature data collected from fifteen stations over Saudi Arabia during the period 1985-2014. In the first step, the behavior of extreme temperatures was analyzed and their changes were quantified with respect to the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection Monitoring indices. The results showed a general warming trend over most stations, in maximum temperature-related indices, during the period of analysis. In the second step, stationary and non-stationary extreme-value analyses were conducted for the temperature data. The results revealed that the non-stationary model with increasing linear trend in its location parameter outperforms the other models for two-thirds of the stations. Additionally, the 10-, 50-, and 100-year return levels were found to change with time considerably and that the maximum temperature could start to reappear in the different T-year return period for most stations. This analysis shows the importance of taking account the change over time in the estimation of return levels and therefore justifies the use of the non-stationary generalized extreme value distribution model to describe most of the data. Furthermore, these last findings are in line with the result of significant warming trends found in climate indices analyses.

Maximum gravitational redshift of white dwarfs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shapiro, S.L.; Teukolsky, S.A.

1976-01-01

The stability of uniformly rotating, cold white dwarfs is examined in the framework of the Parametrized Post-Newtonian (PPN) formalism of Will and Nordtvedt. The maximum central density and gravitational redshift of a white dwarf are determined as functions of five of the nine PPN parameters (γ, β, zeta 2 , zeta 3 , and zeta 4 ), the total angular momentum J, and the composition of the star. General relativity predicts that the maximum redshifts is 571 km s -1 for nonrotating carbon and helium dwarfs, but is lower for stars composed of heavier nuclei. Uniform rotation can increase the maximum redshift to 647 km s -1 for carbon stars (the neutronization limit) and to 893 km s -1 for helium stars (the uniform rotation limit). The redshift distribution of a larger sample of white dwarfs may help determine the composition of their cores

Benefits of skeletal-muscle exercise training in pulmonary arterial hypertension: The WHOLEi+12 trial.

Science.gov (United States)

González-Saiz, Laura; Fiuza-Luces, Carmen; Sanchis-Gomar, Fabian; Santos-Lozano, Alejandro; Quezada-Loaiza, Carlos A; Flox-Camacho, Angela; Munguía-Izquierdo, Diego; Ara, Ignacio; Santalla, Alfredo; Morán, María; Sanz-Ayan, Paz; Escribano-Subías, Pilar; Lucia, Alejandro

2017-03-15

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is often associated with skeletal-muscle weakness. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to determine the effects of an 8-week intervention combining muscle resistance, aerobic and inspiratory pressure-load exercises on upper/lower-body muscle power and other functional variables in patients with this disease. Participants were allocated to a control (standard care) or intervention (exercise) group (n=20 each, 45±12 and 46±11years, 60% women and 10% patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension per group). The intervention included five, three and six supervised (inhospital) sessions/week of aerobic, resistance and inspiratory muscle training, respectively. The primary endpoint was peak muscle power during bench/leg press; secondary outcomes included N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels, 6-min walking distance, five-repetition sit-to-stand test, maximal inspiratory pressure, cardiopulmonary exercise testing variables (e.g., peak oxygen uptake), health-related quality of life, physical activity levels, and safety. Adherence to training sessions averaged 94±0.5% (aerobic), 98±0.3% (resistance) and 91±1% (inspiratory training). Analysis of variance showed a significant interaction (group×time) effect for leg/bench press (Pexercise group (P0.1). We found a significant interaction effect (Pexercise. An 8-week exercise intervention including aerobic, resistance and specific inspiratory muscle training is safe for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension and yields significant improvements in muscle power and other functional variables. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Revealing the Maximum Strength in Nanotwinned Copper

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lu, L.; Chen, X.; Huang, Xiaoxu

2009-01-01

boundary–related processes. We investigated the maximum strength of nanotwinned copper samples with different twin thicknesses. We found that the strength increases with decreasing twin thickness, reaching a maximum at 15 nanometers, followed by a softening at smaller values that is accompanied by enhanced...

49 CFR 195.406 - Maximum operating pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Maximum operating pressure. 195.406 Section 195.406 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS... HAZARDOUS LIQUIDS BY PIPELINE Operation and Maintenance § 195.406 Maximum operating pressure. (a) Except for...

Maximum power point tracking for PV systems under partial shading conditions using current sweeping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsang, K.M.; Chan, W.L.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A novel approach for tracking the maximum power point of photovoltaic systems. • Able to handle both the uniform insolation and partial shading conditions. • Maximum power point tracking based on current sweeping. - Abstract: Partial shading on photovoltaic (PV) arrays causes multiple peaks on the output power–voltage characteristic curve and local searching technique such as perturb and observe (P&O) method could easily fail in searching for the global maximum. Moreover, existing global searching techniques are still not very satisfactory in terms of speed and implementation complexity. In this paper, a fast global maximum power point (MPPT) tracking method which is using current sweeping for photovoltaic arrays under partial shading conditions is proposed. Unlike conventional approach, the proposed method is current based rather than voltage based. The initial maximum power point will be derived based on a current sweeping test and the maximum power point can be enhanced by a finer local search. The speed of the global search is mainly governed by the apparent time constant of the PV array and the generation of a fast current sweeping test. The fast current sweeping test can easily be realized by a DC/DC boost converter with a very fast current control loop. Experimental results are included to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed global searching scheme

Maximum principle for a stochastic delayed system involving terminal state constraints.

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Jiaqiang; Shi, Yufeng

2017-01-01

We investigate a stochastic optimal control problem where the controlled system is depicted as a stochastic differential delayed equation; however, at the terminal time, the state is constrained in a convex set. We firstly introduce an equivalent backward delayed system depicted as a time-delayed backward stochastic differential equation. Then a stochastic maximum principle is obtained by virtue of Ekeland's variational principle. Finally, applications to a state constrained stochastic delayed linear-quadratic control model and a production-consumption choice problem are studied to illustrate the main obtained result.

Optimization of NANOGrav's time allocation for maximum sensitivity to single sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Christy, Brian; Anella, Ryan; Lommen, Andrea; Camuccio, Richard; Handzo, Emma; Finn, Lee Samuel

2014-01-01

Pulsar timing arrays (PTAs) are a collection of precisely timed millisecond pulsars (MSPs) that can search for gravitational waves (GWs) in the nanohertz frequency range by observing characteristic signatures in the timing residuals. The sensitivity of a PTA depends on the direction of the propagating GW source, the timing accuracy of the pulsars, and the allocation of the available observing time. The goal of this paper is to determine the optimal time allocation strategy among the MSPs in the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) for a single source of GW under a particular set of assumptions. We consider both an isotropic distribution of sources across the sky and a specific source in the Virgo cluster. This work improves on previous efforts by modeling the effect of intrinsic spin noise for each pulsar. We find that, in general, the array is optimized by maximizing time spent on the best-timed pulsars, with sensitivity improvements typically ranging from a factor of 1.5 to 4.

Maximum spectral demands in the near-fault region

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yin-Nan; Whittaker, Andrew S.; Luco, Nicolas

2008-01-01

The Next Generation Attenuation (NGA) relationships for shallow crustal earthquakes in the western United States predict a rotated geometric mean of horizontal spectral demand, termed GMRotI50, and not maximum spectral demand. Differences between strike-normal, strike-parallel, geometric-mean, and maximum spectral demands in the near-fault region are investigated using 147 pairs of records selected from the NGA strong motion database. The selected records are for earthquakes with moment magnitude greater than 6.5 and for closest site-to-fault distance less than 15 km. Ratios of maximum spectral demand to NGA-predicted GMRotI50 for each pair of ground motions are presented. The ratio shows a clear dependence on period and the Somerville directivity parameters. Maximum demands can substantially exceed NGA-predicted GMRotI50 demands in the near-fault region, which has significant implications for seismic design, seismic performance assessment, and the next-generation seismic design maps. Strike-normal spectral demands are a significantly unconservative surrogate for maximum spectral demands for closest distance greater than 3 to 5 km. Scale factors that transform NGA-predicted GMRotI50 to a maximum spectral demand in the near-fault region are proposed.

Pressurizer /Auxiliary Spray Piping Stress Analysis For Determination Of Lead Shielding Maximum Allow Able Load

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Setjo, Renaningsih

2000-01-01

Piping stress analysis for PZR/Auxiliary Spray Lines Nuclear Power Plant AV Unit I(PWR Type) has been carried out. The purpose of this analysis is to establish a maximum allowable load that is permitted at the time of need by placing lead shielding on the piping system on class 1 pipe, Pressurizer/Auxiliary Spray Lines (PZR/Aux.) Reactor Coolant Loop 1 and 4 for NPP AV Unit one in the mode 5 and 6 during outage. This analysis is intended to reduce the maximum amount of radiation dose for the operator during ISI ( In service Inspection) period.The result shown that the maximum allowable loads for 4 inches lines for PZR/Auxiliary Spray Lines is 123 lbs/feet

Large temperature variability in the southern African tropics since the Last Glacial Maximum

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Powers, L.A.; Johnson, T.C.; Werne, J.P.; Castañeda, I.S.; Hopmans, E.; Sinninghe Damsté, J.S.; Schouten, S.

2005-01-01

The role of the tropics in global climate change is actively debated, particularly in regard to the timing and magnitude of thermal and hydrological response. Continuous, high-resolution temperature records through the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) from tropical oceans have provided much insight

Maximum allowable load on wheeled mobile manipulators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Habibnejad Korayem, M.; Ghariblu, H.

2003-01-01

This paper develops a computational technique for finding the maximum allowable load of mobile manipulator during a given trajectory. The maximum allowable loads which can be achieved by a mobile manipulator during a given trajectory are limited by the number of factors; probably the dynamic properties of mobile base and mounted manipulator, their actuator limitations and additional constraints applied to resolving the redundancy are the most important factors. To resolve extra D.O.F introduced by the base mobility, additional constraint functions are proposed directly in the task space of mobile manipulator. Finally, in two numerical examples involving a two-link planar manipulator mounted on a differentially driven mobile base, application of the method to determining maximum allowable load is verified. The simulation results demonstrates the maximum allowable load on a desired trajectory has not a unique value and directly depends on the additional constraint functions which applies to resolve the motion redundancy

Allometries of Maximum Growth Rate versus Body Mass at Maximum Growth Indicate That Non-Avian Dinosaurs Had Growth Rates Typical of Fast Growing Ectothermic Sauropsids

Science.gov (United States)

Werner, Jan; Griebeler, Eva Maria

2014-01-01

We tested if growth rates of recent taxa are unequivocally separated between endotherms and ectotherms, and compared these to dinosaurian growth rates. We therefore performed linear regression analyses on the log-transformed maximum growth rate against log-transformed body mass at maximum growth for extant altricial birds, precocial birds, eutherians, marsupials, reptiles, fishes and dinosaurs. Regression models of precocial birds (and fishes) strongly differed from Case’s study (1978), which is often used to compare dinosaurian growth rates to those of extant vertebrates. For all taxonomic groups, the slope of 0.75 expected from the Metabolic Theory of Ecology was statistically supported. To compare growth rates between taxonomic groups we therefore used regressions with this fixed slope and group-specific intercepts. On average, maximum growth rates of ectotherms were about 10 (reptiles) to 20 (fishes) times (in comparison to mammals) or even 45 (reptiles) to 100 (fishes) times (in comparison to birds) lower than in endotherms. While on average all taxa were clearly separated from each other, individual growth rates overlapped between several taxa and even between endotherms and ectotherms. Dinosaurs had growth rates intermediate between similar sized/scaled-up reptiles and mammals, but a much lower rate than scaled-up birds. All dinosaurian growth rates were within the range of extant reptiles and mammals, and were lower than those of birds. Under the assumption that growth rate and metabolic rate are indeed linked, our results suggest two alternative interpretations. Compared to other sauropsids, the growth rates of studied dinosaurs clearly indicate that they had an ectothermic rather than an endothermic metabolic rate. Compared to other vertebrate growth rates, the overall high variability in growth rates of extant groups and the high overlap between individual growth rates of endothermic and ectothermic extant species make it impossible to rule out either

Allometries of maximum growth rate versus body mass at maximum growth indicate that non-avian dinosaurs had growth rates typical of fast growing ectothermic sauropsids.

Science.gov (United States)

Werner, Jan; Griebeler, Eva Maria

2014-01-01

We tested if growth rates of recent taxa are unequivocally separated between endotherms and ectotherms, and compared these to dinosaurian growth rates. We therefore performed linear regression analyses on the log-transformed maximum growth rate against log-transformed body mass at maximum growth for extant altricial birds, precocial birds, eutherians, marsupials, reptiles, fishes and dinosaurs. Regression models of precocial birds (and fishes) strongly differed from Case's study (1978), which is often used to compare dinosaurian growth rates to those of extant vertebrates. For all taxonomic groups, the slope of 0.75 expected from the Metabolic Theory of Ecology was statistically supported. To compare growth rates between taxonomic groups we therefore used regressions with this fixed slope and group-specific intercepts. On average, maximum growth rates of ectotherms were about 10 (reptiles) to 20 (fishes) times (in comparison to mammals) or even 45 (reptiles) to 100 (fishes) times (in comparison to birds) lower than in endotherms. While on average all taxa were clearly separated from each other, individual growth rates overlapped between several taxa and even between endotherms and ectotherms. Dinosaurs had growth rates intermediate between similar sized/scaled-up reptiles and mammals, but a much lower rate than scaled-up birds. All dinosaurian growth rates were within the range of extant reptiles and mammals, and were lower than those of birds. Under the assumption that growth rate and metabolic rate are indeed linked, our results suggest two alternative interpretations. Compared to other sauropsids, the growth rates of studied dinosaurs clearly indicate that they had an ectothermic rather than an endothermic metabolic rate. Compared to other vertebrate growth rates, the overall high variability in growth rates of extant groups and the high overlap between individual growth rates of endothermic and ectothermic extant species make it impossible to rule out either of

Allometries of maximum growth rate versus body mass at maximum growth indicate that non-avian dinosaurs had growth rates typical of fast growing ectothermic sauropsids.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Werner

Full Text Available We tested if growth rates of recent taxa are unequivocally separated between endotherms and ectotherms, and compared these to dinosaurian growth rates. We therefore performed linear regression analyses on the log-transformed maximum growth rate against log-transformed body mass at maximum growth for extant altricial birds, precocial birds, eutherians, marsupials, reptiles, fishes and dinosaurs. Regression models of precocial birds (and fishes strongly differed from Case's study (1978, which is often used to compare dinosaurian growth rates to those of extant vertebrates. For all taxonomic groups, the slope of 0.75 expected from the Metabolic Theory of Ecology was statistically supported. To compare growth rates between taxonomic groups we therefore used regressions with this fixed slope and group-specific intercepts. On average, maximum growth rates of ectotherms were about 10 (reptiles to 20 (fishes times (in comparison to mammals or even 45 (reptiles to 100 (fishes times (in comparison to birds lower than in endotherms. While on average all taxa were clearly separated from each other, individual growth rates overlapped between several taxa and even between endotherms and ectotherms. Dinosaurs had growth rates intermediate between similar sized/scaled-up reptiles and mammals, but a much lower rate than scaled-up birds. All dinosaurian growth rates were within the range of extant reptiles and mammals, and were lower than those of birds. Under the assumption that growth rate and metabolic rate are indeed linked, our results suggest two alternative interpretations. Compared to other sauropsids, the growth rates of studied dinosaurs clearly indicate that they had an ectothermic rather than an endothermic metabolic rate. Compared to other vertebrate growth rates, the overall high variability in growth rates of extant groups and the high overlap between individual growth rates of endothermic and ectothermic extant species make it impossible to rule

Robust Maximum Association Estimators

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A. Alfons (Andreas); C. Croux (Christophe); P. Filzmoser (Peter)

2017-01-01

textabstractThe maximum association between two multivariate variables X and Y is defined as the maximal value that a bivariate association measure between one-dimensional projections αX and αY can attain. Taking the Pearson correlation as projection index results in the first canonical correlation

Identification of "ever-cropped" land (1984-2010) using Landsat annual maximum NDVI image composites: Southwestern Kansas case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Maxwell, Susan K; Sylvester, Kenneth M

2012-06-01

A time series of 230 intra- and inter-annual Landsat Thematic Mapper images was used to identify land that was ever cropped during the years 1984 through 2010 for a five county region in southwestern Kansas. Annual maximum Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) image composites (NDVI(ann-max)) were used to evaluate the inter-annual dynamics of cropped and non-cropped land. Three feature images were derived from the 27-year NDVI(ann-max) image time series and used in the classification: 1) maximum NDVI value that occurred over the entire 27 year time span (NDVI(max)), 2) standard deviation of the annual maximum NDVI values for all years (NDVI(sd)), and 3) standard deviation of the annual maximum NDVI values for years 1984-1986 (NDVI(sd84-86)) to improve Conservation Reserve Program land discrimination.Results of the classification were compared to three reference data sets: County-level USDA Census records (1982-2007) and two digital land cover maps (Kansas 2005 and USGS Trends Program maps (1986-2000)). Area of ever-cropped land for the five counties was on average 11.8 % higher than the area estimated from Census records. Overall agreement between the ever-cropped land map and the 2005 Kansas map was 91.9% and 97.2% for the Trends maps. Converting the intra-annual Landsat data set to a single annual maximum NDVI image composite considerably reduced the data set size, eliminated clouds and cloud-shadow affects, yet maintained information important for discriminating cropped land. Our results suggest that Landsat annual maximum NDVI image composites will be useful for characterizing land use and land cover change for many applications.

