E-learning interventions are comparable to user's manual in a randomized trial of training strategies for the AGREE II

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Durocher Lisa D

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Practice guidelines (PGs are systematically developed statements intended to assist in patient and practitioner decisions. The AGREE II is the revised tool for PG development, reporting, and evaluation, comprised of 23 items, two global rating scores, and a new User's Manual. In this study, we sought to develop, execute, and evaluate the impact of two internet interventions designed to accelerate the capacity of stakeholders to use the AGREE II. Methods Participants were randomized to one of three training conditions. 'Tutorial'--participants proceeded through the online tutorial with a virtual coach and reviewed a PDF copy of the AGREE II. 'Tutorial + Practice Exercise'--in addition to the Tutorial, participants also appraised a 'practice' PG. For the practice PG appraisal, participants received feedback on how their scores compared to expert norms and formative feedback if scores fell outside the predefined range. 'AGREE II User's Manual PDF (control condition'--participants reviewed a PDF copy of the AGREE II only. All participants evaluated a test PG using the AGREE II. Outcomes of interest were learners' performance, satisfaction, self-efficacy, mental effort, time-on-task, and perceptions of AGREE II. Results No differences emerged between training conditions on any of the outcome measures. Conclusions We believe these results can be explained by better than anticipated performance of the AGREE II PDF materials (control condition or the participants' level of health methodology and PG experience rather than the failure of the online training interventions. Some data suggest the online tools may be useful for trainees new to this field; however, this requires further study.

Do patients and physicians agree on diabetes management? A study conducted in Public Healthcare Centres in Brazil

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Figueiredo, R.C.; Snoek, F.J.; Barreto, S.M.

2013-01-01

Objective: To explore to what extent patients with diabetes agree with their physicians on diabetes management and whether the agreement varies according to patients' socio-demographic characteristics. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among patients with diabetes and their Family

China, Argentina agree to further strategic ties

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

2011-01-01

According to Xinhua,China and Argentina have agreed to further enhance mutual trust and their strategic partnership as the two emerging economies are playing an increasingly important role in the world arena.“China will work with Argentina to strengthen strategic mutual trust,expand cooperation and coordination within multilateral frameworks in order to promote bilateral ties and benefit the two peoples,” Vice President Xi Jinping told Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timerman on September 9.

General method and exact solutions to a generalized variable-coefficient two-dimensional KdV equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Yong; Shanghai Jiao-Tong Univ., Shangai; Chinese Academy of sciences, Beijing

2005-01-01

A general method to uniformly construct exact solutions in terms of special function of nonlinear partial differential equations is presented by means of a more general ansatz and symbolic computation. Making use of the general method, we can successfully obtain the solutions found by the method proposed by Fan (J. Phys. A., 36 (2003) 7009) and find other new and more general solutions, which include polynomial solutions, exponential solutions, rational solutions, triangular periodic wave solution, soliton solutions, soliton-like solutions and Jacobi, Weierstrass doubly periodic wave solutions. A general variable-coefficient two-dimensional KdV equation is chosen to illustrate the method. As a result, some new exact soliton-like solutions are obtained. planets. The numerical results are given in tables. The results are discussed in the conclusion

Bimetric general relativity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosen, N.

1979-01-01

A modification of general relativity is proposed involving a second metric tensor describing a space-time of constant curvature and associated with the fundamental rest-frame of the universe. The theory generally agrees with the Einstein theory, but gives cosmological models without singularities which can account for present observation, including helium abundance

Generalized differential transform method to differential-difference equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zou Li; Wang Zhen; Zong Zhi

2009-01-01

In this Letter, we generalize the differential transform method to solve differential-difference equation for the first time. Two simple but typical examples are applied to illustrate the validity and the great potential of the generalized differential transform method in solving differential-difference equation. A Pade technique is also introduced and combined with GDTM in aim of extending the convergence area of presented series solutions. Comparisons are made between the results of the proposed method and exact solutions. Then we apply the differential transform method to the discrete KdV equation and the discrete mKdV equation, and successfully obtain solitary wave solutions. The results reveal that the proposed method is very effective and simple. We should point out that generalized differential transform method is also easy to be applied to other nonlinear differential-difference equation.

Relationships between the generalized functional method and other methods of nonimaging optical design.

Science.gov (United States)

Bortz, John; Shatz, Narkis

2011-04-01

The recently developed generalized functional method provides a means of designing nonimaging concentrators and luminaires for use with extended sources and receivers. We explore the mathematical relationships between optical designs produced using the generalized functional method and edge-ray, aplanatic, and simultaneous multiple surface (SMS) designs. Edge-ray and dual-surface aplanatic designs are shown to be special cases of generalized functional designs. In addition, it is shown that dual-surface SMS designs are closely related to generalized functional designs and that certain computational advantages accrue when the two design methods are combined. A number of examples are provided. © 2011 Optical Society of America

Generalized atmospheric Rosenbluth methods (GARM)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rechnitzer, A; Janse van Rensburg, E J

2008-01-01

We show that the classical Rosenbluth method for sampling self-avoiding walks (Hammersley and Morton 1954 J. R. Stat. Soc. B 16 23, Rosenbluth and Rosenbluth 1955 J. Chem. Phys. 23 356) can be extended to a general algorithm for sampling many families of objects, including self-avoiding polygons. The implementation relies on an elementary move which is a generalization of kinetic growth; rather than only appending edges to the endpoint, edges may be inserted at any vertex provided the resulting objects still lie within the same family. This gives, for the first time, a kinetic growth algorithm for sampling self-avoiding polygons. We implement this method using pruning and enrichment (Grassberger 1997 Phys. Rev. E 56 3682) to sample self-avoiding walks and polygons. The algorithm can be further extended by mixing it with length-preserving moves, such as pivots and crank-shaft moves. (fast track communication)

On Self-Adaptive Method for General Mixed Variational Inequalities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdellah Bnouhachem

2008-01-01

Full Text Available We suggest and analyze a new self-adaptive method for solving general mixed variational inequalities, which can be viewed as an improvement of the method of (Noor 2003. Global convergence of the new method is proved under the same assumptions as Noor's method. Some preliminary computational results are given to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed method. Since the general mixed variational inequalities include general variational inequalities, quasivariational inequalities, and nonlinear (implicit complementarity problems as special cases, results proved in this paper continue to hold for these problems.

A Generalized Slave-Particle Method

Science.gov (United States)

Georgescu, Alexandru Bogdan; Ismail-Beigi, Sohrab

2015-03-01

Two slave-particle methods, namely the slave-rotor and the slave-spin approaches, have been of recent interest in the computational correlated electron community. Both methods solve Hubbard-type models and go beyond the single-particle approximations by describing aspects of correlated electron behavior in a computationally efficient manner. We present a generalized slave-particle formalism that connects the the two while reproducing the results of each method in the appropriate limit. The framework automatically corrects the problematic small U behavior of the slave-rotor approach while reproducing its behavior in situations where it has been found physically relevant (e.g., for nickelate heterostructures). This work is supported by the National Science Foundation through Grant MRSEC NSF DMR-1119826.

Edge detection methods based on generalized type-2 fuzzy logic

CERN Document Server

Gonzalez, Claudia I; Castro, Juan R; Castillo, Oscar

2017-01-01

In this book four new methods are proposed. In the first method the generalized type-2 fuzzy logic is combined with the morphological gra-dient technique. The second method combines the general type-2 fuzzy systems (GT2 FSs) and the Sobel operator; in the third approach the me-thodology based on Sobel operator and GT2 FSs is improved to be applied on color images. In the fourth approach, we proposed a novel edge detec-tion method where, a digital image is converted a generalized type-2 fuzzy image. In this book it is also included a comparative study of type-1, inter-val type-2 and generalized type-2 fuzzy systems as tools to enhance edge detection in digital images when used in conjunction with the morphologi-cal gradient and the Sobel operator. The proposed generalized type-2 fuzzy edge detection methods were tested with benchmark images and synthetic images, in a grayscale and color format. Another contribution in this book is that the generalized type-2 fuzzy edge detector method is applied in the preproc...

Multiple-time-stepping generalized hybrid Monte Carlo methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Escribano, Bruno, E-mail: bescribano@bcamath.org [BCAM—Basque Center for Applied Mathematics, E-48009 Bilbao (Spain); Akhmatskaya, Elena [BCAM—Basque Center for Applied Mathematics, E-48009 Bilbao (Spain); IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, E-48013 Bilbao (Spain); Reich, Sebastian [Universität Potsdam, Institut für Mathematik, D-14469 Potsdam (Germany); Azpiroz, Jon M. [Kimika Fakultatea, Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU) and Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), P.K. 1072, Donostia (Spain)

2015-01-01

Performance of the generalized shadow hybrid Monte Carlo (GSHMC) method [1], which proved to be superior in sampling efficiency over its predecessors [2–4], molecular dynamics and hybrid Monte Carlo, can be further improved by combining it with multi-time-stepping (MTS) and mollification of slow forces. We demonstrate that the comparatively simple modifications of the method not only lead to better performance of GSHMC itself but also allow for beating the best performed methods, which use the similar force splitting schemes. In addition we show that the same ideas can be successfully applied to the conventional generalized hybrid Monte Carlo method (GHMC). The resulting methods, MTS-GHMC and MTS-GSHMC, provide accurate reproduction of thermodynamic and dynamical properties, exact temperature control during simulation and computational robustness and efficiency. MTS-GHMC uses a generalized momentum update to achieve weak stochastic stabilization to the molecular dynamics (MD) integrator. MTS-GSHMC adds the use of a shadow (modified) Hamiltonian to filter the MD trajectories in the HMC scheme. We introduce a new shadow Hamiltonian formulation adapted to force-splitting methods. The use of such Hamiltonians improves the acceptance rate of trajectories and has a strong impact on the sampling efficiency of the method. Both methods were implemented in the open-source MD package ProtoMol and were tested on a water and a protein systems. Results were compared to those obtained using a Langevin Molly (LM) method [5] on the same systems. The test results demonstrate the superiority of the new methods over LM in terms of stability, accuracy and sampling efficiency. This suggests that putting the MTS approach in the framework of hybrid Monte Carlo and using the natural stochasticity offered by the generalized hybrid Monte Carlo lead to improving stability of MTS and allow for achieving larger step sizes in the simulation of complex systems.

Prospect on general software of Monte Carlo method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pei Lucheng

1992-01-01

This is a short paper on the prospect of Monte Carlo general software. The content consists of cluster sampling method, zero variance technique, self-improved method, and vectorized Monte Carlo method

A simple and rational numerical method of two-phase flow with volume-junction model. 2. The numerical method for general condition of two-phase flow in non-equilibrium states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okazaki, Motoaki

1997-11-01

In the previous report, the usefulness of a new numerical method to achieve a rigorous numerical calculation using a simple explicit method with the volume-junction model was presented with the verification calculation for the depressurization of a saturated two-phase mixture. In this report, on the basis of solution method above, a numerical method for general condition of two-phase flow in non-equilibrium states is presented. In general condition of two-phase flow, the combinations of saturated and non-saturated conditions of each phase are considered in the each flow of volume and junction. Numerical evaluation programs are separately prepared for each combination of flow condition. Several numerical calculations of various kinds of non-equilibrium two-phase flow are made to examine the validity of the numerical method. Calculated results showed that the thermodynamic states obtained in different solution schemes were consistent with each other. In the first scheme, the states are determined by using the steam table as a function of pressure and specific enthalpy which are obtained as the solutions of simultaneous equations. In the second scheme, density and specific enthalpy of each phase are directly calculated by using conservation equations of mass and enthalpy of each phase, respectively. Further, no accumulation of error in mass and energy was found. As for the specific enthalpy, two cases of using energy equations for the volume are examined. The first case uses total energy conservation equation and the second case uses the type of the first law of thermodynamics. The results of both cases agreed well. (author)

A Generalized Autocovariance Least-Squares Method for Covariance Estimation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Åkesson, Bernt Magnus; Jørgensen, John Bagterp; Poulsen, Niels Kjølstad

2007-01-01

A generalization of the autocovariance least- squares method for estimating noise covariances is presented. The method can estimate mutually correlated system and sensor noise and can be used with both the predicting and the filtering form of the Kalman filter.......A generalization of the autocovariance least- squares method for estimating noise covariances is presented. The method can estimate mutually correlated system and sensor noise and can be used with both the predicting and the filtering form of the Kalman filter....

Generalized Row-Action Methods for Tomographic Imaging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Martin Skovgaard; Hansen, Per Christian

2014-01-01

Row-action methods play an important role in tomographic image reconstruction. Many such methods can be viewed as incremental gradient methods for minimizing a sum of a large number of convex functions, and despite their relatively poor global rate of convergence, these methods often exhibit fast...... initial convergence which is desirable in applications where a low-accuracy solution is acceptable. In this paper, we propose relaxed variants of a class of incremental proximal gradient methods, and these variants generalize many existing row-action methods for tomographic imaging. Moreover, they allow...

Generalized empirical likelihood methods for analyzing longitudinal data

KAUST Repository

Wang, S.

2010-02-16

Efficient estimation of parameters is a major objective in analyzing longitudinal data. We propose two generalized empirical likelihood based methods that take into consideration within-subject correlations. A nonparametric version of the Wilks theorem for the limiting distributions of the empirical likelihood ratios is derived. It is shown that one of the proposed methods is locally efficient among a class of within-subject variance-covariance matrices. A simulation study is conducted to investigate the finite sample properties of the proposed methods and compare them with the block empirical likelihood method by You et al. (2006) and the normal approximation with a correctly estimated variance-covariance. The results suggest that the proposed methods are generally more efficient than existing methods which ignore the correlation structure, and better in coverage compared to the normal approximation with correctly specified within-subject correlation. An application illustrating our methods and supporting the simulation study results is also presented.

Stochastic Generalized Method of Moments

KAUST Repository

Yin, Guosheng; Ma, Yanyuan; Liang, Faming; Yuan, Ying

2011-01-01

The generalized method of moments (GMM) is a very popular estimation and inference procedure based on moment conditions. When likelihood-based methods are difficult to implement, one can often derive various moment conditions and construct the GMM objective function. However, minimization of the objective function in the GMM may be challenging, especially over a large parameter space. Due to the special structure of the GMM, we propose a new sampling-based algorithm, the stochastic GMM sampler, which replaces the multivariate minimization problem by a series of conditional sampling procedures. We develop the theoretical properties of the proposed iterative Monte Carlo method, and demonstrate its superior performance over other GMM estimation procedures in simulation studies. As an illustration, we apply the stochastic GMM sampler to a Medfly life longevity study. Supplemental materials for the article are available online. © 2011 American Statistical Association.

Stochastic Generalized Method of Moments

KAUST Repository

Yin, Guosheng

2011-08-16

The generalized method of moments (GMM) is a very popular estimation and inference procedure based on moment conditions. When likelihood-based methods are difficult to implement, one can often derive various moment conditions and construct the GMM objective function. However, minimization of the objective function in the GMM may be challenging, especially over a large parameter space. Due to the special structure of the GMM, we propose a new sampling-based algorithm, the stochastic GMM sampler, which replaces the multivariate minimization problem by a series of conditional sampling procedures. We develop the theoretical properties of the proposed iterative Monte Carlo method, and demonstrate its superior performance over other GMM estimation procedures in simulation studies. As an illustration, we apply the stochastic GMM sampler to a Medfly life longevity study. Supplemental materials for the article are available online. © 2011 American Statistical Association.

some generalized two-step block hybrid numerov method for solving ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Nwokem et al.

ABSTRACT. This paper proposes a class of generalized two-step Numerov methods, a block hybrid type for the direct solution of general second order ordinary differential equations. Both the main method and additional methods were derived via interpolation and collocation procedures. The basic properties of zero ...

General method for designing wave shape transformers.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Hua; Qu, Shaobo; Xu, Zhuo; Wang, Jiafu

2008-12-22

An effective method for designing wave shape transformers (WSTs) is investigated by adopting the coordinate transformation theory. Following this method, the devices employed to transform electromagnetic (EM) wave fronts from one style with arbitrary shape and size to another style, can be designed. To verify this method, three examples in 2D spaces are also presented. Compared with the methods proposed in other literatures, this method offers the general procedure in designing WSTs, and thus is of great importance for the potential and practical applications possessed by such kinds of devices.

Generalized direct Lyapunov method for the analysis of stability and attraction in general time systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Druzhinina, O V; Shestakov, A A

2002-01-01

A generalized direct Lyapunov method is put forward for the study of stability and attraction in general time systems of the following types: the classical dynamical system in the sense of Birkhoff, the general system in the sense of Zubov, the general system in the sense of Seibert, the general system with delay, and the general 'input-output' system. For such systems, with the help of generalized Lyapunov functions with respect to two filters, two quasifilters, or two filter bases, necessary and sufficient conditions for stability and attraction are obtained under minimal assumptions about the mathematical structure of the general system

Generalized Expression for Polarization Density

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Lu; Hahm, T.S.

2009-01-01

A general polarization density which consists of classical and neoclassical parts is systematically derived via modern gyrokinetics and bounce-kinetics by employing a phase-space Lagrangian Lie-transform perturbation method. The origins of polarization density are further elucidated. Extending the work on neoclassical polarization for long wavelength compared to ion banana width [M. N. Rosenbluth and F. L. Hinton, Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 724 (1998)], an analytical formula for the generalized neoclassical polarization including both finite-banana-width (FBW) and finite-Larmor-radius (FLR) effects for arbitrary radial wavelength in comparison to banana width and gyroradius is derived. In additional to the contribution from trapped particles, the contribution of passing particles to the neoclassical polarization is also explicitly calculated. Our analytic expression agrees very well with the previous numerical results for a wide range of radial wavelength.

Benzodiazepine prescribing behaviour and attitudes: a survey among general practitioners practicing in northern Thailand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Critchley Julia

2005-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Over-prescribing of benzodiazepines appears common in many countries, a better understanding of prescribing practices and attitudes may help develop strategies to reduce prescribing. This study aimed to evaluate benzodiazepine prescribing behaviour and attitudes in general practitioners practising in Chiang Mai and Lampoon, Thailand. Methods Questionnaire survey of general practitioners in community hospitals, to estimate: i use of benzodiazepines for anxiety/insomnia, panic disorder, depression, essential hypertension, and uncomplicated low back pain and ii views on the optimal duration of benzodiazepine use. Results Fifty-five of 100 general practitioners returned the completed questionnaires. They reported use of benzodiazepines for anxiety/insomnia (n = 51, 93%, panic disorder (n = 43, 78%, depression (n = 26, 43%, essential hypertension (n = 15, 27 % and uncomplicated low back pain (n = 10, 18%. Twenty-eight general practitioners would prescribe benzodiazepines for non-psychiatric conditions, 17 for use as muscle relaxants. Seventy-five per cent, 62% and 29% of the general practitioners agreed or totally agreed with the use of benzodiazepines for insomnia, anxiety and depression, respectively. Practitioners agreed that prescribing should be less than one week (80%; or from 1 week to 1 month (47%; or 1 to 4 months (16%; or 4 to 6 months (5% or more than 6 months (2%. Twenty-five general practitioners (45% accepted that they used benzodiazepines excessively in the past year. Conclusion A considerable proportion of general practitioners in Chiang Mai and Lampoon, Thailand inappropriately use benzodiazepines for physical illnesses, especially essential hypertension and uncomplicated low back pain. However, almost half of them thought that they overused benzodiazepines. General practitioner's lack of time, knowledge and skills should be taken into account in improving prescribing behaviour and attitudes.

12 CFR 334.25 - Reasonable and simple methods of opting out.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... STATEMENTS OF GENERAL POLICY FAIR CREDIT REPORTING Affiliate Marketing § 334.25 Reasonable and simple methods... or processed at an Internet Web site, if the consumer agrees to the electronic delivery of... opt-out under the Act, and the affiliate marketing opt-out under the Act, by a single method, such as...

ARCO and Sun agree to settle Iranian claims

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1992-01-01

This paper reports that ARCO and Sun Co. Inc. have agreed to separate settlements totaling almost $261 million that resolve their claims over oil field assets expropriated by Iran in 1978--80. The agreements are subject to approval by the Iran-U.S. claims tribunal at The Hague. The tribunal was set up in 1981 to resolve foreign claims to assets nationalized by the government of Ayatollah Khomeini following the fall of the Shah of Iran as a result of the 1978-79 Iranian revolution. The settlements are seen as the latest steps Iran has taken to normalize relations with the U.S., notably through petroleum related deals

Generalization of the ERIT Principle and Method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruggiero, A.

2008-01-01

The paper describes the generalization of the method to produce secondary particles with a low-energy and low-intensity primary beam circulating in a Storage Ring with the Emittance-Recovery by Internal-Target (ERIT)

A novel cadaver-based educational program in general surgery training.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Catherine E; Peacock, Warwick J; Tillou, Areti; Hines, O Joe; Hiatt, Jonathan R

2012-01-01

To describe the development of a cadaver-based educational program and report our residents' assessment of the new program. An anatomy-based educational program was developed using fresh frozen cadavers to teach surgical anatomy and operative skills to general surgery (GS) trainees. Residents were asked to complete a voluntary, anonymous survey evaluating perceptions of the program (6 questions formulated on a 5-point Likert scale) and comparing cadaver sessions to other types of learning (4 rank order questions). Large university teaching hospital. Medical students, residents, and faculty members were participants in the cadaver programs. Only GS residents were asked to complete the survey. Since its implementation, 150 residents of all levels participated in 13 sessions. A total of 40 surveys were returned for a response rate of 89%. Overall, respondents held a positive view of the cadaver sessions and believed them to be useful for learning anatomy (94% agree or strongly agree), learning the steps of an operation (76% agree or strongly agree), and increasing confidence in doing an operation (53% agree or strongly agree). Trainees wanted to have more sessions (87% agree or strongly agree), and believed they would spend free time in the cadaver laboratory (58% agree or strongly agree). Compared with other learning modalities, cadaver sessions were ranked first for learning surgical anatomy, followed by textbooks, simulators, web sites, animate laboratories, and lectures. Respondents also ranked cadaver sessions first for increasing confidence in performing a procedure and for learning the steps of an operation. Cost of cadavers represented the major expense of the program. Fresh cadaver dissections represent a solution to the challenges of efficient, safe, and effective general surgery education. Residents have a positive attitude toward these teaching sessions and found them to be more effective than other learning modalities. Copyright © 2012 Association of

Generalized multiscale finite element methods: Oversampling strategies

KAUST Repository

Efendiev, Yalchin R.; Galvis, Juan; Li, Guanglian; Presho, Michael

2014-01-01

In this paper, we propose oversampling strategies in the generalized multiscale finite element method (GMsFEM) framework. The GMsFEM, which has been recently introduced in Efendiev et al. (2013b) [Generalized Multiscale Finite Element Methods, J. Comput. Phys., vol. 251, pp. 116-135, 2013], allows solving multiscale parameter-dependent problems at a reduced computational cost by constructing a reduced-order representation of the solution on a coarse grid. The main idea of the method consists of (1) the construction of snapshot space, (2) the construction of the offline space, and (3) construction of the online space (the latter for parameter-dependent problems). In Efendiev et al. (2013b) [Generalized Multiscale Finite Element Methods, J. Comput. Phys., vol. 251, pp. 116-135, 2013], it was shown that the GMsFEM provides a flexible tool to solve multiscale problems with a complex input space by generating appropriate snapshot, offline, and online spaces. In this paper, we develop oversampling techniques to be used in this context (see Hou and Wu (1997) where oversampling is introduced for multiscale finite element methods). It is known (see Hou and Wu (1997)) that the oversampling can improve the accuracy of multiscale methods. In particular, the oversampling technique uses larger regions (larger than the target coarse block) in constructing local basis functions. Our motivation stems from the analysis presented in this paper, which shows that when using oversampling techniques in the construction of the snapshot space and offline space, GMsFEM will converge independent of small scales and high contrast under certain assumptions. We consider the use of a multiple eigenvalue problems to improve the convergence and discuss their relation to single spectral problems that use oversampled regions. The oversampling procedures proposed in this paper differ from those in Hou and Wu (1997). In particular, the oversampling domains are partially used in constructing local

Decisions to Perform Emergency Caesarean Sections at a University Hospital; Do obstetricians agree?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gowri Vaidyanathan

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Objectives: This study was undertaken to assess the degree of agreement amongst obstetricians regarding decisions to perform emergency Caesarean section (CS procedures at a university hospital. Methods: This retrospective clinical audit was carried out on 50 consecutive emergency CS procedures performed between November 2012 and March 2013 on women with singleton pregnancies at the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital in Muscat, Oman. Data on each procedure were collected from electronic patient records and independently reviewed by six senior obstetricians to determine agreement with the decision. Results: Of the 50 women who underwent CS procedures, the mean age was 28.9 ± 5.1 years and 48% were primigravidae. A total of 65% of the CS procedures were category I. The most common indications for a CS was a non-reassuring fetal heart trace (40% and dystocia (32%. There was complete agreement on the decision to perform 62% of the CS procedures. Five and four obstetricians agreed on 80% and 95% of the procedures, respectively. The range of disagreement was 4–20%. Disagreement occurred primarily with category II and III procedures compared to category I. Additionally, disagreement occurred in cases where the fetal heart trace pattern was interpreted as an indication for a category II CS. Conclusion: The majority of obstetricians agreed on the decisions to perform 94% of the emergency CS procedures. Obstetric decision-making could be improved with the implementation of fetal scalp pH testing facilities, fetal heart trace interpretation training and cardiotocography review meetings.

States agree on stronger physical protection regime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

Full text: Delegates from 89 countries agreed on 8 July to fundamental changes that will substantially strengthen the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM). IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei welcomed the agreement in saying 'This new and stronger treaty is an important step towards greater nuclear security by combating, preventing, and ultimately punishing those who would engage in nuclear theft, sabotage or even terrorism. It demonstrates that there is indeed a global commitment to remedy weaknesses in our nuclear security regime.' The amended CPPNM makes it legally binding for States Parties to protect nuclear facilities and material in peaceful domestic use, storage as well as transport. It will also provide for expanded cooperation between and among States regarding rapid measures to locate and recover stolen or smuggled nuclear material, mitigate any radiological consequences of sabotage, and prevent and combat related offences. The original CPPNM applied only to nuclear material in international transport. Conference President Dr. Alec Baer said 'All 89 delegations demonstrated real unity of purpose. They put aside some very genuine national concerns in favour of the global interest and the result is a much improved convention that is better suited to addressing the nuclear security challenges we currently face.' The new rules will come into effect once they have been ratified by two-thirds of the 112 States Parties of the Convention, expected to take several years. 'But concrete actions are already taking place around the world. For more than 3 years, the IAEA has been implementing a systematic Nuclear Security plan, including physical protection activities designed to prevent, detect and respond to malicious acts,' said Anita Nillson, Director of the IAEA's Office of Nuclear Security. The Agency's Nuclear Security Fund, set up after the events of 9/11, has delivered $19.5 million in practical assistance to 121 countries

Pediatric dentists' perspective of general dentists' role in treating children aged 0-3 years.

Science.gov (United States)

Coe, Julie M; Razdan, Shinjni; Best, Al M; Brickhouse, Tegwyn H

2017-01-01

This study examined pediatric dentists' perspectives on the types of dental services general dentists provide to children who are 0-3 years old. A web-based survey was sent to 5185 pediatric dentists and 769 (14.8%) responded. Among the respondents, 58% agreed with general dentists' providing an age 1 dental visit. Only 24% agreed with general dentists' performing complex behavior management techniques, such as sedation, to patients aged 0-3 years. Those respondents who taught pediatric dentistry full time were more likely to agree with general dentists' providing an age 1 dental visit (P = 0.0088). Those who reported that their own dental school had adequately prepared them for this type of age 1 visit were also more in agreement (P pediatric dentists' perceptions of the level of collaboration between general dentists and pediatric dentists; the types of oral health services general dentists can provide for children aged 0-3 years; and the anticipated level of competency of entry-level general dentists.

Do you agree with the doctor's decision to continue treatment?: A scenario-based study of hospital nurses in Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francesca Ingravallo

2015-12-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: A lack of social consensus on the duty to comply with a patient's request to forgo treatment was reported in Italy, but little is known about the nurses' attitudes regarding this issue. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Questionnaire including two clinical scenarios regarding doctor's decision to not comply with a competent patient's request to forgo treatment was administered to all nurses (n = 487 of an Italian medium-sized hospital. RESULTS: Eighty-five percent of nurses completed the study. Although 83% of participants supported a general right to self-determination, around 40% of them agreed with the doctor's decision in both scenarios. The multivariate analyses adjusted for gender, age, length of professional experience, and care setting showed that the agreement with the doctor's decision was significantly associated with nurses' personal background beliefs about self-determination and quality of life. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Many nurses have difficulty in accepting a patient's request to forgo treatment. Increasing ethical reflection and discussion at both educational and professional level, and introducing ethical consultation services would be essential to develop a consistent approach to end-of-life decisions in Italian hospitals.

26 CFR 1.446-1 - General rule for methods of accounting.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

.... Although a method of accounting may exist under this definition without the necessity of a pattern of... 26 Internal Revenue 6 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false General rule for methods of accounting. 1.446-1... TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Methods of Accounting § 1.446-1 General rule for methods of accounting...

Autoionizing states of atoms calculated using generalized sturmians

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Avery, James Emil; Avery, John Scales

2005-01-01

The generalized Sturmian method is applied to autoionizing states of atoms and ions. If the Goscinskian basis sets allow for a sufficient amount of angular correletion, the calculated energies of doubly-excited (autoionizing) states are found to agree well with the few available experimental...... energies. A large-Z approximation is discussed, and simple formulas are derived which are valid not only for autoionizing states, but for all states of an isoelectronic atomic series. Diagonalization of a small block of the interelectron repulsion matrix yields roots that can be used for a wide range of Z...

Generalized perturbation theory using two-dimensional, discrete ordinates transport theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Childs, R.L.

1979-01-01

Perturbation theory for changes in linear and bilinear functionals of the forward and adjoint fluxes in a critical reactor has been implemented using two-dimensional discrete ordinates transport theory. The computer program DOT IV was modified to calculate the generalized functions Λ and Λ*. Demonstration calculations were performed for changes in a reaction-rate ratio and a reactivity worth caused by system perturbations. The perturbation theory predictions agreed with direct calculations to within about 2%. A method has been developed for calculating higher lambda eigenvalues and eigenfunctions using techniques similar to those developed for generalized functions. Demonstration calculations have been performed to obtain these eigenfunctions

Equivalence of the generalized and complex Kohn variational methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cooper, J N; Armour, E A G [School of Mathematical Sciences, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD (United Kingdom); Plummer, M, E-mail: pmxjnc@googlemail.co [STFC Daresbury Laboratory, Daresbury, Warrington, Cheshire WA4 4AD (United Kingdom)

2010-04-30

For Kohn variational calculations on low energy (e{sup +} - H{sub 2}) elastic scattering, we prove that the phase shift approximation, obtained using the complex Kohn method, is precisely equal to a value which can be obtained immediately via the real-generalized Kohn method. Our treatment is sufficiently general to be applied directly to arbitrary potential scattering or single open channel scattering problems, with exchange if required. In the course of our analysis, we develop a framework formally to describe the anomalous behaviour of our generalized Kohn calculations in the regions of the well-known Schwartz singularities. This framework also explains the mathematical origin of the anomaly-free singularities we reported in a previous article. Moreover, we demonstrate a novelty: that explicit solutions of the Kohn equations are not required in order to calculate optimal phase shift approximations. We relate our rigorous framework to earlier descriptions of the Kohn-type methods.

Equivalence of the generalized and complex Kohn variational methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cooper, J N; Armour, E A G; Plummer, M

2010-01-01

For Kohn variational calculations on low energy (e + - H 2 ) elastic scattering, we prove that the phase shift approximation, obtained using the complex Kohn method, is precisely equal to a value which can be obtained immediately via the real-generalized Kohn method. Our treatment is sufficiently general to be applied directly to arbitrary potential scattering or single open channel scattering problems, with exchange if required. In the course of our analysis, we develop a framework formally to describe the anomalous behaviour of our generalized Kohn calculations in the regions of the well-known Schwartz singularities. This framework also explains the mathematical origin of the anomaly-free singularities we reported in a previous article. Moreover, we demonstrate a novelty: that explicit solutions of the Kohn equations are not required in order to calculate optimal phase shift approximations. We relate our rigorous framework to earlier descriptions of the Kohn-type methods.

Primal Interior Point Method for Minimization of Generalized Minimax Functions

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lukšan, Ladislav; Matonoha, Ctirad; Vlček, Jan

2010-01-01

Roč. 46, č. 4 (2010), s. 697-721 ISSN 0023-5954 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA201/09/1957 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10300504 Keywords : unconstrained optimization * large-scale optimization * nonsmooth optimization * generalized minimax optimization * interior-point methods * modified Newton methods * variable metric methods * global convergence * computational experiments Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.461, year: 2010 http://dml.cz/handle/10338.dmlcz/140779

Spray-on-skin cells in burns: a common practice with no agreed protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Allouni, Ammar; Papini, Remo; Lewis, Darren

2013-11-01

Cultured epithelial autograft (CEA) has been used for skin coverage after burn wound excision since 1981. It is used in burn units and centres throughout the U.K.; however, there appears to be no agreed standards of practice. We aimed to investigate the experience and current practice with its usage in the management of acute burn injury. An online survey was sent to twenty-five burns consultants in the U.K., who are members of the British Burn Association. We received 14 responses. Rarely have the responders agreed to the same practice in most of the questions. Different choices were given by responders with regards the indications for cell culture, techniques used, primary and secondary dressings used, first wound review timing, and measures used to evaluate outcomes. In the current economic environment, the NHS needs to rationalize services on the basis of cost effectiveness. CEA is an expensive procedure that requires an adequately sterile laboratory, special equipments and highly experienced dedicated staff. When dealing with expensive management options, it is important to have an agreed protocol that can form the standard that can be referred to when auditing practices and results to improve burn management and patients' care. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Generalized multiscale finite element methods (GMsFEM)

KAUST Repository

Efendiev, Yalchin R.; Galvis, Juan; Hou, Thomasyizhao

2013-01-01

In this paper, we propose a general approach called Generalized Multiscale Finite Element Method (GMsFEM) for performing multiscale simulations for problems without scale separation over a complex input space. As in multiscale finite element methods (MsFEMs), the main idea of the proposed approach is to construct a small dimensional local solution space that can be used to generate an efficient and accurate approximation to the multiscale solution with a potentially high dimensional input parameter space. In the proposed approach, we present a general procedure to construct the offline space that is used for a systematic enrichment of the coarse solution space in the online stage. The enrichment in the online stage is performed based on a spectral decomposition of the offline space. In the online stage, for any input parameter, a multiscale space is constructed to solve the global problem on a coarse grid. The online space is constructed via a spectral decomposition of the offline space and by choosing the eigenvectors corresponding to the largest eigenvalues. The computational saving is due to the fact that the construction of the online multiscale space for any input parameter is fast and this space can be re-used for solving the forward problem with any forcing and boundary condition. Compared with the other approaches where global snapshots are used, the local approach that we present in this paper allows us to eliminate unnecessary degrees of freedom on a coarse-grid level. We present various examples in the paper and some numerical results to demonstrate the effectiveness of our method. © 2013 Elsevier Inc.

Generalized multiscale finite element methods (GMsFEM)

KAUST Repository

Efendiev, Yalchin R.

2013-10-01

In this paper, we propose a general approach called Generalized Multiscale Finite Element Method (GMsFEM) for performing multiscale simulations for problems without scale separation over a complex input space. As in multiscale finite element methods (MsFEMs), the main idea of the proposed approach is to construct a small dimensional local solution space that can be used to generate an efficient and accurate approximation to the multiscale solution with a potentially high dimensional input parameter space. In the proposed approach, we present a general procedure to construct the offline space that is used for a systematic enrichment of the coarse solution space in the online stage. The enrichment in the online stage is performed based on a spectral decomposition of the offline space. In the online stage, for any input parameter, a multiscale space is constructed to solve the global problem on a coarse grid. The online space is constructed via a spectral decomposition of the offline space and by choosing the eigenvectors corresponding to the largest eigenvalues. The computational saving is due to the fact that the construction of the online multiscale space for any input parameter is fast and this space can be re-used for solving the forward problem with any forcing and boundary condition. Compared with the other approaches where global snapshots are used, the local approach that we present in this paper allows us to eliminate unnecessary degrees of freedom on a coarse-grid level. We present various examples in the paper and some numerical results to demonstrate the effectiveness of our method. © 2013 Elsevier Inc.

IAEA and EU Review Progress on Cooperation, Agree on Next Steps at Annual Meeting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2018-01-01

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the European Union (EU) reviewed progress achieved in working together on a range of nuclear activities and agreed to further enhance cooperation during their sixth annual Senior Officials Meeting in Vienna. The talks on 8 February at the IAEA’s headquarters provided a forum for exchanging views on strengthening collaboration on nuclear safety, security, safeguards, sustainable development, nuclear energy research and increasing innovation. The two organizations welcomed the fruitful cooperation and progress achieved over the past years. They agreed to deepen cooperation in several areas, particularly in the promotion of nuclear applications for sustainable development.

Application of the Generalized Differential Quadrature Method in Solving Burgers' Equations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mokhtari, R.; Toodar, A. Samadi; Chegini, N.G.

2011-01-01

The aim of this paper is to obtain numerical solutions of the one-dimensional, two-dimensional and coupled Burgers' equations through the generalized differential quadrature method (GDQM). The polynomial-based differential quadrature (PDQ) method is employed and the obtained system of ordinary differential equations is solved via the total variation diminishing Runge-Kutta (TVD-RK) method. The numerical solutions are satisfactorily coincident with the exact solutions. The method can compete against the methods applied in the literature. (general)

Generalized Truncated Methods for an Efficient Solution of Retrial Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ma Jose Domenech-Benlloch

2008-01-01

Full Text Available We are concerned with the analytic solution of multiserver retrial queues including the impatience phenomenon. As there are not closed-form solutions to these systems, approximate methods are required. We propose two different generalized truncated methods to effectively solve this type of systems. The methods proposed are based on the homogenization of the state space beyond a given number of users in the retrial orbit. We compare the proposed methods with the most well-known methods appeared in the literature in a wide range of scenarios. We conclude that the proposed methods generally outperform previous proposals in terms of accuracy for the most common performance parameters used in retrial systems with a moderated growth in the computational cost.

A generalized auxiliary equation method and its application to nonlinear Klein-Gordon and generalized nonlinear Camassa-Holm equations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yomba, Emmanuel

2008-01-01

With the aid of symbolic computation, a generalized auxiliary equation method is proposed to construct more general exact solutions to two types of NLPDEs. First, we present new family of solutions to a nonlinear Klein-Gordon equation, by using this auxiliary equation method including a new first-order nonlinear ODE with six-degree nonlinear term proposed by Sirendaoreji. Then, we apply an indirect F-function method very close to the F-expansion method to solve the generalized Camassa-Holm equation with fully nonlinear dispersion and fully nonlinear convection C(l,n,p). Taking advantage of the new first-order nonlinear ODE with six degree nonlinear term, this indirect F-function method is used to map the solutions of C(l,n,p) equations to those of that nonlinear ODE. As a result, we can successfully obtain in a unified way, many exact solutions

General Methods for Evolutionary Quantitative Genetic Inference from Generalized Mixed Models.

Science.gov (United States)

de Villemereuil, Pierre; Schielzeth, Holger; Nakagawa, Shinichi; Morrissey, Michael

2016-11-01

Methods for inference and interpretation of evolutionary quantitative genetic parameters, and for prediction of the response to selection, are best developed for traits with normal distributions. Many traits of evolutionary interest, including many life history and behavioral traits, have inherently nonnormal distributions. The generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) framework has become a widely used tool for estimating quantitative genetic parameters for nonnormal traits. However, whereas GLMMs provide inference on a statistically convenient latent scale, it is often desirable to express quantitative genetic parameters on the scale upon which traits are measured. The parameters of fitted GLMMs, despite being on a latent scale, fully determine all quantities of potential interest on the scale on which traits are expressed. We provide expressions for deriving each of such quantities, including population means, phenotypic (co)variances, variance components including additive genetic (co)variances, and parameters such as heritability. We demonstrate that fixed effects have a strong impact on those parameters and show how to deal with this by averaging or integrating over fixed effects. The expressions require integration of quantities determined by the link function, over distributions of latent values. In general cases, the required integrals must be solved numerically, but efficient methods are available and we provide an implementation in an R package, QGglmm. We show that known formulas for quantities such as heritability of traits with binomial and Poisson distributions are special cases of our expressions. Additionally, we show how fitted GLMM can be incorporated into existing methods for predicting evolutionary trajectories. We demonstrate the accuracy of the resulting method for evolutionary prediction by simulation and apply our approach to data from a wild pedigreed vertebrate population. Copyright © 2016 de Villemereuil et al.

[How to assess clinical practice guidelines with AGREE II: The example of neonatal jaundice].

Science.gov (United States)

Renesme, L; Bedu, A; Tourneux, P; Truffert, P

2016-03-01

Neonatal jaundice is a very frequent condition that occurs in approximately 50-70% of term or near-term (>35 GA) babies in the 1st week of life. In some cases, a high bilirubin blood level can lead to kernicterus. There is no consensus for the management of neonatal jaundice and few countries have published national clinical practice guidelines for the management of neonatal jaundice. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of these guidelines. We conducted a systematic review of the literature for national clinical practice guidelines for the management of neonatal jaundice in term or near-term babies. Four independent reviewers assessed the quality of each guideline using the AGREE II evaluation. For each of the clinical practice guidelines, the management modalities were analyzed (screening, treatment, follow-up, etc.). Seven national clinical practice guidelines were found (South Africa, USA AAP, UK NICE, Canada, Norway, Switzerland, and Israel). The AGREE II score showed widespread variation regarding the quality of these national guidelines. There was no major difference between the guidelines concerning the clinical management of these babies. The NICE guideline is the most valuable guideline regarding the AGREE II score. NICE showed that, despite a strong and rigorous methodology, there is no evidenced-based recommended code of practice (RCP). Comparing RCPs, we found no major differences. The NICE guideline showed the best quality. The AGREE II instrument should be used as a framework when developing clinical practice guidelines to improve the quality of the future guideline. In France, a national guideline is needed for a more standardized management of neonatal jaundice. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Computation of Optimal Monotonicity Preserving General Linear Methods

KAUST Repository

Ketcheson, David I.

2009-07-01

Monotonicity preserving numerical methods for ordinary differential equations prevent the growth of propagated errors and preserve convex boundedness properties of the solution. We formulate the problem of finding optimal monotonicity preserving general linear methods for linear autonomous equations, and propose an efficient algorithm for its solution. This algorithm reliably finds optimal methods even among classes involving very high order accuracy and that use many steps and/or stages. The optimality of some recently proposed methods is verified, and many more efficient methods are found. We use similar algorithms to find optimal strong stability preserving linear multistep methods of both explicit and implicit type, including methods for hyperbolic PDEs that use downwind-biased operators.

Generalized empirical likelihood methods for analyzing longitudinal data

KAUST Repository

Wang, S.; Qian, L.; Carroll, R. J.

2010-01-01

Efficient estimation of parameters is a major objective in analyzing longitudinal data. We propose two generalized empirical likelihood based methods that take into consideration within-subject correlations. A nonparametric version of the Wilks

Scaled MP3 non-covalent interaction energies agree closely with accurate CCSD(T) benchmark data.

Science.gov (United States)

Pitonák, Michal; Neogrády, Pavel; Cerný, Jirí; Grimme, Stefan; Hobza, Pavel

2009-01-12

Scaled MP3 interaction energies calculated as a sum of MP2/CBS (complete basis set limit) interaction energies and scaled third-order energy contributions obtained in small or medium size basis sets agree very closely with the estimated CCSD(T)/CBS interaction energies for the 22 H-bonded, dispersion-controlled and mixed non-covalent complexes from the S22 data set. Performance of this so-called MP2.5 (third-order scaling factor of 0.5) method has also been tested for 33 nucleic acid base pairs and two stacked conformers of porphine dimer. In all the test cases, performance of the MP2.5 method was shown to be superior to the scaled spin-component MP2 based methods, e.g. SCS-MP2, SCSN-MP2 and SCS(MI)-MP2. In particular, a very balanced treatment of hydrogen-bonded compared to stacked complexes is achieved with MP2.5. The main advantage of the approach is that it employs only a single empirical parameter and is thus biased by two rigorously defined, asymptotically correct ab-initio methods, MP2 and MP3. The method is proposed as an accurate but computationally feasible alternative to CCSD(T) for the computation of the properties of various kinds of non-covalently bound systems.

Homotopy Method for a General Multiobjective Programming Problem under Generalized Quasinormal Cone Condition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

X. Zhao

2012-01-01

Full Text Available A combined interior point homotopy continuation method is proposed for solving general multiobjective programming problem. We prove the existence and convergence of a smooth homotopy path from almost any interior initial interior point to a solution of the KKT system under some basic assumptions.

A Generalized Runge-Kutta Method of order three

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Per Grove

2002-01-01

The report presents a numerical method for the solution of stiff systems of ODE's and index one DAE's. The type of method is a 4- stage Generalized Linear Method that is reformulated in a special Semi Implicit Runge Kutta Method of SDIRK type. Error estimation is by imbedding a method of order 4...... based on the same stages as the method and the coefficients are selected for ease of implementation. The method has 4 stages and the stage-order is 2. For purposes of generating dense output and for initializing the iteration in the internal stages a continuous extension is derived. The method is A......-stable and we present the region of absolute stability and the order star of the order 3 method that is used for computing the solution....

A hyperpower iterative method for computing the generalized Drazin ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Shwetabh Srivastava

[6, 7]. A number of direct and iterative methods for com- putation of the Drazin inverse were developed in [8–12]. Its extension to Banach algebras is known as the generalized Drazin inverse and was established in [13]. Let J denote the complex. Banach algebra with the unit 1. The generalized Drazin inverse of an element ...

Patients and physicians agree only partially in symptoms and clinical findings before and after treatment for varicose veins

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klitfod, Lotte; Sillesen, Henrik; Jensen, Leif Panduro

2018-01-01

findings. Methods In the period January-March 2011, 379 legs in 287 patients treated for varicose veins were registered in the Danish Clinical Vein Database and compared to the Aberdeen Varicose Vein Questionnaire. Results Patients and physicians agreed in reduction of symptoms after intervention with one...... or more complaints still present in 128 (93%) patients according to Aberdeen Varicose Vein Questionnaire compared to the Danish Clinical Vein Database with only 64 (47%) patients. Patients reported cosmetic complaints and teleangiectasies both before and after treatment (p 

On Extended Exponential General Linear Methods PSQ with S>Q ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper is concerned with the construction and Numerical Analysis of Extended Exponential General Linear Methods. These methods, in contrast to other methods in literatures, consider methods with the step greater than the stage order (S>Q).Numerical experiments in this study, indicate that Extended Exponential ...

A general first-order global sensitivity analysis method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Chonggang; Gertner, George Zdzislaw

2008-01-01

Fourier amplitude sensitivity test (FAST) is one of the most popular global sensitivity analysis techniques. The main mechanism of FAST is to assign each parameter with a characteristic frequency through a search function. Then, for a specific parameter, the variance contribution can be singled out of the model output by the characteristic frequency. Although FAST has been widely applied, there are two limitations: (1) the aliasing effect among parameters by using integer characteristic frequencies and (2) the suitability for only models with independent parameters. In this paper, we synthesize the improvement to overcome the aliasing effect limitation [Tarantola S, Gatelli D, Mara TA. Random balance designs for the estimation of first order global sensitivity indices. Reliab Eng Syst Safety 2006; 91(6):717-27] and the improvement to overcome the independence limitation [Xu C, Gertner G. Extending a global sensitivity analysis technique to models with correlated parameters. Comput Stat Data Anal 2007, accepted for publication]. In this way, FAST can be a general first-order global sensitivity analysis method for linear/nonlinear models with as many correlated/uncorrelated parameters as the user specifies. We apply the general FAST to four test cases with correlated parameters. The results show that the sensitivity indices derived by the general FAST are in good agreement with the sensitivity indices derived by the correlation ratio method, which is a non-parametric method for models with correlated parameters

Multi-symplectic Preissmann methods for generalized Zakharov-Kuznetsov equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Junjie; Yang Kuande; Wang Liantang

2012-01-01

Generalized Zakharov-Kuznetsov equation, a typical nonlinear wave equation, was studied based on the multi-symplectic theory in Hamilton space. The multi-symplectic formulations of generalized Zakharov-Kuznetsov equation with several conservation laws are presented. The multi-symplectic Preissmann method is used to discretize the formulations. The numerical experiment is given, and the results verify the efficiency of the multi-symplectic scheme. (authors)

New German abortion law agreed.

