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Sample records for model promotes articulation

  1. Three-Dimensional Static Articulation Accuracy of Virtual Models-Part II: Effect of Model Scanner-CAD Systems and Articulation Method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yee, Sophia Hui Xin; Esguerra, Roxanna Jean; Chew, Amelia Anya Qin'An; Wong, Keng Mun; Tan, Keson Beng Choon

    2018-02-01

    Accurate maxillomandibular relationship transfer is important for CAD/CAM prostheses. This study compared the 3D-accuracy of virtual model static articulation in three laboratory scanner-CAD systems (Ceramill Map400 [AG], inEos X5 [SIR], Scanner S600 Arti [ZKN]) using two virtual articulation methods: mounted models (MO), interocclusal record (IR). The master model simulated a single crown opposing a 3-unit fixed partial denture. Reference values were obtained by measuring interarch and interocclusal reference features with a coordinate measuring machine (CMM). MO group stone casts were articulator-mounted with acrylic resin bite registrations while IR group casts were hand-articulated with poly(vinyl siloxane) bite registrations. Five test model sets were scanned and articulated virtually with each system (6 test groups, 15 data sets). STL files of the virtual models were measured with CMM software. dR R , dR C , and dR L , represented interarch global distortions at right, central, and left sides, respectively, while dR M , dX M , dY M , and dZ M represented interocclusal global and linear distortions between preparations. Mean interarch 3D distortion ranged from -348.7 to 192.2 μm for dR R , -86.3 to 44.1 μm for dR C , and -168.1 to 4.4 μm for dR L . Mean interocclusal distortion ranged from -257.2 to -85.2 μm for dR M , -285.7 to 183.9 μm for dX M , -100.5 to 114.8 μm for dY M , and -269.1 to -50.6 μm for dZ M . ANOVA showed that articulation method had significant effect on dR R and dX M , while system had a significant effect on dR R , dR C , dR L , dR M , and dZ M . There were significant differences between 6 test groups for dR R, dR L dX M , and dZ M . dR R and dX M were significantly greater in AG-IR, and this was significantly different from SIR-IR, ZKN-IR, and all MO groups. Interarch and interocclusal distances increased in MO groups, while they decreased in IR groups. AG-IR had the greatest interarch distortion as well as interocclusal superior

  2. Lip-Synching Using Speaker-Specific Articulation, Shape and Appearance Models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gaspard Breton

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available We describe here the control, shape and appearance models that are built using an original photogrammetric method to capture characteristics of speaker-specific facial articulation, anatomy, and texture. Two original contributions are put forward here: the trainable trajectory formation model that predicts articulatory trajectories of a talking face from phonetic input and the texture model that computes a texture for each 3D facial shape according to articulation. Using motion capture data from different speakers and module-specific evaluation procedures, we show here that this cloning system restores detailed idiosyncrasies and the global coherence of visible articulation. Results of a subjective evaluation of the global system with competing trajectory formation models are further presented and commented.

  3. CONSIDERATIONS UPON CONTACT STRESS MODELLING IN DENTAL ARTICULATOR PAIRS

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    Carmen Ciornei

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available A dental articulator is a mechanism which simulates the temporo-mandibular joint. The articulator is essential as it replicates the basic motions of the upper and lower mandibles, both revolve and translational motions. In the present paper the stresses from an articulator TMJ modelled as a bronze sphere into a cylindrical steel cavity are analyzed by two methods, first applying the Hertzian contact theory and then numerically, by means of finite element analysis using the simulation module in CATIA.

  4. Method of controlling innovative articulation for articulated vehicle

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    Szumilas Mateusz

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Operation of an articulated vehicle is dependent on an appropriate damping action taking place in its rotary articulation. In order to analyse an impact of the control of the articulation on the motion of the vehicle a model of the vehicle with a controllable hydraulic damping system has been developed. A 90 degree turn and lane change manoeuvres were simulated using LabVIEW software. Modification of the damping parameters of the articulation, according to the velocity and articulation angle of the vehicle, proved to have a significant impact on the vehicle motion stability. Moreover, the sensor layer necessary for the control algorithm as well as the diagnostic system is described.

  5. Beyond the functional matrix hypothesis: a network null model of human skull growth for the formation of bone articulations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esteve-Altava, Borja; Rasskin-Gutman, Diego

    2014-09-01

    Craniofacial sutures and synchondroses form the boundaries among bones in the human skull, providing functional, developmental and evolutionary information. Bone articulations in the skull arise due to interactions between genetic regulatory mechanisms and epigenetic factors such as functional matrices (soft tissues and cranial cavities), which mediate bone growth. These matrices are largely acknowledged for their influence on shaping the bones of the skull; however, it is not fully understood to what extent functional matrices mediate the formation of bone articulations. Aiming to identify whether or not functional matrices are key developmental factors guiding the formation of bone articulations, we have built a network null model of the skull that simulates unconstrained bone growth. This null model predicts bone articulations that arise due to a process of bone growth that is uniform in rate, direction and timing. By comparing predicted articulations with the actual bone articulations of the human skull, we have identified which boundaries specifically need the presence of functional matrices for their formation. We show that functional matrices are necessary to connect facial bones, whereas an unconstrained bone growth is sufficient to connect non-facial bones. This finding challenges the role of the brain in the formation of boundaries between bones in the braincase without neglecting its effect on skull shape. Ultimately, our null model suggests where to look for modified developmental mechanisms promoting changes in bone growth patterns that could affect the development and evolution of the head skeleton. © 2014 Anatomical Society.

  6. Phonological Awareness Training with Articulation Promotes Early Reading Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fälth, Linda; Gustafson, S.; Svensson, I.

    2017-01-01

    In a longitudinal intervention study, the effects of phonological training with articulation for children in a preschool class were analyzed. In total, 69 students participated, divided into an experimental group of 39 and a comparison group of 30 students. The intervention consisted of phonological training with articulation and lasted throughout…

  7. Vertical repositioning accuracy of magnetic mounting systems on 4 articulator models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Wonsup; Kwon, Ho-Beom

    2018-03-01

    magnetic mounting plate after repositioning did not maintain an identical position in the vertical dimension on any of the 4 articulator models tested. The repositioning accuracy of the mounting plates showed significant differences among the articulators tested in this study. Copyright © 2017 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. On Autonomous Articulated Vehicles

    OpenAIRE

    Nayl, Thaker

    2015-01-01

    The objective of this thesis is to address the problems of modeling, path planning and path following for an articulated vehicle in a realistic environment and in the presence of multiple obstacles.In greater detail, the problem of the kinematic modeling of an articulated vehicle is revisited through the proposal of a proper model in which the dimensions and properties of the vehicle can be fully described, rather than considering it as a unit point. Based on this approach, nonlinear and line...

  9. Comparative study between 2 methods of mounting models in semiadjustable articulator for orthognathic surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mayrink, Gabriela; Sawazaki, Renato; Asprino, Luciana; de Moraes, Márcio; Fernandes Moreira, Roger William

    2011-11-01

    Compare the traditional method of mounting dental casts on a semiadjustable articulator and the new method suggested by Wolford and Galiano, 1 analyzing the inclination of maxillary occlusal plane in relation to FHP. Two casts of 10 patients were obtained. One of them was used for mounting of models on a traditional articulator, by using a face bow transfer system and the other one was used to mounting models at Occlusal Plane Indicator platform (OPI), using the SAM articulator. After that, na analysis of the accuracy of mounting models was performed. The angle made by de occlusal plane and FHP on the cephalogram should be equal the angle between the occlusal plane and the upper member of the articulator. The measures were tabulated in Microsoft Excell(®) and calculated using a 1-way analysis variance. Statistically, the results did not reveal significant differences among the measures. OPI and face bow presents similar results but more studies are needed to verify its accuracy relative to the maxillary cant in OPI or develop new techniques able to solve the disadvantages of each technique. Copyright © 2011 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Evaluation of articulation simulation system using artificial maxillectomy models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elbashti, M E; Hattori, M; Sumita, Y I; Taniguchi, H

    2015-09-01

    Acoustic evaluation is valuable for guiding the treatment of maxillofacial defects and determining the effectiveness of rehabilitation with an obturator prosthesis. Model simulations are important in terms of pre-surgical planning and pre- and post-operative speech function. This study aimed to evaluate the acoustic characteristics of voice generated by an articulation simulation system using a vocal tract model with or without artificial maxillectomy defects. More specifically, we aimed to establish a speech simulation system for maxillectomy defect models that both surgeons and maxillofacial prosthodontists can use in guiding treatment planning. Artificially simulated maxillectomy defects were prepared according to Aramany's classification (Classes I-VI) in a three-dimensional vocal tract plaster model of a subject uttering the vowel /a/. Formant and nasalance acoustic data were analysed using Computerized Speech Lab and the Nasometer, respectively. Formants and nasalance of simulated /a/ sounds were successfully detected and analysed. Values of Formants 1 and 2 for the non-defect model were 675.43 and 976.64 Hz, respectively. Median values of Formants 1 and 2 for the defect models were 634.36 and 1026.84 Hz, respectively. Nasalance was 11% in the non-defect model, whereas median nasalance was 28% in the defect models. The results suggest that an articulation simulation system can be used to help surgeons and maxillofacial prosthodontists to plan post-surgical defects that will be facilitate maxillofacial rehabilitation. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. Design of a stable fuzzy controller for an articulated vehicle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanaka, K; Kosaki, T

    1997-01-01

    This paper presents a backward movement control of an articulated vehicle via a model-based fuzzy control technique. A nonlinear dynamic model of the articulated vehicle is represented by a Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy model. The concept of parallel distributed compensation is employed to design a fuzzy controller from the Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy model of the articulated vehicle. Stability of the designed fuzzy control system is guaranteed via Lyapunov approach. The stability conditions are characterized in terms of linear matrix inequalities since the stability analysis is reduced to a problem of finding a common Lyapunov function for a set of Lyapunov inequalities. Simulation results and experimental results show that the designed fuzzy controller effectively achieves the backward movement control of the articulated vehicle.

  12. Extensional Information Articulation from the Universe

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yasufumi Saruwatari

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Information must have physical support and this physical universe comprisesphysical interactions. Hence actual information processes should have a description byinteractions alone, i.e., an extensional description. In this paper, such a model of the processof information articulation from the universe is developed by generalizing the extensivemeasurement theory in metrology. Moreover, a model of the attribute creation processis presented to exemplify a step of the informational articulation process. These modelsdemonstrate the valuableness of the extensional view and are expected to enhance theunderstanding of the extensional aspects of fundamentals of information.

  13. Modeling, Simulation and Position Control of 3DOF Articulated Manipulator

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    Hossein Sadegh Lafmejani

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, the modeling, simulation and control of 3 degrees of freedom articulated robotic manipulator have been studied. First, we extracted kinematics and dynamics equations of the mentioned manipulator by using the Lagrange method. In order to validate the analytical model of the manipulator we compared the model simulated in the simulation environment of Matlab with the model was simulated with the SimMechanics toolbox. A sample path has been designed for analyzing the tracking subject. The system has been linearized with feedback linearization and then a PID controller was applied to track a reference trajectory. Finally, the control results have been compared with a nonlinear PID controller.

  14. Automatic generation of statistical pose and shape models for articulated joints.

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    Xin Chen; Graham, Jim; Hutchinson, Charles; Muir, Lindsay

    2014-02-01

    Statistical analysis of motion patterns of body joints is potentially useful for detecting and quantifying pathologies. However, building a statistical motion model across different subjects remains a challenging task, especially for a complex joint like the wrist. We present a novel framework for simultaneous registration and segmentation of multiple 3-D (CT or MR) volumes of different subjects at various articulated positions. The framework starts with a pose model generated from 3-D volumes captured at different articulated positions of a single subject (template). This initial pose model is used to register the template volume to image volumes from new subjects. During this process, the Grow-Cut algorithm is used in an iterative refinement of the segmentation of the bone along with the pose parameters. As each new subject is registered and segmented, the pose model is updated, improving the accuracy of successive registrations. We applied the algorithm to CT images of the wrist from 25 subjects, each at five different wrist positions and demonstrated that it performed robustly and accurately. More importantly, the resulting segmentations allowed a statistical pose model of the carpal bones to be generated automatically without interaction. The evaluation results show that our proposed framework achieved accurate registration with an average mean target registration error of 0.34 ±0.27 mm. The automatic segmentation results also show high consistency with the ground truth obtained semi-automatically. Furthermore, we demonstrated the capability of the resulting statistical pose and shape models by using them to generate a measurement tool for scaphoid-lunate dissociation diagnosis, which achieved 90% sensitivity and specificity.

  15. Robust MR spine detection using hierarchical learning and local articulated model.

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    Zhan, Yiqiang; Maneesh, Dewan; Harder, Martin; Zhou, Xiang Sean

    2012-01-01

    A clinically acceptable auto-spine detection system, i.e., localization and labeling of vertebrae and inter-vertebral discs, is required to have high robustness, in particular to severe diseases (e.g., scoliosis) and imaging artifacts (e.g. metal artifacts in MR). Our method aims to achieve this goal with two novel components. First, instead of treating vertebrae/discs as either repetitive components or completely independent entities, we emulate a radiologist and use a hierarchial strategy to learn detectors dedicated to anchor (distinctive) vertebrae, bundle (non-distinctive) vertebrae and inter-vertebral discs, respectively. At run-time, anchor vertebrae are detected concurrently to provide redundant and distributed appearance cues robust to local imaging artifacts. Bundle vertebrae detectors provide candidates of vertebrae with subtle appearance differences, whose labels are mutually determined by anchor vertebrae to gain additional robustness. Disc locations are derived from a cloud of responses from disc detectors, which is robust to sporadic voxel-level errors. Second, owing to the non-rigidness of spine anatomies, we employ a local articulated model to effectively model the spatial relations across vertebrae and discs. The local articulated model fuses appearance cues from different detectors in a way that is robust to abnormal spine geometry resulting from severe diseases. Our method is validated by 300 MR spine scout scans and exhibits robust performance, especially to cases with severe diseases and imaging artifacts.

  16. Three General Theoretical Models in Sociology: An Articulated ?(Disunity?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thaís García-Pereiro

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available After merely a brief, comparative reconstruction of the three most general theoretical models underlying contemporary Sociology (atomic, systemic, and fluid it becomes necessary to review the question about the unity or plurality of Sociology, which is the main objective of this paper. To do so, the basic terms of the question are firstly updated by following the hegemonic trends in current studies of science. Secondly the convergences and divergences among the three models discussed are shown. Following some additional discussion, the conclusion is reached that contemporary Sociology is not unitary, and need not be so. It is plural, but its plurality is limited and articulated by those very models. It may therefore be portrayed as integrated and commensurable, to the extent that a partial and unstable (disunity may be said to exist in Sociology, which is not too far off from what happens in the natural sciences.

  17. Modeling, Simulation and Position Control of 3 Degree of Freedom Articulated Manipulator

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hossein Sadegh Lafmejani

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, the modeling, simulation and control of 3 degree of freedom articulated robotic manipulator have been studied. First, we extracted kinematics and dynamics equations of the mentioned manipulator by using the Lagrange method. In order to validate the analytical model of the manipulator we compared the model simulated in the simulation environment of Matlab with the model was simulated with the SimMechanics toolbox. A sample path has been designed for analyzing the tracking subject. The system has been linearized with feedback linearization and then a PID controller was applied to track a reference trajectory. Finally, the control results have been compared with a nonlinear PID controller.

  18. Activating Articulation Skills through Theraplay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kupperman, Phyllis; And Others

    1980-01-01

    Speech theraplay, a method of remediation for children with articulation disorders, is described. The approach is based on parent-child interactions that are postulated to activate articulation acquistion. The results of a six-week study indicated improvement in the articulation abilities of six children (3 to 4 years old) with this method.…

  19. Linearized motion estimation for articulated planes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Datta, Ankur; Sheikh, Yaser; Kanade, Takeo

    2011-04-01

    In this paper, we describe the explicit application of articulation constraints for estimating the motion of a system of articulated planes. We relate articulations to the relative homography between planes and show that these articulations translate into linearized equality constraints on a linear least-squares system, which can be solved efficiently using a Karush-Kuhn-Tucker system. The articulation constraints can be applied for both gradient-based and feature-based motion estimation algorithms and to illustrate this, we describe a gradient-based motion estimation algorithm for an affine camera and a feature-based motion estimation algorithm for a projective camera that explicitly enforces articulation constraints. We show that explicit application of articulation constraints leads to numerically stable estimates of motion. The simultaneous computation of motion estimates for all of the articulated planes in a scene allows us to handle scene areas where there is limited texture information and areas that leave the field of view. Our results demonstrate the wide applicability of the algorithm in a variety of challenging real-world cases such as human body tracking, motion estimation of rigid, piecewise planar scenes, and motion estimation of triangulated meshes.

  20. Activating a Teaching Philosophy in Social Work Education: Articulation, Implementation, and Evaluation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Owens, Larry W.; Miller, J. Jay; Grise-Owens, Erlene

    2014-01-01

    This article describes how to develop a comprehensive teaching philosophy from articulation through implementation to evaluation. Using literature and teaching-learning experiences, we discuss pragmatic steps for using a teaching philosophy to inform, engage, and evaluate teaching-learning. We promote an integrated teaching philosophy to ensure…

  1. Kinematics and Path Following Control of an Articulated Drum Roller

    Science.gov (United States)

    BIAN, Yongming; YANG, Meng; FANG, Xiaojun; WANG, Xiahui

    2017-07-01

    Automatic navigation of an articulated drum roller, which is an articulated steering type vehicle widely used in the construction industry, is highly expected for operation cost reduction and improvement of work efficiency. In order to achieve the path following control, considering that its steering system is articulated steering and two frames are articulated by an active revolute joint, a kinematic model and an error dynamic state-space equation of an articulated drum roller are proposed. Besides, a state-feedback control law based on Lyapunov stability theory is also designed, which can be proved to achieve the purpose of control by the analysis of stability. What's more, to evaluate the performance of the proposed method, simulation under the MATLAB/Simulink and experiments using positioning algorithm and errors correction at the uneven construction site are performed, with initial displacement error (-1.5 m), heading error (-0.11 rad) and steering angle (-0.19 rad). Finally, simulation and experimental results show that the errors and steering angle can decrease gradually, and converge to zero with time. Meanwhile, the control input is not saturated. An articulated drum roller can lock into a desired path with the proposed method in uneven fields.

  2. 21 CFR 872.6140 - Articulation paper.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Articulation paper. 872.6140 Section 872.6140 Food... DEVICES DENTAL DEVICES Miscellaneous Devices § 872.6140 Articulation paper. (a) Identification. Articulation paper is a device composed of paper coated with an ink dye intended to be placed between the...

  3. The history of articulators: the "Articulator Wars" phenomenon with some circumstances leading up to it.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Starcke, Edgar N; Engelmeier, Robert L; Belles, Donald M

    2010-06-01

    At the dawn of the 20th century, all was not well with the practice of "plate prostheses." Removable prosthodontics had been degrading for several decades and was now generally in low esteem, even though there had been many significant advances. W. E. Walker had introduced adjustable condylar guides, George Snow, the facebow, and Carl Christensen, a method for clinically measuring the condylar inclines. Nevertheless, the average practicing dentist was still using simple hinge articulators and was apathetic to the deplorable state of the artificial teeth available; however, this was all going to change dramatically when two dentists, Alfred Gysi and J. Leon Williams, working together between 1910 and 1914, presented to the profession the "Trubyte Artificial Tooth System" that embodied both a typal system for selecting anterior teeth and new posterior occlusal carvings that made possible, for the first time, the articulation of artificial teeth. This incited many of prosthetic dentistry's elite to introduce their own theories of mandibular movement and the articulators that they designed to reflect those theories. The intense debates that ensued, both in the meeting halls and in the literature, were numerous and lasted for decades. At the time, the "Articulator Wars" had both positive and negative consequences. Today, with many of the "Articulator Wars" issues remaining as part of the practice of dentistry, the "Articulator Wars" can be considered a phenomenon of enlightenment.

  4. Articulating feedstock delivery device

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jordan, Kevin

    2013-11-05

    A fully articulable feedstock delivery device that is designed to operate at pressure and temperature extremes. The device incorporates an articulating ball assembly which allows for more accurate delivery of the feedstock to a target location. The device is suitable for a variety of applications including, but not limited to, delivery of feedstock to a high-pressure reaction chamber or process zone.

  5. From Mozart to MIDI : A Rule System for Expressive Articulation

    OpenAIRE

    Hähnel, Tilo

    2010-01-01

    The propriety of articulation, especially of notes that lackannotations, is influenced by the origin of the particularmusic. This paper presents a rule system for articulationderived from late Baroque and early Classic treatises on performance. Expressive articulation, in this respect, is understood as a combination of alterable tone features like duration, loudness, and timbre. The model differentiates globalcharacteristics and local particularities, provides a generalframework for human-lik...

  6. Articulating Atmospheres

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kinch, Sofie

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents an architectural approach to designing computational interfaces by articulating the notion of atmosphere in the field of interaction design. It draws upon the concept of kinesthetic interaction and a philosophical notion on atmosphere emphasizing the importance of bodily...

  7. [The controversy of routine articulator mounting in orthodontics].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Li; Han, Xianglong; Bai, Ding

    2013-06-01

    Articulators have been widely used by clinicians of dentistry. But routine articulator mounting is still controversial in orthodontics. Orthodontists oriented by gnathology approve routine articulator mounting while nongnathologic orthodontists disapprove it. This article reviews the thoughts of orthodontist that they agree or disagree with routine articulator mounting based on the considerations of biting, temporomandibular disorder (TMD), periodontitis, and so on.

  8. A Novel Methodology to Validate the Accuracy of Extraoral Dental Scanners and Digital Articulation Systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellakwa, A; Elnajar, S; Littlefair, D; Sara, G

    2018-05-03

    The aim of the current study is to develop a novel method to investigate the accuracy of 3D scanners and digital articulation systems. An upper and a lower poured stone model were created by taking impression of fully dentate male (fifty years old) participant. Titanium spheres were added to the models to allow for an easily recognisable geometric shape for measurement after scanning and digital articulation. Measurements were obtained using a Coordinate Measuring Machine to record volumetric error, articulation error and clinical effect error. Three scanners were compared, including the Imetric 3D iScan d104i, Shining 3D AutoScan-DS100 and 3Shape D800, as well as their respective digital articulation software packages. Stoneglass Industries PDC digital articulation system was also applied to the Imetric scans for comparison with the CMM measurements. All the scans displayed low volumetric error (p⟩0.05), indicating that the scanners themselves had a minor contribution to the articulation and clinical effect errors. The PDC digital articulation system was found to deliver the lowest average errors, with good repeatability of results. The new measuring technique in the current study was able to assess the scanning and articulation accuracy of the four systems investigated. The PDC digital articulation system using Imetric scans was recommended as it displayed the lowest articulation error and clinical effect error with good repeatability. The low errors from the PDC system may have been due to its use of a 3D axis for alignment rather than the use of a best fit. Copyright© 2018 Dennis Barber Ltd.

  9. Gender Issues and Language Articulation; a Brief Look at Pros of Gender Neutral Language Articulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebrahimi, Pouria

    2009-01-01

    As with the language articulated by learners--in both oral and written form--the supremacy of a masculine language use is witnessed. This brings to light the fact that gender has been excessively an unobserved factor in the process of language teaching. Although learners are apparently used to forming masculine-centered articulation, non-sexist…

  10. Scan-based volume animation driven by locally adaptive articulated registrations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rhee, Taehyun; Lewis, J P; Neumann, Ulrich; Nayak, Krishna S

    2011-03-01

    This paper describes a complete system to create anatomically accurate example-based volume deformation and animation of articulated body regions, starting from multiple in vivo volume scans of a specific individual. In order to solve the correspondence problem across volume scans, a template volume is registered to each sample. The wide range of pose variations is first approximated by volume blend deformation (VBD), providing proper initialization of the articulated subject in different poses. A novel registration method is presented to efficiently reduce the computation cost while avoiding strong local minima inherent in complex articulated body volume registration. The algorithm highly constrains the degrees of freedom and search space involved in the nonlinear optimization, using hierarchical volume structures and locally constrained deformation based on the biharmonic clamped spline. Our registration step establishes a correspondence across scans, allowing a data-driven deformation approach in the volume domain. The results provide an occlusion-free person-specific 3D human body model, asymptotically accurate inner tissue deformations, and realistic volume animation of articulated movements driven by standard joint control estimated from the actual skeleton. Our approach also addresses the practical issues arising in using scans from living subjects. The robustness of our algorithms is tested by their applications on the hand, probably the most complex articulated region in the body, and the knee, a frequent subject area for medical imaging due to injuries. © 2011 IEEE

  11. Open software architecture for east articulated maintenance arm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Jing; Wu, Huapeng; Song, Yuntao; Li, Ming; Yang, Yang; Alcina, Daniel A.M.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • A software requirement of serial-articulated robot for EAST assembly and maintains is presented. • A open software architecture of the robot is developed. • A component-based model distribution system with real-time communication of the robot is constructed. - Abstract: For the inside inspection and the maintenance of vacuum vessel in the EAST, an articulated maintenance arm is developed. In this article, an open software architecture developed for the EAST articulated maintenance arm (EAMA) is described, which offers a robust and proper performance and easy-going experience based on standard open robotic platform OROCOS. The paper presents a component-based model software architecture using multi-layer structure: end layer, up layer, middle, and down layer. In the end layer the components are defined off-line in the task planner manner. The components in up layer complete the function of trajectory plan. The CORBA, as a communication framework, is adopted to exchange the data between the distributed components. The contributors use Real-Time Workshop from the MATLAB/Simulink to generate the components in the middle layer. Real-time Toolkit guarantees control applications running in the hard real-time mode. Ethernets and the CAN bus are used for data transfer in the down layer, where the components implement the hardware functions. The distributed architecture of control system associates each processing node with each joint, which is mapped to a component with all functioning features of the framework.

  12. Open software architecture for east articulated maintenance arm

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, Jing, E-mail: wujing@ipp.ac.cn [Institute of Plasma Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences, 350 Shushanhu Rd Hefei Anhui (China); Lappeenranta University of Technology, Skinnarilankatu 34 Lappeenranta (Finland); Wu, Huapeng [Lappeenranta University of Technology, Skinnarilankatu 34 Lappeenranta (Finland); Song, Yuntao [Institute of Plasma Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences, 350 Shushanhu Rd Hefei Anhui (China); Li, Ming [Lappeenranta University of Technology, Skinnarilankatu 34 Lappeenranta (Finland); Yang, Yang [Institute of Plasma Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences, 350 Shushanhu Rd Hefei Anhui (China); Alcina, Daniel A.M. [Lappeenranta University of Technology, Skinnarilankatu 34 Lappeenranta (Finland)

    2016-11-01

    Highlights: • A software requirement of serial-articulated robot for EAST assembly and maintains is presented. • A open software architecture of the robot is developed. • A component-based model distribution system with real-time communication of the robot is constructed. - Abstract: For the inside inspection and the maintenance of vacuum vessel in the EAST, an articulated maintenance arm is developed. In this article, an open software architecture developed for the EAST articulated maintenance arm (EAMA) is described, which offers a robust and proper performance and easy-going experience based on standard open robotic platform OROCOS. The paper presents a component-based model software architecture using multi-layer structure: end layer, up layer, middle, and down layer. In the end layer the components are defined off-line in the task planner manner. The components in up layer complete the function of trajectory plan. The CORBA, as a communication framework, is adopted to exchange the data between the distributed components. The contributors use Real-Time Workshop from the MATLAB/Simulink to generate the components in the middle layer. Real-time Toolkit guarantees control applications running in the hard real-time mode. Ethernets and the CAN bus are used for data transfer in the down layer, where the components implement the hardware functions. The distributed architecture of control system associates each processing node with each joint, which is mapped to a component with all functioning features of the framework.

  13. Fuzzy Control of Yaw and Roll Angles of a Simulated Helicopter Model Includes Articulated Manipulators

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hossein Sadegh Lafmejani

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Fuzzy logic controller (FLC is a heuristic method by If-Then Rules which resembles human intelligence and it is a good method for designing Non-linear control systems. In this paper, an arbitrary helicopter model includes articulated manipulators has been simulated with Matlab SimMechanics toolbox. Due to the difficulties of modeling this complex system, a fuzzy controller with simple fuzzy rules has been designed for its yaw and roll angles in order to stabilize the helicopter while it is in the presence of disturbances or its manipulators are moving for a task. Results reveal that a simple FLC can appropriately control this system.

  14. Cerec omnicam and the virtual articulator--a case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fritzsche, G

    2013-01-01

    This case report demonstrates how two opposing teeth were restored with full crowns using Cerec software version 4.2 (pre-release version). In addition, an anterior tooth was provided with a veneer. The situation was scanned with the Cerec Omnicam. The new virtual articulator was used for the design to obtain correct dynamic contacts. The Cerec Omnicam can scan the entire situation prior to preparation without the help of an assistant, as no surface pretreatment is necessary. The locations of the occlusal contacts can be marked with articulating paper and are indicated on the virtual models. Selective deletion of individual areas allows the prepared teeth to be rescanned, considerably speeding up the workflow. A video demonstration is available of the acquisition and design procedure.

  15. The Oklahoma PN/ADN Articulation Project Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, Oklahoma City.

    In response to a critical nursing shortage in the state of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Practical Nursing (PN)/Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) Articulation Project Coordinating Committee was formed in spring 1990 to develop a proposal for program articulation. A curriculum matrix was designed and adopted for use by five regional subcommittees which…

  16. Registration-based segmentation with articulated model from multipostural magnetic resonance images for hand bone motion animation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Hsin-Chen; Jou, I-Ming; Wang, Chien-Kuo; Su, Fong-Chin; Sun, Yung-Nien

    2010-06-01

    The quantitative measurements of hand bones, including volume, surface, orientation, and position are essential in investigating hand kinematics. Moreover, within the measurement stage, bone segmentation is the most important step due to its certain influences on measuring accuracy. Since hand bones are small and tubular in shape, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is prone to artifacts such as nonuniform intensity and fuzzy boundaries. Thus, greater detail is required for improving segmentation accuracy. The authors then propose using a novel registration-based method on an articulated hand model to segment hand bones from multipostural MR images. The proposed method consists of the model construction and registration-based segmentation stages. Given a reference postural image, the first stage requires construction of a drivable reference model characterized by hand bone shapes, intensity patterns, and articulated joint mechanism. By applying the reference model to the second stage, the authors initially design a model-based registration pursuant to intensity distribution similarity, MR bone intensity properties, and constraints of model geometry to align the reference model to target bone regions of the given postural image. The authors then refine the resulting surface to improve the superimposition between the registered reference model and target bone boundaries. For each subject, given a reference postural image, the proposed method can automatically segment all hand bones from all other postural images. Compared to the ground truth from two experts, the resulting surface image had an average margin of error within 1 mm (mm) only. In addition, the proposed method showed good agreement on the overlap of bone segmentations by dice similarity coefficient and also demonstrated better segmentation results than conventional methods. The proposed registration-based segmentation method can successfully overcome drawbacks caused by inherent artifacts in MR images and

  17. Steering characteristic of an articulated bus under quasi steady maneuvering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ubaidillah, Setiawan, Budi Agus; Aridharma, Airlangga Putra; Lenggana, Bhre Wangsa; Caesar, Bernardus Placenta Previo

    2018-02-01

    Articulated buses have been being preferred as public transportation modes due to their operational capacity. Therefore, passenger safety must be the priority of this public service vehicle. This research focused on the analytical approach of steering characteristics of an articulated bus when it maneuvered steadily. Such turning condition could be referred as a stability parameter of the bus for preliminary handling assessment. The analytical approach employed kinematics relationship between front and rear bodies as well as steering capabilities. The quasi steady model was developed to determine steering parameters such as turning radius, oversteer, and understeer. The mathematical model was useful for determining both coefficients of understeer and oversteer. The dimension of articulated bus followed a commonly used bus as utilized in Trans Jakarta busses. Based on the simulation, for one minimum center of the body, the turning radius was calculated about 8.8 m and 7.6 m at steady turning speed of 10 km/h. In neutral condition, the minimum road radius should be 6.5 m at 10 km/h and 6.9 m at 40 km/h. For two centers of the body and oversteer condition, the front body has the turning radius of 8.8 m, while, the rear body has the turning radius of 9.8 m at both turning speeds of 40 km/h. The other steering parameters were discussed accordingly.

  18. Design articulation for Aesthetics of Interaction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Krogh, Peter; Graves Petersen, Marianne

    2009-01-01

    In this paper we present three categories of design articulations addressing the characteristic qualities of aesthetics of interaction. By aesthetics of interaction we point to the process in which interactive technology brings about aesthetic experience in the use of interactive technology......-designers. In this case the categories of design articulations frame intended aesthetic experiences. Our mission is that of using aesthetic theory to inform the design of interactive technology, which shapes aesthetic experiences in everyday use....

  19. Robust intelligent sliding model control using recurrent cerebellar model articulation controller for uncertain nonlinear chaotic systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peng Yafu

    2009-01-01

    In this paper, a robust intelligent sliding model control (RISMC) scheme using an adaptive recurrent cerebellar model articulation controller (RCMAC) is developed for a class of uncertain nonlinear chaotic systems. This RISMC system offers a design approach to drive the state trajectory to track a desired trajectory, and it is comprised of an adaptive RCMAC and a robust controller. The adaptive RCMAC is used to mimic an ideal sliding mode control (SMC) due to unknown system dynamics, and a robust controller is designed to recover the residual approximation error for guaranteeing the stable characteristic. Moreover, the Taylor linearization technique is employed to derive the linearized model of the RCMAC. The all adaptation laws of the RISMC system are derived based on the Lyapunov stability analysis and projection algorithm, so that the stability of the system can be guaranteed. Finally, the proposed RISMC system is applied to control a Van der Pol oscillator, a Genesio chaotic system and a Chua's chaotic circuit. The effectiveness of the proposed control scheme is verified by some simulation results with unknown system dynamics and existence of external disturbance. In addition, the advantages of the proposed RISMC are indicated in comparison with a SMC system

  20. Instant messaging at the hospital: supporting articulation work?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iversen, Tobias Buschmann; Melby, Line; Toussaint, Pieter

    2013-09-01

    Clinical work is increasingly fragmented and requires extensive articulation and coordination. Computer systems may support such work. In this study, we investigate how instant messaging functions as a tool for supporting articulation work at the hospital. This paper aims to describe the characteristics of instant messaging communication in terms of number and length of messages, distribution over time, and the number of participants included in conversations. We also aim to determine what kind of articulation work is supported by analysing message content. Analysis of one month's worth of instant messages sent through the perioperative coordination and communication system at a Danish hospital. Instant messaging was found to be used extensively for articulation work, mostly through short, simple conversational exchanges. It is used particularly often for communication concerning the patient, specifically, the coordination and logistics of patient care. Instant messaging is used by all actors involved in the perioperative domain. Articulation work and clinical work are hard to separate in a real clinical setting. Predefined messages and strict workflow design do not suffice when supporting communication in the context of collaborative clinical work. Flexibility is of vital importance, and this needs to be reflected in the design of supportive communication systems. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Unscented Kalman filtering for articulated human tracking

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boesen Lindbo Larsen, Anders; Hauberg, Søren; Pedersen, Kim Steenstrup

    2011-01-01

    We present an articulated tracking system working with data from a single narrow baseline stereo camera. The use of stereo data allows for some depth disambiguation, a common issue in articulated tracking, which in turn yields likelihoods that are practically unimodal. While current state...... with superior results. Tracking quality is measured by comparing with ground truth data from a marker-based motion capture system....

  2. Active cells for redundant and configurable articulated structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Swensen, John P; Nawroj, Ahsan I; Pounds, Paul E I; Dollar, Aaron M

    2014-01-01

    The proposed research effort explores the development of active cells—simple contractile electro-mechanical units that can be used as the material basis for larger articulable structures. Each cell, which might be considered a ‘muscle unit,’ consists of a contractile Nitinol Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) core with conductive terminals. Large numbers of these cells might be combined and externally powered to change phase, contracting to either articulate with a large strain or increase the stiffness of the ensemble, depending on the cell design. Unlike traditional work in modular robotics, the approach presented here focuses on cells that have a simplistic design and function, are inexpensive to fabricate, and are eventually scalable to sub-millimeter sizes, working toward our vision of articulated and robotic structures that can be custom-fabricated from large numbers of general cell units, similar to biological structures. In this paper, we present the design of the active cells and demonstrate their usage with three articulated structures built with them. (paper)

  3. Perceived Articulation Uniformity between Trumpet and Violin Performances

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooper, Shelly C.; Hamann, Donald L.

    2010-01-01

    Directors strive for a unified sound throughout their wind and orchestra ensembles. Articulation affects sound uniformity among winds and strings. This baseline study examined whether a trumpet player could better match a violin player's articulation, as perceived by participants listening to a recording of two performances, when: (a) performing…

  4. ARTICULATION DISORDERS IN SERBIAN LANGUAGE IN CHILDREN WITH SPEECH PATHOLOGY.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dmitrić, Tanja; Veselinović, Mila; Mitrović, Slobodan M

    2015-01-01

    Articulation is the result of speech organs and it means clean, clear and distinct pronunciation of voices in words. A prospective study included 24 children between 5 and 15 years of age, of both sexes. All children were monolingual, Serbian being their native language. The quality of articulation was tested with Triage articulation test. Neither omission nor distortion of plosives was observed in any of them, whereas substitution of plosives occurred in 12% of patients. Omission of affricates was not observed in any of the subjects, but substitution and distortion occurred in 29%, and 76% of subjects, respectively. Omission of fricatives was found in 29% subjects, substitution in 52%, and distortion in 82% of subjects. Omission and distortion of nasals was not recorded in any of the subjects, and substitution occurred in 6% of children. Omission of laterals was observed in 6%, substitution in 46% and distortion in 52% of subjects with articulation disorders. Discussion and Articulation disorders were observed not only in children diagnosed with dyslalia but in those with dysphasia and stuttering as well. Children with speech disorders articulate vowels best, then nasals and plosives. Articulation of fricatives and laterals was found to be most severely deviated, including all three disorders, i.e. substitution, omission and distortion. Spasms of speech muscles and vegetative reactions were also observed in this study, but only in children with stuttering.

  5. A missing ethical competency? A review of critical reflection in health promotion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tretheway, Rebecca; Taylor, Jane; O'Hara, Lily; Percival, Nikki

    2015-12-01

    There is increasing emphasis in the health promotion literature on the ethical imperative for the profession to move towards critical practice. A key challenge for health promotion is that critical practice appears both under-developed and under-practiced. This is evident in the omission of critical reflection from Australian and international competencies for health promotion practitioners. A narrative literature review was undertaken to explore the current use of critical reflection in health promotion. Critical reflection models relevant to health promotion were identified and critiqued. There was a dearth of literature on critical reflection within health promotion, despite recognition of its potential to support critical practice. The discipline of critical social work provided literature on the use, effect and outcome of critical reflection in practice. The interdisciplinary critical reflection model was identified as the model most applicable to health promotion. Underpinned by critical theory, this model emphasises both critical and ethical practice. Critical reflection is a core competency for health promotion practitioners to address the ethical imperative to move towards critical practice. There is a need to explore the application of a critical reflection model in health promotion to determine how it may support critical and ethical practice. So what? If health promotion is to meet its ethical responsibilities, then critical reflection needs to be articulated as a core health promotion competency and a model for its application in health promotion developed.

  6. Articulating Business Education Curricula.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McEwen, Beryl C.

    1998-01-01

    Responses from 75 of 108 business educators indicated that most students took business courses to develop both job and personal-use skills; more than 50% were college bound. A substantial overlap between skills taught in secondary and postsecondary business shows a strong possibility for curriculum articulation. (SK)

  7. The Role of Virtual Articulator in Prosthetic and Restorative Dentistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aljanakh, Mohammad

    2014-01-01

    Virtual reality is a computer based technology linked with the future of dentistry and dental practice. The virtual articulator is one such application in prosthetic and restorative dentistry based on virtual reality that will significantly reduce the limitations of the mechanical articulator, and by simulation of real patient data, allow analyses with regard to static and dynamic occlusion as well as to jaw relation. It is the purpose of this article to present the concepts and strategies for a future replacement of the mechanical articulator by a virtual one. Also, a brief note on virtual reality haptic system has been highlighted along with newly developed touch enabled virtual articulator. PMID:25177664

  8. Thoracolumbar spine model with articulated ribcage for the prediction of dynamic spinal loading.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ignasiak, Dominika; Dendorfer, Sebastian; Ferguson, Stephen J

    2016-04-11

    Musculoskeletal modeling offers an invaluable insight into the spine biomechanics. A better understanding of thoracic spine kinetics is essential for understanding disease processes and developing new prevention and treatment methods. Current models of the thoracic region are not designed for segmental load estimation, or do not include the complex construct of the ribcage, despite its potentially important role in load transmission. In this paper, we describe a numerical musculoskeletal model of the thoracolumbar spine with articulated ribcage, modeled as a system of individual vertebral segments, elastic elements and thoracic muscles, based on a previously established lumbar spine model and data from the literature. The inverse dynamics simulations of the model allow the prediction of spinal loading as well as costal joints kinetics and kinematics. The intradiscal pressure predicted by the model correlated well (R(2)=0.89) with reported intradiscal pressure measurements, providing a first validation of the model. The inclusion of the ribcage did not affect segmental force predictions when the thoracic spine did not perform motion. During thoracic motion tasks, the ribcage had an important influence on the predicted compressive forces and muscle activation patterns. The compressive forces were reduced by up to 32%, or distributed more evenly between thoracic vertebrae, when compared to the predictions of the model without ribcage, for mild thoracic flexion and hyperextension tasks, respectively. The presented musculoskeletal model provides a tool for investigating thoracic spine loading and load sharing between vertebral column and ribcage during dynamic activities. Further validation for specific applications is still necessary. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. MyReDiary: Co-Designing for Collaborative Articulation in Physical Rehabilitation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bagalkot, Naveen L.; Sokoler, Tomas

    2011-01-01

    In this paper we present our exploration of co-designing for supporting a collaborative articulation of rehabilitation process. Based on our reading of key CSCW literature, we describe three facets of a collaboratively articulated rehab process: Interdependence, Distributed Process, and Interoper......In this paper we present our exploration of co-designing for supporting a collaborative articulation of rehabilitation process. Based on our reading of key CSCW literature, we describe three facets of a collaboratively articulated rehab process: Interdependence, Distributed Process......, and Interoperability. We highlight Magic-Mirror- Spiral, the design ideal guiding the co-designing of MyReDiary that is aimed to support the three facets as an example in this regard. We offer the conceptual understanding of Collaborative Articulation, the Magic-Mirror-Spiral and MyReDiary as a ‘compositional Whole...

  10. Program Articulation: What It Is and What It Is Not.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stevens, Barbara J.

    1981-01-01

    Discusses various elements of nursing education program articulation: politics, curriculum, core courses, philosophy, nursing theory, advantages and disadvantages of articulation, associate vs. baccalaureate degree programs, and program policies. (CT)

  11. Effects of fit and motive articulation on sponsorship response

    OpenAIRE

    Abramova, Anna

    2013-01-01

    This study is dedicated to finding the right combination between provision of fit and motive articulation to provide the best sponsorship response. The paper integrates different factors used in the sponsorship literature and other academic articles in the field of marketing into a conceptual model. Such mediating variables as corporate ability, corporate social responsibility, sponsor attitude and persuasion knowledge and moderating variables as involvement, self-congruence and frequency of ...

  12. The thumb carpometacarpal joint: curvature morphology of the articulating surfaces, mathematical description and mechanical functioning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dathe, Henning; Dumont, Clemens; Perplies, Rainer; Fanghänel, Jochen; Kubein-Meesenburg, Dietmar; Nägerl, Hans; Wachowski, Martin M

    2016-01-01

    The purpose is to present a mathematical model of the function of the thumb carpometacarpal joint (TCMCJ) based on measurements of human joints. In the TCMCJ both articulating surfaces are saddle-shaped. The aim was to geometrically survey the shapes of the articulating surfaces using precise replicas of 28 TCMCJs. None of these 56 articulating surfaces did mathematically extend the differential geometrical neighbourhood around the main saddle point so that each surface could be characterised by three main parameters: the two extreme radii of curvature in the main saddle point and the angle between the saddles' asymptotics (straight lines). The articulating surfaces, when contacting at the respective main saddle points, are incongruent. Hence, the TCMCJ has functionally five kinematical degrees of freedom (DOF); two DOF belong to flexion/extension, two to ab-/adduction. These four DOF are controlled by the muscular apparatus. The fifth DOF, axial rotation, cannot be adjusted but stabilized by the muscular apparatus so that physiologically under compressive load axial rotation does not exceed an angle of approximately ±3°. The TCMCJ can be stimulated by the muscular apparatus to circumduct. The mechanisms are traced back to the curvature incongruity of the saddle surfaces. Hence we mathematically proved that none of the individual saddle surfaces can be described by a quadratic saddle surface as is often assumed in literature. We derived an algebraic formula with which the articulating surfaces in the TCMCJ can be quantitatively described. This formula can be used to shape the articulating surfaces in physiologically equivalent TCMCJ-prostheses.

  13. EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF ARTICULATED WHEELED VEHICLES POSITION STABILITY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ye. Dubinin

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available With introducing a mobile measurement system with linear acceleration sensors there was experimentally determined the parameter of position stability of the articulated wheeled vehicle on the example of HTA-200 «Slobozhanets». It was determined that the position stability was provided within the entire range of operating speeds and accelerations. The obtained results can be used to enhance the traffic safety of articulated vehicles.

  14. Applying a Cerebellar Model Articulation Controller Neural Network to a Photovoltaic Power Generation System Fault Diagnosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kuei-Hsiang Chao

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This study employed a cerebellar model articulation controller (CMAC neural network to conduct fault diagnoses on photovoltaic power generation systems. We composed a module array using 9 series and 2 parallel connections of SHARP NT-R5E3E 175 W photovoltaic modules. In addition, we used data that were outputted under various fault conditions as the training samples for the CMAC and used this model to conduct the module array fault diagnosis after completing the training. The results of the training process and simulations indicate that the method proposed in this study requires fewer number of training times compared to other methods. In addition to significantly increasing the accuracy rate of the fault diagnosis, this model features a short training duration because the training process only tunes the weights of the exited memory addresses. Therefore, the fault diagnosis is rapid, and the detection tolerance of the diagnosis system is enhanced.

  15. The Landscape of Mass Mediated Articulations of Biotechnology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Horst, Maja

    The objective of this paper is to explore the associations made in mass mediatedarticulations of biotechnology. It serves as the basis for further analyses of massmediated controversies and the purpose is to establish a map of the landscape ofmass mediated articulation of biotechnology. Which kinds...... of genetic researchand technology are articulated in what way? What can be associated to what inthe mass mediation and when is it portrayed as controversial? In short this is astudy of associations in the news production that serves as a way of establishingan empirical archive for further work. It is based...... on a relational ontologyinspired by French philosopher Bruno Latour, supplemented with the method ofcontent analysis developed within sociology of mass media. The aim is to studythe production of networks of articulation in mass media by looking at theoutcome (the articles), which they produce....

  16. Facilitated Articulation of Implicit Knowledge in Textile Design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bang, Anne Louise

    2009-01-01

    This is a report from an ongoing research project and as such it is work in progress. The paper proposes an exploratory approach in order to enable end-users to contribute with their experiences of emotional values of fabrics in use. It is suggested that the textile designer with her repertoire...... of (experiential, implicit and tacit) textile design knowledge should facilitate the articulation process. The paper specifically draws on a series of workshops conducted within the collaborating company inviting all employees to participate. The series of workshops were based on a game-like setting and introduced...... - being a textile designer herself, who functioned as the facilitator. This paper uses two examples from the series of workshops to exemplify a facilitated articulation of implicit knowledge in textile design. From the examples the following themes are synthesised as being important for articulation...

  17. Modeling promoter grammars with evolving hidden Markov models

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Won, Kyoung-Jae; Sandelin, Albin; Marstrand, Troels Torben

    2008-01-01

    MOTIVATION: Describing and modeling biological features of eukaryotic promoters remains an important and challenging problem within computational biology. The promoters of higher eukaryotes in particular display a wide variation in regulatory features, which are difficult to model. Often several...... factors are involved in the regulation of a set of co-regulated genes. If so, promoters can be modeled with connected regulatory features, where the network of connections is characteristic for a particular mode of regulation. RESULTS: With the goal of automatically deciphering such regulatory structures......, we present a method that iteratively evolves an ensemble of regulatory grammars using a hidden Markov Model (HMM) architecture composed of interconnected blocks representing transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) and background regions of promoter sequences. The ensemble approach reduces the risk...

  18. A Professionalism Curricular Model to Promote Transformative Learning Among Residents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foshee, Cecile M; Mehdi, Ali; Bierer, S Beth; Traboulsi, Elias I; Isaacson, J Harry; Spencer, Abby; Calabrese, Cassandra; Burkey, Brian B

    2017-06-01

    Using the frameworks of transformational learning and situated learning theory, we developed a technology-enhanced professionalism curricular model to build a learning community aimed at promoting residents' self-reflection and self-awareness. The RAPR model had 4 components: (1) R ecognize : elicit awareness; (2) A ppreciate : question assumptions and take multiple perspectives; (3) P ractice : try new/changed perspectives; and (4) R eflect : articulate implications of transformed views on future actions. The authors explored the acceptability and practicality of the RAPR model in teaching professionalism in a residency setting, including how residents and faculty perceive the model, how well residents carry out the curricular activities, and whether these activities support transformational learning. A convenience sample of 52 postgraduate years 1 through 3 internal medicine residents participated in the 10-hour curriculum over 4 weeks. A constructivist approach guided the thematic analysis of residents' written reflections, which were a required curricular task. A total of 94% (49 of 52) of residents participated in 2 implementation periods (January and March 2015). Findings suggested that RAPR has the potential to foster professionalism transformation in 3 domains: (1) attitudinal, with participants reporting they viewed professionalism in a more positive light and felt more empathetic toward patients; (2) behavioral, with residents indicating their ability to listen to patients increased; and (3) cognitive, with residents indicating the discussions improved their ability to reflect, and this helped them create meaning from experiences. Our findings suggest that RAPR offers an acceptable and practical strategy to teach professionalism to residents.

  19. Evaluation of articulation of Turkish phonemes after removable partial denture application

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Özbeki Murat

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available In this study, the adaptation of patients to removable partial dentures was evaluated related to articulation of Turkish phonemes. Articulation of /t,d,n,l,r/, /g,k/, /b,p,m/ and /s,z,Õ,v,f,y,j,h,c/ phonemes were evaluated by three speech pathologists, on records taken from 15 patients before the insertion of a removable partial denture, just after insertion, and one week later. The test consisted of evaluation of phoneme articulation of independent syllables in terms of distortion, omission, substitution, mass effect, hypernasality and hyponasality. Data were evaluated with Cochrane Q, McNemar and Kruskal-Wallis tests. The results showed that for some phonemes, problems in articulation occurred after the insertion of a removable partial denture while for others a significant amelioration was observed after the insertion of a removable partial denture. In general, problems in articulation of evaluated phonemes were resolved after one week of use.

  20. Digital Hardware Realization of Forward and Inverse Kinematics for a Five-Axis Articulated Robot Arm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bui Thi Hai Linh

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available When robot arm performs a motion control, it needs to calculate a complicated algorithm of forward and inverse kinematics which consumes much CPU time and certainty slows down the motion speed of robot arm. Therefore, to solve this issue, the development of a hardware realization of forward and inverse kinematics for an articulated robot arm is investigated. In this paper, the formulation of the forward and inverse kinematics for a five-axis articulated robot arm is derived firstly. Then, the computations algorithm and its hardware implementation are described. Further, very high speed integrated circuits hardware description language (VHDL is applied to describe the overall hardware behavior of forward and inverse kinematics. Additionally, finite state machine (FSM is applied for reducing the hardware resource usage. Finally, for verifying the correctness of forward and inverse kinematics for the five-axis articulated robot arm, a cosimulation work is constructed by ModelSim and Simulink. The hardware of the forward and inverse kinematics is run by ModelSim and a test bench which generates stimulus to ModelSim and displays the output response is taken in Simulink. Under this design, the forward and inverse kinematics algorithms can be completed within one microsecond.

  1. Increasing the stability of the articulated lorry at braking by locking the fifth wheel coupling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skotnikov, G. I.; Jileykin, M. M.; Komissarov, A. I.

    2018-02-01

    The jackknifing of the articulated lorry is determined by the loss of stability with respect to the vertical axis of the fifth wheel coupling, which can be caused by the failure of the brake system, the displacement of the center of mass of the semitrailer or tractor from the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, the road parameters (longitudinal and transverse slopes), the difference in the friction coefficients under the sides of the articulated lorry. In this regard, the issue of creating devices that prevent the jackknifing, and their control systems is important. A method is proposed for maintaining the stability of the movement of articulated lorry when braking both on a straight line and in a turn by blocking the relative rotation of the tractor and the trailer. Blocking occurs due to the creation of a stabilizing moment in the direction opposite to the angular rate of folding. To test the developed algorithm for locking the fifth wheel coupling, a mathematical model of the spatial motion of the articulated lorry was developed, including the models of interaction of an elastic tire with a rigid terrain, suspension systems, transmission, steering, fifth-wheel coupling. The efficiency and effectiveness of the coupling locking control system is proved by comparing the results of the simulation of a straight-line braking and braking in turn. It is shown that the application of the control system significantly increases the stability of the road train.