Selection of the Maximum Spatial Cluster Size of the Spatial Scan Statistic by Using the Maximum Clustering Set-Proportion Statistic.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Yue; Yin, Fei; Zhang, Tao; Zhou, Xiaohua Andrew; Li, Xiaosong

2016-01-01

Spatial scan statistics are widely used in various fields. The performance of these statistics is influenced by parameters, such as maximum spatial cluster size, and can be improved by parameter selection using performance measures. Current performance measures are based on the presence of clusters and are thus inapplicable to data sets without known clusters. In this work, we propose a novel overall performance measure called maximum clustering set-proportion (MCS-P), which is based on the likelihood of the union of detected clusters and the applied dataset. MCS-P was compared with existing performance measures in a simulation study to select the maximum spatial cluster size. Results of other performance measures, such as sensitivity and misclassification, suggest that the spatial scan statistic achieves accurate results in most scenarios with the maximum spatial cluster sizes selected using MCS-P. Given that previously known clusters are not required in the proposed strategy, selection of the optimal maximum cluster size with MCS-P can improve the performance of the scan statistic in applications without identified clusters.

Maximum-Likelihood Detection Of Noncoherent CPM

Science.gov (United States)

Divsalar, Dariush; Simon, Marvin K.

1993-01-01

Simplified detectors proposed for use in maximum-likelihood-sequence detection of symbols in alphabet of size M transmitted by uncoded, full-response continuous phase modulation over radio channel with additive white Gaussian noise. Structures of receivers derived from particular interpretation of maximum-likelihood metrics. Receivers include front ends, structures of which depends only on M, analogous to those in receivers of coherent CPM. Parts of receivers following front ends have structures, complexity of which would depend on N.

Contribution of National near Real Time MODIS Forest Maximum Percentage NDVI Change Products to the U.S. ForWarn System

Science.gov (United States)

Spruce, Joseph P.; Hargrove, William; Gasser, Gerald; Smoot, James; Kuper, Philip D.

2012-01-01

This presentation reviews the development, integration, and testing of Near Real Time (NRT) MODIS forest % maximum NDVI change products resident to the USDA Forest Service (USFS) ForWarn System. ForWarn is an Early Warning System (EWS) tool for detection and tracking of regionally evident forest change, which includes the U.S. Forest Change Assessment Viewer (FCAV) (a publically available on-line geospatial data viewer for visualizing and assessing the context of this apparent forest change). NASA Stennis Space Center (SSC) is working collaboratively with the USFS, ORNL, and USGS to contribute MODIS forest change products to ForWarn. These change products compare current NDVI derived from expedited eMODIS data, to historical NDVI products derived from MODIS MOD13 data. A new suite of forest change products are computed every 8 days and posted to the ForWarn system; this includes three different forest change products computed using three different historical baselines: 1) previous year; 2) previous three years; and 3) all previous years in the MODIS record going back to 2000. The change product inputs are maximum value NDVI that are composited across a 24 day interval and refreshed every 8 days so that resulting images for the conterminous U.S. are predominantly cloud-free yet still retain temporally relevant fresh information on changes in forest canopy greenness. These forest change products are computed at the native nominal resolution of the input reflectance bands at 231.66 meters, which equates to approx 5.4 hectares or 13.3 acres per pixel. The Time Series Product Tool, a MATLAB-based software package developed at NASA SSC, is used to temporally process, fuse, reduce noise, interpolate data voids, and re-aggregate the historical NDVI into 24 day composites, and then custom MATLAB scripts are used to temporally process the eMODIS NDVIs so that they are in synch with the historical NDVI products. Prior to posting, an in-house snow mask classification product

[Evolutionary process unveiled by the maximum genetic diversity hypothesis].

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yi-Min; Xia, Meng-Ying; Huang, Shi

2013-05-01

As two major popular theories to explain evolutionary facts, the neutral theory and Neo-Darwinism, despite their proven virtues in certain areas, still fail to offer comprehensive explanations to such fundamental evolutionary phenomena as the genetic equidistance result, abundant overlap sites, increase in complexity over time, incomplete understanding of genetic diversity, and inconsistencies with fossil and archaeological records. Maximum genetic diversity hypothesis (MGD), however, constructs a more complete evolutionary genetics theory that incorporates all of the proven virtues of existing theories and adds to them the novel concept of a maximum or optimum limit on genetic distance or diversity. It has yet to meet a contradiction and explained for the first time the half-century old Genetic Equidistance phenomenon as well as most other major evolutionary facts. It provides practical and quantitative ways of studying complexity. Molecular interpretation using MGD-based methods reveal novel insights on the origins of humans and other primates that are consistent with fossil evidence and common sense, and reestablished the important role of China in the evolution of humans. MGD theory has also uncovered an important genetic mechanism in the construction of complex traits and the pathogenesis of complex diseases. We here made a series of sequence comparisons among yeasts, fishes and primates to illustrate the concept of limit on genetic distance. The idea of limit or optimum is in line with the yin-yang paradigm in the traditional Chinese view of the universal creative law in nature.

Maximum Entropy Fundamentals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Topsøe

2001-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract: In its modern formulation, the Maximum Entropy Principle was promoted by E.T. Jaynes, starting in the mid-fifties. The principle dictates that one should look for a distribution, consistent with available information, which maximizes the entropy. However, this principle focuses only on distributions and it appears advantageous to bring information theoretical thinking more prominently into play by also focusing on the "observer" and on coding. This view was brought forward by the second named author in the late seventies and is the view we will follow-up on here. It leads to the consideration of a certain game, the Code Length Game and, via standard game theoretical thinking, to a principle of Game Theoretical Equilibrium. This principle is more basic than the Maximum Entropy Principle in the sense that the search for one type of optimal strategies in the Code Length Game translates directly into the search for distributions with maximum entropy. In the present paper we offer a self-contained and comprehensive treatment of fundamentals of both principles mentioned, based on a study of the Code Length Game. Though new concepts and results are presented, the reading should be instructional and accessible to a rather wide audience, at least if certain mathematical details are left aside at a rst reading. The most frequently studied instance of entropy maximization pertains to the Mean Energy Model which involves a moment constraint related to a given function, here taken to represent "energy". This type of application is very well known from the literature with hundreds of applications pertaining to several different elds and will also here serve as important illustration of the theory. But our approach reaches further, especially regarding the study of continuity properties of the entropy function, and this leads to new results which allow a discussion of models with so-called entropy loss. These results have tempted us to speculate over

Maximum warming occurs about one decade after a carbon dioxide emission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ricke, Katharine L; Caldeira, Ken

2014-01-01

It is known that carbon dioxide emissions cause the Earth to warm, but no previous study has focused on examining how long it takes to reach maximum warming following a particular CO 2 emission. Using conjoined results of carbon-cycle and physical-climate model intercomparison projects (Taylor et al 2012, Joos et al 2013), we find the median time between an emission and maximum warming is 10.1 years, with a 90% probability range of 6.6–30.7 years. We evaluate uncertainties in timing and amount of warming, partitioning them into three contributing factors: carbon cycle, climate sensitivity and ocean thermal inertia. If uncertainty in any one factor is reduced to zero without reducing uncertainty in the other factors, the majority of overall uncertainty remains. Thus, narrowing uncertainty in century-scale warming depends on narrowing uncertainty in all contributing factors. Our results indicate that benefit from avoided climate damage from avoided CO 2 emissions will be manifested within the lifetimes of people who acted to avoid that emission. While such avoidance could be expected to benefit future generations, there is potential for emissions avoidance to provide substantial benefit to current generations. (letter)

Maximum warming occurs about one decade after a carbon dioxide emission

Science.gov (United States)

Ricke, Katharine L.; Caldeira, Ken

2014-12-01

It is known that carbon dioxide emissions cause the Earth to warm, but no previous study has focused on examining how long it takes to reach maximum warming following a particular CO2 emission. Using conjoined results of carbon-cycle and physical-climate model intercomparison projects (Taylor et al 2012, Joos et al 2013), we find the median time between an emission and maximum warming is 10.1 years, with a 90% probability range of 6.6-30.7 years. We evaluate uncertainties in timing and amount of warming, partitioning them into three contributing factors: carbon cycle, climate sensitivity and ocean thermal inertia. If uncertainty in any one factor is reduced to zero without reducing uncertainty in the other factors, the majority of overall uncertainty remains. Thus, narrowing uncertainty in century-scale warming depends on narrowing uncertainty in all contributing factors. Our results indicate that benefit from avoided climate damage from avoided CO2 emissions will be manifested within the lifetimes of people who acted to avoid that emission. While such avoidance could be expected to benefit future generations, there is potential for emissions avoidance to provide substantial benefit to current generations.

22 CFR 201.67 - Maximum freight charges.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

..., commodity rate classification, quantity, vessel flag category (U.S.-or foreign-flag), choice of ports, and... the United States. (2) Maximum charter rates. (i) USAID will not finance ocean freight under any... owner(s). (4) Maximum liner rates. USAID will not finance ocean freight for a cargo liner shipment at a...

Application of Bayesian Maximum Entropy Filter in parameter calibration of groundwater flow model in PingTung Plain

Science.gov (United States)

Cheung, Shao-Yong; Lee, Chieh-Han; Yu, Hwa-Lung

2017-04-01

Due to the limited hydrogeological observation data and high levels of uncertainty within, parameter estimation of the groundwater model has been an important issue. There are many methods of parameter estimation, for example, Kalman filter provides a real-time calibration of parameters through measurement of groundwater monitoring wells, related methods such as Extended Kalman Filter and Ensemble Kalman Filter are widely applied in groundwater research. However, Kalman Filter method is limited to linearity. This study propose a novel method, Bayesian Maximum Entropy Filtering, which provides a method that can considers the uncertainty of data in parameter estimation. With this two methods, we can estimate parameter by given hard data (certain) and soft data (uncertain) in the same time. In this study, we use Python and QGIS in groundwater model (MODFLOW) and development of Extended Kalman Filter and Bayesian Maximum Entropy Filtering in Python in parameter estimation. This method may provide a conventional filtering method and also consider the uncertainty of data. This study was conducted through numerical model experiment to explore, combine Bayesian maximum entropy filter and a hypothesis for the architecture of MODFLOW groundwater model numerical estimation. Through the virtual observation wells to simulate and observe the groundwater model periodically. The result showed that considering the uncertainty of data, the Bayesian maximum entropy filter will provide an ideal result of real-time parameters estimation.

An evaluation of peak inspiratory pressure, tidal volume, and ventilatory frequency during ventilation with a neonatal self-inflating bag resuscitator.

Science.gov (United States)

Bassani, Mariana Almada; Filho, Francisco Mezzacappa; de Carvalho Coppo, Maria Regina; Martins Marba, Sérgio Tadeu

2012-04-01

Although the self-inflating bag is widely used in the hospital setting, variability of delivered ventilatory parameters is usually high, which might result in both hypoventilation and lung injury. The aims of this study were to assess possible sources of the high variability and to evaluate the adequacy of obtained values in relation to the recommended values for neonatal resuscitation. This was an experimental study in which 172 health professionals (physicians, resident physicians, physiotherapists, nurses, and nursing technicians) who work with neonatal intensive care manually ventilated a test lung (adjusted to simulate the lungs of an intubated term newborn) with a self-inflating bag in 5 different handling techniques, using 10, 5, 4, 3, and 2 fingers. Delivered values of peak inspiratory pressure (PIP), tidal volume (V(T)), and ventilatory frequency (f) were compared, taking into account the different handling modalities and professions by analysis of variance for repeated measures. Chi-square, the Friedman test and the Fisher exact tests were performed to compare the delivered and standard values. PIP and V(T) were significantly affected by the handling technique, with higher values for a greater number of fingers used for ventilation. Profession also influenced V(T) and f significantly: physiotherapists tended to deliver higher volumes and lower rates. Nevertheless, we observed high variability of all studied ventilatory parameters and overall inadequacy of obtained values. Most volunteers delivered excessive pressures and volumes at insufficient ventilatory frequency. Delivered values seem to depend on operators' individual and professional differences, as well as on the number of fingers used to compress the bag. However, from the clinical point of view, it is important to point out the high occurrence of inadequate delivered values, regardless of handling technique and profession.

Inspiratory Muscle Training and Functional Electrical Stimulation for Treatment of Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction: The TRAINING-HF Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Palau, Patricia; Domínguez, Eloy; López, Laura; Ramón, José María; Heredia, Raquel; González, Jessika; Santas, Enrique; Bodí, Vicent; Miñana, Gema; Valero, Ernesto; Mollar, Anna; Bertomeu González, Vicente; Chorro, Francisco J; Sanchis, Juan; Lupón, Josep; Bayés-Genís, Antoni; Núñez, Julio

2018-03-16

Despite the prevalence of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), there is currently no evidence-based effective therapy for this disease. This study sought to evaluate whether inspiratory muscle training (IMT), functional electrical stimulation (FES), or a combination of both (IMT + FES) improves 12- and 24-week exercise capacity as well as left ventricular diastolic function, biomarker profile, and quality of life in HFpEF. A total of 61 stable symptomatic patients (New York Heart Association II-III) with HFpEF were randomized (1:1:1:1) to receive a 12-week program of IMT, FES, or IMT + FES vs usual care. The primary endpoint of the study was to evaluate change in peak exercise oxygen uptake at 12 and 24 weeks. Secondary endpoints were changes in quality of life, echocardiogram parameters, and prognostic biomarkers. We used a mixed-effects model for repeated-measures to compare endpoints changes. Mean age and peak exercise oxygen uptake were 74 ± 9 years and 9.9 ± 2.5mL/min/kg, respectively. The proportion of women was 58%. At 12 weeks, the mean increase in peak exercise oxygen uptake (mL/kg/min) compared with usual care was 2.98, 2.93, and 2.47 for IMT, FES, and IMT + FES, respectively (P < .001) and this beneficial effect persisted after 6 months (1.95, 2.08, and 1.56; P < .001). Significant increases in quality of life scores were found at 12 weeks (P < .001). No other changes were found. In HFpEF patients with low aerobic capacity, IMT and FES were associated with a significant improvement in exercise capacity and quality of life. This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT02638961).. Copyright © 2018 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Determination of point of maximum likelihood in failure domain using genetic algorithms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Obadage, A.S.; Harnpornchai, N.

2006-01-01

The point of maximum likelihood in a failure domain yields the highest value of the probability density function in the failure domain. The maximum-likelihood point thus represents the worst combination of random variables that contribute in the failure event. In this work Genetic Algorithms (GAs) with an adaptive penalty scheme have been proposed as a tool for the determination of the maximum likelihood point. The utilization of only numerical values in the GAs operation makes the algorithms applicable to cases of non-linear and implicit single and multiple limit state function(s). The algorithmic simplicity readily extends its application to higher dimensional problems. When combined with Monte Carlo Simulation, the proposed methodology will reduce the computational complexity and at the same time will enhance the possibility in rare-event analysis under limited computational resources. Since, there is no approximation done in the procedure, the solution obtained is considered accurate. Consequently, GAs can be used as a tool for increasing the computational efficiency in the element and system reliability analyses

Determination of the maximum-depth to potential field sources by a maximum structural index method

Science.gov (United States)

Fedi, M.; Florio, G.