Science.gov (United States)

Karcher, H L

1995-07-15

The German Bundestag has passed a compromise abortion law that makes an abortion performed within the first three months of pregnancy an unlawful but unpunishable act if the woman has sought independent counseling first. Article 218 of the German penal code, which was established in 1871 under Otto von Bismarck, had allowed abortions for certain medical or ethical reasons. After the end of the first world war, the Social Democrats tried to legalize all abortions performed in the first three months of pregnancy, but failed. In 1974, abortion on demand during the first 12 weeks was declared legal and unpunishable under the social liberal coalition government of chancellor Willy Brandt; however, the same year, the German Federal Constitution Court in Karlsruhe ruled the bill was incompatible with article 2 of the constitution, which guarantees the right to life and freedom from bodily harm to everyone, including the unborn. The highest German court also ruled that a pregnant woman had to seek a second opinion from an independent doctor before undergoing an abortion. A new, extended article 218, which included a clause giving social indications, was passed by the Bundestag. When Germany was unified, East Germans agreed to be governed by all West German laws, except article 218. The Bundestag was given 2 years to revise the article; however, in 1993, the Federal Constitution Court rejected a version legalizing abortion in the first 3 months of the pregnancy if the woman sought counsel from an independent physician, and suggested the recent compromise passed by the Bundestag, the lower house of the German parliament. The upper house, the Bundesrat, where the Social Democrats are in the majority, still has to pass it. Under the bill passed by the Bundestag, national health insurance will pay for an abortion if the monthly income of the woman seeking the abortion falls under a certain limit.

The 'Falling Box' method in general relativity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gladush, V.D.

1998-01-01

The problems of justification, generalization, and applicability of the 'falling box' method to obtained some exact solutions of the vacuum Einstein equations are investigated. The 'physical' inference of the Reissner-Nordstrom-de Sitter and Kerr metrics is shown. Explanation is given for the well-known relativistic phenomenon which consists in that gravity is created by the double density of the electrical field energy

New Implicit General Linear Method | Ibrahim | Journal of the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A New implicit general linear method is designed for the numerical olution of stiff differential Equations. The coefficients matrix is derived from the stability function. The method combines the single-implicitness or diagonal implicitness with property that the first two rows are implicit and third and fourth row are explicit.

A generalized endogenous grid method for discrete-continuous choice

OpenAIRE

John Rust; Bertel Schjerning; Fedor Iskhakov

2012-01-01

This paper extends Carroll's endogenous grid method (2006 "The method of endogenous gridpoints for solving dynamic stochastic optimization problems", Economic Letters) for models with sequential discrete and continuous choice. Unlike existing generalizations, we propose solution algorithm that inherits both advantages of the original method, namely it avoids all root finding operations, and also efficiently deals with restrictions on the continuous decision variable. To further speed up the s...

The generalized approximation method and nonlinear heat transfer equations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rahmat Khan

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Generalized approximation technique for a solution of one-dimensional steady state heat transfer problem in a slab made of a material with temperature dependent thermal conductivity, is developed. The results obtained by the generalized approximation method (GAM are compared with those studied via homotopy perturbation method (HPM. For this problem, the results obtained by the GAM are more accurate as compared to the HPM. Moreover, our (GAM generate a sequence of solutions of linear problems that converges monotonically and rapidly to a solution of the original nonlinear problem. Each approximate solution is obtained as the solution of a linear problem. We present numerical simulations to illustrate and confirm the theoretical results.

A numerical method for multigroup slab-geometry discrete ordinates problems with no spatial truncation error

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barros, R.C. de; Larsen, E.W.

1991-01-01

A generalization of the one-group Spectral Green's Function (SGF) method is developed for multigroup, slab-geometry discrete ordinates (S N ) problems. The multigroup SGF method is free from spatial truncation errors; it generated numerical values for the cell-edge and cell-average angular fluxes that agree with the analytic solution of the multigroup S N equations. Numerical results are given to illustrate the method's accuracy

Using AGREE II to Evaluate the Quality of Traditional Medicine Clinical Practice Guidelines in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Wei; Li, Le; Wang, Zixia; Chang, Xiaonan; Li, Rui; Fang, Ziye; Wei, Dang; Yao, Liang; Wang, Xiaoqin; Wang, Qi; An, Guanghui

2016-03-15

To evaluate/assess the quality of the Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) of traditional medicine in China. We systematically searched the literature databases WanFang Data, VIP, CNKI and CBM for studies published between 1978 and 2012 to identify and select CPGs of traditional medicine. We used the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II) instrument to evaluate these guidelines. A total of 75 guidelines were included, of which 46 guidelines (62%) were on Traditional Chinese Medicine, 19 (25%) on Chinese Integrated Medicine, and 10 (13%) on Uyghur Medicine. Most traditional medicine CPGs published in domestic journals scored medicine. In each domain of AGREE II, traditional Medicine CPGs performed clearly better than international CPGs. The same trend was seen in guidelines of Modern Medicine. An increasing amount of CPGs are being published, but their quality is low. Referring to the key points of international guidelines development, supervision through AGREE II, cooperating with international groups and exploring the strategy of guideline development could improve the quality of CPGs on traditional medicine. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Estimation of CANDU reactor zone controller level by generalized perturbation method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Do Heon; Kim, Jong Kyung; Choi, Hang Bok; Roh, Gyu Hong; Yang, Won Sik

1998-01-01

The zone controller level change due to refueling operation has been studied using a generalized perturbation method. The generalized perturbation method provides sensitivity of zone power to individual refueling operation and incremental change of zone controller level. By constructing a system equation for each zone power, the zone controller level change was obtained. The details and a proposed model for future work are described

46 CFR 502.403 - General authority.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Alternative Dispute Resolution § 502.403 General authority. (a) The Commission intends to consider using a dispute resolution proceeding for the resolution of an issue in controversy, if the parties agree to a... fulfilling that requirement. (c) Alternative means of dispute resolution authorized under this subpart are...

A generalized transmission method for gamma-efficiency determinations in soil samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bolivar, J.P.; Garcia-Tenorio, R.; Garcia-Leon, M.

1994-01-01

In this paper, a generalization of the γ-ray transmission method which is useful for measurements on soil samples, for example, is presented. The correction factor, f, is given, which is a function of the apparent density of the soil and the γ-ray energy. With this method, the need for individual determinations of f, for each energy and apparent soil density is avoided. Although the method has been developed for soils, the general philosophy can be applied to other sample matrices, such as water or vegetables for example. (author)

Exploring Gender Biases in a General Methods Class.

Science.gov (United States)

Quinn, Robert J.; Obenchain, Kathryn M.

1999-01-01

Describes how students in a general secondary methods course responded to a gender-neutral exam question by consistently assuming that the student in the hypothetical scenario was male. Describes the follow-up class discussion, noting students' assumptions, defensive responses, subconscious decision making, and awareness/nonawareness of their own…

Trace anomaly of the stress-energy tensor for massless vector particles propagating in a general background metric

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adler, S.L.; Lieberman, J.

1978-01-01

We reanalyze the problem of regularization of the stress-energy tensor for massless vector particles propating in a general background metric, using covariant point separation techniques applied to the Hadamard elementary solution. We correct an error, point out by Wald, in the earlier formulation of Adler, Lieberman, and Ng, and find a stress-energy tensor trace anomaly agreeing with that found by other regularization methods

Generalized Pseudospectral Method and Zeros of Orthogonal Polynomials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oksana Bihun

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Via a generalization of the pseudospectral method for numerical solution of differential equations, a family of nonlinear algebraic identities satisfied by the zeros of a wide class of orthogonal polynomials is derived. The generalization is based on a modification of pseudospectral matrix representations of linear differential operators proposed in the paper, which allows these representations to depend on two, rather than one, sets of interpolation nodes. The identities hold for every polynomial family pνxν=0∞ orthogonal with respect to a measure supported on the real line that satisfies some standard assumptions, as long as the polynomials in the family satisfy differential equations Apν(x=qν(xpν(x, where A is a linear differential operator and each qν(x is a polynomial of degree at most n0∈N; n0 does not depend on ν. The proposed identities generalize known identities for classical and Krall orthogonal polynomials, to the case of the nonclassical orthogonal polynomials that belong to the class described above. The generalized pseudospectral representations of the differential operator A for the case of the Sonin-Markov orthogonal polynomials, also known as generalized Hermite polynomials, are presented. The general result is illustrated by new algebraic relations satisfied by the zeros of the Sonin-Markov polynomials.

New general relativity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayashi, K.; Shirafuji, T.

1979-01-01

A gravitational theory is formulated on the Weitzenboeck space-time, characterized by the vanishing curvature tensor (absolute parallelism) and by the torsion tensor formed of four parallel vector fields. This theory is called new general relativity, since Einstein in 1928 first gave its original form. New general relativity has three parameters c 1 , c 2 , and lambda, besides the Einstein constant kappa. In this paper we choose c 1 = 0 = c 2 , leaving open lambda. We prove, among other things, that (i) a static, spherically symmetric gravitational field is given by the Schwarzschild metric, that (ii) in the weak-field approximation an antisymmetric field of zero mass and zero spin exists, besides gravitons, and that (iii) new general relativity agrees with all the experiments so far carried out

Random 2D Composites and the Generalized Method of Schwarz

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vladimir Mityushev

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Two-phase composites with nonoverlapping inclusions randomly embedded in matrix are investigated. A straightforward approach is applied to estimate the effective properties of random 2D composites. First, deterministic boundary value problems are solved for all locations of inclusions, that is, for all events of the considered probabilistic space C by the generalized method of Schwarz. Second, the effective properties are calculated in analytical form and averaged over C. This method is related to the traditional method based on the average probabilistic values involving the n-point correlation functions. However, we avoid computation of the correlation functions and compute their weighted moments of high orders by an indirect method which does not address the correlation functions. The effective properties are exactly expressed through these moments. It is proved that the generalized method of Schwarz converges for an arbitrary multiply connected doubly periodic domain and for an arbitrary contrast parameter. The proposed method yields an algorithm which can be applied with symbolic computations. The Torquato-Milton parameter ζ1 is exactly written for circular inclusions.

Report: Agreed-Upon Procedures on EPA’s Fiscal Year 2009 First Quarter Financial Statements

Science.gov (United States)

Report #09-2-0161, June 8, 2009. We compared the statements with EPA’s crosswalk, recomputed them for mathematical accuracy, and compared them with balances separately generated by us. Except for immaterial rounding differences, the amounts agreed.

Generalized Analysis of a Distribution Separation Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peng Zhang

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Separating two probability distributions from a mixture model that is made up of the combinations of the two is essential to a wide range of applications. For example, in information retrieval (IR, there often exists a mixture distribution consisting of a relevance distribution that we need to estimate and an irrelevance distribution that we hope to get rid of. Recently, a distribution separation method (DSM was proposed to approximate the relevance distribution, by separating a seed irrelevance distribution from the mixture distribution. It was successfully applied to an IR task, namely pseudo-relevance feedback (PRF, where the query expansion model is often a mixture term distribution. Although initially developed in the context of IR, DSM is indeed a general mathematical formulation for probability distribution separation. Thus, it is important to further generalize its basic analysis and to explore its connections to other related methods. In this article, we first extend DSM’s theoretical analysis, which was originally based on the Pearson correlation coefficient, to entropy-related measures, including the KL-divergence (Kullback–Leibler divergence, the symmetrized KL-divergence and the JS-divergence (Jensen–Shannon divergence. Second, we investigate the distribution separation idea in a well-known method, namely the mixture model feedback (MMF approach. We prove that MMF also complies with the linear combination assumption, and then, DSM’s linear separation algorithm can largely simplify the EM algorithm in MMF. These theoretical analyses, as well as further empirical evaluation results demonstrate the advantages of our DSM approach.

Heavy meson mass spectra by general relativistic methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Italiano, A.; Lattuada, M.; Maccarrone, G.D.; Recami, E.; Riggi, F.; Vinciguerra, D.

1984-01-01

By applying the classical methods of general relativity to elementary particles one can get, in a natural way, the observed confinement of their constituents, avoiding any recourse to phenome-nological models such as bag model and allowing the deduction of the heavy meson (i.e. charmonium (J/psi) and bottomium (UPSILON)) mass spectra

The Application of the Socratic Method in Teaching General Education Law Courses

OpenAIRE

Ling-Shuang Shih

2013-01-01

The Socratic Method emphasizes that students obtain knowledge and test their beliefs in the process of engaging in dialogues. As general education emphasizes critical thinking, this method has much applied value, specifically in teaching law courses in general education programs. In light of different perspectives, the Socratic Method could be classified into three models: the test model, the Meno model, and the Theaetetus model. Besides, it could be classified into two approaches: the non-au...

Transition probabilities for general birth-death processes with applications in ecology, genetics, and evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Crawford, Forrest W.; Suchard, Marc A.

2011-01-01

A birth-death process is a continuous-time Markov chain that counts the number of particles in a system over time. In the general process with n current particles, a new particle is born with instantaneous rate λn and a particle dies with instantaneous rate μn. Currently no robust and efficient method exists to evaluate the finite-time transition probabilities in a general birth-death process with arbitrary birth and death rates. In this paper, we first revisit the theory of continued fractions to obtain expressions for the Laplace transforms of these transition probabilities and make explicit an important derivation connecting transition probabilities and continued fractions. We then develop an efficient algorithm for computing these probabilities that analyzes the error associated with approximations in the method. We demonstrate that this error-controlled method agrees with known solutions and outperforms previous approaches to computing these probabilities. Finally, we apply our novel method to several important problems in ecology, evolution, and genetics. PMID:21984359

Learning with Generalization Capability by Kernel Methods of Bounded Complexity

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kůrková, Věra; Sanguineti, M.

2005-01-01

Roč. 21, č. 3 (2005), s. 350-367 ISSN 0885-064X R&D Projects: GA AV ČR 1ET100300419 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10300504 Keywords : supervised learning * generalization * model complexity * kernel methods * minimization of regularized empirical errors * upper bounds on rates of approximate optimization Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.186, year: 2005

Quality assessment of recent evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for management of type 2 diabetes mellitus in adults using the AGREE II instrument.

Science.gov (United States)

Anwer, Muhammad A; Al-Fahed, Ousama B; Arif, Samir I; Amer, Yasser S; Titi, Maher A; Al-Rukban, Mohammed O

2018-02-01

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a worldwide and national public health problem that has a great impact on the population in Saudi Arabia. High-quality clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are cornerstones in improving the health care provided for patients with diabetes. This study evaluated the methodological rigour, transparency, and applicability of recently published CPGs. Our group conducted a systematic search for recently published CPGs for T2DM. The searching and screening for Source CPGs were guided by tools from the ADAPTE methods with specific inclusion/exclusion criteria. Five reviewers using the second version of the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE II) Instrument independently assessed the quality of the retrieved Source CPGs. Domains of Scope and purpose and Clarity of presentation received the highest scores in all CPGs. Most of the assessed CPGs (86%) were considered with high overall quality and were recommended for use. Rigour of development and applicability domains were together highest in 3 CPGs (43%). The overall high quality of DM CPGs published in the last 3 years demonstrated the continuous development and improvement in CPG methodologies and standards. Health care professionals should consider the quality of any CPG for T2DM before deciding to use it in their daily clinical practice. Three CPGs have been identified, using the AGREE criteria, as high-quality and trustworthy. Ideally, the resources provided by the AGREE trust including the AGREE II Instrument should be used by a clinician to scan through the large number of published T2DM CPGs to identify the CPGs with high methodological quality and applicability. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

System for Delivering Student Aid Is Flawed, Many Agree, But What's the Solution?

Science.gov (United States)

Burd, Stephen

1997-01-01

Public officials and student aid experts agree that the federal program delivery system is outdated, inefficient, and vulnerable to fraud, but they disagree on how bad the situation is and whether the Education Department has the structure necessary to fix it. A 1995 project to integrate all federal grant and loan programs into one system has not…

Generalizing: The descriptive struggle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barney G. Glaser, Ph.D.; Hon Ph.D.

2006-11-01

Full Text Available The literature is not kind to the use of descriptive generalizations. Authors struggle and struggle to find and rationalize a way to use them and then fail in spite of trying a myriad of work-arounds. And then we have Lincoln and Guba’s famous statement: “The only generalization is: there is no generalization” in referring to qualitative research. (op cit, p. 110 They are referring to routine QDA yielding extensive descriptions, but which tacitly include conceptual generalizations without any real thought of knowledge about them. In this chapter I wish to explore this struggle for the purpose of explaining that the various contra arguments to using descriptive generalizations DO NOT apply to the ease of using conceptual generalizations yielded in SGT and especially FGT. I will not argue for the use of descriptive generalization. I agree with Lincoln and Guba with respect to QDA, “the only generalization is: there is no generalization.” It is up to the QDA methodologists, of whom there are many; to continue the struggle and I wish them well.

Generalized multiscale finite element methods. nonlinear elliptic equations

KAUST Repository

Efendiev, Yalchin R.; Galvis, Juan; Li, Guanglian; Presho, Michael

2013-01-01

In this paper we use the Generalized Multiscale Finite Element Method (GMsFEM) framework, introduced in [26], in order to solve nonlinear elliptic equations with high-contrast coefficients. The proposed solution method involves linearizing the equation so that coarse-grid quantities of previous solution iterates can be regarded as auxiliary parameters within the problem formulation. With this convention, we systematically construct respective coarse solution spaces that lend themselves to either continuous Galerkin (CG) or discontinuous Galerkin (DG) global formulations. Here, we use Symmetric Interior Penalty Discontinuous Galerkin approach. Both methods yield a predictable error decline that depends on the respective coarse space dimension, and we illustrate the effectiveness of the CG and DG formulations by offering a variety of numerical examples. © 2014 Global-Science Press.

Generalized stress field in granular soils heap with Rayleigh–Ritz method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gang Bi

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The stress field in granular soils heap (including piled coal will have a non-negligible impact on the settlement of the underlying soils. It is usually obtained by measurements and numerical simulations. Because the former method is not reliable as pressure cells instrumented on the interface between piled coal and the underlying soft soil do not work well, results from numerical methods alone are necessary to be doubly checked with one more method before they are extended to more complex cases. The generalized stress field in granular soils heap is analyzed with Rayleigh–Ritz method. The problem is divided into two cases: case A without horizontal constraint on the base and case B with horizontal constraint on the base. In both cases, the displacement functions u(x, y and v(x, y are assumed to be cubic polynomials with 12 undetermined parameters, which will satisfy the Cauchy's partial differential equations, generalized Hooke's law and boundary equations. A function is built with the Rayleigh–Ritz method according to the principle of minimum potential energy, and the problem is converted into solving two undetermined parameters through the variation of the function, while the other parameters are expressed in terms of these two parameters. By comparison of results from the Rayleigh–Ritz method and numerical simulations, it is demonstrated that the Rayleigh–Ritz method is feasible to study the generalized stress field in granular soils heap. Solutions from numerical methods are verified before being extended to more complicated cases.

A general method to coat colloidal particles with titiana

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Demirors, A.F.; van Blaaderen, A.; Imhof, A.

2010-01-01

We describe a general one-pot method for coating colloidal particles with amorphous titania. Various colloidal particles such as silica particles, large silver colloids, gibbsite platelets, and polystyrene spheres were successfully coated with a titania shell. Although there are several ways of

Generalized method for calculation and prediction of vapour-liquid equilibria at high pressures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Drahos, J; Wichterle, I; Hala, E

1978-02-01

Following the approaches of K.C. Chao and J.D. Seader (see Gas Abstr. 18,24 (1962) Jan.) and B.I. Lee, J.H. Erbar, and W.C. Edmister (see Gas Abst. 29, 73-0331), the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences developed a generalized method for prediction of vapor-liquid equilibria in hydrocarbon mixtures containing some nonhydrocarbon gases at high pressures. The method proposed is based on three equations: (1) a generalized equation of state for vapor-phase calculations; (2) a generalized expression for the pure-liquid fugacity coefficient; and (3) an activity coefficient expression based on a surface modification of the regular solution model. The equations used contain only one partially generalized binary parameter, which was evaluated from experimental K-value data. Researchers tested the proposed method by computing K-values and pressures in binary and multicomponent systems consisting of 13 hydrocarbons and 3 nonhydrocarbon gases. The results show that the method is applicable over a wide range of conditions with a degree of accuracy comparable with that of more complicated methods.

Generalized perturbation theory based on the method of cyclic characteristics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Assawaroongruengchot, M.; Marleau, G. [Institut de Genie Nucleaire, Departement de Genie Physique, Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, 2900 Boul. Edouard-Montpetit, Montreal, Que. H3T 1J4 (Canada)

2006-07-01

A GPT algorithm for estimation of eigenvalues and reaction-rate ratios is developed for the neutron transport problems in 2D fuel assemblies with isotropic scattering. In our study the GPT formulation is based on the integral transport equations. The mathematical relationship between the generalized flux importance and generalized source importance functions is applied to transform the generalized flux importance transport equations into the integro-differential forms. The resulting adjoint and generalized adjoint transport equations are then solved using the method of cyclic characteristics (MOCC). Because of the presence of negative adjoint sources, a biasing/decontamination scheme is applied to make the generalized adjoint functions positive in such a way that it can be used for the multigroup re-balance technique. To demonstrate the efficiency of the algorithms, perturbative calculations are performed on a 17 x 17 PWR lattice. (authors)

Generalized perturbation theory based on the method of cyclic characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Assawaroongruengchot, M.; Marleau, G.

2006-01-01

A GPT algorithm for estimation of eigenvalues and reaction-rate ratios is developed for the neutron transport problems in 2D fuel assemblies with isotropic scattering. In our study the GPT formulation is based on the integral transport equations. The mathematical relationship between the generalized flux importance and generalized source importance functions is applied to transform the generalized flux importance transport equations into the integro-differential forms. The resulting adjoint and generalized adjoint transport equations are then solved using the method of cyclic characteristics (MOCC). Because of the presence of negative adjoint sources, a biasing/decontamination scheme is applied to make the generalized adjoint functions positive in such a way that it can be used for the multigroup re-balance technique. To demonstrate the efficiency of the algorithms, perturbative calculations are performed on a 17 x 17 PWR lattice. (authors)

Automated general temperature correction method for dielectric soil moisture sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Kapilaratne, R. G. C. Jeewantinie; Lu, Minjiao

2017-08-01

An effective temperature correction method for dielectric sensors is important to ensure the accuracy of soil water content (SWC) measurements of local to regional-scale soil moisture monitoring networks. These networks are extensively using highly temperature sensitive dielectric sensors due to their low cost, ease of use and less power consumption. Yet there is no general temperature correction method for dielectric sensors, instead sensor or site dependent correction algorithms are employed. Such methods become ineffective at soil moisture monitoring networks with different sensor setups and those that cover diverse climatic conditions and soil types. This study attempted to develop a general temperature correction method for dielectric sensors which can be commonly used regardless of the differences in sensor type, climatic conditions and soil type without rainfall data. In this work an automated general temperature correction method was developed by adopting previously developed temperature correction algorithms using time domain reflectometry (TDR) measurements to ThetaProbe ML2X, Stevens Hydra probe II and Decagon Devices EC-TM sensor measurements. The rainy day effects removal procedure from SWC data was automated by incorporating a statistical inference technique with temperature correction algorithms. The temperature correction method was evaluated using 34 stations from the International Soil Moisture Monitoring Network and another nine stations from a local soil moisture monitoring network in Mongolia. Soil moisture monitoring networks used in this study cover four major climates and six major soil types. Results indicated that the automated temperature correction algorithms developed in this study can eliminate temperature effects from dielectric sensor measurements successfully even without on-site rainfall data. Furthermore, it has been found that actual daily average of SWC has been changed due to temperature effects of dielectric sensors with a

Statistical Methods for Detecting and Modeling General Patterns and Relationships in Lifetime Data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kvaloey, Jan Terje

1999-04-01

In this thesis, the author tries to develop methods of detecting and modeling general patterns and relationships in lifetime data. Tests with power against nonmonotonic trends and nonmonotonic co variate effects are considered, and nonparametric regression methods which allow estimation of fairly general nonlinear relationships are studied. Practical uses of some of the methods are illustrated although in a medical rather than engineering or technological context.

General dental practitioner's views on dental general anaesthesia services.

Science.gov (United States)

Threlfall, A G; King, D; Milsom, K M; Blinkhom, A S; Tickle, M

2007-06-01

Policy has recently changed on provision of dental general anaesthetic services in England. The aim of this study was to investigate general dental practitioners' views about dental general anaesthetics, the reduction in its availability and the impact on care of children with toothache. Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and clinical case scenarios. General dental practitioners providing NHS services in the North West of England. 93 general dental practitioners were interviewed and 91 answered a clinical case scenario about the care they would provide for a 7-year-old child with multiple decayed teeth presenting with toothache. Scenario responses showed variation; 8% would immediately refer for general anaesthesia, 25% would initially prescribe antibiotics, but the majority would attempt to either restore or extract the tooth causing pain. Interview responses also demonstrated variation in care, however most dentists agree general anaesthesia has a role for nervous children but only refer as a last resort. The responses indicated an increase in inequalities, and that access to services did not match population needs, leaving some children waiting in pain. Most general dental practitioners support moving dental general anaesthesia into hospitals but some believe that it has widened health inequalities and there is also a problem associated with variation in treatment provision. Additional general anaesthetic services in some areas with high levels of tooth decay are needed and evidence based guidelines about caring for children with toothache are required.

Generalized series method in the theory of atomic nucleus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gorbatov, A.M.

1991-01-01

On a hypersphere of a prescribed radius the so-called genealogical basis has been constructed. By making use of this basis, the many-body Schroedinger equation has been obtained for bound states of various physical systems. The genealogical series method, being in general outline the extension of the angular potential functions method, deals with the potential harmonics of any generation needed. The new approach provides an exact numerical description of the hadron systems with two-body higher interaction

Generalization of the influence function method in mining subsidence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bello Garcia, A.; Mendendez Diaz, A.; Ordieres Mere, J.B.; Gonzalez Nicieza, C.

1996-01-01

A generic approach to subsidence prediction based on the influence function method is presented. The changes proposed to the classical approach are the result of a previous analysis stage where a generalization to the 3D problem was made. In addition other hypothesis in order to relax the structural principles of the classical model are suggested. The quantitative results of this process and a brief discussion of its method of employment is presented. 13 refs., 8 figs., 5 tabs

Context, Complexity and Contestation: Birmingham's Agreed Syllabuses for Religious Education since the 1970s

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Stephen G.; Freathy, Rob J. K.

2011-01-01

The present article offers an historical perspective on the 1975, 1995 and 2007 Birmingham Agreed Syllabuses for Religious Education. It draws upon historical evidence uncovered as part of "The hidden history of curriculum change in religious education in English schools, 1969-1979" project, and curriculum history theories, especially…

Preparing the generalized Harvey–Shack rough surface scattering method for use with the discrete ordinates method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansen, Villads Egede

2015-01-01

The paper shows how to implement the generalized Harvey–Shack (GHS) method for isotropic rough surfaces discretized in a polar coordinate system and approximated using Fourier series. This is particularly relevant for the use of the GHS method as a boundary condition for radiative transfer proble...

Higher order Godunov methods for general systems of hyperbolic conservation laws

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bell, J.B.; Colella, P.; Trangenstein, J.A.

1989-01-01

We describe an extension of higher order Godunov methods to general systems of hyperbolic conservation laws. This extension allow the method to be applied to problems that are not strictly hyperbolic and exhibit local linear degeneracies in the wave fields. The method constructs an approximation of the Riemann problem from local wave information. A generalization of the Engquist--Osher flux for systems is then used to compute a numerical flux based on this approximation. This numerical flux replaces the Godunov numerical flux in the algorithm, thereby eliminating the need for a global Riemann problem solution. The additional modifications to the Godunov methodology that are needed to treat loss of strict hyperbolicity are described in detail. The method is applied to some simple model problems for which the glocal analytic structure is known. The method is also applied to the black-oil model for multiphase flow in petroleum reservoirs. copyright 1989 Academic Press, Inc

Particle field in bimetric general relativity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Falik, D.; Rosen, N.

1980-01-01

The field equations of the bimetric general relativity theory proposed recently by one of the authors (N. Rosen) are put into a static form. The equations are solved near the Schwarzschild sphere, and it is found that the field differs from that of the Einstein general relativity theory: instead of a black hole, one has an impenetrable sphere. For larger distances the field is found to agree with that of ordinary general relativity, so that solar system observations cannot distinguish between the two theories. For very large distances one gets a cosmic contribution to the field which may affect the dynamics of clusters of galaxies

A new generalized expansion method and its application in finding explicit exact solutions for a generalized variable coefficients KdV equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sabry, R.; Zahran, M.A.; Fan Engui

2004-01-01

A generalized expansion method is proposed to uniformly construct a series of exact solutions for general variable coefficients non-linear evolution equations. The new approach admits the following types of solutions (a) polynomial solutions, (b) exponential solutions, (c) rational solutions, (d) triangular periodic wave solutions, (e) hyperbolic and solitary wave solutions and (f) Jacobi and Weierstrass doubly periodic wave solutions. The efficiency of the method has been demonstrated by applying it to a generalized variable coefficients KdV equation. Then, new and rich variety of exact explicit solutions have been found

A General Method for Targeted Quantitative Cross-Linking Mass Spectrometry.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan D Chavez

Full Text Available Chemical cross-linking mass spectrometry (XL-MS provides protein structural information by identifying covalently linked proximal amino acid residues on protein surfaces. The information gained by this technique is complementary to other structural biology methods such as x-ray crystallography, NMR and cryo-electron microscopy[1]. The extension of traditional quantitative proteomics methods with chemical cross-linking can provide information on the structural dynamics of protein structures and protein complexes. The identification and quantitation of cross-linked peptides remains challenging for the general community, requiring specialized expertise ultimately limiting more widespread adoption of the technique. We describe a general method for targeted quantitative mass spectrometric analysis of cross-linked peptide pairs. We report the adaptation of the widely used, open source software package Skyline, for the analysis of quantitative XL-MS data as a means for data analysis and sharing of methods. We demonstrate the utility and robustness of the method with a cross-laboratory study and present data that is supported by and validates previously published data on quantified cross-linked peptide pairs. This advance provides an easy to use resource so that any lab with access to a LC-MS system capable of performing targeted quantitative analysis can quickly and accurately measure dynamic changes in protein structure and protein interactions.

Resourcing the National Goals for Schooling: An Agreed Framework of Principles for Funding Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (NJ1), 2012

2012-01-01

Funding for school education in Australia should be on the basis of clear and agreed policy principles for achieving effectiveness, efficiency, equity and a socially and culturally cohesive society. On the basis of these principles a national framework for funding schools will be supported by complementary State and Commonwealth models for funding…

Generalized Coarse-Mesh Rebalance Method for Acceleration of Neutron Transport Calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Akio

2005-01-01

This paper proposes a new acceleration method for neutron transport calculations: the generalized coarse-mesh rebalance (GCMR) method. The GCMR method is a unified scheme of the traditional coarse-mesh rebalance (CMR) and the coarse-mesh finite difference (CMFD) acceleration methods. Namely, by using an appropriate acceleration factor, formulation of the GCMR method becomes identical to that of the CMR or CMFD method. This also indicates that the convergence property of the GCMR method can be controlled by the acceleration factor since the convergence properties of the CMR and CMFD methods are generally different. In order to evaluate the convergence property of the GCMR method, a linearized Fourier analysis was carried out for a one-group homogeneous medium, and the results clarified the relationship between the acceleration factor and the spectral radius. It was also shown that the spectral radius of the GCMR method is smaller than those of the CMR and CMFD methods. Furthermore, the Fourier analysis showed that when an appropriate acceleration factor was used, the spectral radius of the GCMR method did not exceed unity in this study, which was in contrast to the results of the CMR or the CMFD method. Application of the GCMR method to practical calculations will be easy when the CMFD acceleration is already adopted in a transport code. By multiplying a suitable acceleration factor to a coefficient (D FD ) of a finite difference formulation, one can improve the numerical instability of the CMFD acceleration method

Primary prevention of cardio-metabolic diseases in general practice: a Dutch survey of attitudes and working methods of general practitioners.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nielen, M.M.J.; Assendelft, W.J.J.; Drenthen, A.J.M.; Hombergh, P. van den; Dis, I. van; Schellevis, F.G.

2010-01-01

BACKGROUND: To study the attitudes and working methods of general practitioners (GPs) in primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney diseases. METHODS: A questionnaire with questions about attitude and working methods in the primary prevention of

New generalized conjugate gradient methods for the non-quadratic model in unconstrained optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Bayati, A.

2001-01-01

This paper present two new conjugate gradient algorithms which use the non-quadratic model in unconstrained optimization. The first is a new generalized self-scaling variable metric algorithm based on the sloboda generalized conjugate gradient method which is invariant to a nonlinear scaling of a stricity convex quadratic function; the second is an interleaving between the generalized sloboda method and the first algorithm; all these algorithm use exact line searches. Numerical comparisons over twenty test functions show that the interleaving algorithm is best overall and requires only about half the function evaluations of the Sloboda method: interleaving algorithms are likely to be preferred when the dimensionality of the problem is increased. (author). 29 refs., 1 tab

Recursive form of general limited memory variable metric methods

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lukšan, Ladislav; Vlček, Jan

2013-01-01

Roč. 49, č. 2 (2013), s. 224-235 ISSN 0023-5954 Institutional support: RVO:67985807 Keywords : unconstrained optimization * large scale optimization * limited memory methods * variable metric updates * recursive matrix formulation * algorithms Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.563, year: 2013 http://dml.cz/handle/10338.dmlcz/143365

A hyperpower iterative method for computing the generalized Drazin ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

A quadratically convergent Newton-type iterative scheme is proposed for approximating the generalized Drazin inverse bd of the Banach algebra element b. Further, its extension into the form of the hyperpower iterative method of arbitrary order p ≤ 2 is presented. Convergence criteria along with the estimation of error ...

Do generalists and specialists agree on descriptive acne morphology?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yazdanyar, S; Bryld, L E; Heidenheim, M

2013-01-01

BACKGROUND: Acne is a common skin disease, which is treated by many different specialities. Clinical guidelines for treatment are based on the recognition of acne morphology. The assessment of acne morphology is therefore an important element of the proper diagnosis and treatment of acne. OBJECTIVE......: To evaluate the level of congruence in the assessment of acne morphology in General Practitioners (GPs) and Dermatologists compared to the assessment of an expert. METHODS: The study was conducted during 2008-2009. Randomly selected GP and Dermatologists Practitioners, (DPs) from Denmark were invited...... in the distribution of answers. CONCLUSION: GPs described acne morphology recognized clinical hallmarks of severity in acne less well than dermatologists and were far less consistent....

General methods for alarm reduction; Larmsanering med generella metoder

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahnlund, Jonas; Bergquist, Tord; Raaberg, Martin [Lund Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Information Technology

2003-10-01

The information in the control rooms has increased due to the technological advances in process control. Large industries produce large data quantities, where some information is unnecessary or even incorrect. The operator needs support from an advanced and well-adjusted alarm system to be able to separate a real event from a minor disturbance. The alarms must be of assistance and not a nuisance. An enhanced alarm situation qualifies an increased efficiency with fewer production disturbances and an improved safety. Yet, it is still unusual that actions are taken to improve the situation. An alarm cleanup with general methods can shortly be described as taking advantage of the control systems built-in functions, the possibility to modify or create function blocks and fine-tune the settings in the alarm system. In this project, we make use of an intelligent software, Alarm Cleanup Toolbox, that simulate different signal processing methods and tries to find improved settings on all the signals in the process. This is a fast and cost-efficient way to improve the overall alarm situation, and lays a foundation for more advanced alarm systems. An alarm cleanup has been carried out at Flintraennan district heating plant in Malmoe, where various signal processing methods has been implemented in a parallel alarm system. This made it possible to compare the two systems under the same conditions. The result is very promising, and shows that a lot of improvements can be achieved with very little effort. An analysis of the alarm system at Vattenreningen (the water purification process) at Heleneholmsverket in Malmoe has been carried out. Alarm Cleanup Toolbox has, besides suggesting improved settings, also found logical errors in the alarm system. Here, no implementation was carried out and therefore the results are analytical, but they validate the efficiency of the general methods. The project has shown that an alarm cleanup with general methods is cost-efficient, and that the

The generalized sturmian method for calculating spectra of atoms and ions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Avery, James Emil; Avery, John Scales

2003-01-01

The properties of generalized Sturmian basis sets are reviewed, and functions of this type are used to perform direct configuration interaction calculations on the spectra of atoms and ions. Singlet excited states calculated in this way show good agreement with experimentally measured spectra. When...... the generalized Sturmian method is applied to atoms, the configurations are constructed from hydrogenlike atomic orbitals with an effective charge which is characteristic of the configuration. Thus, orthonormality between the orbitals of different configurations cannot be assumed, and the generalized Slater...

National data analysis of general radiography projection method in medical imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Jung Su; Seo, Deok Nam; Choi, In Seok [Dept. of Bio-Convergence Engineering, Korea University Graduate School, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); and others

2014-09-15

According to database of medical institutions of health insurance review and assessment service in 2013, 1,118 hospitals and clinics have department of radiology in Korea. And there are CT, fluoroscopic and general radiographic equipment in those hospitals. Above all, general radiographic equipment is the most commonly used in the radiology department. And most of the general radiographic equipment are changing the digital radiography system from the film-screen types of the radiography system nowadays. However, most of the digital radiography department are used the film-screen types of the radiography system. Therefore, in this study, we confirmed present conditions of technical items for general radiography used in hospital and research on general radiographic techniques in domestic medical institutions. We analyzed 26 radiography projection method including chest, skull, spine and pelvis which are generally used in the radiography department.

Defining the "D" in ISD. Part 1: Task-General Instructional Methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Ruth Colvin

1986-01-01

The first of two articles designed to provide guidelines for the instructional development phase of instructional systems development focuses on general instructional methods supporting all instructional tasks. Teaching methods that support selective attention, processing in working memory, and connecting in long-term memory are described and…

Qualitative methods in PhD theses from general practice in Scandinavia.

Science.gov (United States)

Malterud, Kirsti; Hamberg, Katarina; Reventlow, Susanne

2017-12-01

Qualitative methodology is gaining increasing attention and esteem in medical research, with general practice research taking a lead. With these methods, human and social interaction and meaning can be explored and shared by systematic interpretation of text from talk, observation or video. Qualitative studies are often included in Ph.D. theses from general practice in Scandinavia. Still, the Ph.D. programs across nations and institutions offer only limited training in qualitative methods. In this opinion article, we draw upon our observations and experiences, unpacking and reflecting upon values and challenges at stake when qualitative studies are included in Ph.D. theses. Hypotheses to explain these observations are presented, followed by suggestions for standards of evaluation and improvement of Ph.D. programs. The authors conclude that multimethod Ph.D. theses should be encouraged in general practice research, in order to offer future researchers an appropriate toolbox.

Generalized perturbation theory (GPT) methods. A heuristic approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gandini, A.

1987-01-01

Wigner first proposed a perturbation theory as early as 1945 to study fundamental quantities such as the reactivity worths of different materials. The first formulation, CPT, for conventional perturbation theory is based on universal quantum mechanics concepts. Since that early conception, significant contributions have been made to CPT, in particular, Soodak, who rendered a heuristic interpretation of the adjoint function, (referred to as the GPT method for generalized perturbation theory). The author illustrates the GPT methodology in a variety of linear and nonlinear domains encountered in nuclear reactor analysis. The author begins with the familiar linear neutron field and then generalizes the methodology to other linear and nonlinear fields, using heuristic arguments. The author believes that the inherent simplicity and elegance of the heuristic derivation, although intended here for reactor physics problems might be usefully adopted in collateral fields and includes such examples

Nonequilibrium Statistical Operator Method and Generalized Kinetic Equations

Science.gov (United States)

Kuzemsky, A. L.

2018-01-01

We consider some principal problems of nonequilibrium statistical thermodynamics in the framework of the Zubarev nonequilibrium statistical operator approach. We present a brief comparative analysis of some approaches to describing irreversible processes based on the concept of nonequilibrium Gibbs ensembles and their applicability to describing nonequilibrium processes. We discuss the derivation of generalized kinetic equations for a system in a heat bath. We obtain and analyze a damped Schrödinger-type equation for a dynamical system in a heat bath. We study the dynamical behavior of a particle in a medium taking the dissipation effects into account. We consider the scattering problem for neutrons in a nonequilibrium medium and derive a generalized Van Hove formula. We show that the nonequilibrium statistical operator method is an effective, convenient tool for describing irreversible processes in condensed matter.

Cross section recondensation method via generalized energy condensation theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Douglass, Steven; Rahnema, Farzad

2011-01-01

Highlights: → A new method is presented which corrects for core environment error from specular boundaries at the lattice cell level. → Solution obtained with generalized energy condensation provides improved approximation to the core level fine-group flux. → Iterative recondensation of the cross sections and unfolding of the flux provides on-the-fly updating of the core cross sections. → Precomputation of energy integrals and fine-group cross sections allows for easy implementation and efficient solution. → Method has been implemented in 1D and shown to correct the environment error, particularly in strongly heterogeneous cores. - Abstract: The standard multigroup method used in whole-core reactor analysis relies on energy condensed (coarse-group) cross sections generated from single lattice cell calculations, typically with specular reflective boundary conditions. Because these boundary conditions are an approximation and not representative of the core environment for that lattice, an error is introduced in the core solution (both eigenvalue and flux). As current and next generation reactors trend toward increasing assembly and core heterogeneity, this error becomes more significant. The method presented here corrects for this error by generating updated coarse-group cross sections on-the-fly within whole-core reactor calculations without resorting to additional cell calculations. In this paper, the fine-group core flux is unfolded by making use of the recently published Generalized Condensation Theory and the cross sections are recondensed at the whole-core level. By iteratively performing this recondensation, an improved core solution is found in which the core-environment has been fully taken into account. This recondensation method is both easy to implement and computationally very efficient because it requires precomputation and storage of only the energy integrals and fine-group cross sections. In this work, the theoretical basis and development

Solution of the generalized Emden-Fowler equations by the hybrid functions method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tabrizidooz, H R; Marzban, H R; Razzaghi, M

2009-01-01

In this paper, we present a numerical algorithm for solving the generalized Emden-Fowler equations, which have many applications in mathematical physics and astrophysics. The method is based on hybrid functions approximations. The properties of hybrid functions, which consist of block-pulse functions and Lagrange interpolating polynomials, are presented. These properties are then utilized to reduce the computation of the generalized Emden-Fowler equations to a system of nonlinear equations. The method is easy to implement and yields very accurate results.

Some Convergence Strategies for the Alternating Generalized Projection Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maricarmen Andrade

2013-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper we extend the application of the alternating projection algorithm to solve the problem of finding a point in the intersection of $n$ sets ($n\\geq2$, which are not all of them convex sets. Here we term such method as alternating generalized projection (AGP method. In particular, we are interested in addressing the problem of avoiding the so-called trap points, which may prevent an algorithm to obtain a feasible solution in two or more sets not all convex. Some strategies that allow us to reach the feasible solution are established and conjectured. Finally, we present simple numerical results that illustrate the efficiency of the iterative methods considered.

Global Convergence of Arbitrary-Block Gradient Methods for Generalized Polyak-{\\L} ojasiewicz Functions

KAUST Repository

Csiba, Dominik

2017-09-09

In this paper we introduce two novel generalizations of the theory for gradient descent type methods in the proximal setting. First, we introduce the proportion function, which we further use to analyze all known (and many new) block-selection rules for block coordinate descent methods under a single framework. This framework includes randomized methods with uniform, non-uniform or even adaptive sampling strategies, as well as deterministic methods with batch, greedy or cyclic selection rules. Second, the theory of strongly-convex optimization was recently generalized to a specific class of non-convex functions satisfying the so-called Polyak-{\\\\L}ojasiewicz condition. To mirror this generalization in the weakly convex case, we introduce the Weak Polyak-{\\\\L}ojasiewicz condition, using which we give global convergence guarantees for a class of non-convex functions previously not considered in theory. Additionally, we establish (necessarily somewhat weaker) convergence guarantees for an even larger class of non-convex functions satisfying a certain smoothness assumption only. By combining the two abovementioned generalizations we recover the state-of-the-art convergence guarantees for a large class of previously known methods and setups as special cases of our general framework. Moreover, our frameworks allows for the derivation of new guarantees for many new combinations of methods and setups, as well as a large class of novel non-convex objectives. The flexibility of our approach offers a lot of potential for future research, as a new block selection procedure will have a convergence guarantee for all objectives considered in our framework, while a new objective analyzed under our approach will have a whole fleet of block selection rules with convergence guarantees readily available.

Global Convergence of Arbitrary-Block Gradient Methods for Generalized Polyak-{\\L} ojasiewicz Functions

KAUST Repository

Csiba, Dominik; Richtarik, Peter

2017-01-01

In this paper we introduce two novel generalizations of the theory for gradient descent type methods in the proximal setting. First, we introduce the proportion function, which we further use to analyze all known (and many new) block-selection rules for block coordinate descent methods under a single framework. This framework includes randomized methods with uniform, non-uniform or even adaptive sampling strategies, as well as deterministic methods with batch, greedy or cyclic selection rules. Second, the theory of strongly-convex optimization was recently generalized to a specific class of non-convex functions satisfying the so-called Polyak-{\\L}ojasiewicz condition. To mirror this generalization in the weakly convex case, we introduce the Weak Polyak-{\\L}ojasiewicz condition, using which we give global convergence guarantees for a class of non-convex functions previously not considered in theory. Additionally, we establish (necessarily somewhat weaker) convergence guarantees for an even larger class of non-convex functions satisfying a certain smoothness assumption only. By combining the two abovementioned generalizations we recover the state-of-the-art convergence guarantees for a large class of previously known methods and setups as special cases of our general framework. Moreover, our frameworks allows for the derivation of new guarantees for many new combinations of methods and setups, as well as a large class of novel non-convex objectives. The flexibility of our approach offers a lot of potential for future research, as a new block selection procedure will have a convergence guarantee for all objectives considered in our framework, while a new objective analyzed under our approach will have a whole fleet of block selection rules with convergence guarantees readily available.

General Anisotropy Identification of Paperboard with Virtual Fields Method

Science.gov (United States)

J.M. Considine; F. Pierron; K.T. Turner; D.W. Vahey

2014-01-01

This work extends previous efforts in plate bending of Virtual Fields Method (VFM) parameter identification to include a general 2-D anisotropicmaterial. Such an extension was needed for instances in which material principal directions are unknown or when specimen orientation is not aligned with material principal directions. A new fixture with a multiaxial force...

Investigation of periodic systems by means of the generalized Hill method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baitin, A.V.; Ivanov, A.A.

1994-01-01

We propose the new method of investigation of infinite periodic determination which is a generalized Hill method. This method has been used for finding of the characteristic value for the Hill equation. finding the band structure of the one-dimensional periodic and obtaining of the dispersion equation for the electromagnetic wave propagation in the waveguide by plasma arbitrary periodic density modulation by plasma arbitrary periodic density modulation

Generalized Hartree-Fock method for electron-atom scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosenberg, L.