  2. [Clinical characteristics and speech therapy of lingua-apical articulation disorder].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Feng-hua; Jin, Xing-ming; Zhang, Yi-wen; Wu, Hong; Jiang, Fan; Shen, Xiao-ming

    2006-03-01

    To explore the clinical characteristics and speech therapy of 62 children with lingua-apical articulation disorder. Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT), Gesell development scales (Gesell), Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Preschool Children (WPPSI) and speech test were performed for 62 children at the ages of 3 to 8 years with lingua-apical articulation disorder. PPVT was used to measure receptive vocabulary skills. GESELL and WPPSI were utilized to represent cognitive and non-verbal ability. The speech test was adopted to assess the speech development. The children received speech therapy and auxiliary oral-motor functional training once or twice a week. Firstly the target sound was identified according to the speech development milestone, then the method of speech localization was used to clarify the correct articulation placement and manner. It was needed to change food character and administer oral-motor functional training for children with oral motor dysfunction. The 62 cases with the apical articulation disorder were classified into four groups. The combined pattern of the articulation disorder was the most common (40 cases, 64.5%), the next was apico-dental disorder (15 cases, 24.2%). The third was palatal disorder (4 cases, 6.5%) and the last one was the linguo-alveolar disorder (3 cases, 4.8%). The substitution errors of velar were the most common (95.2%), the next was omission errors (30.6%) and the last was absence of aspiration (12.9%). Oral motor dysfunction was found in some children with problems such as disordered joint movement of tongue and head, unstable jaw, weak tongue strength and poor coordination of tongue movement. Some children had feeding problems such as preference of eating soft food, keeping food in mouths, eating slowly, and poor chewing. After 5 to 18 times of therapy, the effective rate of speech therapy reached 82.3%. The lingua-apical articulation disorders can be classified into four groups. The combined pattern of the

  3. The technology of mobile robot with articulated crawler mechanism

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Seung Ho; Kim, Byung Soo; Kim, Chang Hoi; Hwang, Suk Yong; Suh, Yong Chil; Lee, Yung Kwang; Sin, Jae Ho [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

    1995-01-01

    The main application of a mobile robot are to do the inspection and maintenance tasks in the primary and auxiliary building, and to meet with the radiological emergency response in nuclear power plant. Our project to develop crawler-type mobile robot has been divided into 3 phases. In 1 st phase, the-state-of-the-arts of mobile robot technology were studied and analyzed. And then the technical report `development of mobile robot technology for the light work` was published on July, 1993. In current phase, the articulated crawler type mobile robot named as ANDROS Mark VI was purchased to evaluate deeply its mechanism and control system. Then we designed the autonomous track surface, to get the inclination angle of robot, and to control the front and rear auxiliary track autonomously during climbing up and down stairs. And also, the autonomous stair-climbing algorithm has been developed to going over stairs with high stability. For the final phase, the advanced model of articulated crawler type mobile robot is going to be developed. (Author) 13 refs., 30 figs., 12 tabs.

  4. The technology of mobile robot with articulated crawler mechanism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Seung Ho; Kim, Byung Soo; Kim, Chang Hoi; Hwang, Suk Yong; Suh, Yong Chil; Lee, Yung Kwang; Sin, Jae Ho

    1995-01-01

    The main application of a mobile robot are to do the inspection and maintenance tasks in the primary and auxiliary building, and to meet with the radiological emergency response in nuclear power plant. Our project to develop crawler-type mobile robot has been divided into 3 phases. In 1 st phase, the-state-of-the-arts of mobile robot technology were studied and analyzed. And then the technical report 'development of mobile robot technology for the light work' was published on July, 1993. In current phase, the articulated crawler type mobile robot named as ANDROS Mark VI was purchased to evaluate deeply its mechanism and control system. Then we designed the autonomous track surface, to get the inclination angle of robot, and to control the front and rear auxiliary track autonomously during climbing up and down stairs. And also, the autonomous stair-climbing algorithm has been developed to going over stairs with high stability. For the final phase, the advanced model of articulated crawler type mobile robot is going to be developed. (Author) 13 refs., 30 figs., 12 tabs

  5. Planar articulated mechanism design by graph theoretical enumeration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kawamoto, A; Bendsøe, Martin P.; Sigmund, Ole

    2004-01-01

    This paper deals with design of articulated mechanisms using a truss-based ground-structure representation. By applying a graph theoretical enumeration approach we can perform an exhaustive analysis of all possible topologies for a test example for which we seek a symmetric mechanism. This guaran....... This guarantees that one can identify the global optimum solution. The result underlines the importance of mechanism topology and gives insight into the issues specific to articulated mechanism designs compared to compliant mechanism designs....

  6. Implications of Articulating Machinery on Operator Line of Sight and Efficacy of Camera Based Proximity Detection Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicholas Schwabe

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available The underground mining industry, and some above ground operations, rely on the use of heavy equipment that articulates to navigate corners in the tight confines of the tunnels. Poor line of sight (LOS has been identified as a problem for safe operation of this machinery. Proximity detection systems, such as a video system designed to provide a 360 degree view around the machine have been implemented to improve the available LOS for the operator. A four-camera system was modeled in a computer environment to assess LOS on a 3D cad model of a typical, articulated machine. When positioned without any articulation, the system is excellent at removing blind spots for a machine driving straight forward or backward in a straight tunnel. Further analysis reveals that when the machine articulates in a simulated corner section, some camera locations are no longer useful for improving LOS into the corner. In some cases, the operator has a superior view into the corner, when compared to the best available view from the camera. The work points to the need to integrate proximity detection systems at the design, build, and manufacture stage, and to consider proper policy and procedures that would address the gains and limits of the systems prior to implementation.

  7. High-Performance 3D Articulated Robot Display

    Science.gov (United States)

    Powell, Mark W.; Torres, Recaredo J.; Mittman, David S.; Kurien, James A.; Abramyan, Lucy

    2011-01-01

    In the domain of telerobotic operations, the primary challenge facing the operator is to understand the state of the robotic platform. One key aspect of understanding the state is to visualize the physical location and configuration of the platform. As there is a wide variety of mobile robots, the requirements for visualizing their configurations vary diversely across different platforms. There can also be diversity in the mechanical mobility, such as wheeled, tracked, or legged mobility over surfaces. Adaptable 3D articulated robot visualization software can accommodate a wide variety of robotic platforms and environments. The visualization has been used for surface, aerial, space, and water robotic vehicle visualization during field testing. It has been used to enable operations of wheeled and legged surface vehicles, and can be readily adapted to facilitate other mechanical mobility solutions. The 3D visualization can render an articulated 3D model of a robotic platform for any environment. Given the model, the software receives real-time telemetry from the avionics system onboard the vehicle and animates the robot visualization to reflect the telemetered physical state. This is used to track the position and attitude in real time to monitor the progress of the vehicle as it traverses its environment. It is also used to monitor the state of any or all articulated elements of the vehicle, such as arms, legs, or control surfaces. The visualization can also render other sorts of telemetered states visually, such as stress or strains that are measured by the avionics. Such data can be used to color or annotate the virtual vehicle to indicate nominal or off-nominal states during operation. The visualization is also able to render the simulated environment where the vehicle is operating. For surface and aerial vehicles, it can render the terrain under the vehicle as the avionics sends it location information (GPS, odometry, or star tracking), and locate the vehicle

  8. High Re-Operation Rates Using Conserve Metal-On-Metal Total Hip Articulations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mogensen, S L; Jakobsen, Thomas; Christoffersen, Hardy

    2016-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: Metal-on-metal hip articulations have been intensely debated after reports of adverse reactions and high failure rates. The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the implant of a metal-on.metal total hip articulation (MOM THA) from a single manufacture in a two-center st......INTRODUCTION: Metal-on-metal hip articulations have been intensely debated after reports of adverse reactions and high failure rates. The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the implant of a metal-on.metal total hip articulation (MOM THA) from a single manufacture in a two...

  9. Steering assistance for backing up articulated vehicles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dieter Zoebel

    2003-10-01

    Full Text Available Articulated vehicles belong to the category of nonholonomous wheelers. Under the aspect of control theory they require a sophisticated handling. This corresponds to the experience of unexercised drivers, for instance maneuvering a car and its caravan into a parking box. In this context some adequate advice for the right steering movements would give an appreciable assistance. Here a visual assistance is proposed and realized. The decisive advice for the driver is derived from kinematic modeling. The system is designed to be integrated into standard cars and trucks. For testing purposes the actual system has been incorporated into an existing backing up simulator.

  10. Dealing with Phrase Level Co-Articulation (PLC) in speech recognition: a first approach

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ordelman, Roeland J.F.; van Hessen, Adrianus J.; van Leeuwen, David A.; Robinson, Tony; Renals, Steve

    1999-01-01

    Whereas nowadays within-word co-articulation effects are usually sufficiently dealt with in automatic speech recognition, this is not always the case with phrase level co-articulation effects (PLC). This paper describes a first approach in dealing with phrase level co-articulation by applying these

  11. The (in)dependence of articulation and lexical planning during isolated word production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buz, Esteban; Jaeger, T Florian

    The number of phonological neighbors to a word (PND) can affect its lexical planning and pronunciation. Similar parallel effects on planning and articulation have been observed for other lexical variables, such as a word's contextual predictability. Such parallelism is frequently taken to indicate that effects on articulation are mediated by effects on the time course of lexical planning. We test this mediation assumption for PND and find it unsupported. In a picture naming experiment, we measure speech onset latencies (planning), word durations, and vowel dispersion (articulation). We find that PND predicts both latencies and durations. Further, latencies predict durations. However, the effects of PND and latency on duration are independent: parallel effects do not imply mediation. We discuss the consequences for accounts of lexical planning, articulation, and the link between them. In particular, our results suggest that ease of planning does not explain effects of PND on articulation.

  12. Refreshing Information Literacy: Learning from Recent British Information Literacy Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Justine

    2013-01-01

    Models play an important role in helping practitioners implement and promote information literacy. Over time models can lose relevance with the advances in technology, society, and learning theory. Practitioners and scholars often call for adaptations or transformations of these frameworks to articulate the learning needs in information literacy…

  13. A Model to Rehabilitate a Fossilized Pronunciation Error of Turkish English Language Teachers: the English Consonant Phoneme ( Wrongly Articulated as ( Through Nasal Devoicing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehmet Demirezen

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available Turkish English language teachers have a general affinity to mispronounce theword-final /ng/ sound combination as /ŋk/ form, but not in an /Iŋ/ form, which is theright case. This is a typical case of a fossilized pronunciation. The result of thearticulation is a bad sounding articulation that gives a serious hardship to the foreignlanguage teacher. It must be borne in mind that bad pronunciation impedes and obscuresintelligibility, accuracy, fluency, and automatic control of pronunciation in the targetlanguage. The fossilized pronunciation errors keep bothering the communicativefluency of the teacher trainees and novice foreign language teachers who are on the job.Since teaching foreign languages is a vocational job, developing a good intelligiblepronunciation skill is an integral part of the profession. In this study, a very commonand wrong articulation of /N/ phoneme as /Nk/ by Turkish English teachers will be triedto be rehabilitated by using the audioarticulation model.

  14. Comparison of three facebow/semi-adjustable articulator systems for planning orthognathic surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Malley, A M; Milosevic, A

    2000-06-01

    Our aim was to measure the steepness of the occlusal plane produced by three different semi-adjustable articulators: the Dentatus Type ARL, Denar MkII, and the Whipmix Quickmount 8800, and to assess the influence of possible systematic errors in positioning of study casts on articulators that are used to plan orthognathic surgery. Twenty patients (10 skeletal class II, and 10 skeletal class III) who were having pre-surgical orthodontics at Liverpool University Dental Hospital were studied. The measurement of the steepness of the occlusal plane was taken as the angle between the facebow bite-fork and the horizontal arm of the articulator. This was compared with the angle of the maxillary occlusal plane to the Frankfort plane as measured on lateral cephalometry (the gold standard). The Whipmix was closest to the gold standard as it flattened the occlusal plane by only 2 degrees (P<0.05). The results of the Denar and Dentatus differed significantly from those of the cephalogram as they flattened the occlusal plane by 5 degrees and 6. 5 degrees (P<0.01), respectively. Clinicians are encouraged to verify the steepness of the occlusal plane on mounted study casts before the technician makes the model. Copyright 2000 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.

  15. [The Articulator of Primary Health Care Program: an innovative proposal for qualification of Primary Health Care].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doricci, Giovanna Cabral; Guanaes-Lorenzi, Carla; Pereira, Maria José Bistafa

    2017-06-01

    In 2009, the Secretary of State for Health of Sao Paulo created a Program with a view to qualify the primary care in the state. This proposal includes a new job function, namely the articulator of primary care. Due to the scarcity of information about the practice of these new professionals in the scientific literature, this article seeks to analyze how articulators interpret their function and how they describe their daily routines. Thirteen articulators were interviewed. The interviews were duly analyzed by qualitative delineation. The results describe three themes: 1)Roles of the articulator: technical communicator and political advisor; 2) Activities performed to comply with the expected roles, examples being diagnosis of the municipalities, negotiation of proposals, participation in meetings, visits to municipalities; and 3) Challenges of the role, which are configured as challenges to the health reform process, examples being the lack of physical and human resources, activities of professionals in the medical-centered model, among others. The conclusion drawn is that the Program has great potential to provide input for the development and enhancement of Primary Care. Nevertheless, there are a series of challenges to be overcome, namely challenges to the context per se.

  16. 76 FR 16747 - Applications for New Awards; Hispanic-Serving Institutions STEM and Articulation Programs

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-03-25

    ..., or mathematics and to develop model transfer and articulation agreements between 2-year Hispanic... income students attaining degrees in the fields of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics..., Taxpayer Identification Number, and Central Contractor Registry: To do business with the Department of...

  17. A clinical technique for virtual articulator mounting with natural head position by using calibrated stereophotogrammetry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lam, Walter Y H; Hsung, Richard T C; Choi, Winnie W S; Luk, Henry W K; Cheng, Leo Y Y; Pow, Edmond H N

    2017-09-29

    Accurate articulator-mounted casts are essential for occlusion analysis and for fabrication of dental prostheses. Although the axis orbital plane has been commonly used as the reference horizontal plane, some clinicians prefer to register the horizontal plane with a spirit level when the patient is in the natural head position (NHP) to avoid anatomic landmark variations. This article presents a digital workflow for registering the patient's horizontal plane in NHP on a virtual articulator. An orientation reference board is used to calibrate a stereophotogrammetry device and a 3-dimensional facial photograph with the patient in NHP. The horizontal plane can then be automatically registered to the patient's virtual model and aligned to the virtual articulator at the transverse horizontal axis level. This technique showed good repeatability with positional differences of less than 1 degree and 1 mm in 5 repeated measurements in 1 patient. Copyright © 2017 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Information Transfer Capacity of Articulators in American Sign Language.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malaia, Evie; Borneman, Joshua D; Wilbur, Ronnie B

    2018-03-01

    The ability to convey information is a fundamental property of communicative signals. For sign languages, which are overtly produced with multiple, completely visible articulators, the question arises as to how the various channels co-ordinate and interact with each other. We analyze motion capture data of American Sign Language (ASL) narratives, and show that the capacity of information throughput, mathematically defined, is highest on the dominant hand (DH). We further demonstrate that information transfer capacity is also significant for the non-dominant hand (NDH), and the head channel too, as compared to control channels (ankles). We discuss both redundancy and independence in articulator motion in sign language, and argue that the NDH and the head articulators contribute to the overall information transfer capacity, indicating that they are neither completely redundant to, nor completely independent of, the DH.

  19. Demanding Dynamics - Demand articulation of intermediary organisations in emerging pharmaceutical innovations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boon, W.P.C.

    2008-01-01

    User involvement in emerging technological fields is carried by so-called demand articulation processes. These demand articulation processes are interactive learning processes in which stakeholders try to address what they perceive as important characteristics of, and to unravel preferences for an

  20. Accuracy of two face-bow/semi-adjustable articulator systems in transferring the maxillary occlusal cant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nazir, Nazia; Sujesh, M; Kumar, Ravi; Sreenivas, P

    2012-01-01

    The precision of an arbitrary face-bow in accurately transferring the orientation of the maxillary cast to the articulator has been questioned because the maxillary cast is mounted in relation to arbitrary measurements and anatomic landmarks that vary among individuals. This study was intended to evaluate the sagittal inclination of mounted maxillary casts on two semi-adjustable articulator/face-bow systems in comparison to the occlusal cant on lateral cephalograms. Maxillary casts were mounted on the Hanau and Girrbach semi-adjustable articulators following face-bow transfer with their respective face-bows. The sagittal inclination of these casts was measured in relation to the fixed horizontal reference plane using physical measurements. Occlusal cant was measured on lateral cephalograms. SPSS software (version 11.0, Chicago, IL, USA) was used for statistical analysis. Repeated measures analysis of variance and Tukey's tests were used to evaluate the results (P occlusal cant on the articulators and cephalogram revealed statistically significant differences. Occlusal plane was steeper on Girrbach Artex articulator in comparison to the Hanau articulator. Within the limitations of this study, it was found that the sagittal inclination of the mounted maxillary cast achieved with Hanau articulator was closer to the cephalometric occlusal cant as compared to that of the Girrbach articulator. Among the two articulators and face-bow systems, the steepness of sagittal inclination was greater on Girrbach semi-adjustable articulator. Different face-bow/articulator systems could result in different orientation of the maxillary cast, resulting in variation in stability, cuspal inclines and cuspal heights.

  1. Optimization of Front Axle Suspension System of Articulated Dump Truck

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Langer, Thomas Heegaard; Christensen, Brian B.; Mouritsen, Ole Ø.

    2010-01-01

    that has been subjected to comfort improvement is a two axle articulated dump truck. The comfort has been in terms of whole body vibration exposure and the overall improvement has been made possible by adding front axle suspension. However, a hydraulic stabilizing system between the tractor and trailer...... to evaluate the whole body vibrations. By use of a multibody simulation model of the dump truck the whole body vibration exposure has been computed using the predefined work cycle as model input. The design parameters comprise the components of the hydraulic subsystem of the suspension, i.e., the size...

  2. Genetic algorithm trajectory plan optimization for EAMA: EAST Articulated Maintenance Arm

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, Jing, E-mail: wujing@ipp.ac.cn [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 350 Shushanhu Rd., Hefei, Anhui (China); Lappeenranta University of Technology, Skinnarilankatu 34, Lappeenranta (Finland); Wu, Huapeng [Lappeenranta University of Technology, Skinnarilankatu 34, Lappeenranta (Finland); Song, Yuntao; Cheng, Yong; Zhao, Wenglong [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 350 Shushanhu Rd., Hefei, Anhui (China); Wang, Yongbo [Lappeenranta University of Technology, Skinnarilankatu 34, Lappeenranta (Finland)

    2016-11-01

    Highlights: • A redundant 10-DOF serial-articulated robot for EAST assembly and maintains is presented. • A trajectory optimization algorithm of the robot is developed. • A minimum jerk objective is presented to suppress machining vibration of the robot. - Abstract: EAMA (EAST Articulated Maintenance Arm) is an articulated serial manipulator with 7 degrees of freedom (DOF) articulated arm followed by 3-DOF gripper, total length is 8.867 m, works in experimental advanced superconductor tokamak (EAST) vacuum vessel (VV) to perform blanket inspection and remote maintenance tasks. This paper presents a trajectory optimization method which aims to pursue the 7-DOF articulated arm a stable movement, which keeps the mounted inspection camera anti-vibration. Based on dynamics analysis, trajectory optimization algorithm adopts multi-order polynomial interpolation in joint space and high order geometry Jacobian transform. The object of optimization algorithm is to suppress end-effector movement vibration by minimizing jerk RMS (root mean square) value. The proposed solution has such characteristics which can satisfy kinematic constraints of EAMA’s motion and ensure the arm running under the absolute values of velocity, acceleration and jerk boundaries. GA (genetic algorithm) is employed to find global and robust solution for this problem.

  3. Accuracy of two face-bow/semi-adjustable articulator systems in transferring the maxillary occlusal cant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nazia Nazir

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Context: The precision of an arbitrary face-bow in accurately transferring the orientation of the maxillary cast to the articulator has been questioned because the maxillary cast is mounted in relation to arbitrary measurements and anatomic landmarks that vary among individuals. Aim: This study was intended to evaluate the sagittal inclination of mounted maxillary casts on two semi-adjustable articulator/face-bow systems in comparison to the occlusal cant on lateral cephalograms. Materials and Methods: Maxillary casts were mounted on the Hanau and Girrbach semi-adjustable articulators following face-bow transfer with their respective face-bows. The sagittal inclination of these casts was measured in relation to the fixed horizontal reference plane using physical measurements. Occlusal cant was measured on lateral cephalograms. SPSS software (version 11.0, Chicago, IL, USA was used for statistical analysis. Repeated measures analysis of variance and Tukey′s tests were used to evaluate the results (P < 0.05. Results: Comparison of the occlusal cant on the articulators and cephalogram revealed statistically significant differences. Occlusal plane was steeper on Girrbach Artex articulator in comparison to the Hanau articulator. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, it was found that the sagittal inclination of the mounted maxillary cast achieved with Hanau articulator was closer to the cephalometric occlusal cant as compared to that of the Girrbach articulator. Among the two articulators and face-bow systems, the steepness of sagittal inclination was greater on Girrbach semi-adjustable articulator. Different face-bow/articulator systems could result in different orientation of the maxillary cast, resulting in variation in stability, cuspal inclines and cuspal heights.

  4. What makes health promotion research distinct?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woodall, James; Warwick-Booth, Louise; South, Jane; Cross, Ruth

    2018-02-01

    There have been concerns about the decline of health promotion as a practice and discipline and, alongside this, calls for a clearer articulation of health promotion research and what, if anything, makes it distinct. This discussion paper, based on a review of the literature, the authors' own experiences in the field, and a workshop delivered by two of the authors at the 8th Nordic Health Promotion Conference, seeks to state the reasons why health promotion research is distinctive. While by no means exhaustive, the paper suggests four distinctive features. The paper hopes to be a catalyst to enable health promotion researchers to be explicit in their practice and to begin the process of developing an agreed set of research principles.

  5. Articulated pipes conveying fluid pulsating with high frequency

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Jakob Søndergaard

    1999-01-01

    Stability and nonlinear dynamics of two articulated pipes conveying fluid with a high-frequency pulsating component is investigated. The non-autonomous model equations are converted into autonomous equations by approximating the fast excitation terms with slowly varying terms. The downward hanging...... pipe position will lose stability if the mean flow speed exceeds a certain critical value. Adding a pulsating component to the fluid flow is shown to stabilize the hanging position for high values of the ratio between fluid and pipe-mass, and to marginally destabilize this position for low ratios....... An approximate nonlinear solution for small-amplitude flutter oscillations is obtained using a fifth-order multiple scales perturbation method, and large-amplitude oscillations are examined by numerical integration of the autonomous model equations, using a path-following algorithm. The pulsating fluid component...

  6. Reprogramming the articulated robotic arm for glass handling by using Arduino microcontroller

    Science.gov (United States)

    Razali, Zol Bahri; Kader, Mohamed Mydin M. Abdul; Kadir, Mohd Asmadi Akmal; Daud, Mohd Hisam

    2017-09-01

    The application of articulated robotic arm in industries is raised due to the expansion of using robot to replace human task, especially for the harmful tasks. However a few problems happen with the program use to schedule the arm, Thus the purpose of this project is to design, fabricate and integrate an articulated robotic arm by using Arduino microcontroller for handling glass sorting system. This project was designed to segregate glass and non-glass waste which would be pioneer step for recycling. This robotic arm has four servo motors to operate as a whole; three for the body and one for holding mechanism. This intelligent system is controlled by Arduino microcontroller and build with optical sensor to provide the distinguish objects that will be handled. Solidworks model was used to produce the detail design of the robotic arm and make the mechanical properties analysis by using a CAD software.

  7. Generation of Articulated Mechanisms by Optimization Techniques

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kawamoto, Atsushi

    2004-01-01

    optimization [Paper 2] 3. Branch and bound global optimization [Paper 3] 4. Path-generation problems [Paper 4] In terms of the objective of the articulated mechanism design problems, the first to third papers deal with maximization of output displacement, while the fourth paper solves prescribed path...... generation problems. From a mathematical programming point of view, the methods proposed in the first and third papers are categorized as deterministic global optimization, while those of the second and fourth papers are categorized as gradient-based local optimization. With respect to design variables, only...... directly affects the result of the associated sensitivity analysis. Another critical issue for mechanism design is the concept of mechanical degrees of freedom and this should be also considered for obtaining a proper articulated mechanism. The thesis treats this inherently discrete criterion in some...

  8. Articulation Workshop in Drafting. Final Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Catonsville Community Coll., MD.

    Drafting students from vocational/technical and high schools frequently repeat the same experiences and courses and work with the same instructional materials when they enroll in college engineering drawing, and architecture programs. In order to minimize needless repetition and address the problem of articulation between such schools and the…

  9. Assessing the effect of physical differences in the articulation of consonants and vowels on audiovisual temporal perception

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vatakis, Argiro; Maragos, Petros; Rodomagoulakis, Isidoros; Spence, Charles

    2012-01-01

    We investigated how the physical differences associated with the articulation of speech affect the temporal aspects of audiovisual speech perception. Video clips of consonants and vowels uttered by three different speakers were presented. The video clips were analyzed using an auditory-visual signal saliency model in order to compare signal saliency and behavioral data. Participants made temporal order judgments (TOJs) regarding which speech-stream (auditory or visual) had been presented first. The sensitivity of participants' TOJs and the point of subjective simultaneity (PSS) were analyzed as a function of the place, manner of articulation, and voicing for consonants, and the height/backness of the tongue and lip-roundedness for vowels. We expected that in the case of the place of articulation and roundedness, where the visual-speech signal is more salient, temporal perception of speech would be modulated by the visual-speech signal. No such effect was expected for the manner of articulation or height. The results demonstrate that for place and manner of articulation, participants' temporal percept was affected (although not always significantly) by highly-salient speech-signals with the visual-signals requiring smaller visual-leads at the PSS. This was not the case when height was evaluated. These findings suggest that in the case of audiovisual speech perception, a highly salient visual-speech signal may lead to higher probabilities regarding the identity of the auditory-signal that modulate the temporal window of multisensory integration of the speech-stimulus. PMID:23060756

  10. Swisstrolley 3 - An articulated trolley bus; SWISSTROLLEY 3. Gelenktrolleybus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gisler, H.-J.

    2006-07-01

    This illustrated final report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) takes a look at the Swisstrolley 3 low-floor, articulated trolley bus developed in Switzerland by the Hess AG company. Various features of the variants of the trolley bus, including single vehicle, single and double-articulated buses and bus trailers, are discussed. The reductions achieved in energy consumption, weight and noise are discussed. Typical values for power consumption are presented in graphical form. Economic viability and passenger-friendliness are examined, as are possibilities for further improvement.

  11. Audiovisual materials are effective for enhancing the correction of articulation disorders in children with cleft palate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pamplona, María Del Carmen; Ysunza, Pablo Antonio; Morales, Santiago

    2017-02-01

    Children with cleft palate frequently show speech disorders known as compensatory articulation. Compensatory articulation requires a prolonged period of speech intervention that should include reinforcement at home. However, frequently relatives do not know how to work with their children at home. To study whether the use of audiovisual materials especially designed for complementing speech pathology treatment in children with compensatory articulation can be effective for stimulating articulation practice at home and consequently enhancing speech normalization in children with cleft palate. Eighty-two patients with compensatory articulation were studied. Patients were randomly divided into two groups. Both groups received speech pathology treatment aimed to correct articulation placement. In addition, patients from the active group received a set of audiovisual materials to be used at home. Parents were instructed about strategies and ideas about how to use the materials with their children. Severity of compensatory articulation was compared at the onset and at the end of the speech intervention. After the speech therapy period, the group of patients using audiovisual materials at home demonstrated significantly greater improvement in articulation, as compared with the patients receiving speech pathology treatment on - site without audiovisual supporting materials. The results of this study suggest that audiovisual materials especially designed for practicing adequate articulation placement at home can be effective for reinforcing and enhancing speech pathology treatment of patients with cleft palate and compensatory articulation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Articulation of tacit and complex knowledge

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristiansen, Per; Hansen, Poul H. Kyvsgård; Nielsen, Louise Møller

    2009-01-01

    The paper focuses on the articulation of tacit and complex knowledge by taking outset in a specific methodology: LEGO® SERIOUS PLAYTM. In order to expand the methodology and to develop it further we propose to regard it as a language. By choosing a language view we are able to ably a language...

  13. Articulation Skills in Spanish-Speaking Children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Linares, Thomas A.

    The purpose of the research was to develop an articulation test for Spanish-speakers and to field-test the instrument in both a monolingual Spanish-speaking environment and a bilingual Spanish/English environment. Such a test is needed because there has been little available to enable the diagnostician, whose clientele includes Spanish-speakers,…

  14. Dynamics and control of robotic aircraft with articulated wings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paranjape, Aditya Avinash

    There is a considerable interest in developing robotic aircraft, inspired by birds, for a variety of missions covering reconnaissance and surveillance. Flapping wing aircraft concepts have been put forth in light of the efficiency of flapping flight at small scales. These aircraft are naturally equipped with the ability to rotate their wings about the root, a form of wing articulation. This thesis covers some problems concerning the performance, stability and control of robotic aircraft with articulated wings in gliding flight. Specifically, we are interested in aircraft without a vertical tail, which would then use wing articulation for longitudinal as well as lateral-directional control. Although the dynamics and control of articulated wing aircraft share several common features with conventional fixed wing aircraft, the presence of wing articulation presents several unique benefits as well as limitations from the perspective of performance and control. One of the objective of this thesis is to understand these features using a combination of theoretical and numerical tools. The aircraft concept envisioned in this thesis uses the wing dihedral angles for longitudinal and lateral-directional control. Aircraft with flexible articulated wings are also investigated. We derive a complete nonlinear model of the flight dynamics incorporating dynamic CG location and the changing moment of inertia. We show that symmetric dihedral configuration, along with a conventional horizontal tail, can be used to control flight speed and flight path angle independently of each other. This characteristic is very useful for initiating an efficient perching maneuver. It is shown that wing dihedral angles alone can effectively regulate sideslip during rapid turns and generate a wide range of equilibrium turn rates while maintaining a constant flight speed and regulating sideslip. We compute the turning performance limitations that arise due to the use of wing dihedral for yaw control

  15. 3D-printing and mechanics of bio-inspired articulated and multi-material structures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Porter, Michael M; Ravikumar, Nakul; Barthelat, Francois; Martini, Roberto

    2017-09-01

    3D-printing technologies allow researchers to build simplified physical models of complex biological systems to more easily investigate their mechanics. In recent years, a number of 3D-printed structures inspired by the dermal armors of various fishes have been developed to study their multiple mechanical functionalities, including flexible protection, improved hydrodynamics, body support, or tail prehensility. Natural fish armors are generally classified according to their shape, material and structural properties as elasmoid scales, ganoid scales, placoid scales, carapace scutes, or bony plates. Each type of dermal armor forms distinct articulation patterns that facilitate different functional advantages. In this paper, we highlight recent studies that developed 3D-printed structures not only to inform the design and application of some articulated and multi-material structures, but also to explain the mechanics of the natural biological systems they mimic. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Computer Animation for Articulated 3D Characters

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kiss, S.

    2002-01-01

    We present a review of the computer animation literature, mainly concentrating on articulated characters and at least some degree of interactivity or real time simulation. Advances in dierent techniques such as key-frame, motion capture (also known as mocap), dynamics, inverse kinematics (IK),

  17. Experimental Engineering: Articulating and Valuing Design Experimentation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vallgårda, Anna; Grönvall, Erik; Fritsch, Jonas

    2017-01-01

    In this paper we propose Experimental Engineering as a way to articulate open- ended technological experiments as a legitimate design research practice. Experimental Engineering introduces a move away from an outcome or result driven design process towards an interest in existing technologies and...

  18. Re/membering: articulating cultural identity in Philippine fiction in English

    OpenAIRE

    Martin, Jocelyn S.

    2010-01-01

    This dissertation examines how Philippine (or Filipino) authors emphasise the need for articulating or “re/membering” cultural identity. The researcher mainly draws from the theory of Caribbean critic, Stuart Hall, who views cultural identity as an articulation which allows “the fragmented, decentred human agent” to be considered as one who is both “subject-ed” by power but/and one who is capable of acting against those powers (Grossberg 1996 [1986]: 157, emphasis mine). Applied to the Philip...

  19. Effects of Articulation Styles on Perception of Modulated Tempos in Violin Excerpts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geringer, John M.; Madsen, Clifford K.; Macleod, Rebecca B.

    2007-01-01

    We investigated effects of legato, staccato and pizzicato articulation styles on the perception of modulated tempos. Seventy-two music majors served as participants. Two solo violin excerpts were chosen with contrasting rhythmic rates and were recorded in all three articulation styles. Examples were presented to listeners in three conditions of…

  20. Modeling of rotary movement of the articulating crane with increased gaps in the hinge joints of the links

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lagerev I.A.

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The article made computer simulation of dynamics of hydraulic articulating cranes with fully rotary motion for the case when the cylindrical hinges have an increased gap. Considered the use of special damping devices to reduce shock loads due to the presence of increased gaps. In previously developed software package KBCrane performed a series of calcu-lations made it possible to establish the relationship between the stiffness and damping devices the effectiveness of their use in varying the magnitude of the gap. In the case of the rotary movement of the articulating crane, a comparative analysis of work of joints of the connection node of the boom and lifting device with no gap and with high gaps. The features of the damping devices work joints and cushioning. Conclusions on positive and negative sides of the use of elastic damping devices.

  1. Gender recognition from unconstrained and articulated human body.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Qin; Guo, Guodong

    2014-01-01

    Gender recognition has many useful applications, ranging from business intelligence to image search and social activity analysis. Traditional research on gender recognition focuses on face images in a constrained environment. This paper proposes a method for gender recognition in articulated human body images acquired from an unconstrained environment in the real world. A systematic study of some critical issues in body-based gender recognition, such as which body parts are informative, how many body parts are needed to combine together, and what representations are good for articulated body-based gender recognition, is also presented. This paper also pursues data fusion schemes and efficient feature dimensionality reduction based on the partial least squares estimation. Extensive experiments are performed on two unconstrained databases which have not been explored before for gender recognition.

  2. Gender Recognition from Unconstrained and Articulated Human Body

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Qin; Guo, Guodong

    2014-01-01

    Gender recognition has many useful applications, ranging from business intelligence to image search and social activity analysis. Traditional research on gender recognition focuses on face images in a constrained environment. This paper proposes a method for gender recognition in articulated human body images acquired from an unconstrained environment in the real world. A systematic study of some critical issues in body-based gender recognition, such as which body parts are informative, how many body parts are needed to combine together, and what representations are good for articulated body-based gender recognition, is also presented. This paper also pursues data fusion schemes and efficient feature dimensionality reduction based on the partial least squares estimation. Extensive experiments are performed on two unconstrained databases which have not been explored before for gender recognition. PMID:24977203

  3. Best Practices to Promote Diversity and Facilitate Inclusion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rosenthal, Mark A. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Snyder, Johann D. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2017-10-01

    The intent of this guide is to provide a set of “best practices” for leaders to promote diversity and facilitate inclusion within their organization and throughout Sandia National Laboratories. These “best practices” are derived from personal experiences and build upon existing resources at Sandia to help us effect change to realize an inclusive work environment. As leaders, we play a critical role in setting the vision and shaping the culture of the organization by communicating expectations and modeling inclusive behavior. The “best practices” in this guide are presented in the spirit of promoting a learning culture that values continuous improvement in the ongoing effort to make diversity and inclusion an integral part of all that we do at Sandia. This guide seeks to articulate the importance of leading through example, taking positive actions, raising awareness of practices that provide an inclusive environment, and creating a space that welcomes diverse perspectives and input.

  4. Promoting the health of Aboriginal Australians through empowerment: eliciting the components of the family well-being empowerment and leadership programme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laliberté, Arlene; Haswell, Melissa; Tsey, Komla

    2012-12-01

    Most policies addressing Aboriginal health in Australia promote initiatives that are based on empowerment principles. Articulated programme components are necessary to support personal and group empowerment and to assist individuals in gaining the sense of control and purposefulness needed to exert their political and personal power in the face of the severe stress and powerlessness faced by the Australian Aboriginal people. This paper aims to provide a detailed description of the mechanisms underpinning a 'bottom-up' empowerment initiative, the Family well-being empowerment and leadership programme (FWB), and to analyze how the programme supports empowerment. The five stages of FWB were described and the validity of this model was assessed through the combination of participatory observation, documentation analysis, literature review, semi-structured interviews and iterative feedback with different analytical perspectives. Our study results articulated four distinct programme components: the setting plus inter-relational, educational and experiential actions. FWB is an example of the promotion of both outcome and process pathways towards empowerment. Potential applications of the programme are discussed.

  5. Direct and indirect measures of speech articulator motions using low power EM sensors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barnes, T; Burnett, G; Gable, T; Holzrichter, J F; Ng, L

    1999-01-01

    Low power Electromagnetic (EM) Wave sensors can measure general properties of human speech articulator motions, as speech is produced. See Holzrichter, Burnett, Ng, and Lea, J.Acoust.Soc.Am. 103 (1) 622 (1998). Experiments have demonstrated extremely accurate pitch measurements ( and lt; 1 Hz per pitch cycle) and accurate onset of voiced speech. Recent measurements of pressure-induced tracheal motions enable very good spectra and amplitude estimates of a voiced excitation function. The use of the measured excitation functions and pitch synchronous processing enable the determination of each pitch cycle of an accurate transfer function and, indirectly, of the corresponding articulator motions. In addition, direct measurements have been made of EM wave reflections from articulator interfaces, including jaw, tongue, and palate, simultaneously with acoustic and glottal open/close signals. While several types of EM sensors are suitable for speech articulator measurements, the homodyne sensor has been found to provide good spatial and temporal resolution for several applications

  6. Articulating cultures: socio-cultural experiences of black female ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Articulating cultures: socio-cultural experiences of black female immigrant students in South African schools 1. ... Gender and Behaviour ... and worrisome issue is that of the erosion of the social and cultural mores of Black3 immigrant students.

  7. Ties That Bind: Default, Accreditation, and Articulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prager, Carolyn

    1995-01-01

    Examines changes in the accreditation environment and the resulting implications for the articulation of students from for-profit to not-for-profit institutions such as community colleges. Indicates that the costs of programmatic redundancy and duplication brought about by mission convergence at these institutions will emerge as a major policy…

  8. Perceptual Articulation in Three Middle Eastern Culture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amir, Yehuda

    1975-01-01

    Noting that one would expect that members of cultural groups whose modes of child rearing foster individual autonomy would achieve more articulated perceptual functioning rather than persons reared in societies where conformity and emotional dependence are stressed, this article discusses a study which compared two Israeli sub-groups and two…

  9. The School and the Articulation of Values.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lovin, Robin W.

    1988-01-01

    Value neutrality and values clarification fail to foster critical thinking about values. The values articulation approach identifies the rationality that is applied to value claims. It avoids noncognitivism and moral relativism and suggests ways the discussion of values in the classroom prepares students to deal with broader moral issues. (VM)

  10. Analysing co-articulation using frame-based feature trajectories

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Badenhorst, J

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available The authors investigate several approaches aimed at a more detailed understanding of co-articulation in spoken utterances. They find that the Euclidean difference between instantaneous frame-based feature values and the mean values of these features...

  11. Articulating Material Criteria

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hasling, Karen Marie

    2013-01-01

    , imitate and articulate the students’ inclusion of materials. This paper particularly discusses the experiences made and ideas generated after the execution of a material science course for second year students, with emphasis on the concept of the material selection matrix as an educational tool......This paper discusses the experiences and potentials with materials teaching at the Institute for Product Design at Kolding School of Design, using materials teaching as experiments in my PhD project. The project intents to create a stronger material awareness among product design students...... with emphasis on sustainability. The experiments aim to develop an understanding of, how product design students include materials in their design practice and how tools can be developed that further enhance this. Hence experiments are essential for the progress of the PhD project as they help to observe...

  12. From intricate to integrated : Biofabrication of articulating joints

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Groen, Wilhelmina Margaretha; Diloksumpan, Paweena; van Weeren, Paul René; Levato, Riccardo; Malda, Jos

    2017-01-01

    Articulating joints owe their function to the specialized architecture and the complex interplay between multiple tissues including cartilage, bone and synovium. Especially the cartilage component has limited self-healing capacity and damage often leads to the onset of osteoarthritis, eventually

  13. Hybrid markerless tracking of complex articulated motion in golf swings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fung, Sim Kwoh; Sundaraj, Kenneth; Ahamed, Nizam Uddin; Kiang, Lam Chee; Nadarajah, Sivadev; Sahayadhas, Arun; Ali, Md Asraf; Islam, Md Anamul; Palaniappan, Rajkumar

    2014-04-01

    Sports video tracking is a research topic that has attained increasing attention due to its high commercial potential. A number of sports, including tennis, soccer, gymnastics, running, golf, badminton and cricket have been utilised to display the novel ideas in sports motion tracking. The main challenge associated with this research concerns the extraction of a highly complex articulated motion from a video scene. Our research focuses on the development of a markerless human motion tracking system that tracks the major body parts of an athlete straight from a sports broadcast video. We proposed a hybrid tracking method, which consists of a combination of three algorithms (pyramidal Lucas-Kanade optical flow (LK), normalised correlation-based template matching and background subtraction), to track the golfer's head, body, hands, shoulders, knees and feet during a full swing. We then match, track and map the results onto a 2D articulated human stick model to represent the pose of the golfer over time. Our work was tested using two video broadcasts of a golfer, and we obtained satisfactory results. The current outcomes of this research can play an important role in enhancing the performance of a golfer, provide vital information to sports medicine practitioners by providing technically sound guidance on movements and should assist to diminish the risk of golfing injuries. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Modelling the results of health promotion activities in Switzerland: development of the Swiss Model for Outcome Classification in Health Promotion and Prevention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spencer, Brenda; Broesskamp-Stone, Ursel; Ruckstuhl, Brigitte; Ackermann, Günter; Spoerri, Adrian; Cloetta, Bernhard

    2008-03-01

    This paper describes the Model for Outcome Classification in Health Promotion and Prevention adopted by Health Promotion Switzerland (SMOC, Swiss Model for Outcome Classification) and the process of its development. The context and method of model development, and the aim and objectives of the model are outlined. Preliminary experience with application of the model in evaluation planning and situation analysis is reported. On the basis of an extensive literature search, the model is situated within the wider international context of similar efforts to meet the challenge of developing tools to assess systematically the activities of health promotion and prevention.

  15. Sectoral demand articulation : The case of emerging sensor technologies in the drinking water sector

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    te Kulve, Haico; Konrad, Kornelia Elke

    Demand articulation plays a central role in innovation processes as it reduces uncertainties for innovating firms and offers guidance in innovation processes. Studies into demand articulation processes have mostly focused on users and user-producer interactions and paid less attention to the role of

  16. Articulating uncertainty as part of scientific argumentation during model-based exoplanet detection tasks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Hee-Sun; Pallant, Amy; Pryputniewicz, Sarah

    2015-08-01

    Teaching scientific argumentation has emerged as an important goal for K-12 science education. In scientific argumentation, students are actively involved in coordinating evidence with theory based on their understanding of the scientific content and thinking critically about the strengths and weaknesses of the cited evidence in the context of the investigation. We developed a one-week-long online curriculum module called "Is there life in space?" where students conduct a series of four model-based tasks to learn how scientists detect extrasolar planets through the “wobble” and transit methods. The simulation model allows students to manipulate various parameters of an imaginary star and planet system such as planet size, orbit size, planet-orbiting-plane angle, and sensitivity of telescope equipment, and to adjust the display settings for graphs illustrating the relative velocity and light intensity of the star. Students can use model-based evidence to formulate an argument on whether particular signals in the graphs guarantee the presence of a planet. Students' argumentation is facilitated by the four-part prompts consisting of multiple-choice claim, open-ended explanation, Likert-scale uncertainty rating, and open-ended uncertainty rationale. We analyzed 1,013 scientific arguments formulated by 302 high school student groups taught by 7 teachers. We coded these arguments in terms of the accuracy of their claim, the sophistication of explanation connecting evidence to the established knowledge base, the uncertainty rating, and the scientific validity of uncertainty. We found that (1) only 18% of the students' uncertainty rationale involved critical reflection on limitations inherent in data and concepts, (2) 35% of students' uncertainty rationale reflected their assessment of personal ability and knowledge, rather than scientific sources of uncertainty related to the evidence, and (3) the nature of task such as the use of noisy data or the framing of

  17. Warm-Up Effect in Panelist-Articulated-2-Alternative Forced Choice Test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bloom, David J; Baik, Hwa-Young; Lee, Soo-Yeun

    2018-01-01

    Panelist performance in discrimination tests has been shown to increase when warm-up samples are provided prior to the actual test. Samples are used prior to the actual test for the attribute articulation process of a panelist-articulated-2-alternative forced choice (PA-2-AFC) procedure; however, it is yet unknown if the pretest articulation phase adds to the power of this testing method as with the warm-up. The goal of the study was to determine if a "warm-up" effect was displayed in the PA-2-AFC test resulting in greater power compared to the researcher-designated-2-AFC (RD-2-AFC) test. A RD-2-AFC test, with and without warm-up samples, and a PA-2-AFC test were performed by 61 panelists. A reduced calorie, citrus-flavored, and carbonated beverage was used in the tests. During RD-2-AFC testing, panelists were asked to identify which sample was more sour. For PA-2-AFC testing, panelists individually articulated the nature and direction of the difference between the 2 samples through a pretesting articulation procedure. The articulated difference was, then, used in standard 2-AFC test procedure. A warm-up effect was observed when comparing the standard RD-2-AFC with and without warm-up samples. The addition of warm up samples significantly increased the power of the test, in addition, the PA-2-AFC method had lower power than the RD-2-AFC method. The increase in power with the addition of warm-up samples for the RD-2-AFC procedure supports literature findings on the benefit of providing warm-up samples. No warm-up effect can be attributed to the PA-2-AFC method evidenced by the overall low power observed, which may be attributed to sample complexity. Selecting a specified discrimination testing method is advantageous and can reduce costs of sensory testing, but has been considered unpractical when samples may differ in unknown ways. This research explores the use of panelist derived terms to circumvent the need for researchers to identify these differences and

  18. The nature of articulation errors in Egyptian Arabic-speaking children with velopharyngeal insufficiency due to cleft palate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abou-Elsaad, Tamer; Baz, Hemmat; Afsah, Omayma; Mansy, Alzahraa

    2015-09-01

    Even with early surgical repair, the majority of cleft palate children demonstrate articulation errors and have typical cleft palate speech. Was to determine the nature of articulation errors of Arabic consonants in Egyptian Arabic-speaking children with velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI). Thirty Egyptian Arabic-speaking children with VPI due to cleft palate (whether primary repaired or secondary repaired) were studied. Auditory perceptual assessment (APA) of children speech was conducted. Nasopharyngoscopy was done to assess the velopharyngeal port (VPP) movements while the child was repeating speech tasks. Mansoura Arabic Articulation test (MAAT) was performed to analyze the consonants articulation of these children. The most frequent type of articulatory errors observed was substitution, more specifically, backing. Pharyngealization of anterior fricatives was the most frequent substitution, especially for the /s/ sound. The most frequent substituting sounds for other sounds were /ʔ/ followed by /k/ and /n/ sounds. Significant correlations were found between the degrees of the open nasality and VPP closure and the articulation errors. On the other hand, the sounds (/ʔ/,/ħ/,/ʕ/,/n/,/w/,/j/) were normally articulated in all studied group. The determination of articulation errors in VPI children could guide the therapists for designing appropriate speech therapy programs for these cases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Study on Roll Instability Mechanism and Stability Index of Articulated Steering Vehicles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xuefei Li

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This study examines the roll instability mechanism and stability index of articulated steering vehicles (ASVs by taking wheel loaders as the research object. A seven-degree-of-freedom nonlinear dynamics model of the ASVs is built on the basis of multibody dynamics. A physical prototype model of an ASV is designed and manufactured to validate the dynamic model. Test results reasonably agree with the simulation results, which indicates that the established dynamic model can reasonably describe ASV movements. Detailed analysis of the rollover stability of the wheel loader is performed with the use of the established dynamic model. Analysis results show that rollover will occur when the roll angular velocity exceeds a critical threshold, which is affected by lateral acceleration and slope angle. On this basis, a dynamic stability index applicable to the ASVs is presented.

  20. Informal work and formal plans: articulating the active role of patients in cancer trajectories

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dalsted, Rikke Juul; Hølge-Hazelton, Bibi; Brostrøm Kousgaard, Marius

    2012-01-01

    Introduction: Formal pathway models outline that patients should receive information in order to experience a coherent journey but do not describe an active role for patients or their relatives. The aim of this is paper is to articulate and discuss the active role of patients during their cancer ...... participation. When looking at integrated care from the perspective of patients, the development of a more holistic and personalized approach is needed....

  1. Informal work and formal plans: Articulating the active role of patients in cancer trajectories

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dalsted, R.; Hølge-Hazelton, Bibi; Kousgaard, MB

    2013-01-01

    Formal pathways models outline that patients should receive information in order to experience a coherent journey but do not describe an active role for patients or their relatives. The aim of this is paper is to articulate and discuss the active role of patients during their cancer trajectories........ When looking at integrated care from the perspective of patients, the development of a more holistic and personalized approach is needed....

  2. On Interlayer Stability and High-Cycle Simulator Performance of Diamond-Like Carbon Layers for Articulating Joint Replacements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kerstin Thorwarth

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Diamond like carbon (DLC coatings have been proven to be an excellent choice for wear reduction in many technical applications. However, for successful adaption to the orthopaedic field, layer performance, stability and adhesion in physiologically relevant setups are crucial and not consistently investigated. In vitro wear testing as well as adequate corrosion tests of interfaces and interlayers are of great importance to verify the long term stability of DLC coated load bearing implants in the human body. DLC coatings were deposited on articulating lumbar spinal disks made of CoCr28Mo6 biomedical implant alloy using a plasma-activated chemical vapor deposition (PACVD process. As an adhesion promoting interlayer, tantalum films were deposited by magnetron sputtering. Wear tests of coated and uncoated implants were performed in physiological solution up to a maximum of 101 million articulation cycles with an amplitude of ±2° and −3/+6° in successive intervals at a preload of 1200 N. The implants were characterized by gravimetry, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES and cross section scanning electron microscopy (SEM analysis. It is shown that DLC coated surfaces with uncontaminated tantalum interlayers perform very well and no corrosive or mechanical failure could be observed. This also holds true in tests featuring overload and third-body wear by cortical bone chips present in the bearing pairs. Regarding the interlayer tolerance towards interlayer contamination (oxygen, limits for initiation of potential failure modes were established. It was found that mechanical failure is the most critical aspect and this mode is hypothetically linked to the α-β tantalum phase switch induced by increasing oxygen levels as observed by X-ray diffraction (XRD. It is concluded that DLC coatings are a feasible candidate for near zero wear articulations on implants, potentially even surpassing the performance of ceramic vs

  3. Sensory integration dysfunction affects efficacy of speech therapy on children with functional articulation disorders

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tung LC

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Li-Chen Tung,1,# Chin-Kai Lin,2,# Ching-Lin Hsieh,3,4 Ching-Chi Chen,1 Chin-Tsan Huang,1 Chun-Hou Wang5,6 1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, 2Program of Early Intervention, Department of Early Childhood Education, National Taichung University of Education, Taichung, 3School of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 4Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, 5School of Physical Therapy, College of Medical Science and Technology, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, 6Physical Therapy Room, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan#These authors contributed equally Background: Articulation disorders in young children are due to defects occurring at a certain stage in sensory and motor development. Some children with functional articulation disorders may also have sensory integration dysfunction (SID. We hypothesized that speech therapy would be less efficacious in children with SID than in those without SID. Hence, the purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of speech therapy in two groups of children with functional articulation disorders: those without and those with SID.Method: A total of 30 young children with functional articulation disorders were divided into two groups, the no-SID group (15 children and the SID group (15 children. The number of pronunciation mistakes was evaluated before and after speech therapy.Results: There were no statistically significant differences in age, sex, sibling order, education of parents, and pretest number of mistakes in pronunciation between the two groups (P > 0.05. The mean and standard deviation in the pre- and posttest number of mistakes in pronunciation were 10.5 ± 3.2 and 3.3 ± 3.3 in the no-SID group, and 10.1 ± 2.9 and 6.9 ± 3.5 in the SID group, respectively. Results showed great changes after speech therapy treatment (F

  4. Heat transfer analysis of frictional heat dissipation during articulation of femoral implants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davidson, J A; Gir, S; Paul, J P

    1988-12-01

    Previous studies have shown the tendency for frictional heating to occur during articulation of total hip systems in vitro under simulated hip loading conditions. The magnitude of this heating is sufficient to accelerate wear, creep, and oxidation degradation of the UHMWPE bearing surface. It was shown that ceramic articulating systems generate less frictional heating than polished cobalt alloy against UHMWPE. This frictional heating is expected to occur primarily for younger, heavier, and more active patients. Thus, long-term performance of the articulating hip system in these patients may not be that predicted from current, body-temperature wear, creep, and degradation studies. Although the tendency to generate frictional heat has been observed only during in vitro simulated hip loading, a heat transfer analysis of this phenomenon is presented to evaluate the ability of the hip joint to dissipate such heating in vivo. Additional experiments were performed using controlled resistance heaters inside a cobalt femoral head to verify the calculated levels of frictional heat and to assess the heat dissipation under simulated in vivo conditions. The effect of blood perfusion on the effective thermal conductivity of the joint capsule is also discussed. The present study describes and analyzes the various heat dissipation mechanisms present both in vitro and in vivo during articulation of metal and ceramic hip systems. From these tests and analyses, it is concluded that frictional heating in the reconstructed hip cannot be effectively removed, and that degredative elevated temperature processes can be expected to occur in vivo to both the UHMWPE and adjacent tissue under extended periods of excessive patient activity. This is particularly true for metal cobalt alloy femoral heads articulating on UHMWPE versus ceramic heads which generate significantly lower levels of heat.