2013-01-01

A simple and fast determination of the limiting depth to the sources may represent a significant help to the data interpretation. To this end we explore the possibility of determining those source parameters shared by all the classes of models fitting the data. One approach is to determine the maximum depth-to-source compatible with the measured data, by using for example the well-known Bott-Smith rules. These rules involve only the knowledge of the field and its horizontal gradient maxima, and are independent from the density contrast. Thanks to the direct relationship between structural index and depth to sources we work out a simple and fast strategy to obtain the maximum depth by using the semi-automated methods, such as Euler deconvolution or depth-from-extreme-points method (DEXP). The proposed method consists in estimating the maximum depth as the one obtained for the highest allowable value of the structural index (Nmax). Nmax may be easily determined, since it depends only on the dimensionality of the problem (2D/3D) and on the nature of the analyzed field (e.g., gravity field or magnetic field). We tested our approach on synthetic models against the results obtained by the classical Bott-Smith formulas and the results are in fact very similar, confirming the validity of this method. However, while Bott-Smith formulas are restricted to the gravity field only, our method is applicable also to the magnetic field and to any derivative of the gravity and magnetic field. Our method yields a useful criterion to assess the source model based on the (∂f/∂x)max/fmax ratio. The usefulness of the method in real cases is demonstrated for a salt wall in the Mississippi basin, where the estimation of the maximum depth agrees with the seismic information.

A maximum entropy reconstruction technique for tomographic particle image velocimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bilsky, A V; Lozhkin, V A; Markovich, D M; Tokarev, M P

2013-01-01

This paper studies a novel approach for reducing tomographic PIV computational complexity. The proposed approach is an algebraic reconstruction technique, termed MENT (maximum entropy). This technique computes the three-dimensional light intensity distribution several times faster than SMART, using at least ten times less memory. Additionally, the reconstruction quality remains nearly the same as with SMART. This paper presents the theoretical computation performance comparison for MENT, SMART and MART, followed by validation using synthetic particle images. Both the theoretical assessment and validation of synthetic images demonstrate significant computational time reduction. The data processing accuracy of MENT was compared to that of SMART in a slot jet experiment. A comparison of the average velocity profiles shows a high level of agreement between the results obtained with MENT and those obtained with SMART. (paper)

Does combined strength training and local vibration improve isometric maximum force? A pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Goebel, Ruben; Haddad, Monoem; Kleinöder, Heinz; Yue, Zengyuan; Heinen, Thomas; Mester, Joachim

2017-01-01

The aim of the study was to determine whether a combination of strength training (ST) and local vibration (LV) improved the isometric maximum force of arm flexor muscles. ST was applied to the left arm of the subjects; LV was applied to the right arm of the same subjects. The main aim was to examine the effect of LV during a dumbbell biceps curl (Scott Curl) on isometric maximum force of the opposite muscle among the same subjects. It is hypothesized, that the intervention with LV produces a greater gain in isometric force of the arm flexors than ST. Twenty-seven collegiate students participated in the study. The training load was 70% of the individual 1 RM. Four sets with 12 repetitions were performed three times per week during four weeks. The right arm of all subjects represented the vibration trained body side (VS) and the left arm served as the traditional trained body side (TTS). A significant increase of isometric maximum force in both body sides (Arms) occurred. VS, however, significantly increased isometric maximum force about 43% in contrast to 22% of the TTS. The combined intervention of ST and LC improves isometric maximum force of arm flexor muscles. III.

40 CFR 141.13 - Maximum contaminant levels for turbidity.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... turbidity. 141.13 Section 141.13 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER... Maximum contaminant levels for turbidity. The maximum contaminant levels for turbidity are applicable to... part. The maximum contaminant levels for turbidity in drinking water, measured at a representative...

Ventilatory muscle endurance training in quadriplegia: effects on breathing pattern.

Science.gov (United States)

Loveridge, B; Badour, M; Dubo, H

1989-10-01

We examined the effects of ventilatory muscle endurance training on resting breathing pattern in 12 C6-C7 traumatic quadriplegics at least 1 year post-injury. All subjects had complete motor loss below the lesion level. Subjects were randomly assigned to a training (N = 6), or a control group (N = 6). Baseline tests included measurement of resting ventilation and breathing pattern using mercury in rubber strain gauges for 20 minutes in a seated position; maximum inspiratory mouth pressure (MIP) at FRC, and sustainable inspiratory mouth pressure for 10 minutes (SIP); lung volumes, and arterial blood gases (ABG's). The training protocol consisted of breathing through an inspiratory resistor equivalent to 85% SIP for 15 minutes twice daily, 5 days a week for 8 weeks. Both trainers and controls attended the lab every 2 weeks for reassessment of MIP and SIP and the inspiratory resistance was increased in the training group as SIP increased. At the end of 8 weeks, baseline tests were repeated. All subjects had normal ABG's. There was a significant increase in mean MIP and SIP in both the control group (30% +/- 19% and 31% +/- 18% respectively), and in the training group (42% +/- 24% and 78% +/- 49% respectively). Although the absolute values for both MIP and SIP were greater in the training group than in the control group, the differences were not significant. The alterations in resting breathing pattern were also the same in both groups. Mean frequency decreased significantly in the control group (20.2/minute to 16.9/minute) and, while insignificant, the change in frequency in the training group was the same, 19.4/minute to 16.4/minute. Mean tidal volume (Vt) increased 18.2% of baseline Vt in the control group and 17.0% baseline in the trainers, resulting in no change in minute ventilation. As MIP and SIP increased similarly in both groups, the data from the control and trainers was pooled and timing changes re-evaluated pre- and post-study. A significant decrease in

ARMA-Based SEM When the Number of Time Points T Exceeds the Number of Cases N: Raw Data Maximum Likelihood.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamaker, Ellen L.; Dolan, Conor V.; Molenaar, Peter C. M.

2003-01-01

Demonstrated, through simulation, that stationary autoregressive moving average (ARMA) models may be fitted readily when T>N, using normal theory raw maximum likelihood structural equation modeling. Also provides some illustrations based on real data. (SLD)

Modelling maximum canopy conductance and transpiration in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

There is much current interest in predicting the maximum amount of water that can be transpired by Eucalyptus trees. It is possible that industrial waste water may be applied as irrigation water to eucalypts and it is important to predict the maximum transpiration rates of these plantations in an attempt to dispose of this ...

40 CFR 141.62 - Maximum contaminant levels for inorganic contaminants.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 22 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum contaminant levels for inorganic contaminants. 141.62 Section 141.62 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... Water Regulations: Maximum Contaminant Levels and Maximum Residual Disinfectant Levels § 141.62 Maximum...

Weak scale from the maximum entropy principle

Science.gov (United States)

Hamada, Yuta; Kawai, Hikaru; Kawana, Kiyoharu

2015-03-01

The theory of the multiverse and wormholes suggests that the parameters of the Standard Model (SM) are fixed in such a way that the radiation of the S3 universe at the final stage S_rad becomes maximum, which we call the maximum entropy principle. Although it is difficult to confirm this principle generally, for a few parameters of the SM, we can check whether S_rad actually becomes maximum at the observed values. In this paper, we regard S_rad at the final stage as a function of the weak scale (the Higgs expectation value) vh, and show that it becomes maximum around vh = {{O}} (300 GeV) when the dimensionless couplings in the SM, i.e., the Higgs self-coupling, the gauge couplings, and the Yukawa couplings are fixed. Roughly speaking, we find that the weak scale is given by vh ˜ T_{BBN}2 / (M_{pl}ye5), where ye is the Yukawa coupling of electron, T_BBN is the temperature at which the Big Bang nucleosynthesis starts, and M_pl is the Planck mass.

Efficiency of Photovoltaic Maximum Power Point Tracking Controller Based on a Fuzzy Logic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ammar Al-Gizi

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the efficiency of a fuzzy logic control (FLC based maximum power point tracking (MPPT of a photovoltaic (PV system under variable climate conditions and connected load requirements. The PV system including a PV module BP SX150S, buck-boost DC-DC converter, MPPT, and a resistive load is modeled and simulated using Matlab/Simulink package. In order to compare the performance of FLC-based MPPT controller with the conventional perturb and observe (P&O method at different irradiation (G, temperature (T and connected load (RL variations – rising time (tr, recovering time, total average power and MPPT efficiency topics are calculated. The simulation results show that the FLC-based MPPT method can quickly track the maximum power point (MPP of the PV module at the transient state and effectively eliminates the power oscillation around the MPP of the PV module at steady state, hence more average power can be extracted, in comparison with the conventional P&O method.

Novel high efficient speed sensorless controller for maximum power extraction from wind energy conversion systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fathabadi, Hassan

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Novel sensorless MPPT technique without drawbacks of other sensor/sensorless methods. • Tracking the actual MPP of WECSs, no tracking the MPP of their wind turbines. • Actually extracting the highest output power from WECSs. • Novel MPPT technique having the MPPT efficiency more than 98.5% for WECSs. • Novel MPPT technique having short convergence time for WECSs. - Abstract: In this study, a novel high accurate sensorless maximum power point tracking (MPPT) method is proposed. The technique tracks the actual maximum power point of a wind energy conversion system (WECS) at which maximum output power is extracted from the system, not the maximum power point of its wind turbine at which maximum mechanical power is obtained from the turbine, so it actually extracts the highest output power from the system. The technique only uses input voltage and current of the converter used in the system, and neither needs any speed sensors (anemometer and tachometer) nor has the drawbacks of other sensor/sensorless based MPPT methods. The technique has been implemented as a MPPT controller by constructing a WECS. Theoretical results, the technique performance, and its advantages are validated by presenting real experimental results. The real static-dynamic response of the MPPT controller is experimentally obtained that verifies the proposed MPPT technique high accurately extracts the highest instant power from wind energy conversion systems with the MPPT efficiency of more than 98.5% and a short convergence time that is only 25 s for the constructed system having a total inertia and friction coefficient of 3.93 kg m 2 and 0.014 N m s, respectively.

Accurate modeling and maximum power point detection of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Accurate modeling and maximum power point detection of photovoltaic ... Determination of MPP enables the PV system to deliver maximum available power. ..... adaptive artificial neural network: Proposition for a new sizing procedure.

40 CFR 141.61 - Maximum contaminant levels for organic contaminants.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 22 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum contaminant levels for organic contaminants. 141.61 Section 141.61 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER... Regulations: Maximum Contaminant Levels and Maximum Residual Disinfectant Levels § 141.61 Maximum contaminant...

The power and robustness of maximum LOD score statistics.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoo, Y J; Mendell, N R

2008-07-01

The maximum LOD score statistic is extremely powerful for gene mapping when calculated using the correct genetic parameter value. When the mode of genetic transmission is unknown, the maximum of the LOD scores obtained using several genetic parameter values is reported. This latter statistic requires higher critical value than the maximum LOD score statistic calculated from a single genetic parameter value. In this paper, we compare the power of maximum LOD scores based on three fixed sets of genetic parameter values with the power of the LOD score obtained after maximizing over the entire range of genetic parameter values. We simulate family data under nine generating models. For generating models with non-zero phenocopy rates, LOD scores maximized over the entire range of genetic parameters yielded greater power than maximum LOD scores for fixed sets of parameter values with zero phenocopy rates. No maximum LOD score was consistently more powerful than the others for generating models with a zero phenocopy rate. The power loss of the LOD score maximized over the entire range of genetic parameters, relative to the maximum LOD score calculated using the correct genetic parameter value, appeared to be robust to the generating models.

Maximum Power Training and Plyometrics for Cross-Country Running.

Science.gov (United States)

Ebben, William P.

2001-01-01

Provides a rationale for maximum power training and plyometrics as conditioning strategies for cross-country runners, examining: an evaluation of training methods (strength training and maximum power training and plyometrics); biomechanic and velocity specificity (role in preventing injury); and practical application of maximum power training and…

Evaluation of probable maximum snow accumulation: Development of a methodology for climate change studies

Science.gov (United States)

Klein, Iris M.; Rousseau, Alain N.; Frigon, Anne; Freudiger, Daphné; Gagnon, Patrick

2016-06-01

Probable maximum snow accumulation (PMSA) is one of the key variables used to estimate the spring probable maximum flood (PMF). A robust methodology for evaluating the PMSA is imperative so the ensuing spring PMF is a reasonable estimation. This is of particular importance in times of climate change (CC) since it is known that solid precipitation in Nordic landscapes will in all likelihood change over the next century. In this paper, a PMSA methodology based on simulated data from regional climate models is developed. Moisture maximization represents the core concept of the proposed methodology; precipitable water being the key variable. Results of stationarity tests indicate that CC will affect the monthly maximum precipitable water and, thus, the ensuing ratio to maximize important snowfall events. Therefore, a non-stationary approach is used to describe the monthly maximum precipitable water. Outputs from three simulations produced by the Canadian Regional Climate Model were used to give first estimates of potential PMSA changes for southern Quebec, Canada. A sensitivity analysis of the computed PMSA was performed with respect to the number of time-steps used (so-called snowstorm duration) and the threshold for a snowstorm to be maximized or not. The developed methodology is robust and a powerful tool to estimate the relative change of the PMSA. Absolute results are in the same order of magnitude as those obtained with the traditional method and observed data; but are also found to depend strongly on the climate projection used and show spatial variability.

Considerations on the establishment of maximum permissible exposure of man

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacobi, W.

1974-01-01

An attempt is made in the information lecture to give a quantitative analysis of the somatic radiation risk and to illustrate a concept to fix dose limiting values. Of primary importance is the limiting values. Of primary importance is the limiting value of the radiation exposure to the whole population. By consequential application of the risk concept, the following points are considered: 1) Definition of the risk for radiation late damages (cancer, leukemia); 2) relationship between radiation dose and thus caused radiation risk; 3) radiation risk and the dose limiting values at the time; 4) criteria for the maximum acceptable radiation risk; 5) limiting value which can be expected at the time. (HP/LH) [de

Evaluation of adaptation to visually induced motion sickness based on the maximum cross-correlation between pulse transmission time and heart rate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chiba Shigeru

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Computer graphics and virtual reality techniques are useful to develop automatic and effective rehabilitation systems. However, a kind of virtual environment including unstable visual images presented to wide field screen or a head mounted display tends to induce motion sickness. The motion sickness induced in using a rehabilitation system not only inhibits effective training but also may harm patients' health. There are few studies that have objectively evaluated the effects of the repetitive exposures to these stimuli on humans. The purpose of this study is to investigate the adaptation to visually induced motion sickness by physiological data. Methods An experiment was carried out in which the same video image was presented to human subjects three times. We evaluated changes of the intensity of motion sickness they suffered from by a subjective score and the physiological index ρmax, which is defined as the maximum cross-correlation coefficient between heart rate and pulse wave transmission time and is considered to reflect the autonomic nervous activity. Results The results showed adaptation to visually-induced motion sickness by the repetitive presentation of the same image both in the subjective and the objective indices. However, there were some subjects whose intensity of sickness increased. Thus, it was possible to know the part in the video image which related to motion sickness by analyzing changes in ρmax with time. Conclusion The physiological index, ρmax, will be a good index for assessing the adaptation process to visually induced motion sickness and may be useful in checking the safety of rehabilitation systems with new image technologies.

Maximum physical capacity testing in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knutsen, L.; Quist, M; Midtgaard, J

2006-01-01

BACKGROUND: Over the past few years there has been a growing interest in the field of physical exercise in rehabilitation of cancer patients, leading to requirements for objective maximum physical capacity measurement (maximum oxygen uptake (VO(2max)) and one-repetition maximum (1RM)) to determin...... early in the treatment process. However, the patients were self-referred and thus highly motivated and as such are not necessarily representative of the whole population of cancer patients treated with chemotherapy....... in performing maximum physical capacity tests as these motivated them through self-perceived competitiveness and set a standard that served to encourage peak performance. CONCLUSION: The positive attitudes in this sample towards maximum physical capacity open the possibility of introducing physical testing...