1997-01-01

In the widely used Hartree-Fock procedure for atomic structure calculations, trial functions in the form of linear combinations of Slater determinants are constructed and the Rayleigh-Ritz minimum principle is applied to determine the best in that class. A generalization of this approach, applicable to low-energy electron-atom scattering, is developed here. The method is based on a unique decomposition of the scattering wave function into open- and closed-channel components, so chosen that an approximation to the closed-channel component may be obtained by adopting it as a trial function in a minimum principle, whose rigor can be maintained even when the target wave functions are imprecisely known. Given a closed-channel trial function, the full scattering function may be determined from the solution of an effective one-body Schroedinger equation. Alternatively, in a generalized Hartree-Fock approach, the minimum principle leads to coupled integrodifferential equations to be satisfied by the basis functions appearing in a Slater-determinant representation of the closed-channel wave function; it also provides a procedure for optimizing the choice of nonlinear parameters in a variational determination of these basis functions. Inclusion of additional Slater determinants in the closed-channel trial function allows for systematic improvement of that function, as well as the calculated scattering parameters, with the possibility of spurious singularities avoided. Electron-electron correlations can be important in accounting for long-range forces and resonances. These correlation effects can be included explicitly by suitable choice of one component of the closed-channel wave function; the remaining component may then be determined by the generalized Hartree-Fock procedure. As a simple test, the method is applied to s-wave scattering of positrons by hydrogen. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

Zubarev's Nonequilibrium Statistical Operator Method in the Generalized Statistics of Multiparticle Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Glushak, P. A.; Markiv, B. B.; Tokarchuk, M. V.

2018-01-01

We present a generalization of Zubarev's nonequilibrium statistical operator method based on the principle of maximum Renyi entropy. In the framework of this approach, we obtain transport equations for the basic set of parameters of the reduced description of nonequilibrium processes in a classical system of interacting particles using Liouville equations with fractional derivatives. For a classical systems of particles in a medium with a fractal structure, we obtain a non-Markovian diffusion equation with fractional spatial derivatives. For a concrete model of the frequency dependence of a memory function, we obtain generalized Kettano-type diffusion equation with the spatial and temporal fractality taken into account. We present a generalization of nonequilibrium thermofield dynamics in Zubarev's nonequilibrium statistical operator method in the framework of Renyi statistics.

Using means and methods of general physical training in education of bowlers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fanigina O.U.

2011-04-01

Full Text Available There were discovered the main directions of bowlers education. The means and methods of physical education, which insure the formation of high quality moves being the part of main skill, are discovered. There were shown different means of general education accounting individual peculiarities of bowler. The principles of choosing general developing exercises and main direction of influence on developing different abilities are represented. It's created the scientific-methodic support of physical education in teaching-training process for children who play bowing in sport schools.

A Generalized Pivotal Quantity Approach to Analytical Method Validation Based on Total Error.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Harry; Zhang, Jianchun

2015-01-01

The primary purpose of method validation is to demonstrate that the method is fit for its intended use. Traditionally, an analytical method is deemed valid if its performance characteristics such as accuracy and precision are shown to meet prespecified acceptance criteria. However, these acceptance criteria are not directly related to the method's intended purpose, which is usually a gurantee that a high percentage of the test results of future samples will be close to their true values. Alternate "fit for purpose" acceptance criteria based on the concept of total error have been increasingly used. Such criteria allow for assessing method validity, taking into account the relationship between accuracy and precision. Although several statistical test methods have been proposed in literature to test the "fit for purpose" hypothesis, the majority of the methods are not designed to protect the risk of accepting unsuitable methods, thus having the potential to cause uncontrolled consumer's risk. In this paper, we propose a test method based on generalized pivotal quantity inference. Through simulation studies, the performance of the method is compared to five existing approaches. The results show that both the new method and the method based on β-content tolerance interval with a confidence level of 90%, hereafter referred to as the β-content (0.9) method, control Type I error and thus consumer's risk, while the other existing methods do not. It is further demonstrated that the generalized pivotal quantity method is less conservative than the β-content (0.9) method when the analytical methods are biased, whereas it is more conservative when the analytical methods are unbiased. Therefore, selection of either the generalized pivotal quantity or β-content (0.9) method for an analytical method validation depends on the accuracy of the analytical method. It is also shown that the generalized pivotal quantity method has better asymptotic properties than all of the current

Method of generalized coordinates and an application to Rayleigh-Taylor instability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dienes, J.K.

1978-01-01

The method of generalized coordinates is extended to the analysis of continuous bodies for which the degrees of freedom are independent velocity distributions in the spatial coordinates. The corresponding Lagrange equations contain generalized convective terms as well as the usual generalized forces and masses. Since the existence of a potential is not assumed, the equations of motion can be applied to media with arbitrary (possible dissipative) constitutive laws. Material deformation is characterized by the rate of strain, which is taken as the symmetric part of the velocity gradient, making the approach valid for arbitrarily large deformations. As an example, infinitesimal Rayleigh-Taylor instability is considered by analytic methods. Then, large amplitude Rayleigh-Taylor instability is represented with a single-degree-of-freedom analysis that shows the development (by numerical integration) of the known spike-and-bubble configuration of the unstable interface. The infinitesimal stability of a plastically deforming solid and the growth of the instability to large amplitudes are also considered

A General Symbolic PDE Solver Generator: Explicit Schemes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Sheshadri

2003-01-01

Full Text Available A symbolic solver generator to deal with a system of partial differential equations (PDEs in functions of an arbitrary number of variables is presented; it can also handle arbitrary domains (geometries of the independent variables. Given a system of PDEs, the solver generates a set of explicit finite-difference methods to any specified order, and a Fourier stability criterion for each method. For a method that is stable, an iteration function is generated symbolically using the PDE and its initial and boundary conditions. This iteration function is dynamically generated for every PDE problem, and its evaluation provides a solution to the PDE problem. A C++/Fortran 90 code for the iteration function is generated using the MathCode system, which results in a performance gain of the order of a thousand over Mathematica, the language that has been used to code the solver generator. Examples of stability criteria are presented that agree with known criteria; examples that demonstrate the generality of the solver and the speed enhancement of the generated C++ and Fortran 90 codes are also presented.

Modified method of perturbed stationary states. I

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, T.A.

1978-10-01

The reaction coordinate approach of Mittleman is used to generalize the method of Perturbed Stationary States. A reaction coordinate is defined for each state in the scattering expansion in terms of parameters which depend on the internuclear separation. These are to be determined from a variational principle described by Demkov. The variational result agrees with that of Bates and McCarroll in the limit of separated atoms, but is generally different elsewhere. The theory is formulated for many-electron systems, and the construction of the scattering expansion is discussed for simple one-, two-, and three-electron systsm. The scattering expansion and the Lagrangian for the radial scattering functions are given in detail for a heteronuclear one-electron system. 2 figures

Teaching Methods Associated with Student Progress in General Education Courses. IDEA Research Report #9

Science.gov (United States)

Benton, Stephen L.; Li, Dan

2015-01-01

This study examined which teaching methods are most highly correlated with student progress on relevant course objectives in first- and second-year (lower-level) general education courses. We specifically sought to identify teaching methods that distinguish progress made by students taking a general education course from that made by students…

Koopmans' theorem in the Hartree-Fock method. General formulation

Science.gov (United States)

Plakhutin, Boris N.

2018-03-01

This work presents a general formulation of Koopmans' theorem (KT) in the Hartree-Fock (HF) method which is applicable to molecular and atomic systems with arbitrary orbital occupancies and total electronic spin including orbitally degenerate (OD) systems. The new formulation is based on the full set of variational conditions imposed upon the HF orbitals by the variational principle for the total energy and the conditions imposed by KT on the orbitals of an ionized electronic shell [B. N. Plakhutin and E. R. Davidson, J. Chem. Phys. 140, 014102 (2014)]. Based on these conditions, a general form of the restricted open-shell HF method is developed, whose eigenvalues (orbital energies) obey KT for the whole energy spectrum. Particular attention is paid to the treatment of OD systems, for which the new method gives a number of unexpected results. For example, the present method gives four different orbital energies for the triply degenerate atomic level 2p in the second row atoms B to F. Based on both KT conditions and a parallel treatment of atoms B to F within a limited configuration interaction approach, we prove that these four orbital energies, each of which is triply degenerate, are related via KT to the energies of different spin-dependent ionization and electron attachment processes (2p)N → (2p ) N ±1. A discussion is also presented of specific limitations of the validity of KT in the HF method which arise in OD systems. The practical applicability of the theory is verified by comparing KT estimates of the ionization potentials I2s and I2p for the second row open-shell atoms Li to F with the relevant experimental data.

General methods for modified projective synchronization of hyperchaotic systems with known or unknown parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Yang; Fang, Jian-an

2008-03-01

This work is concerned with the general methods for modified projective synchronization of hyperchaotic systems. A systematic method of active control is developed to synchronize two hyperchaotic systems with known parameters. Moreover, by combining the adaptive control and linear feedback methods, general sufficient conditions for the modified projective synchronization of identical or different chaotic systems with fully unknown or partially unknown parameters are presented. Meanwhile, the speed of parameters identification can be regulated by adjusting adaptive gain matrix. Numerical simulations verify the effectiveness of the proposed methods.

Approximate solution of generalized Ginzburg-Landau-Higgs system via homotopy perturbation method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lu Juhong [School of Physics and Electromechanical Engineering, Shaoguan Univ., Guangdong (China); Dept. of Information Engineering, Coll. of Lishui Professional Tech., Zhejiang (China); Zheng Chunlong [School of Physics and Electromechanical Engineering, Shaoguan Univ., Guangdong (China); Shanghai Inst. of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, Shanghai Univ., SH (China)

2010-04-15

Using the homotopy perturbation method, a class of nonlinear generalized Ginzburg-Landau-Higgs systems (GGLH) is considered. Firstly, by introducing a homotopic transformation, the nonlinear problem is changed into a system of linear equations. Secondly, by selecting a suitable initial approximation, the approximate solution with arbitrary degree accuracy to the generalized Ginzburg-Landau-Higgs system is derived. Finally, another type of homotopic transformation to the generalized Ginzburg-Landau-Higgs system reported in previous literature is briefly discussed. (orig.)

How Agile Methods Conquers General Project Management - The Project Half Double Initiative

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tordrup Heeager, Lise; Svejvig, Per; Schlichter, Bjarne Rerup

2016-01-01

Increased complexity in projects has forced new project management initiatives. In software development several agile methods have emerged and methods such as Scrum are today highly implemented in practice. General project management practice has been inspired by agile software development...

Design method of general-purpose driving circuit for CCD based on CPLD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Yong; Tang Benqi; Xiao Zhigang; Wang Zujun; Huang Shaoyan

2005-01-01

It is very important for studying the radiation damage effects and mechanism systematically about CCD to develop a general-purpose test platform. The paper discusses the design method of general-purpose driving circuit for CCD based on CPLD and the realization approach. A main controller has being designed to read the data file from the outer memory, setup the correlative parameter registers and produce the driving pulses according with parameter request strictly, which is based on MAX7000S by using MAX-PLUS II software. The basic driving circuit module has being finished based on this method. The output waveform of the module is the same figure as the simulation waveform. The result indicates that the design method is feasible. (authors)

A generalized simplest equation method and its application to the Boussinesq-Burgers equation.

Science.gov (United States)

Sudao, Bilige; Wang, Xiaomin

2015-01-01

In this paper, a generalized simplest equation method is proposed to seek exact solutions of nonlinear evolution equations (NLEEs). In the method, we chose a solution expression with a variable coefficient and a variable coefficient ordinary differential auxiliary equation. This method can yield a Bäcklund transformation between NLEEs and a related constraint equation. By dealing with the constraint equation, we can derive infinite number of exact solutions for NLEEs. These solutions include the traveling wave solutions, non-traveling wave solutions, multi-soliton solutions, rational solutions, and other types of solutions. As applications, we obtained wide classes of exact solutions for the Boussinesq-Burgers equation by using the generalized simplest equation method.

A critical appraisal of chronic kidney disease mineral and bone disorders clinical practice guidelines using the AGREE II instrument.

Science.gov (United States)

Sekercioglu, Nigar; Al-Khalifah, Reem; Ewusie, Joycelyne Efua; Elias, Rosilene M; Thabane, Lehana; Busse, Jason W; Akhtar-Danesh, Noori; Iorio, Alfonso; Isayama, Tetsuya; Martínez, Juan Pablo Díaz; Florez, Ivan D; Guyatt, Gordon H

2017-02-01

Patients with chronic kidney disease mineral and bone disorders (CKD-MBD) suffer high rates of morbidity and mortality, in particular related to bone and cardiovascular outcomes. The management of CKD-MBD remains challenging. The objective of this systematic survey is to critically appraise clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) addressing CKD-MBD. Data sources included MEDLINE, EMBASE, the National Guideline Clearinghouse, Guideline International Network and Turning Research into Practice up to May 2016. Teams of two reviewers, independently and in duplicate, screened titles and abstracts and potentially eligible full text reports to determine eligibility and subsequently appraised the guidelines using the Advancing Guideline Development, Reporting and Evaluation in Health Care instrument II (AGREE). Sixteen CPGs published from 2003 to 2015 addressing the diagnosis and management of CKD-MBD in adult patients (11 English, two Spanish, one Italian, one Portuguese and one Slovak) proved eligible. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline performed best with respect to AGREE II criteria; only three other CPGs warranted high scores on all domains. All other guidelines received scores of under 60% on one or more domains. Major discrepancies in recommendations were not, however, present, and we found no association between quality of CPGs which was not associated with resulting recommendations. Most guidelines assessing CKD-MBD suffer from serious shortcomings using AGREE criteria although limitations with respect to AGREE criteria do not necessarily lead to inappropriate recommendations.

The Adapted Ordering Method for Lie algebras and superalgebras and their generalizations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gato-Rivera, Beatriz [Instituto de Matematicas y Fisica Fundamental, CSIC, Serrano 123, Madrid 28006 (Spain); NIKHEF-H, Kruislaan 409, NL-1098 SJ Amsterdam (Netherlands)

2008-02-01

In 1998 the Adapted Ordering Method was developed for the representation theory of the superconformal algebras in two dimensions. It allows us to determine maximal dimensions for a given type of space of singular vectors, to identify all singular vectors by only a few coefficients, to spot subsingular vectors and to set the basis for constructing embedding diagrams. In this paper we present the Adapted Ordering Method for general Lie algebras and superalgebras and their generalizations, provided they can be triangulated. We also review briefly the results obtained for the Virasoro algebra and for the N = 2 and Ramond N = 1 superconformal algebras.

General method of synthesis by PLIC/FPGA digital devices to ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A general method is proposed to synthesize digital devices in order to perform discrete orthogonal transformations (DOT) on programmable logic integrated circuits (PLIC) of FPGA class. The basic and the most "slow" operation during DOT performance is the operation of multiplying by a constant factor (constant) - OMC.

Keeping morality out and the GP in. Consultations in Danish general practice as a context for smoking cessation advice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guassora, Ann Dorrit; Tulinius, Anne Charlotte

2008-01-01

in observation of their own consultations. RESULTS: Patients and GPs agreed that the GP should adopt an attitude of moral acceptance towards patients. Ideals of moral acceptance of patients in general practice consultations were challenged by the prevailing negative moral values associated with smoking......OBJECTIVE: To describe consultations in Danish general practice as a context for a mass strategy of smoking cessation advice. METHODS: The focus of the study was on consultations for health problems that were not related to smoking. Interviews with eleven patients and their six GPs were grounded....... A general aim of mutuality in the conversation in consultations could not always be achieved in smoking cessation advice. Achieving mutuality was especially a problem when smoking cessation advice was repeated at short intervals. CONCLUSION: Two elements of Danish general practice consultations were...

A general method for handling missing binary outcome data in randomized controlled trials

OpenAIRE

Jackson, Dan; White, Ian R; Mason, Dan; Sutton, Stephen

2014-01-01

Aims The analysis of randomized controlled trials with incomplete binary outcome data is challenging. We develop a general method for exploring the impact of missing data in such trials, with a focus on abstinence outcomes. Design We propose a sensitivity analysis where standard analyses, which could include ‘missing = smoking’ and ‘last observation carried forward’, are embedded in a wider class of models. Setting We apply our general method to data from two smoking cessation trials. Partici...

Steady flow of non-Newtonian fluids - monotonicity methods in generalized orlicz spaces

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Wróblewska, Aneta

2010-01-01

Roč. 72, č. 11 (2010), s. 4136-4147 ISSN 0362-546X Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10190503 Keywords : non-Newtonian fluid * Orlicz spaces * modular convergence of symmetric gradients * generalized Minty method * smart fluids Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.279, year: 2010 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0362546X10000568

Adaptive Elastic Net for Generalized Methods of Moments.

Science.gov (United States)

Caner, Mehmet; Zhang, Hao Helen

2014-01-30

Model selection and estimation are crucial parts of econometrics. This paper introduces a new technique that can simultaneously estimate and select the model in generalized method of moments (GMM) context. The GMM is particularly powerful for analyzing complex data sets such as longitudinal and panel data, and it has wide applications in econometrics. This paper extends the least squares based adaptive elastic net estimator of Zou and Zhang (2009) to nonlinear equation systems with endogenous variables. The extension is not trivial and involves a new proof technique due to estimators lack of closed form solutions. Compared to Bridge-GMM of Caner (2009), we allow for the number of parameters to diverge to infinity as well as collinearity among a large number of variables, also the redundant parameters set to zero via a data dependent technique. This method has the oracle property, meaning that we can estimate nonzero parameters with their standard limit and the redundant parameters are dropped from the equations simultaneously. Numerical examples are used to illustrate the performance of the new method.

Four African Nations Agree to Water Management Programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

Full text: Seeking to improve their management of water resources, four northeast African nations today agreed at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to establish a long-term framework for utlizing a key underground water system. Chad, Egypt, Libya and Sudan signed a Strategic Action Programme (SAP) that aims to optimize the equitable use of the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System, a huge water resource that lies beneath the four nations. The SAP also commits the countries to strengthen and build upon a previously existing regional coordination mechanism, in part by establishing a new Joint Authority for the Nubian Aquifer System. The Programme lays the groundwork for improving cooperation among the four arid nations and for strengthening their capacity to monitor and manage the aquifer effectively. With growing populations and decreasing water availability from other sources in the region, the aquifer is under mounting pressure. Removing water without a clear understanding of transboundary and other implications threatens water quality and has the potential to harm biodiversity and accelerate land degradation. The agreement resulted from a joint Technical Cooperation project of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the IAEA. ''I congratulate all involved on this significant achievement,'' said IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano. ''Water is a key resource, and effective management and use of such water resources is essential for the future. The agreement of the Strategic Action Programme is the result of real cooperation between the four States, the Agency and UNDP-GEF. I am confident that this Programme will be a success and will benefit the people of the region. This positive project experience benefits strengthened and expanded cooperation between the IAEA and the UNDP-GEF.'' ''UNDP would like to congratulate the

A generalization of the simplest equation method and its application to (3+1)-dimensional KP equation and generalized Fisher equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Zhonglong; Zhang, Yufeng; Han, Zhong; Rui, Wenjuan

2014-01-01

In this paper, the simplest equation method is used to construct exact traveling solutions of the (3+1)-dimensional KP equation and generalized Fisher equation. We summarize the main steps of the simplest equation method. The Bernoulli and Riccati equation are used as simplest equations. This method is straightforward and concise, and it can be applied to other nonlinear partial differential equations

Investigation of the effective atomic numbers of dosimetric materials for electrons, protons and alpha particles using a direct method in the energy region 10 keV-1 GeV: a comparative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurudirek, Murat; Aksakal, Oğuz; Akkuş, Tuba

2015-11-01

A direct method has been used for the first time, to compute effective atomic numbers (Z eff) of water, air, human tissues, and some organic and inorganic compounds, for total electron proton and alpha particle interaction in the energy region 10 keV-1 GeV. The obtained values for Z eff were then compared to those obtained using an interpolation procedure. In general, good agreement has been observed for electrons, and the difference (%) in Z eff between the results of the direct and the interpolation method was found to be energy range from 10 keV to 1 MeV. More specifically, results of the two methods were found to agree well (Dif. energy region with respect to the total electron interaction. On the other hand, values for Z eff calculated using both methods for protons and alpha particles generally agree with each other in the high-energy region above 10 MeV.

29 CFR 1926.405 - Wiring methods, components, and equipment for general use.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Electrical Installation Safety Requirements § 1926.405 Wiring methods, components, and equipment for general... lighting wiring methods which may be of a class less than would be required for a permanent installation... subpart for permanent wiring shall apply to temporary wiring installations. Temporary wiring shall be...

Steady flow of non-Newtonian fluids - monotonicity methods in generalized orlicz spaces

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Wróblewska, Aneta

2010-01-01

Roč. 72, č. 11 (2010), s. 4136-4147 ISSN 0362-546X Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10190503 Keywords : non-Newtonian fluid * Orlicz spaces * modular convergence of symmetric gradients * general ized Minty method * smart fluids Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.279, year: 2010 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0362546X10000568

40 CFR 80.131 - Agreed upon procedures for GTAB, certain conventional gasoline imported by truck, previously...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

..., certain conventional gasoline imported by truck, previously certified gasoline used to produce gasoline... gasoline used to produce gasoline, and butane blenders. (a) Attest procedures for GTAB. The following are... conventional gasoline and of RFG produced. Agree the volumes from the tank activity records to the batch volume...

Verifying the agreed framework between the United States and North Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

May, M.M.

2001-01-01

Under the 1994 Agreed Framework (AF) between the United States and the Democratic People Republic of Korea (DPRK), the US and its allies will provide two nuclear-power reactors and other benefits to the DPRK in exchange for an agreement by the DPRK to declare how much nuclear-weapon material it has produced; to identify, freeze, and eventually dismantle specified facilities for producing this material; and to remain a party to the nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and allow the implementation of its safeguards agreement. This study assesses the verifiability of these provisions. The study concludes verification can be accomplished, given cooperation and openness from the DPRK. Special effort will be needed from the IAEA, as well as support from the US and the Republic of Korea. (author)

Integrating Multiple Teaching Methods into a General Chemistry Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Francisco, Joseph S.; Nicoll, Gayle; Trautmann, Marcella

1998-02-01

In addition to the traditional lecture format, three other teaching strategies (class discussions, concept maps, and cooperative learning) were incorporated into a freshman level general chemistry course. Student perceptions of their involvement in each of the teaching methods, as well as their perceptions of the utility of each method were used to assess the effectiveness of the integration of the teaching strategies as received by the students. Results suggest that each strategy serves a unique purpose for the students and increased student involvement in the course. These results indicate that the multiple teaching strategies were well received by the students and that all teaching strategies are necessary for students to get the most out of the course.

Gravitational waves from axisymmetric rotating stellar core collapse to a neutron star in full general relativity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shibata, Masaru; Sekiguchi, Yu-ichirou

2004-01-01

Axisymmetric numerical simulations of rotating stellar core collapse to a neutron star are performed in the framework of full general relativity. The so-called Cartoon method, in which the Einstein field equations are solved in Cartesian coordinates and the axisymmetric condition is imposed around the y=0 plane, is adopted. The hydrodynamic equations are solved in cylindrical coordinates (on the y=0 plane in Cartesian coordinates) using a high-resolution shock-capturing scheme with maximum grid size (2500,2500). A parametric equation of state is adopted to model collapsing stellar cores and neutron stars following Dimmelmeier, Font, and Mueller. It is found that the evolution of the central density during the collapse, bounce, and formation of protoneutron stars agrees well with that in the work of Dimmelmeier, Font, and Mueller in which an approximate general relativistic formulation is adopted. This indicates that such an approximation is appropriate for following axisymmetric stellar core collapses and the subsequent formation of protoneutron stars. Gravitational waves are computed using a quadrupole formula. It is found that the waveforms are qualitatively in good agreement with those by Dimmelmeier, Font, and Mueller. However, quantitatively, two waveforms do not agree well. The possible reasons for the disagreement are discussed

Comparison of preconditioned generalized conjugate gradient methods to two-dimensional neutron and photon transport equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, G.S.; Yang, D.Y.

1998-01-01

We apply and compare the preconditioned generalized conjugate gradient methods to solve the linear system equation that arises in the two-dimensional neutron and photon transport equation in this paper. Several subroutines are developed on the basis of preconditioned generalized conjugate gradient methods for time-independent, two-dimensional neutron and photon transport equation in the transport theory. These generalized conjugate gradient methods are used: TFQMR (transpose free quasi-minimal residual algorithm) CGS (conjugate gradient square algorithm), Bi-CGSTAB (bi-conjugate gradient stabilized algorithm) and QMRCGSTAB (quasi-minimal residual variant of bi-conjugate gradient stabilized algorithm). These subroutines are connected to computer program DORT. Several problems are tested on a personal computer with Intel Pentium CPU. The reasons to choose the generalized conjugate gradient methods are that the methods have better residual (equivalent to error) control procedures in the computation and have better convergent rate. The pointwise incomplete LU factorization ILU, modified pointwise incomplete LU factorization MILU, block incomplete factorization BILU and modified blockwise incomplete LU factorization MBILU are the preconditioning techniques used in the several testing problems. In Bi-CGSTAB, CGS, TFQMR and QMRCGSTAB method, we find that either CGS or Bi-CGSTAB method combined with preconditioner MBILU is the most efficient algorithm in these methods in the several testing problems. The numerical solution of flux by preconditioned CGS and Bi-CGSTAB methods has the same result as those from Cray computer, obtained by either the point successive relaxation method or the line successive relaxation method combined with Gaussian elimination

QUANTITATIVE EVALUATION METHOD OF ELEMENTS PRIORITY OF CARTOGRAPHIC GENERALIZATION BASED ON TAXI TRAJECTORY DATA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z. Long

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Considering the lack of quantitative criteria for the selection of elements in cartographic generalization, this study divided the hotspot areas of passengers into parts at three levels, gave them different weights, and then classified the elements from the different hotspots. On this basis, a method was proposed to quantify the priority of elements selection. Subsequently, the quantitative priority of different cartographic elements was summarized based on this method. In cartographic generalization, the method can be preferred to select the significant elements and discard those that are relatively non-significant.

The DQ and DQΦ electronic structure diabatization methods: Validation for general applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoyer, Chad E.; Parker, Kelsey; Gagliardi, Laura, E-mail: gagliard@umn.edu, E-mail: truhlar@umn.edu; Truhlar, Donald G., E-mail: gagliard@umn.edu, E-mail: truhlar@umn.edu [Department of Chemistry, Chemical Theory Center, and Minnesota Supercomputing Institute, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant St. SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0431 (United States)

2016-05-21

We recently proposed the dipole-quadrupole (DQ) method for transforming adiabatic electronic states to diabatic states by using matrix elements of the dipole and quadrupole operators, and we applied the method to 3-state diabatizations of LiH and phenol. Here we extend the method to also include the electrostatic potential, and we call the resulting method the DQΦ method, which denotes the dipole–quadrupole–electrostatic-potential diabatization method. The electrostatic potential provides extra flexibility, and the goal of the present work is to test and illustrate the robustness of the methods for producing diabatic potential energy curves that tend to the adiabatic curves away from crossings and avoided crossings and are smooth in regions of crossings and avoided crossings. We illustrate the generality of the methods by an application to LiH with four states and by two-state diabatizations of HCl, (H{sub 2}){sub 2}, O{sub 3}, and the reaction Li + HF → LiF + H. We find that—if enough states are included—the DQ method does not have a significant dependence on the parameter weighting the quadrupole moment, and a geometry-independent value of 10 a{sub 0}{sup −2} is adequate in all cases tested. We also find that the addition of the electrostatic potential improves the diabatic potentials in some cases and provides an additional property useful for increasing the generality of the method for diabatization.

A general modeling method for I-V characteristics of geometrically and electrically configured photovoltaic arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Guangyu; Nguang, Sing Kiong; Partridge, Ashton

2011-01-01

Highlights: → A novel and general method is proposed for modeling PV arrays or modules. → A robust algorithm is used for the first time to improve the convergence to solution. → Auxiliary functions in other general methods are not compulsory in our method. → It is novel that geometric configuration is also incorporated. → A case study is performed to show the approach's advantages and unique features. - Abstract: A general method for modeling typical photovoltaic (PV) arrays and modules is proposed to find the exact current and voltage relationship of PV arrays or modules of geometrically and electrically different configurations. Nonlinear characteristic equations of electrical devices in solar array or module systems are numerically constructed without adding any virtual electrical components. Then, a robust damped Newton method is used to find exact I-V relationship of these general nonlinear equations, where the convergence is guaranteed. The model can deal with different mismatch effects such as different configurations of bypass diodes, and partial shading. Geometry coordinates of PV components are also considered to facilitate the modeling of the actual physical configuration. Simulation of a PV array with 48 modules, partially shaded by a concrete structure, is performed to verify the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed method.

The definition of commonly agreed stylized human intrusion scenarios for use in the long term safety assessments of radioactive waste disposal systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carboneras, P.

2002-01-01

Recent international advice on the treatment of human intrusion in relation to the safety of radioactive waste repositories is reviewed. The outstanding issues which need to be resolved in order to establish an agreed international approach to assessing the consequences and judging the impact of human intrusion are summarized. Finally, a way forward towards an internationally agreed assessment approach is proposed. (author)

FATAL, General Experiment Fitting Program by Nonlinear Regression Method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salmon, L.; Budd, T.; Marshall, M.

1982-01-01

1 - Description of problem or function: A generalized fitting program with a free-format keyword interface to the user. It permits experimental data to be fitted by non-linear regression methods to any function describable by the user. The user requires the minimum of computer experience but needs to provide a subroutine to define his function. Some statistical output is included as well as 'best' estimates of the function's parameters. 2 - Method of solution: The regression method used is based on a minimization technique devised by Powell (Harwell Subroutine Library VA05A, 1972) which does not require the use of analytical derivatives. The method employs a quasi-Newton procedure balanced with a steepest descent correction. Experience shows this to be efficient for a very wide range of application. 3 - Restrictions on the complexity of the problem: The current version of the program permits functions to be defined with up to 20 parameters. The function may be fitted to a maximum of 400 points, preferably with estimated values of weight given

The scientific motivation of the internationally agreed ‘well below 2 °C’ climate protection target

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leemans, Rik; Vellinga, Pier

2017-01-01

The UNFCCC parties in their last 2015-meeting in Paris agreed to hold the increase in the global average temperature well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels. However, how this target came about is rarely substantiated in the scientific literature. We review and document the history of this

Numerical Simulation of Coupled Nonlinear Schrödinger Equations Using the Generalized Differential Quadrature Method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mokhtari, R.; Toodar, A. Samadi; Chegini, N. G.

2011-01-01

We the extend application of the generalized differential quadrature method (GDQM) to solve some coupled nonlinear Schrödinger equations. The cosine-based GDQM is employed and the obtained system of ordinary differential equations is solved via the fourth order Runge—Kutta method. The numerical solutions coincide with the exact solutions in desired machine precision and invariant quantities are conserved sensibly. Some comparisons with the methods applied in the literature are carried out. (general)

Comparison of preconditioned generalized conjugate gradient methods to two-dimensional neutron and photon transport equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, G.S.

1997-01-01

We apply and compare the preconditioned generalized conjugate gradient methods to solve the linear system equation that arises in the two-dimensional neutron and photon transport equation in this paper. Several subroutines are developed on the basis of preconditioned generalized conjugate gradient methods for time-independent, two-dimensional neutron and photon transport equation in the transport theory. These generalized conjugate gradient methods are used. TFQMR (transpose free quasi-minimal residual algorithm), CGS (conjuage gradient square algorithm), Bi-CGSTAB (bi-conjugate gradient stabilized algorithm) and QMRCGSTAB (quasi-minimal residual variant of bi-conjugate gradient stabilized algorithm). These sub-routines are connected to computer program DORT. Several problems are tested on a personal computer with Intel Pentium CPU. (author)

Methods of checking general safety criteria in UML statechart specifications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pap, Zsigmond; Majzik, Istvan; Pataricza, Andras; Szegi, Andras

2005-01-01

This paper describes methods and tools for safety analysis of UML statechart specifications. A comprehensive set of general safety criteria including completeness and consistency is applied in automated analysis. Analysis techniques are based on OCL expressions, graph transformations and reachability analysis. Two canonical intermediate representations of the statechart specification are introduced. They are suitable for straightforward implementation of checker methods and for the support of the proof of the correctness and soundness of the applied analysis. One of them also serves as a basis of the metamodel of a variant of UML statecharts proposed for the specification of safety-critical control systems. The analysis is extended to object-oriented specifications. Examples illustrate the application of the checker methods implemented by an automated tool-set

A general method for closed-loop inverse simulation of helicopter maneuver flight

OpenAIRE

Wei WU

2017-01-01

Maneuverability is a key factor to determine whether a helicopter could finish certain flight missions successfully or not. Inverse simulation is commonly used to calculate the pilot controls of a helicopter to complete a certain kind of maneuver flight and to assess its maneuverability. A general method for inverse simulation of maneuver flight for helicopters with the flight control system online is developed in this paper. A general mathematical describing function is established to provid...

A general method for the inclusion of radiation chemistry in astrochemical models.

Science.gov (United States)

Shingledecker, Christopher N; Herbst, Eric

2018-02-21

In this paper, we propose a general formalism that allows for the estimation of radiolysis decomposition pathways and rate coefficients suitable for use in astrochemical models, with a focus on solid phase chemistry. Such a theory can help increase the connection between laboratory astrophysics experiments and astrochemical models by providing a means for modelers to incorporate radiation chemistry into chemical networks. The general method proposed here is targeted particularly at the majority of species now included in chemical networks for which little radiochemical data exist; however, the method can also be used as a starting point for considering better studied species. We here apply our theory to the irradiation of H 2 O ice and compare the results with previous experimental data.

Child overweight in general practice – parents’ beliefs and expectations – a questionnaire survey study

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Care for overweight children in general practice involves collaboration with parents. Acknowledging the parents’ frames of references is a prerequisite for successful management. We therefore aimed to analyse parental beliefs about the presumed causes and consequences of overweight in children and expectations towards the GP. Moreover, we aimed at comparing the beliefs and expectations of parents of non-overweight children (NOWC) and parents of overweight children (OWC). Methods A cross-sectional survey. Data were obtained from a questionnaire exploring parents’ beliefs and expectations regarding overweight in children. The questionnaires were completed by parents following their child’s participation in the five-year preventive child health examination (PCHE). Parental agreement upon statements concerning beliefs and expectations regarding overweight in children was measured on a Likert scale. Differences in levels of agreement between parents of non-overweight children and parents of overweight children were analysed using Chi-squared test and Fisher’s exact test. Results Parents of 879 children completed and returned questionnaires. Around three fourths of the parents agreed that overweight was a health problem. A majority of parents (93%) agreed that the GP should call attention to overweight in children and offer counselling on diet and exercise. Almost half of the parents expected a follow-up programme. Parents of overweight children seemed to agree less upon some of the proposed causes of overweight, e.g. inappropriate diet and lack of exercise. These parents also had stronger beliefs about overweight disappearing by itself as the child grows up. Conclusions According to parental beliefs and expectations, general practice should have an important role to play in the management of child overweight. Moreover, our findings suggest that GPs should be aware of the particular beliefs that parents of overweight children may have regarding causes

A Modified Generalized Laguerre Spectral Method for Fractional Differential Equations on the Half Line

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Baleanu

2013-01-01

fractional derivatives is based on modified generalized Laguerre polynomials Li(α,β(x with x∈Λ=(0,∞, α>−1, and β>0, and i is the polynomial degree. We implement and develop the modified generalized Laguerre collocation method based on the modified generalized Laguerre-Gauss points which is used as collocation nodes for solving nonlinear multiterm FDEs on the half line.

How do Perceptions of Autonomy Differ in General Surgery Training Between Faculty, Senior Residents, Hospital Administrators, and the General Public? A Multi-Institutional Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kempenich, Jason W; Willis, Ross E; Rakosi, Robert; Wiersch, John; Schenarts, Paul Joseph

2015-01-01

Identify barriers to resident autonomy in today's educational environment as perceived through 4 selected groups: senior surgical residents, teaching faculty, hospital administration, and the general public. Anonymous surveys were created and distributed to senior residents, faculty, and hospital administrators working within 3 residency programs. The opinions of a convenience sample of the general public were also assessed using a similar survey. Keesler Medical Center, Keesler AFB, MS; the University of Texas Health Science of San Antonio, TX; and the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE. A total of 169 responses were collected: 32 residents, 50 faculty, 20 administrators, and 67 general public. Faculty and residents agree that when attending staff grant more autonomy, residents' self-confidence and sense of ownership improve. Faculty felt that residents should have less autonomy than residents did (p autonomy at their institution, 47% of residents felt that they had too little autonomy and 38% of faculty agreed. No resident or faculty felt that residents had too much autonomy at their institution. The general public were more welcoming of resident participation than faculty (p = 0.002) and administrators (p = 0.02) predicted they would be. When the general public were asked regarding their opinions about resident participation with complex procedures, they were less welcoming than faculty, administrators, and residents thought (p autonomy as important for resident development. The general public are more receptive to resident participation than anticipated. However, with increasing procedural complexity and resident independence, they were less inclined to have residents involved. The general public also had more concerns regarding quality of care provided by residents than the other groups had. Published by Elsevier Inc.

An efficient and general numerical method to compute steady uniform vortices

Science.gov (United States)

Luzzatto-Fegiz, Paolo; Williamson, Charles H. K.

2011-07-01

Steady uniform vortices are widely used to represent high Reynolds number flows, yet their efficient computation still presents some challenges. Existing Newton iteration methods become inefficient as the vortices develop fine-scale features; in addition, these methods cannot, in general, find solutions with specified Casimir invariants. On the other hand, available relaxation approaches are computationally inexpensive, but can fail to converge to a solution. In this paper, we overcome these limitations by introducing a new discretization, based on an inverse-velocity map, which radically increases the efficiency of Newton iteration methods. In addition, we introduce a procedure to prescribe Casimirs and remove the degeneracies in the steady vorticity equation, thus ensuring convergence for general vortex configurations. We illustrate our methodology by considering several unbounded flows involving one or two vortices. Our method enables the computation, for the first time, of steady vortices that do not exhibit any geometric symmetry. In addition, we discover that, as the limiting vortex state for each flow is approached, each family of solutions traces a clockwise spiral in a bifurcation plot consisting of a velocity-impulse diagram. By the recently introduced "IVI diagram" stability approach [Phys. Rev. Lett. 104 (2010) 044504], each turn of this spiral is associated with a loss of stability for the steady flows. Such spiral structure is suggested to be a universal feature of steady, uniform-vorticity flows.

The Generalized Sturmian Method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Avery, James Emil

2011-01-01

these ideas clearly so that they become more accessible. By bringing together these non-standard methods, the book intends to inspire graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and academics to think of novel approaches. Is there a method out there that we have not thought of yet? Can we design a new method...... generations of researchers were left to work out how to achieve this ambitious goal for molecular systems of ever-increasing size. This book focuses on non-mainstream methods to solve the molecular electronic Schrödinger equation. Each method is based on a set of core ideas and this volume aims to explain...

A Jacobi-Davidson type method for the generalized singular value problem

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hochstenbach, M.E.

2009-01-01

We discuss a new method for the iterative computation of some of the generalized singular values and vectors of a large sparse matrix. Our starting point is the augmented matrix formulation of the GSVD. The subspace expansion is performed by (approximately) solving a Jacobi–Davidson type correction

A fully general and adaptive inverse analysis method for cementitious materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jepsen, Michael S.; Damkilde, Lars; Lövgren, Ingemar

2016-01-01

The paper presents an adaptive method for inverse determination of the tensile σ - w relationship, direct tensile strength and Young’s modulus of cementitious materials. The method facilitates an inverse analysis with a multi-linear σ - w function. Usually, simple bi- or tri-linear functions...... are applied when modeling the fracture mechanisms in cementitious materials, but the vast development of pseudo-strain hardening, fiber reinforced cementitious materials require inverse methods, capable of treating multi-linear σ - w functions. The proposed method is fully general in the sense that it relies...... of notched specimens and simulated data from a nonlinear hinge model. The paper shows that the results obtained by means of the proposed method is independent on the initial shape of the σ - w function and the initial guess of the tensile strength. The method provides very accurate fits, and the increased...

An efficient iterative method for the generalized Stokes problem

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sameh, A. [Univ. of Minnesota, Twin Cities, MN (United States); Sarin, V. [Univ. of Illinois, Urbana, IL (United States)

1996-12-31

This paper presents an efficient iterative scheme for the generalized Stokes problem, which arises frequently in the simulation of time-dependent Navier-Stokes equations for incompressible fluid flow. The general form of the linear system is where A = {alpha}M + vT is an n x n symmetric positive definite matrix, in which M is the mass matrix, T is the discrete Laplace operator, {alpha} and {nu} are positive constants proportional to the inverses of the time-step {Delta}t and the Reynolds number Re respectively, and B is the discrete gradient operator of size n x k (k < n). Even though the matrix A is symmetric and positive definite, the system is indefinite due to the incompressibility constraint (B{sup T}u = 0). This causes difficulties both for iterative methods and commonly used preconditioners. Moreover, depending on the ratio {alpha}/{nu}, A behaves like the mass matrix M at one extreme and the Laplace operator T at the other, thus complicating the issue of preconditioning.

General practitioners’ views of clinically led commissioning: cross-sectional survey in England

Science.gov (United States)

Moran, Valerie; Checkland, Kath; Coleman, Anna; Spooner, Sharon; Gibson, Jonathan; Sutton, Matt

2017-01-01

Objectives Involving general practitioners (GPs) in the commissioning/purchasing of services has been an important element in English health policy for many years. The Health and Social Care Act 2012 handed responsibility for commissioning of the majority of care for local populations to GP-led Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs). In this paper, we explore GP attitudes to involvement in commissioning and future intentions for engagement. Design and setting Survey of a random sample of GPs across England in 2015. Method The Eighth National GP Worklife Survey was distributed to GPs in spring 2015. Responses were received from 2611 respondents (response rate = 46%). We compared responses across different GP characteristics and conducted two sample tests of proportions to identify statistically significant differences in responses across groups. We also used multivariate logistic regression to identify the characteristics associated with wanting a formal CCG role in the future. Results While GPs generally agree that they can add value to aspects of commissioning, only a minority feel that this is an important part of their role. Many current leaders intend to quit in the next 5 years, and there is limited appetite among those not currently in a formal role to take up such a role in the future. CCGs were set up as ‘membership organisations’ but only a minority of respondents reported feeling that they had ‘ownership’ of their local CCG and these were often GPs with formal CCG roles. However, respondents generally agree that the CCG has a legitimate role in influencing the work that they do. Conclusion CCGs need to engage in active succession planning to find the next generation of GP leaders. GPs believe that CCGs have a legitimate role in influencing their work, suggesting that there may be scope for CCGs to involve GPs more fully in roles short of formal leadership. PMID:28596217

Amyloid oligomer structure characterization from simulations: A general method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nguyen, Phuong H., E-mail: phuong.nguyen@ibpc.fr [Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique, UPR 9080, CNRS Université Denis Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité IBPC, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris (France); Li, Mai Suan [Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw (Poland); Derreumaux, Philippe, E-mail: philippe.derreumaux@ibpc.fr [Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique, UPR 9080, CNRS Université Denis Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité IBPC, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris (France); Institut Universitaire de France, 103 Bvd Saint-Germain, 75005 Paris (France)

2014-03-07

Amyloid oligomers and plaques are composed of multiple chemically identical proteins. Therefore, one of the first fundamental problems in the characterization of structures from simulations is the treatment of the degeneracy, i.e., the permutation of the molecules. Second, the intramolecular and intermolecular degrees of freedom of the various molecules must be taken into account. Currently, the well-known dihedral principal component analysis method only considers the intramolecular degrees of freedom, and other methods employing collective variables can only describe intermolecular degrees of freedom at the global level. With this in mind, we propose a general method that identifies all the structures accurately. The basis idea is that the intramolecular and intermolecular states are described in terms of combinations of single-molecule and double-molecule states, respectively, and the overall structures of oligomers are the product basis of the intramolecular and intermolecular states. This way, the degeneracy is automatically avoided. The method is illustrated on the conformational ensemble of the tetramer of the Alzheimer's peptide Aβ{sub 9−40}, resulting from two atomistic molecular dynamics simulations in explicit solvent, each of 200 ns, starting from two distinct structures.

[Diagnostic rationalism. Views of general practitioners on fibromyalgia].

Science.gov (United States)

Daehli, B

1993-09-20

Clinical practice is characterized by having to make numerous important decisions, including the diagnosis. In this study, general practitioners were asked to agree or to disagree with statements of fibromyalgia. The main purpose was to test the usefulness of two well-known models for decision-making when studying diagnosis in cases of uncertainty and scepticism. The results show that the models are inadequate to explain the decisions.

Attitudes toward Euthanasia in Hong Kong--A Comparison between Physicians and the General Public

Science.gov (United States)

Chong, Alice Ming-lin; Fok, Shiu-yeu

2005-01-01

This article reports the findings of a cross-sectional study that compared the attitudes of 618 respondents of a general household survey and a random sample of 1,197 physicians toward different types of euthanasia in Hong Kong. The general public was found to agree with active euthanasia and non-voluntary euthanasia and was neutral about passive…

A generalized trial solution method for solving the aerosol equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simons, S.; Simpson, D.R.

1988-01-01

It is shown how the introduction of orthogonal functions together with a time-dependent scaling factor may be used to develop a generalized trial solution method for tackling the aerosol equation. The approach is worked out in detail for the case where the initial particle size spectrum follows a γ-distribution, and it is shown to be a viable technique as long as the initial volume fraction of particulate material is not too large. The method is applied to several situations of interest, and is shown to give more accurate results (with marginally shorter computing times) than are given by the three-parameter log-normal or γ distribution trial functions. (author)

A numerical method for transient gas-liquid two-phase flow using a general curvilinear coordinate system. 1. Governing equations and numerical method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomiyama, Akio; Matsuoka, Toshiyuki.

1995-01-01

A simple numerical method for solving a transient incompressible two-fluid model was proposed in the present study. A general curvilinear coordinate system was adopted in this method for predicting transient flows in practical engineering devices. The simplicity of the present method is due to the fact that the field equations and constitutive equations were expressed in a tensor form in the general curvilinear coordinate system. When a conventional rectangular mesh is adopted in a calculation, the method reduces to a numerical method for a Cartesian coordinate system. As an example, the present method was applied to transient air-water bubbly flow in a vertical U-tube. It was confirmed that the effects of centrifugal and gravitational forces on the phase distribution in the U-tube were reasonably predicted. (author)

An energy-stable generalized- α method for the Swift–Hohenberg equation

KAUST Repository

Sarmiento, Adel

2017-11-16

We propose a second-order accurate energy-stable time-integration method that controls the evolution of numerical instabilities introducing numerical dissipation in the highest-resolved frequencies. Our algorithm further extends the generalized-α method and provides control over dissipation via the spectral radius. We derive the first and second laws of thermodynamics for the Swift–Hohenberg equation and provide a detailed proof of the unconditional energy stability of our algorithm. Finally, we present numerical results to verify the energy stability and its second-order accuracy in time.

An energy-stable generalized- α method for the Swift–Hohenberg equation

KAUST Repository

Sarmiento, Adel; Espath, L.F.R.; Vignal, P.; Dalcin, Lisandro; Parsani, Matteo; Calo, V.M.

2017-01-01

We propose a second-order accurate energy-stable time-integration method that controls the evolution of numerical instabilities introducing numerical dissipation in the highest-resolved frequencies. Our algorithm further extends the generalized-α method and provides control over dissipation via the spectral radius. We derive the first and second laws of thermodynamics for the Swift–Hohenberg equation and provide a detailed proof of the unconditional energy stability of our algorithm. Finally, we present numerical results to verify the energy stability and its second-order accuracy in time.

An element-free Galerkin (EFG) method for generalized Fisher equations (GFE)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi Ting-Yu; Ge Hong-Xia; Cheng Rong-Jun

2013-01-01

A generalized Fisher equation (GFE) relates the time derivative of the average of the intrinsic rate of growth to its variance. The exact mathematical result of the GFE has been widely used in population dynamics and genetics, where it originated. Many researchers have studied the numerical solutions of the GFE, up to now. In this paper, we introduce an element-free Galerkin (EFG) method based on the moving least-square approximation to approximate positive solutions of the GFE from population dynamics. Compared with other numerical methods, the EFG method for the GFE needs only scattered nodes instead of meshing the domain of the problem. The Galerkin weak form is used to obtain the discrete equations, and the essential boundary conditions are enforced by the penalty method. In comparison with the traditional method, numerical solutions show that the new method has higher accuracy and better convergence. Several numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method

The response analysis of fractional-order stochastic system via generalized cell mapping method.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Liang; Xue, Lili; Sun, Chunyan; Yue, Xiaole; Xu, Wei

2018-01-01

This paper is concerned with the response of a fractional-order stochastic system. The short memory principle is introduced to ensure that the response of the system is a Markov process. The generalized cell mapping method is applied to display the global dynamics of the noise-free system, such as attractors, basins of attraction, basin boundary, saddle, and invariant manifolds. The stochastic generalized cell mapping method is employed to obtain the evolutionary process of probability density functions of the response. The fractional-order ϕ 6 oscillator and the fractional-order smooth and discontinuous oscillator are taken as examples to give the implementations of our strategies. Studies have shown that the evolutionary direction of the probability density function of the fractional-order stochastic system is consistent with the unstable manifold. The effectiveness of the method is confirmed using Monte Carlo results.