  5. Articulating addiction in alcohol and other drug policy: A multiverse of habits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fraser, Suzanne

    2016-05-01

    Concepts of addiction differ across time and place. This article is based on an international research project currently exploring this variation and change in concepts of addiction, in particular in the field of alcohol and other drug (AOD) use. Taking AOD policy in Australia and Canada as its empirical focus, and in-depth interviews with policy makers, service providers and advocates in each country as its key method (N=60), the article compares the addiction concepts articulated by professionals working in each setting. Drawing on Bruno Latour's theoretical work on the body and his proposal for a better science based on the 'articulation of differences', it explores the accounts of addiction offered across the Australian and Canadian project sites, identifying a shared dynamic in all: the juggling of difference and unity in discussions of the nature of addiction, its composite parts and how best to respond to it. The article maps two simultaneous trajectories in the data - one moving towards difference in participants' insistence on the multitude and diversity of factors that make up addiction problems and solutions, and the other towards unity in their tendency to return to narrow disease models of addiction in uncomfortable, sometimes dissonant, strategic choices. As I will argue, the AOD professionals interviewed for my project operate in two modes treated as distinct in Latour's proposal: in turning to reifying disease labels of addiction they take for granted, and work within, a 'universe of essences', but in articulating the multiplicity and diversity of addiction, they grope towards a vision of a 'multiverse of habits'. The article concludes by addressing this tension directly, scrutinising its practical implications for the development of policy and delivery of services in the future, asking how new thinking, and therefore new opportunities, might be allowed to emerge. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Frida Kahlo: Visual Articulations of Suffering and Loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nixon, Lois LaCivita

    1996-01-01

    Illustrates the value of interdisciplinary approaches to patient care by exploring visual articulations of suffering as rendered by one artist. Makes general observations about the nature of humanities courses offered to medical students and depicts a visual portrayal of an illness story representing personal perspectives about patient suffering…

  7. data sets Simulations in articulating light-weight PRS

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van den Berg, Bert

    2008-01-01

    The data sets are output of 3 different steps in the development a simulations of a PRS as described in chapter 3.3: Simulations in articulating light-weight PRS A case for Pedagogy-oriented and Rating-based Hybrid Recommendation Strategies Rob Nadolski, Bert van den Berg, Adriana Berlanga, Hans

  8. Existence of equilibria in articulated bearings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buscaglia, G.; Ciuperca, I.; Hafidi, I.; Jai, M.

    2007-04-01

    The existence of equilibrium solutions for a lubricated system consisting of an articulated body sliding over a flat plate is considered. Though this configuration is very common (it corresponds to the popular tilting-pad thrust bearings), the existence problem has only been addressed in extremely simplified cases, such as planar sliders of infinite width. Our results show the existence of at least one equilibrium for a quite general class of (nonplanar) slider shapes. We also extend previous results concerning planar sliders.

  9. Development of the promoting teacher attribution model for promoting science teachers' moral and ethical characteristics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chanprathak, Anusorn; Worakham, Paisan; Suikraduang, Arun

    2018-01-01

    The promotion science teacher attribution model to develop the moral and ethical characteristics was to analyze, synthesis, and develop the guidelines of the scoping study into concepts, theories and research related about the moral and ethics of characteristically teachers from the resources, including research papers, research articles related research, and interviews with luminaries of 9 members. Using interviews and document analysis, data analysis, content analysis, and present an essay was built. The promoting attributes a teacher, moral principles, concepts and theories involved and guidance of a qualified were developed. The Multiple-Attribute Consensus Reaching (MACR) from 12 educational experts were checked the suitability and feasibility of the model, the possibility of the manual with the research instruments consisted of the promotion model attributes the moral and ethics teacher's characteristics were evaluated, to guide the promotion attributes' model forms were assessed, the first edition of the manual data analysis, information obtained from the evaluation of the suitability and feasibility analysis model and guide for the average were administered. The results have found that; the promoting moral teacher attribute data to their moral and ethical characteristics was divided into two groups, priests and scholars. In both groups, the promotion attributes, focusing on teacher's groups is moral in nature to modify the idea to a change of attitude within the organism. Students got down to real experience; an analysis and synthesis face learning environments that cause cognitive skills to act as a self-realization possibly. The promotion model, moral principles, including the importance of the activities, objectives and evaluation methods were attributed. These core concepts learning theory and social cognitive theory, and integrated learning experience were comprised in five stages and four processes, namely; the intended, memory storage process, the

  10. Influence of tire inflating pressure at dynamic forces acting on articulated trolleybus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Polach Pavel

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available ŠKODA VÝZKUM s.r.o. cooperated on the development of the NEOPLAN DMA low-floor articulated trolleybus intended for the Boston city. Multibody models and finite element models of the trolleybus were utilized in the stage of the vehicle design. At the end of the stage of computer modelling and testing of the trolleybus prototype a decision to reduce tire inflating of vehicles in serial production (together with the change the type of shock absorbers used in trolleybus suspension was made. The impact of this change on forces acting in the trolleybus suspension elements (i.e. in air springs and shock absorbers and radius rods on the trolleybus chassis when running on an uneven test track was investigated using multibody simulations. Time histories of the forces calculated utilising multibody models were used as input data of the trolleybus finite element models.

  11. Kinematics study and workspace analysis of an articulated robotic arm of a rpar

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zeb, J.; Rashid, F.; Iqbal, N.

    2007-01-01

    An itinerant RPAR (Radiation Protection Assistant Robot) has been constructed to assist radiation workers in radiation area which are radiologically hazardous and beyond tile safe approach of radiation workers. The RPAR comprises of a cubicle tri- wheeled platform and a 4-DOF (Four Degree of Freedom) serial type articulated robotic arm. The movement of the platform is controlled by two differential wheeled driving systems. The Kinematics and Manipulator Jacobian of the end-effector (gripper) of the articulated robotic arm mounted on the RPAR were evaluated. The work space analyses of the articulated robotic arm have been carried out. The RPAR is helpful for surveillance of radiation zones, to pick and carry dropdown radioactive samples and sources, in routine radiological operations as well as during an emergency response to a radiological accident. The performance of the RPAR was found satisfactory. (author)

  12. The effect of skeletal pattern on determining articulator settings for prosthodontic rehabilitation: an in vivo study.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Canning, Tom

    2011-01-01

    During extensive prosthodontic treatment, the use of an accurately adjusted articulator is recommended to simulate mandibular movements. This clinical study was undertaken to assess any possible effect of the underlying skeletal pattern on programming articulator settings.

  13. DISORDERS OF THE SOUND ARTICULATION IN PRETERM CHILDREN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vesela MILANKOV

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Speech and language development is a good indicator of child’s cognitive development. The risk factors influencing development and functioning of prematurely born children are multiple. In addition to articulation disorder, there are motoric, conginitive and social aspects of delayed development. Premature babies are born before they physically ready to leave the womb. However, most babies born after about 26 weeks of gestational age have chances for survival, but they are at a greater risk of medical complications, since the earlier children are born, the less developed their organs are. Aim: To demonstrate basic parameters, establish differences, determine characteristics of disorder of sound articulation in fullterm and preterm children. Methodology: Research was conducted at the Clinics of Child’s Habilitation and Rehabilitation in Novi Sad. The prospective research study was carried out comprising 61 children with mean age of 4 years. The study inclusion criteria were gestational age and birth weight. Regarding these parameters, the children without major neurlologic or system disabilities were included, and they were Serbian speaking. The sample comprised 31 children with GS≥38 weeks and body weight of ≥3000 g, while the preterm group comprised 30 children with GS≤32 weeks and body weight of ≤1500 g. Results of the study indicate to a difference between fullterm children and preterm children with regard to articulation disorders, of which the statistically significant was a sound distortion. The overall sample showed that the substitution with distortion was most frequent disorder, while the interdental sigmatism was the most represented one. Conclusion: The obtained results lead to conclusion that preterm children, being a high-risk group, need to be followed up by age two, and provided timely proffesional help at pre-school age, since numerous adverse factors affect their overall development.

  14. An Adaptive Supervisory Sliding Fuzzy Cerebellar Model Articulation Controller for Sensorless Vector-Controlled Induction Motor Drive Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shun-Yuan Wang

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the implementation of an adaptive supervisory sliding fuzzy cerebellar model articulation controller (FCMAC in the speed sensorless vector control of an induction motor (IM drive system. The proposed adaptive supervisory sliding FCMAC comprised a supervisory controller, integral sliding surface, and an adaptive FCMAC. The integral sliding surface was employed to eliminate steady-state errors and enhance the responsiveness of the system. The adaptive FCMAC incorporated an FCMAC with a compensating controller to perform a desired control action. The proposed controller was derived using the Lyapunov approach, which guarantees learning-error convergence. The implementation of three intelligent control schemes—the adaptive supervisory sliding FCMAC, adaptive sliding FCMAC, and adaptive sliding CMAC—were experimentally investigated under various conditions in a realistic sensorless vector-controlled IM drive system. The root mean square error (RMSE was used as a performance index to evaluate the experimental results of each control scheme. The analysis results indicated that the proposed adaptive supervisory sliding FCMAC substantially improved the system performance compared with the other control schemes.

  15. Conceptual design main progress of EAST Articulated Maintenance Arm (EAMA) system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shi, Shanshuang, E-mail: shiss@ipp.ac.cn [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China); Laboratory of Intelligent Machines, Lappeenranta University of Technology (Finland); Song, Yuntao; Cheng, Yong [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China); Villedieu, Eric; Bruno, Vincent [CEA-IRFM, F-13108 Saint-Paul-Lez-Durance (France); Feng, Hansheng [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China); Wu, Huapeng [Laboratory of Intelligent Machines, Lappeenranta University of Technology (Finland); Wang, Peng [State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Hao, Zhiwei; Li, Yang; Wang, Kun; Pan, Hongtao [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China)

    2016-03-15

    Highlights: • EAST Articulated Maintenance Arm (EAMA) system is being collaboratively developed by ASIPP and CEA-IRFM. • Conceptual design for a 3-DOF wrist end effector with gripper has been finished. • Kinematic design can reach 90% of the workspace inside EAST tokamak vessel. • A prototype of EAMA arm segment has been built to validate the design. - Abstract: EAST articulated maintenance arm (EAMA) system is being collaboratively developed by ASIPP and CEA-IRFM for the purpose of remote inspection and simple maintenance operations in EAST vacuum vessel during physical experiments without breaking the ultra-high vacuum condition. The EAMA system design is based on a similar articulated inspection arm robot successfully demonstrated in Tore Supra in 2008. In order to better meet EAST configurations and maintenance requirements, optimized mechanisms and dimensions are considered for EAMA robot as upgrades. Besides, the segmented arm is equipped with a 3-DOF wrist end effector and gripper for gripping operation as well as inspection. Some calculations and simulations on statics, kinematics and workspace of EAMA have been presented to validate the feasibility. This paper introduces the overall design of the EAMA robot and presents implementation progress.

  16. Conceptual design main progress of EAST Articulated Maintenance Arm (EAMA) system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shi, Shanshuang; Song, Yuntao; Cheng, Yong; Villedieu, Eric; Bruno, Vincent; Feng, Hansheng; Wu, Huapeng; Wang, Peng; Hao, Zhiwei; Li, Yang; Wang, Kun; Pan, Hongtao

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • EAST Articulated Maintenance Arm (EAMA) system is being collaboratively developed by ASIPP and CEA-IRFM. • Conceptual design for a 3-DOF wrist end effector with gripper has been finished. • Kinematic design can reach 90% of the workspace inside EAST tokamak vessel. • A prototype of EAMA arm segment has been built to validate the design. - Abstract: EAST articulated maintenance arm (EAMA) system is being collaboratively developed by ASIPP and CEA-IRFM for the purpose of remote inspection and simple maintenance operations in EAST vacuum vessel during physical experiments without breaking the ultra-high vacuum condition. The EAMA system design is based on a similar articulated inspection arm robot successfully demonstrated in Tore Supra in 2008. In order to better meet EAST configurations and maintenance requirements, optimized mechanisms and dimensions are considered for EAMA robot as upgrades. Besides, the segmented arm is equipped with a 3-DOF wrist end effector and gripper for gripping operation as well as inspection. Some calculations and simulations on statics, kinematics and workspace of EAMA have been presented to validate the feasibility. This paper introduces the overall design of the EAMA robot and presents implementation progress.

  17. Competence articulation: Alignment of competences and responsibilities in synchronous telemedical collaboration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Simon Bo; Bardram, Jakob Eyvind

    2008-01-01

    . In particular, we want to look at the dynamic quality of competences, and investigate how competence is mutually developed in coordinated work. We have termed this process competence articulation, a concept which tries to emphasize competence as well as social development of competence as part of cooperation......Many studies and concepts within CSCW deal with the temporal, spatial, social, and computational aspects of supporting collaborative work. In this paper we want to pay attention to another central aspect to the achievement of collaborative work, namely the competence of the people involved...... communication options for competence articulation, which again improve collaboration and thus the quality of the treatment....

  18. Characterization of prokaryotic and eukaryotic promoters usinghidden Markov models

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Anders Gorm; Baldi, Pierre; Brunak, Søren

    1996-01-01

    In this paper we utilize hidden Markov models (HMMs) and information theory to analyze prokaryotic and eukaryotic promoters. We perform this analysis with special emphasis on the fact that promoters are divided into a number of different classes, depending on which polymerase-associated factors...... that bind to them. We find that HMMs trained on such subclasses of Escherichia coli promoters (specifically, the so-called sigma-70 and sigma-54 classes) give an excellent classification of unknown promoters with respect to sigma-class. HMMs trained on eukaryotic sequences from human genes also model nicely...

  19. Mapping Emplaced Articulated Concrete Mattress Using Geoelectrical and Electromagnetic Techniques

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Sjostrom, Keith

    1998-01-01

    Articulated concrete mattresses (ACM) are structures placed parallel to the river current for the purpose of stabilizing the concave banks in river bends, reduce the effects of erosion, and maintain the river channel...

  20. Automation and traction control of articulated vehicles

    OpenAIRE

    Andersson, Ulf

    2013-01-01

    Articulated machines such as load-haul-dump machines, wheel loaders and haulers operate in many different environments and driving conditions. In particular they need to be able to perform well with road conditions and loads that can change drastically, setting hard requirements on performances and robustness. The control challenges for off-road vehicles are hence quite different from standard cars or trucks, which mostly drive on regular roads. An important aspect characterising this is the ...

  1. The effect of emotion on articulation rate in persistence and recovery of childhood stuttering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erdemir, Aysu; Walden, Tedra A; Jefferson, Caswell M; Choi, Dahye; Jones, Robin M

    2018-06-01

    This study investigated the possible association of emotional processes and articulation rate in pre-school age children who stutter and persist (persisting), children who stutter and recover (recovered) and children who do not stutter (nonstuttering). The participants were ten persisting, ten recovered, and ten nonstuttering children between the ages of 3-5 years; who were classified as persisting, recovered, or nonstuttering approximately 2-2.5 years after the experimental testing took place. The children were exposed to three emotionally-arousing video clips (baseline, positive and negative) and produced a narrative based on a text-free storybook following each video clip. From the audio-recordings of these narratives, individual utterances were transcribed and articulation rates were calculated. Results indicated that persisting children exhibited significantly slower articulation rates following the negative emotion condition, unlike recovered and nonstuttering children whose articulation rates were not affected by either of the two emotion-inducing conditions. Moreover, all stuttering children displayed faster rates during fluent compared to stuttered speech; however, the recovered children were significantly faster than the persisting children during fluent speech. Negative emotion plays a detrimental role on the speech-motor control processes of children who persist, whereas children who eventually recover seem to exhibit a relatively more stable and mature speech-motor system. This suggests that complex interactions between speech-motor and emotional processes are at play in stuttering recovery and persistency; and articulation rates following negative emotion or during stuttered versus fluent speech might be considered as potential factors to prospectively predict persistence and recovery from stuttering. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. The Minnesota Articulation Project and Its Proficiency-Based Assessments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chalhoub-Deville, Micheline

    1997-01-01

    Reports on the Minnesota Articulation Project, providing an overview of the projects' three principal working groups: political action, curriculum, and assessment. The article then outlines the theoretical underpinnings of the proficiency-based assessment instruments developed in French, German, and Spanish and describes in detail the content and…

  3. Limits and articulations between modalities and meditative as markers of utterance responsibility in academic text

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorge Luis Queiroz Carvalho

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available In this work we aim to identify and describe the markers of utterance responsibility in academic texts through modality and mediative. The theoretical and methodological approach we follow is based on textual analysis of discourses postulates according to Adam (2011. Our theoretical background is also based on Rabatel (2009 studies on the utterance responsibility; Campos (2004 and Castilho & Castilho (2002 on the category of modalities, Guentchèva (1994 regarding the meditative category, and Neves (2012, which promotes a discussion that articulates both categories. The analysis showed that speakers-utterers (S1/U1 base their points of view on the second utterer's points of view (U2. We also observed that S1/U1 expressed different degrees of engagement in relation to the information reported, assuming or imputing the utterance responsibility

  4. Tribology considerations for hip joint articulations in relation to the "new orthopaedic patient".

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rieker, C B

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of this review is to examine alternative bearings used in total hip arthroplasty (THA) and discuss the specific tribologic needs of the "New Orthopaedic Patient". As orthopaedic patients today are younger and more active, there is a clear need for hip joint implants and articulations minimising the amount of wear and guarantying better stability. Recent modern developments in tribology with highly cross-linked polyethylenes and hard-on-hard bearings allow the safe and effective use of larger diameter articulations in THA.

  5. The history of articulators: the wonderful world of "grinders," Part 2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Starcke, Edgar N; Engelmeier, Robert L

    2012-04-01

    This is the second article in a three-part series on the history of denture grinding devices. The first article reviewed the earliest attempts to mechanically grind the occlusion of artificial teeth from the manipulation of simple articulators to very elaborate and complex machines powered by hand cranks. This article explores motor-driven grinders, most driven by way of a belt-driven pulley powered by an external source. A few were self-contained; that is, the motor was mounted on the grinder base. There were basically two types of grinders: those with cast holders for mounting processed dentures and those with provisions for using articulators for that purpose. © 2012 by the American College of Prosthodontists.

  6. Data-driven importance distributions for articulated tracking

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hauberg, Søren; Pedersen, Kim Steenstrup

    2011-01-01

    We present two data-driven importance distributions for particle filterbased articulated tracking; one based on background subtraction, another on depth information. In order to keep the algorithms efficient, we represent human poses in terms of spatial joint positions. To ensure constant bone le...... filter, where they improve both accuracy and efficiency of the tracker. In fact, they triple the effective number of samples compared to the most commonly used importance distribution at little extra computational cost....

  7. Development of a Wave Energy -Responsive Self-Actuated Blade Articulation Mechanism for an OWC Turbine

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Francis A. Di Bella

    2010-06-01

    The Phase I SBIR effort completed the feasibility design, fabrication, and wind tunnel testing of a self-actuated blade articulation mechanism that uses a torsion bar and a lightweight airfoil to affect the articulation of the Wells airfoil. The articulation is affected only by the air stream incident on the airfoil. The self-actuating blade eliminates the complex and costly linkage mechanism that is now needed to perform this function on either a variable pitch Wells-type or Dennis-Auld air turbine. Using the results reported by independent researchers, the projected improvement in the Wells-type turbine efficiency is 20-40%, in addition to an increase in the operating air flow range by 50-100%, therefore enabling a smaller or slower single turbine to be used.

  8. Metatarsalgia located by synovitis and uncertainty of the articulation metatarsus-phalanges of the II toe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gerstner G, Juan Bernardo

    2002-01-01

    The synovitis and the uncertainty of the articulation metatarsus-phalanges (MP) of the II toe they are the causes more frequent of metatersalgia located in this articulation of the foot, frequently bad diagnosed and not well managed by the general orthopedist. The natural history understands stadiums so precocious as the synovitis without alteration of peri-articular structures, going by the frank uncertainty, and finishing with the angular deformities and the complete luxation of the articulation MP. The meticulous and directed interrogation, the physical exam specifies and the classification of the diagnostic they are the keys for the successful handling of the pathology. The surgical correction of this condition should always be associated to the correction of associate deformities as the hallux valgus and the fingers in claw

  9. Syllable reduction and articulation rates in Danish, Norwegian and Swedish

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hilton, N.H.; Schüppert, Anja; Gooskens, C.S.

    2011-01-01

    This investigation compares articulation rates of phonological and phonetic syllables in Norwegian, Swedish and Danish to investigate differences in degrees of syllable deletion (reduction) among these three languages. For the investigation two sets of data are used: one consisting of recorded

  10. COMPARATIVE ANALISYS OF ARTICULATION AND PHONOLOGY DISORDERS IN FUNCTION OF DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana POPOSKA

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Sound expression is the first impression of speech and language. Whatever its origin, false pronunciation is the first sign. In the early school years of developmental speech – if a language disorder appears, it is often followed by the disruption of the phonological – articulation segment.This research aims to establish and compare frequency, type, and every articulate and acoustic characteristics of the disordered sound in both children with Dyslalia, as well as those with SLI.This micro investigation was done using 71 examinees ages 6 to 8. Thirty-five examinees were with Dyslalia and 36 had SLI. Their achievements are underlined using comparative analysis, tested with two relevant tests.Some of the more important conclusions are:Children with Dyslalia mostly showed distorted sounds, while those with SLI mostly substituted the disordered sound. In Dyslalia, fricatives were most affected, but in the case of SLI, all sound groups were disordered usually. In both tested groups, the type of disorder was due to the misplacement of sound formation. All children having articulation disorders while also having sound discrimination have not only phonetic contrasts, but were also being influenced by the rest of the linguistic aspects.

  11. The "ACA Code of Ethics": Articulating Counseling's Professional Covenant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ponton, Richard F.; Duba, Jill D.

    2009-01-01

    The "ACA Code of Ethics" (American Counseling Association, 2005) is an articulation of the ever-changing relationship between counseling professionals and society. It provides clear parameters of behaviors to meet the changing needs of the people counselors are called to serve. This article reviews the 2005 "Code" as both a statement of counselor…

  12. Design of articulated mechanisms with a degree of freedom constraint using global optimization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kawamoto, Atsushi; Stolpe, Mathias

    2004-01-01

    This paper deals with design of articulated mechanisms using a truss ground structure representation. The considered mechanism design problem is to maximize the output displacement for a given input force by choosing a prescribed number of truss elements out of all the available elements, so...... that the resultant mechanism has one mechanical degree of freedom when supported in a statically determinate manner. The mechanical degree of freedom constraint is included since it is essential for obtaining a proper articulated mechanism design. The Green-Lagrange strain measure is used to accommodate for large...

  13. The impact of brief restriction to articulation on children's subsequent speech production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seidl, Amanda; Brosseau-Lapré, Françoise; Goffman, Lisa

    2018-02-01

    This project explored whether disruption of articulation during listening impacts subsequent speech production in 4-yr-olds with and without speech sound disorder (SSD). During novel word learning, typically-developing children showed effects of articulatory disruption as revealed by larger differences between two acoustic cues to a sound contrast, but children with SSD were unaffected by articulatory disruption. Findings suggest that, when typically developing 4-yr-olds experience an articulatory disruption during a listening task, the children's subsequent production is affected. Children with SSD show less influence of articulatory experience during perception, which could be the result of impaired or attenuated ties between perception and articulation.

  14. Impairment of vowel articulation as a possible marker of disease progression in Parkinson's disease.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sabine Skodda

    Full Text Available PURPOSE: The aim of the current study was to survey if vowel articulation in speakers with Parkinson's disease (PD shows specific changes in the course of the disease. METHOD: 67 patients with PD (42 male and 40 healthy speakers (20 male were tested and retested after an average time interval of 34 months. Participants had to read a given text as source for subsequent calculation of the triangular vowel space area (tVSA and vowel articulation index (VAI. Measurement of tVSA and VAI were based upon analysis of the first and second formant of the vowels /α/, /i/and /u/ extracted from defined words within the text. RESULTS: At first visit, VAI values were reduced in male and female PD patients as compared to the control group, and showed a further decrease at the second visit. Only in female Parkinsonian speakers, VAI was correlated to overall speech impairment based upon perceptual impression. VAI and tVSA were correlated to gait impairment, but no correlations were seen between VAI and global motor impairment or overall disease duration. tVSA showed a similar reduction in the PD as compared to the control group and was also found to further decline between first and second examination in female, but not in male speakers with PD. CONCLUSIONS: Measurement of VAI seems to be superior to tVSA in the description of impaired vowel articulation and its further decline in the course of the disease in PD. Since impairment of vowel articulation was found to be independent from global motor function but correlated to gait dysfunction, measurement of vowel articulation might have a potential to serve as a marker of axial disease progression.

  15. E-Portfolios Rescue Biology Students from a Poorer Final Exam Result: Promoting Student Metacognition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haave, Neil

    2016-01-01

    E-portfolios have the potential to transform students' learning experiences. They promote reflection on the significance of what and how students have learned. Such reflective practices enhance students' ability to articulate their knowledge and skills to their peers, teachers, and future employers. In addition, e-portfolios can help assess the…

  16. Characterization of prokaryotic and eukaryotic promoters using hidden Markov models

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Anders Gorm; Baldi, P.; Chauvin, Y.

    1996-01-01

    In this paper we utilize hidden Markov models (HMMs) and information theory to analyze prokaryotic and eukaryotic promoters. We perform this analysis with special emphasis on the fact that promoters are divided into a number of different classes, depending on which polymerase-associated factors...... that bind to them. We find that HMMs trained on such subclasses of Escherichia coli promoters (specifically, the so-called sigma 70 and sigma 54 classes) give an excellent classification of unknown promoters with respect to sigma-class. HMMs trained on eukaryotic sequences from human genes also model nicely...

  17. Articulation and Noncomprehension Signaling in Adolescent and Adult Males with Down Syndrome and Fragile X Syndrome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fedak, Larissa Ann

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not decreased articulation of speech played a role in the ability of an individual with Down syndrome or Fragile X syndrome to signal noncomprehension and whether the two groups differed in their levels of articulation of speech and noncomprehension signaling ability. The research was conducted…

  18. A case study in nonlinear dynamics and control of articulated spacecraft: The Space Station Freedom with a mobile remote manipulator system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bennett, William H.; Kwatny, Harry G.; Lavigna, Chris; Blankenship, Gilmer

    1994-01-01

    The following topics are discussed: (1) modeling of articulated spacecraft as multi-flex-body systems; (2) nonlinear attitude control by adaptive partial feedback linearizing (PFL) control; (3) attitude dynamics and control for SSF/MRMS; and (4) performance analysis results for attitude control of SSF/MRMS.

  19. The Effects of Head-Up Display (HUD) Pitch Ladder Articulation, Pitch Number Location and Horizon Line Length on Unusual Attitude Recoveries for the F-16

    Science.gov (United States)

    1990-07-01

    No comment . ’D. No comment . E. The best display was the partially articulated HUD. F. Only pitch bars below the horizon should be articulated. G. Fully articulated pitch bars were the best. H. Fully articulated configuration was easiest to quickly determine which direction to the horizon. I. No comment . J. Fully articulated HUD gave instant feedback on which way to pull to the horizon, K. No comment . L. Definite difference using the full articulation. 2. The following zomments are

  20. The superior precentral gyrus of the insula does not appear to be functionally specialized for articulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fedorenko, Evelina; Fillmore, Paul; Smith, Kimberly; Bonilha, Leonardo; Fridriksson, Julius

    2015-04-01

    Broca (Broca P. Bull Soc Anat Paris 36: 330-357, 1861) influentially argued that posterior left inferior frontal gyrus supports speech articulation. According to an alternative proposal (e.g., Dronkers NF. Nature 384: 159-161, 1996; Wise RJ, Greene J, Buchel C, Scott SK. Lancet 353: 1057-1061, 1999; Baldo JV, Wilkins DP, Ogar J, Willock S, Dronkers NF. Cortex 47: 800-807, 2011), a region in the anterior insula [specifically, the superior precentral gyrus of the insula (SPGI)] is the seat of articulatory abilities. Moreover, Dronkers and colleagues have argued that the SPGI is functionally specialized for (complex) speech articulation. Here, we evaluate this claim using individual-subject functional MRI (fMRI) analyses (e.g., Fedorenko E, Hsieh PJ, Nieto-Castanon A, Whitfield-Gabrieli S, Kanwisher N. J Neurophysiol 104: 1177-1194, 2010). We find that the SPGI responds weakly, if at all, during articulation (parts of Broca's area respond 3-4 times more strongly) and does not show a stronger response to higher articulatory demands. This holds regardless of whether the SPGI is defined functionally (by selecting the most articulation-responsive voxels in the vicinity of the SPGI in each subject individually) or anatomically (by using masks drawn on each individual subject's anatomy). Critically, nonspeech oral movements activate the SPGI more strongly than articulation, especially under the anatomical definition of the SPGI. In line with Hillis et al. (Hillis AE, Work M, Barker PB, Jacobs MA, Breese EL, Maurer K. Brain 127: 1479-1487, 2004; also Trupe L, Varma DD, Gomez Y, Race D, Leigh R, Hillis AE, Gottesman RF. Stroke 44: 740-744, 2013), we argue that previous links between the SPGI, and perhaps anterior insula more generally, and articulation may be due to its high base rate of ischemic damage (and activation in fMRI; Yarkoni T, Poldrack RA, Nichols TE, Van Essen DC, Wager TD. Nat Methods 8: 665-670, 2011), combined with its proximity to regions that more directly

  1. An Articulated Inspection Arm for fusion purposes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Villedieu, E., E-mail: eric.villedieu@cea.fr [CEA-IRFM, 13108 Saint Paul lez Durance (France); Bruno, V.; Pastor, P.; Gargiulo, L. [CEA-IRFM, 13108 Saint Paul lez Durance (France); Song, Y.T.; Cheng, Y.; Feng, H. [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei (China); Liu, C. [CEA-IRFM, 13108 Saint Paul lez Durance (France); Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei (China); Shi, S.S. [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei (China)

    2016-11-01

    Highlights: • Requirements for in vacuum tokamak inspection are presented. • Development of a prototype of the Articulated Inspection Arm is described. • The upgrade of the prototype to convert it into a fully operational device is detailed. • Future applications of inspection robots in the new fusion reactors is discussed. - Abstract: Fusion Tokamaks are complex machines which require special conditions for their operation, in particular, high vacuum inside the vessel and high temperature of the vessel walls. During plasma phases, the first wall components are highly stressed and a control is necessary in case of doubt about their condition. To be able to make safely such an inspection in a short period of time is a great advantage. The Articulated Inspection Arm (AIA) developed by the CEA provides the capability for fast inspections of the first wall overall surface keeping the vacuum and temperature conditions of the vessel. The robot prototype was validated in Tore Supra in 2008. In the frame of a joint laboratory, CEA/IRFM and ASIPP have decided to upgrade the existing AIA prototype to use it routinely in the EAST and WEST tokamaks. The robot has followed an important upgrade program in 2013 and 2014. The document presents the various upgrades made on the mechanics, the sensors, the electronics, the control station and the integration adaptation for the operation on EAST. From the AIA experience, thoughts for future inspection robots are given.

  2. An Articulated Inspection Arm for fusion purposes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Villedieu, E.; Bruno, V.; Pastor, P.; Gargiulo, L.; Song, Y.T.; Cheng, Y.; Feng, H.; Liu, C.; Shi, S.S.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Requirements for in vacuum tokamak inspection are presented. • Development of a prototype of the Articulated Inspection Arm is described. • The upgrade of the prototype to convert it into a fully operational device is detailed. • Future applications of inspection robots in the new fusion reactors is discussed. - Abstract: Fusion Tokamaks are complex machines which require special conditions for their operation, in particular, high vacuum inside the vessel and high temperature of the vessel walls. During plasma phases, the first wall components are highly stressed and a control is necessary in case of doubt about their condition. To be able to make safely such an inspection in a short period of time is a great advantage. The Articulated Inspection Arm (AIA) developed by the CEA provides the capability for fast inspections of the first wall overall surface keeping the vacuum and temperature conditions of the vessel. The robot prototype was validated in Tore Supra in 2008. In the frame of a joint laboratory, CEA/IRFM and ASIPP have decided to upgrade the existing AIA prototype to use it routinely in the EAST and WEST tokamaks. The robot has followed an important upgrade program in 2013 and 2014. The document presents the various upgrades made on the mechanics, the sensors, the electronics, the control station and the integration adaptation for the operation on EAST. From the AIA experience, thoughts for future inspection robots are given.

  3. Modeling of the condyle elements within a biomechanical knee model

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ribeiro, Ana; Rasmussen, John; Flores, Paulo

    2012-01-01

    The development of a computational multibody knee model able to capture some of the fundamental properties of the human knee articulation is presented. This desideratum is reached by including the kinetics of the real knee articulation. The research question is whether an accurate modeling of the...

  4. Gender Recognition from Unconstrained and Articulated Human Body

    OpenAIRE

    Wu, Qin; Guo, Guodong

    2014-01-01

    Gender recognition has many useful applications, ranging from business intelligence to image search and social activity analysis. Traditional research on gender recognition focuses on face images in a constrained environment. This paper proposes a method for gender recognition in articulated human body images acquired from an unconstrained environment in the real world. A systematic study of some critical issues in body-based gender recognition, such as which body parts are informative, ho...

  5. Impairment of Vowel Articulation as a Possible Marker of Disease Progression in Parkinson's Disease

    OpenAIRE

    Skodda, Sabine; Grönheit, Wenke; Schlegel, Uwe

    2012-01-01

    PURPOSE: The aim of the current study was to survey if vowel articulation in speakers with Parkinson's disease (PD) shows specific changes in the course of the disease. METHOD: 67 patients with PD (42 male) and 40 healthy speakers (20 male) were tested and retested after an average time interval of 34 months. Participants had to read a given text as source for subsequent calculation of the triangular vowel space area (tVSA) and vowel articulation index (VAI). Measurement of tVSA and VAI were ...

  6. A Facile Technique to Make Articulating Spacers for Infected Total Knee Arthroplasty

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu-Ping Su

    2009-03-01

    Conclusion: Treating infected total knee arthroplasty with these self-made articulating spacers eradicates infection effectively, improves the life quality before reimplantation and provides good final results without significant complications.

  7. PENGEMBANGAN MODEL SEKOLAH SEHAT (HEALTH PROMOTING SCHOOL DI DAERAH MISKIN PERKOTAAN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andryansyah Arifin

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available It is known that there was strong relation between health status of primary school students and school records. A health­ promoting school was, whether all members of school community work together to provide students with an integrated positive experiences and structures which promote and protect their health.These include both formal and informal curriculum in health, creation of a safe and healthy school environment, provision of appropriate health services and involvement of family and wider commmunities was in efforts to promote health. The objectives of, this study is to develop a model of health promoting school at poor urban areas which included to measure student knowledge and attitude, nutrition intake, and role of school teacher in health promotion. A stratified mulitistage randomized pre-post test control groups design was used in this study. Duration of this study was 3 years (2001-2003 and the location at 9 primary schools (6 intervention schools and 3 control schools in Semarang, Surakarta, Denpasar municipalities and Kendal district. Results of this study showed that students knowledge and atitude toward health were improved significantly as well as nutrition intake at intervention groups. This improvement was caused by the role of school teachers in health promotion which was integrated in daily learning process. Based on this results a model of health promoting school has been developed. It recommends to implement this health promoting school model at wider areas and to provide school teachers completed with health promotion manuals.   Keywords: model, health promoting school

  8. Does working memory change with age? The interactions of concurrent articulation with the effects of word length and acoustic confusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bireta, Tamra J; Fine, Hope C; Vanwormer, Lisa A

    2013-01-01

    The effects of acoustic confusion (phonological similarity), word length, and concurrent articulation (articulatory suppression) are cited as support for Working Memory's phonological loop component (e.g., Baddeley, 2000 , Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, 7, 544). Research has focused on younger adults, with no studies examining whether concurrent articulation reduces the word length and acoustic confusion effects among older adults. In the current study, younger and older adults were given lists of similar and dissimilar letters (Experiment 1) or long and short words (Experiment 2) for immediate serial reconstruction of order. Items were presented visually or auditorily, with or without concurrent articulation. As expected, younger and older adults demonstrated effects of acoustic confusion, word length, and concurrent articulation. Further, concurrent articulation reduced the effects of acoustic confusion and word length equally for younger and older adults. This suggests that age-related differences occur in overall performance, but do not reflect an age-related deficiency in the functioning of the phonological loop component of working memory.

  9. Effects of Internet Sales Promotion on a Differential Advertising Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hui Jiang

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Advertising and sales promotion are two important specific marketing communications tools. In this paper, Internet sales promotion is introduced into a differential advertising model and investigated quantitatively. The conditions for the existence and stability of periodic solutions are obtained. Flip bifurcation of periodic solution is investigated analytically. The results show that the sales promotion parameter can modify the stability of the differential advertising model and lead to chaos through flip bifurcation, the sales level will eventually be no less than a given value by adjusting the value of the sales promotion parameter, and the optimal sales promotion strategy can lead to maximum profit. Numerical results for periodic solutions, bifurcation diagrams, and the effects of sales promotion strategies, which are illustrated with an example, are in good agreement with the theoretical analysis. These results have certain significant theoretical and practical value in related markets.

  10. Hemispheric Language Dominance of Language-Disordered, Articulation-Disordered, and Normal Children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pettit, John M.; Helms, Suzanne B.

    1979-01-01

    The hemispheric dominance for language of three groups of six- to nine- year-olds (ten language-disordered, ten articulation-disordered, and ten normal children) was compared, and two dichotic listening tests (digits and animal names) were administered. (Author/CL)

  11. Dynamics of an articulated shell type flexible rotor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suleman, M.; Khan, M.Z.; Nazeer, M.M.

    2001-01-01

    An ultra high speed articulated shell type flexible rotor supported by low stiffness flexible bearing encounters a number of dynamic problems while traversing towards or from the service speed. The major and critical problems that arise are: Synchronous and Sub-synchronous vibration due to instabilities. Structural resonances and rubs due to eccentricities of structure and magnetic bearing. The symptoms of these troubles, their root causes and remedial measures are highlighted and discussed in this work. (author)

  12. Articulation Speaks to Executive Function: An Investigation in 4- to 6-Year-Olds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicole Netelenbos

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Executive function (EF and language learning play a prominent role in early childhood development. Empirical research continues to point to a concurrent relation between these two faculties. What has been given little attention, however, is the association between EF and speech articulation abilities in children. This study investigated this relation in children aged 4–6 years. Significant correlations indicated that children with better EF [via parental report of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF inventory] exhibited stronger speech sound production abilities in the articulation of the “s” and “sh” sounds. Furthermore, regression analyses revealed that the Global Executive Composite (GEC of EF as measured by the BRIEF, served as a predictor for speech sound proficiency and that speech sound proficiency served as a predictor for the GEC. Together, these results demonstrate the imbricated nature of EF and speech sound production while bearing theoretical and practical implications. From a theoretical standpoint, the close link between EF and speech articulation may indicate a common ontogenetic pathway. From a practical perspective, the results suggest that children with speech difficulties could be at higher risk for EF deficits.

  13. Articulated Multimedia Physics, Lesson 3, The Arithmetic of Scientific Notation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    New York Inst. of Tech., Old Westbury.

    As the third lesson of the Articulated Multimedia Physics Course, instructional materials are presented in this study guide. An introductory description is given for scientific notation methods. The subject content is provided in scrambled form, and the use of matrix transparencies is required for students to control their learning process.…

  14. The Effect of Articulation Style on Perception of Modulated Tempo

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geringer, John M.; Madsen, Clifford K.; MacLeod, Rebecca B.; Kevin Droe

    2006-01-01

    We investigated the effect of legato and staccato articulation styles on the perception of modulated tempos. Ninety music majors served as participants. Listeners heard music examples that had been selected from two pieces, each of which included staccato and legato passages. Excerpts were presented to listeners in three conditions of tempo…

  15. Promotion Models and Achievements of New-energy Automobiles in Shenzhen

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Yu; Xiong, Siqin; Bai, Bo; Ma, Xiaoming

    2017-08-01

    As one of the pilot cities in China for demonstration and promotion of new-energy automobiles, Shenzhen, driven by the “two engines” of the government and the market, has made swift progress in promotion of its new-energy automobiles. This paper analyses Shenzhen’s governmental promotion policy concerning new-energy automobiles, summarizes Shenzhen’s commercial models for promoting new-energy automobiles, and is expected to provide reference for other provinces and cities to promote new-energy automobiles.

  16. Compromising Composition: Articulating Quality and Practice in Distance Education Policy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carnegie, Teena A. M.

    Policies exist in every aspect of people's lives from the landlord's policy on pets to the government's policy on literacy. As such, policy becomes the ideal place to begin to examine the articulation of distance education because policy inevitably marks the site where different kinds of political discourses and social practices intersect. By…

  17. State Articulated Instructional Objectives Guide for Occupational Education Programs. State Pilot Model for Automotive Mechanics (DCC V-003) and Automotive Mechanics (High School).

    Science.gov (United States)

    North Carolina State Dept. of Community Colleges, Raleigh.

    This articulation instructional objective guide for automotive mechanics contains summary information on fifteen blocks (courses) of instruction. They are introduction to automotive technology; lubrication and vehicle operating maintenance; cooling system maintenance and repair; automobile heater maintenance and repair; braking system maintenance…

  18. Malocclusion and articulation disorders in mouth breathing children from public schools in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Maria Toniolo da Silva

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To verify the occurrence and types of malocclusion and articulation disorders in mouth breathing children at public schools.Methods: An evaluation was made of 219 children of both genders, between 5 and 12 years of age, attending two public schools in the city of Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil; with 121 mouth breather children being selected for this study. Orthodontic and phonoaudiological evaluation were made to verify the breathing mode and presence or absence of malocclusion and articulation disorders.Results: It was observed that 100% of the mouth breather children presented malocclusion, 49.60% being Angle’s Class II, 48.76% ClassI and 1.65% Class III. It was also verified that 18.2% of the mouth breather children presented articulation disturbance. Conclusion: All mouth breathing children presented some type of malocclusion, the majority being Angle’s Class II, followed by Class I. The articulation disorders most frequently observed was anterior lisping.

  19. A highly articulated robotic surgical system for minimally invasive surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ota, Takeyoshi; Degani, Amir; Schwartzman, David; Zubiate, Brett; McGarvey, Jeremy; Choset, Howie; Zenati, Marco A

    2009-04-01

    We developed a novel, highly articulated robotic surgical system (CardioARM) to enable minimally invasive intrapericardial therapeutic delivery through a subxiphoid approach. We performed preliminary proof of concept studies in a porcine preparation by performing epicardial ablation. CardioARM is a robotic surgical system having an articulated design to provide unlimited but controllable flexibility. The CardioARM consists of serially connected, rigid cyclindrical links housing flexible working ports through which catheter-based tools for therapy and imaging can be advanced. The CardioARM is controlled by a computer-driven, user interface, which is operated outside the operative field. In six experimental subjects, the CardioARM was introduced percutaneously through a subxiphoid access. A commercial 5-French radiofrequency ablation catheter was introduced through the working port, which was then used to guide deployment. In all subjects, regional ("linear") left atrial ablation was successfully achieved without complications. Based on these preliminary studies, we believe that the CardioARM promises to enable deployment of a number of epicardium-based therapies. Improvements in imaging techniques will likely facilitate increasingly complex procedures.

  20. Prevention of violence against women: challenges in the articulation of an intersetorial network

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patrícia Krieger Grossi

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available This article has the objective of highlighting the importance of sectoriality action in the prevention of violence against women through the articulation of different social actors concerned and committed to the reduction of the violence against women rates, and consequently with a more fair and equal society. These challenges in the articulation of the network of protection services for women in domestic violence are illustrated by the managers of the social welfare policies, coordinators of women´s policies and professionals that work in Reference Centers for Women, Reference Centers of Social Welfare (CRAS and Specialized Reference Center of Social Welfare (CREAS in municipalities of the State of Rio Grande do Sul.

  1. Articulating social science in the wild of global natures?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Blok, Anders

    2014-01-01

    Building on multisited ethnographic case studies, this paper seeks to contrastively compare the demonstration and articulation formats of two social science expert cultures—economics and anthropology—enrolled ‘in the wild’ of transnational environmental politics. How, the paper asks, do different......) similarities, related to credible expert demonstrations in transnational environmental contexts. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of this claim for STS self-reflection on its politics of methods....

  2. Dynamically adapted context-specific hyper-articulation: Feedback from interlocutors affects speakers’ subsequent pronunciations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buz, Esteban; Tanenhaus, Michael K.; Jaeger, T. Florian

    2016-01-01

    We ask whether speakers can adapt their productions when feedback from their interlocutors suggests that previous productions were perceptually confusable. To address this question, we use a novel web-based task-oriented paradigm for speech recording, in which participants produce instructions towards a (simulated) partner with naturalistic response times. We manipulate (1) whether a target word with a voiceless plosive (e.g., pill) occurs in the presence of a voiced competitor (bill) or an unrelated word (food) and (2) whether or not the simulated partner occasionally misunderstands the target word. Speakers hyper-articulated the target word when a voiced competitor was present. Moreover, the size of the hyper-articulation effect was nearly doubled when partners occasionally misunderstood the instruction. A novel type of distributional analysis further suggests that hyper-articulation did not change the target of production, but rather reduced the probability of perceptually ambiguous or confusable productions. These results were obtained in the absence of explicit clarification requests, and persisted across words and over trials. Our findings suggest that speakers adapt their pronunciations based on the perceived communicative success of their previous productions in the current environment. We discuss why speakers make adaptive changes to their speech and what mechanisms might underlie speakers’ ability to do so. PMID:27375344

  3. Effects of joint alignment and type on mechanical properties of thermoplastic articulated ankle-foot orthosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Fan; Carlton, William; Kapp, Susan

    2011-06-01

    Articulated or hinged ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) allow more range of motion. However, quantitative investigation on articulated AFO is still sparse. The objective of the study was to quantitatively investigate effects of alignment and joint types on mechanical properties of the thermoplastic articulated AFO. Tamarack dorsiflexion assist flexure joints with three durometers (75, 85 and 95) and free motion joint were tested. The AFO joint was aligned with the center of the motor shaft (surrogate ankle joint), 10 mm superior, inferior, anterior and posterior with respect to the motor shaft center. The AFO was passively moved from 20° plantar flexion to 15° dorsiflexion at a speed of 10°/s using a motorized device. Mechanical properties including index of hysteresis, passive resistance torque and quasi-static stiffness (at neutral, 5°, 10° and 15° in plantar flexion) were quantified. Significant effects of joint types and joint alignment on the mechanical properties of an articulated thermoplastic AFO were revealed. Specifically, center alignment showed minimum resistance and stiffness while anterior and posterior alignment showed significantly higher resistance and stiffness. The dorsiflexion assist torques at neutral position ranged from 0.69 ± 0.09 to 1.88 ± 0.10 Nm. Anterior and posterior alignment should be avoided as much as possible. The current study suggested that anterior and posterior alignment be avoided as much as possible in clinical practice due to potential skin irritation and increase in stress around the ankle joint.

  4. Promoting Dignity: The Ethical Dimension of Health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buchanan, David R

    2016-01-01

    The article examines the limitations of a strict scientific account of the causes of unhealthy behaviors, based on the standards promoted in evidence-based medicine, where randomized controlled trials are seen to provide the gold standard for establishing the validity of different explanations. The article critiques this account based on its disputed assumption that human free will does not exist, and thus, human autonomy and moral responsibility are an illusion. By denying human autonomy, the naturalistic paradigm also denies the possibility of human dignity. In contrast, the article describes and explains a humanistic account of human agency where human beings are characterized by the capacity to choose how to live their lives based on values that matter. Based on this humanistic framework, the article explains why dignity is an essential dimension of human health and well-being and describes key research challenges in moving the field of health promotion in a more humanistic direction. The article concludes with the recommendation to expand the goal of health promotion beyond physical fitness and to reorient the methods of research toward articulating values that matter and promoting human dignity. © The Author(s) 2016.

  5. Sometimes it does hurt to ask: the constructive role of articulating impressions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Lee C; Pothos, Emmanuel M; Busemeyer, Jerome R

    2014-10-01

    Decisions can sometimes have a constructive role, so that the act of, for example, choosing one option over another creates a preference for that option (e.g., Ariely & Norton, 2008; Payne, Bettman, & Johnson, 1993; Sharot, Velasquez, & Dolan, 2010; Sherman, 1980). In this work we explore the constructive role of just articulating an impression, for a presented visual stimulus, as opposed to making a choice (specifically, the judgments we employ are affective evaluations). Using quantum probability theory, we outline a cognitive model formalizing such a constructive process. We predict a simple interaction, in relation to how a second image is evaluated, following the presentation of a first image, depending on whether there is a rating for the first image or not. The interaction predicted by the quantum model was confirmed across three experiments and a variety of control manipulations. The advantages of using quantum probability theory to model the present results, compared with existing models of sequence order effects in judgment (e.g., Hogarth & Einhorn, 1992) or other theories of constructive processes when a choice is made (e.g., Festinger, 1957; Sharot et al., 2010) are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Transforming Bloom's Taxonomy into Classroom Practice: A Practical yet Comprehensive Approach to Promote Critical Reading and Student Participation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mulcare, Daniel M.; Shwedel, Allan

    2017-01-01

    This article presents the Critical Reading Topics approach, a pedagogical method employed to promote deep thinking in a variety of politics courses. Derived from principles articulated in active learning, critical thinking, backward design, and flipped classroom literature, this method utilizes Bloom's Taxonomy as the scaffolding for students to…

  7. La partera profesional: articulating identity and cultural space for a new kind of midwife in Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis-Floyd, R

    2001-01-01

    This article documents the emergence of a new kind of midwife in Mexico, the thoroughly postmodern partera profesional. It traces the transnational conjunctures that facilitated her creation, illustrates aspects of her philosophy and praxis, and probes her ongoing articulations of identity. These women, who are of diverse sociocultural backgrounds, initially sought training from American direct-entry midwives in the independent out-of-hospital midwifery model; now, they are adapting that model to the situation in Mexico. Through their own practices, through intensive liaison work with traditional midwives, and through organizing national midwifery conferences and meetings, they are creating midwifery as both incipient profession and nascent social movement. Some of them operate outside the medical system while others are carving a niche within it. The mere existence of these self-consciously activist midwives constitutes a critique of monological Mexican medicine and its high cesarean rates; however, these women face a long struggle to define their identities, legalize their practices, and generate a sustainable space within the emergent Mexican technocracy. To their intense dismay, this struggle must take place within the context of the escalating disappearance of the traditional midwives whom they seek to support. The tension they feel between their desire to preserve traditional midwifery and their desire to create professional midwifery is a recurrent theme. These goals alternately complement and conflict with one another, yet both are central to the partera profesional's ongoing efforts at identity articulation.

  8. Encouraging Student Reflection and Articulation Using a Learning Companion: A Commentary

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodman, Bradley; Linton, Frank; Gaimari, Robert

    2016-01-01

    Our 1998 paper "Encouraging Student Reflection and Articulation using a Learning Companion" (Goodman et al. 1998) was a stepping stone in the progression of learning companions for intelligent tutoring systems (ITS). A simulated learning companion, acting as a peer in an intelligent tutoring environment ensures the availability of a…

  9. Lightweight design of a vertical articulated robot using topology optimization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hong, Seong Ki; Hong, Jung Ki; Jang, Gang Won [Sejong Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Tae Hyun; Park, Jin Kyun; Kim, Sang Hyun [Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd., Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-12-15

    Topology optimization is applied for the lightweight design of three main parts of a vertical articulated robot: a base frame, a lower and a upper frame. Design domains for optimization are set as large solid regions that completely embrace the original parts, which are discretized by using three dimensional solid elements. Design variables are parameterized one to one to the material properties of each element by using the SIMP method. The objective of optimization is set as the multi objective form combining the natural frequencies and mean compliances of a structure for which load steps of interest are selected from the multibody dynamics analysis of a robot. The obtained results of topology optimization are post processed to designs favorable to manufacturability for casting process. The final optimized results are 11.0% (base frame), 12.0% (lower frame) and 10.0% (upper frame) lighter with similar or even higher static and dynamic stiffnesses than the original models.

  10. Theoretical models for development competence of health protection and promotion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cesnaviciene J.

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The competence of health protection and promotion are mentioned in various legislative documents that regulate areas of education and health policy. The researches on health conditions of Lithuania Country's population disclosed the deteriorating health status of the society, even of the children. It has also been found that the focus on health education is not adequate. The number of National and International health programmes have been realized and educational methodological tools prepared in Lithuania, however the insufficient attention to the health promotion models is been noticed. The objectiveof this article is to discuss the theoretical models used in health education field. The questions to be answered: what theoretical models are used in order to development competence of health protection and promotion? Who does employ particular models? What are the advantages of various models? What conceptions unite and characterize theoretical models? The analysis of scientific literature revealed the number of diverse health promotion model; however none of them is dominant. Some of the models focus on intrapersonal, others on interpersonal or community level but in general they can be distinguished as cognitive – behavioural models which are characterized by three main conceptions: 1 the healthy living is determined by the perceived health related knowledge: what is known and understood would influence the behaviour; 2 the knowledge in healthy living field is essential but insufficient condition for behaviour change; 3 the great influence to healthy living life style is done by perception, motivation, skills and habits as well as social environment. These are the components that are typical to all theoretical models and that reflect the hole of the conditions influencing healthy living.