MAXIMUM PRINCIPLE FOR SUBSONIC FLOW WITH VARIABLE ENTROPY

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B. Sizykh Grigory

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Maximum principle for subsonic flow is fair for stationary irrotational subsonic gas flows. According to this prin- ciple, if the value of the velocity is not constant everywhere, then its maximum is achieved on the boundary and only on the boundary of the considered domain. This property is used when designing form of an aircraft with a maximum critical val- ue of the Mach number: it is believed that if the local Mach number is less than unit in the incoming flow and on the body surface, then the Mach number is less then unit in all points of flow. The known proof of maximum principle for subsonic flow is based on the assumption that in the whole considered area of the flow the pressure is a function of density. For the ideal and perfect gas (the role of diffusion is negligible, and the Mendeleev-Clapeyron law is fulfilled, the pressure is a function of density if entropy is constant in the entire considered area of the flow. Shows an example of a stationary sub- sonic irrotational flow, in which the entropy has different values on different stream lines, and the pressure is not a function of density. The application of the maximum principle for subsonic flow with respect to such a flow would be unreasonable. This example shows the relevance of the question about the place of the points of maximum value of the velocity, if the entropy is not a constant. To clarify the regularities of the location of these points, was performed the analysis of the com- plete Euler equations (without any simplifying assumptions in 3-D case. The new proof of the maximum principle for sub- sonic flow was proposed. This proof does not rely on the assumption that the pressure is a function of density. Thus, it is shown that the maximum principle for subsonic flow is true for stationary subsonic irrotational flows of ideal perfect gas with variable entropy.

Recommendations for the measurement of FIV(1) values in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Visser, F.J.; Ramlal, S.; Dekhuijzen, P.N.R.; Heijdra, Y.F.

2008-01-01

BACKGROUND: In contrast to static inspiratory parameters such as vital capacity and inspiratory capacity, information on forced inspiratory volume in 1 s (FIV(1)) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is limited. OBJECTIVES: It was the aim of this study to investigate the

Maximum entropy methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ponman, T.J.

1984-01-01

For some years now two different expressions have been in use for maximum entropy image restoration and there has been some controversy over which one is appropriate for a given problem. Here two further entropies are presented and it is argued that there is no single correct algorithm. The properties of the four different methods are compared using simple 1D simulations with a view to showing how they can be used together to gain as much information as possible about the original object. (orig.)

Maximum on the electrical conductivity polytherm of molten TeCl4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salyulev, Alexander B.; Potapov, Alexei M.

2017-01-01

The electrical conductivity of molten TeCl 4 was measured up to 761 K, i.e. 106 degrees above the normal boiling point of the salt. For the first time it was found that TeCl 4 electrical conductivity polytherm has a maximum. It was recorded at 705 K (Κ max =0.245 Sm/cm), whereupon the conductivity decreases as the temperature rises. The activation energy of electrical conductivity was calculated.

Stochastic modelling of the monthly average maximum and minimum temperature patterns in India 1981-2015

Science.gov (United States)

Narasimha Murthy, K. V.; Saravana, R.; Vijaya Kumar, K.

2018-04-01

The paper investigates the stochastic modelling and forecasting of monthly average maximum and minimum temperature patterns through suitable seasonal auto regressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) model for the period 1981-2015 in India. The variations and distributions of monthly maximum and minimum temperatures are analyzed through Box plots and cumulative distribution functions. The time series plot indicates that the maximum temperature series contain sharp peaks in almost all the years, while it is not true for the minimum temperature series, so both the series are modelled separately. The possible SARIMA model has been chosen based on observing autocorrelation function (ACF), partial autocorrelation function (PACF), and inverse autocorrelation function (IACF) of the logarithmic transformed temperature series. The SARIMA (1, 0, 0) × (0, 1, 1)12 model is selected for monthly average maximum and minimum temperature series based on minimum Bayesian information criteria. The model parameters are obtained using maximum-likelihood method with the help of standard error of residuals. The adequacy of the selected model is determined using correlation diagnostic checking through ACF, PACF, IACF, and p values of Ljung-Box test statistic of residuals and using normal diagnostic checking through the kernel and normal density curves of histogram and Q-Q plot. Finally, the forecasting of monthly maximum and minimum temperature patterns of India for the next 3 years has been noticed with the help of selected model.

Standard values of maximum tongue pressure taken using newly developed disposable tongue pressure measurement device.

Science.gov (United States)

Utanohara, Yuri; Hayashi, Ryo; Yoshikawa, Mineka; Yoshida, Mitsuyoshi; Tsuga, Kazuhiro; Akagawa, Yasumasa

2008-09-01

It is clinically important to evaluate tongue function in terms of rehabilitation of swallowing and eating ability. We have developed a disposable tongue pressure measurement device designed for clinical use. In this study we used this device to determine standard values of maximum tongue pressure in adult Japanese. Eight hundred fifty-three subjects (408 male, 445 female; 20-79 years) were selected for this study. All participants had no history of dysphagia and maintained occlusal contact in the premolar and molar regions with their own teeth. A balloon-type disposable oral probe was used to measure tongue pressure by asking subjects to compress it onto the palate for 7 s with maximum voluntary effort. Values were recorded three times for each subject, and the mean values were defined as maximum tongue pressure. Although maximum tongue pressure was higher for males than for females in the 20-49-year age groups, there was no significant difference between males and females in the 50-79-year age groups. The maximum tongue pressure of the seventies age group was significantly lower than that of the twenties to fifties age groups. It may be concluded that maximum tongue pressures were reduced with primary aging. Males may become weaker with age at a faster rate than females; however, further decreases in strength were in parallel for male and female subjects.

Real-time monitoring of respiratory absorption factors of volatile organic compounds in ambient air by proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Zhonghui [State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Zhang, Yanli [State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640 (China); Center for Excellence in Urban Atmospheric Environment, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021 (China); Yan, Qiong [Department of Respiratory Diseases, Guangzhou No. 12 People' s Hospital, Guangzhou 510620 (China); Zhang, Zhou [State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640 (China); Wang, Xinming, E-mail: wangxm@gig.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640 (China); Center for Excellence in Urban Atmospheric Environment, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021 (China)

2016-12-15

Respiratory absorption factors (AFs) are essential parameters in the evaluation of human health risks from toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in ambient air. A method for the real time monitoring of VOCs in inhaled and exhaled air by proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PTR-TOF-MS) has been developed to permit the calculation of respiratory AFs of VOCs. Isoprene was found to be a better breath tracer than O{sub 2}, CO{sub 2}, humidity, or acetone for distinguishing between the expiratory and inspiratory phases, and a homemade online breath sampling device with a buffer tube was used to optimize signal peak shapes. Preliminary tests with seven subjects exposed to aromatic hydrocarbons in an indoor environment revealed mean respiratory AFs of 55.0%, 55.9%, and 66.9% for benzene, toluene, and C8-aromatics (ethylbenzene and xylenes), respectively. These AFs were lower than the values of 90% or 100% used in previous studies when assessing the health risks of inhalation exposure to hazardous VOCs. The mean respiratory AFs of benzene, toluene and C8-aromatics were 66.5%, 70.2% and 82.3% for the three female subjects; they were noticeably much higher than that of 46.4%, 45.2% and 55.3%, respectively, for the four male subjects.

Coordinated Respiratory Motor Activity in Nerves Innervating the Upper Airway Muscles in Rats.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Satoshi Tachikawa

Full Text Available Maintaining the patency of the upper airway during breathing is of vital importance. The activity of various muscles is related to the patency of the upper airway. In the present study, we examined the respiratory motor activity in the efferent nerves innervating the upper airway muscles to determine the movements of the upper airway during respiration under normocapnic conditions (pH = 7.4 and in hypercapnic acidosis (pH = 7.2. Experiments were performed on arterially perfused decerebrate rats aged between postnatal days 21-35. We recorded the efferent nerve activity in a branch of the cervical spinal nerve innervating the infrahyoid muscles (CN, the hypoglossal nerve (HGN, the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve (SLN, and the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN with the phrenic nerve (PN. Inspiratory nerve discharges were observed in all these nerves under normocapnic conditions. The onset of inspiratory discharges in the CN and HGN was slightly prior to those in the SLN and RLN. When the CO2 concentration in the perfusate was increased from 5% to 8% to prepare for hypercapnic acidosis, the peak amplitudes of the inspiratory discharges in all the recorded nerves were increased. Moreover, hypercapnic acidosis induced pre-inspiratory discharges in the CN, HGN, SLN, and RLN. The onset of pre-inspiratory discharges in the CN, HGN, and SLN was prior to that of discharges in the RLN. These results suggest that the securing of the airway that occurs a certain time before dilation of the glottis may facilitate ventilation and improve hypercapnic acidosis.

Relationship between Physiological Off-Ice Testing, On-Ice Skating, and Game Performance in Division I Women's Ice Hockey Players.

Science.gov (United States)

Boland, Michelle; Miele, Emily M; Delude, Katie

2017-10-07

The purpose was to identify off-ice testing variables that correlate to skating and game performance in Division I collegiate women ice hockey players. Twenty female, forward and defensive players (19.95 ± 1.35 yr) were assessed for weight, height, percent fat mass (%FAT), bone mineral density, predicted one repetition maximum (RM) absolute and relative (REL%) bench press (BP) and hex bar deadlift (HDL), lower body explosive power, anaerobic power, countermovement vertical jump (CMJ), maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP), and on-ice repeated skate sprint (RSS) performance. The on-ice RSS test included 6 timed 85.6 m sprints with participants wearing full hockey equipment; fastest time (FT), average time (AT) and fatigue index (FI) for the first length skate (FLS; 10 m) and total length skate (TLS; 85.6 m) were used for analysis. Game performance was evaluated with game statistics: goals, assists, points, plus-minus, and shots on goal (SOG). Correlation coefficients were used to determine relationships. Percent fat mass was positively correlated (p Game performance in women ice hockey players may be enhanced by greater MIP, repeat acceleration ability, and mode-specific training. Faster skating times were associated with lower %FAT. Skating performance in women ice hockey players may be enhanced by improving body composition, anaerobic power, and both lower and upper body strength in off-ice training.

Conifers in cold environments synchronize maximum growth rate of tree-ring formation with day length.

Science.gov (United States)

Rossi, Sergio; Deslauriers, Annie; Anfodillo, Tommaso; Morin, Hubert; Saracino, Antonio; Motta, Renzo; Borghetti, Marco

2006-01-01

Intra-annual radial growth rates and durations in trees are reported to differ greatly in relation to species, site and environmental conditions. However, very similar dynamics of cambial activity and wood formation are observed in temperate and boreal zones. Here, we compared weekly xylem cell production and variation in stem circumference in the main northern hemisphere conifer species (genera Picea, Pinus, Abies and Larix) from 1996 to 2003. Dynamics of radial growth were modeled with a Gompertz function, defining the upper asymptote (A), x-axis placement (beta) and rate of change (kappa). A strong linear relationship was found between the constants beta and kappa for both types of analysis. The slope of the linear regression, which corresponds to the time at which maximum growth rate occurred, appeared to converge towards the summer solstice. The maximum growth rate occurred around the time of maximum day length, and not during the warmest period of the year as previously suggested. The achievements of photoperiod could act as a growth constraint or a limit after which the rate of tree-ring formation tends to decrease, thus allowing plants to safely complete secondary cell wall lignification before winter.

Maximum-Entropy Inference with a Programmable Annealer

Science.gov (United States)

Chancellor, Nicholas; Szoke, Szilard; Vinci, Walter; Aeppli, Gabriel; Warburton, Paul A.

2016-03-01

Optimisation problems typically involve finding the ground state (i.e. the minimum energy configuration) of a cost function with respect to many variables. If the variables are corrupted by noise then this maximises the likelihood that the solution is correct. The maximum entropy solution on the other hand takes the form of a Boltzmann distribution over the ground and excited states of the cost function to correct for noise. Here we use a programmable annealer for the information decoding problem which we simulate as a random Ising model in a field. We show experimentally that finite temperature maximum entropy decoding can give slightly better bit-error-rates than the maximum likelihood approach, confirming that useful information can be extracted from the excited states of the annealer. Furthermore we introduce a bit-by-bit analytical method which is agnostic to the specific application and use it to show that the annealer samples from a highly Boltzmann-like distribution. Machines of this kind are therefore candidates for use in a variety of machine learning applications which exploit maximum entropy inference, including language processing and image recognition.

Ion energy loss at maximum stopping power in a laser-generated plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cayzac, W.

2013-01-01

In the frame of this thesis, a new experimental setup for the measurement of the energy loss of carbon ions at maximum stopping power in a hot laser-generated plasma has been developed and successfully tested. In this parameter range where the projectile velocity is of the same order of magnitude as the thermal velocity of the plasma free electrons, large uncertainties of up to 50% are present in the stopping-power description. To date, no experimental data are available to perform a theory benchmarking. Testing the different stopping theories is yet essential for inertial confinement fusion and in particular for the understanding of the alpha-particle heating of the thermonuclear fuel. Here, for the first time, precise measurements were carried out in a reproducible and entirely characterized beam-plasma configuration. It involved a nearly fully-stripped ion beam probing a homogeneous fully-ionized plasma. This plasma was generated by irradiating a thin carbon foil with two high-energy laser beams and features a maximum electron temperature of 200 eV. The plasma conditions were simulated with a two-dimensional radiative hydrodynamic code, while the ion-beam charge-state distribution was predicted by means of a Monte-Carlo code describing the charge-exchange processes of projectile ions in plasma. To probe at maximum stopping power, high-frequency pulsed ion bunches were decelerated to an energy of 0.5 MeV per nucleon. The ion energy loss was determined by a time-of-flight measurement using a specifically developed chemical-vapor-deposition diamond detector that was screened against any plasma radiation. A first experimental campaign was carried out using this newly developed platform, in which a precision better than 200 keV on the energy loss was reached. This allowed, via the knowledge of the plasma and of the beam parameters, to reliably test several stopping theories, either based on perturbation theory or on a nonlinear T-Matrix formalism. A preliminary

Proton Fluxes Measured by the PAMELA Experiment from the Minimum to the Maximum Solar Activity for Solar Cycle 24

Science.gov (United States)

Martucci, M.; Munini, R.; Boezio, M.; Di Felice, V.; Adriani, O.; Barbarino, G. C.; Bazilevskaya, G. A.; Bellotti, R.; Bongi, M.; Bonvicini, V.; Bottai, S.; Bruno, A.; Cafagna, F.; Campana, D.; Carlson, P.; Casolino, M.; Castellini, G.; De Santis, C.; Galper, A. M.; Karelin, A. V.; Koldashov, S. V.; Koldobskiy, S.; Krutkov, S. Y.; Kvashnin, A. N.; Leonov, A.; Malakhov, V.; Marcelli, L.; Marcelli, N.; Mayorov, A. G.; Menn, W.; Mergè, M.; Mikhailov, V. V.; Mocchiutti, E.; Monaco, A.; Mori, N.; Osteria, G.; Panico, B.; Papini, P.; Pearce, M.; Picozza, P.; Ricci, M.; Ricciarini, S. B.; Simon, M.; Sparvoli, R.; Spillantini, P.; Stozhkov, Y. I.; Vacchi, A.; Vannuccini, E.; Vasilyev, G.; Voronov, S. A.; Yurkin, Y. T.; Zampa, G.; Zampa, N.; Potgieter, M. S.; Raath, J. L.

2018-02-01

Precise measurements of the time-dependent intensity of the low-energy (solar activity periods, i.e., from minimum to maximum, are needed to achieve comprehensive understanding of such physical phenomena. The minimum phase between solar cycles 23 and 24 was peculiarly long, extending up to the beginning of 2010 and followed by the maximum phase, reached during early 2014. In this Letter, we present proton differential spectra measured from 2010 January to 2014 February by the PAMELA experiment. For the first time the GCR proton intensity was studied over a wide energy range (0.08–50 GeV) by a single apparatus from a minimum to a maximum period of solar activity. The large statistics allowed the time variation to be investigated on a nearly monthly basis. Data were compared and interpreted in the context of a state-of-the-art three-dimensional model describing the GCRs propagation through the heliosphere.

Predicting the start and maximum amplitude of solar cycle 24 using similar phases and a cycle grouping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Jialong; Zong Weiguo; Le Guiming; Zhao Haijuan; Tang Yunqiu; Zhang Yang

2009-01-01

We find that the solar cycles 9, 11, and 20 are similar to cycle 23 in their respective descending phases. Using this similarity and the observed data of smoothed monthly mean sunspot numbers (SMSNs) available for the descending phase of cycle 23, we make a date calibration for the average time sequence made of the three descending phases of the three cycles, and predict the start of March or April 2008 for cycle 24. For the three cycles, we also find a linear correlation of the length of the descending phase of a cycle with the difference between the maximum epoch of this cycle and that of its next cycle. Using this relationship along with the known relationship between the rise-time and the maximum amplitude of a slowly rising solar cycle, we predict the maximum SMSN of cycle 24 of 100.2 ± 7.5 to appear during the period from May to October 2012. (letters)

Probabilistic maximum-value wind prediction for offshore environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Staid, Andrea; Pinson, Pierre; Guikema, Seth D.