The Confrontation between General Relativity and Experiment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Will Clifford

2001-01-01

Full Text Available The status of experimental tests of general relativity and of theoretical frameworks for analysing them are reviewed. Einstein's equivalence principle (EEP is well supported by experiments such as the Eötvös experiment, tests of special relativity, and the gravitational redshift experiment. Future tests of EEP and of the inverse square law will search for new interactions arising from unification or quantum gravity. Tests of general relativity at the post-Newtonian level have reached high precision, including the light deflection, the Shapiro time delay, the perihelion advance of Mercury, and the Nordtvedt effect in lunar motion. Gravitational wave damping has been detected in an amount that agrees with general relativity to half a percent using the Hulse-Taylor binary pulsar, and new binary pulsar systems may yield further improvements.When direct observation of gravitational radiation from astrophysical sources begins, new tests of general relativity will be possible.

Generalized ensemble method applied to study systems with strong first order transitions

Science.gov (United States)

Małolepsza, E.; Kim, J.; Keyes, T.

2015-09-01

At strong first-order phase transitions, the entropy versus energy or, at constant pressure, enthalpy, exhibits convex behavior, and the statistical temperature curve correspondingly exhibits an S-loop or back-bending. In the canonical and isothermal-isobaric ensembles, with temperature as the control variable, the probability density functions become bimodal with peaks localized outside of the S-loop region. Inside, states are unstable, and as a result simulation of equilibrium phase coexistence becomes impossible. To overcome this problem, a method was proposed by Kim, Keyes and Straub [1], where optimally designed generalized ensemble sampling was combined with replica exchange, and denoted generalized replica exchange method (gREM). This new technique uses parametrized effective sampling weights that lead to a unimodal energy distribution, transforming unstable states into stable ones. In the present study, the gREM, originally developed as a Monte Carlo algorithm, was implemented to work with molecular dynamics in an isobaric ensemble and coded into LAMMPS, a highly optimized open source molecular simulation package. The method is illustrated in a study of the very strong solid/liquid transition in water.

Multiscale Model Reduction with Generalized Multiscale Finite Element Methods in Geomathematics

KAUST Repository

Efendiev, Yalchin R.; Presho, Michael

2015-01-01

In this chapter, we discuss multiscale model reduction using Generalized Multiscale Finite Element Methods (GMsFEM) in a number of geomathematical applications. GMsFEM has been recently introduced (Efendiev et al. 2012) and applied to various problems. In the current chapter, we consider some of these applications and outline the basic methodological concepts.

Multiscale Model Reduction with Generalized Multiscale Finite Element Methods in Geomathematics

KAUST Repository

Efendiev, Yalchin R.

2015-09-02

In this chapter, we discuss multiscale model reduction using Generalized Multiscale Finite Element Methods (GMsFEM) in a number of geomathematical applications. GMsFEM has been recently introduced (Efendiev et al. 2012) and applied to various problems. In the current chapter, we consider some of these applications and outline the basic methodological concepts.

Personnel planning in general practices: development and testing of a skill mix analysis method.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eitzen-Strassel, J. von; Vrijhoef, H.J.M.; Derckx, E.W.C.C.; Bakker, D.H. de

2014-01-01

Background: General practitioners (GPs) have to match patients’ demands with the mix of their practice staff’s competencies. However, apart from some general principles, there is little guidance on recruiting new staff. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a method which would allow GPs

Personnel planning in general practices : Development and testing of a skill mix analysis method

NARCIS (Netherlands)

von Eitzen-Strassel, J.; Vrijhoef, H.J.M.; Derckx, E.W.C.C.; de Bakker, D.H.

2014-01-01

Background General practitioners (GPs) have to match patients’ demands with the mix of their practice staff’s competencies. However, apart from some general principles, there is little guidance on recruiting new staff. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a method which would allow GPs

A new generalized algebra method and its application in the (2 + 1) dimensional Boiti-Leon-Pempinelli equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ren Yujie; Liu Shutian; Zhang Hongqing

2007-01-01

In the present paper, some types of general solutions of a first-order nonlinear ordinary differential equation with six degree are given and a new generalized algebra method is presented to find more exact solutions of nonlinear differential equations. As an application of the method and the solutions of this equation, we choose the (2 + 1) dimensional Boiti Leon Pempinelli equation to illustrate the validity and advantages of the method. As a consequence, more new types and general solutions are found which include rational solutions and irrational solutions and so on. The new method can also be applied to other nonlinear differential equations in mathematical physics

Investigation on generalized Variational Nodal Methods for heterogeneous nodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Yongping; Wu, Hongchun; Li, Yunzhao; Cao, Liangzhi; Shen, Wei

2017-01-01

Highlights: • We developed two heterogeneous nodal methods based on the Variational Nodal Method. • Four problems were solved to evaluate the two heterogeneous nodal methods. • The function expansion method is good at treating continuous-changing heterogeneity. • The finite sub-element method is good at treating discontinuous-changing heterogeneity. - Abstract: The Variational Nodal Method (VNM) is generalized for heterogeneous nodes and applied to four kinds of problems including Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) core problem with continuous cross section profile, Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) control rod cusping effect problem, PWR whole-core pin-by-pin problem, and heterogeneous PWR core problem without fuel-coolant homogenization in each pin cell. Two approaches have been investigated for the treatment of the nodal heterogeneity in this paper. To concentrate on spatial heterogeneity, diffusion approximation was adopted for the angular variable in neutron transport equation. To provide demonstrative numerical results, the codes in this paper were developed in slab geometry. The first method, named as function expansion (FE) method, expands nodal flux by orthogonal polynomials and the nodal cross sections are also expressed as spatial depended functions. The second path, named as finite sub-element (FS) method, takes advantage of the finite-element method by dividing each node into numbers of homogeneous sub-elements and expanding nodal flux into the combination of linear sub-element trial functions. Numerical tests have been carried out to evaluate the ability of the two nodal (coarse-mesh) heterogeneous VNMs by comparing with the fine-mesh homogeneous VNM. It has been demonstrated that both heterogeneous approaches can handle heterogeneous nodes. The FE method is good at continuous-changing heterogeneity as in the MSR core problem, while the FS method is good at discontinuous-changing heterogeneity such as the PWR pin-by-pin problem and heterogeneous PWR core

A Dictionary Learning Method with Total Generalized Variation for MRI Reconstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Hongyang; Wei, Jingbo; Liu, Qiegen; Wang, Yuhao; Deng, Xiaohua

2016-01-01

Reconstructing images from their noisy and incomplete measurements is always a challenge especially for medical MR image with important details and features. This work proposes a novel dictionary learning model that integrates two sparse regularization methods: the total generalized variation (TGV) approach and adaptive dictionary learning (DL). In the proposed method, the TGV selectively regularizes different image regions at different levels to avoid oil painting artifacts largely. At the same time, the dictionary learning adaptively represents the image features sparsely and effectively recovers details of images. The proposed model is solved by variable splitting technique and the alternating direction method of multiplier. Extensive simulation experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method consistently recovers MR images efficiently and outperforms the current state-of-the-art approaches in terms of higher PSNR and lower HFEN values.

Proton magnetic spectroscopy agreed better with magnetic resonance image to lateralization of epileptogenic zone than with surface electroencephalography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ricardo Andre Amorim Leite

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Objective To analyze the agreement rate of proton magnetic spectroscopy with magnetic resonance image (MRI and surface electroence-phalography (EEG in extratemporal neocortical epilepsies. Methods A cross-sectional study, type series of cases included 33 patients, age range 13–59 years old, of both gender, presenting structural alteration identified by MRI (75.8% or by neurophysiologic techniques (72.7%. The variables were alterations of N-acetyl-aspartate/choline, N-acetyl-aspartate/creatine, choline/creatine, and N-acetyl-aspartate/cho-line+creatine coefficient of asymmetry. Results Agreement rates of lateralization by coefficient of asymmetry of NAA/Cho, NAA/Cr, Co/Cr, and NAA/Cho+Cr with MRI, independent of alteration of surface EEG, were equal to 93.3, 57.9, 15.4, and 93.3%, respectively, modifying to 100, 33.3, 0, and 100%, in 16 patients, with lateralization agreement of MRI and surface EEG. Conclusion Proton magnetic spectroscopy agreed better with MRI to lateralization of epileptogenic zone than with surface EEG.

Higher moments method for generalized Pareto distribution in flood frequency analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, C. R.; Chen, Y. F.; Huang, Q.; Gu, S. H.

2017-08-01

The generalized Pareto distribution (GPD) has proven to be the ideal distribution in fitting with the peak over threshold series in flood frequency analysis. Several moments-based estimators are applied to estimating the parameters of GPD. Higher linear moments (LH moments) and higher probability weighted moments (HPWM) are the linear combinations of Probability Weighted Moments (PWM). In this study, the relationship between them will be explored. A series of statistical experiments and a case study are used to compare their performances. The results show that if the same PWM are used in LH moments and HPWM methods, the parameter estimated by these two methods is unbiased. Particularly, when the same PWM are used, the PWM method (or the HPWM method when the order equals 0) shows identical results in parameter estimation with the linear Moments (L-Moments) method. Additionally, this phenomenon is significant when r ≥ 1 that the same order PWM are used in HPWM and LH moments method.

Selecting, training and assessing new general practice community teachers in UK medical schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Hydes, Ciaran; Ajjawi, Rola

2015-09-01

Standards for undergraduate medical education in the UK, published in Tomorrow's Doctors, include the criterion 'everyone involved in educating medical students will be appropriately selected, trained, supported and appraised'. To establish how new general practice (GP) community teachers of medical students are selected, initially trained and assessed by UK medical schools and establish the extent to which Tomorrow's Doctors standards are being met. A mixed-methods study with questionnaire data collected from 24 lead GPs at UK medical schools, 23 new GP teachers from two medical schools plus a semi-structured telephone interview with two GP leads. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively and qualitative data were analysed informed by framework analysis. GP teachers' selection is non-standardised. One hundred per cent of GP leads provide initial training courses for new GP teachers; 50% are mandatory. The content and length of courses varies. All GP leads use student feedback to assess teaching, but other required methods (peer review and patient feedback) are not universally used. To meet General Medical Council standards, medical schools need to include equality and diversity in initial training and use more than one method to assess new GP teachers. Wider debate about the selection, training and assessment of new GP teachers is needed to agree minimum standards.

Motivations and Training Needs of General Practitioner Preceptors

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Wen; Hasenbieke, Nulanbieke; Liu, Ying; Qiu, Yan; Zhou, Zhao-Nong; Mao, Xiao-Yan; Ren, Jing-Jing

2017-01-01

Background: General practitioner (GP) preceptors play an important role in the cultivation of GPs. Many problems exist in the training of GP preceptors. This study aimed to explore the willingness and training needs of GP preceptors and compare the differences between preceptors from general practice and other specialties. Methods: A total of 375 questionnaire forms were sent to 375 GP preceptors from 11 different provinces, and 344 completed forms were returned. The main outcome included general information, teaching motivations, and training needs of GP preceptors. Results: The study showed that about 89.2% of GP preceptors were willing to be teachers. The majority of respondents strongly agreed that the motivation for becoming a GP supervisor was to learn from teaching. The most important capability they should master was clinical teaching (92.2%), followed by lecture (83.1%) and doctor–patient communication (83.1%). The top three preferred methods of GP preceptors training were case discussion (78.8%), workshop (57.6%), and classroom teaching (56.4%). The domains in which most GP preceptors wanted to acquire knowledge and skill were mental health (59.3%), rehabilitation (47.1%), pediatrics (41.0%), and obstetrics (37.5%). No significant differences were found in the willingness to train GPs (χ2 = 3.34, P > 0.05) and whether they would become or continue to become a GP supervisor after the training (χ2 = 1.106, P > 0.05). Conclusions: Although most preceptors were under on-the-job training, they were glad to train GPs. To be qualified, preceptors should be trained according to the actual needs of GP preceptors. PMID:28685719

A comparison of generalized hybrid Monte Carlo methods with and without momentum flip

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akhmatskaya, Elena; Bou-Rabee, Nawaf; Reich, Sebastian

2009-01-01

The generalized hybrid Monte Carlo (GHMC) method combines Metropolis corrected constant energy simulations with a partial random refreshment step in the particle momenta. The standard detailed balance condition requires that momenta are negated upon rejection of a molecular dynamics proposal step. The implication is a trajectory reversal upon rejection, which is undesirable when interpreting GHMC as thermostated molecular dynamics. We show that a modified detailed balance condition can be used to implement GHMC without momentum flips. The same modification can be applied to the generalized shadow hybrid Monte Carlo (GSHMC) method. Numerical results indicate that GHMC/GSHMC implementations with momentum flip display a favorable behavior in terms of sampling efficiency, i.e., the traditional GHMC/GSHMC implementations with momentum flip got the advantage of a higher acceptance rate and faster decorrelation of Monte Carlo samples. The difference is more pronounced for GHMC. We also numerically investigate the behavior of the GHMC method as a Langevin-type thermostat. We find that the GHMC method without momentum flip interferes less with the underlying stochastic molecular dynamics in terms of autocorrelation functions and it to be preferred over the GHMC method with momentum flip. The same finding applies to GSHMC

General method to find the attractors of discrete dynamic models of biological systems

Science.gov (United States)

Gan, Xiao; Albert, Réka

2018-04-01

Analyzing the long-term behaviors (attractors) of dynamic models of biological networks can provide valuable insight. We propose a general method that can find the attractors of multilevel discrete dynamical systems by extending a method that finds the attractors of a Boolean network model. The previous method is based on finding stable motifs, subgraphs whose nodes' states can stabilize on their own. We extend the framework from binary states to any finite discrete levels by creating a virtual node for each level of a multilevel node, and describing each virtual node with a quasi-Boolean function. We then create an expanded representation of the multilevel network, find multilevel stable motifs and oscillating motifs, and identify attractors by successive network reduction. In this way, we find both fixed point attractors and complex attractors. We implemented an algorithm, which we test and validate on representative synthetic networks and on published multilevel models of biological networks. Despite its primary motivation to analyze biological networks, our motif-based method is general and can be applied to any finite discrete dynamical system.

General method to find the attractors of discrete dynamic models of biological systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Gan, Xiao; Albert, Réka

2018-04-01

Analyzing the long-term behaviors (attractors) of dynamic models of biological networks can provide valuable insight. We propose a general method that can find the attractors of multilevel discrete dynamical systems by extending a method that finds the attractors of a Boolean network model. The previous method is based on finding stable motifs, subgraphs whose nodes' states can stabilize on their own. We extend the framework from binary states to any finite discrete levels by creating a virtual node for each level of a multilevel node, and describing each virtual node with a quasi-Boolean function. We then create an expanded representation of the multilevel network, find multilevel stable motifs and oscillating motifs, and identify attractors by successive network reduction. In this way, we find both fixed point attractors and complex attractors. We implemented an algorithm, which we test and validate on representative synthetic networks and on published multilevel models of biological networks. Despite its primary motivation to analyze biological networks, our motif-based method is general and can be applied to any finite discrete dynamical system.

Robust fractional order differentiators using generalized modulating functions method

KAUST Repository

Liu, Dayan

2015-02-01

This paper aims at designing a fractional order differentiator for a class of signals satisfying a linear differential equation with unknown parameters. A generalized modulating functions method is proposed first to estimate the unknown parameters, then to derive accurate integral formulae for the left-sided Riemann-Liouville fractional derivatives of the studied signal. Unlike the improper integral in the definition of the left-sided Riemann-Liouville fractional derivative, the integrals in the proposed formulae can be proper and be considered as a low-pass filter by choosing appropriate modulating functions. Hence, digital fractional order differentiators applicable for on-line applications are deduced using a numerical integration method in discrete noisy case. Moreover, some error analysis are given for noise error contributions due to a class of stochastic processes. Finally, numerical examples are given to show the accuracy and robustness of the proposed fractional order differentiators.

Robust fractional order differentiators using generalized modulating functions method

KAUST Repository

Liu, Dayan; Laleg-Kirati, Taous-Meriem

2015-01-01

This paper aims at designing a fractional order differentiator for a class of signals satisfying a linear differential equation with unknown parameters. A generalized modulating functions method is proposed first to estimate the unknown parameters, then to derive accurate integral formulae for the left-sided Riemann-Liouville fractional derivatives of the studied signal. Unlike the improper integral in the definition of the left-sided Riemann-Liouville fractional derivative, the integrals in the proposed formulae can be proper and be considered as a low-pass filter by choosing appropriate modulating functions. Hence, digital fractional order differentiators applicable for on-line applications are deduced using a numerical integration method in discrete noisy case. Moreover, some error analysis are given for noise error contributions due to a class of stochastic processes. Finally, numerical examples are given to show the accuracy and robustness of the proposed fractional order differentiators.

Generalized subspace correction methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kolm, P. [Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm (Sweden); Arbenz, P.; Gander, W. [Eidgenoessiche Technische Hochschule, Zuerich (Switzerland)

1996-12-31

A fundamental problem in scientific computing is the solution of large sparse systems of linear equations. Often these systems arise from the discretization of differential equations by finite difference, finite volume or finite element methods. Iterative methods exploiting these sparse structures have proven to be very effective on conventional computers for a wide area of applications. Due to the rapid development and increasing demand for the large computing powers of parallel computers, it has become important to design iterative methods specialized for these new architectures.

Generalized multiscale finite element methods for problems in perforated heterogeneous domains

KAUST Repository

Chung, Eric T.

2015-06-08

Complex processes in perforated domains occur in many real-world applications. These problems are typically characterized by physical processes in domains with multiple scales. Moreover, these problems are intrinsically multiscale and their discretizations can yield very large linear or nonlinear systems. In this paper, we investigate multiscale approaches that attempt to solve such problems on a coarse grid by constructing multiscale basis functions in each coarse grid, where the coarse grid can contain many perforations. In particular, we are interested in cases when there is no scale separation and the perforations can have different sizes. In this regard, we mention some earlier pioneering works, where the authors develop multiscale finite element methods. In our paper, we follow Generalized Multiscale Finite Element Method (GMsFEM) and develop a multiscale procedure where we identify multiscale basis functions in each coarse block using snapshot space and local spectral problems. We show that with a few basis functions in each coarse block, one can approximate the solution, where each coarse block can contain many small inclusions. We apply our general concept to (1) Laplace equation in perforated domains; (2) elasticity equation in perforated domains; and (3) Stokes equations in perforated domains. Numerical results are presented for these problems using two types of heterogeneous perforated domains. The analysis of the proposed methods will be presented elsewhere. © 2015 Taylor & Francis

General form of the Euler-Poisson-Darboux equation and application of the transmutation method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elina L. Shishkina

2017-07-01

Full Text Available In this article, we find solution representations in the compact integral form to the Cauchy problem for a general form of the Euler-Poisson-Darboux equation with Bessel operators via generalized translation and spherical mean operators for all values of the parameter k, including also not studying before exceptional odd negative values. We use a Hankel transform method to prove results in a unified way. Under additional conditions we prove that a distributional solution is a classical one too. A transmutation property for connected generalized spherical mean is proved and importance of applying transmutation methods for differential equations with Bessel operators is emphasized. The paper also contains a short historical introduction on differential equations with Bessel operators and a rather detailed reference list of monographs and papers on mathematical theory and applications of this class of differential equations.

A Modified Generalized Laguerre-Gauss Collocation Method for Fractional Neutral Functional-Differential Equations on the Half-Line

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali H. Bhrawy

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The modified generalized Laguerre-Gauss collocation (MGLC method is applied to obtain an approximate solution of fractional neutral functional-differential equations with proportional delays on the half-line. The proposed technique is based on modified generalized Laguerre polynomials and Gauss quadrature integration of such polynomials. The main advantage of the present method is to reduce the solution of fractional neutral functional-differential equations into a system of algebraic equations. Reasonable numerical results are achieved by choosing few modified generalized Laguerre-Gauss collocation points. Numerical results demonstrate the accuracy, efficiency, and versatility of the proposed method on the half-line.

A Dictionary Learning Method with Total Generalized Variation for MRI Reconstruction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongyang Lu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Reconstructing images from their noisy and incomplete measurements is always a challenge especially for medical MR image with important details and features. This work proposes a novel dictionary learning model that integrates two sparse regularization methods: the total generalized variation (TGV approach and adaptive dictionary learning (DL. In the proposed method, the TGV selectively regularizes different image regions at different levels to avoid oil painting artifacts largely. At the same time, the dictionary learning adaptively represents the image features sparsely and effectively recovers details of images. The proposed model is solved by variable splitting technique and the alternating direction method of multiplier. Extensive simulation experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method consistently recovers MR images efficiently and outperforms the current state-of-the-art approaches in terms of higher PSNR and lower HFEN values.

Mixed Generalized Multiscale Finite Element Methods and Applications

KAUST Repository

Chung, Eric T.

2015-03-03

In this paper, we present a mixed generalized multiscale finite element method (GMsFEM) for solving flow in heterogeneous media. Our approach constructs multiscale basis functions following a GMsFEM framework and couples these basis functions using a mixed finite element method, which allows us to obtain a mass conservative velocity field. To construct multiscale basis functions for each coarse edge, we design a snapshot space that consists of fine-scale velocity fields supported in a union of two coarse regions that share the common interface. The snapshot vectors have zero Neumann boundary conditions on the outer boundaries, and we prescribe their values on the common interface. We describe several spectral decompositions in the snapshot space motivated by the analysis. In the paper, we also study oversampling approaches that enhance the accuracy of mixed GMsFEM. A main idea of oversampling techniques is to introduce a small dimensional snapshot space. We present numerical results for two-phase flow and transport, without updating basis functions in time. Our numerical results show that one can achieve good accuracy with a few basis functions per coarse edge if one selects appropriate offline spaces. © 2015 Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics.

Multigrid method applied to the solution of an elliptic, generalized eigenvalue problem

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alchalabi, R.M. [BOC Group, Murray Hill, NJ (United States); Turinsky, P.J. [North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States)

1996-12-31

The work presented in this paper is concerned with the development of an efficient MG algorithm for the solution of an elliptic, generalized eigenvalue problem. The application is specifically applied to the multigroup neutron diffusion equation which is discretized by utilizing the Nodal Expansion Method (NEM). The underlying relaxation method is the Power Method, also known as the (Outer-Inner Method). The inner iterations are completed using Multi-color Line SOR, and the outer iterations are accelerated using Chebyshev Semi-iterative Method. Furthermore, the MG algorithm utilizes the consistent homogenization concept to construct the restriction operator, and a form function as a prolongation operator. The MG algorithm was integrated into the reactor neutronic analysis code NESTLE, and numerical results were obtained from solving production type benchmark problems.

The spectral method and ergodic theorems for general Markov chains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagaev, S V

2015-01-01

We study the ergodic properties of Markov chains with an arbitrary state space and prove a geometric ergodic theorem. The method of the proof is new: it may be described as an operator method. Our main result is an ergodic theorem for Harris-Markov chains in the case when the return time to some fixed set has finite expectation. Our conditions for the transition function are more general than those used by Athreya-Ney and Nummelin. Unlike them, we impose restrictions not on the original transition function but on the transition function of an embedded Markov chain constructed from the return times to the fixed set mentioned above. The proof uses the spectral theory of linear operators on a Banach space

A Generalized Autocovariance Least-Squares Method for Kalman Filter Tuning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Åkesson, Bernt Magnus; Jørgensen, John Bagterp; Poulsen, Niels Kjølstad

2008-01-01

This paper discusses a method for estimating noise covariances from process data. In linear stochastic state-space representations the true noise covariances are generally unknown in practical applications. Using estimated covariances a Kalman filter can be tuned in order to increase the accuracy...... of the state estimates. There is a linear relationship between covariances and autocovariance. Therefore, the covariance estimation problem can be stated as a least-squares problem, which can be solved as a symmetric semidefinite least-squares problem. This problem is convex and can be solved efficiently...... by interior-point methods. A numerical algorithm for solving the symmetric is able to handle systems with mutually correlated process noise and measurement noise. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved....

The Confrontation between General Relativity and Experiment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Will Clifford M.

2006-03-01

Full Text Available The status of experimental tests of general relativity and of theoretical frameworks for analyzing them is reviewed. Einstein’s equivalence principle (EEP is well supported by experiments such as the Eötvös experiment, tests of special relativity, and the gravitational redshift experiment. Ongoing tests of EEP and of the inverse square law are searching for new interactions arising from unification or quantum gravity. Tests of general relativity at the post-Newtonian level have reached high precision, including the light deflection, the Shapiro time delay, the perihelion advance of Mercury, and the Nordtvedt effect in lunar motion. Gravitational wave damping has been detected in an amount that agrees with general relativity to better than half a percent using the Hulse-Taylor binary pulsar, and other binary pulsar systems have yielded other tests, especially of strong-field effects. When direct observation of gravitational radiation from astrophysical sources begins, new tests of general relativity will be possible.

An iterative method for the canard explosion in general planar systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brøns, Morten

2013-01-01

The canard explosion is the change of amplitude and period of a limit cycle born in a Hopf bifurcation in a very narrow parameter interval. The phenomenon is well understood in singular perturbation problems where a small parameter controls the slow/fast dynamics. However, canard explosions are a...... on the van der Pol equation, showing that the asymptotics of the method is correct, and on a templator model for a self-replicating system....... are also observed in systems where no such parameter can obviously be identied. Here we show how the iterative method of Roussel and Fraser, devised to construct regular slow manifolds, can be used to determine a canard point in a general planar system of nonlinear ODEs. We demonstrate the method...

Evaluation of the General dentists’ attitudes toward non-pharmacological methods of controlling pediatrics’ behavior in Isfahan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehdi Jafarzadeh Samani

2013-05-01

Full Text Available   Background and Aims: Successful pediatric dentistry depends not only on the dentist's technical skills, but also on his ability to acquire and maintain a child's cooperation. The correction of dentist’ action in this area affects the view of parents and increases the quality of dental services. The objective of this study was to evaluate the attitudes of general dentists toward methods of controlling pediatrics’ behavior in Isfahan.   Materials and Methods: This study is descriptive, analytic, and cross-sectional. For this research, 100 general dentists of Isfahan city were selected with simple random sampling technique and were asked to complete the questionnaire which was included four different management techniques. The data were analyzed with t-test, P earson’s correlation , ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis.   Results: The methods accepted by dentists were Tell-Show-Do (4.0 ± 0.5, Voice control (3.5 ± 0.4, active restraint (3.0 ± 0.5 and Hand-Over-Mouth (2.9 ± 0.5 respectively. The mean score of female dentists’ attitudes was more toward the method of active restraint and less toward Hand-Over-Mouth technique. Also the average score of middle aged dentists’ attitudes toward Voice Control method was less than young dentists and toward Hand-Over-Mouth was higher. The general dentists with more number of pediatric patients had less consent on the method of Hand-Over-Mouth (P=0.004 and active restraint (P=0.034.   Conclusion: There were significant correlation between attitude of general dentists toward behavior management techniques with age, gender, clinical experience and the number of pediatric patients. General dentists have fewer tendencies to aggressive behavior management techniques.

Generalized hybrid Monte Carlo - CMFD methods for fission source convergence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wolters, Emily R.; Larsen, Edward W.; Martin, William R.

2011-01-01

In this paper, we generalize the recently published 'CMFD-Accelerated Monte Carlo' method and present two new methods that reduce the statistical error in CMFD-Accelerated Monte Carlo. The CMFD-Accelerated Monte Carlo method uses Monte Carlo to estimate nonlinear functionals used in low-order CMFD equations for the eigenfunction and eigenvalue. The Monte Carlo fission source is then modified to match the resulting CMFD fission source in a 'feedback' procedure. The two proposed methods differ from CMFD-Accelerated Monte Carlo in the definition of the required nonlinear functionals, but they have identical CMFD equations. The proposed methods are compared with CMFD-Accelerated Monte Carlo on a high dominance ratio test problem. All hybrid methods converge the Monte Carlo fission source almost immediately, leading to a large reduction in the number of inactive cycles required. The proposed methods stabilize the fission source more efficiently than CMFD-Accelerated Monte Carlo, leading to a reduction in the number of active cycles required. Finally, as in CMFD-Accelerated Monte Carlo, the apparent variance of the eigenfunction is approximately equal to the real variance, so the real error is well-estimated from a single calculation. This is an advantage over standard Monte Carlo, in which the real error can be underestimated due to inter-cycle correlation. (author)

Fitting statistical distributions the generalized lambda distribution and generalized bootstrap methods

CERN Document Server

Karian, Zaven A

2000-01-01

Throughout the physical and social sciences, researchers face the challenge of fitting statistical distributions to their data. Although the study of statistical modelling has made great strides in recent years, the number and variety of distributions to choose from-all with their own formulas, tables, diagrams, and general properties-continue to create problems. For a specific application, which of the dozens of distributions should one use? What if none of them fit well?Fitting Statistical Distributions helps answer those questions. Focusing on techniques used successfully across many fields, the authors present all of the relevant results related to the Generalized Lambda Distribution (GLD), the Generalized Bootstrap (GB), and Monte Carlo simulation (MC). They provide the tables, algorithms, and computer programs needed for fitting continuous probability distributions to data in a wide variety of circumstances-covering bivariate as well as univariate distributions, and including situations where moments do...

Psychological and emotional methods of affecting consumers’ behavior: generalization of experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N.О. Borodkina

2015-09-01

Full Text Available In modern economic conditions with the development of trade, intensifying of competition and strengthening of general informative pressure on a man, the efficiency of traditional methods of stimulation of sales (in particular, discounts, bonuses, gifts, free concomitant services, price methods and etc. substantially grows short. Such a situation induces specialists (marketing specialists, managers, managers of companies to search for new unconventional and non-standard approaches of moving of commodities and services, in particular, directly in the places of sale. Foremost, we mean marketing technologies used for designing of consumers’ behavior. Specialists say that for successful moving of commodities it is necessary to call to the emotional, subconscious sphere. The role of marketing is taken to communication with a consumer directly in the places of sale, where there is the possibility to provide the most complete immersion of a consumer in the world of brand and to stimulate spontaneous purchases. The task of marketing consists in forming of so-called indoor-environment that is the atmosphere in the places of sale. Foremost, we mean visual (color, voice (audiomarketing and aromatic (aromamarketing design inside a building. The essence of such technologies consists in the influence on man’s subconsciousness and in the creation of manipulation mechanism of management of consumer’s actions and behavior by complex influence on 5 organs of man’s feeling such as sight, hearing, sense of smell, touch, taste. The article generalizes the existent experience of the use of psycho-emotional methods of stimulation of sales used to influence on consumer’s behavior. The authors describe the basic methods of psyho-emotional influence such as color, audiomarketing (or voice design and aromamarketing. It is marked that there is the necessity of the complex use of psyho-emotional methods and receptions from the point of view of their utility for all

New generalized and improved (G′/G-expansion method for nonlinear evolution equations in mathematical physics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hasibun Naher

2014-10-01

Full Text Available In this article, new extension of the generalized and improved (G′/G-expansion method is proposed for constructing more general and a rich class of new exact traveling wave solutions of nonlinear evolution equations. To demonstrate the novelty and motivation of the proposed method, we implement it to the Korteweg-de Vries (KdV equation. The new method is oriented toward the ease of utilize and capability of computer algebraic system and provides a more systematic, convenient handling of the solution process of nonlinear equations. Further, obtained solutions disclose a wider range of applicability for handling a large variety of nonlinear partial differential equations.

A general method for decomposing the causes of socioeconomic inequality in health.

Science.gov (United States)

Heckley, Gawain; Gerdtham, Ulf-G; Kjellsson, Gustav

2016-07-01

We introduce a general decomposition method applicable to all forms of bivariate rank dependent indices of socioeconomic inequality in health, including the concentration index. The technique is based on recentered influence function regression and requires only the application of OLS to a transformed variable with similar interpretation. Our method requires few identifying assumptions to yield valid estimates in most common empirical applications, unlike current methods favoured in the literature. Using the Swedish Twin Registry and a within twin pair fixed effects identification strategy, our new method finds no evidence of a causal effect of education on income-related health inequality. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The General Iterative Methods for Asymptotically Nonexpansive Semigroups in Banach Spaces

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Rabian Wangkeeree

2012-01-01

Full Text Available We introduce the general iterative methods for finding a common fixed point of asymptotically nonexpansive semigroups which is a unique solution of some variational inequalities. We prove the strong convergence theorems of such iterative scheme in a reflexive Banach space which admits a weakly continuous duality mapping. The main result extends various results existing in the current literature.

Possible generalization of the method of evolution in the coupling constant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belyaev, V.B.; Solovtsova, O.P.

1980-01-01

Two possible generalizations of the method of evolution in the coupling constant are presented. The consideration is given for a concrete case of the three-body problem: the πd scattering at the zeroth pion energy. It is shown that two approaches provide the value for the πd scattering length which is close to that obtained by solving the Faddeev equations [ru

Towards the five-loop beta function for a general gauge group

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luthe, Thomas; Schroeder, York

2016-06-01

We present analytical results for the N"4_f and N"3_f terms of the five-loop beta function, for a general gauge group. While the former term agrees with results available from large-N_f studies, the latter is new and extends the value known for SU(3) from an independent calculation.

Generalized conjugate-gradient methods for the Navier-Stokes equations

Science.gov (United States)

Ajmani, Kumud; Ng, Wing-Fai; Liou, Meng-Sing

1991-01-01

A generalized conjugate-gradient method is used to solve the two-dimensional, compressible Navier-Stokes equations of fluid flow. The equations are discretized with an implicit, upwind finite-volume formulation. Preconditioning techniques are incorporated into the new solver to accelerate convergence of the overall iterative method. The superiority of the new solver is demonstrated by comparisons with a conventional line Gauss-Siedel Relaxation solver. Computational test results for transonic flow (trailing edge flow in a transonic turbine cascade) and hypersonic flow (M = 6.0 shock-on-shock phenoena on a cylindrical leading edge) are presented. When applied to the transonic cascade case, the new solver is 4.4 times faster in terms of number of iterations and 3.1 times faster in terms of CPU time than the Relaxation solver. For the hypersonic shock case, the new solver is 3.0 times faster in terms of number of iterations and 2.2 times faster in terms of CPU time than the Relaxation solver.

Extended generalized Lagrangian multipliers for magnetohydrodynamics using adaptive multiresolution methods

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Domingues M. O.

2013-12-01

Full Text Available We present a new adaptive multiresoltion method for the numerical simulation of ideal magnetohydrodynamics. The governing equations, i.e., the compressible Euler equations coupled with the Maxwell equations are discretized using a finite volume scheme on a two-dimensional Cartesian mesh. Adaptivity in space is obtained via Harten’s cell average multiresolution analysis, which allows the reliable introduction of a locally refined mesh while controlling the error. The explicit time discretization uses a compact Runge–Kutta method for local time stepping and an embedded Runge-Kutta scheme for automatic time step control. An extended generalized Lagrangian multiplier approach with the mixed hyperbolic-parabolic correction type is used to control the incompressibility of the magnetic field. Applications to a two-dimensional problem illustrate the properties of the method. Memory savings and numerical divergences of magnetic field are reported and the accuracy of the adaptive computations is assessed by comparing with the available exact solution.

29 CFR 1910.305 - Wiring methods, components, and equipment for general use.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... temporary wiring installations. (i) Temporary electrical power and lighting installations of 600 volts... project or purpose for which the wiring was installed. (iii) Temporary electrical installations of more... 29 Labor 5 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Wiring methods, components, and equipment for general use...

The generalized tanh method to obtain exact solutions of nonlinear partial differential equation

OpenAIRE

Gómez, César

2007-01-01

In this paper, we present the generalized tanh method to obtain exact solutions of nonlinear partial differential equations, and we obtain solitons and exact solutions of some important equations of the mathematical physics.

Generalized multivalued equilibrium-like problems: auxiliary principle technique and predictor-corrector methods

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Vahid Dadashi

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract This paper is dedicated to the introduction a new class of equilibrium problems named generalized multivalued equilibrium-like problems which includes the classes of hemiequilibrium problems, equilibrium-like problems, equilibrium problems, hemivariational inequalities, and variational inequalities as special cases. By utilizing the auxiliary principle technique, some new predictor-corrector iterative algorithms for solving them are suggested and analyzed. The convergence analysis of the proposed iterative methods requires either partially relaxed monotonicity or jointly pseudomonotonicity of the bifunctions involved in generalized multivalued equilibrium-like problem. Results obtained in this paper include several new and known results as special cases.

An energy recondensation method using the discrete generalized multigroup energy expansion theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Lei; Forget, Benoit

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Discrete-generalized multigroup method was implemented as a recondensation scheme. → Coarse group cross-sections were recondensed from core-level solution. → Neighboring effect of reflector and MOX bundle was improved. → Methodology was shown to be fully consistent when a flat angular flux approximation is used. - Abstract: In this paper, the discrete generalized multigroup (DGM) method was used to recondense the coarse group cross-sections using the core level solution, thus providing a correction for neighboring effect found at the core level. This approach was tested using a discrete ordinates implementation in both 1-D and 2-D. Results indicate that 2 or 3 iterations can substantially improve the flux and fission density errors associated with strong interfacial spectral changes as found in the presence of strong absorbers, reflector of mixed-oxide fuel. The methodology is also proven to be fully consistent with the multigroup methodology as long as a flat-flux approximation is used spatially.

The overlapped radial basis function-finite difference (RBF-FD) method: A generalization of RBF-FD

Science.gov (United States)

Shankar, Varun

2017-08-01

We present a generalization of the RBF-FD method that computes RBF-FD weights in finite-sized neighborhoods around the centers of RBF-FD stencils by introducing an overlap parameter δ ∈ (0 , 1 ] such that δ = 1 recovers the standard RBF-FD method and δ = 0 results in a full decoupling of stencils. We provide experimental evidence to support this generalization, and develop an automatic stabilization procedure based on local Lebesgue functions for the stable selection of stencil weights over a wide range of δ values. We provide an a priori estimate for the speedup of our method over RBF-FD that serves as a good predictor for the true speedup. We apply our method to parabolic partial differential equations with time-dependent inhomogeneous boundary conditions - Neumann in 2D, and Dirichlet in 3D. Our results show that our method can achieve as high as a 60× speedup in 3D over existing RBF-FD methods in the task of forming differentiation matrices.

Numerical solution to generalized Burgers'-Fisher equation using Exp-function method hybridized with heuristic computation.

Science.gov (United States)

Malik, Suheel Abdullah; Qureshi, Ijaz Mansoor; Amir, Muhammad; Malik, Aqdas Naveed; Haq, Ihsanul

2015-01-01

In this paper, a new heuristic scheme for the approximate solution of the generalized Burgers'-Fisher equation is proposed. The scheme is based on the hybridization of Exp-function method with nature inspired algorithm. The given nonlinear partial differential equation (NPDE) through substitution is converted into a nonlinear ordinary differential equation (NODE). The travelling wave solution is approximated by the Exp-function method with unknown parameters. The unknown parameters are estimated by transforming the NODE into an equivalent global error minimization problem by using a fitness function. The popular genetic algorithm (GA) is used to solve the minimization problem, and to achieve the unknown parameters. The proposed scheme is successfully implemented to solve the generalized Burgers'-Fisher equation. The comparison of numerical results with the exact solutions, and the solutions obtained using some traditional methods, including adomian decomposition method (ADM), homotopy perturbation method (HPM), and optimal homotopy asymptotic method (OHAM), show that the suggested scheme is fairly accurate and viable for solving such problems.

Numerical solution to generalized Burgers'-Fisher equation using Exp-function method hybridized with heuristic computation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suheel Abdullah Malik

Full Text Available In this paper, a new heuristic scheme for the approximate solution of the generalized Burgers'-Fisher equation is proposed. The scheme is based on the hybridization of Exp-function method with nature inspired algorithm. The given nonlinear partial differential equation (NPDE through substitution is converted into a nonlinear ordinary differential equation (NODE. The travelling wave solution is approximated by the Exp-function method with unknown parameters. The unknown parameters are estimated by transforming the NODE into an equivalent global error minimization problem by using a fitness function. The popular genetic algorithm (GA is used to solve the minimization problem, and to achieve the unknown parameters. The proposed scheme is successfully implemented to solve the generalized Burgers'-Fisher equation. The comparison of numerical results with the exact solutions, and the solutions obtained using some traditional methods, including adomian decomposition method (ADM, homotopy perturbation method (HPM, and optimal homotopy asymptotic method (OHAM, show that the suggested scheme is fairly accurate and viable for solving such problems.

Generalized transmission line method to study the far-zone radiation of antennas under a multilayer structure

CERN Document Server

Wu, Xuan Hui

2008-01-01

This book gives a step-by-step presentation of a generalized transmission line method to study the far-zone radiation of antennas under a multilayer structure. Normally, a radiation problem requires a full wave analysis which may be time consuming. The beauty of the generalized transmission line method is that it transforms the radiation problem for a specific type of structure, say the multilayer structure excited by an antenna, into a circuit problem that can be efficiently analyzed. Using the Reciprocity Theorem and far-field approximation, the method computes the far-zone radiation due to

Field reliability of competence to stand trial opinions: How often do evaluators agree, and what do judges decide when evaluators disagree?

Science.gov (United States)

Gowensmith, W Neil; Murrie, Daniel C; Boccaccini, Marcus T

2012-04-01

Despite many studies that examine the reliability of competence to stand trial (CST) evaluations, few shed light on "field reliability," or agreement among forensic evaluators in routine practice. We reviewed 216 cases from Hawaii, which requires three separate evaluations from independent clinicians for each felony defendant referred for CST evaluation. Results revealed moderate agreement. In 71% of initial CST evaluations, all evaluators agreed about a defendant's competence or incompetence (kappa = .65). Agreement was somewhat lower (61%, kappa = .57) in re-evaluations of defendants who were originally found incompetent and sent for restoration services. We also examined the decisions judges made about a defendant's CST. When evaluators disagreed, judges tended to make decisions consistent with the majority opinion. But when judges disagreed with the majority opinion, they more often did so to find a defendant incompetent than competent, suggesting a generally conservative approach. Overall, results reveal moderate agreement among independent evaluators in routine practice. But we discuss the potential for standardized training and methodology to further improve the field reliability of CST evaluations.

Dhage Iteration Method for Generalized Quadratic Functional Integral Equations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bapurao C. Dhage

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper we prove the existence as well as approximations of the solutions for a certain nonlinear generalized quadratic functional integral equation. An algorithm for the solutions is developed and it is shown that the sequence of successive approximations starting at a lower or upper solution converges monotonically to the solutions of related quadratic functional integral equation under some suitable mixed hybrid conditions. We rely our main result on Dhage iteration method embodied in a recent hybrid fixed point theorem of Dhage (2014 in partially ordered normed linear spaces. An example is also provided to illustrate the abstract theory developed in the paper.

Hesitant fuzzy linguistic multicriteria decision-making method based on generalized prioritized aggregation operator.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jia-ting; Wang, Jian-qiang; Wang, Jing; Zhang, Hong-yu; Chen, Xiao-hong

2014-01-01

Based on linguistic term sets and hesitant fuzzy sets, the concept of hesitant fuzzy linguistic sets was introduced. The focus of this paper is the multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) problems in which the criteria are in different priority levels and the criteria values take the form of hesitant fuzzy linguistic numbers (HFLNs). A new approach to solving these problems is proposed, which is based on the generalized prioritized aggregation operator of HFLNs. Firstly, the new operations and comparison method for HFLNs are provided and some linguistic scale functions are applied. Subsequently, two prioritized aggregation operators and a generalized prioritized aggregation operator of HFLNs are developed and applied to MCDM problems. Finally, an illustrative example is given to illustrate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method, which are then compared to the existing approach.

Development of a general method for obtaining the geometry of microfluidic networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Razavi, Mohammad Sayed; Salimpour, M. R.; Shirani, Ebrahim

2014-01-01

In the present study, a general method for geometry of fluidic networks is developed with emphasis on pressure-driven flows in the microfluidic applications. The design method is based on general features of network's geometry such as cross-sectional area and length of channels. Also, the method is applicable to various cross-sectional shapes such as circular, rectangular, triangular, and trapezoidal cross sections. Using constructal theory, the flow resistance, energy loss and performance of the network are optimized. Also, by this method, practical design strategies for the fabrication of microfluidic networks can be improved. The design method enables rapid prediction of fluid flow in the complex network of channels and is very useful for improving proper miniaturization and integration of microfluidic networks. Minimization of flow resistance of the network of channels leads to universal constants for consecutive cross-sectional areas and lengths. For a Y-shaped network, the optimal ratios of consecutive cross-section areas (A i+1 /A i ) and lengths (L i+1 /L i ) are obtained as A i+1 /A i = 2 −2/3 and L i+1 /L i = 2 −1/3 , respectively. It is shown that energy loss in the network is proportional to the volume of network. It is also seen when the number of channels is increased both the hydraulic resistance and the volume occupied by the network are increased in a similar manner. Furthermore, the method offers that fabrication of multi-depth and multi-width microchannels should be considered as an integral part of designing procedures. Finally, numerical simulations for the fluid flow in the network have been performed and results show very good agreement with analytic results

A new general method for transform canonically a Hamiltonian in another one of a given form

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gomez T, A.

2002-01-01

The more general method to perform a canonical transformation of a Hamiltonian into another one of a given form is based on the repeated use of the Hamilton-Jacobi equation. This is usually a tedious technique which leads to some particular solutions of the problem. We present a new general method which does not rely on the Hamilton-Jacobi equation and moreover it gives all the possible solutions. (Author)

Do primary care professionals agree about progress with implementation of primary care teams: results from a cross sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tierney, E; O'Sullivan, M; Hickey, L; Hannigan, A; May, C; Cullen, W; Kennedy, N; Kineen, L; MacFarlane, A

2016-11-22

Primary care is the cornerstone of healthcare reform with policies across jurisdictions promoting interdisciplinary team working. The effective implementation of such health policies requires understanding the perspectives of all actors. However, there is a lack of research about health professionals' views of this process. This study compares Primary Healthcare Professionals' perceptions of the effectiveness of the Primary Care Strategy and Primary Care Team (PCT) implementation in Ireland. Design and Setting: e-survey of (1) General Practitioners (GPs) associated with a Graduate Medical School (N = 100) and (2) Primary Care Professionals in 3 of 4 Health Service Executive (HSE) regions (N = 2309). After piloting, snowball sampling was used to administer the survey. Descriptive analysis was carried out using SPSS. Ratings across groups were compared using non-parametric tests. There were 569 responses. Response rates varied across disciplines (71 % for GPs, 22 % for other Primary Healthcare Professionals (PCPs). Respondents across all disciplines viewed interdisciplinary working as important. Respondents agreed on lack of progress of implementation of formal PCTs (median rating of 2, where 1 is no progress at all and 5 is complete implementation). GPs were more negative about the effectiveness of the Strategy to promote different disciplines to work together (median rating of 2 compared to 3 for clinical therapists and 3.5 for nurses, P = 0.001). Respondents identified resources and GP participation as most important for effective team working. Protected time for meetings and capacity to manage workload for meetings were rated as very important factors for effective team working by GPs, clinical therapists and nurses. A building for co-location of teams was rated as an important factor by nurses and clinical therapists though GPs rated it as less important. Payment to attend meetings and contractual arrangements were considered important factors by

Communication: General variational approach to nuclear-quadrupole coupling in rovibrational spectra of polyatomic molecules

Science.gov (United States)

Yachmenev, Andrey; Küpper, Jochen

2017-10-01

A general algorithm for computing the quadrupole-hyperfine effects in the rovibrational spectra of polyatomic molecules is presented for the case of ammonia (NH3). The method extends the general variational approach TROVE [J. Mol. Spectrosc. 245, 126-140 (2007)] by adding the extra term in the Hamiltonian that describes the nuclear quadrupole coupling, with no inherent limitation on the number of quadrupolar nuclei in a molecule. We applied the new approach to compute the nitrogen-nuclear-quadrupole hyperfine structure in the rovibrational spectrum of NH143. These results agree very well with recent experimental spectroscopic data for the pure rotational transitions in the ground vibrational and ν2 states and the rovibrational transitions in the ν1, ν3, 2ν4, and ν1 + ν3 bands. The computed hyperfine-resolved rovibrational spectrum of ammonia will be beneficial for the assignment of experimental rovibrational spectra, further detection of ammonia in interstellar space, and studies of the proton-to-electron mass variation.