  11. Gender Recognition from Unconstrained and Articulated Human Body

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qin Wu

    2014-01-01

    human body images acquired from an unconstrained environment in the real world. A systematic study of some critical issues in body-based gender recognition, such as which body parts are informative, how many body parts are needed to combine together, and what representations are good for articulated body-based gender recognition, is also presented. This paper also pursues data fusion schemes and efficient feature dimensionality reduction based on the partial least squares estimation. Extensive experiments are performed on two unconstrained databases which have not been explored before for gender recognition.

  12. Building Health Promotion Capacity in Developing Countries: Strategies from 60 Years of Experience in the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howze, Elizabeth H.; Auld, M. Elaine; Woodhouse, Lynn D.; Gershick, Jessica; Livingood, William C.

    2009-01-01

    The Galway Consensus Conference articulated key definitions, principles, values, and core domains of practice as the foundation for the diffusion of health promotion across the globe. The conference occurred in the context of an urgent need for large numbers of trained health workers in developing countries, which face multiple severe threats to…

  13. Introductory Biology Students’ Conceptual Models and Explanations of the Origin of Variation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaw, Neil; Momsen, Jennifer; Reinagel, Adam; Le, Paul; Taqieddin, Ranya; Long, Tammy

    2014-01-01

    Mutation is the key molecular mechanism generating phenotypic variation, which is the basis for evolution. In an introductory biology course, we used a model-based pedagogy that enabled students to integrate their understanding of genetics and evolution within multiple case studies. We used student-generated conceptual models to assess understanding of the origin of variation. By midterm, only a small percentage of students articulated complete and accurate representations of the origin of variation in their models. Targeted feedback was offered through activities requiring students to critically evaluate peers’ models. At semester's end, a substantial proportion of students significantly improved their representation of how variation arises (though one-third still did not include mutation in their models). Students’ written explanations of the origin of variation were mostly consistent with their models, although less effective than models in conveying mechanistic reasoning. This study contributes evidence that articulating the genetic origin of variation is particularly challenging for learners and may require multiple cycles of instruction, assessment, and feedback. To support meaningful learning of the origin of variation, we advocate instruction that explicitly integrates multiple scales of biological organization, assessment that promotes and reveals mechanistic and causal reasoning, and practice with explanatory models with formative feedback. PMID:25185235

  14. Simulated stability tests of a small articulated tractor designed for extreme-sloped vineyards

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F. Mazzetto

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available A new reversible wheeled articulated tractor, designed to work in terraced vineyards trained with “pergola” system, common in mountain areas, is here described in its latest version and analysed through numerical simulations. This tractor has small dimensions, necessary to operate in that environment, and its central articulation has two rotational degrees-offreedom. The described features are surely strong design points but could be critical for vehicle’s stability, as affecting the supporting base’s dimensions and shape. Therefore, the tractor was equipped with a new automatic safety system: a self-locking articulation activated by contact sensors on the wheels. This device makes the vehicle partially-rigid in case of lateral unbalancing, so that rollover can happen only by overcoming the whole vehicle mass. A mathematical description of vehicle-ground interactions was implemented to deeply inquiry the tractor behaviour in different configurations (straight, angled at increasing values of ground slope; roll and pitch stability indexes were then computed and used for comparisons with conventional tractors. Thanks to the low centre-of-gravity, the resulting rollover angle with the vehicle in straight configuration is promising (43.8°→96%: it is greater than the maximum lateral (20°→36% and frontal (38°→78% slope angle ever recorded on terraced vineyards. The same rollover angle is lower when the tractor turns.

  15. Articulated, Performance-Based Instruction Objectives Guide for Automotive Mechanics. Final Document. Revised.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henderson, William Edward, Jr.

    Developed during a project designed to provide continuous, performance-based vocational training at the secondary and postsecondary levels, this instructional guide is intended to help teachers implement a laterally and vertically articulated secondary level automotive mechanics program. Introductory materials include descriptions of Automotive…

  16. Contribution to the automatic command in robotics - Application to the command by microprocessors of the articulated systems; Contribution a la commande automatique en robotique. Application a la commande par microprocesseurs des manipulateurs articules

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Al Mouhamed, Mayez

    1982-01-29

    The first part of the present paper deals with the main methods of changing the coordinates for a general articulated system. After a definition of the coordinates changing, we propose a coordination system designed for easy programming of the movements. Its characteristic is to permit the action anywhere on the manipulated object. The second part deals with the force regulation problem. For this purpose we have developed a general force sensor. The informations delivered by the sensor are used by force regulators which are intended for the automatic assembly of subsystems. In the third part the dynamic problem of the articulated systems is exposed. We present a new method which allows to determine dynamic parameters from appropriate motions of the robot. These parameters are then used to implement the dynamic control. Several applications, using the powerful microprocessor INTEL 8086 and its arithmetic coprocessor 8087, are presented, in order to demonstrate the performances gained. (author) [French] Dans la premiere partie de ce memoire, nous exposons les principales methodes de changement de coordonnees pour un systeme articule general. Apres une definition adequate de ce dernier, nous proposons un systeme de coordination permettant une programmation facile des mouvements. Sa caracteristique est de prendre comme centre d'action un point quelconque de l'objet manipule. Dans la deuxieme partie, nous etudions la regulation en effort. Pour cela nous avons developpe un capteur de forces general. Les informations que delivre ce dernier sont utilisees par des regulateurs d'effort adaptes au contexte de l'assemblage automatique des pieces. Dans la troisieme partie, nous exposons une nouvelle methode de commande dynamique des systemes articules. Nous obtenons des parametres dynamiques du robot a partir de mouvements appropries. Ces derniers sont ensuite utilises dans l'elaboration des commandes. Des applications utilisant le microprocesseur INTEL 8086 avec son

  17. Promotion time cure rate model with nonparametric form of covariate effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Tianlei; Du, Pang

    2018-05-10

    Survival data with a cured portion are commonly seen in clinical trials. Motivated from a biological interpretation of cancer metastasis, promotion time cure model is a popular alternative to the mixture cure rate model for analyzing such data. The existing promotion cure models all assume a restrictive parametric form of covariate effects, which can be incorrectly specified especially at the exploratory stage. In this paper, we propose a nonparametric approach to modeling the covariate effects under the framework of promotion time cure model. The covariate effect function is estimated by smoothing splines via the optimization of a penalized profile likelihood. Point-wise interval estimates are also derived from the Bayesian interpretation of the penalized profile likelihood. Asymptotic convergence rates are established for the proposed estimates. Simulations show excellent performance of the proposed nonparametric method, which is then applied to a melanoma study. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  18. Articulating current service development practices: a qualitative analysis of eleven mental health projects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jun, Gyuchan Thomas; Morrison, Cecily; Clarkson, P John

    2014-01-17

    The utilisation of good design practices in the development of complex health services is essential to improving quality. Healthcare organisations, however, are often seriously out of step with modern design thinking and practice. As a starting point to encourage the uptake of good design practices, it is important to understand the context of their intended use. This study aims to do that by articulating current health service development practices. Eleven service development projects carried out in a large mental health service were investigated through in-depth interviews with six operation managers. The critical decision method in conjunction with diagrammatic elicitation was used to capture descriptions of these projects. Stage-gate design models were then formed to visually articulate, classify and characterise different service development practices. Projects were grouped into three categories according to design process patterns: new service introduction and service integration; service improvement; service closure. Three common design stages: problem exploration, idea generation and solution evaluation - were then compared across the design process patterns. Consistent across projects were a top-down, policy-driven approach to exploration, underexploited idea generation and implementation-based evaluation. This study provides insight into where and how good design practices can contribute to the improvement of current service development practices. Specifically, the following suggestions for future service development practices are made: genuine user needs analysis for exploration; divergent thinking and innovative culture for idea generation; and fail-safe evaluation prior to implementation. Better training for managers through partnership working with design experts and researchers could be beneficial.

  19. Combination therapy with intra-articular injection of mesenchymal stem cells and articulated joint distraction for repair of a chronic osteochondral defect in the rabbit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harada, Yohei; Nakasa, Tomoyuki; Mahmoud, Elhussein Elbadry; Kamei, Goki; Adachi, Nobuo; Deie, Masataka; Ochi, Mitsuo

    2015-10-01

    The present study investigated intra-articular injection of bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) combined with articulated joint distraction as treatment for osteochondral defects. Large osteochondral defects were created in the weight-bearing area of the medial femoral condyle in rabbit knees. Four weeks after defect creation, rabbits were divided into six groups: control group, MSC group, distraction group, distraction + MSC group, temporary distraction group, and temporary distraction + MSC group. Groups with MSC received intra-articular injection of MSCs. Groups with distraction underwent articulated distraction arthroplasty. Groups with temporary distraction discontinued the distraction after 4 weeks. The rabbits were euthanized at 4, 8, and 12 weeks after treatment except temporary distraction groups which were euthanized at only 12 weeks. Histological scores in the distraction + MSC group were significantly better than in the control, MSC group or distraction group at 4 and 8 weeks, but showed no further improvement. At 12 weeks, the temporary distraction + MSC group showed the best results, demonstrating hyaline cartilage repair with regeneration of the osteochondral junction. In conclusion, joint distraction with intra-articular injection of MSCs promotes early cartilage repair, and compressive loading of the repair tissue after temporary distraction stimulates articular cartilage regeneration. © 2015 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. The Effect of Otitis Media on Articulation in Children with Cerebral Palsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van der Vyver, Marguerite; And Others

    1988-01-01

    A study involving 20 Afrikaans-speaking children with cerebral palsy found that recurrent otitis media in early childhood had a negative effect on articulation abilities of the 7 to 11-year-old children but that other factors such as intelligence also played a role. (JDD)

  1. Dynamics of an advertising competition model with sales promotion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Hui; Feng, Zhaosheng; Jiang, Guirong

    2017-01-01

    In this paper, an advertising competition model with sales promotion is constructed and investigated. Conditions of the existence and stability of period-T solutions are obtained by means of the discrete map. Flip bifurcation is analyzed by using the center manifold theory and three sales promotion strategies are discussed. Example and numerical simulations are illustrated which agree well with our theoretical analysis.

  2. [The temporo-mandibular articulation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dargaud, J; Vinkka-Puhakka, H

    2004-04-01

    The standing posture of humans has created both morphological and functional adaptations in the temporo-mandibular joint and the masticatory function. This biped state is the one of the most important characteristic of human evolution. It is furthermore the agent determining most of the functional changes in the whole body. This survey will be carried out in several levels including, a descriptive anatomy, biomechanics, radiological imaging, functioning in the articulation of TMJ. The descriptive anatomic picture will be obtained by the traditional dissection techniques. 20 TMJ joints are dissected from 10 cadavers: 7 cadavers, 65-75 year old, 3 cadavers, 60-65 year old. The x-rays are lateral view and the subjects of the radiological imaging are young's, adults and olds: 1, 3 y-old Male; 1, 7 y-old Female; 1, 14 y-old Female; 10, 19-23 y-old Male; 1, 26 y-old Female; 1, 34 y-old Male; 1, 75 y-old Female. The anatomic elements in the TMJ well resembled the ones described in the literature of the capsule, the ligament, the masticator muscles (masseter, temporal, medial and lateral pterygoids). The temporo-mandibular ligament proved to be difficult to separate from the capsule in some of the specimens. Sometimes it was not always found after a dissection.

  3. Articulation prostheses made of polymers which are improved by ionizing radiations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gaussens, G.; Nicaise, M.; Tran, K.O.

    1981-10-01

    Articulation prostheses for the human body are generally made of the couple very high molecular weight polyethylene-special steels. Polyethylene properties are modified by ionizing radiations: creep resistance is improved and friction coefficient is decreased. Modifications are controlled by the choice of radiation dose and dose rate. Wear tests have been made on hip prostheses [fr

  4. Development of an integrated closed loop control system with virtual reality monitoring for Prototype Robotic Articulated System (PRAS)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rastogi, Naveen; Dutta, Pramit; Gotewal, K.K.

    2015-01-01

    The Prototype Robotic Articulated System (PRAS) is a servo driven 4 degrees of freedom robotic arm capable of handling of upto 5 kg payload. A virtual reality based monitoring application has been developed in blender and was intergrated with the control system to read the joint values of the robotic arm at 10Hz and update the CAD model to visualize the robotic operations remotely. This paper presents the design details and implementation results of the integrated control system for PRAS

  5. The Articulation of Secondary and Post-Secondary Vocational Education Programs. Workshop Products.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keene State Coll., NH.

    As a result of the cooperative efforts in articulation by secondary/postsecondary instructor teams, six packages representing the occupational areas of child care, culinary arts, electronics, health occupations, power mechanics, and industrial welding were developed. Each package contains the following three components: a series of job titles…

  6. Design and characterization of a multi-articulated robotic bat wing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bahlman, Joseph W; Swartz, Sharon M; Breuer, Kenneth S

    2013-01-01

    There are many challenges to measuring power input and force output from a flapping vertebrate. Animals can vary a multitude of kinematic parameters simultaneously, and methods for measuring power and force are either not possible in a flying vertebrate or are very time and equipment intensive. To circumvent these challenges, we constructed a robotic, multi-articulated bat wing that allows us to measure power input and force output simultaneously, across a range of kinematic parameters. The robot is modeled after the lesser dog-faced fruit bat, Cynopterus brachyotis, and contains seven joints powered by three servo motors. Collectively, this joint and motor arrangement allows the robot to vary wingbeat frequency, wingbeat amplitude, stroke plane, downstroke ratio, and wing folding. We describe the design, construction, programing, instrumentation, characterization, and analysis of the robot. We show that the kinematics, inputs, and outputs demonstrate good repeatability both within and among trials. Finally, we describe lessons about the structure of living bats learned from trying to mimic their flight in a robotic wing. (paper)

  7. Articulations of eroticism and race: Domestic service in Latin America

    OpenAIRE

    Wade, Peter

    2013-01-01

    'Service', particularly 'domestic service', operates as a specific articulation or intersection of processes of race, class, gender and age that reiterates images of the sexual desirability of some women racially marked by blackness or indigeneity in Latin America. The sexualisation of racially subordinated people has been linked to the exercise of power. This article focuses on an aspect of subordination related to the condition of being a servant, and the 'domestication' and 'acculturation'...

  8. Articulated Multimedia Physics, Lesson 14, Gases, The Gas Laws, and Absolute Temperature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    New York Inst. of Tech., Old Westbury.

    As the fourteenth lesson of the Articulated Multimedia Physics Course, instructional materials are presented in this study guide with relation to gases, gas laws, and absolute temperature. The topics are concerned with the kinetic theory of gases, thermometric scales, Charles' law, ideal gases, Boyle's law, absolute zero, and gas pressures. The…

  9. Health promotion in context – a reflective-analytical model

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Liveng, Anne; Andersen, Heidi Lene; Lehn-Christiansen, Sine

    2018-01-01

    model,” which is presented in this article. The model provides a framework for the analysis of health-promotion initiatives, employing eight perspectives each intertwined with the others. It is based on the assumption that health and health inequities are contextual and that the theoretically inspired...

  10. The Effects of Otitis Media on Articulation. Final Report for 1982-1983.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roberts, Joanne Erwick

    The study examined the relationship in 44 preschoolers (considered to have varying degrees of predicted risk for poor school performance) between otitis media (middle ear disease) during the first 3 years of life and speech production (articulation) during preschool and school age years. Speech production accuracy was assessed by the number of…

  11. Transfer and Articulation Issues between California Community Colleges and California State University

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tucker, Linda

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: The primary purpose of this study was to discover common transfer and articulation practices and to determine what practices aid in the implementation of the STAR Act between California Community Colleges and the California State University. The review of literature revealed a lack of research on the application of practices in transfer…

  12. Technical feasibility of personalized articulating knee joint distraction for treatment of tibiofemoral osteoarthritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Struik, T; Jaspers, J E N; Besselink, N J; van Roermund, P M; Plomp, S; Rudert, M J; Lafeber, F P J G; Mastbergen, S C

    2017-11-01

    Knee osteoarthritis is a highly prevalent degenerative joint disorder characterized by joint tissue damage and pain. Knee joint distraction has been introduced as a joint preserving surgical procedure to postpone knee arthroplasty. An often used standard externally fixation device for distraction poses a burden to patients due to the absence of joint flexion during the 6weeks treatment. Therefore, a personalized articulating distraction device was developed. The aim of this study was to test technical feasibility of this device. Based on an often applied rigid device, using equal bone pin positions and connectors, a hinge mechanism was developed consisting of a cam-following system for reproducing the complex joint-specific knee kinematics. In support, a device was developed for capturing the joint-specific sagittal plane articulation. The obtained kinematic data were translated into joint-specific cam shapes that were installed bilaterally in the hinge mechanism of the distraction device, as such providing personalized knee motion. Distraction of 5mm was performed within a range of motion of 30deg. joint flexion. Pre-clinical evaluation of the working principle was performed on human cadaveric legs and system stiffness characteristics were biomechanically evaluated. The desired range of motion was obtained and distraction was maintained under physiologically representative loading. Moreover, the joint-specific approach demonstrated tolerance of deviations from anatomical and alignment origin during initial placement of the developed distraction device. Articulation during knee distraction is considered technically feasible and has potential to decrease burden and improve acceptance of distraction therapy. Testing of clinical feasibility is warranted. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. A Pervasive Promotion Model for Personalized Promotion Systems on Using WLAN Localization and NFC Techniques

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kam-Yiu Lam

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we propose a novel pervasive business model for sales promotion in retail chain stores utilizing WLAN localization and near field communication (NFC technologies. The objectives of the model are to increase the customers’ flow of the stores and their incentives in purchasing. In the proposed model, the NFC technology is used as the first mean to motivate customers to come to the stores. Then, with the use of WLAN, the movements of the customers, who are carrying smartphones, within the stores are captured and maintained in the movement database. By interpreting the movements of customers as indicators of their interests to the displayed items, personalized promotion strategies can be formulated to increase their incentives for purchasing future items. Various issues in the application of the adopted localization scheme for locating customers in a store are discussed. To facilitate the item management and space utilization in displaying the items, we propose an enhanced R-tree for indexing the data items maintained in the movement database. Experimental results have demonstrated the effectiveness of the adopted localization scheme in supporting the proposed model.

  14. Articulating nursing in an interprofessional world.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sommerfeldt, Susan C

    2013-11-01

    It is essential that nurses in practice clearly articulate their role in interprofessional clinical settings. Assumptions, stereotypes, power differentials and miscommunication can complicate the interaction of healthcare professionals when clarity does not exist about nurses' knowledge, skills and roles. Conflicting views among nurse scholars as to the nature of nursing knowledge and its relationship to practice complicate the task of nurses in explaining their performance and role to others in interprofessional environments. Interprofessionality is potentially misunderstood by nurse leaders, practitioners and educators, isolating nurses in an increasingly inter-disciplinary healthcare system. The theorization of contemporary nursing is explored through the views and perspectives of current nurse scholars. The ability to explain nursing knowledge, skills and roles to others in interprofessional interactions is a nursing competency, as well as an interprofessional one. Nurses, nurse leaders and nurse educators are challenged to engage in interprofessionalism so as to have an influence in the evolution of healthcare education and practice environments. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. A Simulation Model Articulation of the REA Ontology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laurier, Wim; Poels, Geert

    This paper demonstrates how the REA enterprise ontology can be used to construct simulation models for business processes, value chains and collaboration spaces in supply chains. These models support various high-level and operational management simulation applications, e.g. the analysis of enterprise sustainability and day-to-day planning. First, the basic constructs of the REA ontology and the ExSpect modelling language for simulation are introduced. Second, collaboration space, value chain and business process models and their conceptual dependencies are shown, using the ExSpect language. Third, an exhibit demonstrates the use of value chain models in predicting the financial performance of an enterprise.

  16. Morphometric Differences of Vocal Tract Articulators in Different Loudness Conditions in Singing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Echternach, Matthias; Burk, Fabian; Burdumy, Michael; Traser, Louisa; Richter, Bernhard

    2016-01-01

    Dynamic MRI analysis of phonation has gathered interest in voice and speech physiology. However, there are limited data addressing the extent to which articulation is dependent on loudness. 12 professional singer subjects of different voice classifications were analysed concerning the vocal tract profiles recorded with dynamic real-time MRI with 25fps in different pitch and loudness conditions. The subjects were asked to sing ascending scales on the vowel /a/ in three loudness conditions (comfortable=mf, very soft=pp, very loud=ff, respectively). Furthermore, fundamental frequency and sound pressure level were analysed from the simultaneously recorded optical audio signal after noise cancellation. The data show articulatory differences with respect to changes of both pitch and loudness. Here, lip opening and pharynx width were increased. While the vertical larynx position was rising with pitch it was lower for greater loudness. Especially, the lip opening and pharynx width were more strongly correlated with the sound pressure level than with pitch. For the vowel /a/ loudness has an effect on articulation during singing which should be considered when articulatory vocal tract data are interpreted.

  17. Brazilian actions to promote physiology learning and teaching in secondary and high schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mello-Carpes, Pâmela B; Granjeiro, Érica Maria; Montrezor, Luís Henrique; Rocha, Maria José Alves

    2016-06-01

    Members of the Education Committee of the Brazilian Society of Physiology have developed multiple outreach models to improve the appreciation of science and physiology at the precollege level. The members of this committee act in concert with important Brazilian governmental strategies to promote training of undergraduate students in the teaching environment of secondary and high schools. One of these governmental strategies, the Programa Institucional de Bolsas de Iniciação à Docência, a Brazilian public policy of teaching enhancement implemented by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) since 2007, represents a well-articulated public policy that can promote the partnership between University and Schools (7). Furthermore, the Program "Novos Talentos" (New Talents)/CAPES/Ministry of Education is another government initiative to bring together university and high-level technical training with the reality of Brazilian schools. Linked to the New Talents Program, in partnership with the British Council/Newton Fund, CAPES recently promoted the visit of some university professors that coordinate New Talents projects to formal and informal educational science spaces in the United Kingdom (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, Brazil-United Kingdom International Cooperation Program) to qualify the actions developed in this area in Brazil, and one of us had the opportunity to participate with this. Copyright © 2016 The American Physiological Society.

  18. Lost in Translation: Preparing Students to Articulate the Meaning of a College Degree

    Science.gov (United States)

    DuRose, Lisa; Stebleton, Michael J.

    2016-01-01

    The authors contend that many undergraduate students lack the ability to deftly articulate the value of their college degree, including the competencies they acquire through classroom learning and extracurricular activities. Despite the positive impact of experiential education opportunities such as service learning and internships, there is a…

  19. Connections of Grasping and Horizontal Hand Movements with Articulation in Czech Speakers

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Tiainen, M.; Lukavský, Jiří; Tiippana, K.; Vainio, M.; Šimko, J.; Felisberti, F.; Vainio, L.

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 8, duben (2017), s. 1-10, č. článku 516. ISSN 1664-1078 Grant - others:AV ČR(CZ) StrategieAV21/14 Program:StrategieAV Institutional support: RVO:68081740 Keywords : articulation * motor actions * language * grasping * manual gestures * speech * manual actions Subject RIV: AN - Psychology OBOR OECD: Cognitive sciences Impact factor: 2.323, year: 2016

  20. The NET articulated boom: Preliminary investigations and justification for a full scale prototype

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suppan, A.

    1990-12-01

    The articulated boom system is the favourite in-vessel handling system for NET which will be used to maintain or replace in-vessel components during short term interventions. The testbed EDITH is the prototype of this system and is the logical step between the proof of principle of the system, which is already performed by the JET articulated boom, and the operational equipment for NET. EDITH is required to demonstrate that maintenance of plasma facing components can be carried out with the anticipated reliability and time. To achieve this aim EDITH is based on the experience of the JET boom and will be constructed in full scale, supplemented by a full scale mock-up. A further goal of EDITH is to allow the testing of boom components and subassemblies. The results of preliminary investigations for the boom are summarized, the need of the testbed EDITH and a full scale mock-up is discussed and both EDITH and the mock-up are described. (orig.) [de

  1. Desi Films: Articulating Images of South Asian Identity in a Global Communication Environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rekha Sharma

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Although India itself has been an important source of information about the Indian identity for Western audiences, a specialized genre of desi media have also garnered more recognition in recent years. Desi films—movies created by and/or for South Asian immigrants—are capable of reaching large numbers of people regardless of their educational level, economic status, or linguistic proficiency. Most are produced in English or with English subtitles and are easily accessible in most areas, either in theatres, video rental stores, libraries, or via Internet movie sites. This paper examines Indian diasporic films as a vehicle for cultural articulation and debate. First, it provides a theoretical foundation of hegemony and resistance with regard to notions of ethnicity and immigrants’ articulations of identity in interstitial zones. Second, it discusses sources of hegemony from Indian and Western media. Third, it explores the creation of a hybrid identity as reflected in Indian diasporic films, pointing out some of the themes and conventions of this emerging genre.

  2. Reactive Power Control of Single-Stage Three-Phase Photovoltaic System during Grid Faults Using Recurrent Fuzzy Cerebellar Model Articulation Neural Network

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Faa-Jeng Lin

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This study presents a new active and reactive power control scheme for a single-stage three-phase grid-connected photovoltaic (PV system during grid faults. The presented PV system utilizes a single-stage three-phase current-controlled voltage-source inverter to achieve the maximum power point tracking (MPPT control of the PV panel with the function of low voltage ride through (LVRT. Moreover, a formula based on positive sequence voltage for evaluating the percentage of voltage sag is derived to determine the ratio of the injected reactive current to satisfy the LVRT regulations. To reduce the risk of overcurrent during LVRT operation, a current limit is predefined for the injection of reactive current. Furthermore, the control of active and reactive power is designed using a two-dimensional recurrent fuzzy cerebellar model articulation neural network (2D-RFCMANN. In addition, the online learning laws of 2D-RFCMANN are derived according to gradient descent method with varied learning-rate coefficients for network parameters to assure the convergence of the tracking error. Finally, some experimental tests are realized to validate the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.

  3. Influence of timing of delayed hard palate closure on articulation skills in 3-year-old Danish children with unilateral cleft lip and palate

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Willadsen, Elisabeth; Boers, Maria; Schöps, Antje

    2017-01-01

    Background Differing results regarding articulation skills in young children with cleft palate (CP) have been reported and often interpreted as a consequence of different surgical protocols. Aims To assess the influence of different timing of hard palate closure in a two-stage procedure on articu......Background Differing results regarding articulation skills in young children with cleft palate (CP) have been reported and often interpreted as a consequence of different surgical protocols. Aims To assess the influence of different timing of hard palate closure in a two-stage procedure...... on articulation skills in 3-year-olds born with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP). Secondary aims were to compare results with peers without CP, and to investigate if there are gender differences in articulation skills. Furthermore, burden of treatment was to be estimated in terms of secondary surgery...

  4. Articulation of Native Cartilage Against Different Femoral Component Materials. Oxidized Zirconium Damages Cartilage Less Than Cobalt-Chrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vanlommel, Jan; De Corte, Ronny; Luyckx, Jean Philippe; Anderson, Melissa; Labey, Luc; Bellemans, Johan

    2017-01-01

    Oxidized zirconium (OxZr) is produced by thermally driven oxidization creating an oxidized surface with the properties of a ceramic at the top of the Zr metal substrate. OxZr is much harder and has a lower coefficient of friction than cobalt-chrome (CoCr), both leading to better wear characteristics. We evaluated and compared damage to the cartilage of porcine patella plugs, articulating against OxZr vs CoCr. Our hypothesis was that, owing to its better wear properties, OxZr would damage cartilage less than CoCr. If this is true, OxZr might be a better material for the femoral component during total knee arthroplasty if the patella is not resurfaced. Twenty-one plugs from porcine patellae were prepared and tested in a reciprocating pin-on-disk machine while lubricated with bovine serum and under a constant load. Three different configurations were tested: cartilage-cartilage as the control group, cartilage-OxZr, and cartilage-CoCr. Macroscopic appearance, cartilage thickness, and the modified Mankin score were evaluated after 400,000 wear cycles. The control group showed statistically significant less damage than plugs articulating against both other materials. Cartilage plugs articulating against OxZr were statistically significantly less damaged than those articulating against CoCr. Although replacing cartilage by an implant always leads to deterioration of the cartilage counterface, OxZr results in less damage than CoCr. The use of OxZr might thus be preferable to CoCr in case of total knee arthroplasty without patella resurfacing. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Influence of timing of delayed hard palate closure on articulation skills in 3-year-old Danish children with unilateral cleft lip and palate

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Willadsen, Elisabeth; Boers, Maria; Schöps, Antje

    2018-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Differing results regarding articulation skills in young children with cleft palate (CP) have been reported and often interpreted as a consequence of different surgical protocols. AIMS: To assess the influence of different timing of hard palate closure in a two-stage procedure...... on articulation skills in 3-year-olds born with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP). Secondary aims were to compare results with peers without CP, and to investigate if there are gender differences in articulation skills. Furthermore, burden of treatment was to be estimated in terms of secondary surgery...

  6. An electromyographic and kinematic comparison between an extendable conveyor system and an articulating belt conveyor used for truck loading and unloading tasks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lavender, Steven A; Nagavarapu, Shasank; Allread, W Gary

    2017-01-01

    Many retail distribution centers (DCs) manually load and unload boxes into or out of trailers and shipping containers. This study investigated whether an articulating belt conveyor with a height adjustable platform, positioned at the end of an extendable conveyor, significantly reduces shoulder and back muscle loading and the spine kinematics associated with these tasks. Electromyographic and kinematic data were collected from eight volunteer employees as trailers at a shoe DC were unloaded and from nine volunteer employees as trailers at an apparel DC were loaded. Participants in this repeated measures study handled boxes with a conventional powered extendable conveyor system and with the articulating belt conveyor positioned at the end of the extendable conveyor. Bilaterally the normalized activation levels of the erector spinae and anterior deltoid muscles were reduced when loading and unloading boxes with the articulating belt conveyor. Spine movement speeds were also reduced with the articulating conveyor. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. A blind algorithm for recovering articulator positions from acoustics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hogden, John E [Los Alamos National Laboratory

    2009-01-01

    MIMICRI is a signal-processing algorithm that has been shown to blindly infer and invert memoryless nonlinear functions of unobservable bandlimited signals, such as the mapping from the unobservable positions of the speech articulators to observable speech sounds. We review results of using MIMICRI on toy problems and on human speech data. We note that MIMICRI requires that the user specify two parameters: the dimensionality and pass-band of the unobservable signals. We show how to use cross-validation to help estimate the passband. An unexpected consequence of this work is that it helps separate signals with overlapping frequency bands.

  8. Alternans promotion in cardiac electrophysiology models by delay differential equations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomes, Johnny M; Dos Santos, Rodrigo Weber; Cherry, Elizabeth M

    2017-09-01

    Cardiac electrical alternans is a state of alternation between long and short action potentials and is frequently associated with harmful cardiac conditions. Different dynamic mechanisms can give rise to alternans; however, many cardiac models based on ordinary differential equations are not able to reproduce this phenomenon. A previous study showed that alternans can be induced by the introduction of delay differential equations (DDEs) in the formulations of the ion channel gating variables of a canine myocyte model. The present work demonstrates that this technique is not model-specific by successfully promoting alternans using DDEs for five cardiac electrophysiology models that describe different types of myocytes, with varying degrees of complexity. By analyzing results across the different models, we observe two potential requirements for alternans promotion via DDEs for ionic gates: (i) the gate must have a significant influence on the action potential duration and (ii) a delay must significantly impair the gate's recovery between consecutive action potentials.

  9. Alternans promotion in cardiac electrophysiology models by delay differential equations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomes, Johnny M.; dos Santos, Rodrigo Weber; Cherry, Elizabeth M.

    2017-09-01

    Cardiac electrical alternans is a state of alternation between long and short action potentials and is frequently associated with harmful cardiac conditions. Different dynamic mechanisms can give rise to alternans; however, many cardiac models based on ordinary differential equations are not able to reproduce this phenomenon. A previous study showed that alternans can be induced by the introduction of delay differential equations (DDEs) in the formulations of the ion channel gating variables of a canine myocyte model. The present work demonstrates that this technique is not model-specific by successfully promoting alternans using DDEs for five cardiac electrophysiology models that describe different types of myocytes, with varying degrees of complexity. By analyzing results across the different models, we observe two potential requirements for alternans promotion via DDEs for ionic gates: (i) the gate must have a significant influence on the action potential duration and (ii) a delay must significantly impair the gate's recovery between consecutive action potentials.

  10. Treatment of complex osteoarticular injuries of the elbow with external unilateral articulated fixator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cuellar Gallo, Lazaro; Portilla Carrillo, Armando; Calderon Uribe, Oscar; Calvache Currea, Gustavo Adolfo; Satizabal Azuero, Carlos Arnulfo

    2001-01-01

    Previous observations suggest that conventional treatment of complex injuries about the elbow such as open; reduction and internal Fixation might lead, to bad functional outcome. The authors present a descriptive, observational and prospective study of a series of cases, on 8 patients, average age 37.8 years (25-28 years) 6 men and 2 women with complex injury of the elbow. Due to trauma which etiology is summarized as follows intraarticular comminuted open fracture secondary to gunshot wound 5 patients (62.5%); luxofracture 2 patients (25%), lntraarticular comminuted closed fracture 1 patient (12.5%). The patients where followed for 8 to 20 months. Were performed en 75% of patients open reduction, internal fixation of radial resection of radial head en 25% when comminute fracture of the head was found. All patients were treated with an external unilateral articulated fixation on the elbow, in order to protect the internal fixation, allow early joint motion and give early mobility. All patients were evaluated with Mayo scale, obtaining good results, with externals fixation treatment. In one case (12.5%) a dyaphiseal fracture of the humerus, occurred as an inherent complication secondary to the use of the external fixation, after it's withdrawal. This patient was treated with open reduction and internal fixation of the fracture, without significant impairment of the final result. Early results suggest that the use of unilateral articulated external fixator for the treatment of complex fractures about the elbow has great advantages over the other treatment techniques, such as the early motion of the elbow, dynamic protection of the internal fixation and preservation of the articulate stability, even when ligament injury is present

  11. Fenomenologia, humanização e promoção da saúde: uma proposta de articulação Phenomenology, humanization and health promotion: an articulation proposal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Annatália Meneses de Amorim Gomes

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available Ensaio sobre as possibilidades de articulação entre a Fenomenologia, a humanização e a promoção da saúde. Entende-se por Fenomenologia o estudo da descrição dos fenômenos humanos e seus significados. As pesquisas de referencial fenomenológico na área da saúde têm sido fortalecidas nos últimos anos, motivadas pela necessidade de apreensão dos significados próprios para cada sujeito inserido em sua totalidade cultural e histórica, e como crítica ao modelo biomédico, estimulando a emergência de uma Fenomenologia da Saúde e uma nova produção do cuidado em saúde. Propõe-se o referencial fenomenológico como importante recurso metodológico para a compreensão do processo de humanização na atenção e na gestão em saúde, pois ele resgata a importância da consciência intencional, que revela possíveis sentidos e desvela significados existentes nas relações e práticas. Consiste, ainda, na possibilidade de atuar na promoção da saúde, pela consonância com a perspectiva de integralidade, autonomia e visão ampliada do processo saúde - doença por meio dos seus pressupostos de totalidade do fenômeno, consciência intencional e ética.This is an essay about possible articulations between phenomenology, humanization and health promotion. Phenomenology is the study of the description of human phenomena and their meanings. Phenomenological research in the healthcare field has been strengthened during the last years, motivated by the need to apprehend the meanings of each subject inserted in the context of his/her cultural and historical wholeness. As a criticism to the biomedical model, it has encouraged the emergence of Health Phenomenology and the new production in health care. Phenomenology is proposed here as an important methodological resource for the understanding of the humanization process in the healthcare and health management areas, due to the consonance with the perspective of integrality, autonomy and

  12. Improving on hidden Markov models: An articulatorily constrained, maximum likelihood approach to speech recognition and speech coding

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hogden, J.

    1996-11-05

    The goal of the proposed research is to test a statistical model of speech recognition that incorporates the knowledge that speech is produced by relatively slow motions of the tongue, lips, and other speech articulators. This model is called Maximum Likelihood Continuity Mapping (Malcom). Many speech researchers believe that by using constraints imposed by articulator motions, we can improve or replace the current hidden Markov model based speech recognition algorithms. Unfortunately, previous efforts to incorporate information about articulation into speech recognition algorithms have suffered because (1) slight inaccuracies in our knowledge or the formulation of our knowledge about articulation may decrease recognition performance, (2) small changes in the assumptions underlying models of speech production can lead to large changes in the speech derived from the models, and (3) collecting measurements of human articulator positions in sufficient quantity for training a speech recognition algorithm is still impractical. The most interesting (and in fact, unique) quality of Malcom is that, even though Malcom makes use of a mapping between acoustics and articulation, Malcom can be trained to recognize speech using only acoustic data. By learning the mapping between acoustics and articulation using only acoustic data, Malcom avoids the difficulties involved in collecting articulator position measurements and does not require an articulatory synthesizer model to estimate the mapping between vocal tract shapes and speech acoustics. Preliminary experiments that demonstrate that Malcom can learn the mapping between acoustics and articulation are discussed. Potential applications of Malcom aside from speech recognition are also discussed. Finally, specific deliverables resulting from the proposed research are described.

  13. Promotion and advocacy for improved complementary feeding: can we apply the lessons learned from breastfeeding?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piwoz, Ellen G; Huffman, Sandra L; Quinn, Victoria J

    2003-03-01

    Although many successes have been achieved in promoting breastfeeding, this has not been the case for complementary feeding. Some successes in promoting complementary feeding at the community level have been documented, but few of these efforts have expanded to a larger scale and become sustained. To discover the reasons for this difference, the key factors for the successful promotion of breastfeeding on a large scale were examined and compared with the efforts made in complementary feeding. These factors include definition and rationale, policy support, funding, advocacy, private-sector involvement, availability and use of monitoring data, integration of research into action, and the existence of a well-articulated series of steps for successful implementation. The lessons learned from the promotion of breastfeeding should be applied to complementary feeding, and the new Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding provides an excellent first step in this process.

  14. Effectiveness of an Articulated Knee Hyperextension Orthosis in Genu Recurvatum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rahul ASRM

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Genu Recurvatum is a deformity of knee joint that tends to push it backwards by excessive extension in tibio-femoral joints. This poses a significant challenge because of technical difficulties and a high incidence of recurrence. This report describes a 63 years old male diagnosed as post-polio residual paralysis who showed excessive genu recurvatum of his left knee during long standing and walking. An Articulated Knee Hyperextension Orthosis (KAFO was tried to check its effectiveness in terms of gait and energy expenditure.

  15. Feasibility of an LPN to ADN Articulation Program at LSUA. Vocational Education Research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Louisiana State Univ., Alexandria.

    A feasibility study examined the need for and likelihood of success for a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) to Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) articulation program for Louisiana State University (LSU) at Alexandria. Following a literature search on the theoretical establishment and implementation of such a program, three schools with successful…

  16. Varying parameter models to accommodate dynamic promotion effects

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Foekens, E.W.; Leeflang, P.S.H.; Wittink, D.R.

    1999-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to examine the dynamic effects of sales promotions. We create dynamic brand sales models (for weekly store-level scanner data) by relating store intercepts and a brand's own price elasticity to a measure of the cumulated previous price discounts - amount and time - for

  17. Informal work and formal plans: articulating the active role of patients in cancer trajectories

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rikke Juul Dalsted

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Formal pathways models outline that patients should receive information in order to experience a coherent journey but do not describe an active role for patients or their relatives. The aim of this is paper is to articulate and discuss the active role of patients during their cancer trajectories.  Methods and theory: An in-depth case study of patient trajectories at a Danish hospital and surrounding municipality using individual interviews with patients. Theory about trajectory and work by Strauss was included.  Results: Patients continuously took initiatives to organize their treatment and care. They initiated processes in the trajectories, and acquired information, which they used to form their trajectories.  Patients presented problems to the healthcare professionals in order to get proper help when needed.  Discussion: Work done by patients was invisible and not perceived as work. The patients' requests were not sufficiently supported in the professional organisation of work or formal planning. Patients' insertion and use of information in their trajectories challenged professional views and working processes. And the design of the formal pathway models limits the patients´ active participation. When looking at integrated care from the perspective of patients, the development of a more holistic and personalized approach is needed. Introduction: Formal pathway models outline that patients should receive information in order to experience a coherent journey but do not describe an active role for patients or their relatives. The aim of this is paper is to articulate and discuss the active role of patients during their cancer trajectories. Methods and theory: An in-depth case study of patient trajectories at a Danish hospital and surrounding municipality using individual interviews with patients. Theory about trajectory and work by Strauss was included. Results: Patients continuously took initiatives to organize their

  18. Transparency in authors' contributions and responsibilities to promote integrity in scientific publication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McNutt, Marcia K; Bradford, Monica; Drazen, Jeffrey M; Hanson, Brooks; Howard, Bob; Jamieson, Kathleen Hall; Kiermer, Véronique; Marcus, Emilie; Pope, Barbara Kline; Schekman, Randy; Swaminathan, Sowmya; Stang, Peter J; Verma, Inder M

    2018-03-13

    In keeping with the growing movement in scientific publishing toward transparency in data and methods, we propose changes to journal authorship policies and procedures to provide insight into which author is responsible for which contributions, better assurance that the list is complete, and clearly articulated standards to justify earning authorship credit. To accomplish these goals, we recommend that journals adopt common and transparent standards for authorship, outline responsibilities for corresponding authors, adopt the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT) (docs.casrai.org/CRediT) methodology for attributing contributions, include this information in article metadata, and require authors to use the ORCID persistent digital identifier (https://orcid.org). Additionally, we recommend that universities and research institutions articulate expectations about author roles and responsibilities to provide a point of common understanding for discussion of authorship across research teams. Furthermore, we propose that funding agencies adopt the ORCID identifier and accept the CRediT taxonomy. We encourage scientific societies to further authorship transparency by signing on to these recommendations and promoting them through their meetings and publications programs. Copyright © 2018 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

  19. Antibiotic-impregnated articulating cement spacer for infected total knee arthroplasty

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Parag Garg

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Background : Standard treatment of chronic infected total knee arthroplasty (TKA is a two-stage revision, the first step being placement of an antibiotic-impregnated cement spacer. Here we describe the results of a new technique (modification of the Goldstien′s technique for intraoperative manufacture of a customized articulating spacer at minimal cost and with relatively good conformity and longevity. Materials and Methods : Thirty-six infected knees underwent this procedure from June 2002 to May 2007. The technique consists of using the freshened femur and tibia interface as molds wrapped in a tin foil for manufacturing the two components of the spacer with antibiotic-impregnated methyl methycrylate cement. We used the spacer and the femoral component of the trial set of a TKA system to mold them to perfect articulation. We also reinforced the spacer with a K-wire scaffold to prevent fracture of the cement mantle in the last 21 cases. Results : All 36 knees showed excellent results in terms of infection control, mobility, and stability. There was significant improvement in the WOMAC and Knee Society Scores (20 and 39 points respectively. There were two fractures of the spacers in the initial 15 cases that did not have K-wire scaffolding but none in the last 21 that had reinforcement. Conclusion : This technique provides a more conforming spacer, with good range of motion and stability. The reinforcement helps in preventing the fracture of the cement mantle and is cost effective.

  20. Effect of visual biofeedback of posterior tongue movement on articulation rehabilitation in dysarthria patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yano, J; Shirahige, C; Oki, K; Oisaka, N; Kumakura, I; Tsubahara, A; Minagi, S

    2015-08-01

    Articulation is driven by various combinations of movements of the lip, tongue, soft palate, pharynx and larynx, where the tongue plays an especially important role. In patients with cerebrovascular disorder, lingual motor function is often affected, causing dysarthria. We aimed to evaluate the effect of visual biofeedback of posterior tongue movement on articulation rehabilitation in dysarthria patients with cerebrovascular disorder. Fifteen dysarthria patients (10 men and 5 women; mean age, 70.7 ± 10.3 years) agreed to participate in this study. A device for measuring the movement of the posterior part of the tongue was used for the visual biofeedback. Subjects were instructed to produce repetitive articulation of [ka] as fast and steadily as possible between a lungful with/without visual biofeedback. For both the unaffected and affected sides, the range of ascending and descending movement of the posterior tongue with visual biofeedback was significantly larger than that without visual biofeedback. The coefficient of variation for these movements with visual biofeedback was significantly smaller than that without visual biofeedback. With visual biofeedback, the range of ascent exhibited a significant and strong correlation with that of descent for both the unaffected and affected sides. The results of this study revealed that the use of visual biofeedback leads to prompt and preferable change in the movement of the posterior part of the tongue. From the standpoint of pursuing necessary rehabilitation for patients with attention and memory disorders, visualization of tongue movement would be of marked clinical benefit. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. Morphometric Differences of Vocal Tract Articulators in Different Loudness Conditions in Singing.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthias Echternach

    Full Text Available Dynamic MRI analysis of phonation has gathered interest in voice and speech physiology. However, there are limited data addressing the extent to which articulation is dependent on loudness.12 professional singer subjects of different voice classifications were analysed concerning the vocal tract profiles recorded with dynamic real-time MRI with 25fps in different pitch and loudness conditions. The subjects were asked to sing ascending scales on the vowel /a/ in three loudness conditions (comfortable=mf, very soft=pp, very loud=ff, respectively. Furthermore, fundamental frequency and sound pressure level were analysed from the simultaneously recorded optical audio signal after noise cancellation.The data show articulatory differences with respect to changes of both pitch and loudness. Here, lip opening and pharynx width were increased. While the vertical larynx position was rising with pitch it was lower for greater loudness. Especially, the lip opening and pharynx width were more strongly correlated with the sound pressure level than with pitch.For the vowel /a/ loudness has an effect on articulation during singing which should be considered when articulatory vocal tract data are interpreted.

  2. Component for articulated offshore loading towers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Backhaus, H.

    1980-09-01

    The construction of offshore natural gas liquefaction plants must be regarded as technically feasible and the marketing prospects for LNG - a source of clean burning energy - appear excellent. Nevertheless, the optimum loading procedure for LNG tankers in the - sometimes adverse - offshore environment is still a matter under discussion by the experts - with a tendency to adopt and adapt well-proven components from the offshore crude oil sector. Here, articulated towers are in use for tankerloading and the crude oil is pumped at ambient temperature through the cardan joint of the tower itself. In the case of the cryogenic liquid LNG, this method would entail intolerable risks. Leaks and subsequent LNG spills within the tower joint will cause low temperature-embrittlement and most likely damage the cardan connection at the tower's base plate on the sea bed. The described submarine joint for ultra-cold liquids, which has the same cardanic properties as the cardan joint of the tower is completely separated from the latter. Thus a cryogenic leakage in this submarine joint will under no circumstance reach and affect the tower cardan.

  3. Parkinson Disease Detection from Speech Articulation Neuromechanics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pedro Gómez-Vilda

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Aim: The research described is intended to give a description of articulation dynamics as a correlate of the kinematic behavior of the jaw-tongue biomechanical system, encoded as a probability distribution of an absolute joint velocity. This distribution may be used in detecting and grading speech from patients affected by neurodegenerative illnesses, as Parkinson Disease.Hypothesis: The work hypothesis is that the probability density function of the absolute joint velocity includes information on the stability of phonation when applied to sustained vowels, as well as on fluency if applied to connected speech.Methods: A dataset of sustained vowels recorded from Parkinson Disease patients is contrasted with similar recordings from normative subjects. The probability distribution of the absolute kinematic velocity of the jaw-tongue system is extracted from each utterance. A Random Least Squares Feed-Forward Network (RLSFN has been used as a binary classifier working on the pathological and normative datasets in a leave-one-out strategy. Monte Carlo simulations have been conducted to estimate the influence of the stochastic nature of the classifier. Two datasets for each gender were tested (males and females including 26 normative and 53 pathological subjects in the male set, and 25 normative and 38 pathological in the female set.Results: Male and female data subsets were tested in single runs, yielding equal error rates under 0.6% (Accuracy over 99.4%. Due to the stochastic nature of each experiment, Monte Carlo runs were conducted to test the reliability of the methodology. The average detection results after 200 Montecarlo runs of a 200 hyperplane hidden layer RLSFN are given in terms of Sensitivity (males: 0.9946, females: 0.9942, Specificity (males: 0.9944, females: 0.9941 and Accuracy (males: 0.9945, females: 0.9942. The area under the ROC curve is 0.9947 (males and 0.9945 (females. The equal error rate is 0.0054 (males and 0.0057 (females

  4. Optical Fiber Sensors For Monitoring Joint Articulation And Chest Expansion Of A Human Body

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muhs, Jeffrey D.; Allison, Stephen W.

    1997-12-23

    Fiber-optic sensors employing optical fibers of elastomeric material are incorporated in devices adapted to be worn by human beings in joint and chest regions for the purpose of monitoring and measuring the extent of joint articulation and chest expansion especially with respect to time.

  5. The physics of articulated toys—a jumping and rotating kangaroo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Güémez, J; Fiolhais, M

    2014-01-01

    We describe the physics of an articulated toy with an internal source of energy provided by a spiral spring. The toy is a funny low cost kangaroo which jumps and rotates. The study consists of mechanical and thermodynamical analyses that make use of the Newton and centre of mass equations, the rotational equations and the first law of thermodynamics. This amazing toy provides a nice demonstrative example of how new physics insights can be brought about when links with thermodynamics are established in the study of mechanical systems. (papers)

  6. Articulated System to Analyse Digital Media (ASADM: a proposal about what and how to study online newspapers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lluís Codina

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Throughout this article, we are presenting a proposal to conduct digital media studies as one of the first deliverables of an ongoing research project. This proposal, which we are calling “Articulated System to Analyse Digital Media” (ASADM: consists of a set of concepts presented through specific terminology, and of a group of articulated elements allowing to determine what we call the what (parameters and how (indicators of any future study regarding online newspapers or digital media. Thus, we obtain an operative analysis protocol as a deliverable. In between, we characterize the typical context of the sort of studies that constitute the context for our proposal.

  7. A new attachment for mock surgery in Hanau wide-vue arcon articulator

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kanhu Charan Sahoo

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Over few decades, orthognathic surgery has become a routine procedure for the correction of facial deformities. People have become more aware and concerned about maxillofacial deformations. Articulators are of interest to both orthodontic and maxillofacial team as they facilitate the planning of combined orthodontic treatment and orthognathic surgery. A new attachment was designed in order to the limitations of the manual method.

  8. Jazz Style and Articulation: How to Get Your Band or Choir to Swing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tolson, Jerry

    2012-01-01

    The interpretation of jazz style is crucial to the element of swing in any jazz ensemble performance. Today, many charts for both large and small instrumental and vocal jazz ensembles are well marked with articulations and expression markings. However, in some cases, there is nothing to guide the musician. This article addresses some common jazz…

  9. Wear, creep, and frictional heating of femoral implant articulating surfaces and the effect on long-term performance--Part II, Friction, heating, and torque.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davidson, J A; Schwartz, G; Lynch, G; Gir, S

    1988-04-01

    In Part I, (J.A. Davidson and G. Schwartz, "Wear, creep, and frictional heating of femoral implant articulating surfaces and the effect on long-term performance--Part I, A review," J. Biomed. Mater. Res., 21, 000-000 (1987) it was shown that lubrication of the artificial hip joint was complex and that long-term performance is governed by the combined wear, creep, and to a lesser extent, oxidation degradation of the articulating materials. Importantly, it was shown that a tendency for heating exists during articulation in the hip joint and that elevated temperatures can increase the wear, creep, and oxidation degradation rate of UHMWPE. The present study was performed to examine closely the propensity to generate heat during articulation in a hip joint simulator. The systems investigated were polished Co-Cr-Mo alloy articulating against UHMWPE, polished alumina ceramic against UHMWPE, and polished alumina against itself. Frictional torque was also evaluated for each system at various levels of applied loads. A walking load history was used in both the frictional heating and torque tests. The majority of tests were performed with 5 mL of water lubricant. However, the effect of various concentrations of hyaluronic acid was also evaluated. Results showed frictional heating to occur in all three systems, reaching an equilibrium after roughly 30 min articulation time. Ceramic systems showed reduced levels of heating compared to the cobalt alloy-UHMWPE system. The level of frictional torque for each system ranked similar to their respective tendencies to generate heat. Hyaluronic acid had little effect, while dry conditions and the presence of small quantities of bone cement powder in water lubricant significantly increased frictional torque.

  10. Entrepreneurship in health education and health promotion: five cardinal rules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eddy, James M; Stellefson, Michael L

    2009-07-01

    The nature of health education and health promotion (HE/HP) offers a fertile ground for entrepreneurial activity. As primary prevention of chronic diseases becomes a more central component of the health and/ or medical care continuum, entrepreneurial opportunities for health educators will continue to expand. The process used to design, implement, and evaluate health promotion and disease prevention has clear articulation with entrepreneurial, marketing management, and other business processes. Thus, entrepreneurs in HE/HP must be able to utilize business process to facilitate creative, new HE/HP business ideas. The purpose of this article is to weave theory and practical application into a primer on entrepreneurial applications in HE/HP. More specifically, the authors meld their prospective experiences and expertise to provide background thoughts on entrepreneurship in HE/HP and develop a framework for establishing an entrepreneurial venture in HE/HP. Five Cardinal Rules for Entrepreneurs in HE/HP are proposed.