2015-01-01

statistical models to predict the full distribution of the maximum-value wind speeds in a 3 h interval. We take a detailed look at the performance of linear models, generalized additive models and multivariate adaptive regression splines models using meteorological covariates such as gust speed, wind speed......, convective available potential energy, Charnock, mean sea-level pressure and temperature, as given by the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts forecasts. The models are trained to predict the mean value of maximum wind speed, and the residuals from training the models are used to develop...... the full probabilistic distribution of maximum wind speed. Knowledge of the maximum wind speed for an offshore location within a given period can inform decision-making regarding turbine operations, planned maintenance operations and power grid scheduling in order to improve safety and reliability...

Characterizing graphs of maximum matching width at most 2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jeong, Jisu; Ok, Seongmin; Suh, Geewon

2017-01-01

The maximum matching width is a width-parameter that is de ned on a branch-decomposition over the vertex set of a graph. The size of a maximum matching in the bipartite graph is used as a cut-function. In this paper, we characterize the graphs of maximum matching width at most 2 using the minor o...

Impact of maximum TF magnetic field on performance and cost of an advanced physics tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reid, R.L.

1983-01-01

Parametric studies were conducted using the Fusion Engineering Design Center (FEDC) Tokamak Systems Code to investigate the impact of variation in the maximum value of the field at the toroidal field (TF) coils on the performance and cost of a low q/sub psi/, quasi-steady-state tokamak. Marginal ignition, inductive current startup plus 100 s of inductive burn, and a constant value of epsilon (inverse aspect ratio) times beta poloidal were global conditions imposed on this study. A maximum TF field of approximately 10 T was found to be appropriate for this device

Differences in hamstring activation characteristics between the acceleration and maximum-speed phases of sprinting.

Science.gov (United States)

Higashihara, Ayako; Nagano, Yasuharu; Ono, Takashi; Fukubayashi, Toru

2018-06-01

This study aimed to investigate activation characteristics of the biceps femoris long head (BFlh) and semitendinosus (ST) muscles during the acceleration and maximum-speed phases of sprinting. Lower-extremity kinematics and electromyographic (EMG) activities of the BFlh and ST muscles were examined during the acceleration sprint and maximum-speed sprint in 13 male sprinters during an overground sprinting. Differences in hamstring activation during each divided phases and in the hip and knee joint angles and torques at each time point of the sprinting gait cycle were determined between two sprints. During the early stance of the acceleration sprint, the hip extension torque was significantly greater than during the maximum-speed sprint, and the relative EMG activation of the BFlh muscle was significantly higher than that of the ST muscle. During the late stance and terminal mid-swing of maximum-speed sprint, the knee was more extended and a higher knee flexion moment was observed compared to the acceleration sprint, and the ST muscle showed higher activation than that of the BFlh. These results indicate that the functional demands of the medial and lateral hamstring muscles differ between two different sprint performances.

The Maximum Resource Bin Packing Problem

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boyar, J.; Epstein, L.; Favrholdt, L.M.

2006-01-01

Usually, for bin packing problems, we try to minimize the number of bins used or in the case of the dual bin packing problem, maximize the number or total size of accepted items. This paper presents results for the opposite problems, where we would like to maximize the number of bins used...... algorithms, First-Fit-Increasing and First-Fit-Decreasing for the maximum resource variant of classical bin packing. For the on-line variant, we define maximum resource variants of classical and dual bin packing. For dual bin packing, no on-line algorithm is competitive. For classical bin packing, we find...

Maximum entropy analysis of EGRET data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pohl, M.; Strong, A.W.

1997-01-01

EGRET data are usually analysed on the basis of the Maximum-Likelihood method \\cite{ma96} in a search for point sources in excess to a model for the background radiation (e.g. \\cite{hu97}). This method depends strongly on the quality of the background model, and thus may have high systematic unce...... uncertainties in region of strong and uncertain background like the Galactic Center region. Here we show images of such regions obtained by the quantified Maximum-Entropy method. We also discuss a possible further use of MEM in the analysis of problematic regions of the sky....

Density estimation by maximum quantum entropy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silver, R.N.; Wallstrom, T.; Martz, H.F.

1993-01-01

A new Bayesian method for non-parametric density estimation is proposed, based on a mathematical analogy to quantum statistical physics. The mathematical procedure is related to maximum entropy methods for inverse problems and image reconstruction. The information divergence enforces global smoothing toward default models, convexity, positivity, extensivity and normalization. The novel feature is the replacement of classical entropy by quantum entropy, so that local smoothing is enforced by constraints on differential operators. The linear response of the estimate is proportional to the covariance. The hyperparameters are estimated by type-II maximum likelihood (evidence). The method is demonstrated on textbook data sets

Latitudinal Change of Tropical Cyclone Maximum Intensity in the Western North Pacific

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jae-Won Choi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This study obtained the latitude where tropical cyclones (TCs show maximum intensity and applied statistical change-point analysis on the time series data of the average annual values. The analysis results found that the latitude of the TC maximum intensity increased from 1999. To investigate the reason behind this phenomenon, the difference of the average latitude between 1999 and 2013 and the average between 1977 and 1998 was analyzed. In a difference of 500 hPa streamline between the two periods, anomalous anticyclonic circulations were strong in 30°–50°N, while anomalous monsoon trough was located in the north of South China Sea. This anomalous monsoon trough was extended eastward to 145°E. Middle-latitude region in East Asia is affected by the anomalous southeasterlies due to these anomalous anticyclonic circulations and anomalous monsoon trough. These anomalous southeasterlies play a role of anomalous steering flows that make the TCs heading toward region in East Asia middle latitude. As a result, TCs during 1999–2013 had higher latitude of the maximum intensity compared to the TCs during 1977–1998.

Maximum parsimony, substitution model, and probability phylogenetic trees.

Science.gov (United States)

Weng, J F; Thomas, D A; Mareels, I

2011-01-01

The problem of inferring phylogenies (phylogenetic trees) is one of the main problems in computational biology. There are three main methods for inferring phylogenies-Maximum Parsimony (MP), Distance Matrix (DM) and Maximum Likelihood (ML), of which the MP method is the most well-studied and popular method. In the MP method the optimization criterion is the number of substitutions of the nucleotides computed by the differences in the investigated nucleotide sequences. However, the MP method is often criticized as it only counts the substitutions observable at the current time and all the unobservable substitutions that really occur in the evolutionary history are omitted. In order to take into account the unobservable substitutions, some substitution models have been established and they are now widely used in the DM and ML methods but these substitution models cannot be used within the classical MP method. Recently the authors proposed a probability representation model for phylogenetic trees and the reconstructed trees in this model are called probability phylogenetic trees. One of the advantages of the probability representation model is that it can include a substitution model to infer phylogenetic trees based on the MP principle. In this paper we explain how to use a substitution model in the reconstruction of probability phylogenetic trees and show the advantage of this approach with examples.

Review of probable maximum flood definition at B.C. Hydro

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keenhan, P.T.; Kroeker, M.G.; Neudorf, P.A.

1991-01-01

Probable maximum floods (PMF) have been derived for British Columbia Hydro structures since design of the W.C. Bennet Dam in 1965. A dam safety program for estimating PMF for structures designed before that time has been ongoing since 1979. The program, which has resulted in rehabilitative measures at dams not meeting current established standards, is now being directed at the more recently constructed larger structures on the Peace and Columbia rivers. Since 1965 detailed studies have produced 23 probable maximum precipitation (PMP) and 24 PMF estimates. What defines a PMF in British Columbia in terms of an appropriate combination of meteorological conditions varies due to basin size and the climatic effect of mountain barriers. PMP is estimated using three methods: storm maximization and transposition, orographic separation method, and modification of non-orographic PMP for orography. Details of, and problems encountered with, these methods are discussed. Tools or methods to assess meterological limits for antecedant conditions and for limits to runoff during extreme events have not been developed and require research effort. 11 refs., 2 figs., 3 tabs

TRENDS IN ESTIMATED MIXING DEPTH DAILY MAXIMUMS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buckley, R; Amy DuPont, A; Robert Kurzeja, R; Matt Parker, M

2007-11-12

Mixing depth is an important quantity in the determination of air pollution concentrations. Fireweather forecasts depend strongly on estimates of the mixing depth as a means of determining the altitude and dilution (ventilation rates) of smoke plumes. The Savannah River United States Forest Service (USFS) routinely conducts prescribed fires at the Savannah River Site (SRS), a heavily wooded Department of Energy (DOE) facility located in southwest South Carolina. For many years, the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) has provided forecasts of weather conditions in support of the fire program, including an estimated mixing depth using potential temperature and turbulence change with height at a given location. This paper examines trends in the average estimated mixing depth daily maximum at the SRS over an extended period of time (4.75 years) derived from numerical atmospheric simulations using two versions of the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS). This allows for differences to be seen between the model versions, as well as trends on a multi-year time frame. In addition, comparisons of predicted mixing depth for individual days in which special balloon soundings were released are also discussed.

Analogue of Pontryagin's maximum principle for multiple integrals minimization problems

OpenAIRE

Mikhail, Zelikin

2016-01-01

The theorem like Pontryagin's maximum principle for multiple integrals is proved. Unlike the usual maximum principle, the maximum should be taken not over all matrices, but only on matrices of rank one. Examples are given.

Development of a theory-based intervention to increase prescription of inspiratory muscle training by health professionals in the management of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Simms, Alanna M; Li, Linda C; Reid, W Darlene

2011-01-01

The purpose of this paper is twofold: (1) to provide an overview of the literature on barriers to evidence-based practice (EBP) and the effectiveness of implementation interventions in health care; and (2) to outline the development of an implementation intervention for improving the prescription of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) by physical therapists and other health professionals for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Individuals, organizations, and the research itself present barriers to EBP in physical therapy. Despite the evidence supporting the use of IMT, this treatment continues to be under-used in managing COPD. Current health services research shows that traditional information-based approaches to implementation, such as didactic lectures, do not adequately address the challenges health professionals face when trying to make changes in practice. We propose the development of a theory-based intervention to improve health professionals' use of IMT in the management of COPD. It is postulated that a behavioural intervention, based on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), may be more effective than an information-based strategy in increasing the prescription of IMT by health professionals. TPB may be used to understand the antecedents of health professionals' behaviour and to guide the development of implementation interventions. Further research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of this proposed intervention in the management of people with COPD.

The effects of inspiratory muscle strengthening on MIP and quality of life of elderly nursing home patients. (Los efectos del beneficio de la fuerza del músculo inspiratorio en la PIM y la calidad de la vida de los pacientes mayores de la clínica de reposo.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silvia Correa Bacelar

2008-01-01

Full Text Available AbstractThe objective of this study was to compare the effects of inspiratory muscle strengthening on maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP and on quality of life among elderly nursing home patients. The study population was divided in two groups: experimental group- EG (n=21, 76.48 2.12 years and control group- CG (n=13, 75.69 2.26 years. The World Health Organization Quality of Life Group (WHOQOL-100 questionnaire was used to evaluate the quality of life of the subjects. A Manovacuometer (analogical, with an operational interval of –150 to +150 cmH2O; Critical Med/USA-2002 was used to evaluate MIP. The study protocol consisted of a gradual increase in workload (50%-100%; the sessions lasted 20 minutes and were composed of 7 series of strengthening (2 minutes each with a 1-minute interval between the series, 3 times a week for 10 weeks. Variance analysis of multivariate repeated measurements demonstrated significant differences only for MIP between CG (32,69±17,03 cmH2O versus 23,08±10,71 cmH2O and EG (31,67±11,11 cmH2O versus 55,24±23,26 cmH2O, and the latter was higher than the former (p= 0,00000. Therefore, we concluded that inspiratory muscle strengthening led to an increase in MIP that did not improve quality of life. However, further studies should be done in this population to validate a quality of life questionnaire specific for the elderly.ResumenEl objetivo de este estudio era comparar los efectos del músculo inspiratorio que consolidaban en la presión inspiratoria máxima (PIM y en la calidad de la vida entre pacientes mayores de la clínica de reposo. Dividieron a la población del estudio en dos grupos: grupo experimental EG. (n=21,76.48 2.12 años y grupo de control CG (n=13, 75.69 2.26 años. La calidad de la Organización Mundial de la Salud del cuestionario del grupo de la vida(WHOQOL-100 fue utilizada para evaluar la calidad de la vida de los temas. Un Manovacuometer (analógico, con un intervalo operacional - de 150 a

Optimal operating conditions for maximum biogas production in anaerobic bioreactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balmant, W.; Oliveira, B.H.; Mitchell, D.A.; Vargas, J.V.C.; Ordonez, J.C.

2014-01-01

The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the existence of optimal residence time and substrate inlet mass flow rate for maximum methane production through numerical simulations performed with a general transient mathematical model of an anaerobic biodigester introduced in this study. It is herein suggested a simplified model with only the most important reaction steps which are carried out by a single type of microorganisms following Monod kinetics. The mathematical model was developed for a well mixed reactor (CSTR – Continuous Stirred-Tank Reactor), considering three main reaction steps: acidogenesis, with a μ max of 8.64 day −1 and a K S of 250 mg/L, acetogenesis, with a μ max of 2.64 day −1 and a K S of 32 mg/L, and methanogenesis, with a μ max of 1.392 day −1 and a K S of 100 mg/L. The yield coefficients were 0.1-g-dry-cells/g-pollymeric compound for acidogenesis, 0.1-g-dry-cells/g-propionic acid and 0.1-g-dry-cells/g-butyric acid for acetogenesis and 0.1 g-dry-cells/g-acetic acid for methanogenesis. The model describes both the transient and the steady-state regime for several different biodigester design and operating conditions. After model experimental validation, a parametric analysis was performed. It was found that biogas production is strongly dependent on the input polymeric substrate and fermentable monomer concentrations, but fairly independent of the input propionic, acetic and butyric acid concentrations. An optimisation study was then conducted and optimal residence time and substrate inlet mass flow rate were found for maximum methane production. The optima found were very sharp, showing a sudden drop of methane mass flow rate variation from the observed maximum to zero, within a 20% range around the optimal operating parameters, which stresses the importance of their identification, no matter how complex the actual bioreactor design may be. The model is therefore expected to be a useful tool for simulation, design, control and

Microprocessor Controlled Maximum Power Point Tracker for Photovoltaic Application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiya, J. D.; Tahirou, G.

2002-01-01

This paper presents a microprocessor controlled maximum power point tracker for photovoltaic module. Input current and voltage are measured and multiplied within the microprocessor, which contains an algorithm to seek the maximum power point. The duly cycle of the DC-DC converter, at which the maximum power occurs is obtained, noted and adjusted. The microprocessor constantly seeks for improvement of obtained power by varying the duty cycle

Maximum entropy reconstructions for crystallographic imaging; Cristallographie et reconstruction d`images par maximum d`entropie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Papoular, R

1997-07-01

The Fourier Transform is of central importance to Crystallography since it allows the visualization in real space of tridimensional scattering densities pertaining to physical systems from diffraction data (powder or single-crystal diffraction, using x-rays, neutrons, electrons or else). In turn, this visualization makes it possible to model and parametrize these systems, the crystal structures of which are eventually refined by Least-Squares techniques (e.g., the Rietveld method in the case of Powder Diffraction). The Maximum Entropy Method (sometimes called MEM or MaxEnt) is a general imaging technique, related to solving ill-conditioned inverse problems. It is ideally suited for tackling undetermined systems of linear questions (for which the number of variables is much larger than the number of equations). It is already being applied successfully in Astronomy, Radioastronomy and Medical Imaging. The advantages of using MAXIMUM Entropy over conventional Fourier and `difference Fourier` syntheses stem from the following facts: MaxEnt takes the experimental error bars into account; MaxEnt incorporate Prior Knowledge (e.g., the positivity of the scattering density in some instances); MaxEnt allows density reconstructions from incompletely phased data, as well as from overlapping Bragg reflections; MaxEnt substantially reduces truncation errors to which conventional experimental Fourier reconstructions are usually prone. The principles of Maximum Entropy imaging as applied to Crystallography are first presented. The method is then illustrated by a detailed example specific to Neutron Diffraction: the search for proton in solids. (author). 17 refs.

Relationship between lower limbs kinematic variables and effectiveness of sprint during maximum velocity phase.