OESbathy version 1.0: a method for reconstructing ocean bathymetry with generalized continental shelf-slope-rise structures

Science.gov (United States)

Goswami, A.; Olson, P. L.; Hinnov, L. A.; Gnanadesikan, A.

2015-09-01

We present a method for reconstructing global ocean bathymetry that combines a standard plate cooling model for the oceanic lithosphere based on the age of the oceanic crust, global oceanic sediment thicknesses, plus generalized shelf-slope-rise structures calibrated at modern active and passive continental margins. Our motivation is to develop a methodology for reconstructing ocean bathymetry in the geologic past that includes heterogeneous continental margins in addition to abyssal ocean floor. First, the plate cooling model is applied to maps of ocean crustal age to calculate depth to basement. To the depth to basement we add an isostatically adjusted, multicomponent sediment layer constrained by sediment thickness in the modern oceans and marginal seas. A three-parameter continental shelf-slope-rise structure completes the bathymetry reconstruction, extending from the ocean crust to the coastlines. Parameters of the shelf-slope-rise structures at active and passive margins are determined from modern ocean bathymetry at locations where a complete history of seafloor spreading is preserved. This includes the coastal regions of the North, South, and central Atlantic, the Southern Ocean between Australia and Antarctica, and the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of South America. The final products are global maps at 0.1° × 0.1° resolution of depth to basement, ocean bathymetry with an isostatically adjusted multicomponent sediment layer, and ocean bathymetry with reconstructed continental shelf-slope-rise structures. Our reconstructed bathymetry agrees with the measured ETOPO1 bathymetry at most passive margins, including the east coast of North America, north coast of the Arabian Sea, and northeast and southeast coasts of South America. There is disagreement at margins with anomalous continental shelf-slope-rise structures, such as around the Arctic Ocean, the Falkland Islands, and Indonesia.

Generalized multiscale finite element method for elasticity equations

KAUST Repository

Chung, Eric T.

2014-10-05

In this paper, we discuss the application of generalized multiscale finite element method (GMsFEM) to elasticity equation in heterogeneous media. We consider steady state elasticity equations though some of our applications are motivated by elastic wave propagation in subsurface where the subsurface properties can be highly heterogeneous and have high contrast. We present the construction of main ingredients for GMsFEM such as the snapshot space and offline spaces. The latter is constructed using local spectral decomposition in the snapshot space. The spectral decomposition is based on the analysis which is provided in the paper. We consider both continuous Galerkin and discontinuous Galerkin coupling of basis functions. Both approaches have their cons and pros. Continuous Galerkin methods allow avoiding penalty parameters though they involve partition of unity functions which can alter the properties of multiscale basis functions. On the other hand, discontinuous Galerkin techniques allow gluing multiscale basis functions without any modifications. Because basis functions are constructed independently from each other, this approach provides an advantage. We discuss the use of oversampling techniques that use snapshots in larger regions to construct the offline space. We provide numerical results to show that one can accurately approximate the solution using reduced number of degrees of freedom.

Randomized Oversampling for Generalized Multiscale Finite Element Methods

KAUST Repository

Calo, Victor M.

2016-03-23

In this paper, we develop efficient multiscale methods for flows in heterogeneous media. We use the generalized multiscale finite element (GMsFEM) framework. GMsFEM approximates the solution space locally using a few multiscale basis functions. This approximation selects an appropriate snapshot space and a local spectral decomposition, e.g., the use of oversampled regions, in order to achieve an efficient model reduction. However, the successful construction of snapshot spaces may be costly if too many local problems need to be solved in order to obtain these spaces. We use a moderate quantity of local solutions (or snapshot vectors) with random boundary conditions on oversampled regions with zero forcing to deliver an efficient methodology. Motivated by the randomized algorithm presented in [P. G. Martinsson, V. Rokhlin, and M. Tygert, A Randomized Algorithm for the approximation of Matrices, YALEU/DCS/TR-1361, Yale University, 2006], we consider a snapshot space which consists of harmonic extensions of random boundary conditions defined in a domain larger than the target region. Furthermore, we perform an eigenvalue decomposition in this small space. We study the application of randomized sampling for GMsFEM in conjunction with adaptivity, where local multiscale spaces are adaptively enriched. Convergence analysis is provided. We present representative numerical results to validate the method proposed.

Generalized Multiscale Finite-Element Method (GMsFEM) for elastic wave propagation in heterogeneous, anisotropic media

KAUST Repository

Gao, Kai

2015-04-14

It is important to develop fast yet accurate numerical methods for seismic wave propagation to characterize complex geological structures and oil and gas reservoirs. However, the computational cost of conventional numerical modeling methods, such as finite-difference method and finite-element method, becomes prohibitively expensive when applied to very large models. We propose a Generalized Multiscale Generalized Multiscale Finite-Element Method (GMsFEM) for elastic wave propagation in heterogeneous, anisotropic media, where we construct basis functions from multiple local problems for both boundaries and the interior of a coarse node support or coarse element. The application of multiscale basis functions can capture the fine scale medium property variations, and allows us to greatly reduce the degrees of freedom that are required to implement the modeling compared with conventional finite-element method for wave equation, while restricting the error to low values. We formulate the continuous Galerkin and discontinuous Galerkin formulation of the multiscale method, both of which have pros and cons. Applications of the multiscale method to three heterogeneous models show that our multiscale method can effectively model the elastic wave propagation in anisotropic media with a significant reduction in the degrees of freedom in the modeling system.

Simultaneous anatomical sketching as learning by doing method of teaching human anatomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Noorafshan, Ali; Hoseini, Leila; Amini, Mitra; Dehghani, Mohammad-Reza; Kojuri, Javad; Bazrafkan, Leila

2014-01-01

Learning by lecture is a passive experience. Many innovative techniques have been presented to stimulate students to assume a more active attitude toward learning. In this study, simultaneous sketch drawing, as an interactive learning technique was applied to teach anatomy to the medical students. We reconstructed a fun interactive model of teaching anatomy as simultaneous anatomic sketching. To test the model's instruction effectiveness, we conducted a quasi- experimental study and then the students were asked to write their learning experiences in their portfolio, also their view was evaluated by a questionnaire. The results of portfolio evaluation revealed that students believed that this method leads to deep learning and understanding anatomical subjects better. Evaluation of the students' views on this teaching approach was showed that, more than 80% of the students were agreed or completely agreed with this statement that leaning anatomy concepts are easier and the class is less boring with this method. More than 60% of the students were agreed or completely agreed to sketch anatomical figures with professor simultaneously. They also found the sketching make anatomy more attractive and it reduced the time for learning anatomy. These number of students were agree or completely agree that the method help them learning anatomical concept in anatomy laboratory. More than 80% of the students found the simultaneous sketching is a good method for learning anatomy overall. Sketch drawing, as an interactive learning technique, is an attractive for students to learn anatomy.

A general method for closed-loop inverse simulation of helicopter maneuver flight

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei WU

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Maneuverability is a key factor to determine whether a helicopter could finish certain flight missions successfully or not. Inverse simulation is commonly used to calculate the pilot controls of a helicopter to complete a certain kind of maneuver flight and to assess its maneuverability. A general method for inverse simulation of maneuver flight for helicopters with the flight control system online is developed in this paper. A general mathematical describing function is established to provide mathematical descriptions of different kinds of maneuvers. A comprehensive control solver based on the optimal linear quadratic regulator theory is developed to calculate the pilot controls of different maneuvers. The coupling problem between pilot controls and flight control system outputs is well solved by taking the flight control system model into the control solver. Inverse simulation of three different kinds of maneuvers with different agility requirements defined in the ADS-33E-PRF is implemented based on the developed method for a UH-60 helicopter. The results show that the method developed in this paper can solve the closed-loop inverse simulation problem of helicopter maneuver flight with high reliability as well as efficiency. Keywords: Closed-loop, Flying quality, Helicopters, Inverse simulation, Maneuver flight

A general mixed boundary model reduction method for component mode synthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voormeeren, S N; Van der Valk, P L C; Rixen, D J

2010-01-01

A classic issue in component mode synthesis (CMS) methods is the choice for fixed or free boundary conditions at the interface degrees of freedom (DoF) and the associated vibration modes in the components reduction base. In this paper, a novel mixed boundary CMS method called the 'Mixed Craig-Bampton' method is proposed. The method is derived by dividing the substructure DoF into a set of internal DoF, free interface DoF and fixed interface DoF. To this end a simple but effective scheme is introduced that, for every pair of interface DoF, selects a free or fixed boundary condition for each DoF individually. Based on this selection a reduction basis is computed consisting of vibration modes, static constraint modes and static residual flexibility modes. In order to assemble the reduced substructures a novel mixed assembly procedure is developed. It is shown that this approach leads to relatively sparse reduced matrices, whereas other mixed boundary methods often lead to full matrices. As such, the Mixed Craig-Bampton method forms a natural generalization of the classic Craig-Bampton and more recent Dual Craig-Bampton methods. Finally, the method is applied to a finite element test model. Analysis reveals that the proposed method has comparable or better accuracy and superior versatility with respect to the existing methods.

Generalization of the swelling method to measure the intrinsic curvature of lipids

Science.gov (United States)

Barragán Vidal, I. A.; Müller, M.

2017-12-01

Via computer simulation of a coarse-grained model of two-component lipid bilayers, we compare two methods of measuring the intrinsic curvatures of the constituting monolayers. The first one is a generalization of the swelling method that, in addition to the assumption that the spontaneous curvature linearly depends on the composition of the lipid mixture, incorporates contributions from its elastic energy. The second method measures the effective curvature-composition coupling between the apposing leaflets of bilayer structures (planar bilayers or cylindrical tethers) to extract the spontaneous curvature. Our findings demonstrate that both methods yield consistent results. However, we highlight that the two-leaflet structure inherent to the latter method has the advantage of allowing measurements for mixed lipid systems up to their critical point of demixing as well as in the regime of high concentration (of either species).

The generalized PN synthetic acceleration method for linear transport problems with highly anisotropic scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khattab, K.M.

1997-01-01

The diffusion synthetic acceleration (DSA) method has been known to be an effective tool for accelerating the iterative solution of transport equations with isotropic or mildly anisotropic scattering. However, the DSA method is not effective for transport equations that have strongly anisotropic scattering. A generalization of the modified DSA (MDSA) method is proposed that converges (clock time) faster than the MDSA method. This method is developed, the results of a Fourier analysis that theoretically predicts its efficiency are described, and numerical results that verify the theoretical prediction are presented

Soil-structure interaction - a general method to calculate soil impedance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farvacque, M.; Gantenbein, F.

1983-01-01

A correct analysis of the seismic response of nuclear power plant buildings needs to take into account the soil structure interaction. The most classical and simple method consists in characterizing the soil by a stiffness and a damping function for each component of the translation and rotation of the foundation. In a more exact way an impedance function of the frequency may be introduced. Literature provides data to estimate these coefficients for simple soil and foundation configurations and using linear hypothesis. This paper presents a general method to calculate soil impedances which is based on the computation of the impulsive response of the soil using an axisymmetric 2D finite element Code (INCA). The Fourier transform of this response is made in the time interval before the return of the reflected waves on the boundaries of the F.E. domain. This procedure which limits the perturbing effects of the reflections is improved by introducing absorbing boundary elements. A parametric study for homogeneous and layered soils has been carried out using this method. (orig.)

A general method dealing with correlations in uncertainty propagation in fault trees

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qin Zhang

1989-01-01

This paper deals with the correlations among the failure probabilities (frequencies) of not only the identical basic events but also other basic events in a fault tree. It presents a general and simple method to include these correlations in uncertainty propagation. Two examples illustrate this method and show that neglecting these correlations results in large underestimation of the top event failure probability (frequency). One is the failure of the primary pump in a chemical reactor cooling system, the other example is an accident to a road transport truck carrying toxic waste. (author)

Optimization of Candu fuel management with gradient methods using generalized perturbation theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chambon, R.; Varin, E.; Rozon, D.

2005-01-01

CANDU fuel management problems are solved using time-average representation of the core. Optimization problems based on this representation have been defined in the early nineties. The mathematical programming using the generalized perturbation theory (GPT) that was developed has been implemented in the reactor code DONJON. The use of the augmented Lagrangian (AL) method is presented and evaluated in this paper. This approach is mandatory for new constraint problems. Combined with the classical Lemke method, it proves to be very efficient to reach optimal solution in a very limited number of iterations. (authors)

Effectiveness of oncogenetics training on general practitioners' consultation skills: a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Houwink, Elisa J F; Muijtjens, Arno M M; van Teeffelen, Sarah R; Henneman, Lidewij; Rethans, Jan Joost; van der Jagt, Liesbeth E J; van Luijk, Scheltus J; Dinant, Geert Jan; van der Vleuten, Cees; Cornel, Martina C

2014-01-01

General practitioners are increasingly called upon to deliver genetic services and could play a key role in translating potentially life-saving advancements in oncogenetic technologies to patient care. If general practitioners are to make an effective contribution in this area, their genetics competencies need to be upgraded. The aim of this study was to investigate whether oncogenetics training for general practitioners improves their genetic consultation skills. In this pragmatic, blinded, randomized controlled trial, the intervention consisted of a 4-h training (December 2011 and April 2012), covering oncogenetic consultation skills (family history, familial risk assessment, and efficient referral), attitude (medical ethical issues), and clinical knowledge required in primary-care consultations. Outcomes were measured using observation checklists by unannounced standardized patients and self-reported questionnaires. Of 88 randomized general practitioners who initially agreed to participate, 56 completed all measurements. Key consultation skills significantly and substantially improved; regression coefficients after intervention were equivalent to 0.34 and 0.28 at 3-month follow-up, indicating a moderate effect size. Satisfaction and perceived applicability of newly learned skills were highly scored. The general practitioner-specific training proved to be a feasible, satisfactory, and clinically applicable method to improve oncogenetics consultation skills and could be used as an educational framework to inform future training activities with the ultimate aim of improving medical care.

Room for improvement? Leadership, innovation culture and uptake of quality improvement methods in general practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Apekey, Tanefa A; McSorley, Gerry; Tilling, Michelle; Siriwardena, A Niroshan

2011-04-01

Leadership and innovation are currently seen as essential elements for the development and maintenance of high-quality care. Little is known about the relationship between leadership and culture of innovation and the extent to which quality improvement methods are used in general practice. This study aimed to assess the relationship between leadership behaviour, culture of innovation and adoption of quality improvement methods in general practice. Self-administered postal questionnaires were sent to general practitioner quality improvement leads in one county in the UK between June and December 2007. The questionnaire consisted of background information, a 12-item scale to assess leadership behaviour, a seven-dimension self-rating scale for culture of innovation and questions on current use of quality improvement tools and techniques. Sixty-three completed questionnaires (62%) were returned. Leadership behaviours were not commonly reported. Most practices reported a positive culture of innovation, featuring relationship most strongly, followed by targets and information but rated lower on other dimensions of rewards, risk and resources. There was a significant positive correlation between leadership behaviour and the culture of innovation (r = 0.57; P improvement methods were not adopted by most participating practices. Leadership behaviours were infrequently reported and this was associated with a limited culture of innovation in participating general practices. There was little use of quality improvement methods beyond clinical and significant event audit. Practices need support to enhance leadership skills, encourage innovation and develop quality improvement skills if improvements in health care are to accelerate. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Microstrip natural wave spectrum mathematical model using partial inversion method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pogarsky, S.A.; Litvinenko, L.N.; Prosvirnin, S.L.

1995-01-01

It is generally agreed that both microstrip lines itself and different discontinuities based on microstrips are the most difficult problem for accurate electrodynamic analysis. Over the last years much has been published about principles and accurate (or full wave) methods of microstrip lines investigations. The growing interest for this problem may be explained by the microstrip application in the millimeter-wave range for purpose of realizing interconnects and a variety of passive components. At these higher operating rating frequencies accurate component modeling becomes more critical. A creation, examination and experimental verification of the accurate method for planar electrodynamical structures natural wave spectrum investigations are the objects of this manuscript. The moment method with partial inversion operator method using may be considered as a basical way for solving this problem. This method is outlook for accurate analysis of different planar discontinuities in microstrip: such as step discontinuities, microstrip turns, Y- and X-junctions and etc., substrate space steps dielectric constants and other anisotropy types

Using science centers to expose the general public to the microworld

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Malamud, E. [Fermi National Accelerator Lab., Batavia, IL (United States)]|[Science and Technology Interactive Center, Aurora, IL (United States)

1994-08-01

Despite the remarkable progress in the past decades in understanding our Universe, we particle physicists have failed to communicate the wonder, excitement, and beauty of these discoveries to the general public. I am sure all agree there is a need, if our support from public funds is to continue at anywhere approximating the present level, for us collectively to educate and inform the general public of what we are doing and why. Informal science education and especially science and technology centers can play an important role in efforts to raise public awareness of particle physics in particular and of basic research in general. Science Centers are a natural avenue for particle physicists to use to communicate with and gain support from the general public.

Using science centers to expose the general public to the microworld

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malamud, E.

1994-08-01

Despite the remarkable progress in the past decades in understanding our Universe, we particle physicists have failed to communicate the wonder, excitement, and beauty of these discoveries to the general public. I am sure all agree there is a need, if our support from public funds is to continue at anywhere approximating the present level, for us collectively to educate and inform the general public of what we are doing and why. Informal science education and especially science and technology centers can play an important role in efforts to raise public awareness of particle physics in particular and of basic research in general. Science Centers are a natural avenue for particle physicists to use to communicate with and gain support from the general public

A general solution strategy of modified power method for higher mode solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Peng; Lee, Hyunsuk; Lee, Deokjung

2016-01-01

A general solution strategy of the modified power iteration method for calculating higher eigenmodes has been developed and applied in continuous energy Monte Carlo simulation. The new approach adopts four features: 1) the eigen decomposition of transfer matrix, 2) weight cancellation for higher modes, 3) population control with higher mode weights, and 4) stabilization technique of statistical fluctuations using multi-cycle accumulations. The numerical tests of neutron transport eigenvalue problems successfully demonstrate that the new strategy can significantly accelerate the fission source convergence with stable convergence behavior while obtaining multiple higher eigenmodes at the same time. The advantages of the new strategy can be summarized as 1) the replacement of the cumbersome solution step of high order polynomial equations required by Booth's original method with the simple matrix eigen decomposition, 2) faster fission source convergence in inactive cycles, 3) more stable behaviors in both inactive and active cycles, and 4) smaller variances in active cycles. Advantages 3 and 4 can be attributed to the lower sensitivity of the new strategy to statistical fluctuations due to the multi-cycle accumulations. The application of the modified power method to continuous energy Monte Carlo simulation and the higher eigenmodes up to 4th order are reported for the first time in this paper. -- Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •Modified power method is applied to continuous energy Monte Carlo simulation. •Transfer matrix is introduced to generalize the modified power method. •All mode based population control is applied to get the higher eigenmodes. •Statistic fluctuation can be greatly reduced using accumulated tally results. •Fission source convergence is accelerated with higher mode solutions.

Effect of Health Literacy on Help-seeking Behavior in Morbidly Obese Patients Agreeing to Bariatric Surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Cayci, Haci Murat; Erdogdu, Umut Eren; Demirci, Hakan; Ardic, Aykut; Topak, Nevruz Yildirim; Taymur, İbrahim

2018-03-01

We aimed to evaluate the effect of health literacy on agreement for bariatric surgery among morbidly obese patients. The data of 242 morbidly obese patients (body mass index-BMI ≥ 40 kg/m 2 ) were evaluated in a cross-sectional case-control pattern. The patients were classified into two groups as those who were attending the clinic for the purpose of receiving bariatric surgery (n = 138) and those who did not (n = 104). The Turkish version of the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q47), consisting of 47 questions, was used for the health literacy evaluation. It was seen that patients who accepted bariatric surgery were younger and had higher weight and BMI values (p bariatric surgery and 26.04 (8.33:46.88) in the group who did not agree to bariatric surgery, and a statistically significant difference was determined between the two groups (p bariatric surgery and 45.2% of the group who did not (p  25-33) (respectively, 36.2%, 37.5%, p = 0.840). A sufficient level (> 33-42) and a perfect level were higher in the group who agreed to bariatric surgery (respectively, 42.8%, 18.1%, p bariatric surgery in morbidly obese patients. The higher the health literacy level, the more the agreement to bariatric surgery increased.

Electromagnetic axial anomaly in a generalized linear sigma model

Science.gov (United States)

Fariborz, Amir H.; Jora, Renata

2017-06-01

We construct the electromagnetic anomaly effective term for a generalized linear sigma model with two chiral nonets, one with a quark-antiquark structure, the other one with a four-quark content. We compute in the leading order of this framework the decays into two photons of six pseudoscalars: π0(137 ), π0(1300 ), η (547 ), η (958 ), η (1295 ) and η (1760 ). Our results agree well with the available experimental data.

Transport methods: general. 3. An Additive Angular-Dependent Re-balance Acceleration Method for Neutron Transport Equations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Nam Zin; Park, Chang Je

2001-01-01

An additive angular-dependent re-balance (AADR) factor acceleration method is described to accelerate the source iteration of discrete ordinates transport calculation. The formulation of the AADR method follows that of the angular-dependent re-balance (ADR) method in that the re-balance factor is defined only on the cell interface and in that the low-order equation is derived by integrating the transport equation (high-order equation) over angular subspaces. But, the re-balance factor is applied additively. While the AADR method is similar to the boundary projection acceleration and the alpha-weighted linear acceleration, it is more general and does have distinct features. The method is easily extendible to DP N and low-order S N re-balancing, and it does not require consistent discretizations between the high- and low-order equations as in diffusion synthetic acceleration. We find by Fourier analysis and numerical results that the AADR method with a chosen form of weighting functions is unconditionally stable and very effective. There also exists an optimal weighting parameter that leads to the smallest spectral radius. The AADR acceleration method described in this paper is simple to implement, unconditionally stable, and very effective. It uses a physically based weighting function with an optimal parameter, leading to the best spectral radius of ρ<0.1865, compared to ρ<0.2247 of DSA. The application of the AADR acceleration method with the LMB scheme on a test problem shows encouraging results

Exact soliton solutions of the generalized Gross-Pitaevskii equation based on expansion method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ying Wang

2014-06-01

Full Text Available We give a more generalized treatment of the 1D generalized Gross-Pitaevskii equation (GGPE with variable term coefficients. External harmonic trapping potential is fully considered and the nonlinear interaction term is of arbitrary polytropic index of superfluid wave function. We also eliminate the interdependence between variable coefficients of the equation terms avoiding the restrictions that occur in some other works. The exact soliton solutions of the GGPE are obtained through the delicate combined utilization of modified lens-type transformation and F-expansion method with dominant features like soliton type properties highlighted.

An object-oriented class design for the generalized finite element method programming

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Dorival Piedade Neto

Full Text Available The Generalized Finite Element Method (GFEM is a numerical method based on the Finite Element Method (FEM, presenting as its main feature the possibility of improving the solution by means of local enrichment functions. In spite of its advantages, the method demands a complex data structure, which can be especially benefited by the Object-Oriented Programming (OOP. Even though the OOP for the traditional FEM has been extensively described in the technical literature, specific design issues related to the GFEM are yet little discussed and not clearly defined. In the present article it is described an Object-Oriented (OO class design for the GFEM, aiming to achieve a computational code that presents a flexible class structure, circumventing the difficulties associated to the method characteristics. The proposed design is evaluated by means of some numerical examples, computed using a code implemented in Python programming language.

Performance assessment of semiempirical molecular orbital methods in describing halogen bonding: quantum mechanical and quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical-molecular dynamics study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ibrahim, Mahmoud A A

2011-10-24

The performance of semiempirical molecular-orbital methods--MNDO, MNDO-d, AM1, RM1, PM3 and PM6--in describing halogen bonding was evaluated, and the results were compared with molecular mechanical (MM) and quantum mechanical (QM) data. Three types of performance were assessed: (1) geometrical optimizations and binding energy calculations for 27 halogen-containing molecules complexed with various Lewis bases (Two of the tested methods, AM1 and RM1, gave results that agree with the QM data.); (2) charge distribution calculations for halobenzene molecules, determined by calculating the solvation free energies of the molecules relative to benzene in explicit and implicit generalized Born (GB) solvents (None of the methods gave results that agree with the experimental data.); and (3) appropriateness of the semiempirical methods in the hybrid quantum-mechanical/molecular-mechanical (QM/MM) scheme, investigated by studying the molecular inhibition of CK2 protein by eight halobenzimidazole and -benzotriazole derivatives using hybrid QM/MM molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations with the inhibitor described at the QM level by the AM1 method and the rest of the system described at the MM level. The pure MM approach with inclusion of an extra point of positive charge on the halogen atom approach gave better results than the hybrid QM/MM approach involving the AM1 method. Also, in comparison with the pure MM-GBSA (generalized Born surface area) binding energies and experimental data, the calculated QM/MM-GBSA binding energies of the inhibitors were improved by replacing the G(GB,QM/MM) solvation term with the corresponding G(GB,MM) term.

The analytic structure of conformal blocks and the generalized Wilson-Fisher fixed points

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gliozzi, Ferdinando [Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Torino andIstituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare - sezione di Torino,Via P. Giuria 1, I-10125 Torino (Italy); Guerrieri, Andrea L. [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University,Thanon Phayathai, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); I.N.F.N. Sezione di Roma Tor Vergata,Via della Ricerca Scientifica, I-00133 Roma (Italy); Petkou, Anastasios C. [Institute of Theoretical Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki,54124 Thessaloniki (Greece); Wen, Congkao [Walter Burke Institute for Theoretical Physics, California Institute of Technology,Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Mani L. Bhaumik Institute for Theoretical Physics,Department of Physics and Astronomy, UCLA,Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States)

2017-04-11

We describe in detail the method used in our previous work https://arxiv.org/abs/1611.10344 to study the Wilson-Fisher critical points nearby generalized free CFTs, exploiting the analytic structure of conformal blocks as functions of the conformal dimension of the exchanged operator. Our method is equivalent to the mechanism of conformal multiplet recombination set up by null states. We compute, to the first non-trivial order in the ϵ-expansion, the anomalous dimensions and the OPE coefficients of infinite classes of scalar local operators using just CFT data. We study single-scalar and O(N)-invariant theories, as well as theories with multiple deformations. When available we agree with older results, but we also produce a wealth of new ones. Unitarity and crossing symmetry are not used in our approach and we are able to apply our method to non-unitary theories as well. Some implications of our results for the study of the non-unitary theories containing partially conserved higher-spin currents are briefly mentioned.

High Order A-stable Continuous General Linear Methods for Solution of Systems of Initial Value Problems in ODEs

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Dauda GuliburYAKUBU

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Accurate solutions to initial value systems of ordinary differential equations may be approximated efficiently by Runge-Kutta methods or linear multistep methods. Each of these has limitations of one sort or another. In this paper we consider, as a middle ground, the derivation of continuous general linear methods for solution of stiff systems of initial value problems in ordinary differential equations. These methods are designed to combine the advantages of both Runge-Kutta and linear multistep methods. Particularly, methods possessing the property of A-stability are identified as promising methods within this large class of general linear methods. We show that the continuous general linear methods are self-starting and have more ability to solve the stiff systems of ordinary differential equations, than the discrete ones. The initial value systems of ordinary differential equations are solved, for instance, without looking for any other method to start the integration process. This desirable feature of the proposed approach leads to obtaining very high accuracy of the solution of the given problem. Illustrative examples are given to demonstrate the novelty and reliability of the methods.

Efficient generalized Golub-Kahan based methods for dynamic inverse problems

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Julianne; Saibaba, Arvind K.; Brown, Matthew; Westman, Erik

2018-02-01

We consider efficient methods for computing solutions to and estimating uncertainties in dynamic inverse problems, where the parameters of interest may change during the measurement procedure. Compared to static inverse problems, incorporating prior information in both space and time in a Bayesian framework can become computationally intensive, in part, due to the large number of unknown parameters. In these problems, explicit computation of the square root and/or inverse of the prior covariance matrix is not possible, so we consider efficient, iterative, matrix-free methods based on the generalized Golub-Kahan bidiagonalization that allow automatic regularization parameter and variance estimation. We demonstrate that these methods for dynamic inversion can be more flexible than standard methods and develop efficient implementations that can exploit structure in the prior, as well as possible structure in the forward model. Numerical examples from photoacoustic tomography, space-time deblurring, and passive seismic tomography demonstrate the range of applicability and effectiveness of the described approaches. Specifically, in passive seismic tomography, we demonstrate our approach on both synthetic and real data. To demonstrate the scalability of our algorithm, we solve a dynamic inverse problem with approximately 43 000 measurements and 7.8 million unknowns in under 40 s on a standard desktop.

The spectral method and the central limit theorem for general Markov chains

Science.gov (United States)

Nagaev, S. V.

2017-12-01

We consider Markov chains with an arbitrary phase space and develop a modification of the spectral method that enables us to prove the central limit theorem (CLT) for non-uniformly ergodic Markov chains. The conditions imposed on the transition function are more general than those by Athreya-Ney and Nummelin. Our proof of the CLT is purely analytical.

What Should General Practice Trainees Learn about Atopic Eczema?

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Deepani Munidasa

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Effective atopic eczema (AE control not only improves quality of life but may also prevent the atopic march. The Royal College of General Practitioners’ (RCGP curriculum does not currently provide specific learning outcomes on AE management. We aimed to gain consensus on learning outcomes to inform curriculum development. A modified Delphi method was used with questionnaires distributed to gather the views of a range of health care professionals (HCPs including general practitioners (GPs, dermatologists, dermatology nurses and parents of children with AE attending a dedicated paediatric dermatology clinic. Ninety-one questionnaires were distributed to 61 HCPs and 30 parents; 81 were returned. All agreed that learning should focus on the common clinical features, complications and management of AE and the need to appreciate its psychosocial impact. Areas of divergence included knowledge of alternative therapies. Parents felt GPs should better understand how to identify, manage and refer severe AD and recognized the value of the specialist eczema nurse. Dermatologists and parents highlighted inconsistencies in advice regarding topical steroids. This study identifies important areas for inclusion as learning outcomes on AE management in the RCGP curriculum and highlights the importance of patients and parents as a valuable resource in the development of medical education.

The generalized PN synthetic acceleration method for linear transport problems with highly anisotropic scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khattab, K.M.

1998-01-01

The diffusion synthetic acceleration (DSA) method has been known to be an effective tool for accelerating the iterative solution of transport equations with isotopic or mildly anisotropic scattering. However, the DSA method is not effective for transport equations that have strongly anisotropic scattering. A generalization of the modified DSA (MDSA) methods is proposed. This method converges (Clock time) faster than the MDSA method. It is developed, the results of a Fourier analysis that theoretically predicts its efficiency are described, and numerical results that verify the theoretical prediction are presented. (author). 9 refs., 2 tabs., 5 figs

The Confrontation between General Relativity and Experiment

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Clifford M. Will

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The status of experimental tests of general relativity and of theoretical frameworks for analyzing them is reviewed and updated. Einstein’s equivalence principle (EEP is well supported by experiments such as the Eötvös experiment, tests of local Lorentz invariance and clock experiments. Ongoing tests of EEP and of the inverse square law are searching for new interactions arising from unification or quantum gravity. Tests of general relativity at the post-Newtonian level have reached high precision, including the light deflection, the Shapiro time delay, the perihelion advance of Mercury, the Nordtvedt effect in lunar motion, and frame-dragging. Gravitational wave damping has been detected in an amount that agrees with general relativity to better than half a percent using the Hulse–Taylor binary pulsar, and a growing family of other binary pulsar systems is yielding new tests, especially of strong-field effects. Current and future tests of relativity will center on strong gravity and gravitational waves.

The Confrontation between General Relativity and Experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Will, Clifford M

2014-01-01

The status of experimental tests of general relativity and of theoretical frameworks for analyzing them is reviewed and updated. Einstein's equivalence principle (EEP) is well supported by experiments such as the Eötvös experiment, tests of local Lorentz invariance and clock experiments. Ongoing tests of EEP and of the inverse square law are searching for new interactions arising from unification or quantum gravity. Tests of general relativity at the post-Newtonian level have reached high precision, including the light deflection, the Shapiro time delay, the perihelion advance of Mercury, the Nordtvedt effect in lunar motion, and frame-dragging. Gravitational wave damping has been detected in an amount that agrees with general relativity to better than half a percent using the Hulse-Taylor binary pulsar, and a growing family of other binary pulsar systems is yielding new tests, especially of strong-field effects. Current and future tests of relativity will center on strong gravity and gravitational waves.

The knowledge and attitude of general dentists toward denture adhesives in Tehran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fakhri Hamidreza

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The purpose of this study was to generate discussion and communication among a group of general dentists in Tehran on their viewpoints regarding denture adhesives. Have they accepted denture adhesive as a material to enhance denture retention, stability and function? Materials and Methods: In the summer of 2007, a questionnaire was mailed to 300 general dentists who were assigned with a random systematic sampling method from general dentists in Tehran. The questions were arranged in two parts of evaluating knowledge and attitude. In evaluation of knowledge, dentists were classified into groups of good, moderate, weak and lack of knowledge. In evaluation of attitude, dentists were classified into positive, moderate and negative groups. (Evaluating attitude was carried out in good and moderate groups of knowledge. Results: The study showed that 14%, 32% and 37% of the general dentists had respectively good, moderate and weak knowledge toward denture adhesive while 16.3% had no knowledge about this material. In evaluation of attitude through dentists with positive and moderate knowledge toward denture adhesive, 9.3%, 71.3% and 19.4% had respectively positive, moderate and negative attitude toward denture adhesive. The χ2 test showed a significant statistical relation between situation of knowledge and experiences of dentists. Discussion: This study demonstrated that the rate of knowledge of these 300 general dentists in Tehran towards denture adhesives has not been in a good situation. It is believed that denture adhesive be able to enhance the fitness of a denture and provide psychological relief to the patient. Dentists agreed that education, not only for practitioners but also for patients, would raise the advantageous features and reduce the misuse of denture adhesive. Education of the topic "Denture adhesive" should be more concerned in dental universities.

Supporting near-peer teaching in general practice: a national survey.

Science.gov (United States)

van de Mortel, Thea F; Silberberg, Peter L; Ahern, Christine M; Pit, Sabrina W

2016-05-12

Training bodies see teaching by junior doctors and vocational trainees in general practice (family medicine) as integral to a doctor's role. While there is a body of literature on teacher training programs, and on peer and near-peer teaching in hospitals and universities, there has been little examination of near-peer teaching in general practice. Near-peer teaching is teaching to those close to oneself but not at the same level in the training continuum. This study investigated the perceptions of key stakeholders on near-peer teaching in general practice, their current near-peer teaching activities, and methods of recruitment and support. A national anonymous online survey was used to obtain data on Australian stakeholders' perceptions of, and processes related to, near-peer teaching in general practice. Recruitment occurred via electronic invitations sent by training providers and stakeholder associations. Separate questionnaires, which were validated via several cycles of review and piloting, were developed for supervisors and learners. The survey included both fixed response and open response questions. Responses (n = 1,122) were obtained from 269 general practitioner supervisors, 221 general practice registrars, 319 prevocational trainees, and 313 medical students. All stakeholder groups agreed that registrars should teach learners in general practice, and 72% of registrars, 68% of prevocational trainees, and 33% of medical students reported having done some teaching in this setting. Three-quarters of supervisors allowed learners to teach. Having another learner observe their consultations was the most common form of teaching for registrars and prevocational trainees. Eight percent of registrars received some remuneration for teaching. The approach used to determine teaching readiness and quality varied greatly between supervisors. Near-peer teaching was supported by the majority of stakeholders, but is underutilised and has poor structural support

Stability of generalized Runge-Kutta methods for stiff kinetics coupled differential equations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aboanber, A E

2006-01-01

A stability and efficiency improved class of generalized Runge-Kutta methods of order 4 are developed for the numerical solution of stiff system kinetics equations for linear and/or nonlinear coupled differential equations. The determination of the coefficients required by the method is precisely obtained from the so-called equations of condition which in turn are derived by an approach based on Butcher series. Since the equations of condition are fewer in number, free parameters can be chosen for optimizing any desired feature of the process. A further related coefficient set with different values of these parameters and the region of absolute stability of the method have been introduced. In addition, the A(α) stability properties of the method are investigated. Implementing the method in a personal computer estimated the accuracy and speed of calculations and verified the good performances of the proposed new schemes for several sample problems of the stiff system point kinetics equations with reactivity feedback

Views of the Scottish general public on community pharmacy weight management services: international implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Weidmann, Anita Elaine; Cunningham, Scott; Gray, Gwen; Hansford, Denise; Bermano, Giovanna; Stewart, Derek

2012-04-01

Obesity has reached pandemic levels, with more than 1.5 billion adults being affected worldwide. In Scotland two-thirds of men and more than half of women are either overweight or obese, placing Scotland overall third behind the United States of America and Mexico. All community pharmacies in Scotland are contracted to provide public health services such as smoking cessation and there is increasing interest in their contribution to weight management. Researching this area in Scotland may provide valuable information to facilitate the development of community pharmacy services in other parts of the UK and internationally. To describe the views of the Scottish general public on the provision of weight management services via community pharmacies. General public in Scotland. A cross-sectional postal questionnaire survey of 6,000 randomly selected members of the Scottish general public aged 18 years and over. Views on community pharmacy led weight management services. Questionnaires were returned by 20.6% (n = 1,236). Over half 60.1% (n = 751) agreed or strongly agreed that they had easy access to pharmacy services in general and around one-third agreed (35%; n = 438) that it was more convenient to obtain weight management advice from a pharmacist than it is to make an appointment with a GP. Most respondents however lacked awareness of the types of health services available through community pharmacy (13.2%; n = 162) and would not feel comfortable speaking to a pharmacist or medicines counter assistant about weight related issues (25%; n = 320). Concerns over privacy (47.3%; n = 592) and perceived lack of pharmacists' specialist knowledge (open comments) were identified as potential barriers to service uptake by the general public. Overall, respondents appear to be receptive to the idea of accessing weight management services through community pharmacy but a perceived lack of privacy, poor knowledge of pharmacists' skill level and of public health services available to

A generalization of the Friedrichs angle and the method of alternating projections

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Badea, C.; Grivaux, S.; Müller, Vladimír

2010-01-01

Roč. 348, 1-2 (2010), s. 53-56 ISSN 1631-073X R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA201/06/0128 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10190503 Keywords : Hilbert space * Neumann -Halperin method Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.399, year: 2010 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1631073X09004002

The Fusion of Financial Analysis and Seismology: Statistical Methods from Financial Market Analysis Applied to Earthquake Data

Science.gov (United States)

Ohyanagi, S.; Dileonardo, C.

2013-12-01

As a natural phenomenon earthquake occurrence is difficult to predict. Statistical analysis of earthquake data was performed using candlestick chart and Bollinger Band methods. These statistical methods, commonly used in the financial world to analyze market trends were tested against earthquake data. Earthquakes above Mw 4.0 located on shore of Sanriku (37.75°N ~ 41.00°N, 143.00°E ~ 144.50°E) from February 1973 to May 2013 were selected for analysis. Two specific patterns in earthquake occurrence were recognized through the analysis. One is a spread of candlestick prior to the occurrence of events greater than Mw 6.0. A second pattern shows convergence in the Bollinger Band, which implies a positive or negative change in the trend of earthquakes. Both patterns match general models for the buildup and release of strain through the earthquake cycle, and agree with both the characteristics of the candlestick chart and Bollinger Band analysis. These results show there is a high correlation between patterns in earthquake occurrence and trend analysis by these two statistical methods. The results of this study agree with the appropriateness of the application of these financial analysis methods to the analysis of earthquake occurrence.

Irish general practitioner attitudes toward decriminalisation and medical use of cannabis: results from a national survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Crowley, Des; Collins, Claire; Delargy, Ide; Laird, Eamon; Van Hout, Marie Claire

2017-01-13

Governmental debate in Ireland on the de facto decriminalisation of cannabis and legalisation for medical use is ongoing. A cannabis-based medicinal product (Sativex®) has recently been granted market authorisation in Ireland. This unique study aimed to investigate Irish general practitioner (GP) attitudes toward decriminalisation of cannabis and assess levels of support for use of cannabis for therapeutic purposes (CTP). General practitioners in the Irish College of General Practitioner (ICGP) database were invited to complete an online survey. Anonymous data yielded descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages) to summarise participant demographic information and agreement with attitudinal statements. Chi-square tests and multi-nominal logistic regression were included. The response rate was 15% (n = 565) which is similar to other Irish national GP attitudinal surveys. Over half of Irish GPs did not support the decriminalisation of cannabis (56.8%). In terms of gender, a significantly higher proportion of males compared with females (40.6 vs. 15%; p cannabis should be decriminalised (54.1 vs. 31.5%; p = 0.021). Over 80% of both genders supported the view that cannabis use has a significant effect on patients' mental health and increases the risk of schizophrenia (77.3%). Over half of Irish GPs supported the legalisation of cannabis for medical use (58.6%). A higher percentage of those who were level 1-trained (trained in addiction treatment but not to an advanced level) agreed/strongly agreed cannabis should be legalised for medical use (p = 0.003). Over 60% agreed that cannabis can have a role in palliative care, pain management and treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). In the regression response predicator analysis, females were 66.2% less likely to agree that cannabis should be decriminalised, 42.5% less likely to agree that cannabis should be legalised for medical use and 59.8 and 37.6% less likely to agree that cannabis has a role in

Agreed framework of 21 October 1994 between the United States of America and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

The attached text of the Agreed Framework between the United States of America and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, signed in Geneva on 21 October 1994, is being circulated to all Member States of the Agency at the request of the Resident Representative of the United States of America

A variable timestep generalized Runge-Kutta method for the numerical integration of the space-time diffusion equations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aviles, B.N.; Sutton, T.M.; Kelly, D.J. III.

1991-09-01

A generalized Runge-Kutta method has been employed in the numerical integration of the stiff space-time diffusion equations. The method is fourth-order accurate, using an embedded third-order solution to arrive at an estimate of the truncation error for automatic timestep control. The efficiency of the Runge-Kutta method is enhanced by a block-factorization technique that exploits the sparse structure of the matrix system resulting from the space and energy discretized form of the time-dependent neutron diffusion equations. Preliminary numerical evaluation using a one-dimensional finite difference code shows the sparse matrix implementation of the generalized Runge-Kutta method to be highly accurate and efficient when compared to an optimized iterative theta method. 12 refs., 5 figs., 4 tabs

A generally adoptable radiotracing method for tracking carbon nanotubes in animals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deng Xiaoyong; Yang Shengtao; Nie Haiyu; Wang Haifang; Liu Yuanfang [Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China)], E-mail: haifangw@pku.edu.cn

2008-02-20

Carbon nanotube (CNT) mediated drug delivery systems have currently aroused a great deal of interest. Such delivery systems for drugs, proteins and genes have been preliminarily studied using cellular and animal models. For the further study of the pharmacokinetics and related biological behaviours of CNTs in vivo, a fast and convenient tracing method is particularly demanded. In this paper, we developed a generally adoptable tracing method for the biodistribution study of functionalized CNTs in vivo. Taurine covalently functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (tau-MWNTs) and Tween-80 wrapped MWNTs (Tween-MWNTs) were labelled with {sup 125}I, and then their distribution in mice was determined. It is interesting that Tween-80 can reduce the RES uptake of MWNTs remarkably. The resulting distribution of {sup 125}I-tau-MWNTs was very consistent with that using {sup 14}C-taurine-MWNTs as the CNTs tracer, which means the easy {sup 125}I labelling method is reliable and effective.

Relativistic configuration interaction treatment of generalized oscillator strength for krypton

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Huangchun; Qu Yizhi; Liu Chunhua

2007-01-01

A fully relativistic configuration interaction method is developed to investigate the transition energies and general oscillator strengths of the lower lying states of krypton, for both optically allowed and optically forbidden transitions. The calculated results are in agreement with the recent experimental measurements. The calculated transition energies for the 5s and 5s' transitions are 9.970 and 10.717 eV, which agree with the experimental data of 10.033 and 10.643 eV. The calculated oscillator strengths are 0.211 and 0.170, comparable with the experimental results 0.214(±0.012) and 0.194 (±0.012), respectively. The momentum transfer positions (K 2 in a.u.) of the minimum and maximum GOSs in the 4s 2 4p 6 →4s 2 4p 5 (5s + 5s') transitions are 1.105 and 2.225, comparable with the measurements results 1.24 and 2.97. (authors)

Relativistic Configuration Interaction Treatment of Generalized Oscillator Strength for Krypton

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

WANG Huang-Chun; QU Yi-Zhi; LIU Chun-Hua

2007-01-01

A fully relativistic configuration interaction method is developed to investigate the transition energies and general oscillator strengths of the lower lying states of krypton, for both optically allowed and optically forbidden transitions. The calculated results are in agreement with the recent experimental measurements. The calculated transition energies for the 5s and 5s' transitions are 9.970 and 10.717eV, which agree with the experimental data of 10.033 and 10.643 eV. The calculated oscillator strengths are 0.211 and 0.170, comparable with the experimental results 0.214(±0.012) and 0.194 (±0.012), respectively. The momentum transfer positions ( K2 in a.u.) of the minimum and maximum GOSs in the 4s24p6 → 4s24p5 (5s + 5s') transitions are 1.105 and 2.225, comparable with the measurements results 1.24 and 2.97 [Phys. Rev. A 67 (2003) 062708].

What About Their Performance Do Free Jazz Improvisers Agree Upon? A Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amandine Pras

2017-06-01

. But these kinds of statements were polarizing; the performers were more likely to agree with each other in their ratings of statements about the music itself and negative statements. As in Schober and Spiro (2014, the evidence supports a view that fully shared understanding is not needed for joint improvisation by professional musicians in this genre and that performing partners can agree with an outside listener more than with each other.

What About Their Performance Do Free Jazz Improvisers Agree Upon? A Case Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Pras, Amandine; Schober, Michael F; Spiro, Neta

2017-01-01

were polarizing; the performers were more likely to agree with each other in their ratings of statements about the music itself and negative statements. As in Schober and Spiro (2014), the evidence supports a view that fully shared understanding is not needed for joint improvisation by professional musicians in this genre and that performing partners can agree with an outside listener more than with each other.

Determination of calibration equations by means of the generalized least squares method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zijp, W.L.

1984-12-01

For the determination of two-dimensional calibration curves (e.g. in tank calibration procedures) or of three dimensional calibration equations (e.g. for the calibration of NDA equipment for enrichment measurements) one performs measurements under well chosen conditions, where all observables of interest (inclusive the values of the standard material) are subject to measurement uncertainties. Moreover correlations in several measurements may occur. This document describes the mathematical-statistical approach to determine the values of the model parameters and their covariance matrix, which fit best to the mathematical model for the calibration equation. The formulae are based on the method of generalized least squares where the term generalized implies that non-linear equations in the unknown parameters and also covariance matrices of the measurement data of the calibration can be taken into account. In the general case an iteration procedure is required. No iteration is required when the model is linear in the parameters and the covariance matrices for the measurements of co-ordinates of the calibration points are proportional to each other

[Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Schizophrenia: Evaluation Using AGREE II].