  11. Career Preparedness and School Achievement of Portuguese Children: Longitudinal Trend Articulations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria do Céu Taveira

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Social Cognitive Career Theory suggests that students' preparedness for the school-to-work transition is a developmental process. Middle school children explore various careers, obtain feedback about their academic progress, and develop career self-efficacy and outcome expectations. These processes advance provisional educational/occupational goals. The literature has suggested articulations between career and academic development and how both vary across demographic characteristics, but longitudinal studies linking these processes are scarce. This study tested articulations between career preparedness and academic achievement during middle school years and employed gender and geographical location as potential moderators affecting the linkage between career and school domains. Participants included 429 children (47.8% girls from northern (69.5% and central Portugal (30.5% followed across four occasions of measurement (MageWave1 = 10.23, SD = 0.50. Data was collected with school records, the Multidimensional Scales of Perceived Self-Efficacy, Career Exploratory Outcome Expectations Scale, Childhood Career Exploration Inventory and Childhood Career Development Scale. Average and orthnormalized linear, quadratic and cubic trends were computed. Pearson correlation coefficients suggested positive and statistically significant associations between career exploratory outcome expectations and academic achievement average trends. Career planning and self-efficacy expectations were negatively associated with academic achievement quadratic trends. Multiple linear regression models suggested that career exploratory outcome expectations and career planning were respectively statistically significant predictors of the average and quadratic trends of academic achievement. Gender moderated the association between the career variables and academic achievement linear trends as well as the relation of career planning and self-efficacy with academic achievement

  12. The case of national health promotion policy in Australia: where to now?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, James A; Crawford, Gemma; Signal, Louise

    2016-04-01

    Issue addressed Over the last three decades there has been an incremental investment in health promotion and prevention across Australia; yet, the Commonwealth Government and some state/territory governments have more recently instigated funding cuts in health promotion and prevention. This paper argues that the role of health promotion is critical in contemporary Australia and discusses strategies needed to move forward within the context of recent disinvestments. Discussion Key areas of concern relating to recent health promotion and prevention disinvestment in Australia include the abolishment of the Australian National Preventive Health Agency, the cessation of the National Partnership Agreement on Preventive Health and significant cuts to Indigenous programs. These changes pose a significant threat to the health, economic and social well being of Australians and the region, particularly those that are most vulnerable. Conclusions Future health promotion and prevention efforts will require strategic leadership and action to enhance the promotion of health equity in Australia over the coming decades. We call on governments to (re)invest in health promotion and prevention both in and outside the health sector so that health promotion professionals can continue their advocacy efforts aimed at articulating their professional place in improving population health. So what? Recent changes to national health promotion and prevention policy are detrimental to the health and well being of the Australian population, particularly those most vulnerable. Sound planning to revitalise and refocus health promotion action in Australia is urgently required.

  13. Is It Necessary to Articulate a Research Methodology When Reporting on Theoretical Research?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Juliana; Small, Rosalie

    2017-01-01

    In this paper the authors share their insights on whether it is necessary to articulate a research methodology when reporting on theoretical research. Initially the authors, one being a supervisor and the other, a PhD student and a colleague, were confronted with the question during supervision and writing of a thesis on theoretical research.…

  14. Differentiation and Articulation in Tertiary Education Systems : A Study of Twelve African Countries

    OpenAIRE

    Ng'ethe, Njuguna; Subotzky, George; Afeti, George

    2008-01-01

    This study strives to sketch an initial map of the extent and nature of institutional and program differentiation within African systems of tertiary education. In doing so, it also seeks to chart the patterns of articulation that have emerged or been consciously put in place between the different institutional types (such as public universities, private universities, polytechnics, training...

  15. Gender Equality in Media Content and Operations: Articulating Academic Studies and Policy--A Presentation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lourenço, Mirta Edith

    2016-01-01

    In this article, Mirta Lourenço explains the prospects when higher education studies interface with UNESCO for policy change. The baseline is that education institutions' articulation with media organizations, media professionals, policy-makers, and civil society groups is essential to achieve gender equality in and through media.

  16. Influence of Timing of Delayed Hard Palate Closure on Articulation Skills in 3-Year-Old Danish Children with Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Willadsen, Elisabeth; Boers, Maria; Schöps, Antje; Kisling-Møller, Mia; Nielsen, Joan Bogh; Jørgensen, Line Dahl; Andersen, Mikael; Bolund, Stig; Andersen, Helene Søgaard

    2018-01-01

    Background: Differing results regarding articulation skills in young children with cleft palate (CP) have been reported and often interpreted as a consequence of different surgical protocols. Aims: To assess the influence of different timing of hard palate closure in a two-stage procedure on articulation skills in 3-year-olds born with unilateral…

  17. Audio Logo Recognition, Reduced Articulation and Coding Orientation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bonde, Anders; Hansen, Allan Grutt

    2013-01-01

    In this paper we explore an interdisciplinary theoretical framework for the analysis of corporate audio logos and their effectiveness regarding recognisability and identification. This is done by combining three different academic disciplines: 1) social semiotics, 2) branding theory and 3) music...... on musicological descriptors. We consider as a starting point Kress and Van Leeuwen’s (1996, 2006) conceptualisation of ‘modality’, which is central to their ‘visual grammar’ theory and subsequently extended to auditory expressions such as spoken language, music and sound effects (Van Leeuwen, 1999). While...... connected to notions of brand recognisability and brand identification, thus resulting in the concept of ‘Reduced Articulation Form’ (RAF). The concept has been tested empirically through a survey of 137 upper secondary school students. On the basis of a conditioning experiment, manipulating five existing...

  18. A technique for the quantification of the 3D connectivity of thin articulations in bony sutures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maloul, Asmaa; Fialkov, Jeffrey; Hojjat, Seyed-Parsa; Whyne, Cari M

    2010-04-19

    The anatomy and development of cranial and facial sutures have been studied in detail using histological sections, 2D radiographs and more recently CT imaging. However, little attention has been paid to evaluating and quantifying the connectivity of these thin cortical bone articulations. More recent technological advances such as micro-CT imaging has the potential to be used to provide quantitative measurements of 3D connectivity in bony articulations. This study presents a new technique for quantifying the connectivity of bony projections inside cranial and facial sutures using a combination of skeletonization, thinning algorithms and 3D intensity mapping. The technique is demonstrated in five sutures through semi-automated analysis and image processing of microCT scans. In the sagittal, coronal and frontozygomatic sutures an average bone connectivity of 6.6-11.6% was found with multiple bony projections providing an interlocking structure between adjacent bones. Much higher bone connectivity was present in the zygomaticotemporal and zygomaticomaxillary sutures (22.7-37.4%) with few bony projections. This method combining microCT scanning and image processing techniques was successfully used to quantify the connectivity of thin bone articulations and allowed detailed assessment of sutural fusion in 3D. The wider application of this technique may allow quantification of connectivity in other structures, in particular fracture healing of long bones. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Calibration of a flexible measurement system based on industrial articulated robot and structured light sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mu, Nan; Wang, Kun; Xie, Zexiao; Ren, Ping

    2017-05-01

    To realize online rapid measurement for complex workpieces, a flexible measurement system based on an articulated industrial robot with a structured light sensor mounted on the end-effector is developed. A method for calibrating the system parameters is proposed in which the hand-eye transformation parameters and the robot kinematic parameters are synthesized in the calibration process. An initial hand-eye calibration is first performed using a standard sphere as the calibration target. By applying the modified complete and parametrically continuous method, we establish a synthesized kinematic model that combines the initial hand-eye transformation and distal link parameters as a whole with the sensor coordinate system as the tool frame. According to the synthesized kinematic model, an error model is constructed based on spheres' center-to-center distance errors. Consequently, the error model parameters can be identified in a calibration experiment using a three-standard-sphere target. Furthermore, the redundancy of error model parameters is eliminated to ensure the accuracy and robustness of the parameter identification. Calibration and measurement experiments are carried out based on an ER3A-C60 robot. The experimental results show that the proposed calibration method enjoys high measurement accuracy, and this efficient and flexible system is suitable for online measurement in industrial scenes.

  20. Major upgrade of the articulated inspection arm control system to fulfill daily operation requirements

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pastor, P., E-mail: patrick.pastor@cea.fr [CEA, IRFM, Institut de Recherche sur la Fusion par confinement Magnétique (France); Villedieu, E.; Allegretti, L.; Vincent, B.; Barbuti, A.; Bruno, V.; Coquillat, P.; Dechelle, C.; Gargiulo, L.; Le, R.; Malard, P.; Martinez, A.; Nouailletas, R. [CEA, IRFM, Institut de Recherche sur la Fusion par confinement Magnétique (France); Yuntao, Song; Yong, Cheng; Chen, Liu; Hansheng, Feng; Shanshuang, Shi [ASIPP, Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui (China)

    2015-10-15

    Highlights: • We propose an overview of the work which has been done to upgrade the control system of the AIA robot (articulated inspection arm) to fulfill daily operation requirements for tokamak inspection. • The control system is based on the use of new position sensors, new electronics design and new supervisor software. • Final tests are ongoing in the EAST scale 1 tokamak mock-up. Routine operation of the robot at EAST will start in the beginning of 2015. - Abstract: An articulated inspection arm (AIA) has been developed by CEA for visual inspection between pulses inside the Tore Supra tokamak vacuum vessel without breaking temperature and vacuum conditions. The eight meters length robot is composed of a shuttle and six articulated segments with a video camera at its end. A demonstration prototype has been achieved in 2008 at Tore Supra (Gargiulo, 2007; Houry, 2008; Perrot, 2003). A project to upgrade the AIA into a fully operational robot has been undertaken by IRFM and ASIPP in an Associated Laboratory. It will be in operation first in the EAST machine and afterwards in Tore Supra in its WEST (W/Tungsten Environment in Steady-state Tokamak) configuration where it is of paramount importance to survey possible degradation of W component surface. The control system of the robot has been extensively upgraded. The effort has been focused on three areas: (1) improvement of the arm position accuracy, (2) increase of the operational robustness, (3) use of a powerful graphical user interface including simulation of trajectories and robot deployment capabilities in a 3D viewer environment. The aim of this paper is to detail the architecture of the AIA control system.

  1. Modelling effective and simultaneous promotion of food security and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This ineffectiveness extends to promoting household food security within the context of encouraging biodiversity conservation on farm lands. To examine this, this paper draws on recently conducted research to sketch the current model within which extension pursues these seemingly dichotomous objectives and identifies ...

  2. Flutter instability of freely hanging articulated pipes conveying fluid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schouveiler, Lionel; Chermette, Félix

    2018-03-01

    We experimentally investigate the stability of freely hanging articulated pipes made of rigid segments connected by flexible joints and with their displacements constrained in a vertical plane. When the velocity of the fluid conveyed by the pipe is increased, flutter-type instability occurs above a critical value. The critical velocity and the characteristics of the flutter modes (frequency, amplitude, and shape) are determined as a function of the number n of segments into the pipe which is varied from 2 to 5. Experimental results are compared to predictions from linear stability analysis extending previous studies by taking into account damping due to the dissipation in the joints. Qualitative agreement is found and the limits of the analysis are discussed.

  3. Articulated inspection arm for ITER, a demonstration in the Tore Supra tokamak

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cordier, J.J.; Gargiulo, L.; Grisolia, C.; Samaille, F. [Association Euratom-CEA Cadarache, 13 - Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France). Dept. de Recherches sur la Fusion Controlee; Friconneau, J.P.; Perrot, Y. [CEA Fontenay-aux-Roses, LIST Robotics and Interactive Systems Unit, 92 (France); Palmer, J.D. [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Plasmaphysik Boltzmannstr.2, Garching (Germany)

    2003-07-01

    The aim of this program is to demonstrate for ITER the feasibility of an in-vessel remote handling inspection using a long reach, limited payload carrier (1 to 10 kg) for penetration of the ITER chamber through the openings. This device is dedicated to close inspection of the Plasma Facing Components (PFC). An articulated demonstrator called articulated inspection arm (AIA) has been manufactured. A feasibility study of a full AIA operation in Tore Supra was performed, taking into account ITER reference requirements. A scale one demonstration of the AIA under ITER relevant condition is feasible on Tore Supra and would give significant improvement in research results for ITER remote Handling equipment. The test of the AIA demonstrator behaviour is foreseen in 2005 in real Tokamak conditions. The paper presents the full robot concept, the results of the first test campaign, the AIA new design and its integration on Tore Supra. Several potential uses of the AIA for the in vessel components inspection are being studied such as PFC visual inspection, water loop leak testing, laser ablation for wall detritiation and carbon dust and flakes removal are foreseen as utilities to be placed at the AIA head. These various systems are described in the paper.

  4. Articulated inspection arm for ITER, a demonstration in the Tore Supra tokamak

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cordier, J.J.; Gargiulo, L.; Grisolia, C.; Samaille, F.; Palmer, J.D.

    2003-01-01

    The aim of this program is to demonstrate for ITER the feasibility of an in-vessel remote handling inspection using a long reach, limited payload carrier (1 to 10 kg) for penetration of the ITER chamber through the openings. This device is dedicated to close inspection of the Plasma Facing Components (PFC). An articulated demonstrator called articulated inspection arm (AIA) has been manufactured. A feasibility study of a full AIA operation in Tore Supra was performed, taking into account ITER reference requirements. A scale one demonstration of the AIA under ITER relevant condition is feasible on Tore Supra and would give significant improvement in research results for ITER remote Handling equipment. The test of the AIA demonstrator behaviour is foreseen in 2005 in real Tokamak conditions. The paper presents the full robot concept, the results of the first test campaign, the AIA new design and its integration on Tore Supra. Several potential uses of the AIA for the in vessel components inspection are being studied such as PFC visual inspection, water loop leak testing, laser ablation for wall detritiation and carbon dust and flakes removal are foreseen as utilities to be placed at the AIA head. These various systems are described in the paper

  5. Viewing speech in action: speech articulation videos in the public domain that demonstrate the sounds of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)

    OpenAIRE

    Nakai, S.; Beavan, D.; Lawson, E.; Leplâtre, G.; Scobbie, J. M.; Stuart-Smith, J.

    2016-01-01

    In this article, we introduce recently released, publicly available resources, which allow users to watch videos of hidden articulators (e.g. the tongue) during the production of various types of sounds found in the world’s languages. The articulation videos on these resources are linked to a clickable International Phonetic Alphabet chart ([International Phonetic Association. 1999. Handbook of the International Phonetic Association: A Guide to the Use of the International Phonetic Alphabet. ...

  6. STAS and Logit Modeling of Advertising and Promotion Effects

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Flemming; Yssing Hansen, Lotte; Grønholdt, Lars

    2002-01-01

    This paper describes the preliminary studies of the effect of advertising and promotion on purchases using the British single-source database Adlab. STAS and logit modeling are the two measures studied. Results from the two measures have been compared to determine the extent to which, they give...

  7. Critical element study on autonomous position control of articulated-arm type manipulator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oka, Kiyoshi; Kakudate, Satoshi; Nakahira, Masataka

    1994-10-01

    An articulated-arm type manipulator can be operated effectively in a restricted space due to its flexibility and it can be attractive for a wide range of in-vessel maintenance such as viewing, inspection and limiter handling in fusion experimental reactors. In case of the in-vessel maintenance using a flexible manipulator, it is quite essential to develop an autonomous control method for compensating a deflection of manipulator so as to minimize the maintenance time with high precision. For this purpose, a new position control method using a combination of neural network predictor with a rigid inverse kinematics is being developed. The key features of this method are to simplify a kinematics modeling of flexible manipulator, to enable quick position compensation in stead of ordinary large matrix compensation, and to be applicable to a wide variety of manipulator characteristics. A sub-scaled model of flexible manipulator with 4 joints has been fabricated for a benchmark experiments of the autonomous position control. Comparing analytical simulation with experiments using the flexible manipulator, it has been demonstrated that the new position control method gives significant improvement in control performance with high precision in order of a figure. In addition, further optimization can be possible by adding other non-linear predictors such as radial basis function and fuzzy modeling. This paper describes the details of a sub-scaled flexible manipulator and a neural network position control system as well as results of analytical simulation and benchmark experiments. (author)

  8. The extraordinary joint material of an articulated coralline alga. II. Modeling the structural basis of its mechanical properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Denny, Mark W; King, Felicia A

    2016-06-15

    By incorporating joints into their otherwise rigid fronds, erect coralline algae have evolved to be as flexible as other seaweeds, which allows them to thrive - and even dominate space - on wave-washed shores around the globe. However, to provide the required flexibility, the joint tissue of Calliarthron cheilosporioides, a representative articulated coralline alga, relies on an extraordinary tissue that is stronger, more extensible and more fatigue resistant than that of other algae. Here, we used the results from recent experiments to parameterize a conceptual model that links the microscale architecture of cell walls to the adaptive mechanical properties of joint tissue. Our analysis suggests that the theory of discontinuous fiber-wound composite materials (with cellulose fibrils as the fibers and galactan gel as the matrix) can explain key aspects of the material's mechanics. In particular, its adaptive viscoelastic behavior can be characterized by two, widely separated time constants. We speculate that the short time constant (∼14 s) results from the viscous response of the matrix to the change in cell-wall shape as a joint is stretched, a response that allows the material both to remain flexible and to dissipate energy as a frond is lashed by waves. We propose that the long time constant (∼35 h), is governed by the shearing of the matrix between cellulose fibrils. The resulting high apparent viscosity ensures that joints avoid accumulating lethal deformation in the course of a frond's lifetime. Our synthesis of experimental measurements allows us to draw a chain of mechanistic inference from molecules to cell walls to fronds and community ecology. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  9. Bioecology of an articulated coralline alga Amphiroa fragilissima from Anjuna, Goa, Central Western Coast of India

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Ambiye, V.; Untawale, A.G

    An articulated coralline alga Amphiroa fragilissima L. Lam. was found to exhibit spasmogenic and hypotensive activities due to the presence of a biogenic amine. This biologically active alga was studied for its bioecology. Its thallus is multiaxial...

  10. ITER Articulated Inspection Arm (AIA): Geometric calibration issues of a long-reach flexible robot

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arhur, D.; Perrot, Y.; Bidard, C.; Friconneau, J.P.; Palmer, J.D.; Semeraro, L.

    2005-01-01

    This paper is part of the Remote Handling (RH) activities for the future fusion reactor ITER. Specifically it relates to the possibility to carry out close inspection tasks of the Vacuum Vessel first wall using a long reach robot called the 'Articulated Inspection Arm' (AIA). Early studies for this device identified the need of improving the accuracy of the end-effector position in such robot structures. Therefore, the aim of this R and D program performed under the European Fusion Development Agreement (EFDA) work program is to develop a flexible parametric model with localised compliances of an AIA-like system, in order to compensate for its flexibilities. The geometric calibration is performed using a non-linear multivariable optimisation technique, which minimizes the average error between the simulated and real robot position. The optimised set of parameters, tested on the first segment of the robot, enables to divide by 3 the error on the end-effector position, in comparison to a rigid model. We expect better prediction after mechanical improvements to reduce the serious backlash in the joints. The prediction model applied to the whole arm will enable errors to be reduced from more than 1 m, in some configurations, to a final accuracy of a few centimetres

  11. Revisiting Precede-Proceed: A Leading Model for Ecological and Ethical Health Promotion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Porter, Christine M.

    2016-01-01

    Background: The Precede-Proceed model has provided moral and practical guidance for the fields of health education and health promotion since Lawrence Green first developed Precede in 1974 and Green and Kreuter added Proceed in 1991. Precede-Proceed today remains the most comprehensive and one of the most used approaches to promoting health.…

  12. Articulation of Industrial R&D with Higher Education in the Telecommunications Sector in South Africa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paterson, Andrew

    2005-01-01

    This article shows how and why particular higher education?industry research and development networks articulate with the South African telecommunications sector. The range of competing and complementary data telecommunications technologies available in the South African market provide varying opportunities for enterprises to engage in R&D. Two…

  13. Transforaminal lumbar interbody graft placement using an articulating delivery arm facilitates increased segmental lordosis with superior anterior and midline graft placement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shau, David N; Parker, Scott L; Mendenhall, Stephen K; Zuckerman, Scott L; Godil, Saniya S; Devin, Clinton J; McGirt, Matthew J

    2015-05-01

    Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) is a frequently performed method of lumbar arthrodesis in patients failing medical management of back and leg pain. Accurate placement of the interbody graft and restoration of lordosis has been shown to be crucial when performing lumbar fusion procedures. We performed a single-surgeon, prospective, randomized study to determine whether a novel articulating versus traditional straight graft delivery arm system allows for superior graft placement and increased lordosis for single-level TLIF. Thirty consecutive patients undergoing single-level TLIF were included and prospectively randomized to one of the 2 groups (articulated vs. straight delivery arm system). Three radiographic characteristics were evaluated at 6-week follow-up: (1) degree of segmental lumbar lordosis at the fused level; (2) the percent anterior location of the interbody graft in disk space; and (3) the distance (mm) off midline of the interbody graft placement. Randomization yielded 16 patients in the articulated delivery arm cohort and 14 in the straight delivery arm cohort. The articulating delivery arm system yielded an average of 14.7-degree segmental lordosis at fused level, 35% anterior location, and 3.6 mm off midline. The straight delivery arm system yielded an average of 10.7-degree segmental lordosis at fused level, 46% anterior location, and 7.0 mm off midline. All 3 comparisons were statistically significant (Plordosis compared with a traditional straight delivery arm system.

  14. Human speech articulator measurements using low power, 2GHz Homodyne sensors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barnes, T; Burnett, G C; Holzrichter, J F

    1999-01-01

    Very low power, short-range microwave ''radar-like'' sensors can measure the motions and vibrations of internal human speech articulators as speech is produced. In these animate (and also in inanimate acoustic systems) microwave sensors can measure vibration information associated with excitation sources and other interfaces. These data, together with the corresponding acoustic data, enable the calculation of system transfer functions. This information appears to be useful for a surprisingly wide range of applications such as speech coding and recognition, speaker or object identification, speech and musical instrument synthesis, noise cancellation, and other applications

  15. A model for education and promoting food science and technology ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A model for education and promoting food science and technology among high school students and the public. ... at the tertiary stage (retail) directly with the consumer while depending on the product of FST. ... AJOL African Journals Online.

  16. Automotive Mechanic: Task List and Competency Record. Developed for Vocational-Technical Curriculum Articulation in Minnesota.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minnesota State Dept. of Education, St. Paul. Div. of Vocational and Technical Education.

    Intended for the vocational instructor, the booklet presents a task list and competency record for the occupational program of automotive mechanic. The list was developed by a working committee of auto mechanics instructors and industry representatives throughout the state of Minnesota for use in program articulation between secondary and…

  17. A Filtering Approach for Image-Guided Surgery With a Highly Articulated Surgical Snake Robot.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tully, Stephen; Choset, Howie

    2016-02-01

    The objective of this paper is to introduce a probabilistic filtering approach to estimate the pose and internal shape of a highly flexible surgical snake robot during minimally invasive surgery. Our approach renders a depiction of the robot that is registered to preoperatively reconstructed organ models to produce a 3-D visualization that can be used for surgical feedback. Our filtering method estimates the robot shape using an extended Kalman filter that fuses magnetic tracker data with kinematic models that define the motion of the robot. Using Lie derivative analysis, we show that this estimation problem is observable, and thus, the shape and configuration of the robot can be successfully recovered with a sufficient number of magnetic tracker measurements. We validate this study with benchtop and in-vivo image-guidance experiments in which the surgical robot was driven along the epicardial surface of a porcine heart. This paper introduces a filtering approach for shape estimation that can be used for image guidance during minimally invasive surgery. The methods being introduced in this paper enable informative image guidance for highly articulated surgical robots, which benefits the advancement of robotic surgery.

  18. MODEL2TALK : An Intervention to Promote Productive Classroom Talk

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Veen, Chiel; van der Wilt, Femke; van Kruistum, Claudia; van Oers, Bert; Michaels, Sarah

    2017-01-01

    This article describes the MODEL2TALK intervention, which aims to promote young children's oral communicative competence through productive classroom talk. Productive classroom talk provides children in early childhood education with many opportunities to talk and think together. Results from a

  19. Using logic models in a community-based agricultural injury prevention project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helitzer, Deborah; Willging, Cathleen; Hathorn, Gary; Benally, Jeannie

    2009-01-01

    The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has long promoted the logic model as a useful tool in an evaluator's portfolio. Because a logic model supports a systematic approach to designing interventions, it is equally useful for program planners. Undertaken with community stakeholders, a logic model process articulates the underlying foundations of a particular programmatic effort and enhances program design and evaluation. Most often presented as sequenced diagrams or flow charts, logic models demonstrate relationships among the following components: statement of a problem, various causal and mitigating factors related to that problem, available resources to address the problem, theoretical foundations of the selected intervention, intervention goals and planned activities, and anticipated short- and long-term outcomes. This article describes a case example of how a logic model process was used to help community stakeholders on the Navajo Nation conceive, design, implement, and evaluate agricultural injury prevention projects.

  20. Young children's family history of stuttering and their articulation, language and attentional abilities: An exploratory study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Dahye; Conture, Edward G; Tumanova, Victoria; Clark, Chagit E; Walden, Tedra A; Jones, Robin M

    The purpose of this study was to determine whether young children who do (CWS) and do not stutter (CWNS) with a positive versus negative family history of stuttering differ in articulation, language and attentional abilities and family histories of articulation, language and attention related disorders. Participants were 25 young CWS and 50 young CWNS. All 75 participants' caregivers consistently reported a positive or negative family history of stuttering across three consecutive time points that were about 8 months apart for a total of approximately 16 months. Each participant's family history focused on the same, relatively limited number of generations (i.e., participants' parents & siblings). Children's family history of stuttering as well as articulation, language, and attention related disorders was obtained from one or two caregivers during an extensive interview. Children's speech and language abilities were measured using four standardized articulation and language tests and their attentional abilities were measured using caregiver reports of temperament. Findings indicated that (1) most caregivers (81.5% or 75 out 92) were consistent in their reporting of positive or negative history of stuttering; (2) CWNS with a positive family history of stuttering, compared to those with a negative family history of stuttering, were more likely to have reported a positive family history of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and (3) CWNS with a positive family history of stuttering had lower language scores than those with a negative family history of stuttering. However, there were no such significant differences in family histories of ADHD and language scores for CWS with a positive versus negative family history of stuttering. In addition, although 24% of CWS versus 12% of CWNS's caregivers reported a positive family history of stuttering, inferential analyses indicated no significant differences between CWS and CWNS in relative proportions of family

  1. Comparison of mechanical properties of silicone and PVC (polyvinylchloride) cosmetic gloves for articulating hand prostheses

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Smit, G.; Plettenburg, D.H.

    2013-01-01

    Current articulating electric and body-powered hands have a lower pinch force (15–34 N) than electric hands with stiff fingers (55–100 N). The cosmetic glove, which covers a hand prosthesis, negatively affects the mechanical efficiency of a prosthesis. The goal of this study is to mechanically

  2. REGISTRATION OF CENTRIC OCCLUSION IN PATIENTS WITH BRUXISM AND BRUXOMANIA THROUGH ARTICULATING PAPER AND THE SYSTEM T-SCAN - COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mariana Dimova

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The study and documentation of occlusal-articulation relationships has a high diagnostic significance in patients with bruxism and bruxomania. The study aims on the basis of registration of occlusal contacts via articulating paper and the T-Scan system to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of both methods in occlusal diagnosis of patients with bruxism and bruxomania. Material and Methods: 40 patients with bruxism and / or bruxomania (29 women and 11 men aged between 21 and 77 years from October 2010 to February 2014 was conducted computerized occlusal analysis using the systems T-Scan II (in 12 patients, T-Scan III (in 28 patients and the software T-Scan III. All patients were subjected to registration of occlusal relationships in centric occlusion (CO with articulating paper Bausch PROGRESS 100 µ and Bausch® Arti-Fol® 8 µ. Results and Discussion: In 90.0% of patients it is established unevenly distributed, irregular in size and intensity occlusal contacts. Essential factor for preventing the spontaneous bilateral closure with balanced forces is the presence of interceptive contacts and sliding occurring in the first frame of the occlusion time until the maximum intercuspation - MIP. Conclusion: Registration with articulating paper visualizes cumulative picture of the contacts in CO and interceptive contacts without being able to distinguish them in size and time of onset. Computerized occlusal analysis objectively and quantitatively determines interceptive contacts and distinguishes them from contacts in MIP and gives real meaning to the terms "strong" and "light contacts".

  3. Design Optimization of Steering Mechanisms for Articulated Off-Road Vehicles Based on Genetic Algorithms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chen Zhou

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Two cylinders arranged symmetrically on a frame have become a major form of steering mechanism for articulated off-road vehicles (AORVs. However, the differences of stroke and arm lead to pressure fluctuation, vibration noise, and a waste of torque. In this paper, the differences of stroke and arm are reduced based on a genetic algorithm (GA. First, the mathematical model of the steering mechanism is put forward. Then, the difference of stroke and arm are optimized using a GA. Finally, a FW50GLwheel loader is used as an example to demonstrate the proposed GA-based optimization method, and its effectiveness is verified by means of automatic dynamic analysis of mechanical systems (ADAMS. The stroke difference of the steering hydraulic cylinders was reduced by 92% and the arm difference reached a decrease of 78% through GA optimization, in comparison with unoptimized structures. The simulation result shows that the steering mechanism optimized by GA behaved better than by previous methods.

  4. Promoting Excellence in Nursing Education (PENE): Pross evaluation model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pross, Elizabeth A

    2010-08-01

    The purpose of this article is to examine the Promoting Excellence in Nursing Education (PENE) Pross evaluation model. A conceptual evaluation model, such as the one described here, may be useful to nurse academicians in the ongoing evaluation of educational programs, especially those with goals of excellence. Frameworks for evaluating nursing programs are necessary because they offer a way to systematically assess the educational effectiveness of complex nursing programs. This article describes the conceptual framework and its tenets of excellence. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Promoting Continuous Quality Improvement in Online Teaching: The META Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dittmar, Eileen; McCracken, Holly

    2012-01-01

    Experienced e-learning faculty members share strategies for implementing a comprehensive postsecondary faculty development program essential to continuous improvement of instructional skills. The high-impact META Model (centered around Mentoring, Engagement, Technology, and Assessment) promotes information sharing and content creation, and fosters…

  6. Articulation Works for Most Community College Transfer Students, But Some Problems Continue. OPPAGA Program Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Florida State Legislature, Tallahassee. Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability.

    The Florida legislature has passed several reforms designed to shorten the time it takes students to obtain their degrees. Although the reforms have produced benefits, some articulation problems continue. The problems include the following: (1) One in five (20%) AA transfer students take a semester or more of lower division courses at a…

  7. How Well Does Botswana's Social Studies Curriculum Articulate Gender Issues? A Preliminary Overview

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boikhutso, Keene

    2013-01-01

    In this paper I discuss the extent to Botswana's social studies curriculum is gendered thus more likely to reproduce gender inequalities. The paper locates gender issues within the broader context of male-dominated patriarchal society. It applies content analysis to establish whether or not the Social Studies syllabuses articulate gender issues. I…

  8. Sensory Integration with Articulated Motion on a Humanoid Robot

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Rojas

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes the integration of articulated motion with auditory and visual sensory information that enables a humanoid robot to achieve certain reflex actions that mimic those of people. Reflexes such as reach-and-grasp behavior enables the robot to learn, through experience, its own state and that of the world. A humanoid robot with binaural audio input, stereo vision, and pneumatic arms and hands exhibited tightly coupled sensory-motor behaviors in four different demonstrations. The complexity of successive demonstrations was increased to show that the reflexive sensory-motor behaviors combine to perform increasingly complex tasks. The humanoid robot executed these tasks effectively and established the groundwork for the further development of hardware and software systems, sensory-motor vector-space representations, and coupling with higher-level cognition.

  9. Characterization and identification of microRNA core promoters in four model species.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xuefeng Zhou

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available MicroRNAs are short, noncoding RNAs that play important roles in post-transcriptional gene regulation. Although many functions of microRNAs in plants and animals have been revealed in recent years, the transcriptional mechanism of microRNA genes is not well-understood. To elucidate the transcriptional regulation of microRNA genes, we study and characterize, in a genome scale, the promoters of intergenic microRNA genes in Caenorhabditis elegans, Homo sapiens, Arabidopsis thaliana, and Oryza sativa. We show that most known microRNA genes in these four species have the same type of promoters as protein-coding genes have. To further characterize the promoters of microRNA genes, we developed a novel promoter prediction method, called common query voting (CoVote, which is more effective than available promoter prediction methods. Using this new method, we identify putative core promoters of most known microRNA genes in the four model species. Moreover, we characterize the promoters of microRNA genes in these four species. We discover many significant, characteristic sequence motifs in these core promoters, several of which match or resemble the known cis-acting elements for transcription initiation. Among these motifs, some are conserved across different species while some are specific to microRNA genes of individual species.

  10. Human speech articulator measurements using low power, 2GHz Homodyne sensors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barnes, T; Burnett, G C; Holzrichter, J F

    1999-06-29

    Very low power, short-range microwave ''radar-like'' sensors can measure the motions and vibrations of internal human speech articulators as speech is produced. In these animate (and also in inanimate acoustic systems) microwave sensors can measure vibration information associated with excitation sources and other interfaces. These data, together with the corresponding acoustic data, enable the calculation of system transfer functions. This information appears to be useful for a surprisingly wide range of applications such as speech coding and recognition, speaker or object identification, speech and musical instrument synthesis, noise cancellation, and other applications.

  11. URBAN SELF-ORGANISATION IN DEPRIVED NEIGHBORHOODS: POSSIBILITIES AND LIMITS OF AUTONOMOUS COLLECTIVE ARTICULATION IN SALVADOR DA BAHIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katja Hölldampf

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available From a comparative point of view, the given article is concerned with the possibilities and restrictions of urban self-organization within city’s neighbourhoods. Drawing upon a qualitative comparison between the case studies Alto de Ondina and Alto da Sereia – two disadvantaged urban neighbourhoods in the southern city centre of Salvador da Bahia (Brazil – and considering the conditional framework of daily life there, the idiographic context conditions that foster and alternatively impede self-organization are to be developed on data drawn from empirical surveys. Here, the data-led interpretations reach beyond the local and regional context and offer fundamental insights into auto-centered and autonomous acts of articulation. In Brazil, participative planning processes have been the common sense for urban governance. However, participative strategies tend to stand under the sign of codetermination, whereas the principles of self-determination and auto-centered articulation of collective interests are immantently present during processes of civic self-organization. Due to the fact that self-organized communities do not fall within a defined institutional framework or existing system, they are capable to articulate their needs and interests collectively. The underlying concept of “Agora Governance” in accordance with Korff & Rothfuss (2009 offers the possibility to stimulate urban management processes in a sustainable way, bringing together the civic perspective of the “human city” and the expert perspective of the “infrastructural city” into a consensual but often highly disputed negotiation process.

  12. Development of a conceptual model of the role of hospital nurses in health promotion in Jordan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shoqirat, N

    2015-05-19

    International evidence reveals that hospital nurses have not been able to incorporate health promotion effectively into the framework of their care. This can be attributed to unclear conceptualizing of the barriers and facilitators to the role of nurses in health promotion. An integrative review was carried out to develop a conceptual model to assist hospital nurses in Jordan to understand how health promotion activities can be developed. Factors affecting the involvement of nurses in health promotion - ranging from limited knowledge about health promotion to the social image of nursing - can be structured into three levels: the micro (individual), meso (organizational) and macro (population). By understanding the interplay of factors between and within the levels, nurses and other health professionals can draw on the individual, social and organizational factors that influence nurses' role in health promotion. The proposed model can be considered as a springboard for developing health promotion activities related to hospitals in other Muslim-majority contexts.

  13. Long-reach articulated robots for inspection and mini-invasive interventions in hazardous environments: Recent robotics research, qualification testing, and tool developments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perrot, Yann; Kammerer, Nolwenn; Measson, Yvan; Verney, Alexandre; Gargiulo, Laurent; Houry, Michael; Keller, Delphine; Piolain, Gerard

    2012-01-01

    The Interactive Robotics Laboratory of CEA LIST is in charge of the development of remote handling technologies to meet energy industry requirements. This paper reports the research and development activities in advanced robotics systems for inspection or light intervention in hazardous environments with limited access such as blind hot cells in the nuclear industry or the thermonuclear experimental Tokamak fusion reactor. A long-reach carrier robot called the articulated inspection arm (AIA) and diagnostics and tools for inspection or intervention are described. Finally experimental field tests are presented and actual challenges in modeling the robot's flexibilities are discussed. (authors)

  14. Detecting self-produced speech errors before and after articulation: An ERP investigation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kevin Michael Trewartha

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available It has been argued that speech production errors are monitored by the same neural system involved in monitoring other types of action errors. Behavioral evidence has shown that speech errors can be detected and corrected prior to articulation, yet the neural basis for such pre-articulatory speech error monitoring is poorly understood. The current study investigated speech error monitoring using a phoneme-substitution task known to elicit speech errors. Stimulus-locked event-related potential (ERP analyses comparing correct and incorrect utterances were used to assess pre-articulatory error monitoring and response-locked ERP analyses were used to assess post-articulatory monitoring. Our novel finding in the stimulus-locked analysis revealed that words that ultimately led to a speech error were associated with a larger P2 component at midline sites (FCz, Cz, and CPz. This early positivity may reflect the detection of an error in speech formulation, or a predictive mechanism to signal the potential for an upcoming speech error. The data also revealed that general conflict monitoring mechanisms are involved during this task as both correct and incorrect responses elicited an anterior N2 component typically associated with conflict monitoring. The response-locked analyses corroborated previous observations that self-produced speech errors led to a fronto-central ERN. These results demonstrate that speech errors can be detected prior to articulation, and that speech error monitoring relies on a central error monitoring mechanism.

  15. Introductory biology students' conceptual models and explanations of the origin of variation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Speth, Elena Bray; Shaw, Neil; Momsen, Jennifer; Reinagel, Adam; Le, Paul; Taqieddin, Ranya; Long, Tammy

    2014-01-01

    Mutation is the key molecular mechanism generating phenotypic variation, which is the basis for evolution. In an introductory biology course, we used a model-based pedagogy that enabled students to integrate their understanding of genetics and evolution within multiple case studies. We used student-generated conceptual models to assess understanding of the origin of variation. By midterm, only a small percentage of students articulated complete and accurate representations of the origin of variation in their models. Targeted feedback was offered through activities requiring students to critically evaluate peers' models. At semester's end, a substantial proportion of students significantly improved their representation of how variation arises (though one-third still did not include mutation in their models). Students' written explanations of the origin of variation were mostly consistent with their models, although less effective than models in conveying mechanistic reasoning. This study contributes evidence that articulating the genetic origin of variation is particularly challenging for learners and may require multiple cycles of instruction, assessment, and feedback. To support meaningful learning of the origin of variation, we advocate instruction that explicitly integrates multiple scales of biological organization, assessment that promotes and reveals mechanistic and causal reasoning, and practice with explanatory models with formative feedback. © 2014 E. Bray Speth et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2014 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

  16. Combining the Vortex Particle-Mesh method with a Multi-Body System solver for the simulation of self-propelled articulated swimmers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernier, Caroline; Gazzola, Mattia; Ronsse, Renaud; Chatelain, Philippe

    2017-11-01

    We present a 2D fluid-structure interaction simulation method with a specific focus on articulated and actuated structures. The proposed algorithm combines a viscous Vortex Particle-Mesh (VPM) method based on a penalization technique and a Multi-Body System (MBS) solver. The hydrodynamic forces and moments acting on the structure parts are not computed explicitly from the surface stresses; they are rather recovered from the projection and penalization steps within the VPM method. The MBS solver accounts for the body dynamics via the Euler-Lagrange formalism. The deformations of the structure are dictated by the hydrodynamic efforts and actuation torques. Here, we focus on simplified swimming structures composed of neutrally buoyant ellipses connected by virtual joints. The joints are actuated through a simple controller in order to reproduce the swimming patterns of an eel-like swimmer. The method enables to recover the histories of torques applied on each hinge along the body. The method is verified on several benchmarks: an impulsively started elastically mounted cylinder and free swimming articulated fish-like structures. Validation will be performed by means of an experimental swimming robot that reproduces the 2D articulated ellipses.

  17. A comparative study to evaluate the discrepancy in condylar guidance values between two commercially available arcon and non-arcon articulators: A clinical study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mukesh Kumar Goyal

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim: The purpose of this study was comparative evaluation of sagittal condylar values of arcon and non-arcon articulators with cephalometric readings and to determine the amount of discrepancy in sagittal condylar guidance values between arcon and non-arcon articulators using same protrusive record. Materials and Methods: Twenty subjects in the age group of 19-35 years, free from temporomandibular joint dysfunction, and occlusal disharmony, with healthy dentition participated in the study. Hanau H2 (non-arcon type and Hanau Wide-Vue (arcon type articulators were programmed for sagittal condylar guidance values using the same protrusive record made in polysiloxane bite registration material with edge to edge degree of protrusion. The resultant values for both the articulators on either side were compared with values obtained from tracing of digital lateral cephalogram using Kodak Dental imaging Window software 6.6.3.0-C program. The tabulated data were subjected to statistical analysis, ANOVA (Fishers ′F′ test for group comparison, Tukey′s HSD test for inter-comparison, student′s unpaired ′t′ test for intra-group comparison, and level of significance (P was calculated using the same. Results: The mean sagittal condylar guidance values of the three different groups were found to be very highly significant (P=0.001 and highly significant (P=0.002 on the right and left sides respectively. There was a very highly significant difference (P=0.001 and highly significant difference (P=0.003 between the arcon and non-arcon group on the right and left side respectively. No significant difference was found between the arcon and cephalometric group (P=0.284 right, P=0.853 left and a statistically significant difference was found between the non-arcon and cephalometric group (P=0.049 right, P=0.015 left. On intragroup comparison there was no statistically significant difference in sagittal condylar values on the right and left sides. Conclusion

  18. An Acceptable Alternative Articulation to Remediate Mispronunciation of the English /l/ Sound: Can Production Precede Perception?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raver-Lampman, Greg; Wilson, Corinne

    2018-01-01

    This article explores the teaching of an acceptable alternative articulation to correct the mispronunciation of the English /l/ sound by speakers of some Asian languages and dialects who struggle to differentiate the English liquids /r/ and /l/. Although teaching pronunciation, and especially segmentals, has generated controversy over whether…

  19. Defining sustainable practice in community-based health promotion: a Delphi study of practitioner perspectives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, Neil; Sandor, Maria

    2013-04-01

    Sustainability of practice must be a central imperative in the practice of community-based health promotion to achieve population health and attract a greater share of public health spending. Although there has been some consideration of sustainability at the project or program levels, often understood as intervention longevity, very limited attention has been given to understanding sustainable practice. The present study develops a definition and features of sustainable practice in community-based health promotion through a Delphi method with health promotion practitioners in Queensland, Australia. The study presents a consensus definition and features of sustainable practice. The definition highlights the importance of collaboration, health determinants and aspirations, processes and outcomes. The four features of sustainable practice identified in the study are: (1) effective relationships and partnerships; (2) evidence-based decision making and practice; (3) emphasis on building community capacity; and (4) supportive context for practice. The definition and features are, to a large extent, consistent with the limited literature around sustainability at the project and program levels of health promotion. Together, they provide insight into a form of community-based health promotion that will be both viable and productive. So what? This consensus understanding of sustainable practice articulates the foundations of working effectively with local communities in achieving improved population health within global limits.

  20. Articulating the Unsayable: An Exploration of ”Visible Voices” in Sifiso Nyathi’s the Other Presence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nelson Mlambo

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available This paper explores the insightful nuances about narratives and contemporary life from the award winning Namibian writer, Sifiso Nyathi. The paper arises from the realisation of the paucity of literature in Namibia to tackle sensitive issues and the more often peripheral recognition of the power that fiction has to comment and bring insight to socio-cultural and economic issues. The chosen methodology is literary analysis and the concern that informs this paper is on how narratives demonstrate an apt ability to communicate concerns and sensibilities that both haunt and inspire contemporary societies. The paper demonstrates how literature (fiction and language open up fissures to spell out the ‘unsayable’, the taboo, and the often whispered and not yet said “other presence” in contemporary life. This is a way of questioning, voicing, re-examining and articulating certain truths which are supposedly veiled and unrepresentable, whose grammars of articulation often evade quantitative analysis. Through the chosen novel, the paper projected the ‘multivoiceness’ of literature in as much as it represents the gamut of HIV/AIDS in conservative communities, the contested terrain of superstition, the supernatural, belief and witchcraft. The ultimate conclusion is that literature is a powerful tool for the articulation of core concerns and issues in contemporary Africa and that through his novel; Nyathi managed to make visible the qualitative facets of life like pain, bereavement, culture, HIV/AIDS, religion and stigma. It suffices therefore say that educational, cultural, the civic society and policy makers heed the wisdom enshrined in the creative arts in order to find multifaceted ways of handling the horrors faced by the people on a daily basis.

  1. The articulation of Mexico into the dynamics of competition of the North American natural gas market

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elizalde Baltierra, A.

    2002-07-01

    Deregulation is at the origin of the new dynamics of competition in the natural gas industry. The United States and Canada were the pioneer countries to suffer these changes. In fact, their natural gas markets today function in a very similar way: i) the private sector takes a place as large as possible, and ii)competition is developed within the three segments of the gas value, especially at the upstream level (emergence of hubs, spot and financial markets,...). In Mexico, its downstream gas activities (transportation, storage and distribution) were liberalized in 1995 in order to attract private investments and to develop the gas sector that has historically been operated under State control. Gas upstream operations remain reserved by the Constitution to the national oil company Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX). This thesis develops an evaluation framework of the articulation of Mexico into the dynamics of competition of the North American natural gas market, based on the structure-conduct-performance paradigm. In the first part, all North American's natural gas industries base conditions are analyzed. We examine in the second part, the deregulation and articulation of the dynamics of competition of the American and Canadian gas industries. Finally, in the third part we analyze the main elements of the articulation of Mexico into the dynamics of competition of United States and Canada's gas industries. Furthermore, we evaluate the impact of three of these elements (the economic growth, the electric power generation sector and eventually opening to private investments of gas upstream activities) on the adjustment of gas supply and demand in Mexico to the year 2020. (author)

  2. 78 FR 29733 - Applications for New Awards; Promoting the Readiness of Minors in Supplemental Security Income...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-05-21

    ..., articulated model of partnership and coordination among the participating agencies and organizations; (2) A...). Under PROMISE, ED will fund States to develop and implement model demonstration projects (MDPs) that... the Transition to Adult Life. Retrieved from The Urban Institute Web site: www.urban.org/url.cfm?ID...

  3. A self-centering active probing technique for kinematic parameter identification and verification of articulated arm coordinate measuring machines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santolaria, J; Brau, A; Velázquez, J; Aguilar, J J

    2010-01-01

    A crucial task in the procedure of identifying the parameters of a kinematic model of an articulated arm coordinate measuring machine (AACMM) or robot arm is the process of capturing data. In this paper a capturing data method is analyzed using a self-centering active probe, which drastically reduces the capture time and the required number of positions of the gauge as compared to the usual standard and manufacturer methods. The mathematical models of the self-centering active probe and AACMM are explained, as well as the mathematical model that links the AACMM global reference system to the probe reference system. We present a self-calibration method that will allow us to determine a homogeneous transformation matrix that relates the probe's reference system to the AACMM last reference system from the probing of a single sphere. In addition, a comparison between a self-centering passive probe and self-centering active probe is carried out to show the advantages of the latter in the procedures of kinematic parameter identification and verification of the AACMM

  4. How do Small Groups Promote Behaviour Change? An Integrative Conceptual Review of Explanatory Mechanisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borek, Aleksandra J; Abraham, Charles

    2018-03-01

    Small groups are used to promote health, well-being, and personal change by altering members' perceptions, beliefs, expectations, and behaviour patterns. An extensive cross-disciplinary literature has articulated and tested theories explaining how such groups develop, function, and facilitate change. Yet these theoretical understandings are rarely applied in the development, description, and evaluation of health-promotion, group-based, behaviour-change interventions. Medline database, library catalogues, search engines, specific journals and reference lists were searched for relevant texts. Texts were reviewed for explanatory concepts or theories describing change processes in groups, which were integrated into the developing conceptual structure. This was designed to be a parsimonious conceptual framework that could be applied to design and delivery. Five categories of interacting processes and concepts were identified and defined: (1) group development processes, (2) dynamic group processes, (3) social change processes, (4) personal change processes, and (5) group design and operating parameters. Each of these categories encompasses a variety of theorised mechanisms explaining individual change in small groups. The final conceptual model, together with the design issues and practical recommendations derived from it, provides a practical basis for linking research and theory explaining group functioning to optimal design of group-based, behaviour-change interventions. © 2018 The Authors. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Association of Applied Psychology.

  5. Articulating Scientific Practice: Understanding Dean Hamer's "Gay Gene" Study as Overlapping Material, Social and Rhetorical Registers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lynch, John A.

    2009-01-01

    Rhetoricians have tried to develop a better understanding of the connection between words and things, but these attempts often employ a logic of representation that undermines a full examination of materiality and the complexity of scientific practice. A logic of articulation offers a viable alternative by focusing attention on the linkages…

  6. Articulation Rate and Vowel Space Characteristics of Young Males with Fragile X Syndrome: Preliminary Acoustic Findings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zajac, David J.; Roberts, Joanne E.; Hennon, Elizabeth A.; Harris, Adrianne A.; Barnes, Elizabeth F.; Misenheimer, Jan

    2006-01-01

    Purpose: Increased speaking rate is a commonly reported perceptual characteristic among males with fragile X syndrome (FXS). The objective of this preliminary study was to determine articulation rate--one component of perceived speaking rate--and vowel space characteristics of young males with FXS. Method: Young males with FXS (n = 38), …

  7. Information system success model for customer relationship management system in health promotion centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Wona; Rho, Mi Jung; Park, Jiyun; Kim, Kwang-Jum; Kwon, Young Dae; Choi, In Young

    2013-06-01

    Intensified competitiveness in the healthcare industry has increased the number of healthcare centers and propelled the introduction of customer relationship management (CRM) systems to meet diverse customer demands. This study aimed to develop the information system success model of the CRM system by investigating previously proposed indicators within the model. THE EVALUATION AREAS OF THE CRM SYSTEM INCLUDES THREE AREAS: the system characteristics area (system quality, information quality, and service quality), the user area (perceived usefulness and user satisfaction), and the performance area (personal performance and organizational performance). Detailed evaluation criteria of the three areas were developed, and its validity was verified by a survey administered to CRM system users in 13 nationwide health promotion centers. The survey data were analyzed by the structural equation modeling method, and the results confirmed that the model is feasible. Information quality and service quality showed a statistically significant relationship with perceived usefulness and user satisfaction. Consequently, the perceived usefulness and user satisfaction had significant influence on individual performance as well as an indirect influence on organizational performance. This study extends the research area on information success from general information systems to CRM systems in health promotion centers applying a previous information success model. This lays a foundation for evaluating health promotion center systems and provides a useful guide for successful implementation of hospital CRM systems.

  8. Information System Success Model for Customer Relationship Management System in Health Promotion Centers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Wona; Rho, Mi Jung; Park, Jiyun; Kim, Kwang-Jum; Kwon, Young Dae

    2013-01-01

    Objectives Intensified competitiveness in the healthcare industry has increased the number of healthcare centers and propelled the introduction of customer relationship management (CRM) systems to meet diverse customer demands. This study aimed to develop the information system success model of the CRM system by investigating previously proposed indicators within the model. Methods The evaluation areas of the CRM system includes three areas: the system characteristics area (system quality, information quality, and service quality), the user area (perceived usefulness and user satisfaction), and the performance area (personal performance and organizational performance). Detailed evaluation criteria of the three areas were developed, and its validity was verified by a survey administered to CRM system users in 13 nationwide health promotion centers. The survey data were analyzed by the structural equation modeling method, and the results confirmed that the model is feasible. Results Information quality and service quality showed a statistically significant relationship with perceived usefulness and user satisfaction. Consequently, the perceived usefulness and user satisfaction had significant influence on individual performance as well as an indirect influence on organizational performance. Conclusions This study extends the research area on information success from general information systems to CRM systems in health promotion centers applying a previous information success model. This lays a foundation for evaluating health promotion center systems and provides a useful guide for successful implementation of hospital CRM systems. PMID:23882416

  9. Variable selection for mixture and promotion time cure rate models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masud, Abdullah; Tu, Wanzhu; Yu, Zhangsheng

    2016-11-16

    Failure-time data with cured patients are common in clinical studies. Data from these studies are typically analyzed with cure rate models. Variable selection methods have not been well developed for cure rate models. In this research, we propose two least absolute shrinkage and selection operators based methods, for variable selection in mixture and promotion time cure models with parametric or nonparametric baseline hazards. We conduct an extensive simulation study to assess the operating characteristics of the proposed methods. We illustrate the use of the methods using data from a study of childhood wheezing. © The Author(s) 2016.

  10. The undergraduate research fellows program: a unique model to promote engagement in research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vessey, Judith A; DeMarco, Rosanna F

    2008-01-01

    Well-educated nurses with research expertise are needed to advance evidence-based nursing practice. A primary goal of undergraduate nursing curricula is to create meaningful participatory experiences to help students develop a research skill set that articulates with rapid career advancement of gifted, young graduates interested in nursing research and faculty careers. Three research enrichment models-undergraduate honors programs, research assistant work-for-hire programs, and research work/mentorship programs-to be in conjunction with standard research content are reviewed. The development and implementation of one research work/mentorship program, the Boston College undergraduate research fellows program (UGRF), is explicated. This process included surveying previous UGRFs followed by creating a retreat and seminars to address specific research skill sets. The research skill sets included (a) how to develop a research team, (b) accurate data retrieval, (c) ethical considerations, (d) the research process, (e) data management, (f) successful writing of abstracts, and (g) creating effective poster presentations. Outcomes include evidence of involvement in research productivity and valuing of evidenced-based practice through the UGRF mentorship process with faculty partners.