Science.gov (United States)

Struzik, Artur; Konieczny, Grzegorz; Grzesik, Kamila; Stawarz, Mateusz; Winiarski, Sławomir; Rokita, Andrzej

2015-01-01

The aim of the study was to determine the relationships between time of running over a 15-25 m section of a 30-meter run along a straight line and changes in the angle and angular velocity observed in ankle, knee and hip joints. Therefore, the authors attempted to answer the question of whether a technique of lower limbs movement during the phase of sprint maximum velocity significantly correlates with the time of running over this section. A group of 14 young people from the Lower Silesia Voivodeship Team participated in the experiment. A Fusion Smart Speed System was employed for running time measurements. The kinematic data were recorded using Noraxon MyoMotion system. There were observed statistically significant relationships between sprint time over a section from 15 to 25 m and left hip rotation (positive) and between this time and left and right ankle joint dorsi-plantar flexion (negative). During the maximum velocity phase of a 30 m sprint, the effect of dorsi-plantar flexion performed in the whole range of motion was found to be beneficial. This can be attributed to the use of elastic energy released in the stride cycle. Further, hip rotation should be minimized, which makes the stride aligned more along a line of running (a straight line) instead of from side to side.

Evolutionary History Underlies Plant Physiological Responses to Global Change Since the Last Glacial Maximum

Science.gov (United States)

Becklin, K. M.; Medeiros, J. S.; Sale, K. R.; Ward, J. K.

2014-12-01

Assessing family and species-level variation in physiological responses to global change across geologic time is critical for understanding factors that underlie changes in species distributions and community composition. Ancient plant specimens preserved within packrat middens are invaluable in this context since they allow for comparisons between co-occurring plant lineages. Here we used modern and ancient plant specimens preserved within packrat middens from the Snake Range, NV to investigate the physiological responses of a mixed montane conifer community to global change since the last glacial maximum. We used a conceptual model to infer relative changes in stomatal conductance and maximum photosynthetic capacity from measures of leaf carbon isotopes, stomatal characteristics, and leaf nitrogen content. Our results indicate that most of the sampled taxa decreased stomatal conductance and/or photosynthetic capacity from glacial to modern times. However, plant families differed in the timing and magnitude of these physiological responses. Additionally, leaf-level responses were more similar within plant families than within co-occurring species assemblages. This suggests that adaptation at the level of leaf physiology may not be the main determinant of shifts in community composition, and that plant evolutionary history may drive physiological adaptation to global change over recent geologic time.

Comprehensive performance analyses and optimization of the irreversible thermodynamic cycle engines (TCE) under maximum power (MP) and maximum power density (MPD) conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonca, Guven; Sahin, Bahri; Ust, Yasin; Parlak, Adnan

2015-01-01

This paper presents comprehensive performance analyses and comparisons for air-standard irreversible thermodynamic cycle engines (TCE) based on the power output, power density, thermal efficiency, maximum dimensionless power output (MP), maximum dimensionless power density (MPD) and maximum thermal efficiency (MEF) criteria. Internal irreversibility of the cycles occurred during the irreversible-adiabatic processes is considered by using isentropic efficiencies of compression and expansion processes. The performances of the cycles are obtained by using engine design parameters such as isentropic temperature ratio of the compression process, pressure ratio, stroke ratio, cut-off ratio, Miller cycle ratio, exhaust temperature ratio, cycle temperature ratio and cycle pressure ratio. The effects of engine design parameters on the maximum and optimal performances are investigated. - Highlights: • Performance analyses are conducted for irreversible thermodynamic cycle engines. • Comprehensive computations are performed. • Maximum and optimum performances of the engines are shown. • The effects of design parameters on performance and power density are examined. • The results obtained may be guidelines to the engine designers

Tip Speed Ratio Based Maximum Power Tracking Control of Variable Speed Wind Turbines; A Comprehensive Design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Murat Karabacak

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The most primitive control method of wind turbines used to generate electric energy from wind is the fixed speed control method. With this method, it is not possible that turbine input power is transferred to grid at maximum rate. For this reason, Maximum Power Tracking (MPT schemes are proposed. In order to implement MPT, the propeller has to rotate at a different speed for every different wind speed. This situation has led MPT based systems to be called Variable Speed Wind Turbine (VSWT systems. In VSWT systems, turbine input power can be transferred to grid at rates close to maximum power. When MPT based control of VSWT systems is the case, two important processes come into prominence. These are instantaneously determination and tracking of MPT point. In this study, using a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT method based on tip speed ratio, power available in wind is transferred into grid over a back to back converter at maximum rate via a VSWT system with permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG. Besides a physical wind turbine simulator is modelled and simulated. Results show that a time varying MPPT point is tracked with a high performance.

Bounds and maximum principles for the solution of the linear transport equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larsen, E.W.

1981-01-01

Pointwise bounds are derived for the solution of time-independent linear transport problems with surface sources in convex spatial domains. Under specified conditions, upper bounds are derived which, as a function of position, decrease with distance from the boundary. Also, sufficient conditions are obtained for the existence of maximum and minimum principles, and a counterexample is given which shows that such principles do not always exist

Optimal control of a double integrator a primer on maximum principle

CERN Document Server

Locatelli, Arturo

2017-01-01

This book provides an introductory yet rigorous treatment of Pontryagin’s Maximum Principle and its application to optimal control problems when simple and complex constraints act on state and control variables, the two classes of variable in such problems. The achievements resulting from first-order variational methods are illustrated with reference to a large number of problems that, almost universally, relate to a particular second-order, linear and time-invariant dynamical system, referred to as the double integrator. The book is ideal for students who have some knowledge of the basics of system and control theory and possess the calculus background typically taught in undergraduate curricula in engineering. Optimal control theory, of which the Maximum Principle must be considered a cornerstone, has been very popular ever since the late 1950s. However, the possibly excessive initial enthusiasm engendered by its perceived capability to solve any kind of problem gave way to its equally unjustified rejecti...

Shower maximum detector for SDC calorimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ernwein, J.

1994-01-01

A prototype for the SDC end-cap (EM) calorimeter complete with a pre-shower and a shower maximum detector was tested in beams of electrons and Π's at CERN by an SDC subsystem group. The prototype was manufactured from scintillator tiles and strips read out with 1 mm diameter wave-length shifting fibers. The design and construction of the shower maximum detector is described, and results of laboratory tests on light yield and performance of the scintillator-fiber system are given. Preliminary results on energy and position measurements with the shower max detector in the test beam are shown. (authors). 4 refs., 5 figs

Cortical drive to breathe in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a dyspnoea-worsening defence?

Science.gov (United States)

Georges, Marjolaine; Morawiec, Elise; Raux, Mathieu; Gonzalez-Bermejo, Jésus; Pradat, Pierre-François; Similowski, Thomas; Morélot-Panzini, Capucine

2016-06-01

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease causing diaphragm weakness that can be partially compensated by inspiratory neck muscle recruitment. This disappears during sleep, which is compatible with a cortical contribution to the drive to breathe. We hypothesised that ALS patients with respiratory failure exhibit respiratory-related cortical activity, relieved by noninvasive ventilation (NIV) and related to dyspnoea.We studied 14 ALS patients with respiratory failure. Electroencephalographic recordings (EEGs) and electromyographic recordings of inspiratory neck muscles were performed during spontaneous breathing and NIV. Dyspnoea was evaluated using the Multidimensional Dyspnea Profile.Eight patients exhibited slow EEG negativities preceding inspiration (pre-inspiratory potentials) during spontaneous breathing. Pre-inspiratory potentials were attenuated during NIV (p=0.04). Patients without pre-inspiratory potentials presented more advanced forms of ALS and more severe respiratory impairment, but less severe dyspnoea. Patients with pre-inspiratory potentials had stronger inspiratory neck muscle activation and more severe dyspnoea during spontaneous breathing.ALS-related diaphragm weakness can engage cortical resources to augment the neural drive to breathe. This might reflect a compensatory mechanism, with the intensity of dyspnoea a negative consequence. Disease progression and the corresponding neural loss could abolish this phenomenon. A putative cognitive cost should be investigated. Copyright ©ERS 2016.

Maximum margin semi-supervised learning with irrelevant data.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Haiqin; Huang, Kaizhu; King, Irwin; Lyu, Michael R

2015-10-01

Semi-supervised learning (SSL) is a typical learning paradigms training a model from both labeled and unlabeled data. The traditional SSL models usually assume unlabeled data are relevant to the labeled data, i.e., following the same distributions of the targeted labeled data. In this paper, we address a different, yet formidable scenario in semi-supervised classification, where the unlabeled data may contain irrelevant data to the labeled data. To tackle this problem, we develop a maximum margin model, named tri-class support vector machine (3C-SVM), to utilize the available training data, while seeking a hyperplane for separating the targeted data well. Our 3C-SVM exhibits several characteristics and advantages. First, it does not need any prior knowledge and explicit assumption on the data relatedness. On the contrary, it can relieve the effect of irrelevant unlabeled data based on the logistic principle and maximum entropy principle. That is, 3C-SVM approaches an ideal classifier. This classifier relies heavily on labeled data and is confident on the relevant data lying far away from the decision hyperplane, while maximally ignoring the irrelevant data, which are hardly distinguished. Second, theoretical analysis is provided to prove that in what condition, the irrelevant data can help to seek the hyperplane. Third, 3C-SVM is a generalized model that unifies several popular maximum margin models, including standard SVMs, Semi-supervised SVMs (S(3)VMs), and SVMs learned from the universum (U-SVMs) as its special cases. More importantly, we deploy a concave-convex produce to solve the proposed 3C-SVM, transforming the original mixed integer programming, to a semi-definite programming relaxation, and finally to a sequence of quadratic programming subproblems, which yields the same worst case time complexity as that of S(3)VMs. Finally, we demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposed 3C-SVM through systematical experimental comparisons. Copyright �

32 CFR 842.35 - Depreciation and maximum allowances.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Depreciation and maximum allowances. 842.35... LITIGATION ADMINISTRATIVE CLAIMS Personnel Claims (31 U.S.C. 3701, 3721) § 842.35 Depreciation and maximum allowances. The military services have jointly established the “Allowance List-Depreciation Guide” to...

Effect of respiratory muscle training on exercise performance in healthy individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Illi, Sabine K; Held, Ulrike; Frank, Irène; Spengler, Christina M

2012-08-01

Two distinct types of specific respiratory muscle training (RMT), i.e. respiratory muscle strength (resistive/threshold) and endurance (hyperpnoea) training, have been established to improve the endurance performance of healthy individuals. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis in order to determine the factors that affect the change in endurance performance after RMT in healthy subjects. A computerized search was performed without language restriction in MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL and references of original studies and reviews were searched for further relevant studies. RMT studies with healthy individuals assessing changes in endurance exercise performance by maximal tests (constant load, time trial, intermittent incremental, conventional [non-intermittent] incremental) were screened and abstracted by two independent investigators. A multiple linear regression model was used to identify effects of subjects' fitness, type of RMT (inspiratory or combined inspiratory/expiratory muscle strength training, respiratory muscle endurance training), type of exercise test, test duration and type of sport (rowing, running, swimming, cycling) on changes in performance after RMT. In addition, a meta-analysis was performed to determine the effect of RMT on endurance performance in those studies providing the necessary data. The multiple linear regression analysis including 46 original studies revealed that less fit subjects benefit more from RMT than highly trained athletes (6.0% per 10 mL · kg⁻¹ · min⁻¹ decrease in maximal oxygen uptake, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.8, 10.2%; p = 0.005) and that improvements do not differ significantly between inspiratory muscle strength and respiratory muscle endurance training (p = 0.208), while combined inspiratory and expiratory muscle strength training seems to be superior in improving performance, although based on only 6 studies (+12.8% compared with inspiratory muscle strength training, 95% CI 3

Maximum relative speeds of living organisms: Why do bacteria perform as fast as ostriches?

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer-Vernet, Nicole; Rospars, Jean-Pierre

2016-12-01

Self-locomotion is central to animal behaviour and survival. It is generally analysed by focusing on preferred speeds and gaits under particular biological and physical constraints. In the present paper we focus instead on the maximum speed and we study its order-of-magnitude scaling with body size, from bacteria to the largest terrestrial and aquatic organisms. Using data for about 460 species of various taxonomic groups, we find a maximum relative speed of the order of magnitude of ten body lengths per second over a 1020-fold mass range of running and swimming animals. This result implies a locomotor time scale of the order of one tenth of second, virtually independent on body size, anatomy and locomotion style, whose ubiquity requires an explanation building on basic properties of motile organisms. From first-principle estimates, we relate this generic time scale to other basic biological properties, using in particular the recent generalisation of the muscle specific tension to molecular motors. Finally, we go a step further by relating this time scale to still more basic quantities, as environmental conditions at Earth in addition to fundamental physical and chemical constants.

Influence of heart failure on resting lung volumes in patients with COPD

Science.gov (United States)

de Souza, Aline Soares; Sperandio, Priscila Abreu; Mazzuco, Adriana; Alencar, Maria Clara; Arbex, Flávio Ferlin; de Oliveira, Mayron Faria; O'Donnell, Denis Eunan; Neder, José Alberto

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the influence of chronic heart failure (CHF) on resting lung volumes in patients with COPD, i.e., inspiratory fraction-inspiratory capacity (IC)/TLC-and relative inspiratory reserve-[1 − (end-inspiratory lung volume/TLC)]. Methods: This was a prospective study involving 56 patients with COPD-24 (23 males/1 female) with COPD+CHF and 32 (28 males/4 females) with COPD only-who, after careful clinical stabilization, underwent spirometry (with forced and slow maneuvers) and whole-body plethysmography. Results: Although FEV1, as well as the FEV1/FVC and FEV1/slow vital capacity ratios, were higher in the COPD+CHF group than in the COPD group, all major "static" volumes-RV, functional residual capacity (FRC), and TLC-were lower in the former group (p < 0.05). There was a greater reduction in FRC than in RV, resulting in the expiratory reserve volume being lower in the COPD+CHF group than in the COPD group. There were relatively proportional reductions in FRC and TLC in the two groups; therefore, IC was also comparable. Consequently, the inspiratory fraction was higher in the COPD+CHF group than in the COPD group (0.42 ± 0.10 vs. 0.36 ± 0.10; p < 0.05). Although the tidal volume/IC ratio was higher in the COPD+CHF group, the relative inspiratory reserve was remarkably similar between the two groups (0.35 ± 0.09 vs. 0.44 ± 0.14; p < 0.05). Conclusions: Despite the restrictive effects of CHF, patients with COPD+CHF have relatively higher inspiratory limits (a greater inspiratory fraction). However, those patients use only a part of those limits, probably in order to avoid critical reductions in inspiratory reserve and increases in elastic recoil. PMID:27832235

40 CFR 141.63 - Maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for microbiological contaminants.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 22 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for microbiological contaminants. 141.63 Section 141.63 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... Water Regulations: Maximum Contaminant Levels and Maximum Residual Disinfectant Levels § 141.63 Maximum...

Cases in which ancestral maximum likelihood will be confusingly misleading.

Science.gov (United States)

Handelman, Tomer; Chor, Benny

2017-05-07

Ancestral maximum likelihood (AML) is a phylogenetic tree reconstruction criteria that "lies between" maximum parsimony (MP) and maximum likelihood (ML). ML has long been known to be statistically consistent. On the other hand, Felsenstein (1978) showed that MP is statistically inconsistent, and even positively misleading: There are cases where the parsimony criteria, applied to data generated according to one tree topology, will be optimized on a different tree topology. The question of weather AML is statistically consistent or not has been open for a long time. Mossel et al. (2009) have shown that AML can "shrink" short tree edges, resulting in a star tree with no internal resolution, which yields a better AML score than the original (resolved) model. This result implies that AML is statistically inconsistent, but not that it is positively misleading, because the star tree is compatible with any other topology. We show that AML is confusingly misleading: For some simple, four taxa (resolved) tree, the ancestral likelihood optimization criteria is maximized on an incorrect (resolved) tree topology, as well as on a star tree (both with specific edge lengths), while the tree with the original, correct topology, has strictly lower ancestral likelihood. Interestingly, the two short edges in the incorrect, resolved tree topology are of length zero, and are not adjacent, so this resolved tree is in fact a simple path. While for MP, the underlying phenomenon can be described as long edge attraction, it turns out that here we have long edge repulsion. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Constraints on pulsar masses from the maximum observed glitch

Science.gov (United States)

Pizzochero, P. M.; Antonelli, M.; Haskell, B.; Seveso, S.