Science.gov (United States)

de la Hoz Bradford, Ana María; Ávila, Mauricio J; Bohórquez Peñaranda, Adriana Patricia; García Valencia, Jenny; Arenas Borrero, Álvaro Enrique; Vélez Traslaviña, Ángela; Jaramillo González, Luis Eduardo; Gómez-Restrepo, Carlos

2014-01-01

Colombia is developing multiple national practice guidelines from a range of diseases. Clinical practice guidelines represent a very useful tool to be able to take decision over a patient care that is widely available for the clinician. In psychiatry there are a good number of international clinical guidelines for the treatment of schizophrenia nevertheless there is no article that evaluate them scientifically In the settings of developing a Colombian schizophrenia practice guideline, a systematic search was performed in multiple databases and the results were then evaluated by two trained persons. We present the results globally and by domains. We found 164 matches for possible guidelines. After screening 7 guidelines were evaluated with the AGREE II instrument. Globally and by the different domains, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) was the guideline that got the best score. From the guidelines that were reviewed, 4 were from Europe and only 2 were from Latin America. None of the guidelines used GRADE methodology for the recommendations. The diversity of the schizophrenia treatment guidelines does not allow an easy adoption of the recommendation by a psychiatrist in Colombia. Copyright © 2014 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Variational methods for problems from plasticity theory and for generalized Newtonian fluids

CERN Document Server

Fuchs, Martin

2000-01-01

Variational methods are applied to prove the existence of weak solutions for boundary value problems from the deformation theory of plasticity as well as for the slow, steady state flow of generalized Newtonian fluids including the Bingham and Prandtl-Eyring model. For perfect plasticity the role of the stress tensor is emphasized by studying the dual variational problem in appropriate function spaces. The main results describe the analytic properties of weak solutions, e.g. differentiability of velocity fields and continuity of stresses. The monograph addresses researchers and graduate students interested in applications of variational and PDE methods in the mechanics of solids and fluids.

General algebraic method applied to control analysis of complex engine types

Science.gov (United States)

Boksenbom, Aaron S; Hood, Richard

1950-01-01

A general algebraic method of attack on the problem of controlling gas-turbine engines having any number of independent variables was utilized employing operational functions to describe the assumed linear characteristics for the engine, the control, and the other units in the system. Matrices were used to describe the various units of the system, to form a combined system showing all effects, and to form a single condensed matrix showing the principal effects. This method directly led to the conditions on the control system for noninteraction so that any setting disturbance would affect only its corresponding controlled variable. The response-action characteristics were expressed in terms of the control system and the engine characteristics. The ideal control-system characteristics were explicitly determined in terms of any desired response action.

Comparison of Einstein-Boltzmann solvers for testing general relativity

Science.gov (United States)

Bellini, E.; Barreira, A.; Frusciante, N.; Hu, B.; Peirone, S.; Raveri, M.; Zumalacárregui, M.; Avilez-Lopez, A.; Ballardini, M.; Battye, R. A.; Bolliet, B.; Calabrese, E.; Dirian, Y.; Ferreira, P. G.; Finelli, F.; Huang, Z.; Ivanov, M. M.; Lesgourgues, J.; Li, B.; Lima, N. A.; Pace, F.; Paoletti, D.; Sawicki, I.; Silvestri, A.; Skordis, C.; Umiltà, C.; Vernizzi, F.

2018-01-01

We compare Einstein-Boltzmann solvers that include modifications to general relativity and find that, for a wide range of models and parameters, they agree to a high level of precision. We look at three general purpose codes that primarily model general scalar-tensor theories, three codes that model Jordan-Brans-Dicke (JBD) gravity, a code that models f (R ) gravity, a code that models covariant Galileons, a code that models Hořava-Lifschitz gravity, and two codes that model nonlocal models of gravity. Comparing predictions of the angular power spectrum of the cosmic microwave background and the power spectrum of dark matter for a suite of different models, we find agreement at the subpercent level. This means that this suite of Einstein-Boltzmann solvers is now sufficiently accurate for precision constraints on cosmological and gravitational parameters.

Lateral force calibration in atomic force microscopy: A new lateral force calibration method and general guidelines for optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cannara, Rachel J.; Eglin, Michael; Carpick, Robert W.

2006-01-01

Proper force calibration is a critical step in atomic and lateral force microscopies (AFM/LFM). The recently published torsional Sader method [C. P. Green et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 75, 1988 (2004)] facilitates the calculation of torsional spring constants of rectangular AFM cantilevers by eliminating the need to obtain information or make assumptions regarding the cantilever's material properties and thickness, both of which are difficult to measure. Complete force calibration of the lateral signal in LFM requires measurement of the lateral signal deflection sensitivity as well. In this article, we introduce a complete lateral force calibration procedure that employs the torsional Sader method and does not require making contact between the tip and any sample. In this method, a colloidal sphere is attached to a 'test' cantilever of the same width, but different length and material as the 'target' cantilever of interest. The lateral signal sensitivity is calibrated by loading the colloidal sphere laterally against a vertical sidewall. The signal sensitivity for the target cantilever is then corrected for the tip length, total signal strength, and in-plane bending of the cantilevers. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this approach in comparison with the other established lateral force calibration techniques, and make a direct comparison with the 'wedge' calibration method. The methods agree to within 5%. The propagation of errors is explicitly considered for both methods and the sources of disagreement discussed. Finally, we show that the lateral signal sensitivity is substantially reduced when the laser spot is not centered on the detector

Overlapping domain decomposition preconditioners for the generalized Davidson method for the eigenvalue problem

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stathopoulos, A.; Fischer, C.F. [Vanderbilt Univ., Nashville, TN (United States); Saad, Y.

1994-12-31

The solution of the large, sparse, symmetric eigenvalue problem, Ax = {lambda}x, is central to many scientific applications. Among many iterative methods that attempt to solve this problem, the Lanczos and the Generalized Davidson (GD) are the most widely used methods. The Lanczos method builds an orthogonal basis for the Krylov subspace, from which the required eigenvectors are approximated through a Rayleigh-Ritz procedure. Each Lanczos iteration is economical to compute but the number of iterations may grow significantly for difficult problems. The GD method can be considered a preconditioned version of Lanczos. In each step the Rayleigh-Ritz procedure is solved and explicit orthogonalization of the preconditioned residual ((M {minus} {lambda}I){sup {minus}1}(A {minus} {lambda}I)x) is performed. Therefore, the GD method attempts to improve convergence and robustness at the expense of a more complicated step.

General methods for analyzing bounded proportion data

OpenAIRE

Hossain, Abu

2017-01-01

This thesis introduces two general classes of models for analyzing proportion response variable when the response variable Y can take values between zero and one, inclusive of zero and/or one. The models are inflated GAMLSS model and generalized Tobit GAMLSS model. The inflated GAMLSS model extends the flexibility of beta inflated models by allowing the distribution on (0,1) of the continuous component of the dependent variable to come from any explicit or transformed (i.e. logit or truncated...

Bimetric general relativity and cosmology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosen, N.

1980-01-01

A modification of the general relativity theory is proposed (bimetric general relativity) in which, in addition to the usual metric tensor gsub(μupsilon) describing the space-time geometry and gravitation, there exists also a background metric tensor γsub(μupsilon). The latter describes the space-time of the universe if no matter were present and is taken to correspond to a space-time of constant curvature with positive spatial curvature (k = 1). Field equations are obtained, and these agree with the Einstein equations for systems that are small compared to the size of the universe, such as the solar system. Energy considerations lead to a generalized form of the De Donder condition. Simple isotropic closed models of the universe can be set up which first contract and then expand without going through a singular state. It is suggested that the maximum density of the universe was of the order of c 5 -h -1 G -2 approximately 10 93 g/cm 3 . The expansion from such a high-density state is similar to that from the singular state ('big bang') of the general relativity models. In the case of the dust-filled model the parameters can be fitted to present cosmological data. Using the radiation-filled model to describe the early history of the universe, the cosmic abundance of helium and other light elements can be accounted for in the same way as in ordinary general relativity. (author)

A generalized Fellner-Schall method for smoothing parameter optimization with application to Tweedie location, scale and shape models.

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Simon N; Fasiolo, Matteo

2017-12-01

We consider the optimization of smoothing parameters and variance components in models with a regular log likelihood subject to quadratic penalization of the model coefficients, via a generalization of the method of Fellner (1986) and Schall (1991). In particular: (i) we generalize the original method to the case of penalties that are linear in several smoothing parameters, thereby covering the important cases of tensor product and adaptive smoothers; (ii) we show why the method's steps increase the restricted marginal likelihood of the model, that it tends to converge faster than the EM algorithm, or obvious accelerations of this, and investigate its relation to Newton optimization; (iii) we generalize the method to any Fisher regular likelihood. The method represents a considerable simplification over existing methods of estimating smoothing parameters in the context of regular likelihoods, without sacrificing generality: for example, it is only necessary to compute with the same first and second derivatives of the log-likelihood required for coefficient estimation, and not with the third or fourth order derivatives required by alternative approaches. Examples are provided which would have been impossible or impractical with pre-existing Fellner-Schall methods, along with an example of a Tweedie location, scale and shape model which would be a challenge for alternative methods, and a sparse additive modeling example where the method facilitates computational efficiency gains of several orders of magnitude. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2017, The Authors Biometrics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Biometric Society.

Nodal methods for problems in fluid mechanics and neutron transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azmy, Y.Y.

1985-01-01

A new high-accuracy, coarse-mesh, nodal integral approach is developed for the efficient numerical solution of linear partial differential equations. It is shown that various special cases of this general nodal integral approach correspond to several high efficiency nodal methods developed recently for the numerical solution of neutron diffusion and neutron transport problems. The new approach is extended to the nonlinear Navier-Stokes equations of fluid mechanics; its extension to these equations leads to a new computational method, the nodal integral method which is implemented for the numerical solution of these equations. Application to several test problems demonstrates the superior computational efficiency of this new method over previously developed methods. The solutions obtained for several driven cavity problems are compared with the available experimental data and are shown to be in very good agreement with experiment. Additional comparisons also show that the coarse-mesh, nodal integral method results agree very well with the results of definitive ultra-fine-mesh, finite-difference calculations for the driven cavity problem up to fairly high Reynolds numbers

A Matrix Method Based on the Fibonacci Polynomials to the Generalized Pantograph Equations with Functional Arguments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayşe Betül Koç

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A pseudospectral method based on the Fibonacci operational matrix is proposed to solve generalized pantograph equations with linear functional arguments. By using this method, approximate solutions of the problems are easily obtained in form of the truncated Fibonacci series. Some illustrative examples are given to verify the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed method. Then, the numerical results are compared with other methods.

Are Canadian general surgery residents ready for the 80-hour work week? A nationwide survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Sudarshan, Monisha; Hanna, Wael C; Jamal, Mohammed H; Nguyen, Lily H P; Fraser, Shannon A

2012-02-01

The purpose of this study was to describe Canadian general surgery residents' perceptions regarding potential implementation of work-hour restrictions. An ethics review board-approved, Web-based survey was submitted to all Canadian general surgery residency programs between April and July 2009. Questions evaluated the perceived effects of an 80-hour work week on length of training, operative exposure, learning and lifestyle. We used the Fisher exact test to compare senior and junior residents' responses. Of 360 residents, 158 responded (70 seniors and 88 juniors). Among them, 79% reported working 75-100 hours per week. About 74% of seniors believed that limiting their work hours would decrease their operative exposure; 43% of juniors agreed (p seniors and juniors thought limiting their work hours would improve their lifestyle (86% v. 96%, p = 0.12). Overall, 60% of residents did not believe limiting work hours would extend the length of their training. Regarding 24-hour call, 60% of juniors thought it was hazardous to their health; 30% of seniors agreed (p = 0.001). Both senior and junior residents thought abolishing 24-hour call would decrease their operative exposure (84% v. 70%, p = 0.21). Overall, 31% of residents supported abolishing 24-hour call. About 47% of residents (41% seniors, 51%juniors, p = 0.26) agreed with the adoption of the 80-hour work week. There is a training-level based dichotomy of opinion among general surgery residents in Canada regarding the perceived effects of work hour restrictions. Both groups have voted against abolishing 24-hour call, and neither group strongly supports the implementation of the 80-hour work week.

HEMODYNAMIC STATUS IN AIRWAY MANAGEMENT DURING GENERAL ANESTHESIA: COMPARISON OF THREE METHODS

OpenAIRE

K MONTAZERI; KH NAGHIBI; A.A AKHOUNDI

2000-01-01

Introduction. The laryngeal mask airway (LMA) was recently introduced in general anesthesia as an alternative to the face mask or tracheal intubation for airway maintenance. Methods. The effects of LMA insertion, face mask or tracheal intubation on homodynamic status were studied in 195 normotensive patients who underwent elective transurethral lithotripsy (TUL). The patients were monitored with blood pressure measurement and pulse oximetry. Anesthesia was induced with sodium thiopental,...

Project-Method Fit: Exploring Factors That Influence Agile Method Use

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Diana K.

2013-01-01

While the productivity and quality implications of agile software development methods (SDMs) have been demonstrated, research concerning the project contexts where their use is most appropriate has yielded less definitive results. Most experts agree that agile SDMs are not suited for all project contexts. Several project and team factors have been…

Evaluation of generalized degrees of freedom for sparse estimation by replica method

Science.gov (United States)

Sakata, A.

2016-12-01

We develop a method to evaluate the generalized degrees of freedom (GDF) for linear regression with sparse regularization. The GDF is a key factor in model selection, and thus its evaluation is useful in many modelling applications. An analytical expression for the GDF is derived using the replica method in the large-system-size limit with random Gaussian predictors. The resulting formula has a universal form that is independent of the type of regularization, providing us with a simple interpretation. Within the framework of replica symmetric (RS) analysis, GDF has a physical meaning as the effective fraction of non-zero components. The validity of our method in the RS phase is supported by the consistency of our results with previous mathematical results. The analytical results in the RS phase are calculated numerically using the belief propagation algorithm.

Generalizations of the limited-memory BFGS method based on the quasi-product form of update

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vlček, Jan; Lukšan, Ladislav

2013-01-01

Roč. 241, 15 March (2013), s. 116-129 ISSN 0377-0427 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA201/09/1957 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10300504 Keywords : unconstrained minimization * variable metric methods * limited-memory methods * Broyden class updates * global convergence * numerical results Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.077, year: 2013

Traveling wave solutions of the Boussinesq equation via the new approach of generalized (G'/G)-expansion method.

Science.gov (United States)

Alam, Md Nur; Akbar, M Ali; Roshid, Harun-Or-

2014-01-01

Exact solutions of nonlinear evolution equations (NLEEs) play a vital role to reveal the internal mechanism of complex physical phenomena. In this work, the exact traveling wave solutions of the Boussinesq equation is studied by using the new generalized (G'/G)-expansion method. Abundant traveling wave solutions with arbitrary parameters are successfully obtained by this method and the wave solutions are expressed in terms of the hyperbolic, trigonometric, and rational functions. It is shown that the new approach of generalized (G'/G)-expansion method is a powerful and concise mathematical tool for solving nonlinear partial differential equations in mathematical physics and engineering. 05.45.Yv, 02.30.Jr, 02.30.Ik.

An extended step characteristic method for solving the transport equation in general geometries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DeHart, M.D.; Pevey, R.E.; Parish, T.A.

1994-01-01

A method for applying the discrete ordinates method to solve the Boltzmann transport equation on arbitrary two-dimensional meshes has been developed. The finite difference approach normally used to approximate spatial derivatives in extrapolating angular fluxes across a cell is replaced by direct solution of the characteristic form of the transport equation for each discrete direction. Thus, computational cells are not restricted to the geometrical shape of a mesh element characteristic of a given coordinate system. However, in terms of the treatment of energy and angular dependencies, this method resembles traditional discrete ordinates techniques. By using the method developed here, a general two-dimensional space can be approximated by an irregular mesh comprised of arbitrary polygons. Results for a number of test problems have been compared with solutions obtained from traditional methods, with good agreement. Comparisons include benchmarks against analytical results for problems with simple geometry, as well as numerical results obtained from traditional discrete ordinates methods by applying the ANISN and TWOTRAN-II computer programs

A general method to quantify quasi-equivalence in icosahedral viruses.

Science.gov (United States)

Damodaran, K V; Reddy, Vijay S; Johnson, John E; Brooks, Charles L

2002-12-06

A quantitative, atom-based, method is described for comparing protein subunit interfaces in icosahedral virus capsids with quasi-equivalent surface lattices. An integrated, normalized value (between 0 and 1) based on equivalent residue contacts (Q-score) is computed for every pair of subunit interactions and scores that are significantly above zero readily identify interfaces that are quasi-equivalent to each other. The method was applied to all quasi-equivalent capsid structures (T=3, 4, 7 and 13) in the Protein Data Bank and the Q-scores were interpreted in terms of their structural underpinnings. The analysis allowed classification of T=3 structures into three groups with architectures that resemble different polyhedra with icosahedral symmetry. The preference of subunits to form dimers in the T=4 human Hepatitis B virus capsid (HBV) was clearly reflected in high Q-scores of quasi-equivalent dimers. Interesting differences between the classical T=7 capsid and polyoma-like capsids were also identified. Application of the method to the outer-shell of the T=13 Blue tongue virus core (BTVC) highlighted the modest distortion between the interfaces of the general trimers and the strict trimers of VP7 subunits. Furthermore, the method identified the quasi 2-fold symmetry in the inner capsids of the BTV and reovirus cores. The results show that the Q-scores of various quasi-symmetries represent a "fingerprint" for a particular virus capsid architecture allowing particle classification into groups based on their underlying structural and geometric features.

Generalized Bootstrap Method for Assessment of Uncertainty in Semivariogram Inference

Science.gov (United States)

Olea, R.A.; Pardo-Iguzquiza, E.

2011-01-01

The semivariogram and its related function, the covariance, play a central role in classical geostatistics for modeling the average continuity of spatially correlated attributes. Whereas all methods are formulated in terms of the true semivariogram, in practice what can be used are estimated semivariograms and models based on samples. A generalized form of the bootstrap method to properly model spatially correlated data is used to advance knowledge about the reliability of empirical semivariograms and semivariogram models based on a single sample. Among several methods available to generate spatially correlated resamples, we selected a method based on the LU decomposition and used several examples to illustrate the approach. The first one is a synthetic, isotropic, exhaustive sample following a normal distribution, the second example is also a synthetic but following a non-Gaussian random field, and a third empirical sample consists of actual raingauge measurements. Results show wider confidence intervals than those found previously by others with inadequate application of the bootstrap. Also, even for the Gaussian example, distributions for estimated semivariogram values and model parameters are positively skewed. In this sense, bootstrap percentile confidence intervals, which are not centered around the empirical semivariogram and do not require distributional assumptions for its construction, provide an achieved coverage similar to the nominal coverage. The latter cannot be achieved by symmetrical confidence intervals based on the standard error, regardless if the standard error is estimated from a parametric equation or from bootstrap. ?? 2010 International Association for Mathematical Geosciences.

A Framework for Generalized Conjugate Gradient Methods - with Special Emphasis on Contributions by Rüdiger Weiss

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Gutknecht, M. H.; Rozložník, Miroslav

2002-01-01

Roč. 41, - (2002), s. 7-22 ISSN 0168-9274 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA1030103; GA ČR GA101/00/1035 Institutional research plan: AV0Z1030915 Keywords : sparse linear systems * Krylov space method * orthogonal residual method * minimal residual method * conjugate gradient method * residual smoothing * CG * CGNE * CGNR * CR * FOM * GMRES * PRES Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.504, year: 2002

Qualitative methods in PhD theses from general practice in Scandinavia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Malterud, Kirsti; Hamberg, Katarina; Reventlow, Susanne

2017-01-01

. Qualitative studies are often included in Ph.D. theses from general practice in Scandinavia. Still, the Ph.D. programs across nations and institutions offer only limited training in qualitative methods. In this opinion article, we draw upon our observations and experiences, unpacking and reflecting upon...... values and challenges at stake when qualitative studies are included in Ph.D. theses. Hypotheses to explain these observations are presented, followed by suggestions for standards of evaluation and improvement of Ph.D. programs. The authors conclude that multimethod Ph.D. theses should be encouraged...

Generalization of mixed multiscale finite element methods with applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, C S [Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States)

2016-08-01

Many science and engineering problems exhibit scale disparity and high contrast. The small scale features cannot be omitted in the physical models because they can affect the macroscopic behavior of the problems. However, resolving all the scales in these problems can be prohibitively expensive. As a consequence, some types of model reduction techniques are required to design efficient solution algorithms. For practical purpose, we are interested in mixed finite element problems as they produce solutions with certain conservative properties. Existing multiscale methods for such problems include the mixed multiscale finite element methods. We show that for complicated problems, the mixed multiscale finite element methods may not be able to produce reliable approximations. This motivates the need of enrichment for coarse spaces. Two enrichment approaches are proposed, one is based on generalized multiscale finte element metthods (GMsFEM), while the other is based on spectral element-based algebraic multigrid (rAMGe). The former one, which is called mixed GMsFEM, is developed for both Darcy’s flow and linear elasticity. Application of the algorithm in two-phase flow simulations are demonstrated. For linear elasticity, the algorithm is subtly modified due to the symmetry requirement of the stress tensor. The latter enrichment approach is based on rAMGe. The algorithm differs from GMsFEM in that both of the velocity and pressure spaces are coarsened. Due the multigrid nature of the algorithm, recursive application is available, which results in an efficient multilevel construction of the coarse spaces. Stability, convergence analysis, and exhaustive numerical experiments are carried out to validate the proposed enrichment approaches. iii

«M. M. Kovalevsky’s historical and comparative method in the context of structural and functional analysis»

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Денис Анатолійович Шигаль

2016-01-01

Conclusions of the research: Estimating the M. M. Kovalevsky’s efforts in the methodology of historical and legal comparative study it should be noted that the attitude to his method in the scientific community is controversial. While agreeing, in general, with a positive appreciation of the M. M. Kovalevsky’s scientific heritage it should be pointed that the scientist first qualitatively tried to develop theoretical and methodological basis for the historical and comparative method in the domestic comparative study. Despite the fact that while theoretically reasoning his own method, M. M. Kovalevsky lacked modern structural and functional approach, but in most cases he was able to aptly describe the individual elements of the theory, methods and technique of the new means of special and scientific knowledge.

A method for assigning species into groups based on generalized Mahalanobis distance between habitat model coefficients

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, C.J.; Heglund, P.J.

2009-01-01

Habitat association models are commonly developed for individual animal species using generalized linear modeling methods such as logistic regression. We considered the issue of grouping species based on their habitat use so that management decisions can be based on sets of species rather than individual species. This research was motivated by a study of western landbirds in northern Idaho forests. The method we examined was to separately fit models to each species and to use a generalized Mahalanobis distance between coefficient vectors to create a distance matrix among species. Clustering methods were used to group species from the distance matrix, and multidimensional scaling methods were used to visualize the relations among species groups. Methods were also discussed for evaluating the sensitivity of the conclusions because of outliers or influential data points. We illustrate these methods with data from the landbird study conducted in northern Idaho. Simulation results are presented to compare the success of this method to alternative methods using Euclidean distance between coefficient vectors and to methods that do not use habitat association models. These simulations demonstrate that our Mahalanobis-distance- based method was nearly always better than Euclidean-distance-based methods or methods not based on habitat association models. The methods used to develop candidate species groups are easily explained to other scientists and resource managers since they mainly rely on classical multivariate statistical methods. ?? 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Survey of meshless and generalized finite element methods: A unified approach

Science.gov (United States)

Babuška, Ivo; Banerjee, Uday; Osborn, John E.

In the past few years meshless methods for numerically solving partial differential equations have come into the focus of interest, especially in the engineering community. This class of methods was essentially stimulated by difficulties related to mesh generation. Mesh generation is delicate in many situations, for instance, when the domain has complicated geometry; when the mesh changes with time, as in crack propagation, and remeshing is required at each time step; when a Lagrangian formulation is employed, especially with nonlinear PDEs. In addition, the need for flexibility in the selection of approximating functions (e.g., the flexibility to use non-polynomial approximating functions), has played a significant role in the development of meshless methods. There are many recent papers, and two books, on meshless methods; most of them are of an engineering character, without any mathematical analysis.In this paper we address meshless methods and the closely related generalized finite element methods for solving linear elliptic equations, using variational principles. We give a unified mathematical theory with proofs, briefly address implementational aspects, present illustrative numerical examples, and provide a list of references to the current literature.The aim of the paper is to provide a survey of a part of this new field, with emphasis on mathematics. We present proofs of essential theorems because we feel these proofs are essential for the understanding of the mathematical aspects of meshless methods, which has approximation theory as a major ingredient. As always, any new field is stimulated by and related to older ideas. This will be visible in our paper.

Trial function method and exact solutions to the generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation with time-dependent coefficient

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao Rui; Zhang Jian

2013-01-01

In this paper, the trial function method is extended to study the generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation with time-dependent coefficients. On the basis of a generalized traveling wave transformation and a trial function, we investigate the exact envelope traveling wave solutions of the generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation with time-dependent coefficients. Taking advantage of solutions to trial function, we successfully obtain exact solutions for the generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation with time-dependent coefficients under constraint conditions. (general)

A New General Iterative Method for a Finite Family of Nonexpansive Mappings in Hilbert Spaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Singthong Urailuk

2010-01-01

Full Text Available We introduce a new general iterative method by using the -mapping for finding a common fixed point of a finite family of nonexpansive mappings in the framework of Hilbert spaces. A strong convergence theorem of the purposed iterative method is established under some certain control conditions. Our results improve and extend the results announced by many others.

More on Generalizations and Modifications of Iterative Methods for Solving Large Sparse Indefinite Linear Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jen-Yuan Chen

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Continuing from the works of Li et al. (2014, Li (2007, and Kincaid et al. (2000, we present more generalizations and modifications of iterative methods for solving large sparse symmetric and nonsymmetric indefinite systems of linear equations. We discuss a variety of iterative methods such as GMRES, MGMRES, MINRES, LQ-MINRES, QR MINRES, MMINRES, MGRES, and others.

Generalized Multiscale Finite Element Methods for Wave Propagation in Heterogeneous Media

KAUST Repository

Chung, Eric T.

2014-11-13

Numerical modeling of wave propagation in heterogeneous media is important in many applications. Due to their complex nature, direct numerical simulations on the fine grid are prohibitively expensive. It is therefore important to develop efficient and accurate methods that allow the use of coarse grids. In this paper, we present a multiscale finite element method for wave propagation on a coarse grid. The proposed method is based on the generalized multiscale finite element method (GMsFEM) (see [Y. Efendiev, J. Galvis, and T. Hou, J. Comput. Phys., 251 (2012), pp. 116--135]). To construct multiscale basis functions, we start with two snapshot spaces in each coarse-grid block, where one represents the degrees of freedom on the boundary and the other represents the degrees of freedom in the interior. We use local spectral problems to identify important modes in each snapshot space. These local spectral problems are different from each other and their formulations are based on the analysis. To the best of knowledge, this is the first time that multiple snapshot spaces and multiple spectral problems are used and necessary for efficient computations. Using the dominant modes from local spectral problems, multiscale basis functions are constructed to represent the solution space locally within each coarse block. These multiscale basis functions are coupled via the symmetric interior penalty discontinuous Galerkin method which provides a block diagonal mass matrix and, consequently, results in fast computations in an explicit time discretization. Our methods\\' stability and spectral convergence are rigorously analyzed. Numerical examples are presented to show our methods\\' performance. We also test oversampling strategies. In particular, we discuss how the modes from different snapshot spaces can affect the proposed methods\\' accuracy.

Reliability-based design optimization using a generalized subset simulation method and posterior approximation

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Yuan-Zhuo; Li, Hong-Shuang; Yao, Wei-Xing

2018-05-01

The evaluation of the probabilistic constraints in reliability-based design optimization (RBDO) problems has always been significant and challenging work, which strongly affects the performance of RBDO methods. This article deals with RBDO problems using a recently developed generalized subset simulation (GSS) method and a posterior approximation approach. The posterior approximation approach is used to transform all the probabilistic constraints into ordinary constraints as in deterministic optimization. The assessment of multiple failure probabilities required by the posterior approximation approach is achieved by GSS in a single run at all supporting points, which are selected by a proper experimental design scheme combining Sobol' sequences and Bucher's design. Sequentially, the transformed deterministic design optimization problem can be solved by optimization algorithms, for example, the sequential quadratic programming method. Three optimization problems are used to demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method.

Generalization of free-operant avoidance behavior in pigeons1

Science.gov (United States)

Klein, Marty; Rilling, Mark

1974-01-01

Three groups of four pigeons, trained to press a treadle on a free-operant avoidance schedule, were given auditory discrimination training. Alternating 2-min components of avoidance and no shock were paired with either a tone or white noise. The pigeons were subsequently given two types of generalization tests, with and without avoidable shocks scheduled. Two of the groups, trained interdimensionally, produced excitatory and inhibitory generalization gradients along the tone frequency dimension. A predicted post-discrimination gradient was computed from the algebraic summation of these gradients of excitation and inhibition. The predicted gradient was compared with the actual post-discrimination gradient obtained from the third group of pigeons that had been given intradimensional discrimination training on the tone frequency dimension. The predicted postdiscrimination gradient agreed in shape with the empirical postdiscrimination gradient. The results in general support Spence's (1937) gradient interaction theory. PMID:16811735

Contribution to the study of influences in emission spectrography on solutions. Application to a general analysis method for stainless steels (1961); Contribution a l'etude des influences en spectographie d'emission sur solution. Application a une methode generale d'analyse des aciers inoxydables (1961)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baudin, G [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Grenoble (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1961-11-15

In order to establish a general method of analysis of stainless steels, by means of spark spectroscopy on solutions, a systematic study has been made of the factors involved. The variations in acidity of the solutions, or in the ratio of concentrations of two acids at constant pH, lead to a displacement of the calibration curve. Simple relations have been established between the concentration of the extraneous elements, and the effects produced, for the constituents Fe, Ti, Ni, Cr, Mn; a general method using abacus is proposed for steels containing only these elements. The interactions in the case of the elements Mo, Nb, Ta, W, were more complex, so that the simultaneous separation was studied with the help of ion-exchange resins. A general method of analysis is proposed for stainless steels. (author) [French] En vue d'etablir une methode generale d'analyse des aciers inoxydables par spectrographie d'etincelles sur solution, on a effectue une etude systematique des influences. Les variations de l'acidite des solutions ou du rapport des concentrations de deux acides a pH constant, entrainent un deplacement des courbes d'etalonnage. On a etabli des relations simples entre la teneur des tiers elements et les effets produits pour les constituants Fe, Ti, Ni, Cr, Mn; une methode generale avec abaques est proposee pour les aciers contenant ces seuls elements. Les influences dans le cas des elements Mo, Nb, Ta, W etant plus complexes, on eut a etudier la separation simultanee a l'aide de resines echangeuses d'ions. On propose une methode generale d'analyse des aciers inoxydables. (auteur)

The presence of radiological features on chest radiographs: How well do clinicians agree?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Edwards, M. [Department of Child Health, School of Medicine, Cardiff University (United Kingdom); Lawson, Z. [Department of Child Health, School of Medicine, Cardiff University (United Kingdom); Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Medicine, Cardiff University (United Kingdom); Morris, S.; Evans, A.; Harrison, S.; Isaac, R. [Department of Paediatric Radiology, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff (United Kingdom); Crocker, J. [Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Medicine, Cardiff University (United Kingdom); Powell, C., E-mail: powellc7@cardiff.ac.uk [Department of Child Health, School of Medicine, Cardiff University (United Kingdom)

2012-07-15

Aim: To compare levels of agreement amongst paediatric clinicians with those amongst consultant paediatric radiologists when interpreting chest radiographs (CXRs). Materials and methods: Four paediatric radiologists used picture archiving and communication system (PACS) workstations to evaluate the presence of five radiological features of infection, independently in each of 30 CXRs. The radiographs were obtained over 1 year (2008) from children with fever and signs of respiratory distress, aged 6 months to <16 years. The same CXRs were interpreted a second time by the paediatric radiologists and by 21 clinicians with varying experience levels, using the Web 1000 viewing system and a projector. Intra- and interobserver agreement within groups, split by grade and specialty, were analysed using free-marginal multi-rater kappa. Results: Normal CXRs were identified consistently amongst all 25 participants. The four paediatric radiologists showed high levels of intraobserver agreement between methods (kappa scores between 0.53 and 1.00) and interobserver agreement for each method (kappa scores between 0.67 and 0.96 for PACS assessment). The 21 clinicians showed varying levels of agreement from 0.21 to 0.89. Conclusion: Paediatric radiologists showed high levels of agreement for all features. In general, the clinicians had lower levels of agreement than the radiologists. This study highlights the need for improved training in interpreting CXRs for clinicians and the timely reporting of CXRs by radiologists to allow appropriate patient management.

Critical review and hydrologic application of threshold detection methods for the generalized Pareto (GP) distribution

Science.gov (United States)

Mamalakis, Antonios; Langousis, Andreas; Deidda, Roberto

2016-04-01

Estimation of extreme rainfall from data constitutes one of the most important issues in statistical hydrology, as it is associated with the design of hydraulic structures and flood water management. To that extent, based on asymptotic arguments from Extreme Excess (EE) theory, several studies have focused on developing new, or improving existing methods to fit a generalized Pareto (GP) distribution model to rainfall excesses above a properly selected threshold u. The latter is generally determined using various approaches, such as non-parametric methods that are intended to locate the changing point between extreme and non-extreme regions of the data, graphical methods where one studies the dependence of GP distribution parameters (or related metrics) on the threshold level u, and Goodness of Fit (GoF) metrics that, for a certain level of significance, locate the lowest threshold u that a GP distribution model is applicable. In this work, we review representative methods for GP threshold detection, discuss fundamental differences in their theoretical bases, and apply them to 1714 daily rainfall records from the NOAA-NCDC open-access database, with more than 110 years of data. We find that non-parametric methods that are intended to locate the changing point between extreme and non-extreme regions of the data are generally not reliable, while methods that are based on asymptotic properties of the upper distribution tail lead to unrealistically high threshold and shape parameter estimates. The latter is justified by theoretical arguments, and it is especially the case in rainfall applications, where the shape parameter of the GP distribution is low; i.e. on the order of 0.1 ÷ 0.2. Better performance is demonstrated by graphical methods and GoF metrics that rely on pre-asymptotic properties of the GP distribution. For daily rainfall, we find that GP threshold estimates range between 2÷12 mm/d with a mean value of 6.5 mm/d, while the existence of quantization in the

A New and Simple Method for Crosstalk Estimation in Homogeneous Trench-Assisted Multi-Core Fibers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ye, Feihong; Tu, Jiajing; Saitoh, Kunimasa

2014-01-01

A new and simple method for inter-core crosstalk estimation in homogeneous trench-assisted multi-core fibers is presented. The crosstalk calculated by this method agrees well with experimental measurement data for two kinds of fabricated 12-core fibers.......A new and simple method for inter-core crosstalk estimation in homogeneous trench-assisted multi-core fibers is presented. The crosstalk calculated by this method agrees well with experimental measurement data for two kinds of fabricated 12-core fibers....

Depth profiling of helium in Ni and Nb; comparison of different methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scherzer, B.M.U.; Bay, H.L.; Behrisch, R.; Boergesen, P.; Roth, J.

1978-01-01

Depth profiles of 30 keV 3 He + and 4 He + implanted in polycrystalline nickel and single crystal niobium have been measured using the nuclear reactions He(p,p)He and 3 He(d,α) 1 H. The formalism for obtaining depth profiles from Rutherford backscattering spectra has been generalized for the application to nuclear reaction spectra. The profiles obtained by the two different methods agree within the errors introduced by the uncertainties of the reaction cross-section and electronic stopping power data. The 3 He(d,α) 1 H method is a factor of 10-100 more sensitive and has about a factor of 5 better depth resolution than the He(p,p)He method. However, the latter method allows to probe much larger depths and is simultaneously applicable to 4 He as well as to 3 He. Within the experimental uncertainties the depth profiles for 3 He and 4 He are identical. (Auth.)

31 CFR 19.645 - Do other Federal agencies know if the Department of the Treasury agrees to a voluntary exclusion?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Do other Federal agencies know if the Department of the Treasury agrees to a voluntary exclusion? 19.645 Section 19.645 Money and Finance: Treasury... Principles Relating to Suspension and Debarment Actions § 19.645 Do other Federal agencies know if the...

General beam position controlling method for 3D optical systems based on the method of solving ray matrix equations

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Meixiong; Yuan, Jie; Long, Xingwu; Kang, Zhenglong; Wang, Zhiguo; Li, Yingying

2013-12-01

A general beam position controlling method for 3D optical systems based on the method of solving ray matrix equations has been proposed in this paper. As a typical 3D optical system, nonplanar ring resonator of Zero-Lock Laser Gyroscopes has been chosen as an example to show its application. The total mismatching error induced by Faraday-wedge in nonplanar ring resonator has been defined and eliminated quite accurately with the error less than 1 μm. Compared with the method proposed in Ref. [14], the precision of the beam position controlling has been improved by two orders of magnitude. The novel method can be used to implement automatic beam position controlling in 3D optical systems with servo circuit. All those results have been confirmed by related alignment experiments. The results in this paper are important for beam controlling, ray tracing, cavity design and alignment in 3D optical systems.

Fast online generalized multiscale finite element method using constraint energy minimization

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Eric T.; Efendiev, Yalchin; Leung, Wing Tat

2018-02-01

Local multiscale methods often construct multiscale basis functions in the offline stage without taking into account input parameters, such as source terms, boundary conditions, and so on. These basis functions are then used in the online stage with a specific input parameter to solve the global problem at a reduced computational cost. Recently, online approaches have been introduced, where multiscale basis functions are adaptively constructed in some regions to reduce the error significantly. In multiscale methods, it is desired to have only 1-2 iterations to reduce the error to a desired threshold. Using Generalized Multiscale Finite Element Framework [10], it was shown that by choosing sufficient number of offline basis functions, the error reduction can be made independent of physical parameters, such as scales and contrast. In this paper, our goal is to improve this. Using our recently proposed approach [4] and special online basis construction in oversampled regions, we show that the error reduction can be made sufficiently large by appropriately selecting oversampling regions. Our numerical results show that one can achieve a three order of magnitude error reduction, which is better than our previous methods. We also develop an adaptive algorithm and enrich in selected regions with large residuals. In our adaptive method, we show that the convergence rate can be determined by a user-defined parameter and we confirm this by numerical simulations. The analysis of the method is presented.

Comparative phylogeography: concepts, methods and general patterns in neotropical birds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arbelaez Cortes, Enrique

2012-01-01

Understanding the patterns and processes involved in intraspecific lineages diversification in time and space is the aim of phylogeography. The comparison of those phylogeographic patterns among co-distributed species shows insights of a community history. Here I review the concepts and methodologies of comparative phylogeography, an active research field that has heterogeneous analytical methods. In order to present a framework for phylogeography in the neotropics, I comment the general phylogeographic patterns of the birds from this region. this review is based on more than 100 studies conducted during the last 25 years and indicate that despite different co-distributed species seem to share some points in their phylogeographic pattern they have idiosyncratic aspects, indicating an unique history for each one.

Gravitational redshift of galaxies in clusters as predicted by general relativity.

Science.gov (United States)

Wojtak, Radosław; Hansen, Steen H; Hjorth, Jens

2011-09-28

The theoretical framework of cosmology is mainly defined by gravity, of which general relativity is the current model. Recent tests of general relativity within the Lambda Cold Dark Matter (ΛCDM) model have found a concordance between predictions and the observations of the growth rate and clustering of the cosmic web. General relativity has not hitherto been tested on cosmological scales independently of the assumptions of the ΛCDM model. Here we report an observation of the gravitational redshift of light coming from galaxies in clusters at the 99 per cent confidence level, based on archival data. Our measurement agrees with the predictions of general relativity and its modification created to explain cosmic acceleration without the need for dark energy (the f(R) theory), but is inconsistent with alternative models designed to avoid the presence of dark matter. © 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved

Critical Appraisal of International Clinical Practice Guidelines in Kidney Transplantation Using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Education (AGREE) II Tool: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

OʼDonoghue, Katriona Jane Marie; Reed, Rhiannon D; Knight, Simon R; O'Callaghan, John M; Ayaz-Shah, Anam A; Hassan, Sevda; Weissenbacher, Annemarie; Morris, Peter J; Pengel, Liset H M

2018-05-22

Whilst Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) are used for the development of local protocols in kidney transplantation (Ktx), the quality of their methodology is variable. This systematic review aimed to critically appraise international CPGs in all aspects of Ktx using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II tool. CPGs in Ktx and donation published between 2010 and 2017 were identified from MEDLINE, Embase, National Guideline Clearinghouse, NHS and NICE Evidence Searches, and the websites of transplant societies. Using AGREE II, 3 appraisers assessed the quality of CPGs. Interrater reliability was measured using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Searches identified 3,168 records and 115 CPGs were included. The highest scoring AGREE II domain was 'Scope and Purpose' (80%; Range 30-100%), followed by 'Clarity of Presentation' (77%; Range 43-98%), 'Editorial independence' (52%; Range 0-94%), 'Rigour of Development' (47%; Range 6-97%) and 'Stakeholder Involvement' (41%; Range 11-85%). The poorest scoring domain was 'Applicability' (31%; Range 3-74%). Most CPGs were recommended for future use either with (63%) or without modifications (18%). A small number were not recommended for future use (14%) or reviewers did not agree on recommending the CPG (5%). The overall mean CPG quality score was 4 out of 7 (Range 2-7). The mean ICC of 0.74 indicated substantial agreement between reviewers. The quality of international CPGs in Ktx was variable, and most CPGs lacked key aspects of methodological robustness and transparency. Improvements in methodology, patient involvement and strategies for implementation are required.

Almost half of the Danish general practitioners have negative a priori attitudes towards a mandatory accreditation programme

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Waldorff, Frans Boch; Nicolaisdottir, Dagny Ros; Kousgaard, Marius Brostrøm

2016-01-01

: A total of 1,906 (56%) GPs completed the questionnaire. In all, 861 (45%) had a negative attitude towards accreditation, whereas 429 (21%) were very positive or posi-tive. The negative attitudes towards accreditation were associated with being older, male and with working in a singlehanded practice.......018 (95% CI: 0.013-0.025)), more likely to agree that it would affect job satisfaction negatively (OR = 21.88 (95% CI: 16.10-29.72)), and they were generally less satisfied with their present job situation (OR = 2.51 (95% CI: 1.85-3.41)). CONCLUSION: Almost half of the GPs had negative attitudes towards....... A regional difference was observed as well. GPs with negative expectations were more likely to agree that accreditation was a tool meant for external control (odds ratio (OR) = 1.87 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.18-2.95)), less likely to agree that accreditation was a tool for quality improvement (OR = 0...

A generalized fractional sub-equation method for fractional differential equations with variable coefficients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang, Bo; He, Yinnian; Wei, Leilei; Zhang, Xindong

2012-01-01

In this Letter, a generalized fractional sub-equation method is proposed for solving fractional differential equations with variable coefficients. Being concise and straightforward, this method is applied to the space–time fractional Gardner equation with variable coefficients. As a result, many exact solutions are obtained including hyperbolic function solutions, trigonometric function solutions and rational solutions. It is shown that the considered method provides a very effective, convenient and powerful mathematical tool for solving many other fractional differential equations in mathematical physics. -- Highlights: ► Study of fractional differential equations with variable coefficients plays a role in applied physical sciences. ► It is shown that the proposed algorithm is effective for solving fractional differential equations with variable coefficients. ► The obtained solutions may give insight into many considerable physical processes.

The Comparison of Four Different Methods of Perioperative Eye Protection under General Anesthesia in Prone Position

OpenAIRE

Özlem Kocatürk; Tolga Kocatürk; Nil Kaan; Volkan Dayanır

2012-01-01

Aim: The purpose of this study was to compare and assess the efficacy of hypoallergen adhesive tape, antibiotic ointment, artificial tear liquid gel and ocular lubricant pomade for perioperative protection of eyes under general anesthesia in prone position. Material and Method: One hundred and eighty four patients (368 eyes) undergoing general anesthesia for >90 min for spinal procedures were divided randomly into four groups. Hypoallergen adhesive tape, antibiotic ointment, artificial tea...

Agreement on Access and Benefit-sharing for Academic Research: A toolbox for drafting Mutually Agreed Terms for access to Genetic Resources and to Associated Traditional Knowledge and Benefit-sharing

OpenAIRE

Biber-Klemm, Susette; Martinez, Sylvia I.; Jacob, Anne; Jevtic, Ana

2016-01-01

This manual contains a set of model clauses that enables users and providers of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge to set up a legal contract that is adapted to the individual academic research situation. If mutually negotiated and agreed upon by the involved partners this agreement can yield a “Mutually Agreed Terms” ABS contract.

Generalized Pattern Search methods for a class of nonsmooth optimization problems with structure

Science.gov (United States)

Bogani, C.; Gasparo, M. G.; Papini, A.

2009-07-01

We propose a Generalized Pattern Search (GPS) method to solve a class of nonsmooth minimization problems, where the set of nondifferentiability is included in the union of known hyperplanes and, therefore, is highly structured. Both unconstrained and linearly constrained problems are considered. At each iteration the set of poll directions is enforced to conform to the geometry of both the nondifferentiability set and the boundary of the feasible region, near the current iterate. This is the key issue to guarantee the convergence of certain subsequences of iterates to points which satisfy first-order optimality conditions. Numerical experiments on some classical problems validate the method.

How to get residents/owners in housing cooperatives to agree on sustainable renovation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lappegard Hauge, A. [SINTEF Building and Infrastructure, P.O. Box 124, Blindern, 0314 Oslo (Norway); Thomsen, J. [SINTEF Building and Infrastructure, 7465 Trondheim (Norway); Loefstroem, E. [SINTEF Building and Infrastructure, 7491 Trondheim (Norway)

2013-05-15

What factors increase the chance that residents/owners in housing cooperatives agree on sustainable energy efficient renovation? Based on 30 qualitative interviews with professional advisors in cooperative housing associations and chairman/board and residents in three chosen case studies, an analysis of opportunities and barriers for making a common decision on renovation is performed. Success criteria and barriers are found on the societal level as well as on the organizational/individual level. The barriers and success criteria identified on the societal level are: knowledge level on energy-efficient renovation among relevant actors, owner structure of the housing cooperative, and existing regulations and incentives. On the organizational and individual level, the following categories influencing renovation processes were identified: the time frame and organization of the process, understanding the residents' needs, economy, the information given, and the existence of available exemplary projects and role models. Based on the results of the study, ten guidelines that contribute to more successful decision making processes and increase the chances of sustainable energy efficient renovation in housing cooperatives are presented.

Hierarchical multiscale modeling for flows in fractured media using generalized multiscale finite element method

KAUST Repository

Efendiev, Yalchin R.

2015-06-05

In this paper, we develop a multiscale finite element method for solving flows in fractured media. Our approach is based on generalized multiscale finite element method (GMsFEM), where we represent the fracture effects on a coarse grid via multiscale basis functions. These multiscale basis functions are constructed in the offline stage via local spectral problems following GMsFEM. To represent the fractures on the fine grid, we consider two approaches (1) discrete fracture model (DFM) (2) embedded fracture model (EFM) and their combination. In DFM, the fractures are resolved via the fine grid, while in EFM the fracture and the fine grid block interaction is represented as a source term. In the proposed multiscale method, additional multiscale basis functions are used to represent the long fractures, while short-size fractures are collectively represented by a single basis functions. The procedure is automatically done via local spectral problems. In this regard, our approach shares common concepts with several approaches proposed in the literature as we discuss. We would like to emphasize that our goal is not to compare DFM with EFM, but rather to develop GMsFEM framework which uses these (DFM or EFM) fine-grid discretization techniques. Numerical results are presented, where we demonstrate how one can adaptively add basis functions in the regions of interest based on error indicators. We also discuss the use of randomized snapshots (Calo et al. Randomized oversampling for generalized multiscale finite element methods, 2014), which reduces the offline computational cost.