  11. Studying the striving and opposing forces in newspaper journalism: the actantial model of health promotion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aarva, Pauliina; Tampere, Marja Pakarinen

    2006-06-01

    The cultural aspects of health promotion are important in policy development as well as in assessing effectiveness of health promotion activities. The discourses on promoting health and well-being in journalism reflect the health promotion culture in society. This article illustrates how health promotion is portrayed by 147 newspaper items from the two Finnish quality dailies during the period 2002-2004 and introduces a semiotic Actantial Model of Health Promotion (AMHP) for studying health promotion cultures. The most popular news themes on health promotion were physical and social environment, welfare services, nutrition and obesity, and mental well-being. The actants (actors, actions and abstract factor) of health promotion were identified and the AMHP with seven key actants (generator, health-object, public, tool, executor, threat and obstacle) was constructed. The model sheds light on two sides of health promotion discourses in journalism. The dominant culture of health promotion was represented by policy actions, information, education and scientific research, which were defined by health experts, decision-makers and researchers. Representations of the opposite culture--'the otherness' of health promotion included external harmful factors and unhealthy behaviours, mentalities opposed to being health-oriented, rationally uncontrolled living, disorder, disharmony and insecurity. The opposing factors were presented by people and institutions lacking the will, ability or motivation for a health-oriented life. To understand better the values of health promotion, it is necessary to assess the characteristics of the opposite side of health promotion culture, because the current dominant values can be described more clearly by the boundaries--by 'otherness'. The study argues that the AMHP can be used as a semiotic method to identify the value dimensions and the boundaries between the dominant and the opposite discourses of health promotion in various communications

  12. Health Promotion Behavior of Chinese International Students in Korea Including Acculturation Factors: A Structural Equation Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Sun Jung; Yoo, Il Young

    2016-03-01

    The purpose of this study was to explain the health promotion behavior of Chinese international students in Korea using a structural equation model including acculturation factors. A survey using self-administered questionnaires was employed. Data were collected from 272 Chinese students who have resided in Korea for longer than 6 months. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The p value of final model is .31. The fitness parameters of the final model such as goodness of fit index, adjusted goodness of fit index, normed fit index, non-normed fit index, and comparative fit index were more than .95. Root mean square of residual and root mean square error of approximation also met the criteria. Self-esteem, perceived health status, acculturative stress and acculturation level had direct effects on health promotion behavior of the participants and the model explained 30.0% of variance. The Chinese students in Korea with higher self-esteem, perceived health status, acculturation level, and lower acculturative stress reported higher health promotion behavior. The findings can be applied to develop health promotion strategies for this population. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  13. Cognitive Levels Regarding Articulation Marks among Violin Students in Department of Music Education in Gazi University

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taninmis, Gamze Elif

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to determine violin students' cognitive levels about articulation marks in Department of Music Education, Fine Arts Education, Gazi Faculty of Education, Gazi University (GUGEF), and to identify the variables on which the cognitive levels vary. It is a descriptive research considering the study purpose, method and…

  14. Articulated, Performance-Based Instruction Objectives Guide for Air Conditioning, Refrigeration, and Heating. Volume II (Second Year).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henderson, William Edward, Jr., Ed.

    This articulation guide contains 17 units of instruction for the second year of a two-year vocational program designed to prepare the high school graduate to install, maintain, and repair various types of residential and commercial heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration equipment. The units are designed to help the student to expand and…

  15. A multi-scale model of hepcidin promoter regulation reveals factors controlling systemic iron homeostasis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guillem Casanovas

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Systemic iron homeostasis involves a negative feedback circuit in which the expression level of the peptide hormone hepcidin depends on and controls the iron blood levels. Hepcidin expression is regulated by the BMP6/SMAD and IL6/STAT signaling cascades. Deregulation of either pathway causes iron-related diseases such as hemochromatosis or anemia of inflammation. We quantitatively analyzed how BMP6 and IL6 control hepcidin expression. Transcription factor (TF phosphorylation and reporter gene expression were measured under co-stimulation conditions, and the promoter was perturbed by mutagenesis. Using mathematical modeling, we systematically analyzed potential mechanisms of cooperative and competitive promoter regulation by the transcription factors, and experimentally validated the model predictions. Our results reveal that hepcidin cross-regulation primarily occurs by combinatorial transcription factor binding to the promoter, whereas signaling crosstalk is insignificant. We find that the presence of two BMP-responsive elements enhances the steepness of the promoter response towards the iron-sensing BMP signaling axis, which promotes iron homeostasis in vivo. IL6 co-stimulation reduces the promoter sensitivity towards the BMP signal, because the SMAD and STAT transcription factors compete for recruiting RNA polymerase to the transcription start site. This may explain why inflammatory signals disturb iron homeostasis in anemia of inflammation. Taken together, our results reveal why the iron homeostasis circuit is sensitive to perturbations implicated in disease.

  16. Promoting Profit Model Innovation in Animation Project in Northeast Asia: Case Study on Chinese Cultural and Creative Industry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hao Jiao

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Building on a case study of three animation companies in the Chinese cultural and creative industry, this study aims to understand how profit model innovation is promoted. Due to the rapidly changing environments and resource scarcity, cultural and creative companies need to select the appropriate profit model according to their own key resources. The study uncovers two critical factors that promote profit model innovation in animation projects: the quantity of consumers and their consumption intention. According to these two dimensions, the authors’ analysis shows profit model innovation in animation projects can be divided into Fans mode, Popular mode, Placement mode, and Failure mode, respectively. This study provides an empirical basis for advocating profit model innovation and discusses the resource requirements of Fan mode, Popular model, and Placement mode in China’s cultural and creative industry. The authors’ research also has managerial implications that might help firms promote profit model innovation. Finally, learning and promoting the profit model of China’s animation industry in the Northeast Asia area will be conducive to Northeast Asia’s cooperation and sustainable development.

  17. Interactive Shape Modeling using a Skeleton-Mesh Co-Representation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bærentzen, Jacob Andreas; Abdrashitov, Rinat; Singh, Karan

    2014-01-01

    We introduce the Polar-Annular Mesh representation (PAM). A PAM is a mesh-skeleton co-representation designed for the modeling of 3D organic, articulated shapes. A PAM represents a manifold mesh as a partition of polar (triangle fans) and annular (rings of quads) regions. The skeletal topology of...... a PAM to a quad-only mesh. We further present a PAM-based multi-touch sculpting application in order to demonstrate its utility as a shape representation for the interactive modeling of organic, articulated figures as well as for editing and posing of pre-existing models....

  18. Articulated vehicles of 25 meter and 60 ton in The Netherlands: the start of a pilot project

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hoogvelt, R.B.J.; Huijbers, J.J.W.

    1998-01-01

    At this moment the total allowable length of an articulated vehicle in The Netherlands is 18.35 meter and its total weight is 50 ton. Several Dutch transportation organisations requested a pilot project with longer and heavier vehicles for heavy goods transpotation. Because of the environmental

  19. Implications of Shared Interactive Displays for Work at a Surgery Ward: Coordination, Articulation Work and Context-awareness

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bossen, Claus; Jensen, Lis Witte Kjær

    2008-01-01

    We report on experiences gained from the use at a surgery ward of shared interactive displays to support coordination and communication.  The displays merge large displays, video feed, RFID tag, chat and mobile phones to facilitate better coordination and articulation of work tasks and enhance...

  20. Contribution to the automatic command in robotics - Application to the command by microprocessors of the articulated systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al Mouhamed, Mayez

    1982-01-01

    The first part of the present paper deals with the main methods of changing the coordinates for a general articulated system. After a definition of the coordinates changing, we propose a coordination system designed for easy programming of the movements. Its characteristic is to permit the action anywhere on the manipulated object. The second part deals with the force regulation problem. For this purpose we have developed a general force sensor. The informations delivered by the sensor are used by force regulators which are intended for the automatic assembly of subsystems. In the third part the dynamic problem of the articulated systems is exposed. We present a new method which allows to determine dynamic parameters from appropriate motions of the robot. These parameters are then used to implement the dynamic control. Several applications, using the powerful microprocessor INTEL 8086 and its arithmetic coprocessor 8087, are presented, in order to demonstrate the performances gained. (author) [fr

  1. Bilateral first rib anomalous articulations with pseudarthroses mimicking healing fractures in an infant with abusive head injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pasquale-Styles, Melissa A; Crowder, Christian M; Fridie, Jeannette; Milla, Sarah S

    2014-11-01

    Bilateral symmetric bone nodules were observed in the anterolateral first ribs of an infant with shaking injuries at autopsy. The location prompted diagnostic considerations of healing fractures versus anomalous articulations with pseudarthroses. The forensic pathologist worked with forensic anthropologists and pediatric radiologists to evaluate autopsy findings and compare premortem and postmortem X-rays. Gross examination of the bones by the pathologist and anthropologists confirmed bilateral, callus-like bone nodules in first-rib locations associated with pseudarthroses. Histologic examination of one of the bones further showed features most consistent with pseudarthrosis, not a healing fracture. Radiologists then compared multiple premortem and postmortem radiographs that showed no remodeling of the bone over a 2-week interval between the time of injury and death, which would be unexpected for a healing fracture in an infant. This multidisciplinary approach resulted in the appropriate diagnosis of pseudarthroses due to anomalous articulations, an uncommon finding in forensic pathology. © 2014 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  2. Boundaries to the articulation of possible selves through social networking sites: the case of Facebook profilers' social connectedness

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zwier, S.; Araujo, T.; Boukes, M.; Willemsen, L.

    2011-01-01

    This study aims to contribute to an emerging literature that seeks to understand how identity markers on social networking sites (SNSs) shape interpersonal impressions, and particularly the boundaries that SNSs present for articulating unconstrained 'hoped-for possible selves.' An experiment

  3. The Bakayat SpokenText Tradition The Articulation of Religious Value and Social Discourse of Sasak Community in Lombok

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I Made Suyasa

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This study explored the bakayat spoken-text tradition of the Sasak people in Lombok. The tradition was used as media for preaching on Islamic day, customs and ceremonies, as well as appreciating the folk literature. Malay literary texts that contained religious values were articulated continuously in various social discourses by the community that owned this tradition. The impact of the globalization and the inclusion of various Islamic doctrines in Lombok have threatened the existence of the bakayat tradition and now most Sasak people especially the younger ones are not interested in this tradition. The background explained above has become the main reason why this study was conducted. Moreover, there were still a few studies which had investigated the bakayat tradition in-depth. This present study was focused on the history, structure, function, meaning, and articulation of the religious values and social discourse of the bakayat tradition bySasak people. This research used the descriptive analytical method. The data were analyzed using the interpretive qualitative method. The theories used in this study were the theory narratology proposed by Gerard Genette (1986, the theory of articulation proposed by Stuart Hall (1986, the theory of functions, and the theory of semiotics. The results of this study showed that the historical development ofthe Sasakbakayat tradition was characterized by the emergence of Islam in Lombok. It significantly contributed to the existence of bakayat. It was followed by the Islamic Malay literature which was used as the reading material in the bakayat tradition and the media for learning Islam. The historical development of the bakayat Sasak was explained in various aspects such as religious, cultural, political, and social aspects. The structure of the bakayat text was a form of the articulation in spoken style which involved the characteristics of the

  4. Methodology for the assessment of measuring uncertainties of articulated arm coordinate measuring machines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Romdhani, Fekria; Hennebelle, François; Ge, Min; Juillion, Patrick; Fontaine, Jean François; Coquet, Richard

    2014-01-01

    Articulated Arm Coordinate Measuring Machines (AACMMs) have gradually evolved and are increasingly used in mechanical industry. At present, measurement uncertainties relating to the use of these devices are not yet well quantified. The work carried out consists of determining the measurement uncertainties of a mechanical part by an AACMM. The studies aiming to develop a model of measurement uncertainty are based on the Monte Carlo method developed in Supplement 1 of the Guide to Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement [1] but also identifying and characterizing the main sources of uncertainty. A multi-level Monte Carlo approach principle has been developed which allows for characterizing the possible evolution of the AACMM during the measurement and quantifying in a second level the uncertainty on the considered measurand. The first Monte Carlo level is the most complex and is thus divided into three sub-levels, namely characterization on the positioning error of a point, estimation of calibration errors and evaluation of fluctuations of the ‘localization point’. The global method is thus presented and results of the first sub-level are particularly developed. The main sources of uncertainty, including AACMM deformations, are exposed. (paper)

  5. HYBRID TEACHER TRAINING: THE CONSTRUCTION OF PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICE AS ARTICULATOR AXIS FOR THE USE OF TECHNOLOGIES IN AN INCLUSIVE SCHOOL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Danielle Aparecida do Nascimento dos Santos

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available This paper aims to present data related to the preparation, implementation, monitoring, development and evaluation of Articulator Axis: Inclusion and Special Education of hybrid Pedagogy UNIVESP/UNESP course. It is explained the theoretical, methodological and practical contributions that supported the organization of the discipline, designed with the premise to train teachers in order to provide analysis tools on the policies and practices of school inclusion of students of Special Education. As well as offering elements to teachers who attend the course for an analysis of practices and resources that can be used in the context of an inclusive school, through the promotion of school activities that develop the skills of all. The discipline was developed in five (5 blocks of 24 (twenty four hours per week, which were proposed activities and studies on the activities related to elementary and high school, aggregated to Specialized Educational Service and the use of Digital Information and Communication Technologies, according to the specific educational needs of students of Special Education and considering its importance within the policies of inclusion and its application in school contexts linked to the disciplines of didactic contents of the course.

  6. Articulations between self-care and ecosophy: the teachers’ training issue

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Isabel Gomes Ayres

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available In this article, we covered Michel Foucault and Félix Guattari papers in order to try to articulate the “self-care” (Foucault and "Ecosophy" (Guattari philosophical concepts and then, to discuss how these concepts can build up a thought on the teachers’ training, as well as, suggesting a training itself which is called “Ecosophic". Between 1981 and 1982, Foucault spoke about the urgency of rebuilding a “self” ethic as a possible confrontation against dissymmetric power relationships. Later, in 1989, Guattari, also referenced this urgency against a multifaceted crisis that deteriorated in the physical environment, social relations and subjectivities of the entire planet. Foucault and Guattari have developed these criticisms for about three decades and we believe their writings may contribute to place the current spotlight.

  7. Palatalization in English: An Articulation Problem for Turkish Teacher Trainees

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prof. Dr. Mehmet Demirezen

    2005-04-01

    Full Text Available In the field of teacher training, there is a scarcity of teaching pronunciation teachingmethodology to cure the fossilized mistakes of teacher trainees and foreign language teacherson-the-job. A case study pertaining to this situation is handled for the first time in this articleunder the title of “Audio-articulation Method” (Demirezen, 2003; Hişmanoğlu, 2004. Thismethod takes up a fossilized mistake of teacher trainees or teachers on-the-job in fifty minutesand brings in pronunciation correction by using tongue-twisters, idioms, proverbs, and thelike. Thus, it cures the fossilized mistake to a grater extent by creating a higher awareness andimproving communicative fluency. This method through task-based point of view removesthe related fossilized mistake and brings in pronunciation betterment to the teacher traineesand the teachers on-the-job.

  8. Effect of health belief model and health promotion model on breast cancer early diagnosis behavior: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ersin, Fatma; Bahar, Zuhal

    2011-01-01

    Breast cancer is an important public health problem on the grounds that it is frequently seen and it is a fatal disease. The objective of this systematic analysis is to indicate the effects of interventions performed by nurses by using the Health Belief Model (HBM) and Health Promotion Model (HPM) on the breast cancer early diagnosis behaviors and on the components of the Health Belief Model and Health Promotion Model. The reveiw was created in line with the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination guide dated 2009 (CRD) and developed by York University National Institute of Health Researches. Review was conducted by using PUBMED, OVID, EBSCO and COCHRANE databases. Six hundred seventy eight studies (PUBMED: 236, OVID: 162, EBSCO: 175, COCHRANE:105) were found in total at the end of the review. Abstracts and full texts of these six hundred seventy eight studies were evaluated in terms of inclusion and exclusion criteria and 9 studies were determined to meet the criteria. Samplings of the studies varied between ninety four and one thousand six hundred fifty five. It was detected in the studies that educations provided by taking the theories as basis became effective on the breast cancer early diagnosis behaviors. When the literature is examined, it is observed that the experimental researches which compare the concepts of Health Belief Model (HBM) and Health Promotion Model (HPM) preoperatively and postoperatively and show the effect of these concepts on education and are conducted by nurses are limited in number. Randomized controlled studies which compare HBM and HPM concepts preoperatively and postoperatively and show the efficiency of the interventions can be useful in evaluating the efficiency of the interventions.

  9. Does a Socio-Ecological School Model Promote Resilience in Primary Schools?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Patricia C.; Stewart, Donald E.

    2013-01-01

    Background: This research investigates the extent to which the holistic, multistrategy "health-promoting school" (HPS) model using a resilience intervention can lead to improved resilience among students. Methods: A quasi-experimental design using a study cohort selected from 20 primary schools in Queensland, Australia was employed. Ten…

  10. Articulating the history and major departure points evident in post-apartheid South African national water policy and law

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chikozho, C.; Danga, L.; Saruchera, D.

    2017-08-01

    Governance of the water sector in South Africa has reflected the political changes taking place in society. For instance, due to apartheid policies of segregation, inequality of access to water resources marks South Africa's history in a very profound way and redistribution of rights to water to redress the results of past discrimination became an explicit purpose of the post-apartheid water governance policy and legislative regime. In this paper, we articulate the history and major departure points evident in post-apartheid South African national water policy and law. This includes documenting and reflecting on most of the available information that shows how the new water policy and law were developed. Findings from the study show that the key players active in the water law review process deliberately took into account the political goals and dynamics of power asymmetry within which the law was being articulated. Therefore, the water law as it stands today and in the past must be understood within the context of the socio-economic and political landscape that has prevailed in South Africa at different historical junctures. We contend that a detailed examination and articulation of the history and major departure points evident in post-apartheid South African national water policy and law enables practitioners and scholars to better understand the main motivations behind the water sector reforms and the then prevailing thinking behind the policy and legislation eventually promulgated. The present water law must be understood in the context of these reforms and the objectives they sought to achieve.

  11. Articulation of young adult readers in a digitalized and medialized landscape of texts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Henkel, Ayoe Qvist

    The digital turn does not bring about changes in young adultliterature considered as aesthetic artifacts and literary works but it changes the perception and reception of the reader. Digital young adult literature is increasingly multimodal, including interactivity and the integration of elements...... of game aesthetics. The way the young person is articulated within such texts must be presumed to be new, and the pivotal point of this paper will be to explore how the young adult reader is thematized in content, form, and medium in digital young adult literature....

  12. Visual servo simulation of EAST articulated maintenance arm robot

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, Yang, E-mail: yangyang@ipp.ac.cn [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 350 Shushanhu Rd, Hefei, Anhui (China); Song, Yuntao; Pan, Hongtao; Cheng, Yong; Feng, Hansheng [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 350 Shushanhu Rd, Hefei, Anhui (China); Wu, Huapeng [Lappeenranta University of Technology, Skinnarilankatu 34, Lappeenranta (Finland)

    2016-03-15

    For the inspection and light-duty maintenance of the vacuum vessel in the EAST tokamak, a serial robot arm, called EAST articulated maintenance arm, is developed. Due to the 9-m-long cantilever arm, the large flexibility of the EAMA robot introduces a problem in the accurate positioning. This article presents an autonomous robot control to cope with the robot positioning problem, which is a visual servo approach in context of tile grasping for the EAMA robot. In the experiments, the proposed method was implemented in a simulation environment to position and track a target graphite tile with the EAMA robot. As a result, the proposed visual control scheme can successfully drive the EAMA robot to approach and track the target tile until the robot reaches the desired position. Furthermore, the functionality of the simulation software presented in this paper is proved to be suitable for the development of the robotic and computer vision application.

  13. Visual servo simulation of EAST articulated maintenance arm robot

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Yang; Song, Yuntao; Pan, Hongtao; Cheng, Yong; Feng, Hansheng; Wu, Huapeng

    2016-01-01

    For the inspection and light-duty maintenance of the vacuum vessel in the EAST tokamak, a serial robot arm, called EAST articulated maintenance arm, is developed. Due to the 9-m-long cantilever arm, the large flexibility of the EAMA robot introduces a problem in the accurate positioning. This article presents an autonomous robot control to cope with the robot positioning problem, which is a visual servo approach in context of tile grasping for the EAMA robot. In the experiments, the proposed method was implemented in a simulation environment to position and track a target graphite tile with the EAMA robot. As a result, the proposed visual control scheme can successfully drive the EAMA robot to approach and track the target tile until the robot reaches the desired position. Furthermore, the functionality of the simulation software presented in this paper is proved to be suitable for the development of the robotic and computer vision application.

  14. [Virtual audiovisual talking heads: articulatory data and models--applications].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badin, P; Elisei, F; Bailly, G; Savariaux, C; Serrurier, A; Tarabalka, Y

    2007-01-01

    In the framework of experimental phonetics, our approach to the study of speech production is based on the measurement, the analysis and the modeling of orofacial articulators such as the jaw, the face and the lips, the tongue or the velum. Therefore, we present in this article experimental techniques that allow characterising the shape and movement of speech articulators (static and dynamic MRI, computed tomodensitometry, electromagnetic articulography, video recording). We then describe the linear models of the various organs that we can elaborate from speaker-specific articulatory data. We show that these models, that exhibit a good geometrical resolution, can be controlled from articulatory data with a good temporal resolution and can thus permit the reconstruction of high quality animation of the articulators. These models, that we have integrated in a virtual talking head, can produce augmented audiovisual speech. In this framework, we have assessed the natural tongue reading capabilities of human subjects by means of audiovisual perception tests. We conclude by suggesting a number of other applications of talking heads.

  15. Evaluation of the hydrodynamic behaviour of turbulence promoters in parallel plate electrochemical reactors by means of the dispersion model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Colli, A.N.; Bisang, J.M.

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: · The type of turbulence promoters has a strong influence on the hydrodynamics. · The dispersion model is appropriate for expanded plastic turbulence promoters. · The dispersion model is appropriate for glass beads turbulence promoters. - Abstract: The hydrodynamic behaviour of electrochemical reactors with parallel plate electrodes is experimentally studied using the stimulus-response method either with an empty reactor or with different turbulence promoters. Theoretical results which are in accordance with the analytical and numerical resolution of the dispersion model for a closed system are compared with the classical relationships of the normalized outlet concentration for open systems and the validity range of the equations is discussed. The experimental results were well correlated with the dispersion model using glass beads or expanded plastic meshes as turbulence promoters, which have shown the most advantageous performance. The Peclet number was higher than 63. The dispersion coefficient was found to increase linearly with flow velocity in these cases.

  16. D.S. Sense’s “On My Detroit Everything”: Self-Articulating Black Girl Magic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kellie D. Hay

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Long before the hashtag #BlackGirlMagic was popularized on social network sites Black women in Detroit have been employing art in their processes of self-articulation and efforts to deal with the complexities and challenges of life in the city. The scripts of African American women that dominate the commercial hip hop industry and their impacts on girls and women have received thorough analysis in academia; yet, the practices, representations, and discursive articulations of independent, Black women hip hop artists remain underexplored. In particular, this essay draws on Deidre “D.S. Sense” Smith’s spoken word poem “On My Detroit Everything” to illuminate the counter-narratives and scripts that Black women have been creating to document, validate, and voice their experiences at a critical point in Detroit’s history as it underwent and continues to deal with the after effects of bankruptcy. Hip hop artists who use cultural production to accomplish grass roots community-building offer alternative visions of what it means to do political work. More than a strategy, we argue that such practices serve as the foundation for a movement that is significant and worthy of documentation in the contemporary neoliberal moment where in policies are accelerating the continued disenfranchisement of people of color in cities such as Detroit.

  17. Development of a method for fabricating polypropylene non-articulated dorsiflexion assist ankle foot orthoses with predetermined stiffness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramsey, Jason Allan

    2011-03-01

    A non-articulated plantarflexion resist ankle foot orthosis (AFO), commonly known as a posterior leaf spring AFO, is indicated for patients with motor impairment to the dorsiflexors. The AFO is often custom molded to a patient's lower limb anatomy and fabricated from polypropylene. There are no established guidelines for fabricating this type of AFO with predetermined stiffness of the ankle region for normal walking speeds. Therefore an AFO may not meet the biomechanical needs of the patient. Quantify the biomechanical ankle stiffness requirement for an individual with complete dorsiflexor impairment and develop a method for fabricating an AFO with ankle stiffness to meet that requirement. Experimental, bench research. The literature on sagittal biomechanics of non-pathological adults was reviewed to derive the stiffness of the ankle during loading response. Computer models of 144 AFOs were created with geometric variations to account for differences in human anthropometrics. Computer-based finite element analysis was employed to determine the stiffness and safety factor of the models. Stiffness of the AFOs ranged from 0.04 to 1.8 Nm/deg. This ample range is expected to account for the stiffness required for most adults with complete dorsiflexor impairment. At 5° deflection the factor of safety (ratio of strength to stress) ranged from 2.8 to 9.1. A computer program was generated that computes AFO stiffness from user-input variables of AFO geometry. The stiffness is compared to a theoretically appropriate stiffness based on the patient mass. The geometric variables can be modified until there is a close match, resulting in AFO design specification that is appropriate for the patient. Through validation on human subjects, this method may benefit patient outcomes in clinical practice by avoiding the current uncertainty surrounding AFO performance and reducing the labor and time involved in rectifying a custom AFO post-fabrication. This method provides an avenue for

  18. Computer-assisted molecular modeling of tumor promoters: rationale for the activity of phorbol esters, teleocidin B, and aplysiatoxin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeffrey, A.M.; Liskamp, R.M.J.

    1986-01-01

    In the two-stage model of skin carcinogenesis, it is believed that initiators bind to DNA and that tumor promoters such as phorbol 12-tetradecanoate 13-acetate (TPA) bind noncovalently to membrane-associated high-affinity receptors, probably protein kinase C. Two other types of potent tumor-promoting substances, aplysiatoxin and teleocidin, appear to act also by binding to and activating protein kinase C, even though their chemical structures are quite different. Therefore, the authors have undertaken computer modeling of the special relationship of various functional groups in these three chemical classes of tumor promoters in an attempt to explain how these diverse structures bind to the same receptor molecule. They propose a stereochemical model in which the oxygens in TPA at C-3, C-4, C-9, and C-20 (O-3, O-4, O-9, and O-20) correspond to the O-11, N-13, N-1, and O-24 positions in teleocidin and the O-27, O-3, O-11, and O-30 oxygens in aplysiatoxin, respectively. In this model all distances with respect to overlap of the corresponding atoms are <1 A. In addition, all three types of molecules have their hydrophobic moieties oriented in the similar position. This model is further discussed with respect to other compounds showing various degrees of activity as tumor promoters, including mezerein, ingenol, and 4α-TPA. The model explains how chemically diverse structures can have similar biological activity as tumor promoters and provides a basis for designing both agonists and antagonists of tumor promoters

  19. Critical-Inquiry-Based-Learning: Model of Learning to Promote Critical Thinking Ability of Pre-service Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prayogi, S.; Yuanita, L.; Wasis

    2018-01-01

    This study aimed to develop Critical-Inquiry-Based-Learning (CIBL) learning model to promote critical thinking (CT) ability of preservice teachers. The CIBL learning model was developed by meeting the criteria of validity, practicality, and effectiveness. Validation of the model involves 4 expert validators through the mechanism of the focus group discussion (FGD). CIBL learning model declared valid to promote CT ability, with the validity level (Va) of 4.20 and reliability (r) of 90,1% (very reliable). The practicality of the model was evaluated when it was implemented that involving 17 of preservice teachers. The CIBL learning model had been declared practice, its measuring from learning feasibility (LF) with very good criteria (LF-score = 4.75). The effectiveness of the model was evaluated from the improvement CT ability after the implementation of the model. CT ability were evaluated using the scoring technique adapted from Ennis-Weir Critical Thinking Essay Test. The average score of CT ability on pretest is - 1.53 (uncritical criteria), whereas on posttest is 8.76 (critical criteria), with N-gain score of 0.76 (high criteria). Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that developed CIBL learning model is feasible to promote CT ability of preservice teachers.

  20. Promoting tolerance and moral engagement through peer modeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McAlister, A L; Ama, E; Barroso, C; Peters, R J; Kelder, S

    2000-11-01

    Behavioral journalism influences audiences by presenting peer modeling for cognitive processes that lead to behavior change. This technique was used in student newsletters promoting intergroup tolerance and moral engagement in a Houston high school with a diverse ethnic composition. Pretest (N = 393) and posttest (N = 363) cross-sectional comparisons of the student population in that school provided evidence of short-term (6 month) communication effects on attitudes and behavior. Tolerance and moral engagement increased among students in the school where behavioral journalism newsletters were distributed, and there was a corresponding reduction in hostile behavioral intentions and in reports of verbal aggression.

  1. Values Education in the Mathematics Classroom: Subject Values, Educational Values and One Teacher's Articulation of Her Practice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bills, Liz; Husbands, Chris

    2005-01-01

    The issue of values has been a longstanding concern of mathematics education research. Attempts have been made to analyze the specifically mathematical values which characterize the practice of mathematics teachers. In this paper we draw on one teacher's articulation of her practice to explore values issues in the teaching of mathematics, drawing…

  2. The salutogenic model of health in health promotion research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mittelmark, Maurice B; Bull, Torill

    2013-06-01

    Despite health promotion's enthusiasm for the salutogenic model of health, researchers have paid little attention to Antonovsky's central ideas about the ease/dis-ease continuum, defined in terms of 'breakdown' (the severity of pain and functional limitations, and the degree medical care is called for, irrespective of specific diseases). Rather, salutogenesis research has a strong focus on how sense of coherence relates to a wide range of specific diseases and illness endpoints. We address two questions: Why has Antonovsky's health concept failed to stimulate research on breakdown, and how can the present emphasis on disease be complemented by an emphasis on positive well-being in the salutogenic model? We show that (i) the breakdown concept of health as specified by Antonovsky is circular in definition, (ii) it is not measured on the 'required' ease/dis-ease continuum, (iii) it is not measureable by any validated or reliability-tested assessment tool, and (iv) it has not so much been rejected by health promotion, as it has not been considered at all. We show that Antonovsky came to view breakdown as but one aspect of well-being. He was open to the idea of well-being as something more positive than the absence of pain, suffering and need for medical care. We suggest ways to move salutogenesis research in the direction of well-being in its positive sense.

  3. A multilevel model of organizational health culture and the effectiveness of health promotion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Yea-Wen; Lin, Yueh-Ysen

    2014-01-01

    Organizational health culture is a health-oriented core characteristic of the organization that is shared by all members. It is effective in regulating health-related behavior for employees and could therefore influence the effectiveness of health promotion efforts among organizations and employees. This study applied a multilevel analysis to verify the effects of organizational health culture on the organizational and individual effectiveness of health promotion. At the organizational level, we investigated the effect of organizational health culture on the organizational effectiveness of health promotion. At the individual level, we adopted a cross-level analysis to determine if organizational health culture affects employee effectiveness through the mediating effect of employee health behavior. The study setting consisted of the workplaces of various enterprises. We selected 54 enterprises in Taiwan and surveyed 20 full-time employees from each organization, for a total sample of 1011 employees. We developed the Organizational Health Culture Scale to measure employee perceptions and aggregated the individual data to formulate organization-level data. Organizational effectiveness of health promotion included four dimensions: planning effectiveness, production, outcome, and quality, which were measured by scale or objective indicators. The Health Promotion Lifestyle Scale was adopted for the measurement of health behavior. Employee effectiveness was measured subjectively in three dimensions: self-evaluated performance, altruism, and happiness. Following the calculation of descriptive statistics, hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was used to test the multilevel hypotheses. Organizational health culture had a significant effect on the planning effectiveness (β = .356, p production (β = .359, p promotion. In addition, results of cross-level moderating effect analysis by HLM demonstrated that the effects of organizational health culture on three dimensions of

  4. Promoting Strategic STEM Education Outreach Programming Using a Systems-Based STEM-EO Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ward, Annmarie R.

    2015-01-01

    In this paper a STEM Education Outreach (STEM-EO) Model for promoting strategic university outreach programming at Penn State University to the benefit of university, school district and community stakeholders is described. The model considers STEM-EO as a complex system involving overarching learning goals addressed within four outreach domains…

  5. Effect of emotion and articulation of speech on the Uncanny Valley in virtual characters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tinwell, Angela; Grimshaw, Mark Nicholas; Abdel Nabi, Debbie

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents a study of how exaggerated facial expression in the lower face region affects perception of emotion and the Uncanny Valley phenomenon in realistic, human-like, virtual characters. Characters communicated the six basic emotions, anger, disgust, fear, sadness and surprise...... with normal and exaggerated mouth movements. Measures were taken for perceived familiarity and human-likness. the results showed that: an increased intensity of articulation significantly reduced the uncanny for anger, yet increased perception of the uncanny for characters expressing happiness...

  6. Targeting and timing promotional activities : An agent-based model for the takeoff of new products

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Delre, S. A.; Jager, W.; Bijmolt, T. H. A.; Janssen, M. A.

    Many marketing efforts focus on promotional activities that support the launch of new products. Promotional strategies may play a crucial role in the early stages of the product life cycle, and determine to a large extent the diffusion of a new product. This paper proposes an agent-based model to

  7. Using Virtual Pets to Promote Physical Activity in Children: An Application of the Youth Physical Activity Promotion Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahn, Sun Joo Grace; Johnsen, Kyle; Robertson, Tom; Moore, James; Brown, Scott; Marable, Amanda; Basu, Aryabrata

    2015-01-01

    A virtual pet was developed based on the framework of the youth physical activity promotion model and tested as a vehicle for promoting physical activity in children. Children in the treatment group interacted with the virtual pet for three days, setting physical activity goals and teaching tricks to the virtual pet when their goals were met. The virtual pet became more fit and learned more sophisticated tricks as the children achieved activity goals. Children in the control group interacted with a computer system presenting equivalent features but without the virtual pet. Physical activity and goal attainment were evaluated using activity monitors. Results indicated that children in the treatment group engaged in 1.09 more hours of daily physical activity (156% more) than did those in the control group. Physical activity self-efficacy and beliefs served as mediators driving this increase in activity. Children that interacted with the virtual pet also expressed higher intentions than children in the control group to continue physical activity in the future. Theoretical and practical potentials of using a virtual pet to systematically promote physical activity in children are discussed.

  8. How clarinettists articulate: The effect of blowing pressure and tonguing on initial and final transients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Weicong; Almeida, André; Smith, John; Wolfe, Joe

    2016-02-01

    Articulation, including initial and final note transients, is important to tasteful music performance. Clarinettists' tongue-reed contact, the time variation of the blowing pressure P¯mouth, the mouthpiece pressure, the pressure in the instrument bore, and the radiated sound were measured for normal articulation, accents, sforzando, staccato, and for minimal attack, i.e., notes started very softly. All attacks include a phase when the amplitude of the fundamental increases exponentially, with rates r ∼1000 dB s(-1) controlled by varying both the rate of increase in P¯mouth and the timing of tongue release during this increase. Accented and sforzando notes have shorter attacks (r∼1300 dB s(-1)) than normal notes. P¯mouth reaches a higher peak value for accented and sforzando notes, followed by a steady decrease for accented notes or a rapid fall to a lower, nearly steady value for sforzando notes. Staccato notes are usually terminated by tongue contact, producing an exponential decrease in sound pressure with rates similar to those calculated from the bandwidths of the bore resonances: ∼400 dB s(-1). In all other cases, notes are stopped by decreasing P¯mouth. Notes played with different dynamics are qualitatively similar, but louder notes have larger P¯mouth and larger r.

  9. Innovations in retail business models

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sorescu, A.; Frambach, R.T.; Singh, J.; Rangaswamy, A.; Bridges, C.

    2011-01-01

    A retail business model articulates how a retailer creates value for its customers and appropriates value from the markets. Innovations in business models are increasingly critical for building sustainable advantage in a marketplace defined by unrelenting change, escalating customer expectations,

  10. Operationalizing RRI: Relational Quality Assessment & Management Model for Research and Innovation Networks (REQUANET)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barrenechea, J.; Ibarra, A

    2016-07-01

    The current European framework for research and innovation, Horizon 2020, is articulated through the Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) approach, promoting new dynamics of science and society (Owen et al., 2012) that require guidance of scientific production and public policy with a focus on developing multi-agent, transdisciplinary, mission-oriented solutions for local and global challenges. (Author)

  11. The Health Equity Promotion Model: Reconceptualization of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Health Disparities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fredriksen-Goldsen, Karen I.; Simoni, Jane M.; Kim, Hyun-Jun; Lehavot, Keren; Walters, Karina L.; Yang, Joyce; Hoy-Ellis, Charles P.

    2015-01-01

    National health initiatives emphasize the importance of eliminating health disparities among historically disadvantaged populations. Yet, few studies have examined the range of health outcomes among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. To stimulate more inclusive research in the area, we present the Health Equity Promotion Model—a framework oriented toward LGBT people reaching their full mental and physical health potential that considers both positive and adverse health-related circumstances. The model highlights (a) heterogeneity and intersectionality within LGBT communities; (b) the influence of structural and environmental context; and (c) both health-promoting and adverse pathways that encompass behavioral, social, psychological, and biological processes. It also expands upon earlier conceptualizations of sexual minority health by integrating a life course development perspective within the health-promotion model. By explicating the important role of agency and resilience as well as the deleterious effect of social structures on health outcomes, it supports policy and social justice to advance health and well-being in these communities. Important directions for future research as well as implications for health-promotion interventions and policies are offered. PMID:25545433

  12. Do Female Researchers Face a Glass Ceiling in France? A Hazard Model of Promotions

    OpenAIRE

    Sabatier, Mareva

    2010-01-01

    Abstract The present article examines whether French female researchers face a glass ceiling, an invisible barrier to promotion. Using an original database from the National Institute for Agricultural Research, we estimate duration models for promotions. The methodology used allowed us to take into account censored observations and unobserved heterogeneity. Our results show a significant gender effect that does not contradict the glass-ceiling hypothesis. In addition, factors that ...

  13. Simulating Dynamics of the System of Articulated Rigid Bodies with Joint Friction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. V. Michaylyuk

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The subject of the work is to simulate dynamics of the system of articulated rigid bodies in the virtual environment complexes. The work aim is to develop algorithms and methods to simulate the multi-body system dynamics with joint friction to ensure all calculations in real time in line with visual realistic behavior of objects in a scene.The paper describes the multibody system based on a maximal set of coordinates, and to simulate the joint friction is used a Coulomb's law of dry friction. Joints are described using the holonomic constraints and their derivatives that specify the constraints on velocities of joined bodies. Based on The Coulomb’s law a correlation for the friction impulse values has been derived as an inequality. If the friction impulse performs a constraint that is a lack of relative motion of two joint-joined bodies, there is a static friction in the joint. Otherwise, there is a dynamic friction in the joint. Using a semi-implicit Euler method allows us to describe dynamics of articulated rigid bodies with joint friction as a system of linear algebraic equations and inequalities for the unknown velocities and impulse values.To solve the obtained system of equations and inequalities is used an iterative method of sequential impulses, which sequentially processes constraints for each joint with impulse calculation and its application to the joined bodies rather than considers the entire system. To improve the method convergence, at each iteration the calculated impulses are accumulated for their further using as an initial approximation at the next step of simulation.The proposed algorithms and methods have been implemented in the training complex dynamics subsystem, developed in SRISA RAS. Evaluation of these methods and algorithms has demonstrated their full adequacy to requirements for virtual environment systems and training complexes.

  14. Effect of cholesterol nucleation-promoting activity on cholesterol solubilization in model bile

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Groen, A. K.; Ottenhoff, R.; Jansen, P. L.; van Marle, J.; Tytgat, G. N.

    1989-01-01

    Human bile contains a factor with cholesterol nucleation-promoting activity that binds to concanavalin A-Sepharose. In this study we have investigated the effect of this activity on the dynamics of lipid solubilization in supersaturated model bile. A concanavalin A binding protein fraction of human

  15. OCCLUSION AND ARTICULATION IN BRUXISM AND BRUXOMANIA INVESTIGATED WITH THE SYSTEM T-SCAN III.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mariana Dimova

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Aim: To be analyzed common features of occlusal relationships in patients with bruxism and bruxomania at maximum intercuspation (MIP and eccentric jaw movements. Materials and Methods: 30 patients (22 women and 8 men, mean aged of 42,8 ± 13,3 with bruxism and/or bruxomania are examined with the system T-Scan III. Sequence of records is - at maximum intercuspation (MIP; in manual leading to central relation and in eccentric jaw movements. In the same sequence is investigated control group - 30 people (15 women and 15 men aged between 21 and 45 who didn’t have bruxism and/or bruxomania and dentition is preserved. Results: In the control group 85% of cases there is a balance of forces in both halves of the dental arch. In patients with bruxism is established uneven distribution of forces in MIP and articulation blockages (95%. There are three major reasons that impede spontaneous bilateral closing - force outliers (93% of cases; low force outliers (82% and presence of interceptive contacts and sliding occurring in the beginning of occlusion time until MIP (in all patients. Conclusions: In order to achieve a balanced occlusion in patients with bruxism and/or bruxomania required are correct diagnosis, registration and removal of preliminary contacts, articulation blockages and infraocclusion. Occlusal analysis is objective and an indicator of subsequent treatment only when it is a combination of clinical, instrumental and computerized occlusal analysis.

  16. Basic priority rating model 2.0: current applications for priority setting in health promotion practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neiger, Brad L; Thackeray, Rosemary; Fagen, Michael C

    2011-03-01

    Priority setting is an important component of systematic planning in health promotion and also factors into the development of a comprehensive evaluation plan. The basic priority rating (BPR) model was introduced more than 50 years ago and includes criteria that should be considered in any priority setting approach (i.e., use of predetermined criteria, standardized comparisons, and a rubric that controls bias). Although the BPR model has provided basic direction in priority setting, it does not represent the broad array of data currently available to decision makers. Elements in the model also give more weight to the impact of communicable diseases compared with chronic diseases. For these reasons, several modifications are recommended to improve the BPR model and to better assist health promotion practitioners in the priority setting process. The authors also suggest a new name, BPR 2.0, to represent this revised model.

  17. Preschool Speech Error Patterns Predict Articulation and Phonological Awareness Outcomes in Children with Histories of Speech Sound Disorders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Preston, Jonathan L.; Hull, Margaret; Edwards, Mary Louise

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: To determine if speech error patterns in preschoolers with speech sound disorders (SSDs) predict articulation and phonological awareness (PA) outcomes almost 4 years later. Method: Twenty-five children with histories of preschool SSDs (and normal receptive language) were tested at an average age of 4;6 (years;months) and were followed up…

  18. Promoting Profit Model Innovation in Animation Project in Northeast Asia: Case Study on Chinese Cultural and Creative Industry

    OpenAIRE

    Hao Jiao; Yupei Wang; Hongjun Xiao; Jianghua Zhou; Wensi Zeng

    2017-01-01

    Building on a case study of three animation companies in the Chinese cultural and creative industry, this study aims to understand how profit model innovation is promoted. Due to the rapidly changing environments and resource scarcity, cultural and creative companies need to select the appropriate profit model according to their own key resources. The study uncovers two critical factors that promote profit model innovation in animation projects: the quantity of consumers and their consumption...

  19. Measuring and modelling of the combined thermodynamic promoting effect of tetrahydrofuran and cyclopentane on carbon dioxide hydrates

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Herslund, Peter Jørgensen; Daraboina, Nagu; Thomsen, Kaj

    2014-01-01

    This work documents both experimental data, and by thermodynamic modelling, the synergistic effect occurring in promoted carbon dioxide hydrate systems at the simultaneous presence of tetrahydrofuran and cyclopentane.Cyclopentane has previously been considered a reference among gas hydrate promot...

  20. The articulation of neoliberalism: narratives of experience of chronic illness management in Bulgaria and the UK.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vassilev, Ivaylo; Rogers, Anne; Todorova, Elka; Kennedy, Anne; Roukova, Poli

    2017-03-01

    The shift from social democratic to a neoliberal consensus in modern welfare capitalist states is characterised by an emphasis on individual responsibility, consumer choice, market rationality and growing social inequalities. There has been little exploration of how neoliberalism has shaped the environment within which chronic illness is experienced and managed. This article explores the different articulations of neoliberalism manifest in the arena of personal illness management in Bulgaria and the UK. People with type 2 diabetes discussed their experiences in terms of struggling with diet, diabetes as a personal failure, integrating illness management and valued activities, and the trustworthiness of the healthcare system. The UK narratives were framed within an individual responsibility discourse while in Bulgaria lack of resources dominated discussions, which were framed as structurally generated and unrelated to individual capabilities and choices. Respondents faced personal management challenges related to consumer and healthcare market failures in both countries. Differences in market regulation and emerging stakeholder and interest coalitions influenced users' expectations and their navigation and adaption to market failures in managing their everyday illnesses. The UK and Bulgarian articulations of neoliberalism can be described differently: the first as a logic of managed choice and the second as a logic of unmanaged consumerism. © 2016 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness.

  1. A model to explain plant growth promotion traits: a multivariate analysis of 2,211 bacterial isolates.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pedro Beschoren da Costa

    Full Text Available Plant growth-promoting bacteria can greatly assist sustainable farming by improving plant health and biomass while reducing fertilizer use. The plant-microorganism-environment interaction is an open and complex system, and despite the active research in the area, patterns in root ecology are elusive. Here, we simultaneously analyzed the plant growth-promoting bacteria datasets from seven independent studies that shared a methodology for bioprospection and phenotype screening. The soil richness of the isolate's origin was classified by a Principal Component Analysis. A Categorical Principal Component Analysis was used to classify the soil richness according to isolate's indolic compound production, siderophores production and phosphate solubilization abilities, and bacterial genera composition. Multiple patterns and relationships were found and verified with nonparametric hypothesis testing. Including niche colonization in the analysis, we proposed a model to explain the expression of bacterial plant growth-promoting traits according to the soil nutritional status. Our model shows that plants favor interaction with growth hormone producers under rich nutrient conditions but favor nutrient solubilizers under poor conditions. We also performed several comparisons among the different genera, highlighting interesting ecological interactions and limitations. Our model could be used to direct plant growth-promoting bacteria bioprospection and metagenomic sampling.

  2. ITER articulated inspection arm (AIA): R and D progress on vacuum and temperature technology for remote handling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Perrot, Y.; Friconneau, J.P. [Robotics and Interactive Systems Unit - CEA/LIST, 92 - Fontenay aux Roses (France); Cordier, J.J.; Gargiulo, L. [Association Euratom-CEA, Centre d' Etudes de Cadarache, 13 - Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France). Dept. de Recherches sur la Fusion Controlee; Palmer, J.D. [EFDA CSU Garching (Germany); Martin, E. [ITER International Team, Garching (Germany); Tesini, A. [ITER International Team, ITER Naka Joint Work Site, Iberaki-ken (Japan)

    2004-07-01

    To perform an intervention a short time after plasma shutdown, the operation of the robot will have to be under ITER conditions which means: under high vacuum, pollution avoidance and a temperature ambience around 120 C. The feasibility studies have led to the design of a robot in the shape of a 8.2 meter long articulated arm made up of 5 modules with 11 articulated joints. A single module prototype has been manufactured to be tested. The prototype was set up in a specific vacuum vessel at Tore-Supra facility that can be baked up to 230 C under high-vacuum conditions. The first tests have shown that: -) the efficiency of the actuators at 120 C was the same than in air at room temperature, the speed was slightly lower, -) the monitoring of the temperature of the motor and of the power electronics components showed an increasing of only 40 C during 3 full pitch movements, and -) most of the greases was degassed during the 1 week long baking at 200 C except one which comes from an organic material in a component that has to be identified.

  3. ITER articulated inspection arm (AIA): R and D progress on vacuum and temperature technology for remote handling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perrot, Y.; Friconneau, J.P.; Cordier, J.J.; Gargiulo, L.; Martin, E.; Tesini, A.

    2004-01-01

    To perform an intervention a short time after plasma shutdown, the operation of the robot will have to be under ITER conditions which means: under high vacuum, pollution avoidance and a temperature ambience around 120 C. The feasibility studies have led to the design of a robot in the shape of a 8.2 meter long articulated arm made up of 5 modules with 11 articulated joints. A single module prototype has been manufactured to be tested. The prototype was set up in a specific vacuum vessel at Tore-Supra facility that can be baked up to 230 C under high-vacuum conditions. The first tests have shown that: -) the efficiency of the actuators at 120 C was the same than in air at room temperature, the speed was slightly lower, -) the monitoring of the temperature of the motor and of the power electronics components showed an increasing of only 40 C during 3 full pitch movements, and -) most of the greases was degassed during the 1 week long baking at 200 C except one which comes from an organic material in a component that has to be identified

  4. Factors Predicting the Physical Activity Behavior of Female Adolescents: A Test of the Health Promotion Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hashem Mohamadian

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available ObjectivesPhysical activity behavior begins to decline during adolescence and continues to decrease throughout young adulthood. This study aims to explain factors that influence physical activity behavior in a sample of female adolescents using a health promotion model framework.MethodsThis cross-sectional survey was used to explore physical activity behavior among a sample of female adolescents. Participants completed measures of physical activity, perceived self-efficacy, self-esteem, social support, perceived barriers, and perceived affect. Interactions among the variables were examined using path analysis within a covariance modeling framework.ResultsThe final model accounted for an R2 value of 0.52 for physical activity and offered a good model-data fit. The results indicated that physical activity was predicted by self-esteem (β=0.46, p<0.001, perceived self-efficacy (β=0.40, p<0.001, social support (β=0.24, p<0.001, perceived barriers (β=-0.19, p<0.001, and perceived affect (β=0.17, p<0.001.ConclusionsThe findings of this study showed that the health promotion model was useful to predict physical activity behavior among the Iranian female adolescents. Information related to the predictors of physical activity behavior will help researchers plan more tailored culturally relevant health promotion interventions for this population.

  5. Design Evaluation of Wind Turbine Spline Couplings Using an Analytical Model: Preprint

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guo, Y.; Keller, J.; Wallen, R.; Errichello, R.; Halse, C.; Lambert, S.

    2015-02-01

    Articulated splines are commonly used in the planetary stage of wind turbine gearboxes for transmitting the driving torque and improving load sharing. Direct measurement of spline loads and performance is extremely challenging because of limited accessibility. This paper presents an analytical model for the analysis of articulated spline coupling designs. For a given torque and shaft misalignment, this analytical model quickly yields insights into relationships between the spline design parameters and resulting loads; bending, contact, and shear stresses; and safety factors considering various heat treatment methods. Comparisons of this analytical model against previously published computational approaches are also presented.

  6. Differentiation to improve the articulation between levels : In the teaching of English in primary and secondary education in the Netherlands

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    A.P. de Kraay

    2016-01-01

    In 1986, English became a compulsory subject in primary education in The Netherlands1. While secondary schools have, by law, been required to offer English since 1863 (Wilhelm, 2005) the articulation between Dutch primary and secondary education levels of English language teaching has always been

  7. Literature promotion in Public Libraries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kann-Christensen, Nanna; Balling, Gitte

    2011-01-01

    This article discusses a model that can be used in order to analyse notions on literature promotion in public libraries. The model integrates different issues which interact with how literature promotion is understood and thought of in public libraries. Besides cultural policy we regard the logics...... of new public management (NPM) and professional logics in the field of public libraries. Cultural policy along with the identification of underlying logics present among politicians, government officials, managers and librarians/promoters of literature, play an important part in creating an understanding...... of literature promotion in Danish libraries. Thus the basic premise for the development of the model is that cultural policy (Policy) has an important influence on notions on literature promotion and other activities in public libraries, but that cultural policy must be seen in some kind of interaction...

  8. Hemispheric Asymmetries Depend on the Phonetic Feature: A Dichotic Study of Place of Articulation and Voicing in French Stops

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bedoin, Nathalie; Ferragne, Emmanuel; Marsico, Egidio

    2010-01-01

    Dichotic listening experiments show a right-ear advantage (REA), reflecting a left-hemisphere (LH) dominance. However, we found a decrease in REA when the initial stop consonants of two simultaneous French CVC words differed in voicing rather than place of articulation (Experiment 1). This result suggests that the right hemisphere (RH) is more…

  9. Articulated, Performance-Based Instruction Objectives Guide for Air Conditioning, Refrigeration, and Heating (Environmental Control System Installer/Servicer). Edition I.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henderson, William Edward, Jr., Ed.

    This articulation guide contains 17 units of instruction for the first year of a two-year vocational program designed to prepare the high school graduate to install, maintain, and repair various types of residential and commercial heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration equipment. The units are to introduce the student to fundamental theories…

  10. Differential Control Strategy based on an Equal Slip Rate for an All-wheel Electricdrive Underground Articulated Dumping Truck

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jin Chun

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available A differential control strategy based on equal slip rates is introduced to improve the steering stability of an all-wheelelectric-drive underground articulated dumping truck. Steering kinematic and dynamic models of the truck are derived to describe the movement relationship and force of the driving wheels. In consideration of the difficulty of obtaining the absolute velocity for an all-wheel-drive truck, an acceleration sensor was set on a test truck, and a kalman filter was applied to obtain the actual value for the truck body. Simulation results for an equal-slip control strategy were compared with experimental results for an equal-torque control strategy. In the simulation, the four-wheel slip rate was 0.08 and the steering system of the truck was stable. The results verify that the equal-slip control strategy makes better use of the ground adhesion coefficient, is able to reasonably distribute drive power, notably reduces tire wear, and improves the use of driving power.