2017-07-01

Neutron stars are unique cosmic laboratories in which fundamental physics can be probed in extreme conditions not accessible to terrestrial experiments. In particular, the precise timing of rotating magnetized neutron stars (pulsars) reveals sudden jumps in rotational frequency in these otherwise steadily spinning-down objects. These 'glitches' are thought to be due to the presence of a superfluid component in the star, and offer a unique glimpse into the interior physics of neutron stars. In this paper we propose an innovative method to constrain the mass of glitching pulsars, using observations of the maximum glitch observed in a star, together with state-of-the-art microphysical models of the pinning interaction between superfluid vortices and ions in the crust. We study the properties of a physically consistent angular momentum reservoir of pinned vorticity, and we find a general inverse relation between the size of the maximum glitch and the pulsar mass. We are then able to estimate the mass of all the observed glitchers that have displayed at least two large events. Our procedure will allow current and future observations of glitching pulsars to constrain not only the physics of glitch models but also the superfluid properties of dense hadronic matter in neutron star interiors.

Effect of Aerobic Exercise Training on Ventilatory Efficiency and Respiratory Drive in Obese Subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Chlif, Mehdi; Chaouachi, Anis; Ahmaidi, Said

2017-07-01

Obese patients show a decline in exercise capacity and diverse degrees of dyspnea in association with mechanical abnormalities, increased ventilatory requirements secondary to the increased metabolic load, and a greater work of breathing. Consequently, obese patients may be particularly predisposed to the development of respiratory muscle fatigue during exercise. The aim of this study was to assess inspiratory muscle performance during incremental exercise in 19 obese male subjects (body mass index 41 ± 6 kg/m 2 ) after aerobic exercise training using the noninvasive, inspiratory muscle tension-time index (T T0.1 ). Measurements performed included anthropometric parameters, lung function assessed by spirometry, rate of perceived breathlessness with the modified Borg dyspnea scale (0-10), breathing pattern, maximal exercise capacity, and inspiratory muscle performance with a breath-by-breath automated exercise metabolic system during an incremental exercise test. T T0.1 was calculated using the equation, T T0.1 = P 0.1 /P Imax × T I /T tot (where P 0.1 represents mouth occlusion pressure, P Imax is maximal inspiratory pressure, and T I /T tot is the duty cycle). At rest, there was no statistically significant difference for spirometric parameters and cardiorespiratory parameters between pre- and post-training. At maximal exercise, the minute ventilation, the rate of exchange ratio, the rate of perceived breathlessness, and the respiratory muscle performance parameters were not significantly different pre- and post-training; in contrast, tidal volume ( P = .037, effect size = 1.51), breathing frequency ( P = .049, effect size = 0.97), power output ( P = .048, effect size = 0.79), peak oxygen uptake ( P = .02, effect size = 0.92) were significantly higher after training. At comparable work load, training induces lower minute ventilation, mouth occlusion pressure, ratio of occlusion pressure to maximal inspiratory pressure, T T0.1 , and rate of perceived

MDCT assessment of tracheomalacia in symptomatic infants with mediastinal aortic vascular anomalies: preliminary technical experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Edward Y.; Mason, Keira P.; Zurakowski, David; Waltz, David A.; Ralph, Amy; Riaz, Farhana; Boiselle, Phillip M.

2008-01-01

Mediastinal aortic vascular anomalies are relatively common causes of extrinsic central airway narrowing in infants with respiratory symptoms. Surgical correction of mediastinal aortic vascular anomalies alone might not adequately treat airway symptoms if extrinsic narrowing is accompanied by intrinsic tracheomalacia (TM), a condition that escapes detection on routine end-inspiratory imaging. Paired inspiratory-expiratory multidetector CT (MDCT) has the potential to facilitate early diagnosis and timely management of TM in symptomatic infants with mediastinal aortic vascular anomalies. To assess the technical feasibility of paired inspiratory-expiratory MDCT for evaluating TM among symptomatic infants with mediastinal aortic vascular anomalies. The study group consisted of five consecutive symptomatic infants (four male, one female; mean age 4.1 months, age range 2 weeks to 6 months) with mediastinal aortic vascular anomalies who were referred for paired inspiratory-expiratory MDCT during a 22-month period. CT angiography was concurrently performed during the end-inspiration phase of the study. Two pediatric radiologists in consensus reviewed all CT images in a randomized and blinded fashion. The end-inspiration and end-expiration CT images were reviewed for the presence and severity of tracheal narrowing. TM was defined as ≥50% reduction in tracheal cross-sectional luminal area between end-inspiration and end-expiration. The presence of TM was compared to the bronchoscopy results when available (n = 4). Paired inspiratory-expiratory MDCT was technically successful in all five patients. Mediastinal aortic vascular anomalies included a right aortic arch with an aberrant left subclavian artery (n = 2), innominate artery compression (n = 2), and a left aortic arch with an aberrant right subclavian artery (n 1). Three (60%) of the five patients demonstrated focal TM at the level of mediastinal aortic vascular anomalies. The CT results were concordant with the results

Particle Swarm Optimization Based of the Maximum Photovoltaic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Photovoltaic electricity is seen as an important source of renewable energy. The photovoltaic array is an unstable source of power since the peak power point depends on the temperature and the irradiation level. A maximum peak power point tracking is then necessary for maximum efficiency. In this work, a Particle Swarm ...

40 CFR 1045.140 - What is my engine's maximum engine power?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

...) Maximum engine power for an engine family is generally the weighted average value of maximum engine power... engine family's maximum engine power apply in the following circumstances: (1) For outboard or personal... value for maximum engine power from all the different configurations within the engine family to...

42 CFR 409.62 - Lifetime maximum on inpatient psychiatric care.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Lifetime maximum on inpatient psychiatric care. 409....62 Lifetime maximum on inpatient psychiatric care. There is a lifetime maximum of 190 days on inpatient psychiatric hospital services available to any beneficiary. Therefore, once an individual receives...

Extreme Maximum Land Surface Temperatures.

Science.gov (United States)

Garratt, J. R.

1992-09-01

There are numerous reports in the literature of observations of land surface temperatures. Some of these, almost all made in situ, reveal maximum values in the 50°-70°C range, with a few, made in desert regions, near 80°C. Consideration of a simplified form of the surface energy balance equation, utilizing likely upper values of absorbed shortwave flux (1000 W m2) and screen air temperature (55°C), that surface temperatures in the vicinity of 90°-100°C may occur for dry, darkish soils of low thermal conductivity (0.1-0.2 W m1 K1). Numerical simulations confirm this and suggest that temperature gradients in the first few centimeters of soil may reach 0.5°-1°C mm1 under these extreme conditions. The study bears upon the intrinsic interest of identifying extreme maximum temperatures and yields interesting information regarding the comfort zone of animals (including man).

On Maximum Entropy and Inference

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luigi Gresele

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Maximum entropy is a powerful concept that entails a sharp separation between relevant and irrelevant variables. It is typically invoked in inference, once an assumption is made on what the relevant variables are, in order to estimate a model from data, that affords predictions on all other (dependent variables. Conversely, maximum entropy can be invoked to retrieve the relevant variables (sufficient statistics directly from the data, once a model is identified by Bayesian model selection. We explore this approach in the case of spin models with interactions of arbitrary order, and we discuss how relevant interactions can be inferred. In this perspective, the dimensionality of the inference problem is not set by the number of parameters in the model, but by the frequency distribution of the data. We illustrate the method showing its ability to recover the correct model in a few prototype cases and discuss its application on a real dataset.

Determination of times maximum insulation in case of internal flooding by pipe break; Determinacion de los tiempos maximos de aislamiento en caso de inundacion interna por rotura de tuberia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Varas, M. I.; Orteu, E.; Laserna, J. A.

2014-07-01

This paper demonstrates the process followed in the preparation of the Manual of floods of Cofrentes NPP to identify the allowed maximum time available to the central in the isolation of a moderate or high energy pipe break, until it affects security (1E) participating in the safe stop of Reactor or in pools of spent fuel cooling-related equipment , and to determine the recommended isolation mode from the point of view of the location of the break or rupture, of the location of the 1E equipment and human factors. (Author)

Stationary neutrino radiation transport by maximum entropy closure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bludman, S.A.

1994-11-01

The authors obtain the angular distributions that maximize the entropy functional for Maxwell-Boltzmann (classical), Bose-Einstein, and Fermi-Dirac radiation. In the low and high occupancy limits, the maximum entropy closure is bounded by previously known variable Eddington factors that depend only on the flux. For intermediate occupancy, the maximum entropy closure depends on both the occupation density and the flux. The Fermi-Dirac maximum entropy variable Eddington factor shows a scale invariance, which leads to a simple, exact analytic closure for fermions. This two-dimensional variable Eddington factor gives results that agree well with exact (Monte Carlo) neutrino transport calculations out of a collapse residue during early phases of hydrostatic neutron star formation

Maximum power per VA control of vector controlled interior ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Thakur Sumeet Singh

2018-04-11

Apr 11, 2018 ... Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New ... The MPVA operation allows maximum-utilization of the drive-system. ... Permanent magnet motor; unity power factor; maximum VA utilization; ...

Application of maximum entropy to neutron tunneling spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mukhopadhyay, R.; Silver, R.N.

1990-01-01

We demonstrate the maximum entropy method for the deconvolution of high resolution tunneling data acquired with a quasielastic spectrometer. Given a precise characterization of the instrument resolution function, a maximum entropy analysis of lutidine data obtained with the IRIS spectrometer at ISIS results in an effective factor of three improvement in resolution. 7 refs., 4 figs

The maximum economic depth of groundwater abstraction for irrigation

Science.gov (United States)

Bierkens, M. F.; Van Beek, L. P.; de Graaf, I. E. M.; Gleeson, T. P.

2017-12-01

Over recent decades, groundwater has become increasingly important for agriculture. Irrigation accounts for 40% of the global food production and its importance is expected to grow further in the near future. Already, about 70% of the globally abstracted water is used for irrigation, and nearly half of that is pumped groundwater. In many irrigated areas where groundwater is the primary source of irrigation water, groundwater abstraction is larger than recharge and we see massive groundwater head decline in these areas. An important question then is: to what maximum depth can groundwater be pumped for it to be still economically recoverable? The objective of this study is therefore to create a global map of the maximum depth of economically recoverable groundwater when used for irrigation. The maximum economic depth is the maximum depth at which revenues are still larger than pumping costs or the maximum depth at which initial investments become too large compared to yearly revenues. To this end we set up a simple economic model where costs of well drilling and the energy costs of pumping, which are a function of well depth and static head depth respectively, are compared with the revenues obtained for the irrigated crops. Parameters for the cost sub-model are obtained from several US-based studies and applied to other countries based on GDP/capita as an index of labour costs. The revenue sub-model is based on gross irrigation water demand calculated with a global hydrological and water resources model, areal coverage of crop types from MIRCA2000 and FAO-based statistics on crop yield and market price. We applied our method to irrigated areas in the world overlying productive aquifers. Estimated maximum economic depths range between 50 and 500 m. Most important factors explaining the maximum economic depth are the dominant crop type in the area and whether or not initial investments in well infrastructure are limiting. In subsequent research, our estimates of

Comparison of the Spatiotemporal Variability of Temperature, Precipitation, and Maximum Daily Spring Flows in Two Watersheds in Quebec Characterized by Different Land Use

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali A. Assani

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We compared the spatiotemporal variability of temperatures and precipitation with that of the magnitude and timing of maximum daily spring flows in the geographically adjacent L’Assomption River (agricultural and Matawin River (forested watersheds during the period from 1932 to 2013. With regard to spatial variability, fall, winter, and spring temperatures as well as total precipitation are higher in the agricultural watershed than in the forested one. The magnitude of maximum daily spring flows is also higher in the first watershed as compared with the second, owing to substantial runoff, given that the amount of snow that gives rise to these flows is not significantly different in the two watersheds. These flows occur early in the season in the agricultural watershed because of the relatively high temperatures. With regard to temporal variability, minimum temperatures increased over time in both watersheds. Maximum temperatures in the fall only increased in the agricultural watershed. The amount of spring rain increased over time in both watersheds, whereas total precipitation increased significantly in the agricultural watershed only. However, the amount of snow decreased in the forested watershed. The magnitude of maximum daily spring flows increased over time in the forested watershed.

Topics in Bayesian statistics and maximum entropy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mutihac, R.; Cicuttin, A.; Cerdeira, A.; Stanciulescu, C.

1998-12-01

Notions of Bayesian decision theory and maximum entropy methods are reviewed with particular emphasis on probabilistic inference and Bayesian modeling. The axiomatic approach is considered as the best justification of Bayesian analysis and maximum entropy principle applied in natural sciences. Particular emphasis is put on solving the inverse problem in digital image restoration and Bayesian modeling of neural networks. Further topics addressed briefly include language modeling, neutron scattering, multiuser detection and channel equalization in digital communications, genetic information, and Bayesian court decision-making. (author)

Combining Experiments and Simulations Using the Maximum Entropy Principle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boomsma, Wouter; Ferkinghoff-Borg, Jesper; Lindorff-Larsen, Kresten

2014-01-01

are not in quantitative agreement with experimental data. The principle of maximum entropy is a general procedure for constructing probability distributions in the light of new data, making it a natural tool in cases when an initial model provides results that are at odds with experiments. The number of maximum entropy...... in the context of a simple example, after which we proceed with a real-world application in the field of molecular simulations, where the maximum entropy procedure has recently provided new insight. Given the limited accuracy of force fields, macromolecular simulations sometimes produce results....... Three very recent papers have explored this problem using the maximum entropy approach, providing both new theoretical and practical insights to the problem. We highlight each of these contributions in turn and conclude with a discussion on remaining challenges....

METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE MAXIMUM ARRANGEMENT FACTOR OF FOOTWEAR PARTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

DRIŞCU Mariana

2014-05-01

Full Text Available By classic methodology, designing footwear is a very complex and laborious activity. That is because classic methodology requires many graphic executions using manual means, which consume a lot of the producer’s time. Moreover, the results of this classical methodology may contain many inaccuracies with the most unpleasant consequences for the footwear producer. Thus, the costumer that buys a footwear product by taking into consideration the characteristics written on the product (size, width can notice after a period that the product has flaws because of the inadequate design. In order to avoid this kind of situations, the strictest scientific criteria must be followed when one designs a footwear product. The decisive step in this way has been made some time ago, when, as a result of powerful technical development and massive implementation of electronical calculus systems and informatics, This paper presents a product software for determining all possible arrangements of a footwear product’s reference points, in order to automatically acquire the maximum arrangement factor. The user multiplies the pattern in order to find the economic arrangement for the reference points. In this purpose, the user must probe few arrangement variants, in the translation and rotate-translation system. The same process is used in establishing the arrangement factor for the two points of reference of the designed footwear product. After probing several variants of arrangement in the translation and rotation and translation systems, the maximum arrangement factors are chosen. This allows the user to estimate the material wastes.

Maximum Entropy Closure of Balance Equations for Miniband Semiconductor Superlattices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luis L. Bonilla

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Charge transport in nanosized electronic systems is described by semiclassical or quantum kinetic equations that are often costly to solve numerically and difficult to reduce systematically to macroscopic balance equations for densities, currents, temperatures and other moments of macroscopic variables. The maximum entropy principle can be used to close the system of equations for the moments but its accuracy or range of validity are not always clear. In this paper, we compare numerical solutions of balance equations for nonlinear electron transport in semiconductor superlattices. The equations have been obtained from Boltzmann–Poisson kinetic equations very far from equilibrium for strong fields, either by the maximum entropy principle or by a systematic Chapman–Enskog perturbation procedure. Both approaches produce the same current-voltage characteristic curve for uniform fields. When the superlattices are DC voltage biased in a region where there are stable time periodic solutions corresponding to recycling and motion of electric field pulses, the differences between the numerical solutions produced by numerically solving both types of balance equations are smaller than the expansion parameter used in the perturbation procedure. These results and possible new research venues are discussed.

Maximum entropy beam diagnostic tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mottershead, C.T.