Glutarimides: Biological activity, general synthetic methods and physicochemical properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Popović-Đorđević Jelena B.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Glutarimides, 2,6-dioxopiperidines are compounds that rarely occur in natural sources, but so far isolated ones exert widespread pharmacological activities, which makes them valuable as potential pharmacotherapeutics. Glutarimides act as androgen receptor antagonists, anti-inflammatory, anxiolytics, antibacterials, and tumor suppressing agents. Some synthetic glutarimide derivatives are already in use as immunosuppressive and sedative (e.g., thalidomide or anxiolytics (buspirone drugs. The wide applicability of this class of compounds, justify the interest of scientists to explore new pathways for its syntheses. General methods for synthesis of six-membered imide ring, are presented in this paper. These methods include: a reaction of dicarboxylic acids with ammonia or primary amine, b reactions of cyclization: amido-acids, diamides, dinitriles, nitrilo-acids, amido-nitriles, amido-esters, amidoacyl-chlorides or diacyl-chlorides, c adition of carbon-monoxide on a,b-unsaturated amides, d oxidation reactions, e Michael adition of active methylen compounds on methacrylamide or conjugated amides. Some of the described methods are used for closing glutarimide ring in syntheses of farmacological active compounds sesbanimide and aldose reductase inhibitors (ARI. Analyses of the geometry, as well as, the spectroscopic analyses (NMR and FT-IR of some glutarimides are presented because of their broad spectrum of pharmacological activity. To elucidate structures of glutarimides, geometrical parameters of newly synthesized tert-pentyl-1-benzyl-4-methyl-glutarimide-3-carboxylate (PBMG are analyzed and compared with the experimental data from X-ray analysis for glutarimide. Moreover, molecular electrostatic potential (MEP surface which is plotted over the optimized geometry to elucidate the reactivity of PBMG molecule is analyzed. The electronic properties of glutarimide derivatives are explained on the example of thalidomide. The Frontier Molecular Orbital

General Practitioner's Attitudes and Confidence in Managing Patients with Dementia in Singapore.

Science.gov (United States)

Subramaniam, Mythily; Ong, Hui Lin; Abdin, Edimansyah; Chua, Boon Yiang; Shafie, Saleha; Siva Kumar, Fiona Devi; Foo, Sophia; Ng, Li Ling; Lum, Alvin; Vaingankar, Janhavi A; Chong, Siow Ann

2018-03-01

The number of people living with dementia is increasing globally as a result of an ageing population. General practitioners (GPs), as the front-line care providers in communities, are important stakeholders in the system of care for people with dementia. This commentary describes a study conducted to understand GPs' attitudes and self-perceived competencies when dealing with patients with dementia and their caregivers in Singapore. A set of study information sheet and survey questionnaires were mailed to selected GP clinics in Singapore. The survey, comprising the "GP Attitudes and Competencies Towards Dementia" questionnaire, was administered. A total of 400 GPs returned the survey, giving the study a response rate of 52.3%. About 74% of the GPs (n=296) were seeing dementia patients in their clinics. Almost all the GPs strongly agreed that early recognition of dementia served the welfare of the patients (n=385; 96%) and their relatives (n=387; 97%). About half (51.5%) of the respondents strongly agreed or agreed that they felt confident carrying out an early diagnosis of dementia. Factor analysis of questionnaire revealed 4 factors representing "benefits of early diagnosis and treatment of patients with dementia", "confidence in dealing with patients and caregiver of dementia", "negative perceptions towards dementia care" and "training needs". GPs in Singapore held a generally positive attitude towards the need for early dementia diagnosis but were not equally confident or comfortable about making the diagnosis themselves and communicating with and managing patients with dementia in the primary care setting. Dementia education and training should therefore be a critical step in equipping GPs for dementia care in Singapore. Shared care teams could further help build up GPs' knowledge, confidence and comfort in managing patients with dementia.

Introduction to basic immunological methods : Generalities, Principles, Protocols and Variants of basic protocols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mejri, Naceur

2013-01-01

This manuscript is dedicated to student of biological sciences. It provides the information necessary to perform practical works, the most commonly used in immunology. During my doctoral and post-doctoral periods, panoply of methods was employed in diverse subjects in my research. Technical means used in my investigations were diverse enough that i could extract a set of techniques that cover most the basic immunological methods. Each chapter of this manuscript contains a fairly complete description of immunological methods. In each topic the basic protocol and its variants were preceded by background information provided in paragraphs concerning the principle and generalities. The emphasis is placed on describing situations in which each method and its variants were used. These basic immunological methods are useful for students and even researchers studying the immune system of human, nice and other species. Different subjects showed not only detailed protocols but also photos or/and shemas used as support to illustrate some knowledge or practical knowledge. I hope that students will find this manual interesting, easy to use contains necessary information to acquire skills in immunological practice. (Author)

A critical appraisal of 2007 American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) Practice Guidelines for Interventional Pain Management: an independent review utilizing AGREE, AMA, IOM, and other criteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Manchikanti, Laxmaiah; Singh, Vijay; Helm, Standiford; Trescot, Andrea M; Hirsch, Joshua A

2008-01-01

Today, with the growing interest of the medical community and others in practice guidelines, there is greater emphasis on formal procedures and methods for arriving at a widely scrutinized and endorsed consensus than ever before. Conflicts in terminology and technique are notable for the confusion that guidelines create and for what they reflect about differences in values, experiences, and interests among different parties. While public and private development activities continue to multiply, the means for coordinating these efforts to resolve inconsistencies, fill in gaps, track applications and results, and assess the soundness of particular guidelines continue to be limited. In this era of widespread guideline development by private organizations, the American College of Occupational and Environment Medicine (ACOEM) has developed guidelines that evaluate areas of clinical practice well beyond the scope of occupational medicine and yet fail to properly involve physicians expert in these, especially those in the field of interventional pain management. As the field of guidelines suffers from imperfect and incomplete scientific knowledge as well as imperfect and uneven means of applying that knowledge without a single or correct way to develop guidelines, ACOEM guidelines have been alleged to hinder patient care, reduce access to interventional pain management procedures, and transfer patients into a system of disability, Medicare, and Medicaid. To critically appraise occupational medicine practice guidelines for interventional pain management by an independent review utilizing the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE), American Medical Association (AMA), Institute of Medicine (IOM), and other commonly utilized criteria. Revised chapters of ACOEM guidelines, low back pain and chronic pain, developed in 2007 and 2008 are evaluated, utilizing AGREE, AMA, IOM instruments, and Shaneyfelt et al's criteria, were independently reviewed by 4

Comparison of dietary fiber methods for foods.

Science.gov (United States)

Heckman, M M; Lane, S A

1981-11-01

In order to evaluate several proposed dietary fiber methods, 12 food samples, representing different food classes, were analyzed by (1) neutral and acid detergent fiber methods (NDF, ADF); (2) NDF with enzyme modification (ENDF); (3) a 2-fraction enzyme method for soluble, insoluble, and total dietary fiber, proposed by Furda (SDF, IDF, TDF); (+) a 1-fraction enzyme method for total dietary fiber proposed by Hellendoorn (TDF). Foods included cereals, fruits, vegetables, pectin, locust bean gum, and soybean polysaccharides. Results show that TDF by Furda and Hellendoorn methods agree reasonably well with literature values by the Southgate method, but ENDF is consistently lower; that ENDF and IDF (Furda method) agree reasonably well; that except for corn corn bran fiber (insoluble) and pectin and locus bean fiber (soluble), all materials have significant fractions of both soluble and insoluble fiber. The Furda method was used on numerous food and ingredient samples and was found to be practical and informative and to have acceptable precision (RSD values of 2.65-7.05%). It is suggested that the Furda (or similar) method be given consideration for the analysis of foods for dietary fiber.

Fronts between hexagons and squares in a generalized Swift-Hohenberg equation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kubstrup, Christian; Herrero, H.; Pérez-García, C.

1996-01-01

Pinning effects in domain walls separating different orientations in patterns in nonequilibrium systems, are studied. Usually; theoretical studies consider perfect structures, but in experiments, point defects, grain boundaries, etc., always appear. The aim of this paper is to perform an analysis...... of the stability of fronts between hexagons and squares in a generalized Swift-Hohenberg model equation. We focus the analysis on pinned fronts between domains with different symmetries by using amplitude equations and by considering the small-scale structure in the pattern. The conditions for pinning effects...... and stable fronts are determined. This study is completed with direct simulations of the generalized Swift-Hohenberg equation. The results agree qualitatively with recent observations in convection and in ferrofluid instabilities....

Generalization of the Moszkovski-Scott method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balbutsev, E.B.

1976-01-01

A constant separation parameter is proposed to be used in the Moszkovski-Scott method for solving the Bethe-Goldstone equation. After such a modification one can apply the method to odd states of relative motion, not only to even ones. Some essential inaccuracies of the original method are eliminated, as well

The regression-calibration method for fitting generalized linear models with additive measurement error

OpenAIRE

James W. Hardin; Henrik Schmeidiche; Raymond J. Carroll

2003-01-01

This paper discusses and illustrates the method of regression calibration. This is a straightforward technique for fitting models with additive measurement error. We present this discussion in terms of generalized linear models (GLMs) following the notation defined in Hardin and Carroll (2003). Discussion will include specified measurement error, measurement error estimated by replicate error-prone proxies, and measurement error estimated by instrumental variables. The discussion focuses on s...

A General Framework for Setting Quantitative Population Objectives for Wildlife Conservation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristen E. Dybala

2017-03-01

Full Text Available https://doi.org/10.15447/sfews.2017v15iss1art8Quantitative population objectives are necessary to successfully achieve conservation goals of secure or robust wildlife populations. However, existing methods for setting quantitative population objectives commonly require extensive species-specific population viability data, which are often unavailable or are based on estimates of historical population sizes, which may no longer represent feasible objectives. Conservation practitioners require an alternative, science-based method for setting long-term quantitative population objectives. We reviewed conservation biology literature to develop a general conceptual framework that represents conservation biology principles and identifies key milestones a population would be expected to pass in the process of becoming a recovered or robust population. We then synthesized recent research to propose general hypotheses for the orders of magnitude at which most populations would be expected to reach each milestone. The framework is structured as a hierarchy of four population sizes, ranging from very small populations at increased risk of inbreeding depression and extirpation (< 1,000 adults to large populations with minimized risk of extirpation (> 50,000 adults, along with additional modifiers describing steeply declining and resilient populations. We also discuss the temporal and geographic scales at which this framework should be applied. To illustrate the application of this framework to conservation planning, we outline our use of the framework to set long-term population objectives for a multi-species regional conservation plan, and discuss additional considerations in applying this framework to other systems. This general framework provides a transparent, science-based method by which conservation practitioners and stakeholders can agree on long-term population objectives of an appropriate magnitude, particularly when the alternative approaches are

Proposals for future activities agreed upon at the seminar on wastewater treatment in urban areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-01-01

The programme of the seminar was divided into three different sections: - Sewerage systems, - Discharge of industrial wastewater to municipal sewerage systems, - Reduction of nitrogen. For each subject the participants of the seminar agreed upon the following proposal for future activities: Sewerage systems: a) Combined sewer overflows (CSO). Brief state-of-the-art reports should be compiled by the Contracting Parties. The reports should provide information on: - extent of combined sewers (in % of sewered area), - design practices including flow equalization, - rates of inflow/infiltration, - pollution due to CSO, - current research, - trends. A compilation of these reports may hopefully lead to the derivation of suitable effluent standards, which may be expressed as frequencies, total volumes or total amount of pollution load. The effluent standards may be expressed as monthly to yearly values

Perceptions among general medical practitioners toward implementation of medication reconciliation program for patients discharged from hospitals in Penang, Malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Hassali, Mohamed Azmi Ahmad; Al-Haddad, Mahmoud; Shafie, Asrul Akmal; Tangiisuran, Balamurugan; Saleem, Fahad; Atif, Muhammad; Al-Qazaz, Harith

2012-06-01

This study aims to explore the perceptions of general practitioners (GPs) from the state of Penang toward the feasibility of implementing the medication reconciliation program in Malaysia. A cross-sectional descriptive study using a validated, self-completed anonymous 18-item questionnaire was undertaken over a period of 2 months in 2010. The study was conducted in the state of Penang, Malaysia. A letter consisting of survey questionnaires and prepaid return envelope were mailed to 429 GPs identified from the Private Medical Practice Control Department Registry. A total of 86 responses were received with response rate of 20.1%. Majority (90.1%) of the respondents agreed that medication reconciliation can be a feasible strategy to improve medication safety, and 97.7% confirmed that having an accurate up-to-date list of the patient's previous medication will be useful in the rational prescribing process. However, about half (56.9%) of them felt that standardization of the medication reconciliation process in all clinics will be difficult to achieve. Three quarters (73.2%) of the respondents believed that the involvement of GPs alone is insufficient, and 74.5% agreed that this program should be expanded to community pharmacy setting. More than 90% of the respondents agreed upon the medication reconciliation card proposed by the researchers. General practitioners in Penang are generally in favor of the implementation of medication reconciliation program in their practice. Because medication reconciliation has been shown to reduce many medicine-related problems, it is thus worth considering the feasibility of nationwide implementation of such program.

Modified generalized method of moments for a robust estimation of polytomous logistic model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoshan Wang

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The maximum likelihood estimation (MLE method, typically used for polytomous logistic regression, is prone to bias due to both misclassification in outcome and contamination in the design matrix. Hence, robust estimators are needed. In this study, we propose such a method for nominal response data with continuous covariates. A generalized method of weighted moments (GMWM approach is developed for dealing with contaminated polytomous response data. In this approach, distances are calculated based on individual sample moments. And Huber weights are applied to those observations with large distances. Mellow-type weights are also used to downplay leverage points. We describe theoretical properties of the proposed approach. Simulations suggest that the GMWM performs very well in correcting contamination-caused biases. An empirical application of the GMWM estimator on data from a survey demonstrates its usefulness.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, and Hypnosis as Treatment Methods for Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Daitch, Carolyn

2018-07-01

Individuals suffering from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) experience a broad range of physical, emotional, and cognitive distress. A hallmark of GAD is anxiety around making decisions. Many clinicians notice improvements in patients through specific modalities, such as mindfulness, hypnosis, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT); however, these individual methods sometimes fall short. Clinicians and researchers alike note that it can be more effective to combine these three methods into an integrative treatment protocol. This article demonstrates the efficacy of an integrative model through the case study of a client who suffers from GAD and acute fear of decision making. Competent use of mindfulness, hypnosis, and CBT helps the client build the skills necessary to self-soothe, diminish worry, access resources, and enhance hope for the future. Through the article, clinicians interested in integrated treatment models will gain insight into how to apply these methods.

The strategy of spectral shifts and the sets of correct methods for calculating eigenvalues of general tridiagonal matrices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Emel'yanenko, G.A.; Sek, I.E.

1988-01-01

Many correctable unknown methods for eigenvalue calculation of general tridiagonal matrices with real elements; criteria of singular tridiagonal matrices; necessary and sufficient conditions of tridiagonal matrix degeneracy; process with boundary conditions according to calculation processes of general upper and lower tridiagonal matrix minors are obtained. 6 refs

A Decoupling Control Method for Shunt Hybrid Active Power Filter Based on Generalized Inverse System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xin Li

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a novel decoupling control method based on generalized inverse system is presented to solve the problem of SHAPF (Shunt Hybrid Active Power Filter possessing the characteristics of 2-input-2-output nonlinearity and strong coupling. Based on the analysis of operation principle, the mathematical model of SHAPF is firstly built, which is verified to be invertible using interactor algorithm; then the generalized inverse system of SHAPF is obtained to connect in series with the original system so that the composite system is decoupled under the generalized inverse system theory. The PI additional controller is finally designed to control the decoupled 1-order pseudolinear system to make it possible to adjust the performance of the subsystem. The simulation results demonstrated by MATLAB show that the presented generalized inverse system strategy can realise the dynamic decoupling of SHAPF. And the control system has fine dynamic and static performance.

The Comparison of Four Different Methods of Perioperative Eye Protection under General Anesthesia in Prone Position

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Özlem Kocatürk

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Aim: The purpose of this study was to compare and assess the efficacy of hypoallergen adhesive tape, antibiotic ointment, artificial tear liquid gel and ocular lubricant pomade for perioperative protection of eyes under general anesthesia in prone position. Material and Method: One hundred and eighty four patients (368 eyes undergoing general anesthesia for >90 min for spinal procedures were divided randomly into four groups. Hypoallergen adhesive tape, antibiotic ointment, artificial tear liquid gel or ocular lubricant pomade was applied into the eyes. The patients underwent complete ophthalmic examination, including corrected visual acuity measurement, basal tear production, corneal and conjunctival staining both before and after surgery. Results: Basal tear production was reduced in all groups compared to preoperative values (P0.05. There was no difference between pre and postoperative visual acuity. Discussion: All of the methods are suitable for protecting corneal injuries. But none of them is good enough to avoid temporary symptoms in postoperative period. During general anesthesia eyes need protection either by tape, gel, ointment or pomade to reduce the incidence of corneal injuries.

Applicability of Stokes method for measuring viscosity of mixtures with concentration gradient

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

César Medina

2017-12-01

Full Text Available After measuring density and viscosity of a mixture of glycerin and water contained in a vertical pipe, a variation of these properties according to depth is observed. These gradients are typical of non-equilibrium states related to the lower density of water and the fact that relatively long times are necessary to achieve homogeneity. In the same pipe, the falling velocity of five little spheres is measured as a function of depth, and then a numerical fit is performed which agrees very well with experimental data. Based on the generalization of these results, the applicability of Stokes method is discussed for measuring viscosity of mixtures with a concentration gradient.

Studies on the instrumental neutron activation analysis by cadmium ratio method and pair comparator method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chao, H E; Lu, W D; Wu, S C

1977-12-01

The cadmium ratio method and pair comparator method provide a solution for the effects on the effective activation factors resulting from the variation of neutron spectrum at different irradiation positions as usually encountered in the single comparator method. The relations between the activation factors and neutron spectrum in terms of cadmium ratio of the comparator Au or of the activation factor of Co-Au pair for the elements, Sc, Cr, Mn, Co, La, Ce, Sm, and Th have been determined. The activation factors of the elements at any irradiation position can then be obtained from the cadmium ratio of the comparator and/or the activation factor of the comparator pair. The relations determined should be able to apply to different reactors and/or different positions of a reactor. It is shown that, for the isotopes /sup 46/Sc, /sup 51/Cr, /sup 56/Mn, /sup 60/Co, /sup 140/La, /sup 141/Ce, /sup 153/Sm and /sup 233/Pa, the thermal neutron activation factors determined by these two methods were generally in agreement with theoretical values. Their I/sub 0//sigma/sub th/ values appeared to agree with literature values also. The methods were applied to determine the contents of elements Sc, Cr, Mn, La, Ce, Sm, and Th in U.S.G.S. Standard Rock G-2, and the results were also in agreement with literature values. The cadmium ratio method and pair comparator method improved the single comparator method, and they are more suitable to analysis for multi-elements of a large number of samples.

Generalized inverses theory and computations

CERN Document Server

Wang, Guorong; Qiao, Sanzheng

2018-01-01

This book begins with the fundamentals of the generalized inverses, then moves to more advanced topics. It presents a theoretical study of the generalization of Cramer's rule, determinant representations of the generalized inverses, reverse order law of the generalized inverses of a matrix product, structures of the generalized inverses of structured matrices, parallel computation of the generalized inverses, perturbation analysis of the generalized inverses, an algorithmic study of the computational methods for the full-rank factorization of a generalized inverse, generalized singular value decomposition, imbedding method, finite method, generalized inverses of polynomial matrices, and generalized inverses of linear operators. This book is intended for researchers, postdocs, and graduate students in the area of the generalized inverses with an undergraduate-level understanding of linear algebra.

Convergence of a numerical method for the compressible Navier-Stokes system on general domains

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Feireisl, Eduard; Karper, T.; Michálek, Martin

2016-01-01

Roč. 134, č. 4 (2016), s. 667-704 ISSN 0029-599X R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-00522S Institutional support: RVO:67985840 Keywords : numerical methods * Navier-Stokes system Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 2.152, year: 2016 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00211-015-0786-6

Preparation of tritium- or deuterium-labeled vitamin D analogs by a convenient general method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paaren, H.E.; Fivizzani, M.A.; Schnoes, H.K.; DeLuca, H.F.

1981-01-01

The three-step conversion of vitamin D analogs to 6-oxo-3,5-cyclovitamin D derivatives followed by reduction with a tritide or deuteride reagent and subsequent cycloreversion gives 6-tritio(deutero)vitamin D derivatives and corresponding 5,6-trans-analogs. The method is general and affords the 6-labeled-vitamin D analogs in approx. =20% overall yield

Convergence of a numerical method for the compressible Navier-Stokes system on general domains

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Feireisl, Eduard; Karper, T.; Michálek, Martin

2016-01-01

Roč. 134, č. 4 (2016), s. 667-704 ISSN 0029-599X R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-00522S Institutional support: RVO:67985840 Keywords : numerical methods * Navier - Stokes system Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 2.152, year: 2016 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00211-015-0786-6

Lifetime measurements in {sup 170}Yb using the generalized centroid difference method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karayonchev, Vasil; Regis, Jean-Marc; Jolie, Jan; Dannhoff, Moritz; Saed-Samii, Nima; Blazhev, Andrey [Institute of Nuclear Physics, University of Cologne, Cologne (Germany)

2016-07-01

An experiment using the electronic γ-γ ''fast-timing'' technique was performed at the 10 MV Tandem Van-De-Graaff accelerator of the Institute for Nuclear Physics, Cologne in order to measure lifetimes of the yrast states in {sup 170}Yb. The lifetime of the first 2{sup +} state was determined using the slope method, which means by fitting an exponential decay to the ''slope'' seen in the energy-gated time-difference spectra. The value of τ=2.201(57) ns is in good agreement with the lifetimes measured using other techniques. The lifetimes of the first 4{sup +} and the 6{sup +} states are determined for the first time. They are in the ps range and were measured using the generalized centroid difference method, an extension of the well-known centroid-shift method and developed for fast-timing arrays. The derived reduced transition probabilities B(E2) values are compared with calculations done using the confined beta soft model and show good agreement within the experimental uncertainties.

Predictive Sampling of Rare Conformational Events in Aqueous Solution: Designing a Generalized Orthogonal Space Tempering Method.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Chao; Li, Xubin; Wu, Dongsheng; Zheng, Lianqing; Yang, Wei

2016-01-12

In aqueous solution, solute conformational transitions are governed by intimate interplays of the fluctuations of solute-solute, solute-water, and water-water interactions. To promote molecular fluctuations to enhance sampling of essential conformational changes, a common strategy is to construct an expanded Hamiltonian through a series of Hamiltonian perturbations and thereby broaden the distribution of certain interactions of focus. Due to a lack of active sampling of configuration response to Hamiltonian transitions, it is challenging for common expanded Hamiltonian methods to robustly explore solvent mediated rare conformational events. The orthogonal space sampling (OSS) scheme, as exemplified by the orthogonal space random walk and orthogonal space tempering methods, provides a general framework for synchronous acceleration of slow configuration responses. To more effectively sample conformational transitions in aqueous solution, in this work, we devised a generalized orthogonal space tempering (gOST) algorithm. Specifically, in the Hamiltonian perturbation part, a solvent-accessible-surface-area-dependent term is introduced to implicitly perturb near-solute water-water fluctuations; more importantly in the orthogonal space response part, the generalized force order parameter is generalized as a two-dimension order parameter set, in which essential solute-solvent and solute-solute components are separately treated. The gOST algorithm is evaluated through a molecular dynamics simulation study on the explicitly solvated deca-alanine (Ala10) peptide. On the basis of a fully automated sampling protocol, the gOST simulation enabled repetitive folding and unfolding of the solvated peptide within a single continuous trajectory and allowed for detailed constructions of Ala10 folding/unfolding free energy surfaces. The gOST result reveals that solvent cooperative fluctuations play a pivotal role in Ala10 folding/unfolding transitions. In addition, our assessment

Calibration of groundwater vulnerability mapping using the generalized reduced gradient method.

Science.gov (United States)

Elçi, Alper

2017-12-01

Groundwater vulnerability assessment studies are essential in water resources management. Overlay-and-index methods such as DRASTIC are widely used for mapping of groundwater vulnerability, however, these methods mainly suffer from a subjective selection of model parameters. The objective of this study is to introduce a calibration procedure that results in a more accurate assessment of groundwater vulnerability. The improvement of the assessment is formulated as a parameter optimization problem using an objective function that is based on the correlation between actual groundwater contamination and vulnerability index values. The non-linear optimization problem is solved with the generalized-reduced-gradient (GRG) method, which is numerical algorithm based optimization method. To demonstrate the applicability of the procedure, a vulnerability map for the Tahtali stream basin is calibrated using nitrate concentration data. The calibration procedure is easy to implement and aims the maximization of correlation between observed pollutant concentrations and groundwater vulnerability index values. The influence of each vulnerability parameter in the calculation of the vulnerability index is assessed by performing a single-parameter sensitivity analysis. Results of the sensitivity analysis show that all factors are effective on the final vulnerability index. Calibration of the vulnerability map improves the correlation between index values and measured nitrate concentrations by 19%. The regression coefficient increases from 0.280 to 0.485. It is evident that the spatial distribution and the proportions of vulnerability class areas are significantly altered with the calibration process. Although the applicability of the calibration method is demonstrated on the DRASTIC model, the applicability of the approach is not specific to a certain model and can also be easily applied to other overlay-and-index methods. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

International Atomic Energy Agency thirty-third general conference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1989-01-01

A brief account is given of the 33rd session of IAEA General Conference held in Vienna from 25 to 29 September 1989. The Minister for Primary Industry and Energy, Mr John Kerin, led the Australian delegation. His statement to the General Conference highlighted Australia's role as a major uranium exporter, its committment to the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapon Treaty and support for the role which the Agency plays in it. The major Australian policy initiatives in environmental areas were also outlined. Australia continues to make a substantial extra-budgetary contribution to the Regional Cooperation Agreement for Asia and Pacific (RCA), and it has recently expanded its committment by agreeing to support a series of new RCA projects. In this context, the role played by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization for the provision of technical assistance and cooperation in many areas of the Agency's activities is discussed. ills

rFerns: An Implementation of the Random Ferns Method for General-Purpose Machine Learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miron B. Kursa

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Random ferns is a very simple yet powerful classification method originally introduced for specific computer vision tasks. In this paper, I show that this algorithm may be considered as a constrained decision tree ensemble and use this interpretation to introduce a series of modifications which enable the use of random ferns in general machine learning problems. Moreover, I extend the method with an internal error approximation and an attribute importance measure based on corresponding features of the random forest algorithm. I also present the R package rFerns containing an efficient implementation of this modified version of random ferns.

Generalized Runge-Kutta method for two- and three-dimensional space-time diffusion equations with a variable time step

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aboanber, A.E.; Hamada, Y.M.

2008-01-01

An extensive knowledge of the spatial power distribution is required for the design and analysis of different types of current-generation reactors, and that requires the development of more sophisticated theoretical methods. Therefore, the need to develop new methods for multidimensional transient reactor analysis still exists. The objective of this paper is to develop a computationally efficient numerical method for solving the multigroup, multidimensional, static and transient neutron diffusion kinetics equations. A generalized Runge-Kutta method has been developed for the numerical integration of the stiff space-time diffusion equations. The method is fourth-order accurate, using an embedded third-order solution to arrive at an estimate of the truncation error for automatic time step control. In addition, the A(α)-stability properties of the method are investigated. The analyses of two- and three-dimensional benchmark problems as well as static and transient problems, demonstrate that very accurate solutions can be obtained with assembly-sized spatial meshes. Preliminary numerical evaluations using two- and three-dimensional finite difference codes showed that the presented generalized Runge-Kutta method is highly accurate and efficient when compared with other optimized iterative numerical and conventional finite difference methods

Generalized Likelihood Uncertainty Estimation (GLUE) Using Multi-Optimization Algorithm as Sampling Method

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Z.

2015-12-01

For decades, distributed and lumped hydrological models have furthered our understanding of hydrological system. The development of hydrological simulation in large scale and high precision elaborated the spatial descriptions and hydrological behaviors. Meanwhile, the new trend is also followed by the increment of model complexity and number of parameters, which brings new challenges of uncertainty quantification. Generalized Likelihood Uncertainty Estimation (GLUE) has been widely used in uncertainty analysis for hydrological models referring to Monte Carlo method coupled with Bayesian estimation. However, the stochastic sampling method of prior parameters adopted by GLUE appears inefficient, especially in high dimensional parameter space. The heuristic optimization algorithms utilizing iterative evolution show better convergence speed and optimality-searching performance. In light of the features of heuristic optimization algorithms, this study adopted genetic algorithm, differential evolution, shuffled complex evolving algorithm to search the parameter space and obtain the parameter sets of large likelihoods. Based on the multi-algorithm sampling, hydrological model uncertainty analysis is conducted by the typical GLUE framework. To demonstrate the superiority of the new method, two hydrological models of different complexity are examined. The results shows the adaptive method tends to be efficient in sampling and effective in uncertainty analysis, providing an alternative path for uncertainty quantilization.

Cluster-cell calculation using the method of generalized homogenization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laletin, N.I.; Boyarinov, V.F.

1988-01-01

The generalized-homogenization method (GHM), used for solving the neutron transfer equation, was applied to calculating the neutron distribution in the cluster cell with a series of cylindrical cells with cylindrically coaxial zones. Single-group calculations of the technological channel of the cell of an RBMK reactor were performed using GHM. The technological channel was understood to be the reactor channel, comprised of the zirconium rod, the water or steam-water mixture, the uranium dioxide fuel element, and the zirconium tube, together with the adjacent graphite layer. Calculations were performed for channels with no internal sources and with unit incoming current at the external boundary as well as for channels with internal sources and zero current at the external boundary. The PRAKTINETs program was used to calculate the symmetric neutron distributions in the microcell and in channels with homogenized annular zones. The ORAR-TsM program was used to calculate the antisymmetric distribution in the microcell. The accuracy of the calculations were compared for the two channel versions

Electrocardiogram interpretation in general practice: relevance to prehospital thrombolysis.

Science.gov (United States)

McCrea, W A; Saltissi, S

1993-01-01

OBJECTIVE--To assess, in the context of their possible role in prehospital thrombolysis, the ability of general practitioners to recognise acute transmural myocardial ischaemia/infarction on an electrocardiogram. DESIGN--150 doctors (every fifth name) were selected from the alphabetical list of 750 on Merseyside general practitioner register and without prior warning were asked to interpret a series of six 12 lead electrocardiograms. Three of these showed acute transmural ischaemia/infarction, one was normal, and two showed non-acute abnormalities. Details of doctors' ages, postgraduate training, and clinical practice were sought. SETTING--General practitioners' surgeries and postgraduate centres within the Merseyside area. PARTICIPANTS--106 general practitioners (mean age 45 years) agreed to participate. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE--Accuracy of general practitioners' interpretations of the six electrocardiograms. RESULTS--82% of general practitioners correctly recognised a normal electrocardiogram. Recognition of acute abnormalities was less reliable. Between 33% and 61% correctly identified acute transmural ischaemia/infarction depending on the specific trace presented. Accurate localisation of the site of the infarct was achieved only by between 8% and 30% of participants, while between 22% and 25% correctly interpreted non-acute abnormalities. Neither routine use of electrocardiography nor postgraduate hospital experience in general medicine was associated with significantly greater expertise. CONCLUSION--The current level of proficiency of a sample of general practitioners in the Merseyside area in recognising acute transmural ischaemia/infarction on an electrocardiogram suggests that refresher training is needed if general practitioners are to give prehospital thrombolysis. Images PMID:8398491

A General Iterative Method for a Nonexpansive Semigroup in Banach Spaces with Gauge Functions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kamonrat Nammanee

2012-01-01

Full Text Available We study strong convergence of the sequence generated by implicit and explicit general iterative methods for a one-parameter nonexpansive semigroup in a reflexive Banach space which admits the duality mapping Jφ, where φ is a gauge function on [0,∞. Our results improve and extend those announced by G. Marino and H.-K. Xu (2006 and many authors.

Generalization of Asaoka method to linearly anisotropic scattering: benchmark data in cylindrical geometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanchez, Richard.

1975-11-01

The Integral Transform Method for the neutron transport equation has been developed in last years by Asaoka and others. The method uses Fourier transform techniques in solving isotropic one-dimensional transport problems in homogeneous media. The method has been extended to linearly anisotropic transport in one-dimensional homogeneous media. Series expansions were also obtained using Hembd techniques for the new anisotropic matrix elements in cylindrical geometry. Carlvik spatial-spherical harmonics method was generalized to solve the same problem. By applying a relation between the isotropic and anisotropic one-dimensional kernels, it was demonstrated that anisotropic matrix elements can be calculated by a linear combination of a few isotropic matrix elements. This means in practice that the anisotropic problem of order N with the N+2 isotropic matrix for the plane and spherical geometries, and N+1 isotropic matrix for cylindrical geometries can be solved. A method of solving linearly anisotropic one-dimensional transport problems in homogeneous media was defined by applying Mika and Stankiewicz observations: isotropic matrix elements were computed by Hembd series and anisotropic matrix elements then calculated from recursive relations. The method has been applied to albedo and critical problems in cylindrical geometries. Finally, a number of results were computed with 12-digit accuracy for use as benchmarks [fr

Vibration analysis of Euler-Bernoulli beam with open cracks on elastic foundations using differential transformation method and generalized differential quadrature method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shin, Young Jae; Hwang, Ki Sup; Yun, Jong Hak

2006-01-01

The main purpose of this paper is to apply Differential Transformation Method(DTM) and Generalized Differential Quadrature Method(GDQM) to vibration analysis of Euler-Bernoulli beam with open cracks on elastic foundation. In this paper the concepts of DTM and GDQM were briefly introduced. The governing equation of motion of the beam with open cracks on elastic foundation is derived. The cracks are modeled by massless substitute spring. The effects of the crack location, size and the foundation constants, on the natural frequencies of the beam, are investigated. Numerical calculations are carried out and compared with previous published results

Child overweight in general practice - parents' beliefs and expectations - a questionnaire survey study.

Science.gov (United States)

Andersen, Merethe K; Christensen, Bo; Søndergaard, Jens

2013-10-11

Care for overweight children in general practice involves collaboration with parents. Acknowledging the parents' frames of references is a prerequisite for successful management. We therefore aimed to analyse parental beliefs about the presumed causes and consequences of overweight in children and expectations towards the GP. Moreover, we aimed at comparing the beliefs and expectations of parents of non-overweight children (NOWC) and parents of overweight children (OWC). A cross-sectional survey. Data were obtained from a questionnaire exploring parents' beliefs and expectations regarding overweight in children. The questionnaires were completed by parents following their child's participation in the five-year preventive child health examination (PCHE).Parental agreement upon statements concerning beliefs and expectations regarding overweight in children was measured on a Likert scale. Differences in levels of agreement between parents of non-overweight children and parents of overweight children were analysed using Chi-squared test and Fisher's exact test. Parents of 879 children completed and returned questionnaires. Around three fourths of the parents agreed that overweight was a health problem. A majority of parents (93%) agreed that the GP should call attention to overweight in children and offer counselling on diet and exercise. Almost half of the parents expected a follow-up programme. Parents of overweight children seemed to agree less upon some of the proposed causes of overweight, e.g. inappropriate diet and lack of exercise. These parents also had stronger beliefs about overweight disappearing by itself as the child grows up. According to parental beliefs and expectations, general practice should have an important role to play in the management of child overweight. Moreover, our findings suggest that GPs should be aware of the particular beliefs that parents of overweight children may have regarding causes of overweight in their child.

Hybrid B-Spline Collocation Method for Solving the Generalized Burgers-Fisher and Burgers-Huxley Equations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Imtiaz Wasim

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, we introduce a new numerical technique for solving nonlinear generalized Burgers-Fisher and Burgers-Huxley equations using hybrid B-spline collocation method. This technique is based on usual finite difference scheme and Crank-Nicolson method which are used to discretize the time derivative and spatial derivatives, respectively. Furthermore, hybrid B-spline function is utilized as interpolating functions in spatial dimension. The scheme is verified unconditionally stable using the Von Neumann (Fourier method. Several test problems are considered to check the accuracy of the proposed scheme. The numerical results are in good agreement with known exact solutions and the existing schemes in literature.

Multiple Criteria Decision Making by Generalized Data Envelopment Analysis Introducing Aspiration Level Method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yun, Yeboon; Arakawa, Masao; Hiroshi, Ishikawa; Nakayama, Hirotaka

2002-01-01

It has been proved in problems with 2-objective functions that genetic algorithms (GAs) are well utilized for generating Pareto optimal solutions, and then decision making can be easily performed on the basis of visualized Pareto optimal solutions. However, GAs are difficult to visualize Pareto optimal solutions in cases in which the number of objective function is more than 4. Hence, it is trouble some to grasp the trade-off among many objective functions, and decision makers hesitate to choose a final solution from a number of Pareto optimal solutions. In order to solve these problems, we suggest an aspiration level approach to the method using the generalized data envelopment analysis and GAs. We show that the proposed method supports decision makers to choose their desirable solution from many Pareto optimal solutions. Furthermore, it will be seen that engineering design can be effectively done by the proposed method, which makes generation of several Pareto optimal solutions close to the aspiration level and trade-off analysis easily

APPLICATION OF A GENERALIZED MAXIMUM LIKELIHOOD METHOD IN THE REDUCTION OF MULTICOMPONENT LIQUID-LIQUID EQUILIBRIUM DATA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. STRAGEVITCH

1997-03-01

Full Text Available The equations of the method based on the maximum likelihood principle have been rewritten in a suitable generalized form to allow the use of any number of implicit constraints in the determination of model parameters from experimental data and from the associated experimental uncertainties. In addition to the use of any number of constraints, this method also allows data, with different numbers of constraints, to be reduced simultaneously. Application of the method is illustrated in the reduction of liquid-liquid equilibrium data of binary, ternary and quaternary systems simultaneously

Conformal methods in general relativity

CERN Document Server

Valiente Kroon, Juan A

2016-01-01

This book offers a systematic exposition of conformal methods and how they can be used to study the global properties of solutions to the equations of Einstein's theory of gravity. It shows that combining these ideas with differential geometry can elucidate the existence and stability of the basic solutions of the theory. Introducing the differential geometric, spinorial and PDE background required to gain a deep understanding of conformal methods, this text provides an accessible account of key results in mathematical relativity over the last thirty years, including the stability of de Sitter and Minkowski spacetimes. For graduate students and researchers, this self-contained account includes useful visual models to help the reader grasp abstract concepts and a list of further reading, making this the perfect reference companion on the topic.

Solution of Ambrosio-Tortorelli model for image segmentation by generalized relaxation method

Science.gov (United States)

D'Ambra, Pasqua; Tartaglione, Gaetano

2015-03-01

Image segmentation addresses the problem to partition a given image into its constituent objects and then to identify the boundaries of the objects. This problem can be formulated in terms of a variational model aimed to find optimal approximations of a bounded function by piecewise-smooth functions, minimizing a given functional. The corresponding Euler-Lagrange equations are a set of two coupled elliptic partial differential equations with varying coefficients. Numerical solution of the above system often relies on alternating minimization techniques involving descent methods coupled with explicit or semi-implicit finite-difference discretization schemes, which are slowly convergent and poorly scalable with respect to image size. In this work we focus on generalized relaxation methods also coupled with multigrid linear solvers, when a finite-difference discretization is applied to the Euler-Lagrange equations of Ambrosio-Tortorelli model. We show that non-linear Gauss-Seidel, accelerated by inner linear iterations, is an effective method for large-scale image analysis as those arising from high-throughput screening platforms for stem cells targeted differentiation, where one of the main goal is segmentation of thousand of images to analyze cell colonies morphology.

General PFG signal attenuation expressions for anisotropic anomalous diffusion by modified-Bloch equations

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Guoxing

2018-05-01

Anomalous diffusion exists widely in polymer and biological systems. Pulsed-field gradient (PFG) anomalous diffusion is complicated, especially in the anisotropic case where limited research has been reported. A general PFG signal attenuation expression, including the finite gradient pulse (FGPW) effect for free general anisotropic fractional diffusion { 0 integral modified-Bloch equation, were extended to obtain general PFG signal attenuation expressions for anisotropic anomalous diffusion. Various cases of PFG anisotropic anomalous diffusion were investigated, including coupled and uncoupled anisotropic anomalous diffusion. The continuous-time random walk (CTRW) simulation was also carried out to support the theoretical results. The theory and the CTRW simulation agree with each other. The obtained signal attenuation expressions and the three-dimensional fractional modified-Bloch equations are important for analyzing PFG anisotropic anomalous diffusion in NMR and MRI.

Generalized Heisenberg algebra and algebraic method: The example of an infinite square-well potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Curado, E.M.F.; Hassouni, Y.; Rego-Monteiro, M.A.; Rodrigues, Ligia M.C.S.

2008-01-01

We discuss the role of generalized Heisenberg algebras (GHA) in obtaining an algebraic method to describe physical systems. The method consists in finding the GHA associated to a physical system and the relations between its generators and the physical observables. We choose as an example the infinite square-well potential for which we discuss the representations of the corresponding GHA. We suggest a way of constructing a physical realization of the generators of some GHA and apply it to the square-well potential. An expression for the position operator x in terms of the generators of the algebra is given and we compute its matrix elements

A Method of Auxiliary Sources Approach for Modelling the Impact of Ground Planes on Antenna

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Niels Vesterdal; Breinbjerg, Olav

2006-01-01

The Method of Auxiliary Sources (MAS) is employed to model the impact of finite ground planes on the radiation from antennas. Two different antenna test cases are shown and the calculated results agree well with reference measurements......The Method of Auxiliary Sources (MAS) is employed to model the impact of finite ground planes on the radiation from antennas. Two different antenna test cases are shown and the calculated results agree well with reference measurements...

A NEW FRACTIONAL MODEL OF SINGLE DEGREE OF FREEDOM SYSTEM, BY USING GENERALIZED DIFFERENTIAL TRANSFORM METHOD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

HASHEM SABERI NAJAFI

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Generalized differential transform method (GDTM is a powerful method to solve the fractional differential equations. In this paper, a new fractional model for systems with single degree of freedom (SDOF is presented, by using the GDTM. The advantage of this method compared with some other numerical methods has been shown. The analysis of new approximations, damping and acceleration of systems are also described. Finally, by reducing damping and analysis of the errors, in one of the fractional cases, we have shown that in addition to having a suitable solution for the displacement close to the exact one, the system enjoys acceleration once crossing the equilibrium point.

A general strategy toward the rational synthesis of metal tungstate nanostructures using plasma electrolytic oxidation method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiang, Yanan; Liu, Baodan, E-mail: baodanliu@imr.ac.cn; Zhai, Zhaofeng; Liu, Xiaoyuan; Yang, Bing; Liu, Lusheng; Jiang, Xin, E-mail: xjiang@imr.ac.cn

2015-11-30

Graphical abstract: A general strategy for the rational synthesis of tungstate nanostructure has been developed based on plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) technology (up). Using this method, ZnWO{sub 4} and NiWO{sub 4} nanostructures with controllable morphologies and superior crystallinity can be easily obtained (down), showing obvious advantage in comparison with conventional hydrothermal and sol–gel methods. - Highlights: • Plasma electrolyte oxidation (PEO) method has been used for the rational synthesis of tungstate nanostructures. • ZnWO{sub 4} nanoplates have strong mechanical adhesion with porous TiO{sub 2} film substrate. • The morphology and dimensional size of ZnWO{sub 4} nanostructures can be selectively tailored by controlling the annealing temperature and growth time. • The PEO method can be widely applied to the growth of various metal oxides. - Abstract: A new method based on conventional plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) technology has been developed for the rational synthesis of metal tungstate nanostructures. Using this method, ZnWO{sub 4} and NiWO{sub 4} nanostructures with controllable morphologies (nanorods, nanosheets and microsheets) and superior crystallinity have been synthesized. It has been found that the morphology diversity of ZnWO{sub 4} nanostructures can be selectively tailored through tuning the electrolyte concentration and annealing temperatures, showing obvious advantages in comparison to traditional hydrothermal and sol–gel methods. Precise microscopy analyses on the cross section of the PEO coating and ZnWO{sub 4} nanostructures confirmed that the precursors initially precipitated in the PEO coating and its surface during plasma discharge process are responsible for the nucleation and subsequent growth of metal tungstate nanostructures by thermal annealing. The method developed in this work represents a general strategy toward the rational synthesis of metal oxide nanostructures and the formation mechanism of

A general strategy toward the rational synthesis of metal tungstate nanostructures using plasma electrolytic oxidation method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, Yanan; Liu, Baodan; Zhai, Zhaofeng; Liu, Xiaoyuan; Yang, Bing; Liu, Lusheng; Jiang, Xin

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: A general strategy for the rational synthesis of tungstate nanostructure has been developed based on plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) technology (up). Using this method, ZnWO 4 and NiWO 4 nanostructures with controllable morphologies and superior crystallinity can be easily obtained (down), showing obvious advantage in comparison with conventional hydrothermal and sol–gel methods. - Highlights: • Plasma electrolyte oxidation (PEO) method has been used for the rational synthesis of tungstate nanostructures. • ZnWO 4 nanoplates have strong mechanical adhesion with porous TiO 2 film substrate. • The morphology and dimensional size of ZnWO 4 nanostructures can be selectively tailored by controlling the annealing temperature and growth time. • The PEO method can be widely applied to the growth of various metal oxides. - Abstract: A new method based on conventional plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) technology has been developed for the rational synthesis of metal tungstate nanostructures. Using this method, ZnWO 4 and NiWO 4 nanostructures with controllable morphologies (nanorods, nanosheets and microsheets) and superior crystallinity have been synthesized. It has been found that the morphology diversity of ZnWO 4 nanostructures can be selectively tailored through tuning the electrolyte concentration and annealing temperatures, showing obvious advantages in comparison to traditional hydrothermal and sol–gel methods. Precise microscopy analyses on the cross section of the PEO coating and ZnWO 4 nanostructures confirmed that the precursors initially precipitated in the PEO coating and its surface during plasma discharge process are responsible for the nucleation and subsequent growth of metal tungstate nanostructures by thermal annealing. The method developed in this work represents a general strategy toward the rational synthesis of metal oxide nanostructures and the formation mechanism of metal tungstate nanostructures fabricated by

Wang-Landau Reaction Ensemble Method: Simulation of Weak Polyelectrolytes and General Acid-Base Reactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Landsgesell, Jonas; Holm, Christian; Smiatek, Jens

2017-02-14

We present a novel method for the study of weak polyelectrolytes and general acid-base reactions in molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations. The approach combines the advantages of the reaction ensemble and the Wang-Landau sampling method. Deprotonation and protonation reactions are simulated explicitly with the help of the reaction ensemble method, while the accurate sampling of the corresponding phase space is achieved by the Wang-Landau approach. The combination of both techniques provides a sufficient statistical accuracy such that meaningful estimates for the density of states and the partition sum can be obtained. With regard to these estimates, several thermodynamic observables like the heat capacity or reaction free energies can be calculated. We demonstrate that the computation times for the calculation of titration curves with a high statistical accuracy can be significantly decreased when compared to the original reaction ensemble method. The applicability of our approach is validated by the study of weak polyelectrolytes and their thermodynamic properties.

Climatic irregular staircases: generalized acceleration of global warming.

Science.gov (United States)

De Saedeleer, Bernard

2016-01-27

Global warming rates mentioned in the literature are often restricted to a couple of arbitrary periods of time, or of isolated values of the starting year, lacking a global view. In this study, we perform on the contrary an exhaustive parametric analysis of the NASA GISS LOTI data, and also of the HadCRUT4 data. The starting year systematically varies between 1880 and 2002, and the averaging period from 5 to 30 yr - not only decades; the ending year also varies . In this way, we uncover a whole unexplored space of values for the global warming rate, and access the full picture. Additionally, stairstep averaging and linear least squares fitting to determine climatic trends have been sofar exclusive. We propose here an original hybrid method which combines both approaches in order to derive a new type of climatic trend. We find that there is an overall acceleration of the global warming whatever the value of the averaging period, and that 99.9% of the 3029 Earth's climatic irregular staircases are rising. Graphical evidence is also given that choosing an El Niño year as starting year gives lower global warming rates - except if there is a volcanic cooling in parallel. Our rates agree and generalize several results mentioned in the literature.

Chemical intermediate detection following corona discharge on volatile organic compounds: general method using molecular beam techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He Luning; Sulkes, Mark

2011-01-01

Nonthermal plasma (NTP)-based treatments of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have potential for effective environmental remediation. Theory and experiment that consider the basic science pertaining to discharge events have helped improve NTP remediation outcomes. If direct information on early post-discharge chemical intermediates were also available, it would likely lead to additional improvement in NTP remediation outcomes. To this point, however, experiments yielding direct information on post-NTP VOC intermediates have been limited. An approach using supersonic expansion molecular beam methods offers general promise for detection of post-discharge VOC intermediates. To illustrate the potential utility of these methods, we present mass spectra showing the growth of early products formed when pulsed corona discharges were carried out on toluene in He and then in He with added O 2 . Good general detection of neutral post-discharge species was obtained using 800 nm 150 fs photoionization pulses.