  11. Aberrant articulation of cervical vertebral transverse process: An uncommon normal variant and review of the literature

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ryu, Jeong Ah; Cha, Seung Woo [Dept. of Radiology, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Guri Hospital, Guri (Korea, Republic of); Song, Yoon Ah; Lee, Seung Hun; Joo, Kyung Bin [Dept. of Radiology, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-09-15

    Aberrant articulation between two anterior tubercles is a rare congenital anomaly that should be considered for patients showing a bony projection anterior to the vertebral body on a lateral radiograph of the cervical spine. We present a case of an elongation of the anterior tubercles of the transverse processes of both the fifth and sixth cervical vertebrae. This finding is probably a form of supernumerary cervical rib developing at a level above the lowest cervical spine.

  12. Aberrant articulation of cervical vertebral transverse process: An uncommon normal variant and review of the literature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ryu, Jeong Ah; Cha, Seung Woo; Song, Yoon Ah; Lee, Seung Hun; Joo, Kyung Bin

    2013-01-01

    Aberrant articulation between two anterior tubercles is a rare congenital anomaly that should be considered for patients showing a bony projection anterior to the vertebral body on a lateral radiograph of the cervical spine. We present a case of an elongation of the anterior tubercles of the transverse processes of both the fifth and sixth cervical vertebrae. This finding is probably a form of supernumerary cervical rib developing at a level above the lowest cervical spine.

  13. A finite element model of rigid body structures actuated by dielectric elastomer actuators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simone, F.; Linnebach, P.; Rizzello, G.; Seelecke, S.

    2018-06-01

    This paper presents on finite element (FE) modeling and simulation of dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) coupled with articulated structures. DEAs have proven to represent an effective transduction technology for the realization of large deformation, low-power consuming, and fast mechatronic actuators. However, the complex dynamic behavior of the material, characterized by nonlinearities and rate-dependent phenomena, makes it difficult to accurately model and design DEA systems. The problem is further complicated in case the DEA is used to activate articulated structures, which increase both system complexity and implementation effort of numerical simulation models. In this paper, we present a model based tool which allows to effectively implement and simulate complex articulated systems actuated by DEAs. A first prototype of a compact switch actuated by DEA membranes is chosen as reference study to introduce the methodology. The commercially available FE software COMSOL is used for implementing and coupling a physics-based dynamic model of the DEA with the external structure, i.e., the switch. The model is then experimentally calibrated and validated in both quasi-static and dynamic loading conditions. Finally, preliminary results on how to use the simulation tool to optimize the design are presented.

  14. The impact of the distance-dependent promotional effect on the promotion cost sharing decision

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheen, Gwo-Ji; Wang, Shih-Yen; Yeh, Yingchieh

    2016-02-01

    This paper considers the promotion cost sharing decision between a supplier and a retailer. The customer demand is affected by both national and local promotional effects while the local promotional effect on a customer is dependent on the distance between the retailer and this customer. We propose a continuous approximation approach to modelling the sum of the customer demand in the whole market area served by the retailer. A model is provided to help managers decide on the retail price, the local advertising expenditure, the national advertising expenditure, and the supplier participation rate, with consideration of the influence of distance on the promotional effect. We also find that the supplier's promotion cost sharing rate increases as the market size increases or the influence of distance on the promotional effect decreases. A numerical example is given to show that the nature of distance-dependent promotional effect has a significant impact on the decisions and profits.

  15. [SOUND CONTACTS] Aspects of touch and timbre in piano performance. The effects of key velocity, articulation and temporal duration on sound

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eleonora Kojucharov

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available The concept of touch in piano pedagogy is generally described by using abstract adjectives often linked to imagination, leading to a blurred and controversial definition of the term touch, often confused with timbre. In the last decades, new data-collection technologies and MIDI-based analysis allowed researchers to measure key-control specific features in timbre nuances modeling [Goebl-Bresin-Galembo 2004; Bernays-Traube 2011; 2013]. Within the field of piano performance, the present study attempts to objectively describe piano touch and the means with which it can be controlled, by: (1 providing elements for an adequate scientific understanding of touch; (2 clarifying the relationship between touch and timbre; (3 defining the extent to which the parameters of key-velocity, tempo and articulation vary as a function of different types of touch.

  16. IMF, BIS, and World Bank: On the Intra-institutional Articulation of the International Financial System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria de Fatima Silva do Carmo Previdelli

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The international financial system could be organized into three groups. According to this classification, the first group includes the organizations that exercise the functions of regulation and supervision. In the second, we have those that are regulated and supervised by the former, and in the third, we find the organizations that do not follow such rules or supervision, forming the so-called shadow banking system. This article seeks to examine the first group, and, more specifically, how the International Monetary Fund articulates with the primary elements of such a group.

  17. Articulating spacers used in two-stage revision of infected hip and knee prostheses abrade with time.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fink, Bernd; Rechtenbach, Annett; Büchner, Hubert; Vogt, Sebastian; Hahn, Michael

    2011-04-01

    Articulating spacers used in two-stage revision surgery of infected prostheses have the potential to abrade and subsequently induce third-body wear of the new prosthesis. We asked whether particulate material abraded from spacers could be detected in the synovial membrane 6 weeks after implantation when the spacers were removed for the second stage of the revision. Sixteen hip spacers (cemented prosthesis stem articulating with a cement cup) and four knee spacers (customized mobile cement spacers) were explanted 6 weeks after implantation and the synovial membranes were removed at the same time. The membranes were examined by xray fluorescence spectroscopy, xray diffraction for the presence of abraded particles originating from the spacer material, and analyzed in a semiquantitative manner by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Histologic analyses also were performed. We found zirconium dioxide in substantial amounts in all samples, and in the specimens of the hip synovial lining, we detected particles that originated from the metal heads of the spacers. Histologically, zirconium oxide particles were seen in the synovial membrane of every spacer and bone cement particles in one knee and two hip spacers. The observations suggest cement spacers do abrade within 6 weeks. Given the presence of abrasion debris, we recommend total synovectomy and extensive lavage during the second-stage reimplantation surgery to minimize the number of abraded particles and any retained bacteria.

  18. Simulation Architecture for Modelling Interaction Between User and Elbow-articulated Exoskeleton

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kruif, B.J. de; Schmidhauser, E.; Stadler, K.S.; O'Sullivan, L.W.

    2017-01-01

    The aim of our work is to improve the existing user-exoskeleton models by introducing a simulation architecture that can simulate its dynamic interaction, thereby altering the initial motion of the user. A simulation architecture is developed that uses the musculoskeletal models from OpenSim, and

  19. The articulated body. Physical activity, fitness and neew technologies of health

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Otto, Lene

    2010-01-01

    learns to be sensitive to differences, shape individuals’ bodily experiences. I will discuss how the Foucauldian concept of ‘technologies of the self’ and Latour’s idea bodies are ´learning to be affected’ can be helpful to understand this process. Latour suggests that the concept of ‘articulation’ – how...... of anticipations of fit bodies as essential to individual health. I identify a physical activity discourse in which new modes of knowing, experiencing and doing bodies involve new types of health technologies in which bodies must be connected to mechanical and electronic appliances, inscribed with biomedical...... the body become more articulated through knowledge and practices - can help direct our focus to “take on board the artificial and material components allowing one to progressively have a body” (1), and according to Foucault, technologies of the self “permit individuals to effect by their own means...

  20. A State Articulated Instructional Objectives Guide for Occupational Education Programs. State Pilot Model for Drafting (Graphic Communications). Part I--Basic. Part II--Specialty Programs. Section A (Mechanical Drafting and Design). Section B (Architectural Drafting and Design).

    Science.gov (United States)

    North Carolina State Dept. of Community Colleges, Raleigh.

    A two-part articulation instructional objective guide for drafting (graphic communications) is provided. Part I contains summary information on seven blocks (courses) of instruction. They are as follow: introduction; basic technical drafting; problem solving in graphics; reproduction processes; freehand drawing and sketching; graphics composition;…

  1. Identification of TNF-α-responsive promoters and enhancers in the intestinal epithelial cell model Caco-2

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boyd, Mette; Coskun, Mehmet; Lilje, Berit

    2014-01-01

    The Caco-2 cell line is one of the most important in vitro models for enterocytes, and is used to study drug absorption and disease, including inflammatory bowel disease and cancer. In order to use the model optimally, it is necessary to map its functional entities. In this study, we have generated...... genome-wide maps of active transcription start sites (TSSs), and active enhancers in Caco-2 cells with or without tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α stimulation to mimic an inflammatory state. We found 520 promoters that significantly changed their usage level upon TNF-α stimulation; of these, 52...... promoters. As a case example, we characterize an enhancer regulating the laminin-5 γ2-chain (LAMC2) gene by nuclear factor (NF)-κB binding. This report is the first to present comprehensive TSS and enhancer maps over Caco-2 cells, and highlights many novel inflammation-specific promoters and enhancers....

  2. Toward Securing a Future for Geography Graduates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spronken-Smith, Rachel

    2013-01-01

    Geography graduates face an uncertain future. To help students think and practice as a geographer, we must teach disciplinary knowledge--particularly threshold concepts--as well as skills and attributes. We must role model and articulate our geographical reasoning using signature pedagogies and promote high-impact and signature learning…

  3. Towards an Articulation of the Material and Visual Turn in Organization Studies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boxenbaum, Eva; Jones, Candace; Meyer, Renate

    2018-01-01

    Contemporary organizations increasingly rely on images, logos, videos, building materials, graphic and product design, and a range of other material and visual artifacts to compete, communicate, form identity and organize their activities. This Special Issue focuses on materiality and visuality...... on the articles in the special issue, we further explore the affordances and limits of the material and visual dimensions of organizing in relation to novelty. We conclude by pointing out theoretical avenues for advancing multimodal research, and discuss some of the ethical, pragmatic and identity...... in the course of objectifying and reacting to novel ideas, and, more broadly, contributes to organizational theory by articulating the emergent contours of a material and visual turn in the study of organizations. In this Introduction, we provide an overview of research on materiality and visuality. Drawing...

  4. Asking for help online: Lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans youth, self-harm and articulating the 'failed' self.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDermott, Elizabeth

    2015-11-01

    International evidence suggests that young people are less likely to seek help for mental health problems in comparison with adults. This study focused on lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans young people who are a population group with an elevated risk of suicide and self-harm, and little is known about their help-seeking behaviour. Utilising qualitative virtual methods, lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans youth web-based discussions about seeking help for suicidal feelings and self-harming were investigated. Findings from a thematic analysis indicate that these young people wanted assistance but found it difficult to (1) ask for help, (2) articulate emotional distress and (3) 'tell' their selves as 'failed'. This analysis suggests that key to understanding these problems are emotions such as shame which arise from negotiating norms connected to heterosexuality, adolescence and rationality. I argue that these norms act to regulate what emotions it is possible to feel, what emotions it is possible to articulate and what type of young lives that can be told. The future development of health and social care interventions which aim to reduce lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans youth suicide and self-harm need to work with a nuanced understanding of the emotional life of young people if they are to be effective. © The Author(s) 2014.

  5. Tribo-biological deposits on the articulating surfaces of metal-on-polyethylene total hip implants retrieved from patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Zhiwei; Tian, Yi-Xing; Yue, Wen; Yang, Lei; Li, Qunyang

    2016-06-01

    Artificial total hip arthroplasty (THA) is one of the most effective orthopaedic surgeries that has been used for decades. However, wear of the articulating surfaces is one of the key failure causes limiting the lifetime of total hip implant. In this paper, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were employed to explore the composition and formation mechanism of the tribo-layer on the articulating surfaces of metal-on-polyethylene (MoPE) implants retrieved from patients. Results showed that, in contrast to conventional understanding, the attached tribo-layer contained not only denatured proteins but also a fraction of polymer particles. The formation of the tribo-layer was believed to relate to lubrication regime, which was supposed to be largely affected by the nature of the ultra-high-molecule-weight-polyethylene (UHMWPE). Wear and formation of tribo-layer could be minimized in elasto-hydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) regime when the UHMWPE was less stiff and have a morphology containing micro-pits; whereas the wear was more severe and tribo-layer formed in boundary lubrication. Our results and analyses suggest that enhancing interface lubrication may be more effective on reducing wear than increasing the hardness of material. This finding may shed light on the design strategy of artificial hip joints.

  6. Clinical Decision Support Model to Predict Occlusal Force in Bruxism Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thanathornwong, Bhornsawan; Suebnukarn, Siriwan

    2017-10-01

    The aim of this study was to develop a decision support model for the prediction of occlusal force from the size and color of articulating paper markings in bruxism patients. We used the information from the datasets of 30 bruxism patients in which digital measurements of the size and color of articulating paper markings (12-µm Hanel; Coltene/Whaledent GmbH, Langenau, Germany) on canine protected hard stabilization splints were measured in pixels (P) and in red (R), green (G), and blue (B) values using Adobe Photoshop software (Adobe Systems, San Jose, CA, USA). The occlusal force (F) was measured using T-Scan III (Tekscan Inc., South Boston, MA, USA). The multiple regression equation was applied to predict F from the P and RGB. Model evaluation was performed using the datasets from 10 new patients. The patient's occlusal force measured by T-Scan III was used as a 'gold standard' to compare with the occlusal force predicted by the multiple regression model. The results demonstrate that the correlation between the occlusal force and the pixels and RGB of the articulating paper markings was positive (F = 1.62×P + 0.07×R -0.08×G + 0.08×B + 4.74; R 2 = 0.34). There was a high degree of agreement between the occlusal force of the patient measured using T-Scan III and the occlusal force predicted by the model (kappa value = 0.82). The results obtained demonstrate that the multiple regression model can predict the occlusal force using the digital values for the size and color of the articulating paper markings in bruxism patients.

  7. Clinical Decision Support Model to Predict Occlusal Force in Bruxism Patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thanathornwong, Bhornsawan

    2017-01-01

    Objectives The aim of this study was to develop a decision support model for the prediction of occlusal force from the size and color of articulating paper markings in bruxism patients. Methods We used the information from the datasets of 30 bruxism patients in which digital measurements of the size and color of articulating paper markings (12-µm Hanel; Coltene/Whaledent GmbH, Langenau, Germany) on canine protected hard stabilization splints were measured in pixels (P) and in red (R), green (G), and blue (B) values using Adobe Photoshop software (Adobe Systems, San Jose, CA, USA). The occlusal force (F) was measured using T-Scan III (Tekscan Inc., South Boston, MA, USA). The multiple regression equation was applied to predict F from the P and RGB. Model evaluation was performed using the datasets from 10 new patients. The patient's occlusal force measured by T-Scan III was used as a ‘gold standard’ to compare with the occlusal force predicted by the multiple regression model. Results The results demonstrate that the correlation between the occlusal force and the pixels and RGB of the articulating paper markings was positive (F = 1.62×P + 0.07×R –0.08×G + 0.08×B + 4.74; R2 = 0.34). There was a high degree of agreement between the occlusal force of the patient measured using T-Scan III and the occlusal force predicted by the model (kappa value = 0.82). Conclusions The results obtained demonstrate that the multiple regression model can predict the occlusal force using the digital values for the size and color of the articulating paper markings in bruxism patients. PMID:29181234

  8. Empowering Effective STEM Role Models to Promote STEM Equity in Local Communities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harte, T.; Taylor, J.

    2017-12-01

    Empowering Effective STEM Role Models, a three-hour training developed and successfully implemented by NASA Langley Research Center's Science Directorate, is an effort to encourage STEM professionals to serve as role models within their community. The training is designed to help participants reflect on their identity as a role model and provide research-based strategies to effectively engage youth, particularly girls, in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Research shows that even though girls and boys do not demonstrate a significant difference in their ability to be successful in mathematics and science, there is a significant difference in their confidence level when participating in STEM subject matter and pursuing STEM careers. The Langley training model prepares professionals to disrupt this pattern and take on the habits and skills of effective role models. The training model is based on other successful models and resources for role modeling in STEM including SciGirls; the National Girls Collaborative; and publications by the American Association of University Women and the National Academies. It includes a significant reflection component, and participants walk through situation-based scenarios to practice a focused suite of research-based strategies. These strategies can be implemented in a variety of situations and adapted to the needs of groups that are underrepresented in STEM fields. Underpinning the training and the discussions is the fostering of a growth mindset and promoting perseverance. "The Power of Yet" becomes a means whereby role models encourage students to believe in themselves, working toward reaching their goals and dreams in the area of STEM. To provide additional support, NASA Langley role model trainers are available to work with a champion at other organizations to facilitate the training. This champion helps recruit participants, seeks leadership buy-in, and helps provide valuable insights for needs and

  9. Building a pseudo-atomic model of the anaphase-promoting complex

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kulkarni, Kiran; Zhang, Ziguo; Chang, Leifu; Yang, Jing; Fonseca, Paula C. A. da; Barford, David

    2013-01-01

    This article describes an example of molecular replacement in which atomic models are used to interpret electron-density maps determined using single-particle electron-microscopy data. The anaphase-promoting complex (APC/C) is a large E3 ubiquitin ligase that regulates progression through specific stages of the cell cycle by coordinating the ubiquitin-dependent degradation of cell-cycle regulatory proteins. Depending on the species, the active form of the APC/C consists of 14–15 different proteins that assemble into a 20-subunit complex with a mass of approximately 1.3 MDa. A hybrid approach of single-particle electron microscopy and protein crystallography of individual APC/C subunits has been applied to generate pseudo-atomic models of various functional states of the complex. Three approaches for assigning regions of the EM-derived APC/C density map to specific APC/C subunits are described. This information was used to dock atomic models of APC/C subunits, determined either by protein crystallography or homology modelling, to specific regions of the APC/C EM map, allowing the generation of a pseudo-atomic model corresponding to 80% of the entire complex

  10. Predictors of initial weight loss among women with abdominal obesity: a path model using self-efficacy and health-promoting behaviour.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choo, Jina; Kang, Hyuncheol

    2015-05-01

    To identify predictors of initial weight loss among women with abdominal obesity by using a path model. Successful weight loss in the initial stages of long-term weight management may promote weight loss maintenance. A longitudinal study design. Study participants were 75 women with abdominal obesity, who were enrolled in a 12-month Community-based Heart and Weight Management Trial and followed until a 6-month assessment. The Weight Efficacy Lifestyle, Exercise Self-Efficacy and Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile-II measured diet self-efficacy, exercise self-efficacy and health-promoting behaviour respectively. All endogenous and exogenous variables used in our path model were change variables from baseline to 6 months. Data were collected between May 2011-May 2012. Based on the path model, increases in both diet and exercise self-efficacy had significant effects on increases in health-promoting behaviour. Increases in diet self-efficacy had a significant indirect effect on initial weight loss via increases in health-promoting behaviour. Increases in health-promoting behaviour had a significant effect on initial weight loss. Among women with abdominal obesity, increased diet self-efficacy and health-promoting behaviour were predictors of initial weight loss. A mechanism by which increased diet self-efficacy predicts initial weight loss may be partially attributable to health-promoting behavioural change. However, more work is still needed to verify causality. Based on the current findings, intensive nursing strategies for increasing self-efficacy for weight control and health-promoting behaviour may be essential components for better weight loss in the initial stage of a weight management intervention. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. Short-term effect of short, intensive speech therapy on articulation and resonance in Ugandan patients with cleft (lip and) palate

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Anke Luyten; H. Vermeersch; A. Hodges; K. Bettens; K. van Lierde; G. Galiwango

    2016-01-01

    Objectives: The purpose of the current study was to assess the short-term effectiveness of short and intensive speech therapy provided to patients with cleft (lip and) palate (C(L)P) in terms of articulation and resonance. Methods: Five Ugandan patients (age: 7.3-19.6 years) with non-syndromic C(L)P

  12. A model for promoting physical activity among rural South African adolescent girls

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kinsman, John; Norris, Shane A.; Kahn, Kathleen; Twine, Rhian; Riggle, Kari; Edin, Kerstin; Mathebula, Jennifer; Ngobeni, Sizzy; Monareng, Nester; Micklesfield, Lisa K.

    2015-01-01

    Background In South Africa, the expanding epidemic of non-communicable diseases is partly fuelled by high levels of physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour. Women especially are at high risk, and interventions promoting physical activity are urgently needed for girls in their adolescence, as this is the time when many girls adopt unhealthy lifestyles. Objective This qualitative study aimed to identify and describe facilitating factors and barriers that are associated with physical activity among adolescent girls in rural, north-eastern South Africa and, based on these, to develop a model for promoting leisure-time physical activity within this population. Design The study was conducted in and around three secondary schools. Six focus group discussions were conducted with adolescent girls from the schools, and seven qualitative interviews were held with sports teachers and youth leaders. The data were subjected to thematic analysis. Results Seven thematic areas were identified, each of which was associated with the girls’ self-reported levels of physical activity. The thematic areas are 1) poverty, 2) body image ideals, 3) gender, 4) parents and home life, 5) demographic factors, 6) perceived health effects of physical activity, and 7) human and infrastructural resources. More barriers to physical activity were reported than facilitating factors. Conclusions Analysis of the barriers found in the different themes indicated potential remedial actions that could be taken, and these were synthesised into a model for promoting physical activity among South African adolescent girls in resource-poor environments. The model presents a series of action points, seen both from the ‘supply-side’ perspective (such as the provision of resources and training for the individuals, schools, and organisations which facilitate the activities) and from the ‘demand-side’ perspective (such as the development of empowering messages about body image for teenage girls, and

  13. A model for promoting physical activity among rural South African adolescent girls

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John Kinsman

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: In South Africa, the expanding epidemic of non-communicable diseases is partly fuelled by high levels of physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour. Women especially are at high risk, and interventions promoting physical activity are urgently needed for girls in their adolescence, as this is the time when many girls adopt unhealthy lifestyles. Objective: This qualitative study aimed to identify and describe facilitating factors and barriers that are associated with physical activity among adolescent girls in rural, north-eastern South Africa and, based on these, to develop a model for promoting leisure-time physical activity within this population. Design: The study was conducted in and around three secondary schools. Six focus group discussions were conducted with adolescent girls from the schools, and seven qualitative interviews were held with sports teachers and youth leaders. The data were subjected to thematic analysis. Results: Seven thematic areas were identified, each of which was associated with the girls’ self-reported levels of physical activity. The thematic areas are 1 poverty, 2 body image ideals, 3 gender, 4 parents and home life, 5 demographic factors, 6 perceived health effects of physical activity, and 7 human and infrastructural resources. More barriers to physical activity were reported than facilitating factors. Conclusions: Analysis of the barriers found in the different themes indicated potential remedial actions that could be taken, and these were synthesised into a model for promoting physical activity among South African adolescent girls in resource-poor environments. The model presents a series of action points, seen both from the ‘supply-side’ perspective (such as the provision of resources and training for the individuals, schools, and organisations which facilitate the activities and from the ‘demand-side’ perspective (such as the development of empowering messages about body image for

  14. Boundaries to the articulation of possible selves through social networking sites: the case of Facebook profilers' social connectedness

    OpenAIRE

    Zwier, S.; Araujo, T.; Boukes, M.; Willemsen, L.

    2011-01-01

    This study aims to contribute to an emerging literature that seeks to understand how identity markers on social networking sites (SNSs) shape interpersonal impressions, and particularly the boundaries that SNSs present for articulating unconstrained 'hoped-for possible selves.' An experiment employing mock-up Facebook profiles was conducted, showing that appearing with friends on a Facebook profile picture as well as increasingly higher number of Facebook friends strengthened perceptions of a...

  15. Unicriterion Model: A Qualitative Decision Making Method That Promotes Ethics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernando Guilherme Silvano Lobo Pimentel

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Management decision making methods frequently adopt quantitativemodels of several criteria that bypass the question of whysome criteria are considered more important than others, whichmakes more difficult the task of delivering a transparent viewof preference structure priorities that might promote ethics andlearning and serve as a basis for future decisions. To tackle thisparticular shortcoming of usual methods, an alternative qualitativemethodology of aggregating preferences based on the rankingof criteria is proposed. Such an approach delivers a simpleand transparent model for the solution of each preference conflictfaced during the management decision making process. Themethod proceeds by breaking the decision problem into ‘two criteria– two alternatives’ scenarios, and translating the problem ofchoice between alternatives to a problem of choice between criteriawhenever appropriate. The unicriterion model method is illustratedby its application in a car purchase and a house purchasedecision problem.

  16. Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis screening for school, community, and clinical health promotion practice utilizing the PRECEDE-PROCEED model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wyatt Lawrence A

    2005-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Screening for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS is a commonly performed procedure for school children during the high risk years. The PRECEDE-PROCEDE (PP model is a health promotion planning model that has not been utilized for the clinical diagnosis of AIS. The purpose of this research is to study AIS in the school age population using the PP model and its relevance for community, school, and clinical health promotion. Methods MEDLINE was utilized to locate AIS data. Studies were screened for relevance and applicability under the auspices of the PP model. Where data was unavailable, expert opinion was utilized based on consensus. Results The social assessment of quality of life is limited with few studies approaching the long-term effects of AIS. Epidemiologically, AIS is the most common form of scoliosis and leading orthopedic problem in children. Behavioral/environmental studies focus on discovering etiologic relationships yet this data is confounded because AIS is not a behavioral. Illness and parenting health behaviors can be appreciated. The educational diagnosis is confounded because AIS is an orthopedic disorder and not behavioral. The administration/policy diagnosis is hindered in that scoliosis screening programs are not considered cost-effective. Policies are determined in some schools because 26 states mandate school scoliosis screening. There exists potential error with the Adam's test. The most widely used measure in the PP model, the Health Belief Model, has not been utilized in any AIS research. Conclusion The PP model is a useful tool for a comprehensive study of a particular health concern. This research showed where gaps in AIS research exist suggesting that there may be problems to the implementation of school screening. Until research disparities are filled, implementation of AIS screening by school, community, and clinical health promotion will be compromised. Lack of data and perceived importance by

  17. Health-promotion research over three decades: The social-ecological model and challenges in implementation of interventions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wold, Bente; Mittelmark, Maurice B

    2018-02-01

    This debate paper traces the development of innovative methods for undertaking health promotion research with a socialecological orientation, with a few examples drawn from 30 years of research on adolescent health promotion research at the University of Bergen. We aim to show how the social-ecological model is becoming more evident as a guide to research, using three cases that illustrate progress and potential. The first case is the Norwegian part of the European Network of Health Promoting Schools. The second case is a project just underway, The COMPLETE study, which is a community-led effort to promote students' mental health and create a good psychosocial learning environment. The third case is a developing idea for the next generation of social-ecological research on adolescent well-being, using an asset approach to foster social inclusion and sense of community in multiple settings.

  18. T-tubule disruption promotes calcium alternans in failing ventricular myocytes: mechanistic insights from computational modeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nivala, Michael; Song, Zhen; Weiss, James N; Qu, Zhilin

    2015-02-01

    In heart failure (HF), T-tubule (TT) disruption contributes to dyssynchronous calcium (Ca) release and impaired contraction, but its role in arrhythmogenesis remains unclear. In this study, we investigate the effects of TT disruption and other HF remodeling factors on Ca alternans in ventricular myocytes using computer modeling. A ventricular myocyte model with detailed spatiotemporal Ca cycling modeled by a coupled Ca release unit (CRU) network was used, in which the L-type Ca channels and the ryanodine receptor (RyR) channels were simulated by random Markov transitions. TT disruption, which removes the L-type Ca channels from the associated CRUs, results in "orphaned" RyR clusters and thus provides increased opportunity for spark-induced Ca sparks to occur. This effect combined with other HF remodeling factors promoted alternans by two distinct mechanisms: 1) for normal sarco-endoplasmic reticulum Ca ATPase (SERCA) activity, alternans was caused by both CRU refractoriness and coupling. The increased opportunity for spark-induced sparks by TT disruption combined with the enhanced CRU coupling by Ca elevation in the presence or absence of increased RyR leakiness facilitated spark synchronization on alternate beats to promote Ca alternans; 2) for down-regulated SERCA, alternans was caused by the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca load-dependent mechanism, independent of CRU refractoriness. TT disruption and increased RyR leakiness shifted and steepened the SR Ca release-load relationship, which combines with down-regulated SERCA to promote Ca alternans. In conclusion, the mechanisms of Ca alternans for normal and down-regulated SERCA are different, and TT disruption promotes Ca alternans by both mechanisms, which may contribute to alternans at different stages of HF. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Investigating pianists' individuality in the performance of five timbral nuances through patterns of articulation, touch, dynamics and pedalling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michel eBernays

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Timbre is an essential expressive feature in piano performance. Concert pianists use a vast palette of timbral nuances to colour their performances at the microstructural level. Although timbre is generally envisioned in the pianistic community as an abstract concept carried through an imaged vocabulary, performers may share some common strategies of timbral expression in piano performance. Yet there may remain further leeway for idiosyncratic processes in the production of piano timbre nuances. In this study, we examined the patterns of timbral expression in performances by four expert pianists. Each pianist performed four short pieces, each with five different timbral intentions (bright, dark, dry, round, and velvety. The performances were recorded with the high-accuracy Bösendorfer CEUS system. Fine-grained performance features of dynamics, touch, articulation and pedalling were extracted. Reduced PCA performance spaces and descriptive performance portraits confirmed that pianists exhibited unique, specific profiles for different timbral intentions, derived from underlying traits of general individuality, while sharing some broad commonalities of dynamics and articulation for each timbral intention. These results confirm that pianists’ abstract notions of timbre correspond to reliable patterns of performance technique. Furthermore, these effects suggest that pianists can express individual styles while complying with specific timbral intentions.

  20. The wake-promoting drug modafinil stimulates specific hypothalamic circuits to promote adaptive stress responses in an animal model of PTSD.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, S; Ifergane, G; Vainer, E; Matar, M A; Kaplan, Z; Zohar, J; Mathé, A A; Cohen, H

    2016-10-11

    Pharmacotherapeutic intervention during traumatic memory consolidation has been suggested to alleviate or even prevent the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We recently reported that, in a controlled, prospective animal model, depriving rats of sleep following stress exposure prevents the development of a PTSD-like phenotype. Here, we report that administering the wake-promoting drug modafinil to rats in the aftermath of a stressogenic experience has a similar prophylactic effect, as it significantly reduces the prevalence of PTSD-like phenotype. Moreover, we show that the therapeutic value of modafinil appears to stem from its ability to stimulate a specific circuit within the hypothalamus, which ties together the neuropeptide Y, the orexin system and the HPA axis, to promote adaptive stress responses. The study not only confirms the value of sleep prevention and identifies the mechanism of action of a potential prophylactic treatment after traumatic exposure, but also contributes to understanding mechanisms underlying the shift towards adaptive behavioral response.

  1. The job that no one wants to do? Museum educators’ articulations about guided tours

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cecilia Rodehn

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to investigate museum educators’ articulations of their performance during guided tours. The paper investigates preparations for a guided tour, considerations related to doing guided tours and the events after the guided tour. The text focus especially on preparation and the aftermath as this is not normally discussed in research on museum education. The paper is based on participant observation of guided tours, filming of guided tours and qualitative semi-structured interviews. The material is analysed using performance theories and theories on materiality. The paper seeks to unearth knowledge imbued in the museum educators’ performance and reveal what can be known from guiding bodies.

  2. Allopregnanolone promotes regeneration and reduces β-amyloid burden in a preclinical model of Alzheimer's disease.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shuhua Chen

    Full Text Available Previously, we demonstrated that allopregnanolone (APα promoted proliferation of rodent and human neural progenitor cells in vitro. Further, we demonstrated that APα promoted neurogenesis in the hippocampal subgranular zone (SGZ and reversed learning and memory deficits in the male triple transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's (3xTgAD. In the current study, we determined the efficacy of APα to promote the survival of newly generated neural cells while simultaneously reducing Alzheimer's disease (AD pathology in the 3xTgAD male mouse model. Comparative analyses between three different APα treatment regimens indicated that APα administered 1/week for 6 months was maximally efficacious for simultaneous promotion of neurogenesis and survival of newly generated cells and reduction of AD pathology. We further investigated the efficacy of APα to impact Aβ burden. Treatment was initiated either prior to or post intraneuronal Aβ accumulation. Results indicated that APα administered 1/week for 6 months significantly increased survival of newly generated neurons and simultaneously reduced Aβ pathology with greatest efficacy in the pre-pathology treatment group. APα significantly reduced Aβ generation in hippocampus, cortex, and amygdala, which was paralleled by decreased expression of Aβ-binding-alcohol-dehydrogenase. In addition, APα significantly reduced microglia activation as indicated by reduced expression of OX42 while increasing CNPase, an oligodendrocyte myelin marker. Mechanistic analyses indicated that pre-pathology treatment with APα increased expression of liver-X-receptor, pregnane-X-receptor, and 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA-reductase (HMG-CoA-R, three proteins that regulate cholesterol homeostasis and clearance from brain. Together these findings provide preclinical evidence for the optimal treatment regimen of APα to achieve efficacy as a disease modifying therapeutic to promote regeneration while simultaneously decreasing

  3. Chronic alcohol intake promotes tumor growth in a diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocarcinogenesis mouse model through increased Wnt/Beta-catenin signaling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ethanol (EtOH) metabolism is involved in both initiating and promoting mechanisms in hepatocellular carcinoma progression in chronic alcoholics. In this study, we developed a mouse model to test the hypothesis that chronic EtOH consumption promotes tumor growth irrespective of EtOH-related initiati...

  4. Promoting artistic quality in rhythmic gymnastics: a didactic analysis from high performance to school practice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monique LOQUET

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract In France, the curricula for physical education (PE place gymnastic activities in a set of competences named “Achieving a corporal performance for artistic and acrobatic aims”, alongside dance and circus arts. What place does Artistic occupy in gymnastic activities? Is an aesthetic gesture sufficient to be considered as part of an artistic activity? Defining the term «Artistic» is difficult in the field of sports, as descriptions usually come from the technique/Artistic dichotomy. Our analysis focuses on rhythmic gymnastics (RG, which is precisely seen as emblematic of this technique/Artistic division: on the one hand, technical rigor, prescriptions and rules; on the other hand, grace, creation and self-expression. We believe such compartmentalized categories are too schematic to define gymnasts’ and students’ activities, so we will examine their articulation points. We first present an overview of RG as a school practice in ordinary forms of teaching, then an historical analysis of RG as a sports practice, to highlight the unbridgeable gap between both school and sports practices, regarding technique/Artistic connections. We then propose three significant points of articulation (called games closely combining technical requirements and artistic commitment. We consider that the variation of the three games played in GR (creating, making beautiful, representing is the product of historical dynamics of this sport we call artistic. Finally, on this basis, we propose a learning game for novice students promoting the artistic quality of RG practice.

  5. Between casual commitment and cross-media articulation – the faith of the Napkin

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bødker, Susanne; Petersen, Anja Bechmann

    2008-01-01

    was wrong with the Napkin, and why did it fail? The Napkin suffered many of the problems known to CSCW: It laced reciprocity of visibility and commitment between reporters and editors; it did not give sufficient overview of media processes and products, in particular it was impossible to motivate stories......This paper presents an analysis of the Napkin, a collaborative technology designed to support news reporters in their struggle to handle the integrated production of news stories to multiple media platforms. The Napkin was abandoned while we studied it, and this raised the questions of what...... and overview their relationships with other stories. The casual metaphor of a Napkin was in contrast to how commitments got perceived by reporters and editors. The paper uses these discussions to revisit the notion of articulation work...

  6. Design and Development of an Automatic Tool Changer for an Articulated Robot Arm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ambrosio, H; Karamanoglu, M

    2014-01-01

    In the creative industries, the length of time between the ideation stage and the making of physical objects is decreasing due to the use of CAD/CAM systems and adicitive manufacturing. Natural anisotropic materials, such as solid wood can also be transformed using CAD/CAM systems, but only with subtractive processes such as machining with CNC routers. Whilst some 3 axis CNC routing machines are affordable to buy and widely available, more flexible 5 axis routing machines still present themselves as a too big investment for small companies. Small refurbished articulated robots can be a cheaper alternative but they require a light end-effector. This paper presents a new lightweight tool changer that converts a small 3kg payload 6 DOF robot into a robot apprentice able to machine wood and similar soft materials

  7. Design and Development of an Automatic Tool Changer for an Articulated Robot Arm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ambrosio, H.; Karamanoglu, M.

    2014-07-01

    In the creative industries, the length of time between the ideation stage and the making of physical objects is decreasing due to the use of CAD/CAM systems and adicitive manufacturing. Natural anisotropic materials, such as solid wood can also be transformed using CAD/CAM systems, but only with subtractive processes such as machining with CNC routers. Whilst some 3 axis CNC routing machines are affordable to buy and widely available, more flexible 5 axis routing machines still present themselves as a too big investment for small companies. Small refurbished articulated robots can be a cheaper alternative but they require a light end-effector. This paper presents a new lightweight tool changer that converts a small 3kg payload 6 DOF robot into a robot apprentice able to machine wood and similar soft materials.

  8. Toward a model for lexical access based on acoustic landmarks and distinctive features

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stevens, Kenneth N.

    2002-04-01

    This article describes a model in which the acoustic speech signal is processed to yield a discrete representation of the speech stream in terms of a sequence of segments, each of which is described by a set (or bundle) of binary distinctive features. These distinctive features specify the phonemic contrasts that are used in the language, such that a change in the value of a feature can potentially generate a new word. This model is a part of a more general model that derives a word sequence from this feature representation, the words being represented in a lexicon by sequences of feature bundles. The processing of the signal proceeds in three steps: (1) Detection of peaks, valleys, and discontinuities in particular frequency ranges of the signal leads to identification of acoustic landmarks. The type of landmark provides evidence for a subset of distinctive features called articulator-free features (e.g., [vowel], [consonant], [continuant]). (2) Acoustic parameters are derived from the signal near the landmarks to provide evidence for the actions of particular articulators, and acoustic cues are extracted by sampling selected attributes of these parameters in these regions. The selection of cues that are extracted depends on the type of landmark and on the environment in which it occurs. (3) The cues obtained in step (2) are combined, taking context into account, to provide estimates of ``articulator-bound'' features associated with each landmark (e.g., [lips], [high], [nasal]). These articulator-bound features, combined with the articulator-free features in (1), constitute the sequence of feature bundles that forms the output of the model. Examples of cues that are used, and justification for this selection, are given, as well as examples of the process of inferring the underlying features for a segment when there is variability in the signal due to enhancement gestures (recruited by a speaker to make a contrast more salient) or due to overlap of gestures from

  9. Poultry Products Management. 2+2+2 Articulated Curriculum in Agricultural Technology: First Year Final Report. July 1, 1989-June 30, 1990.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Northeast Texas Community Coll., Mount Pleasant.

    This guide is for an articulated two-year high school, two-year college curriculum for poultry products management developed by two postsecondary and five secondary institutions and representatives of the private sector in Texas. The guide includes the following: (1) a brief description of the occupation of poultry products manager; (2) the basic…

  10. Ordinal models of audiovisual speech perception

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Tobias

    2011-01-01

    Audiovisual information is integrated in speech perception. One manifestation of this is the McGurk illusion in which watching the articulating face alters the auditory phonetic percept. Understanding this phenomenon fully requires a computational model with predictive power. Here, we describe...

  11. Simulation and modeling CO2 absorption in biogas with DEA promoted K2CO3 solution in packed column

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nurkhamidah, Siti; Altway, Ali; Airlangga, Bramantyo; Emilia, Dwi Putri

    2017-05-01

    Absorption of carbon dioxide (CO2) using potassium carbonate (K2CO3) is one of biogas purification method. However, K2CO3 have slow mass transfer in liquid phase. So it is necessary to eliminate the disadvantage of CO2 absorption using K2CO3 by adding promotor (activator). Diethanol amine (DEA) is one of promotor which can increase its reaction rate. Simulation and modeling research of the CO2 absorption from biogas with DEA promoted K2CO3 solution has not been conducted. Thus, the main goal of this research is create model and simulation for the CO2 absorption from biogas with DEA promoted K2CO3 solution, then observe the influence of promoter concentration. DEA concentration varies between 1-5 %wt. From the simulation, we concluded that the CO2 removal rise with the increasing of promoter concentration. The highest CO2 removal is 54.5318 % at 5 % wt DEA concentration.

  12. Space Photovoltaic Concentrator Using Robust Fresnel Lenses, 4-Junction Cells, Graphene Radiators, and Articulating Receivers

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Neill, Mark; McDanal, A. J.; Brandhorst, Henry; Spence, Brian; Iqbal, Shawn; Sharps, Paul; McPheeters, Clay; Steinfeldt, Jeff; Piszczor, Michael; Myers, Matt

    2016-01-01

    At the 42nd PVSC, our team presented recent advances in our space photovoltaic concentrator technology. These advances include more robust Fresnel lenses for optical concentration, more thermally conductive graphene radiators for waste heat rejection, improved color-mixing lens technology to minimize chromatic aberration losses with 4-junction solar cells, and an articulating photovoltaic receiver enabling single-axis sun-tracking, while maintaining a sharp focal line despite large beta angles of incidence. In the past year, under a NASA Phase II SBIR program, our team has made much additional progress in the development of this new space photovoltaic concentrator technology, as described in this paper.

  13. Automatic path-planning for a multilink articulated boom within the torus of a fusion reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smidt, D.

    1986-08-01

    For in-torus maintenance of fusion machines a manipulator is conveyed to the working area by a multilink-transporter, also called 'articulated boom'. Systems of this type have in general four to five links and move in the midplane of the torus. They are kinematically redundant and have a very restricted working space. In this paper automatic methods for the collision free approach of any position of the final joint within the reach of the transporter are presented, including insertion and removal. By automatic teach-in with the CAD-simulation a table of safe configurations can be generated and supplemented by a fine-positioning algorithm. (orig.) [de

  14. Streamlining Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure Procedures to Promote Early-Career Faculty Success.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Shannon B; Hollerbach, Ann; Donato, Annemarie Sipkes; Edlund, Barbara J; Atz, Teresa; Kelechi, Teresa J

    2016-01-01

    A critical component of the progression of a successful academic career is being promoted in rank. Early-career faculty are required to have an understanding of appointment, promotion, and tenure (APT) guidelines, but many factors often impede this understanding, thwarting a smooth and planned promotion pathway for professional advancement. This article outlines the steps taken by an APT committee to improve the promotion process from instructor to assistant professor. Six sigma's DMAIC improvement model was selected as the guiding operational framework to remove variation in the promotion process. After faculty handbook revisions were made, several checklists developed, and a process review rubric was implemented; recently promoted faculty were surveyed on satisfaction with the process. Faculty opinions captured in the survey suggest increased transparency in the process and perceived support offered by the APT committee. Positive outcomes include a strengthened faculty support framework, streamlined promotion processes, and improved faculty satisfaction. Changes to the APT processes resulted in an unambiguous and standardized pathway for successful promotion. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Implications of Shared Interactive Displays for Work at a Surgery Ward: Coordination, Articulation Work and Context-awareness

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bossen, Claus; Jensen, Lis Witte Kjær

    2008-01-01

    We report on experiences gained from the use at a surgery ward of shared interactive displays to support coordination and communication.  The displays merge large displays, video feed, RFID tag, chat and mobile phones to facilitate better coordination and articulation of work tasks and enhance...... appropriate meaning to new clues by clinicians and learning new ways of cooperating. Trade-offs had to be made, since work and benefits were differentially redistributed. We propose that computer support for medical work should support flexible appropriation and learning....

  16. [Workplace health promotion in network structures - the Erlangen Model of "enterprises in motion"].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Broding, H C; Kiesel, J; Lederer, P; Kötter, R; Drexler, H

    2010-07-01

    Evidence-based health promotion and prevention are the only means to meet the future economic challenges in health care. Since preventive measures do not penetrate all strata of society alike, the workplace is a probable platform for health education and promotion. Against this background, the network of the 'Erlangen Model' attempts to include health promotion as an integral part of enterprise policy; the present paper evaluates preliminary results of this programme. Questionnaires and interviews were conducted among employees of 6 companies and authorities forming the network "Agitating Enterprises". A total of 1,748 subjects were included and answered questions about their professional and health-related situation, physical activities, and expectations in connection with the programme. Almost half of the subjects (48%) had no intention to participate in one of the programme's courses. Most frequent mentioned reasons in favour of participation were the expectation of positive effects on general health (75%), well-being (78%), team work (32%) and enjoyment of sports (70%). Factor analysis extracted 5 dimensions of occupational burden out of over 50 items: "Co-operation with colleagues and superiors", "safety at work", "workflow organisation", "individual complaints" and "workplace design". Between participating companies the expression of these dimensions varied substantially; employees of the university hospital in general reported a higher-than-average burden. In contrast, differences regarding the health status, satisfaction with employment conditions and individual activity scores were minor. Health promotion at the workplace is meaningful, especially for health-care employees. Differential analyses of reasons for non-participation may reveal starting points for an improvement of attendance in health-promotion programmes. Copyright Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart . New York.

  17. Stability Analysis of a Reaction-Diffusion System Modeling Atherogenesis

    KAUST Repository

    Ibragimov, Akif; Ritter, Laura; Walton, Jay R.

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a linear, asymptotic stability analysis for a reaction-diffusionconvection system modeling atherogenesis, the initiation of atherosclerosis, as an inflammatory instability. Motivated by the disease paradigm articulated by Ross

  18. Agenda Setting for Health Promotion: Exploring an Adapted Model for the Social Media Era.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albalawi, Yousef; Sixsmith, Jane

    2015-01-01

    The foundation of best practice in health promotion is a robust theoretical base that informs design, implementation, and evaluation of interventions that promote the public's health. This study provides a novel contribution to health promotion through the adaptation of the agenda-setting approach in response to the contribution of social media. This exploration and proposed adaptation is derived from a study that examined the effectiveness of Twitter in influencing agenda setting among users in relation to road traffic accidents in Saudi Arabia. The proposed adaptations to the agenda-setting model to be explored reflect two levels of engagement: agenda setting within the social media sphere and the position of social media within classic agenda setting. This exploratory research aims to assess the veracity of the proposed adaptations on the basis of the hypotheses developed to test these two levels of engagement. To validate the hypotheses, we collected and analyzed data from two primary sources: Twitter activities and Saudi national newspapers. Keyword mentions served as indicators of agenda promotion; for Twitter, interactions were used to measure the process of agenda setting within the platform. The Twitter final dataset comprised 59,046 tweets and 38,066 users who contributed by tweeting, replying, or retweeting. Variables were collected for each tweet and user. In addition, 518 keyword mentions were recorded from six popular Saudi national newspapers. The results showed significant ratification of the study hypotheses at both levels of engagement that framed the proposed adaptions. The results indicate that social media facilitates the contribution of individuals in influencing agendas (individual users accounted for 76.29%, 67.79%, and 96.16% of retweet impressions, total impressions, and amplification multipliers, respectively), a component missing from traditional constructions of agenda-setting models. The influence of organizations on agenda setting is

  19. Agenda Setting for Health Promotion: Exploring an Adapted Model for the Social Media Era

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-01-01

    Background The foundation of best practice in health promotion is a robust theoretical base that informs design, implementation, and evaluation of interventions that promote the public’s health. This study provides a novel contribution to health promotion through the adaptation of the agenda-setting approach in response to the contribution of social media. This exploration and proposed adaptation is derived from a study that examined the effectiveness of Twitter in influencing agenda setting among users in relation to road traffic accidents in Saudi Arabia. Objective The proposed adaptations to the agenda-setting model to be explored reflect two levels of engagement: agenda setting within the social media sphere and the position of social media within classic agenda setting. This exploratory research aims to assess the veracity of the proposed adaptations on the basis of the hypotheses developed to test these two levels of engagement. Methods To validate the hypotheses, we collected and analyzed data from two primary sources: Twitter activities and Saudi national newspapers. Keyword mentions served as indicators of agenda promotion; for Twitter, interactions were used to measure the process of agenda setting within the platform. The Twitter final dataset comprised 59,046 tweets and 38,066 users who contributed by tweeting, replying, or retweeting. Variables were collected for each tweet and user. In addition, 518 keyword mentions were recorded from six popular Saudi national newspapers. Results The results showed significant ratification of the study hypotheses at both levels of engagement that framed the proposed adaptions. The results indicate that social media facilitates the contribution of individuals in influencing agendas (individual users accounted for 76.29%, 67.79%, and 96.16% of retweet impressions, total impressions, and amplification multipliers, respectively), a component missing from traditional constructions of agenda-setting models. The influence

  20. The articulations of the neurocranium in the postnatal skeleton of the domestic fowl (Gallus gallus domesticus).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hogg, D A

    1978-09-01

    In the neurocranium of the domestic fowl the centres of ossification present at hatching and appearing susbequently have been investigated and illustrated. The controversy over centres around the orbit is reviewed and it is concluded that paired laterally placed pleurosphenoids are present by the time of hatching, while paired orbitosphenoids situated near the midline and dorsal to the optic foramen do not appear until between 70 and 91 days after hatching. No additional "presphenoid" centres were detected. The neurocranial articulations were studied: 27, many of them paired, were identified. The sequence and timing of synostosis were determined.

  1. Applying an Educational-participatory Program based on the PRECEDE Model for Promoting Self-esteem and Mental Health of Students in Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahdi Moshki

    2012-01-01

    Conclusion: Health promotion planning by using life skills training based on the PRECEDE model can result in participation and empowerment, in order to promote the self-esteem and mental health of the students.

  2. Covenant model of corporate compliance. "Corporate integrity" program meets mission, not just legal, requirements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tuohey, J F

    1998-01-01

    Catholic healthcare should establish comprehensive compliance strategies, beyond following Medicare reimbursement laws, that reflect mission and ethics. A covenant model of business ethics--rather than a self-interest emphasis on contracts--can help organizations develop a creed to focus on obligations and trust in their relationships. The corporate integrity program (CIP) of Mercy Health System Oklahoma promotes its mission and interests, educates and motivates its employees, provides assurance of systemwide commitment, and enforces CIP policies and procedures. Mercy's creed, based on its mission statement and core values, articulates responsibilities regarding patients and providers, business partners, society and the environment, and internal relationships. The CIP is carried out through an integrated network of committees, advocacy teams, and an expanded institutional review board. Two documents set standards for how Mercy conducts external affairs and clarify employee codes of conduct.

  3. RURAL TEACHERS IN SINALOA: PEDAGOGUES, HEALTH PROMOTERS AND SOCIO-POLITICAL ACTIVISTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rafael Santos-Cenobio

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this article is to study the formation of the postrevolutionary Mexican State based on the actions undertaken by rural teachers belonging to the Ministry of Public Education (SEP. From these actors a cultural revolution was programmed and undertaken at the national level, which established as a mission to integrate and incorporate the masses of peasants and workers into the national culture. In this sense, the teachers functioned as articulators between the communities and the national State, they became pedagogues, organizers of peasants and workers; promoters of unity and legitimacy through songs, dances, theater and oratory, introducing the new heroes and principles of the Revolution to political processes and local artistic expressions. (Kay, 1997, p.57 The work consists of two sections. In the first one it refers to the educational actions undertaken by the State as manifestations against alcoholism, Day and Tree Week. These projects were executed by state governors, municipal presidents, teachers and students, who were responsible for touring the streets shouting and shouting slogans against alcoholism and the damage it caused. The second section refers to the work of teachers, especially in their respective communities where they organized clean-up campaigns, sporting events, tree planting and formation of parent committees to raise funds for the construction of schools. At the same time, teachers are analyzed as articulators between the national State and rural communities. To realize the socialist project, the professors organized plays, founded night schools, chaired meetings and gave lectures to the citizens of the community. Likewise, the professors became popular leaders, because they advised and founded labor unions; In addition, they created Agrarian Committees, of which they themselves were established as leaders.

  4. Grades and Withdrawal Rates in Cell Biology and Genetics Based upon Institution Type for General Biology and Implications for Transfer Articulation Agreements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Regier, Kimberly Fayette

    2016-01-01

    General biology courses (for majors) are often transferred from one institution to another. These courses must prepare students for upper division courses in biology. In Colorado, a Biology Transfer Articulation Agreement that includes general biology has been created across the state. An evaluation was conducted of course grades in two upper…

  5. Exploring Environmental Factors in Nursing Workplaces That Promote Psychological Resilience: Constructing a Unified Theoretical Model

    OpenAIRE

    Cusack, Lynette; Smith, Morgan; Hegney, Desley; Rees, Clare S.; Breen, Lauren J.; Witt, Regina R.; Rogers, Cath; Williams, Allison; Cross, Wendy; Cheung, Kin

    2016-01-01

    Building nurses' resilience to complex and stressful practice environments is necessary to keep skilled nurses in the workplace and ensuring safe patient care. A unified theoretical framework titled Health Services Workplace Environmental Resilience Model (HSWERM), is presented to explain the environmental factors in the workplace that promote nurses' resilience. The framework builds on a previously-published theoretical model of individual resilience, which identified the key constructs of p...