1985-01-01

This paper reviews the formalism of maximum entropy beam diagnostic tomography as applied to the Fusion Materials Irradiation Test (FMIT) prototype accelerator. The same formalism has also been used with streak camera data to produce an ultrahigh speed movie of the beam profile of the Experimental Test Accelerator (ETA) at Livermore

Maximum one-shot dissipated work from Rényi divergences

Science.gov (United States)

Yunger Halpern, Nicole; Garner, Andrew J. P.; Dahlsten, Oscar C. O.; Vedral, Vlatko

2018-05-01

Thermodynamics describes large-scale, slowly evolving systems. Two modern approaches generalize thermodynamics: fluctuation theorems, which concern finite-time nonequilibrium processes, and one-shot statistical mechanics, which concerns small scales and finite numbers of trials. Combining these approaches, we calculate a one-shot analog of the average dissipated work defined in fluctuation contexts: the cost of performing a protocol in finite time instead of quasistatically. The average dissipated work has been shown to be proportional to a relative entropy between phase-space densities, to a relative entropy between quantum states, and to a relative entropy between probability distributions over possible values of work. We derive one-shot analogs of all three equations, demonstrating that the order-infinity Rényi divergence is proportional to the maximum possible dissipated work in each case. These one-shot analogs of fluctuation-theorem results contribute to the unification of these two toolkits for small-scale, nonequilibrium statistical physics.

A Maximum Radius for Habitable Planets.

Science.gov (United States)

Alibert, Yann

2015-09-01

We compute the maximum radius a planet can have in order to fulfill two constraints that are likely necessary conditions for habitability: 1- surface temperature and pressure compatible with the existence of liquid water, and 2- no ice layer at the bottom of a putative global ocean, that would prevent the operation of the geologic carbon cycle to operate. We demonstrate that, above a given radius, these two constraints cannot be met: in the Super-Earth mass range (1-12 Mearth), the overall maximum that a planet can have varies between 1.8 and 2.3 Rearth. This radius is reduced when considering planets with higher Fe/Si ratios, and taking into account irradiation effects on the structure of the gas envelope.

On semidefinite programming relaxations of maximum k-section

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Klerk, E.; Pasechnik, D.V.; Sotirov, R.; Dobre, C.

2012-01-01

We derive a new semidefinite programming bound for the maximum k -section problem. For k=2 (i.e. for maximum bisection), the new bound is at least as strong as a well-known bound by Poljak and Rendl (SIAM J Optim 5(3):467–487, 1995). For k ≥ 3the new bound dominates a bound of Karisch and Rendl

Modeling multisite streamflow dependence with maximum entropy copula

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Z.; Singh, V. P.

2013-10-01

Synthetic streamflows at different sites in a river basin are needed for planning, operation, and management of water resources projects. Modeling the temporal and spatial dependence structure of monthly streamflow at different sites is generally required. In this study, the maximum entropy copula method is proposed for multisite monthly streamflow simulation, in which the temporal and spatial dependence structure is imposed as constraints to derive the maximum entropy copula. The monthly streamflows at different sites are then generated by sampling from the conditional distribution. A case study for the generation of monthly streamflow at three sites in the Colorado River basin illustrates the application of the proposed method. Simulated streamflow from the maximum entropy copula is in satisfactory agreement with observed streamflow.

Effects of different strength training frequencies on maximum strength, body composition and functional capacity in healthy older individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Turpela, Mari; Häkkinen, Keijo; Haff, Guy Gregory; Walker, Simon

2017-11-01

There is controversy in the literature regarding the dose-response relationship of strength training in healthy older participants. The present study determined training frequency effects on maximum strength, muscle mass and functional capacity over 6months following an initial 3-month preparatory strength training period. One-hundred and six 64-75year old volunteers were randomly assigned to one of four groups; performing strength training one (EX1), two (EX2), or three (EX3) times per week and a non-training control (CON) group. Whole-body strength training was performed using 2-5 sets and 4-12 repetitions per exercise and 7-9 exercises per session. Before and after the intervention, maximum dynamic leg press (1-RM) and isometric knee extensor and plantarflexor strength, body composition and quadriceps cross-sectional area, as well as functional capacity (maximum 7.5m forward and backward walking speed, timed-up-and-go test, loaded 10-stair climb test) were measured. All experimental groups increased leg press 1-RM more than CON (EX1: 3±8%, EX2: 6±6%, EX3: 10±8%, CON: -3±6%, Ptraining frequency would induce greater benefit to maximum walking speed (i.e. functional capacity) despite a clear dose-response in dynamic 1-RM strength, at least when predominantly using machine weight-training. It appears that beneficial functional capacity improvements can be achieved through low frequency training (i.e. 1-2 times per week) in previously untrained healthy older participants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Estimation of the Maximum Theoretical Productivity of Fed-Batch Bioreactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bomble, Yannick J [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); St. John, Peter C [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Crowley, Michael F [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2017-10-18

A key step towards the development of an integrated biorefinery is the screening of economically viable processes, which depends sharply on the yields and productivities that can be achieved by an engineered microorganism. In this study, we extend an earlier method which used dynamic optimization to find the maximum theoretical productivity of batch cultures to explicitly include fed-batch bioreactors. In addition to optimizing the intracellular distribution of metabolites between cell growth and product formation, we calculate the optimal control trajectory of feed rate versus time. We further analyze how sensitive the productivity is to substrate uptake and growth parameters.

Maximum on the electrical conductivity polytherm of molten TeCl{sub 4}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salyulev, Alexander B.; Potapov, Alexei M. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation). Inst. of High-Temperature Electrochemistry

2017-09-01

The electrical conductivity of molten TeCl{sub 4} was measured up to 761 K, i.e. 106 degrees above the normal boiling point of the salt. For the first time it was found that TeCl{sub 4} electrical conductivity polytherm has a maximum. It was recorded at 705 K (Κ{sub max}=0.245 Sm/cm), whereupon the conductivity decreases as the temperature rises. The activation energy of electrical conductivity was calculated.

Maximum stellar iron core mass

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

60, No. 3. — journal of. March 2003 physics pp. 415–422. Maximum stellar iron core mass. F W GIACOBBE. Chicago Research Center/American Air Liquide ... iron core compression due to the weight of non-ferrous matter overlying the iron cores within large .... thermal equilibrium velocities will tend to be non-relativistic.

Dynamic performance of maximum power point tracking circuits using sinusoidal extremum seeking control for photovoltaic generation

Science.gov (United States)

Leyva, R.; Artillan, P.; Cabal, C.; Estibals, B.; Alonso, C.

2011-04-01

The article studies the dynamic performance of a family of maximum power point tracking circuits used for photovoltaic generation. It revisits the sinusoidal extremum seeking control (ESC) technique which can be considered as a particular subgroup of the Perturb and Observe algorithms. The sinusoidal ESC technique consists of adding a small sinusoidal disturbance to the input and processing the perturbed output to drive the operating point at its maximum. The output processing involves a synchronous multiplication and a filtering stage. The filter instance determines the dynamic performance of the MPPT based on sinusoidal ESC principle. The approach uses the well-known root-locus method to give insight about damping degree and settlement time of maximum-seeking waveforms. This article shows the transient waveforms in three different filter instances to illustrate the approach. Finally, an experimental prototype corroborates the dynamic analysis.

Maximum photovoltaic power tracking for the PV array using the fractional-order incremental conductance method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Chia-Hung; Huang, Cong-Hui; Du, Yi-Chun; Chen, Jian-Liung

2011-01-01

Highlights: → The FOICM can shorten the tracking time less than traditional methods. → The proposed method can work under lower solar radiation including thin and heavy clouds. → The FOICM algorithm can achieve MPPT for radiation and temperature changes. → It is easy to implement in a single-chip microcontroller or embedded system. -- Abstract: This paper proposes maximum photovoltaic power tracking (MPPT) for the photovoltaic (PV) array using the fractional-order incremental conductance method (FOICM). Since the PV array has low conversion efficiency, and the output power of PV array depends on the operation environments, such as various solar radiation, environment temperature, and weather conditions. Maximum charging power can be increased to a battery using a MPPT algorithm. The energy conversion of the absorbed solar light and cell temperature is directly transferred to the semiconductor, but electricity conduction has anomalous diffusion phenomena in inhomogeneous material. FOICM can provide a dynamic mathematical model to describe non-linear characteristics. The fractional-order incremental change as dynamic variable is used to adjust the PV array voltage toward the maximum power point. For a small-scale PV conversion system, the proposed method is validated by simulation with different operation environments. Compared with traditional methods, experimental results demonstrate the short tracking time and the practicality in MPPT of PV array.

Maximum wind energy extraction strategies using power electronic converters

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Quincy Qing

2003-10-01

This thesis focuses on maximum wind energy extraction strategies for achieving the highest energy output of variable speed wind turbine power generation systems. Power electronic converters and controls provide the basic platform to accomplish the research of this thesis in both hardware and software aspects. In order to send wind energy to a utility grid, a variable speed wind turbine requires a power electronic converter to convert a variable voltage variable frequency source into a fixed voltage fixed frequency supply. Generic single-phase and three-phase converter topologies, converter control methods for wind power generation, as well as the developed direct drive generator, are introduced in the thesis for establishing variable-speed wind energy conversion systems. Variable speed wind power generation system modeling and simulation are essential methods both for understanding the system behavior and for developing advanced system control strategies. Wind generation system components, including wind turbine, 1-phase IGBT inverter, 3-phase IGBT inverter, synchronous generator, and rectifier, are modeled in this thesis using MATLAB/SIMULINK. The simulation results have been verified by a commercial simulation software package, PSIM, and confirmed by field test results. Since the dynamic time constants for these individual models are much different, a creative approach has also been developed in this thesis to combine these models for entire wind power generation system simulation. An advanced maximum wind energy extraction strategy relies not only on proper system hardware design, but also on sophisticated software control algorithms. Based on literature review and computer simulation on wind turbine control algorithms, an intelligent maximum wind energy extraction control algorithm is proposed in this thesis. This algorithm has a unique on-line adaptation and optimization capability, which is able to achieve maximum wind energy conversion efficiency through

The regulation of starch accumulation in Panicum maximum Jacq ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... decrease the starch level. These observations are discussed in relation to the photosynthetic characteristics of P. maximum. Keywords: accumulation; botany; carbon assimilation; co2 fixation; growth conditions; mesophyll; metabolites; nitrogen; nitrogen levels; nitrogen supply; panicum maximum; plant physiology; starch; ...

Improving maximum power point tracking of partially shaded photovoltaic system by using IPSO-BELBIC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Garhy, M. Abd Al-Alim; Mubarak, R.I.; El-Bably, M.

2017-01-01

Solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays in remote applications are often related to the rapid changes in the partial shading pattern. Rapid changes of the partial shading pattern make the tracking of maximum power point (MPP) of the global peak through the local ones too difficult. An essential need to make a fast and efficient algorithm to detect the peaks values which always vary as the sun irradiance changes. This paper presents two algorithms based on the improved particle swarm optimization technique one of them with PID controller (IPSO-PID), and the other one with Brain Emotional Learning Based Intelligent Controller (IPSO-BELBIC). These techniques improve the maximum power point (MPP) tracking capabilities for photovoltaic (PV) system under partial shading circumstances. The main aim of these improved algorithms is to accelerate the velocity of IPSO to reach to (MPP) and increase its efficiency. These algorithms also improve the tracking time under complex irradiance conditions. Based on these conditions, the tracking time of these presented techniques improves to 2 msec, with an efficiency of 100%.

Improving maximum power point tracking of partially shaded photovoltaic system by using IPSO-BELBIC

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Alim El-Garhy, M. Abd; Mubarak, R. I.; El-Bably, M.

2017-08-01

Solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays in remote applications are often related to the rapid changes in the partial shading pattern. Rapid changes of the partial shading pattern make the tracking of maximum power point (MPP) of the global peak through the local ones too difficult. An essential need to make a fast and efficient algorithm to detect the peaks values which always vary as the sun irradiance changes. This paper presents two algorithms based on the improved particle swarm optimization technique one of them with PID controller (IPSO-PID), and the other one with Brain Emotional Learning Based Intelligent Controller (IPSO-BELBIC). These techniques improve the maximum power point (MPP) tracking capabilities for photovoltaic (PV) system under partial shading circumstances. The main aim of these improved algorithms is to accelerate the velocity of IPSO to reach to (MPP) and increase its efficiency. These algorithms also improve the tracking time under complex irradiance conditions. Based on these conditions, the tracking time of these presented techniques improves to 2 msec, with an efficiency of 100%.

Maximum entropy beam diagnostic tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mottershead, C.T.

1985-01-01

This paper reviews the formalism of maximum entropy beam diagnostic tomography as applied to the Fusion Materials Irradiation Test (FMIT) prototype accelerator. The same formalism has also been used with streak camera data to produce an ultrahigh speed movie of the beam profile of the Experimental Test Accelerator (ETA) at Livermore. 11 refs., 4 figs

A Maximum Resonant Set of Polyomino Graphs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhang Heping

2016-05-01

Full Text Available A polyomino graph P is a connected finite subgraph of the infinite plane grid such that each finite face is surrounded by a regular square of side length one and each edge belongs to at least one square. A dimer covering of P corresponds to a perfect matching. Different dimer coverings can interact via an alternating cycle (or square with respect to them. A set of disjoint squares of P is a resonant set if P has a perfect matching M so that each one of those squares is M-alternating. In this paper, we show that if K is a maximum resonant set of P, then P − K has a unique perfect matching. We further prove that the maximum forcing number of a polyomino graph is equal to the cardinality of a maximum resonant set. This confirms a conjecture of Xu et al. [26]. We also show that if K is a maximal alternating set of P, then P − K has a unique perfect matching.

Maximum production rate optimization for sulphuric acid decomposition process in tubular plug-flow reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Chao; Chen, Lingen; Xia, Shaojun; Sun, Fengrui

2016-01-01

A sulphuric acid decomposition process in a tubular plug-flow reactor with fixed inlet flow rate and completely controllable exterior wall temperature profile and reactants pressure profile is studied in this paper by using finite-time thermodynamics. The maximum production rate of the aimed product SO 2 and the optimal exterior wall temperature profile and reactants pressure profile are obtained by using nonlinear programming method. Then the optimal reactor with the maximum production rate is compared with the reference reactor with linear exterior wall temperature profile and the optimal reactor with minimum entropy generation rate. The result shows that the production rate of SO 2 of optimal reactor with the maximum production rate has an increase of more than 7%. The optimization of temperature profile has little influence on the production rate while the optimization of reactants pressure profile can significantly increase the production rate. The results obtained may provide some guidelines for the design of real tubular reactors. - Highlights: • Sulphuric acid decomposition process in tubular plug-flow reactor is studied. • Fixed inlet flow rate and controllable temperature and pressure profiles are set. • Maximum production rate of aimed product SO 2 is obtained. • Corresponding optimal temperature and pressure profiles are derived. • Production rate of SO 2 of optimal reactor increases by 7%.

Discharge patterns of human tensor palatini motor units during sleep onset.

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholas, Christian L; Jordan, Amy S; Heckel, Leila; Worsnop, Christopher; Bei, Bei; Saboisky, Julian P; Eckert, Danny J; White, David P; Malhotra, Atul; Trinder, John

2012-05-01

Upper airway muscles such as genioglossus (GG) and tensor palatini (TP) reduce activity at sleep onset. In GG reduced muscle activity is primarily due to inspiratory modulated motor units becoming silent, suggesting reduced respiratory pattern generator (RPG) output. However, unlike GG, TP shows minimal respiratory modulation and presumably has few inspiratory modulated motor units and minimal input from the RPG. Thus, we investigated the mechanism by which TP reduces activity at sleep onset. The activity of TP motor units were studied during relaxed wakefulness and over the transition from wakefulness to sleep. Sleep laboratory. Nine young (21.4 ± 3.4 years) males were studied on a total of 11 nights. Sleep onset. Two TP EMGs (thin, hooked wire electrodes), and sleep and respiratory measures were recorded. One hundred twenty-one sleep onsets were identified (13.4 ± 7.2/subject), resulting in 128 motor units (14.3 ± 13.0/subject); 29% of units were tonic, 43% inspiratory modulated (inspiratory phasic 18%, inspiratory tonic 25%), and 28% expiratory modulated (expiratory phasic 21%, expiratory tonic 7%). There was a reduction in both expiratory and inspiratory modulated units, but not tonic units, at sleep onset. Reduced TP activity was almost entirely due to de-recruitment. TP showed a similar distribution of motor units as other airway muscles. However, a greater proportion of expiratory modulated motor units were active in TP and these expiratory units, along with inspiratory units, tended to become silent over sleep onset. The data suggest that both expiratory and inspiratory drive components from the RPG are reduced at sleep onset in TP.

Tracheal sound parameters of respiratory cycle phases show differences between flow-limited and normal breathing during sleep

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)