An Improved Method for Sizing Standalone Photovoltaic Systems Using Generalized Regression Neural Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tamer Khatib

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In this research an improved approach for sizing standalone PV system (SAPV is presented. This work is an improved work developed previously by the authors. The previous work is based on the analytical method which faced some concerns regarding the difficulty of finding the model’s coefficients. Therefore, the proposed approach in this research is based on a combination of an analytical method and a machine learning approach for a generalized artificial neural network (GRNN. The GRNN assists to predict the optimal size of a PV system using the geographical coordinates of the targeted site instead of using mathematical formulas. Employing the GRNN facilitates the use of a previously developed method by the authors and avoids some of its drawbacks. The approach has been tested using data from five Malaysian sites. According to the results, the proposed method can be efficiently used for SAPV sizing whereas the proposed GRNN based model predicts the sizing curves of the PV system accurately with a prediction error of 0.6%. Moreover, hourly meteorological and load demand data are used in this research in order to consider the uncertainty of the solar energy and the load demand.

Pattern recognition methods in air pollution control

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tauber, S

1978-01-01

The use of pattern recognition methods for predicting air pollution developments is discussed. Computer analysis of historical pollution data allows comparison in graphical form. An example of crisis prediction for carbon monoxide concentrations, using the pattern recognition method of analysis, is presented. Results of the analysis agreed well with actual CO conditions. (6 graphs, 4 references, 1 table)

Exploration of the Effectiveness of Tactile Methods

Science.gov (United States)

Aldajani, Neda F.

2016-01-01

This paper introduces the tactile method and aims to explore the effectiveness of using tactile methods with students who are blind and visually impaired. Although there was limited research about using this strategy, all of the research agrees that using tactile is one of the best ways for students who are blind and visually impaired to be…

How to Measure Quality of Service Using Unstructured Data Analysis: A General Method Design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucie Sperková,

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The aim of the paper is to design a general method usable for measuring the quality of the service from the customer’s point of view with the help of content analytics. Large amount of unstructured data is created by customers of the service. This data can provide a valuable feedback from the service usage. Customers talk among themselves about their experiences and feelings from consumption of the service. The design of the method is based on a systematic literature review in the area of the service quality and unstructured data analysis. Analytics and quality measurement models are collected and critically evaluated regarding their potential use for measuring IT service quality. The method can be used by IT service provider to measure and monitor service quality based on World-of-Mouth in order to continual service improvement.

A Meta-heuristic Approach for Variants of VRP in Terms of Generalized Saving Method

Science.gov (United States)

Shimizu, Yoshiaki

Global logistic design is becoming a keen interest to provide an essential infrastructure associated with modern societal provision. For examples, we can designate green and/or robust logistics in transportation systems, smart grids in electricity utilization systems, and qualified service in delivery systems, and so on. As a key technology for such deployments, we engaged in practical vehicle routing problem on a basis of the conventional saving method. This paper extends such idea and gives a general framework available for various real-world applications. It can cover not only delivery problems but also two kind of pick-up problems, i.e., straight and drop-by routings. Moreover, multi-depot problem is considered by a hybrid approach with graph algorithm and its solution method is realized in a hierarchical manner. Numerical experiments have been taken place to validate effectiveness of the proposed method.

An efficient and accurate method to obtain the energy-dependent Green function for general potentials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kramer, T; Heller, E J; Parrott, R E

2008-01-01

Time-dependent quantum mechanics provides an intuitive picture of particle propagation in external fields. Semiclassical methods link the classical trajectories of particles with their quantum mechanical propagation. Many analytical results and a variety of numerical methods have been developed to solve the time-dependent Schroedinger equation. The time-dependent methods work for nearly arbitrarily shaped potentials, including sources and sinks via complex-valued potentials. Many quantities are measured at fixed energy, which is seemingly not well suited for a time-dependent formulation. Very few methods exist to obtain the energy-dependent Green function for complicated potentials without resorting to ensemble averages or using certain lead-in arrangements. Here, we demonstrate in detail a time-dependent approach, which can accurately and effectively construct the energy-dependent Green function for very general potentials. The applications of the method are numerous, including chemical, mesoscopic, and atomic physics

Comparison of Threshold Detection Methods for the Generalized Pareto Distribution (GPD): Application to the NOAA-NCDC Daily Rainfall Dataset

Science.gov (United States)

Deidda, Roberto; Mamalakis, Antonis; Langousis, Andreas

2015-04-01

One of the most crucial issues in statistical hydrology is the estimation of extreme rainfall from data. To that extent, based on asymptotic arguments from Extreme Excess (EE) theory, several studies have focused on developing new, or improving existing methods to fit a Generalized Pareto Distribution (GPD) model to rainfall excesses above a properly selected threshold u. The latter is generally determined using various approaches that can be grouped into three basic classes: a) non-parametric methods that locate the changing point between extreme and non-extreme regions of the data, b) graphical methods where one studies the dependence of the GPD parameters (or related metrics) to the threshold level u, and c) Goodness of Fit (GoF) metrics that, for a certain level of significance, locate the lowest threshold u that a GPD model is applicable. In this work, we review representative methods for GPD threshold detection, discuss fundamental differences in their theoretical bases, and apply them to daily rainfall records from the NOAA-NCDC open-access database (http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/ghcn-daily/). We find that non-parametric methods that locate the changing point between extreme and non-extreme regions of the data are generally not reliable, while graphical methods and GoF metrics that rely on limiting arguments for the upper distribution tail lead to unrealistically high thresholds u. The latter is expected, since one checks the validity of the limiting arguments rather than the applicability of a GPD distribution model. Better performance is demonstrated by graphical methods and GoF metrics that rely on GPD properties. Finally, we discuss the effects of data quantization (common in hydrologic applications) on the estimated thresholds. Acknowledgments: The research project is implemented within the framework of the Action «Supporting Postdoctoral Researchers» of the Operational Program "Education and Lifelong Learning" (Action's Beneficiary: General

Generalized estimating equations

CERN Document Server

Hardin, James W

2002-01-01

Although powerful and flexible, the method of generalized linear models (GLM) is limited in its ability to accurately deal with longitudinal and clustered data. Developed specifically to accommodate these data types, the method of Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) extends the GLM algorithm to accommodate the correlated data encountered in health research, social science, biology, and other related fields.Generalized Estimating Equations provides the first complete treatment of GEE methodology in all of its variations. After introducing the subject and reviewing GLM, the authors examine th

Analysis of circular fibers with an arbitrary index profile by the Galerkin method.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Shangping; Wu, Feng; Ikram, Khalid; Albin, Sacharia

2004-01-01

We propose a full-vectorial Galerkin method for the analysis of circular symmetric fibers with arbitrary index profiles. A set of orthogonal Laguerre-Gauss functions is used to calculate the dispersion relation and mode fields of TE and TM modes. Examples are given for both standard step-index fibers and Bragg fibers. For standard step-index fiber with low or high index contrast, the Galerkin method agrees well with the analytical results. In the case of the TE mode of a Bragg fiber it agrees well with the asymptotic results.

Subjective memory impairment in general practice : Short overview and design of a mixed methods study.

Science.gov (United States)

Pentzek, Michael; Leve, Verena; Leucht, Verena

2017-05-01

Public awareness for dementia is rising and patients with concerns about forgetfulness are not uncommon in general practice. For the general practitioner (GP) subjectively perceived memory impairment (SMI) also offers a chance to broach the issue of cognitive function with the patient. This may support GPs' patient-centered care in terms of a broader frailty concept. What is SMI (definition, operationalization, prevalence and burden)? Which conceptions and approaches do GPs have regarding SMI? Narrative overview of recent SMI criteria and results, selective utilization of results from a systematic literature search on GP dementia care, non-systematic search regarding SMI in general practice, deduction of a study design from the overview and development according to international standards. Studies revealed that approximately 60% of GP patients aged >74 reported a declining memory, every sixth person had concerns about this aspect and only relatively few seek medical advice. Concerns about SMI are considered a risk factor for future dementia. Specific general practice conceptions about SMI could not be identified in the literature. Using guidelines for mixed methods research, the design of an exploratory sequential mixed methods study is presented, which should reveal different attitudes of GPs towards SMI. Subjective memory impairment (SMI) is a common feature and troubles a considerable proportion of patients. Neuropsychiatric research is progressing, but for the transfer of the SMI concept into routine practice, involvement of GP research is necessary. A new study aims to make a contribution to this.

Assessment of knowledge of general practitioners about nuclear medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zakavi, R.; Derakhshan, A.; Pourzadeh, Z.

2002-01-01

Nuclear medicine is an important department in most of scientific hospitals in the world. Rapid improvement in the filed of nuclear medicine needs continuing education of medical students. We tried to evaluate the knowledge of general practitioners in the flied of nuclear medicine, hoping that this study help mangers in accurate planning of teaching programs. Methods and materials: We prepared a questionnaire with 14 questions regarding applications of nuclear medicine techniques in different specialities of medicine. We selected questions as simple as possible with considering the most common techniques and best imaging modality in some disease. One question in nuclear cardiology, one in lung disease, two questions in thyroid therapy, another two in gastrointestinal system, two in genitourinary system and the last two in nuclear oncology. Also 4 questions were about general aspects of nuclear medicine. We have another 4 questions regarding the necessity of having a nuclear medicine subject during medical study, the best method of teaching of nuclear medicine and the preferred method of continuing education. Also age, sex, graduation date and university of education of all subjects were recorded. Results: One hundred (General practitioners) were studied. including, 58 male and 42 female with age range of 27-45 years did . About 60% of cases were 27-30 years old and 40 cases were older than 40. Seventy two cases were graduated in the last 5 years. Mashad University was the main university of education 52 cases with Tehran University (16 cases) and Tabriz University (6 cases) in the next ranks. Also 26 cases were graduated from other universities. From four questions in the field of general nuclear nedione 27% were correctly answered to all questions, 37% correctly answered two questions and 10% had correct answered only one question. No correct answer was noted in 26% . correct answer was noted in 80% the held of nuclear cardiology and in 72% in the field of lung

Bell's inequalities from the field concept in general relativity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sachs, M.

1980-01-01

A nonlinear field theory of matter, based axiomatically on general relativity, has an asymptotic, low-energy limit that predicts the outcome of experimental tests of Bell's inequalities. The inequalities should follow if spin-correlated, spin-1/2 particles, observed in coincidence, were a spacelike distance apart; they should be violated if they were separated by timelike distances. The experiment at timelike separations, for scattered protons observed in coincidence, was carried out by Lahemi-Rachti and Mittig and, thus far, agrees with this theory. Extension of the low-energy pp scattering experiment to observations at spacelike distances is suggested, with the prediction that agreement should be obtained with Bell's inequalities there. (author)

Generalized Multiscale Finite-Element Method (GMsFEM) for elastic wave propagation in heterogeneous, anisotropic media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gao, Kai, E-mail: kaigao87@gmail.com [Department of Geology and Geophysics, Texas A& M University, College Station, TX 77843 (United States); Fu, Shubin, E-mail: shubinfu89@gmail.com [Department of Mathematics, Texas A& M University, College Station, TX 77843 (United States); Gibson, Richard L., E-mail: gibson@tamu.edu [Department of Geology and Geophysics, Texas A& M University, College Station, TX 77843 (United States); Chung, Eric T., E-mail: tschung@math.cuhk.edu.hk [Department of Mathematics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT (Hong Kong); Efendiev, Yalchin, E-mail: efendiev@math.tamu.edu [Department of Mathematics, Texas A& M University, College Station, TX 77843 (United States); Numerical Porous Media SRI Center (NumPor), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal (Saudi Arabia)

2015-08-15

It is important to develop fast yet accurate numerical methods for seismic wave propagation to characterize complex geological structures and oil and gas reservoirs. However, the computational cost of conventional numerical modeling methods, such as finite-difference method and finite-element method, becomes prohibitively expensive when applied to very large models. We propose a Generalized Multiscale Finite-Element Method (GMsFEM) for elastic wave propagation in heterogeneous, anisotropic media, where we construct basis functions from multiple local problems for both the boundaries and interior of a coarse node support or coarse element. The application of multiscale basis functions can capture the fine scale medium property variations, and allows us to greatly reduce the degrees of freedom that are required to implement the modeling compared with conventional finite-element method for wave equation, while restricting the error to low values. We formulate the continuous Galerkin and discontinuous Galerkin formulation of the multiscale method, both of which have pros and cons. Applications of the multiscale method to three heterogeneous models show that our multiscale method can effectively model the elastic wave propagation in anisotropic media with a significant reduction in the degrees of freedom in the modeling system.

Generalized Multiscale Finite-Element Method (GMsFEM) for elastic wave propagation in heterogeneous, anisotropic media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Kai; Fu, Shubin; Gibson, Richard L.; Chung, Eric T.; Efendiev, Yalchin

2015-01-01

It is important to develop fast yet accurate numerical methods for seismic wave propagation to characterize complex geological structures and oil and gas reservoirs. However, the computational cost of conventional numerical modeling methods, such as finite-difference method and finite-element method, becomes prohibitively expensive when applied to very large models. We propose a Generalized Multiscale Finite-Element Method (GMsFEM) for elastic wave propagation in heterogeneous, anisotropic media, where we construct basis functions from multiple local problems for both the boundaries and interior of a coarse node support or coarse element. The application of multiscale basis functions can capture the fine scale medium property variations, and allows us to greatly reduce the degrees of freedom that are required to implement the modeling compared with conventional finite-element method for wave equation, while restricting the error to low values. We formulate the continuous Galerkin and discontinuous Galerkin formulation of the multiscale method, both of which have pros and cons. Applications of the multiscale method to three heterogeneous models show that our multiscale method can effectively model the elastic wave propagation in anisotropic media with a significant reduction in the degrees of freedom in the modeling system

Contribution to the study of influences in emission spectrography on solutions. Application to a general analysis method for stainless steels (1961)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baudin, G.

1961-11-01

In order to establish a general method of analysis of stainless steels, by means of spark spectroscopy on solutions, a systematic study has been made of the factors involved. The variations in acidity of the solutions, or in the ratio of concentrations of two acids at constant pH, lead to a displacement of the calibration curve. Simple relations have been established between the concentration of the extraneous elements, and the effects produced, for the constituents Fe, Ti, Ni, Cr, Mn; a general method using abacus is proposed for steels containing only these elements. The interactions in the case of the elements Mo, Nb, Ta, W, were more complex, so that the simultaneous separation was studied with the help of ion-exchange resins. A general method of analysis is proposed for stainless steels. (author) [fr

Ratepayers should not fund IP-2 outage, NY Attorney General says

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1981-01-01

The New York Attorney General is trying to block Consolidated Edison's effort to pay for an Indian Point nuclear plant outage through the fuel-adjustment clause on the grounds that the utility had repeated system warnings and should have taken action to prevent the leakage of water into the containment building. The utility rejects the assessment of personnel negligence and, blaming equipment failure, plans to replace its heat exchangers. The New York Public Service Commission approved Con Ed's use of the fuel-adjustment clause to pay for replacement power, but agrees that ratepayers should not pay the costs of negligence if the charges are proved. The Attorney General feels that Con Ed could legally challenge a later request for refunds. Other funding possibilities include nuclear-insurance policies or legal action against the equipment manufacturer

Investigation of the Practical Possibility of Solving Problems on Generalized Cellular Automata Associated with Cryptanalysis by Mean Algebraic Methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. G. Klyucharev

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A number of previous author’s papers proposed methods for constructing various cryptographic algorithms, including block ciphers and cryptographic hash functions, based on generalized cellular automata. This one is aimed at studying a possibility to use the algebraic cryptanalysis methods related to the construction of Gröbner bases for the generalized cellular automata to be applied in cryptography, i.e. this paper studies the possibility for using algebraic cryptanalysis methods to solve the problems of inversion of a generalized cellular automaton and recovering the key of such an automaton.If the cryptographic algorithm is represented as a system of polynomial equations over a certain finite field, then its breach is reduced to solving this system with respect to the key. Although the problem of solving a system of polynomial equations in a finite field is NP-difficult in the general case, the solution of a particular system can have low computational cost.Cryptanalysis based on the construction of a system of polynomial equations that links plain text, cipher-text and key, and its solution by algebraic methods, is usually called algebraic cryptanalysis. Among the main methods to solve systems of polynomial equations are those to construct Gröbner bases.Cryptanalysis of ciphers and hash functions based on generalized cellular automata can be reduced to various problems. We will consider two such problems: the problem of inversion of a generalized cellular automaton, which, in case we know the values of the cells after k iterations, enables us to find the initial values. And the task of recovering the key, which is to find the initial values of the remaining cells, using the cell values after k steps and the initial values of a part of the cells.A computational experiment was carried out to solve the two problems above stated in order to determine the maximum size of a generalized cellular automaton for which the solution of these

Evaluation of the H-point standard additions method (HPSAM) and the generalized H-point standard additions method (GHPSAM) for the UV-analysis of two-component mixtures.

Science.gov (United States)

Hund, E; Massart, D L; Smeyers-Verbeke, J

1999-10-01

The H-point standard additions method (HPSAM) and two versions of the generalized H-point standard additions method (GHPSAM) are evaluated for the UV-analysis of two-component mixtures. Synthetic mixtures of anhydrous caffeine and phenazone as well as of atovaquone and proguanil hydrochloride were used. Furthermore, the method was applied to pharmaceutical formulations that contain these compounds as active drug substances. This paper shows both the difficulties that are related to the methods and the conditions by which acceptable results can be obtained.

Deposition of additives onto surface of carbon materials by blending method--general conception

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Przepiorski, Jacek

2005-01-01

Carbon fibers loaded with potassium carbonate and with metallic copper were prepared by applying a blending method. Raw isotropic coal pitch was blended with KOH or CuBr 2 and obtained mixtures were subjected to spinning. In this way KOH and copper salt-blended fiber with uniform distribution of potassium and copper were spun. The raw fibers were exposed to stabilization with a mixture of CO 2 and air or air only through heating to 330 deg. C and next to treatment with carbon dioxide or hydrogen at higher temperatures. Electron probe micro-analysis (EPMA) analyses showed presence of potassium carbonate or metallic copper predominantly in peripheral regions of the obtained fibers. Basing on the mechanisms of potassium and copper diffusion over the carbon volume, generalized method for the deposition of additives onto surface of carbon materials is proposed

Convergence Analysis of Generalized Jacobi-Galerkin Methods for Second Kind Volterra Integral Equations with Weakly Singular Kernels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haotao Cai

2017-01-01

Full Text Available We develop a generalized Jacobi-Galerkin method for second kind Volterra integral equations with weakly singular kernels. In this method, we first introduce some known singular nonpolynomial functions in the approximation space of the conventional Jacobi-Galerkin method. Secondly, we use the Gauss-Jacobi quadrature rules to approximate the integral term in the resulting equation so as to obtain high-order accuracy for the approximation. Then, we establish that the approximate equation has a unique solution and the approximate solution arrives at an optimal convergence order. One numerical example is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

One-step leapfrog ADI-FDTD method for simulating electromagnetic wave propagation in general dispersive media.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiang-Hua; Yin, Wen-Yan; Chen, Zhi Zhang David

2013-09-09

The one-step leapfrog alternating-direction-implicit finite-difference time-domain (ADI-FDTD) method is reformulated for simulating general electrically dispersive media. It models material dispersive properties with equivalent polarization currents. These currents are then solved with the auxiliary differential equation (ADE) and then incorporated into the one-step leapfrog ADI-FDTD method. The final equations are presented in the form similar to that of the conventional FDTD method but with second-order perturbation. The adapted method is then applied to characterize (a) electromagnetic wave propagation in a rectangular waveguide loaded with a magnetized plasma slab, (b) transmission coefficient of a plane wave normally incident on a monolayer graphene sheet biased by a magnetostatic field, and (c) surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) propagation along a monolayer graphene sheet biased by an electrostatic field. The numerical results verify the stability, accuracy and computational efficiency of the proposed one-step leapfrog ADI-FDTD algorithm in comparison with analytical results and the results obtained with the other methods.

Application of the two-dose-rate method for general recombination correction for liquid ionization chambers in continuous beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andersson, Jonas; Toelli, Heikki

2011-01-01

A method to correct for the general recombination losses for liquid ionization chambers in continuous beams has been developed. The proposed method has been derived from Greening's theory for continuous beams and is based on measuring the signal from a liquid ionization chamber and an air filled monitor ionization chamber at two different dose rates. The method has been tested with two plane parallel liquid ionization chambers in a continuous radiation x-ray beam with a tube voltage of 120 kV and with dose rates between 2 and 13 Gy min -1 . The liquids used as sensitive media in the chambers were isooctane (C 8 H 18 ) and tetramethylsilane (Si(CH 3 ) 4 ). The general recombination effect was studied using chamber polarizing voltages of 100, 300, 500, 700 and 900 V for both liquids. The relative standard deviation of the results for the collection efficiency with respect to general recombination was found to be a maximum of 0.7% for isooctane and 2.4% for tetramethylsilane. The results are in excellent agreement with Greening's theory for collection efficiencies over 90%. The measured and corrected signals from the liquid ionization chambers used in this work are in very good agreement with the air filled monitor chamber with respect to signal to dose linearity.

Generalized dilatation operator method for non-relativistic holography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chemissany, Wissam, E-mail: wissam@stanford.edu [Department of Physics and SITP, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 (United States); Papadimitriou, Ioannis, E-mail: ioannis.papadimitriou@csic.es [Instituto de Física Teórica UAM/CSIC, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid 28049 (Spain)

2014-10-07

We present a general algorithm for constructing the holographic dictionary for Lifshitz and hyperscaling violating Lifshitz backgrounds for any value of the dynamical exponent z and any value of the hyperscaling violation parameter θ compatible with the null energy condition. The objective of the algorithm is the construction of the general asymptotic solution of the radial Hamilton–Jacobi equation subject to the desired boundary conditions, from which the full dictionary can be subsequently derived. Contrary to the relativistic case, we find that a fully covariant construction of the asymptotic solution for running non-relativistic theories necessitates an expansion in the eigenfunctions of two commuting operators instead of one. This provides a covariant but non-relativistic grading of the expansion, according to the number of time derivatives.

Analysis of Cine-Psychometric Visual Memory Data by the Tucker Generalized Learning Curve Method: Final Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Reid, J. C.; Seibert, Warren F.

The analysis of previously obtained data concerning short-term visual memory and cognition by a method suggested by Tucker is proposed. Although interesting individual differences undoubtedly exist in people's ability and capacity to process short-term visual information, studies have not generally examined these differences. In fact, conventional…

General method of quantitative spectrographic analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Capdevila, C.; Roca, M.

1966-01-01

A spectrographic method was developed to determine 23 elements in a wide range of concentrations; the method can be applied to metallic or refractory samples. Previous melting with lithium tetraborate and germanium oxide is done in order to avoid the influence of matrix composition and crystalline structure. Germanium oxide is also employed as internal standard. The resulting beads ar mixed with graphite powder (1:1) and excited in a 10 amperes direct current arc. (Author) 12 refs

A generalized multiscale finite element method for elastic wave propagation in fractured media

KAUST Repository

Chung, Eric T.

2016-02-26

In this paper, we consider elastic wave propagation in fractured media applying a linear-slip model to represent the effects of fractures on the wavefield. Fractured media, typically, are highly heterogeneous due to multiple length scales. Direct numerical simulations for wave propagation in highly heterogeneous fractured media can be computationally expensive and require some type of model reduction. We develop a multiscale model reduction technique that captures the complex nature of the media (heterogeneities and fractures) in the coarse scale system. The proposed method is based on the generalized multiscale finite element method, where the multiscale basis functions are constructed to capture the fine-scale information of the heterogeneous, fractured media and effectively reduce the degrees of freedom. These multiscale basis functions are coupled via the interior penalty discontinuous Galerkin method, which provides a block-diagonal mass matrix. The latter is needed for fast computation in an explicit time discretization, which is used in our simulations. Numerical results are presented to show the performance of the presented multiscale method for fractured media. We consider several cases where fractured media contain fractures of multiple lengths. Our numerical results show that the proposed reduced-order models can provide accurate approximations for the fine-scale solution.

A generalized multiscale finite element method for elastic wave propagation in fractured media

KAUST Repository

Chung, Eric T.; Efendiev, Yalchin R.; Gibson, Richard L.; Vasilyeva, Maria

2016-01-01

In this paper, we consider elastic wave propagation in fractured media applying a linear-slip model to represent the effects of fractures on the wavefield. Fractured media, typically, are highly heterogeneous due to multiple length scales. Direct numerical simulations for wave propagation in highly heterogeneous fractured media can be computationally expensive and require some type of model reduction. We develop a multiscale model reduction technique that captures the complex nature of the media (heterogeneities and fractures) in the coarse scale system. The proposed method is based on the generalized multiscale finite element method, where the multiscale basis functions are constructed to capture the fine-scale information of the heterogeneous, fractured media and effectively reduce the degrees of freedom. These multiscale basis functions are coupled via the interior penalty discontinuous Galerkin method, which provides a block-diagonal mass matrix. The latter is needed for fast computation in an explicit time discretization, which is used in our simulations. Numerical results are presented to show the performance of the presented multiscale method for fractured media. We consider several cases where fractured media contain fractures of multiple lengths. Our numerical results show that the proposed reduced-order models can provide accurate approximations for the fine-scale solution.

Validation of general job satisfaction in the Korean Labor and Income Panel Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Shin Goo; Hwang, Sang Hee

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to assess the validity and reliability of general job satisfaction (JS) in the Korean Labor and Income Panel Study (KLIPS). We used the data from the 17th wave (2014) of the nationwide KLIPS, which selected a representative panel sample of Korean households and individuals aged 15 or older residing in urban areas. We included in this study 7679 employed subjects (4529 males and 3150 females). The general JS instrument consisted of five items rated on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The general JS reliability was assessed using the corrected item-total correlation and Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The validity of general JS was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Pearson's correlation. The corrected item-total correlations ranged from 0.736 to 0.837. Therefore, no items were removed. Cronbach's alpha for general JS was 0.925, indicating excellent internal consistency. The CFA of the general JS model showed a good fit. Pearson's correlation coefficients for convergent validity showed moderate or strong correlations. The results obtained in our study confirm the validity and reliability of general JS.

Benchmarking of epithermal methods in the lattice-physics code EPRI-CELL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, M.L.; Wright, R.Q.; Barhen, J.; Rothenstein, W.; Toney, B.

1982-01-01

The epithermal cross section shielding methods used in the lattice physics code EPRI-CELL (E-C) have been extensively studied to determine its major approximations and to examine the sensitivity of computed results to these approximations. The study has resulted in several improvements in the original methodology. These include: treatment of the external moderator source with intermediate resonance (IR) theory, development of a new Dancoff factor expression to account for clad interactions, development of a new method for treating resonance interference, and application of a generalized least squares method to compute best-estimate values for the Bell factor and group-dependent IR parameters. The modified E-C code with its new ENDF/B-V cross section library is tested for several numerical benchmark problems. Integral parameters computed by EC are compared with those obtained with point-cross section Monte Carlo calculations, and E-C fine group cross sections are benchmarked against point-cross section descrete ordinates calculations. It is found that the code modifications improve agreement between E-C and the more sophisticated methods. E-C shows excellent agreement on the integral parameters and usually agrees within a few percent on fine-group, shielded cross sections

COMPARING IMAGE-BASED METHODS FOR ASSESSING VISUAL CLUTTER IN GENERALIZED MAPS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Touya

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Map generalization abstracts and simplifies geographic information to derive maps at smaller scales. The automation of map generalization requires techniques to evaluate the global quality of a generalized map. The quality and legibility of a generalized map is related to the complexity of the map, or the amount of clutter in the map, i.e. the excessive amount of information and its disorganization. Computer vision research is highly interested in measuring clutter in images, and this paper proposes to compare some of the existing techniques from computer vision, applied to generalized maps evaluation. Four techniques from the literature are described and tested on a large set of maps, generalized at different scales: edge density, subband entropy, quad tree complexity, and segmentation clutter. The results are analyzed against several criteria related to generalized maps, the identification of cluttered areas, the preservation of the global amount of information, the handling of occlusions and overlaps, foreground vs background, and blank space reduction.

General filtering method for electronic speckle pattern interferometry fringe images with various densities based on variational image decomposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Biyuan; Tang, Chen; Gao, Guannan; Chen, Mingming; Tang, Shuwei; Lei, Zhenkun

2017-06-01

Filtering off speckle noise from a fringe image is one of the key tasks in electronic speckle pattern interferometry (ESPI). In general, ESPI fringe images can be divided into three categories: low-density fringe images, high-density fringe images, and variable-density fringe images. In this paper, we first present a general filtering method based on variational image decomposition that can filter speckle noise for ESPI fringe images with various densities. In our method, a variable-density ESPI fringe image is decomposed into low-density fringes, high-density fringes, and noise. A low-density fringe image is decomposed into low-density fringes and noise. A high-density fringe image is decomposed into high-density fringes and noise. We give some suitable function spaces to describe low-density fringes, high-density fringes, and noise, respectively. Then we construct several models and numerical algorithms for ESPI fringe images with various densities. And we investigate the performance of these models via our extensive experiments. Finally, we compare our proposed models with the windowed Fourier transform method and coherence enhancing diffusion partial differential equation filter. These two methods may be the most effective filtering methods at present. Furthermore, we use the proposed method to filter a collection of the experimentally obtained ESPI fringe images with poor quality. The experimental results demonstrate the performance of our proposed method.

A general method for identifying major hybrid male sterility genes in Drosophila.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, L W; Singh, R S

1995-10-01

The genes responsible for hybrid male sterility in species crosses are usually identified by introgressing chromosome segments, monitored by visible markers, between closely related species by continuous backcrosses. This commonly used method, however, suffers from two problems. First, it relies on the availability of markers to monitor the introgressed regions and so the portion of the genome examined is limited to the marked regions. Secondly, the introgressed regions are usually large and it is impossible to tell if the effects of the introgressed regions are the result of single (or few) major genes or many minor genes (polygenes). Here we introduce a simple and general method for identifying putative major hybrid male sterility genes which is free of these problems. In this method, the actual hybrid male sterility genes (rather than markers), or tightly linked gene complexes with large effects, are selectively introgressed from one species into the background of another species by repeated backcrosses. This is performed by selectively backcrossing heterozygous (for hybrid male sterility gene or genes) females producing fertile and sterile sons in roughly equal proportions to males of either parental species. As no marker gene is required for this procedure, this method can be used with any species pairs that produce unisexual sterility. With the application of this method, a small X chromosome region of Drosophila mauritiana which produces complete hybrid male sterility (aspermic testes) in the background of D. simulans was identified. Recombination analysis reveals that this region contains a second major hybrid male sterility gene linked to the forked locus located at either 62.7 +/- 0.66 map units or at the centromere region of the X chromosome of D. mauritiana.

Detecting generalized synchronization of chaotic dynamical systems. A kernel-based method and choice of its parameter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suetani, Hiromichi; Iba, Yukito; Aihara, Kazuyuki

2006-01-01

An approach based on the kernel methods for capturing the nonlinear interdependence between two signals is introduced. It is demonstrated that the proposed approach is useful for characterizing generalized synchronization with a successful simple example. An attempt to choose an optimal kernel parameter based on cross validation is also discussed. (author)

Normal versus anomalous self-diffusion in two-dimensional fluids: Memory function approach and generalized asymptotic Einstein relation

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Hyun Kyung; Choi, Bongsik; Talkner, Peter; Lee, Eok Kyun

2014-12-01

Based on the generalized Langevin equation for the momentum of a Brownian particle a generalized asymptotic Einstein relation is derived. It agrees with the well-known Einstein relation in the case of normal diffusion but continues to hold for sub- and super-diffusive spreading of the Brownian particle's mean square displacement. The generalized asymptotic Einstein relation is used to analyze data obtained from molecular dynamics simulations of a two-dimensional soft disk fluid. We mainly concentrated on medium densities for which we found super-diffusive behavior of a tagged fluid particle. At higher densities a range of normal diffusion can be identified. The motion presumably changes to sub-diffusion for even higher densities.

Comparative analysis of methods of training and dietary habits of skilled bodybuilders in the run-general preparatory stage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dzhym V.Y.

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Purpose : comparative analysis of the characteristics of methods of training and nutrition bodybuilders in the run-general of the preparatory phase (duration 4 - 5 months or 20 microcycles. Analyzed the characteristics of different methods of training bodybuilders to increase muscle mass. Material : the study involved 8 skilled bodybuilders, are included in the team of the Kharkiv region. Results : a comparative characteristic of the most commonly used methods of exercise and nutrition in bodybuilding. Discovered and proved the optimal technique for athletes depending on the original form at the beginning of general-preparatory phase of training. Driven changes in body weight, depending on the amount used Athlete of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Conclusions : throughout the training period was characterized by severe protein diet orientation. The proportion of the nutrient was 40% in the first quarter, 50% - in the second, 60% in the third. Only in the last two microcycle decreased to 50%.

A Comparative Study between Intramuscular Midazolam and Oral Clonidine As A Premedication For General Anesthesia

OpenAIRE

Jignasa J Patel; Kalpana A Desai

2015-01-01

Background: Most anesthesiologists agree on the need for efficient pre-medication. The pattern of desired effects of a pre-medication is however, complex and includes relief of anxiety, sedation and relaxation of the patient. The present study was undertaken to compare the effects of Midazolam and clonidine as premedication. Methodology: A comparative study between midazolam and clonidine as a premedication for general anesthesia was conducted. Patients were divided in two groups: Group I: In...

Residual-driven online generalized multiscale finite element methods

KAUST Repository

Chung, Eric T.

2015-09-08

The construction of local reduced-order models via multiscale basis functions has been an area of active research. In this paper, we propose online multiscale basis functions which are constructed using the offline space and the current residual. Online multiscale basis functions are constructed adaptively in some selected regions based on our error indicators. We derive an error estimator which shows that one needs to have an offline space with certain properties to guarantee that additional online multiscale basis function will decrease the error. This error decrease is independent of physical parameters, such as the contrast and multiple scales in the problem. The offline spaces are constructed using Generalized Multiscale Finite Element Methods (GMsFEM). We show that if one chooses a sufficient number of offline basis functions, one can guarantee that additional online multiscale basis functions will reduce the error independent of contrast. We note that the construction of online basis functions is motivated by the fact that the offline space construction does not take into account distant effects. Using the residual information, we can incorporate the distant information provided the offline approximation satisfies certain properties. In the paper, theoretical and numerical results are presented. Our numerical results show that if the offline space is sufficiently large (in terms of the dimension) such that the coarse space contains all multiscale spectral basis functions that correspond to small eigenvalues, then the error reduction by adding online multiscale basis function is independent of the contrast. We discuss various ways computing online multiscale basis functions which include a use of small dimensional offline spaces.

Evaluation of aerodynamic characteristics of a coupled fluid-structure system using generalized Bernoulli's principle: An application to vocal folds vibration.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lucy T; Yang, Jubiao

2016-12-01

In this work we explore the aerodynamics flow characteristics of a coupled fluid-structure interaction system using a generalized Bernoulli equation derived directly from the Cauchy momentum equations. Unlike the conventional Bernoulli equation where incompressible, inviscid, and steady flow conditions are assumed, this generalized Bernoulli equation includes the contributions from compressibility, viscous, and unsteadiness, which could be essential in defining aerodynamic characteristics. The application of the derived Bernoulli's principle is on a fully-coupled fluid-structure interaction simulation of the vocal folds vibration. The coupled system is simulated using the immersed finite element method where compressible Navier-Stokes equations are used to describe the air and an elastic pliable structure to describe the vocal fold. The vibration of the vocal fold works to open and close the glottal flow. The aerodynamics flow characteristics are evaluated using the derived Bernoulli's principles for a vibration cycle in a carefully partitioned control volume based on the moving structure. The results agree very well to experimental observations, which validate the strategy and its use in other types of flow characteristics that involve coupled fluid-structure interactions.

Movement recognition technology as a method of assessing spontaneous general movements in high risk infants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claire eMarcroft

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Preterm birth is associated with increased risks of neurological and motor impairments such as cerebral palsy. The risks are highest in those born at the lowest gestations. Early identification of those most at risk is challenging meaning that a critical window of opportunity to improve outcomes through therapy-based interventions may be missed. Clinically, the assessment of spontaneous general movements is an important tool which can be used for the prediction of movement impairments in high risk infants.Movement recognition aims to capture and analyze relevant limb movements through computerized approaches focusing on continuous, objective, and quantitative assessment. Different methods of recording and analyzing infant movements have recently been explored in high risk infants. These range from camera-based solutions to body-worn miniaturized movement sensors used to record continuous time-series data that represent the dynamics of limb movements. Various machine learning methods have been developed and applied to the analysis of the recorded movement data. This analysis has focused on the detection and classification of atypical spontaneous general movements. This paper aims to identify recent translational studies using movement recognition technology as a method of assessing movement in high risk infants. The application of this technology within pediatric practice represents a growing area of inter-disciplinary collaboration which may lead to a greater understanding of the development of the nervous system in infants at high risk of motor impairment.

Development of a general method for detection and quantification of the P35S promoter based on assessment of existing methods

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yuhua; Wang, Yulei; Li, Jun; Li, Wei; Zhang, Li; Li, Yunjing; Li, Xiaofei; Li, Jun; Zhu, Li; Wu, Gang

2014-01-01

The Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter (P35S) is a commonly used target for detection of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). There are currently 24 reported detection methods, targeting different regions of the P35S promoter. Initial assessment revealed that due to the absence of primer binding sites in the P35S sequence, 19 of the 24 reported methods failed to detect P35S in MON88913 cotton, and the other two methods could only be applied to certain GMOs. The rest three reported methods were not suitable for measurement of P35S in some testing events, because SNPs in binding sites of the primer/probe would result in abnormal amplification plots and poor linear regression parameters. In this study, we discovered a conserved region in the P35S sequence through sequencing of P35S promoters from multiple transgenic events, and developed new qualitative and quantitative detection systems targeting this conserved region. The qualitative PCR could detect the P35S promoter in 23 unique GMO events with high specificity and sensitivity. The quantitative method was suitable for measurement of P35S promoter, exhibiting good agreement between the amount of template and Ct values for each testing event. This study provides a general P35S screening method, with greater coverage than existing methods. PMID:25483893

A General Method to Estimate Earthquake Moment and Magnitude using Regional Phase Amplitudes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pasyanos, M E

2009-11-19

This paper presents a general method of estimating earthquake magnitude using regional phase amplitudes, called regional M{sub o} or regional M{sub w}. Conceptually, this method uses an earthquake source model along with an attenuation model and geometrical spreading which accounts for the propagation to utilize regional phase amplitudes of any phase and frequency. Amplitudes are corrected to yield a source term from which one can estimate the seismic moment. Moment magnitudes can then be reliably determined with sets of observed phase amplitudes rather than predetermined ones, and afterwards averaged to robustly determine this parameter. We first examine in detail several events to demonstrate the methodology. We then look at various ensembles of phases and frequencies, and compare results to existing regional methods. We find regional M{sub o} to be a stable estimator of earthquake size that has several advantages over other methods. Because of its versatility, it is applicable to many more events, particularly smaller events. We make moment estimates for earthquakes ranging from magnitude 2 to as large as 7. Even with diverse input amplitude sources, we find magnitude estimates to be more robust than typical magnitudes and existing regional methods and might be tuned further to improve upon them. The method yields a more meaningful quantity of seismic moment, which can be recast as M{sub w}. Lastly, it is applied here to the Middle East region using an existing calibration model, but it would be easy to transport to any region with suitable attenuation calibration.

A general framework and review of scatter correction methods in cone beam CT. Part 2: Scatter estimation approaches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruehrnschopf and, Ernst-Peter; Klingenbeck, Klaus

2011-01-01

The main components of scatter correction procedures are scatter estimation and a scatter compensation algorithm. This paper completes a previous paper where a general framework for scatter compensation was presented under the prerequisite that a scatter estimation method is already available. In the current paper, the authors give a systematic review of the variety of scatter estimation approaches. Scatter estimation methods are based on measurements, mathematical-physical models, or combinations of both. For completeness they present an overview of measurement-based methods, but the main topic is the theoretically more demanding models, as analytical, Monte-Carlo, and hybrid models. Further classifications are 3D image-based and 2D projection-based approaches. The authors present a system-theoretic framework, which allows to proceed top-down from a general 3D formulation, by successive approximations, to efficient 2D approaches. A widely useful method is the beam-scatter-kernel superposition approach. Together with the review of standard methods, the authors discuss their limitations and how to take into account the issues of object dependency, spatial variance, deformation of scatter kernels, external and internal absorbers. Open questions for further investigations are indicated. Finally, the authors refer on some special issues and applications, such as bow-tie filter, offset detector, truncated data, and dual-source CT.

Economic effects of a carbon tax: with a general equilibrium illustration for Belgium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Proost, S.; Regemorter, D. Van

1992-01-01

The feasibility and efficiency arguments of an international and a national carbon tax are analysed. It is argued that an internationally organized carbon tax can be a good instrument for implementing an international CO 2 abatement strategy. Less efficient instruments like national CO 2 reduction emission objectives are more likely to be implemented. A national carbon tax is analysed as a policy instrument to reach such an internationally agreed national CO 2 emission reduction objective. This is done for Belgium using a dynamic general equilibrium model. (author)

Improved treatment of two-dimensional neutral particle transport through voids within the discrete ordinates method by use of generalized view factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brockmann, H.

1992-01-01

Using the discrete ordinates method for the treatment of neutral particle transport through voids serious flux distortions may occur due to the restricted streaming of particles along discrete directions. For mitigating this type of ray effect the method of view factors is proposed which has been developed in the theory of thermal radiation for describing the radiant exchange among surfaces. In order to apply this method to transport theory generalized view factors are defined which regard the angular dependence of the radiation leaving the surfaces. The generalized view factors are calculated analytically for r-z cylinder geometries and by applying the view factor algebra. The method was realized in the discrete ordinates transport code DOT 4.2 and applied to an r-z analogue of the S I S (Square-In-Square) sample problem. The results of the proposed method are compared with those calculated by the common discrete ordinates method and the Monte Carlo method

Implementation of the dynamic Monte Carlo method for transient analysis in the general purpose code Tripoli

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sjenitzer, Bart L.; Hoogenboom, J. Eduard, E-mail: B.L.Sjenitzer@TUDelft.nl, E-mail: J.E.Hoogenboom@TUDelft.nl [Delft University of Technology (Netherlands)

2011-07-01

A new Dynamic Monte Carlo method is implemented in the general purpose Monte Carlo code Tripoli 4.6.1. With this new method incorporated, a general purpose code can be used for safety transient analysis, such as the movement of a control rod or in an accident scenario. To make the Tripoli code ready for calculating on dynamic systems, the Tripoli scheme had to be altered to incorporate time steps, to include the simulation of delayed neutron precursors and to simulate prompt neutron chains. The modified Tripoli code is tested on two sample cases, a steady-state system and a subcritical system and the resulting neutron fluxes behave just as expected. The steady-state calculation has a constant neutron flux over time and this result shows the stability of the calculation. The neutron flux stays constant with acceptable variance. This also shows that the starting conditions are determined correctly. The sub-critical case shows that the code can also handle dynamic systems with a varying neutron flux. (author)

Implementation of the dynamic Monte Carlo method for transient analysis in the general purpose code Tripoli

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sjenitzer, Bart L.; Hoogenboom, J. Eduard

2011-01-01

A new Dynamic Monte Carlo method is implemented in the general purpose Monte Carlo code Tripoli 4.6.1. With this new method incorporated, a general purpose code can be used for safety transient analysis, such as the movement of a control rod or in an accident scenario. To make the Tripoli code ready for calculating on dynamic systems, the Tripoli scheme had to be altered to incorporate time steps, to include the simulation of delayed neutron precursors and to simulate prompt neutron chains. The modified Tripoli code is tested on two sample cases, a steady-state system and a subcritical system and the resulting neutron fluxes behave just as expected. The steady-state calculation has a constant neutron flux over time and this result shows the stability of the calculation. The neutron flux stays constant with acceptable variance. This also shows that the starting conditions are determined correctly. The sub-critical case shows that the code can also handle dynamic systems with a varying neutron flux. (author)

A smartphone-enabled communication system to improve hospital communication: usage and perceptions of medical trainees and nurses on general internal medicine wards.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Robert; Lo, Vivian; Morra, Dante; Appel, Eva; Arany, Teri; Curiale, Beth; Ryan, Joanne; Quan, Sherman

2015-02-01

There is increasing interest in the use of information and communication technologies to improve how clinicians communicate in hospital settings. We implemented a communication system with support for physician handover and secure messaging on 2 general internal medicine wards. We measured usage and surveyed physicians and nurses on perceptions of the system's effects on communication. Between May 2011 and August 2012, a clinical teaching team received, on average, 14.8 messages per day through the system. Messages were typically sent as urgent (69.1%) and requested a text reply (76.5%). For messages requesting a text reply, 8.6% did not receive a reply. For those messages that did receive a reply, the median response time was 2.3 minutes, and 84.5% of messages received a reply within 15 minutes. Of those who completed the survey, 95.3% were medical residents (82 of 86) and 81.7% were nurses (83 of 116). Medical trainees (82.8%) and nursing staff (78.3%) agreed or strongly agreed that the system helped to speed up their daily work tasks. Overall, 67.1% of the trainees and 73.2% of nurses agreed or strongly agreed that the system made them more accountable in their clinical roles. Only 35.8% of physicians and 26.3% of nurses agreed or strongly agreed that the system was useful for communicating complex issues. In summary, with a system designed to improve communication, we found that there was high uptake and that users perceived that the system improved efficiency and accountability but was not appropriate for communicating complex issues. © 2014 Society of Hospital Medicine.

Methods for summing general Kapteyn series

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tautz, R C [Zentrum fuer Astronomie und Astrophysik, Technische Universitaet Berlin, Hardenbergstrasse 36, D-10623 Berlin (Germany); Lerche, I [Institut fuer Geowissenschaften, Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultaet III, Martin-Luther-Universitaet Halle, D-06099 Halle (Germany); Dominici, D, E-mail: rct@gmx.eu, E-mail: lercheian@yahoo.com, E-mail: dominicd@newpaltz.edu [Department of Mathematics, State University of New York at New Paltz, 1 Hawk Dr, New Paltz, NY 12561-2443 (United States)

2011-09-23

The general features and characteristics of Kapteyn series, which are a special type of series involving the Bessel function, are investigated. For many applications in physics, astrophysics and mathematics, it is crucial to have closed-form expressions in order to determine their functional structure and parametric behavior. The closed-form expressions of Kapteyn series have mostly been limited to special cases, even though there are often similarities in the approaches used to reduce the series to analytically tractable forms. The goal of this paper is to review the previous work in the area and to show that Kapteyn series can be expressed as trigonometric or gamma function series, which can be evaluated in a closed form for specific parameters. Two examples with a similar structure are given, showing the complexity of Kapteyn series. (paper)

Solution method for the unsteady incompressible Navier-Stokes equations in generalized coordinate systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosenfeld, M.; Kwak, D.; Vinokur, M.

1988-01-01

A solution method based on a fractional step approach is developed for obtaining time-dependent solutions of the three-dimensional, incompressible Navier-Stokes equations in generalized coordinate systems. The governing equations are discretized conservatively by finite volumes using a staggered mesh system. The primitive variable formulation uses the volume fluxes across the faces of each computational cell as dependent variables. This procedure, combined with accurate and consistent approximations of geometric parameters, is done to satisfy the discretized mass conservation equation to machine accuracy as well as to gain favorable convergence properties of the Poisson solver. The discretized equations are second-order-accurate in time and space and no smoothing terms are added. An approximate-factorization scheme is implemented in solving the momentum equations. A novel ZEBRA scheme with four-color ordering is devised for the efficient solution of the Poisson equation. Several two and three-dimensional solutions are compared with other numerical and experimental results to validate the present method. 23 references

Two- and four-component relativistic generalized-active-space coupled cluster method: implementation and application to BiH.