  6. Comparison of two speech privacy measurements, articulation index (AI) and speech privacy noise isolation class (NIC'), in open workplaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoon, Heakyung C.; Loftness, Vivian

    2002-05-01

    Lack of speech privacy has been reported to be the main dissatisfaction among occupants in open workplaces, according to workplace surveys. Two speech privacy measurements, Articulation Index (AI), standardized by the American National Standards Institute in 1969, and Speech Privacy Noise Isolation Class (NIC', Noise Isolation Class Prime), adapted from Noise Isolation Class (NIC) by U. S. General Services Administration (GSA) in 1979, have been claimed as objective tools to measure speech privacy in open offices. To evaluate which of them, normal privacy for AI or satisfied privacy for NIC', is a better tool in terms of speech privacy in a dynamic open office environment, measurements were taken in the field. AIs and NIC's in the different partition heights and workplace configurations have been measured following ASTM E1130 (Standard Test Method for Objective Measurement of Speech Privacy in Open Offices Using Articulation Index) and GSA test PBS-C.1 (Method for the Direct Measurement of Speech-Privacy Potential (SPP) Based on Subjective Judgments) and PBS-C.2 (Public Building Service Standard Method of Test Method for the Sufficient Verification of Speech-Privacy Potential (SPP) Based on Objective Measurements Including Methods for the Rating of Functional Interzone Attenuation and NC-Background), respectively.

  7. Promoting the Recognition and Protection of the Rights of All Migrants Using a Soft-Law International Migrants Bill of Rights

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ian M. Kysel

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The rights and movement of people crossing international borders remain inadequately governed and incompletely protected by a fragmented patchwork of institutions and norms. In recent years, debates regarding migration law and practice globally have been focused on subcategories of migrants, such as refugees, or on particular migration contexts, such as migration as a result of crisis or climate change. In response, a transnational initiative housed at the Georgetown University Law Center has drafted a soft-law bill of rights — the International Migrants Bill of Rights (IMBR — that seeks to elaborate the law protecting all migrants, regardless of the cause of their movement across an international border. The bill draws its content from human rights, refugee, and labor law, among other areas, and is drafted to be a comprehensive and declarative tool that articulates a core set of rights to protect migrants and to apply in the migration context.This article articulates how such a tool could be used to promote the recognition and protection of the rights of all migrants, in law and in practice. It argues that a soft-law bill of rights could be leveraged to fill significant gaps and promote an improved normative and institutional infrastructure that better protects all migrants worldwide. Section I provides a brief overview of the gap that a soft-law bill of rights can address. Section II provides a brief overview of the history and content of the bill of rights and IMBR Initiative. Section III describes, specifically, how making use of a soft-law bill of rights stands to improve the recognition and protection of fundamental rights that protect all migrants — and how soft law can help fill specific protection gaps.

  8. Tensorial dynamic time warping with articulation index representation for efficient audio-template learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le, Long N; Jones, Douglas L

    2018-03-01

    Audio classification techniques often depend on the availability of a large labeled training dataset for successful performance. However, in many application domains of audio classification (e.g., wildlife monitoring), obtaining labeled data is still a costly and laborious process. Motivated by this observation, a technique is proposed to efficiently learn a clean template from a few labeled, but likely corrupted (by noise and interferences), data samples. This learning can be done efficiently via tensorial dynamic time warping on the articulation index-based time-frequency representations of audio data. The learned template can then be used in audio classification following the standard template-based approach. Experimental results show that the proposed approach outperforms both (1) the recurrent neural network approach and (2) the state-of-the-art in the template-based approach on a wildlife detection application with few training samples.

  9. Children affected by HIV/AIDS: SAFE, a model for promoting their security, health, and development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Betancourt, Theresa S; Fawzi, Mary K S; Bruderlein, Claude; Desmond, Chris; Kim, Jim Y

    2010-05-01

    A human security framework posits that individuals are the focus of strategies that protect the safety and integrity of people by proactively promoting children's well being, placing particular emphasis on prevention efforts and health promotion. This article applies this framework to a rights-based approach in order to examine the health and human rights of children affected by HIV/AIDS. The SAFE model describes sources of insecurity faced by children across four fundamental dimensions of child well-being and the survival strategies that children and families may employ in response. The SAFE model includes: Safety/protection; Access to health care and basic physiological needs; Family/connection to others; and Education/livelihoods. We argue that it is critical to examine the situation of children through an integrated lens that effectively looks at human security and children's rights through a holistic approach to treatment and care rather than artificially limiting our scope of work to survival-oriented interventions for children affected by HIV/AIDS. Interventions targeted narrowly at children, in isolation of their social and communal environment as outlined in the SAFE model, may in fact undermine protective resources in operation in families and communities and present additional threats to children's basic security. An integrated approach to the basic security and care of children has implications for the prospects of millions of children directly infected or indirectly affected by HIV/AIDS around the world. The survival strategies that young people and their families engage in must be recognized as a roadmap for improving their protection and promoting healthy development. Although applied to children affected by HIV/AIDS in the present analysis, the SAFE model has implications for guiding the care and protection of children and families facing adversity due to an array of circumstances from armed conflict and displacement to situations of extreme poverty.

  10. Construction of predictive promoter models on the example of antibacterial response of human epithelial cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wingender Edgar

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Binding of a bacteria to a eukaryotic cell triggers a complex network of interactions in and between both cells. P. aeruginosa is a pathogen that causes acute and chronic lung infections by interacting with the pulmonary epithelial cells. We use this example for examining the ways of triggering the response of the eukaryotic cell(s, leading us to a better understanding of the details of the inflammatory process in general. Results Considering a set of genes co-expressed during the antibacterial response of human lung epithelial cells, we constructed a promoter model for the search of additional target genes potentially involved in the same cell response. The model construction is based on the consideration of pair-wise combinations of transcription factor binding sites (TFBS. It has been shown that the antibacterial response of human epithelial cells is triggered by at least two distinct pathways. We therefore supposed that there are two subsets of promoters activated by each of them. Optimally, they should be "complementary" in the sense of appearing in complementary subsets of the (+-training set. We developed the concept of complementary pairs, i.e., two mutually exclusive pairs of TFBS, each of which should be found in one of the two complementary subsets. Conclusions We suggest a simple, but exhaustive method for searching for TFBS pairs which characterize the whole (+-training set, as well as for complementary pairs. Applying this method, we came up with a promoter model of antibacterial response genes that consists of one TFBS pair which should be found in the whole training set and four complementary pairs. We applied this model to screening of 13,000 upstream regions of human genes and identified 430 new target genes which are potentially involved in antibacterial defense mechanisms.

  11. Zealotry promotes coexistence in the rock-paper-scissors model of cyclic dominance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verma, Gunjan; Chan, Kevin; Swami, Ananthram

    2015-11-01

    Cyclic dominance models, such as the classic rock-paper-scissors (RPS) game, have found real-world applications in biology, ecology, and sociology. A key quantity of interest in such models is the coexistence time, i.e., the time until at least one population type goes extinct. Much recent research has considered conditions that lengthen coexistence times in an RPS model. A general finding is that coexistence is promoted by localized spatial interactions (low mobility), while extinction is fostered by global interactions (high mobility). That is, there exists a mobility threshold which separates a regime of long coexistence from a regime of rapid collapse of coexistence. The key finding of our paper is that if zealots (i.e., nodes able to defeat others while themselves being immune to defeat) of even a single type exist, then system coexistence time can be significantly prolonged, even in the presence of global interactions. This work thus highlights a crucial determinant of system survival time in cyclic dominance models.

  12. Promoting Psychological Well-Being in an Urban School Using the Participatory Culture-Specific Intervention Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bell, Patrick B.; Summerville, Meredith A.; Nastasi, Bonnie K.; Patterson, Julie; Earnshaw, Elizabeth

    2015-01-01

    School psychology has recently reconceptualized its service provision model to include multitiered systems of academic and psychosocial promotion, prevention, and intervention. The availability of evidence-based programs and advances in school consultation theory accompany the paradigm shift of the field. Despite these advances, implementing…

  13. Sailplane Glide Performance and Control Using Fixed and Articulating Winglets. M.S. Thesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colling, James David

    1995-01-01

    An experimental study was conducted to investigate the effects of controllable articulating winglets on glide performance and yawing moments of high performance sailplanes. Testing was conducted in the Texas A&M University 7 x 10 foot Low Speed Wind Tunnel using a full-scale model of the outboard 5.6 feet of a 15 meter class high performance sailplane wing. Different wing tip configurations could be easily mounted to the wing model. A winglet was designed in which the cant and toe angles as well as a rudder on the winglet could be adjusted to a range of positions. Cant angles used in the investigation consisted of 5, 25, and 40 degrees measured from the vertical axis. Toe-out angles ranged from 0 to 22.5 degrees. A rudder on the winglet was used to study the effects of changing the camber of the winglet airfoil on wing performance and wing yawing moments. Rudder deflections consisted of-10, 0, and 10 degrees. Test results for a fixed geometry winglet and a standard wing tip are presented to show the general behavior of winglets on sailplane wings, and the effects of boundary-layer turbulators on the winglets are also presented. By tripping the laminar boundary-layer to turbulent before laminar separation occurs, the wing performance was increased at low Reynolds numbers. The effects on the lift and drag, yawing moment, pitching moment, and wing root bending moment of the model are presented. Oil flows were used on the wing model with the fixed geometry winglet and the standard wing tip to visualize flow directions and areas of boundary layer transition. A cant angle of 25 degrees and a toe-out angle of 2.5 degrees provided an optimal increase in wing performance for the cant and toe angles tested. Maximum performance was obtained when the winglet rudder remained in the neutral position of zero degrees. By varying the cant, toe, and rudder angles from their optimized positions, wing performance decreases. Although the winglet rudder proved to be more effective in

  14. Anatomic relationships of the distal and proximal radioulnar joints articulating surface areas, and of the radius and ulna bone volumes – implications for biomechanical studies of the distal and proximal radioulnar joints and forearm bones

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paul S C Malone

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available BackgroundPrevious work from this laboratory has evidenced the biomechanical role of forearm osseoligamentous structures in load transfer of applied forces. It has shown that transmitted forces across the distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ and proximal radioulnar joint (PRUJ are similar though not identical under axial loading conditions. The purpose of the study was to assess the articulating surface areas of the radioulnar joints and the volumes of the forearm bones addressing the hypothesis that there may be anatomic adaptations that reflect the biomechanical function of the integrated forearm unit.MethodsThe articulating surface areas of PRUJ and DRUJ were assessed using a laser scanner in 24 cadaver forearms. The articulating joint surfaces were additionally delineated from standardized photographs assessed by three observers. The surface areas of matched pairs of joints were compared on the null hypothesis that these were the same within a given forearm specimen. An additional 44 pairs of matched forearm bone volumes were measured using water displacement technique and again compared through statistical analysis (paired sample t-test, and Bland Altman analysis.ResultsThe findings of this study are that the articulating surface areas of the DRUJ and PRUJ as well as the bone volumes are significantly different and yet strongly correlated. The paired sample t-test showed a significant difference between the surface areas of the DRUJ and PRUJ (p<0.05. The PRUJ articulating surface area was marginally larger than the DRUJ with a PRUJ : DRUJ ratio of 1.02. Paired sample t-test showed a significant difference between the two bone volumes (p<0.01 with a radius to ulna bone volume ratio of 0.81. When the olecranon was disregarded, radius volume was on average 4% greater than ulna volume.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated defines the anatomical relationships between the two forearm bones and their articulating joints when matched for specimen. The data

  15. Disruptions in Women's Self-Promotion: The Backlash Avoidance Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moss-Racusin, Corinne A.; Rudman, Laurie A.

    2010-01-01

    Women experience social and economic penalties (i.e., backlash) for self-promotion, a behavior that violates female gender stereotypes yet is necessary for professional success. However, it is unknown whether and how the threat of backlash interferes with women's ability to self-promote. The present research examined the effects of fear of…

  16. Roy's Adaptation Model-Guided Education and Promoting the Adaptation of Veterans With Lower Extremities Amputation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azarmi, Somayeh; Farsi, Zahra

    2015-10-01

    Any defect in extremities of the body can affect different life aspects. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Roy's adaptation model-guided education on promoting the adaptation of veterans with lower extremities amputation. In a randomized clinical trial, 60 veterans with lower extremities amputation referring to Kowsar Orthotics and Prosthetics Center of veterans clinic in Tehran, Iran, were recruited with convenience method and were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups during 2013 - 2014. For data collection, Roy's adaptation model questionnaire was used. After completing the questionnaires in both groups, maladaptive behaviors were determined in the intervention group and an education program based on Roy's adaptation model was implemented. After two months, both groups completed the questionnaires again. Data was analyzed with SPSS software. Independent t-test showed statistically significant differences between the two groups in the post-test stage in terms of the total score of adaptation (P = 0.001) as well as physiologic (P = 0.0001) and role function modes (P = 0.004). The total score of adaptation (139.43 ± 5.45 to 127.54 ± 14.55, P = 0.006) as well as the scores of physiologic (60.26 ± 5.45 to 53.73 ± 7.79, P = 0.001) and role function (20.30 ± 2.42 to 18.13 ± 3.18, P = 0.01) modes in the intervention group significantly increased, whereas the scores of self-concept (42.10 ± 4.71 to 39.40 ± 5.67, P = 0.21) and interdependence (16.76 ± 2.22 to 16.30 ± 2.57, P = 0.44) modes in the two stages did not have a significant difference. Findings of this research indicated that the Roy's adaptation model-guided education promoted the adaptation level of physiologic and role function modes in veterans with lower extremities amputation. However, this intervention could not promote adaptation in self-concept and interdependence modes. More intervention is advised based on Roy's adaptation model for improving the

  17. Affectionate Touch to Promote Relational, Psychological, and Physical Well-Being in Adulthood: A Theoretical Model and Review of the Research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jakubiak, Brittany K; Feeney, Brooke C

    2017-08-01

    Throughout the life span, individuals engage in affectionate touch with close others. Touch receipt promotes well-being in infancy, but the impacts of touch in adult close relationships have been largely unexplored. In this article, we propose that affectionate touch receipt promotes relational, psychological, and physical well-being in adulthood, and we present a theoretical mechanistic model to explain why affectionate touch may promote these outcomes. The model includes pathways through which touch could affect well-being by reducing stress and by promoting well-being independent of stress. Specifically, two immediate outcomes of affectionate touch receipt-relational-cognitive changes and neurobiological changes-are described as important mechanisms underlying the effects of affectionate touch on well-being. We also review and evaluate the existing research linking affectionate touch to well-being in adulthood and propose an agenda to advance research in this area. This theoretical perspective provides a foundation for future work on touch in adult close relationships.

  18. A UNIFYING DIFFERENTIAL GAME OF ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONS

    OpenAIRE

    HASSAN BENCHEKROUN

    2007-01-01

    The literature on advertising and promotions can be divided in two categories. A first group of models assume that promotion contributes (positively) to the goodwill towards the product, and a second group assumes that promotions reduce that goodwill. In this paper we build a differential game model where the impact of promotion on goodwill is endogenously determined. We conduct a comparative dynamics exercise. An unexpected result is that an increase in the sensitivity of sales to goodwill c...

  19. Models and Theories of Health Education and Health Promotion in Physical Activity Interventions for Women: a Systematic Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seyed Mohammad Mehdi Hazavehei

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: The present study as a systematic review investigated and analyzed interventions based on models and theories of health education and promotion in the field of physical activity in women. Materials and Methods: Three electronic databases, including Springer, Biomed Central and Science Direct were searched systematically. Only studies were selected that were quantitative, interventional and in English language as well as those that used at least one of the models and theories of health education and health promotion. Finally, 13 studies were reviewed that met the inclusion criteria and published from 2000 to 2013. Results: Of 13 studies reviewed, 10 studies measured levels of physical activity before and after the intervention, which nine interventions increased physical activity in the intervention group compared to the control group. Studies were conducted in different settings of health promotion including health care centers, community setting and workplace. The most widely used model was the Transtheoretical Model applied in eight of investigations. Conclusion: It is suggested to focus more on physical activity and duration of interventions to increase the efficacy of interventions. It is suggested to measure changes of physical activity habits in experimental and control groups in interventions based on the transtheoretical model to prepare a complementary scale to assess the efficacy of interventions. According to the results, no study had focused on changes in institutional policies or general health or providing changes in environment related to physical activity.

  20. DSS colitis promotes tumorigenesis and fibrogenesis in a choline-deficient high-fat diet-induced NASH mouse model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Achiwa, Koichi; Ishigami, Masatoshi; Ishizu, Yoji; Kuzuya, Teiji; Honda, Takashi; Hayashi, Kazuhiko; Hirooka, Yoshiki; Katano, Yoshiaki; Goto, Hidemi

    2016-01-29

    Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients progress to liver cirrhosis and even hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Several lines of evidence indicate that accumulation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and disruption of gut microbiota play contributory roles in HCC. Moreover, in a dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis model in mice, a high-fat diet increases portal LPS level and promotes hepatic inflammation and fibrosis. However, this diet-induced NASH model requires at least 50 weeks for carcinogenesis. In this study, we sought to determine whether increased intestinal permeability would aggravate liver inflammation and fibrosis and accelerate tumorigenesis in a diet-induced NASH model. Mice were fed a choline-deficient high-fat (CDHF) diet for 4 or 12 weeks. The DSS group was fed CDHF and intermittently received 1% DSS in the drinking water. Exposure to DSS promoted mucosal changes such as crypt loss and increased the number of inflammatory cells in the colon. In the DSS group, portal LPS levels were elevated at 4 weeks, and the proportions of Clostridium cluster XI in the fecal microbiota were elevated. In addition, levels of serum transaminase, number of lobular inflammatory cells, F4/80 staining-positive area, and levels of inflammatory cytokines were all elevated in the DSS group. Liver histology in the DSS group revealed severe fibrosis at 12 weeks. Liver tumors were detected in the DSS group at 12 weeks, but not in the other groups. Thus, DSS administration promoted liver tumors in a CDHF diet-induced NASH mouse over the short term, suggesting that the induction of intestinal inflammation and gut disruption of microbiota in NASH promote hepatic tumorigenesis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Video-cued narrative reflection: a research approach for articulating tacit, relational, and embodied understandings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raingruber, Bonnie

    2003-10-01

    The author's purpose in this article is to describe the effectiveness of video-cued narrative reflection as a research approach for accessing relational, practice-based, and lived understandings. Video-cued narrative reflection provides moment-by-moment access to tacit experience. The immediate nature of the videotape captures emotional nuances, embodied perceptions, spatial influences, relational understandings, situational factors, and temporal manifestations. By watching videotaped interactions, participants are able to re-collect, re-experience, and interpret their life world. Video-cued narrative reflection allows participants to be simultaneously engaged and reflective while describing significant understandings. By inserting audiotaped reflective commentary of participants into the original videotape transcript, contextual meanings can be located and articulated more easily. Although not appropriate for all types of research, this approach offers promise for certain studies.

  2. Promoting advance directives among African Americans: a faith-based model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bullock, Karen

    2006-02-01

    Studies show that African Americans are less likely than other ethnic groups to complete advance directives. However, what influences African Americans' decisions to complete or not complete advance directives is unclear. Using a faith-based promotion model, 102 African Americans aged 55 years or older were recruited from local churches and community-based agencies to participate in a pilot study to promote advance care planning. Focus groups were used to collect data on participants' preferences for care, desire to make personal choices, values and attitudes, beliefs about death and dying, and advance directives. A standardized interview was used in the focus groups, and the data were organized and analyzed using NUDIST 4 software (QRS Software, Victoria, Australia). Three fourths of the participants refused to complete advance directives. The following factors influenced the participants' decisions about end-of-life care and completion of an advance directive: spirituality; view of suffering, death, and dying; social support networks; barriers to utilization; and mistrust of the health care system. The dissemination of information apprises individuals of their right to self-determine about their care, but educational efforts may not produce a significant change in behavior toward completion of advance care planning. Thus, ongoing efforts are needed to improve the trust that African Americans have in medical and health care providers.

  3. Tisza, Transmission and Innovation: An Innovative Bottom-up Model for Transmission and Promotion of Tisza Cultural Heritage

    OpenAIRE

    Barberis Rami, Matías Ezequiel; Berić, Dejan; Mátai, Anikó; Opriş, Lavinia-Ioana; Ricci, Giulia; Rustja, Dritan

    2015-01-01

    The project aims to promote and preserve both tangible and intangible cultural heritage in a particular region of the Danube river basin, Tisza Region (TR). The TR cultural heritage is less-well-known in the rest of Europe and is at risk of being lost or forgotten if not preserved and supported. In this project is presented an innovative and strategic bottom-up model which allows local people to manage how their heritage is disseminated through transmission and promotion of their ...

  4. Articulated dental cast analysis of asymptomatic and symptomatic populations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cordray, Frank E

    2016-01-01

    Dental instrumentation has long provided insight into the mechanism of musculo-skeletal function of the gnathic system. While large population studies associate dental arch displacement (DAD), especially laterally, with symptoms, mandibular condyle displacement (CD) resulting from DAD has not been targeted as possibly etiologic in the production of common muscle contraction headache (CMCH) and temporo-mandibular dysfunction (TMD). The objective was to evaluate the three-dimensional nature of DAD and CD between the seated condylar position (SCP) and the intercuspal position (ICP) and to compare results derived from large deprogrammed asymptomatic and symptomatic populations. A total of 1 192 sets of dental casts collected from asymptomatic and symptomatic populations were articulated in the SCP. The initial occlusal contact, DAD, and condylar displacement were evaluated for frequency, direction, and magnitude of displacement between the SCP and ICP. The data revealed significant displacement between the SCP and ICP of the condyles (displaced most frequently inferior (down) and posterior (distal)) and substantially increased frequency and magnitude of displacement of the dental arches (with posterior premature occlusal contacts, increased overjet, decreased overbite, midline differences, and occlusal classification changes) in symptomatic subjects. These discrepancies were statistically significant and clinically significant. The data support the concept of increased DAD and CD with dysfunction. Transverse condylar displacement, commonly presenting with dental cross bite, may be associated with CMCH and TMD. Displacement of the mandibular condyle may be an etiologic factor in CMCH and dysfunction of the temporo-mandibular joint. PMID:27357324

  5. Early results of metal on metal articulation total hip arthroplasty in young patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohamad, J A; Kwan, M K; Merican, A M; Abbas, A A; Kamari, Z H; Hisa, M K; Ismail, Z; Idrus, R M

    2004-12-01

    We report our early experience of 20 cases of metal on metal articulation total hip arthroplasty in 19 young patients. Avascular necrosis of the femoral head (63%) was the commonest diagnosis for patients undergoing this procedure, followed by osteoarthritis (21%). In general, most of the patients were young and physically active with an average age of 43.1 years (range, 25 to 58 years). The average follow-up period was 18 months (range, 7 to 46 months). The mean total Harris Hip Score preoperatively and at final follow-up was 31 points and 89 points respectively. The mean total Pain Score improved from an average of 11.5 to 41.1 points at final follow-up. Sixteen (84%) of the patients had a good to excellent hip score. There was one dislocation, which stabilized after reduction and conservative management. One case of early infection underwent a two-staged revision.

  6. Is It Necessary to Articulate a Research Methodology When Reporting on Theoretical Research?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juliana Smith

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available In this paper the authors share their insights on whether it is necessary to articulate a research methodology when reporting on theoretical research. Initially the authors, one being a supervisor and the other, a PhD student and a colleague, were confronted with the question during supervision and writing of a thesis on theoretical research. Reflection on the external examiners’ reports about whether a research methodology for theoretical research is necessary prompted the writing of this paper. In order to answer the question, the characteristics of theoretical research are clarified and contrasting views regarding the necessity or not of including a research methodology section in such a thesis, are examined. The paper also highlights the justification for including a research methodology in a thesis that reports on theoretical research, investigates the soundness of such justification and finally draws conclusions on the matter.

  7. Articulaciones (ATemporales en el Síntoma y en la Bulimia (ATemporal Articulations in the Symptom and Bulimia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Esteban Radiszcz

    2006-11-01

    Full Text Available Mediante la comparación de un caso de disorexia y de otro de bulimia, se explicitan las diferencias que separan a ambos fenómenos psicopatológicos en cuanto a sus articulaciones (atemporales. Se sostiene que mientras la disorexia se despliega en un futuro anterior propio de la temporalidad simbólica del retorno de lo reprimido, la bulimia da cuenta de una temporalidad circular impulsada por la repetición. Sin embargo, dichas diferencias sólo pueden explicarse en función de la presencia de una desigualdad aún más relevante en las articulaciones psicopato-lógicas de la bulimia y del síntoma. Si la (atemporalidad de la bulimia se distingue de aquella que opera en el síntoma, ello se debe a que la bulimia no constituye una verdadera formación sintomato-lógica.Through the comparison of a case of Dysorexia and another of Bulimia the differences, in terms of (atemporal articulations, among the two psychopathological phenomena are made explicit. It is argued that while Dysorexia unfolds in the past future of the symbolic temporality of the return of the repressed, Bulimia unravels in a circular temporality driven by repetition. These differences can only be explained through the presence of an even more relevant dissimilarity in the psycopatho-logical articulations of Bulimia and the symptom. If the (atemporality of Bulimia is distinguished from the one operating in the symptom, it is due to the fact that Bulimia does not constitute a true symptomato-logical formation.

  8. Exploring Environmental Factors in Nursing Workplaces That Promote Psychological Resilience: Constructing a Unified Theoretical Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cusack, Lynette; Smith, Morgan; Hegney, Desley; Rees, Clare S; Breen, Lauren J; Witt, Regina R; Rogers, Cath; Williams, Allison; Cross, Wendy; Cheung, Kin

    2016-01-01

    Building nurses' resilience to complex and stressful practice environments is necessary to keep skilled nurses in the workplace and ensuring safe patient care. A unified theoretical framework titled Health Services Workplace Environmental Resilience Model (HSWERM), is presented to explain the environmental factors in the workplace that promote nurses' resilience. The framework builds on a previously-published theoretical model of individual resilience, which identified the key constructs of psychological resilience as self-efficacy, coping and mindfulness, but did not examine environmental factors in the workplace that promote nurses' resilience. This unified theoretical framework was developed using a literary synthesis drawing on data from international studies and literature reviews on the nursing workforce in hospitals. The most frequent workplace environmental factors were identified, extracted and clustered in alignment with key constructs for psychological resilience. Six major organizational concepts emerged that related to a positive resilience-building workplace and formed the foundation of the theoretical model. Three concepts related to nursing staff support (professional, practice, personal) and three related to nursing staff development (professional, practice, personal) within the workplace environment. The unified theoretical model incorporates these concepts within the workplace context, linking to the nurse, and then impacting on personal resilience and workplace outcomes, and its use has the potential to increase staff retention and quality of patient care.

  9. Using Computer Simulations for Promoting Model-based Reasoning. Epistemological and Educational Dimensions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Develaki, Maria

    2017-11-01

    Scientific reasoning is particularly pertinent to science education since it is closely related to the content and methodologies of science and contributes to scientific literacy. Much of the research in science education investigates the appropriate framework and teaching methods and tools needed to promote students' ability to reason and evaluate in a scientific way. This paper aims (a) to contribute to an extended understanding of the nature and pedagogical importance of model-based reasoning and (b) to exemplify how using computer simulations can support students' model-based reasoning. We provide first a background for both scientific reasoning and computer simulations, based on the relevant philosophical views and the related educational discussion. This background suggests that the model-based framework provides an epistemologically valid and pedagogically appropriate basis for teaching scientific reasoning and for helping students develop sounder reasoning and decision-taking abilities and explains how using computer simulations can foster these abilities. We then provide some examples illustrating the use of computer simulations to support model-based reasoning and evaluation activities in the classroom. The examples reflect the procedure and criteria for evaluating models in science and demonstrate the educational advantages of their application in classroom reasoning activities.

  10. Global Knowledge Futures: Articulating the Emergence of a New Meta-level Field

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennifer M. Gidley

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available In this paper I articulate a new meta-level field of studies that I call global knowledge futures—a field through which other emerging transdisciplinary fields can be integrated to cohere knowledge at a higher level. I contrast this with the current dominant knowledge paradigm of the global knowledge economy with its fragmentation, commodification and instrumentalism based on neoliberal knowledge capitalism. I take a big-picture, macrohistorical lens to the new thinking and new knowledge patterns that are emerging within the evolution of consciousness discourse. I explore three discourses: postformal studies, integral studies and planetary studies—using a fourth discourse, futures studies, to provide a macro-temporal framing. By extending the meta-fields of postformal, integral and planetary studies into a prospective future dimension, I locate areas of development where these leading-edge discourses can be brought into closer dialogue with each other. In this meeting point of four boundary-spanning discourses I identify the new meta-level field of global knowledge futures, grounded in human thinking capacities, such as creativity, imagination, dialogue and collaboration.

  11. Promotion and Fast Food Demand

    OpenAIRE

    Timothy J. Richards; Luis Padilla

    2009-01-01

    Many believe that fast food promotion is a significant cause of the obesity epidemic in North America. Industry members argue that promotion only reallocates brand shares and does not increase overall demand. We study the effect of fast food promotion on market share and total demand by estimating a discrete / continuous model of fast food restaurant choice and food expenditure that explicitly accounts for both spatial and temporal determinants of demand. Estimates are obtained using a unique...

  12. Promoting Self-Regulation in Health Among Vulnerable Brazilian Children: Protocol Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luciana B. Mattos

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available The Health and Education Ministries of Brazil launched the Health in School Program (Programa Saúde na Escola - PSE in 2007. The purpose of the PSE is two-fold: articulate the actions of the education and health systems to identify risk factors and prevent them; and promote health education in the public elementary school system. In the health field, the self-regulation (SR construct can contribute to the understanding of life habits which can affect the improvement of individuals' health. This research aims to present a program that promotes SR in health (SRH. This program (PSRH includes topics on healthy eating and oral health from the PSE; it is grounded on the social cognitive framework and uses story tools to train 5th grade Brazilian students in SRH. The study consists of two phases. In Phase 1, teachers and health professionals participated in a training program on SRH, and in Phase 2, they will be expected to conduct an intervention in class to promote SRH. The participants were randomly assigned into three groups: the Condition I group followed the PSE program, the Condition II group followed the PSRH (i.e., PSE plus the SRH program, and the control group (CG did not enroll in either of the health promotion programs. For the baseline of the study, the following measures and instruments were applied: Body Mass Index (BMI, Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S, Previous Day Food Questionnaire (PFDQ, and Declarative Knowledge for Health Instrument. Data indicated that the majority are eutrophic children, but preliminary outcomes showed high percentages of children that are overweight, obese and severely obese. Moreover, participants in all groups reported high consumption of ultraprocessed foods (e.g., soft drinks, artificial juices, and candies. Oral health data from the CI and CII groups showed a prevalence of regular oral hygiene, while the CG presented good oral hygiene. The implementation of both PSE and PSRH are expected to help

  13. Influence of timing of delayed hard palate closure on articulation skills in 3-year-old Danish children with unilateral cleft lip and palate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Willadsen, Elisabeth; Boers, Maria; Schöps, Antje; Kisling-Møller, Mia; Nielsen, Joan Bogh; Jørgensen, Line Dahl; Andersen, Mikael; Bolund, Stig; Andersen, Helene Søgaard

    2018-01-01

    Differing results regarding articulation skills in young children with cleft palate (CP) have been reported and often interpreted as a consequence of different surgical protocols. To assess the influence of different timing of hard palate closure in a two-stage procedure on articulation skills in 3-year-olds born with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP). Secondary aims were to compare results with peers without CP, and to investigate if there are gender differences in articulation skills. Furthermore, burden of treatment was to be estimated in terms of secondary surgery, hearing and speech therapy. A randomized controlled trial (RCT). Early hard palate closure (EHPC) at 12 months versus late hard palate closure (LHPC) at 36 months in a two-stage procedure was tested in a cohort of 126 Danish-speaking children born with non-syndromic UCLP. All participants had the lip and soft palate closed around 4 months of age. Audio and video recordings of a naming test were available from 113 children (32 girls and 81 boys) and were transcribed phonetically. Recordings were obtained prior to hard palate closure in the LHPC group. The main outcome measures were percentage consonants correct adjusted (PCC-A) and consonant errors from blinded assessments. Results from 36 Danish-speaking children without CP obtained previously by Willadsen in 2012 were used for comparison. Children with EHPC produced significantly more target consonants correctly (83%) than children with LHPC (48%; p < .001). In addition, children with LHPC produced significantly more active cleft speech characteristics than children with EHPC (p < .001). Boys achieved significantly lower PCC-A scores than girls (p = .04) and produced significantly more consonant errors than girls (p = .02). No significant differences were found between groups regarding burden of treatment. The control group performed significantly better than the EHPC and LHPC groups on all compared variables. © 2017 Royal College of Speech

  14. Mass media in health promotion: an analysis using an extended information-processing model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flay, B R; DiTecco, D; Schlegel, R P

    1980-01-01

    The information-processing model of the attitude and behavior change process was critically examined and extended from six to 12 levels for a better analysis of change due to mass media campaigns. Findings from social psychology and communications research, and from evaluations of mass media health promotion programs, were reviewed to determine how source, message, channel, receiver, and destination variables affect each of the levels of change of major interest (knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, intentions and behavior). Factors found to most likely induce permanent attitude and behavior change (most important in health promotion) were: presentation and repetition over long time periods, via multiple sources, at different times (including "prime" or high-exposure times), by multiple sources, in novel and involving ways, with appeals to multiple motives, development of social support, and provisions of appropriate behavioral skills, alternatives, and reinforcement (preferably in ways that get the active participation of the audience). Suggestions for evaluation of mass media programs that take account of this complexity were advanced.

  15. Structured model Consumer-based Brand Equity based on Promotional-mix elements(Case Study: Food Active Industries of Tehran)

    OpenAIRE

    Mehran Rezvani; Siran Mehrnia

    2014-01-01

    Abstract This paper aims to examine the relationships among Promotional-mix elements and Customer-based Brand Equity. Then, a model is developed to examine the relationships Promotional-mix elements and Customer-based brand equity in Food Industries of Tehran. The sample size is 240. Data are collected by questionnaire designed. The collected data is estimated using Lizrel and SEM method. The test results show that four dimensions of brand equity (brand awareness, perceived quality, and br...

  16. Employer's information and promotion-seeking activities

    OpenAIRE

    Epstein, Gil S.

    2012-01-01

    This paper presents a model in which promotion of employees within the internal firm hierarchy is determined by the individuals' allocation of time between promotion/rent-seeking and productive activity. We consider the effect of an increase in the employer's knowledge (information) regarding the employees' productivity levels on the total time spent by the workers in non-productive promotion-seeking activities.

  17. Precise regulation of gene expression dynamics favors complex promoter architectures.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dirk Müller

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Promoters process signals through recruitment of transcription factors and RNA polymerase, and dynamic changes in promoter activity constitute a major noise source in gene expression. However, it is barely understood how complex promoter architectures determine key features of promoter dynamics. Here, we employ prototypical promoters of yeast ribosomal protein genes as well as simplified versions thereof to analyze the relations among promoter design, complexity, and function. These promoters combine the action of a general regulatory factor with that of specific transcription factors, a common motif of many eukaryotic promoters. By comprehensively analyzing stationary and dynamic promoter properties, this model-based approach enables us to pinpoint the structural characteristics underlying the observed behavior. Functional tradeoffs impose constraints on the promoter architecture of ribosomal protein genes. We find that a stable scaffold in the natural design results in low transcriptional noise and strong co-regulation of target genes in the presence of gene silencing. This configuration also exhibits superior shut-off properties, and it can serve as a tunable switch in living cells. Model validation with independent experimental data suggests that the models are sufficiently realistic. When combined, our results offer a mechanistic explanation for why specific factors are associated with low protein noise in vivo. Many of these findings hold for a broad range of model parameters and likely apply to other eukaryotic promoters of similar structure.

  18. Design and fabrication of an articulated four axes microrobot arm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Ruoshi; Yang, Zhong; Wei, Danming; Popa, Dan O.

    2017-05-01

    In order to carry out nanomanufacturing tasks, a microrobot requires both high precision and high reliability over prolonged periods of time. Articulated Four-Axis Microrobots (AFAM) have been introduced a decade ago as millimetric microrobots capable of carrying out nanoscale tasks. The original robot design relied on a Micro Electro Mechanical (MEMS) actuator bank positioned onto a Silicon substrate, and an assembled arm mechanically coupled to the actuators through a cable. Movement of two thermal actuator banks positions the AFAM's end effector in 3-Dimensional space with approximately 75 microns workspace and 50 nm repeatability. However, failure of the AFAM's cable mechanism was observed after less than 1 million cycles. In this paper, we propose a novel arm mechanism for AFAM that improve its performance. The design presented in this article substitutes the "wire-gluing" cable with an anchored electrostatic actuator, and therefore it simplifies assembly requirements, reduces overall footprint of the microrobot, and achieves higher operating frequency. Simulation results are presented for a rotary electrostatic comb drive as basis for the microrobot arm with overall dimensions of 2 mm × 2 mm. The AFAM arm cantilever is 1 mm long to achieve a workspace of dimension of 75 microns along the vertical axis. Experimental evaluation of the design was accomplished using a prototype fabricated on a silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer processed with the deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) process.

  19. Vibration acceleration promotes bone formation in rodent models.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ryohei Uchida

    BV in the centrifuge acceleration group had no significant difference compared those in control-CA group. Union rate and BV in the low-magnitude group of RFH model were also significantly higher than those in the other groups (Union rate: 60% v.s. 0% in the high-magnitude group and 10% in the control-VA group, BV: 0.69±0.30mm3 v.s. 0.15±0.09mm3 in high-magnitude group and 0.22±0.17mm3 in control-VA group. BV/TV in the low-magnitude group of RFH model was significantly higher than that in control-VA group (59.4±14.9% v.s. 35.8±13.5%. On the other hand, radiographic union rate (10% in centrifuge acceleration group v.s. 20% in control-CA group and micro-CT parameters in RFH model were not significantly different between two groups in the constant acceleration studies. Radiographic images of non-union rib fractures showed cartilage at the fracture site and poor new bone formation, whereas union samples showed only new bone. In conclusion, low-magnitude vibration acceleration promoted bone formation at the trunk in both BMP-induced ectopic bone formation and rib fracture healing models. However, the micro-CT parameters were not similar between two models, which suggested that there might be difference in the mechanism of effect by vibration between two models.

  20. THE USE OF DYNAMIC MODELS OF CAR TRAFFIC VOLUME PROMOTION IN TECHNICAL REGULATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. H. Kuznetsov

    2007-08-01

    Full Text Available Modern lines in the field of transport management are directed on transition from analytical systems of processing of information to the information-operating systems providing support of decision-making in management by transportations. New conditions of managing, on the one hand, and development of the automated systems of gathering and processing of information in transport industry, on the other hand, allows to reach essentially new level of planning the parameters of transport operation with development of new methodology of solution of the given problems. The creation of dynamic model of promotion of traffic volumes is one of the new methods that allows solving a number of operational problems.. In the paper the mathematical description of range of a network and dynamic model is given. The concept of individual transportation is presented, classification of dynamic models depending on the initial information is given. Mathematical study and algorithm of construction of dynamic models enables their applications for solution of wide range of problems on transport.

  1. Promoting good health research practice in low- and middle-income countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahendradhata, Yodi; Nabieva, Jamila; Ahmad, Riris Andono; Henley, Patricia; Launois, Pascal; Merle, Corinne; Maure, Christine; Horstick, Olaf; Elango, Varalakshmi

    2016-01-01

    Good clinical practice (GCP) guidelines have been the source of improvement in the quality of clinical trials; however, there are limitations to the application of GCP in the conduct of health research beyond industry-sponsored clinical trials. The UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Program for Research and Training in Tropical Disease is promoting good practice in all health research involving human through the Good Health Research Practice (GHRP) training program initiative. To report the results of piloting the GHRP training program and formulate further steps to harness GHRP for promoting good practices in all health research involving human, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The objective of this training is to impart knowledge and skills for the application of ethical and quality principles to the design, conduct, recording, and reporting of health research involving human participants based on the level of risk, to ensure a fit-for-purpose quality system. This has been formulated into five sequential modules to be delivered in a 4-day course. Four courses have been organized in the pilot phase (2014-2015). The courses have been evaluated and assessed based on course feedback (quantitative and qualitative data) collected during course implementation and qualitative email-based pre- and post-course evaluation. Participants were highly satisfied with the course content and its organization. The relevance and applicability of the course content resulted in positive feedback and an articulated willingness to adapt and disseminate the course. Action points to strengthen the training program have been identified, and showed the imminent need to develop a consensus with a broader range of key stakeholders on the final set of GHRP standards and means for implementation. There is an urgent need to harness the momentum to promote high-quality and ethical health research in LMICs through scaling up GHRP training and further development of GHRP

  2. Tailored Educational Approaches for Consumer Health: A Model to Address Health Promotion in an Era of Personalized Medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohn, Wendy F; Lyman, Jason; Broshek, Donna K; Guterbock, Thomas M; Hartman, David; Kinzie, Mable; Mick, David; Pannone, Aaron; Sturz, Vanessa; Schubart, Jane; Garson, Arthur T

    2018-01-01

    To develop a model, based on market segmentation, to improve the quality and efficiency of health promotion materials and programs. Market segmentation to create segments (groups) based on a cross-sectional questionnaire measuring individual characteristics and preferences for health information. Educational and delivery recommendations developed for each group. General population of adults in Virginia. Random sample of 1201 Virginia residents. Respondents are representative of the general population with the exception of older age. Multiple factors known to impact health promotion including health status, health system utilization, health literacy, Internet use, learning styles, and preferences. Cluster analysis and discriminate analysis to create and validate segments. Common sized means to compare factors across segments. Developed educational and delivery recommendations matched to the 8 distinct segments. For example, the "health challenged and hard to reach" are older, lower literacy, and not likely to seek out health information. Their educational and delivery recommendations include a sixth-grade reading level, delivery through a provider, and using a "push" strategy. This model addresses a need to improve the efficiency and quality of health promotion efforts in an era of personalized medicine. It demonstrates that there are distinct groups with clearly defined educational and delivery recommendations. Health promotion professionals can consider Tailored Educational Approaches for Consumer Health to develop and deliver tailored materials to encourage behavior change.

  3. Waif goodbye! Average-size female models promote positive body image and appeal to consumers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diedrichs, Phillippa C; Lee, Christina

    2011-10-01

    Despite consensus that exposure to media images of thin fashion models is associated with poor body image and disordered eating behaviours, few attempts have been made to enact change in the media. This study sought to investigate an effective alternative to current media imagery, by exploring the advertising effectiveness of average-size female fashion models, and their impact on the body image of both women and men. A sample of 171 women and 120 men were assigned to one of three advertisement conditions: no models, thin models and average-size models. Women and men rated average-size models as equally effective in advertisements as thin and no models. For women with average and high levels of internalisation of cultural beauty ideals, exposure to average-size female models was associated with a significantly more positive body image state in comparison to exposure to thin models and no models. For men reporting high levels of internalisation, exposure to average-size models was also associated with a more positive body image state in comparison to viewing thin models. These findings suggest that average-size female models can promote positive body image and appeal to consumers.

  4. A model of destination image promotion with a case study of Nanjing, P. R. China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiang Li; Hans Vogelsong

    2003-01-01

    Destination image has long been a popular research topic in tourism studies. However, methods used to integrate image in real marketing practice and evaluating the market performance in a systematic way are still puzzling to practitioners. A destination image promotion model is proposed in this paper as an effort to solve the problem. The roles of some major factors...

  5. Nursing. A Basic Course Outline for Health Careers I (Grade 11). A Four Year "2+2" Articulated Curriculum for the Occupation of Nursing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robertson, Barbara; Stevenson, Nancy

    This course outline provides materials for the first course in a series of four courses that are included in a "2+2" curriculum for the occupation of registered nurse. It is part of a planned and articulated 4-year curriculum that spans the junior and senior years of high school and the freshman and sophomore years of the postsecondary…

  6. Nursing. A Basic Course Outline for Health Careers II (Grade 12). A Four Year "2+2" Articulated Curriculum for the Occupation of Nursing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stevenson, Nancy; Robertson, Barbara

    This course outline provides materials for the second course in a series of four courses that are included in a "2+2" curriculum for the occupation of registered nurse. It is part of a planned and articulated 4-year curriculum that spans the junior and senior years of high school and the freshman and sophomore years of the postsecondary…

  7. Modeling Social Capital as Dynamic Networks to Promote Access to Oral Healthcare.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Hua; Northridge, Mary E; Kunzel, Carol; Zhang, Qiuyi; Kum, Susan S; Gilbert, Jessica L; Jin, Zhu; Metcalf, Sara S

    2016-01-01

    Social capital, as comprised of human connections in social networks and their associated benefits, is closely related to the health of individuals, communities, and societies at large. For disadvantaged population groups such as older adults and racial/ethnic minorities, social capital may play a particularly critical role in mitigating the negative effects and reinforcing the positive effects on health. In this project, we model social capital as both cause and effect by simulating dynamic networks. Informed in part by a community-based health promotion program, an agent-based model is contextualized in a GIS environment to explore the complexity of social disparities in oral and general health as experienced at the individual, interpersonal, and community scales. This study provides the foundation for future work investigating how health and healthcare accessibility may be influenced by social networks.

  8. Reframing Children’s Learning: Capturing the Practice of Articulation Done by Truku Children in a Visual Narrative Program

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huei-Hsuan Lin

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Grounded in a three-semester visual program in which a college team collaborated with Truku elementary students using photographs to explore their lives, this paper focuses on the ways that indigenous students constructed their learning experiences. The present study uses the concept of articulation to describe the process through which children connected their lives with their families and communities with the visual project taking place at school: As this visual project was aimed to infiltrate into the fabrics of children’s everyday lives, those who succeeded to negotiate with their guardians to gain full control over their after-school lives were able to incorporate the activities of photo-taking into their free time and engage in friendship-making activities. Additionally, students were raised to be involved in farming activities in which they learned by participating physically rather than listening to verbal explanations. Thus, this way of learning had been inscribed onto their bodies, moving between and sutured the worlds of school learning and community’s manual laboring. Lastly, this study found that students exuberated “groupness” as they negotiated their way with each other establishing their positions in the web of peer relations. Groupness embodied an articulated quality indicating the way that students were related to each other at school was inseparable from their relations after school. Educators need to be attuned to the dynamics of the groupness as it has been somewhat stable, yet open to change, and certainly impacted how students performed in various learning spaces, such as in the case of the visual program.

  9. Rehabilitating a Fossilized Pronunciation Error: the /v/ and /w/, Contrast by Using the Audio-Articulation Method in Teacher Training in Turkey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prof. Dr. Mehmet Demirezen

    2005-10-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this article is to demonstrate the applicability of a pronunciation teachingand correction case entitled the audio-articulation method, developed by Demirezen (2003,2004, in the field of teacher training in which there is a scarcity of such methods. The audio-articulation method is a fossilized pronunciation mistake breaker, moving raising awareness of a fossilized mistake to perception via listening to oral practice. This method integratespronunciation practicing into oral communication in the context of speaking by means ofchain drills, substitution drills, repetition drills, inflection drills, replacement drills,restatement drills, completion drills, transposition drills, expansion drills, contraction drills,transformation drills, integration drills, rejoinder drills, restoration drills, question-answer drills, and language games are of great help in this respect. In addition, listen and imitatetechnique with mirroring, tracking, and echoing (shadowing, developmental approximationdrills, and explanation techniques are all practiced, repeated in form of exhortations withoutboring the students. The applications of this method and related exercises, practically appliedto experimental groups during a term of 14 weeks by Murat Hişmanoğlu (2004 in a doctoraldissertation, and it has been demonstrated that its has significant rehabilitating potentiality incorrecting the pronunciation errors of non-native speaking English language teachers andstudent teachers in Turkey.

  10. Mathematics Instructional Model Based on Realistic Mathematics Education to Promote Problem Solving Ability at Junior High School Padang

    OpenAIRE

    Edwin Musdi

    2016-01-01

    This research aims to develop a mathematics instructional model based realistic mathematics education (RME) to promote students' problem-solving abilities. The design research used Plomp models, which consists of preliminary phase, development or proto-typing phase and assessment phase.  At this study, only the first two phases conducted. The first phase, a preliminary investigation, carried out with a literature study to examine the theory-based instructional learning RME model, characterist...

  11. Promoting success or preventing failure: cultural differences in motivation by positive and negative role models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lockwood, Penelope; Marshall, Tara C; Sadler, Pamela

    2005-03-01

    In two studies, cross-cultural differences in reactions to positive and negative role models were examined. The authors predicted that individuals from collectivistic cultures, who have a stronger prevention orientation, would be most motivated by negative role models, who highlight a strategy of avoiding failure; individuals from individualistic cultures, who have a stronger promotion focus, would be most motivated by positive role models, who highlight a strategy of pursuing success. In Study 1, the authors examined participants' reported preferences for positive and negative role models. Asian Canadian participants reported finding negative models more motivating than did European Canadians; self-construals and regulatory focus mediated cultural differences in reactions to role models. In Study 2, the authors examined the impact of role models on the academic motivation of Asian Canadian and European Canadian participants. Asian Canadians were motivated only by a negative model, and European Canadians were motivated only by a positive model.

  12. Articulations on form properties and action-function couplings of maker technologies in children’s education

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Kasper Skov; Iversen, Ole Sejer

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, we present a framework to expand the design language used to articulate form properties and types of feedback that happen between children’s actions and the intended functionality of maker technologies. Based on field observations in Danish schools we analyze children’s (aged 11......-14 years old) interactions with three maker technologies used to work through design processes in school maker settings. Our findings are beneficial on three factors for designers, researchers and teachers involved in work within maker contexts. (1) reflections on form properties of maker technologies, (2....... Researchers can use the expanded design language to analyze maker technologies in the context of school maker settings. Finally, teachers can make better decisions on how and when to use different maker technologies when school children work through design processes....

  13. Articulação compensatória associada à fissura de palato ou disfunção velofaríngea: revisão de literatura Compensatory articulation associated to cleft palate or velopharyngeal dysfunction: literature review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Viviane Cristina de Castro Marino

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available TEMA: articulação compensatória na fissura palatina. OBJETIVO: contribuir para o aprofundamento de informações sobre os tipos de articulação compensatória descritos na literatura e, ainda, discutir as implicações e contribuições da avaliação clínica e instrumental na identificação destas produções. CONCLUSÃO: as articulações compensatórias merecem a atenção de clínicos e pesquisadores que atuam no Brasil, já que estas alterações são encontradas com grande freqüência em crianças e adultos com fissura palatina ou disfunção velofaríngea, o que compromete a qualidade de vida destes sujeitos. Os fonoaudiólogos devem aprofundar seus conhecimentos sobre os tipos de articulação compensatória e os procedimentos de avaliação, bem como devem estabelecer programas preventivos que favoreçam a aquisição fonológica sem o desenvolvimento dessas compensações.BACKGROUND: compensatory articulation in cleft lip and palate. PURPOSE: to contribute with information regarding the types of compensatory articulation described in the literature and discuss the implications and contributions of clinical and instrumental evaluation of these speech productions. CONCLUSION: compensatory articulation deserves attention from Brazilian physicians and researchers, since that these productions occur in children and adults with cleft palate and velopharyngeal dysfunction, compromising their speech intelligibility and consequently quality of their lives. Speech-language pathologists need to improve knowledge regarding different types of compensatory articulation and also on the procedures for evaluating these productions, in order to settle preventive programs that favor phonological acquisition in children with cleft palate without developing compensatory articulation.

  14. Architecture and User-Context Models of CoCare: A Context-Aware Mobile Recommender System for Health Promotion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cerón-Rios, Gineth; López, Diego M; Blobel, Bernd

    2017-01-01

    Recommender systems (RS) are useful tools for filtering and sorting items and information for users. There is a wide diversity of approaches that help creating personalized recommendations. Context-aware recommender systems (CARS) are a kind of RS which provide adaptation capabilities to the user's environment, e.g., by sensing data through wearable devices or other biomedical sensors. In healthcare and wellbeing, CARS can support health promotion and health education, considering that each individual requires tailored intervention programs. Our research aims at proposing a context-aware mobile recommender system for the promotion of healthy habits. The system is adapted to the user's needs, his/her health information, interests, time, location and lifestyles. In this paper, the CARS computational architecture and the user and context models of health promotion are presented, which were used to implement and test a prototype recommender system.

  15. Implementation of Mamdani Fuzzy Method in Employee Promotion System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zulfikar, W. B.; Jumadi; Prasetyo, P. K.; Ramdhani, M. A.

    2018-01-01

    Nowadays, employees are big assets to an institution. Every employee has a different educational background, degree, work skill, attitude and ethic that affect the performance. An institution including government institution implements a promotion system in order to improve the performance of the employees. Pangandaran Tourism, Industry, Trade, and SME Department is one of government agency that implements a promotion system to discover employees who deserve to get promotion. However, there are some practical deficiencies in the promotion system, one of which is the subjectivity issue. This work proposed a classification model that could minimize the subjectivity issue in employee promotion system. This paper reported a classification employee based on their eligibility for promotion. The degree of membership was decided using Mamdani Fuzzy based on determinant factors of the performance of employees. In the evaluation phase, this model had an accuracy of 91.4%. It goes to show that this model may minimize the subjectivity issue in the promotion system, especially at Pangandaran Tourism, Industry, Trade, and SME Department.

  16. Using focus groups to design systems science models that promote oral health equity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kum, Susan S; Northridge, Mary E; Metcalf, Sara S

    2018-06-04

    While the US population overall has experienced improvements in oral health over the past 60 years, oral diseases remain among the most common chronic conditions across the life course. Further, lack of access to oral health care contributes to profound and enduring oral health inequities worldwide. Vulnerable and underserved populations who commonly lack access to oral health care include racial/ethnic minority older adults living in urban environments. The aim of this study was to use a systematic approach to explicate cause and effect relationships in creating a causal map, a type of concept map in which the links between nodes represent causality or influence. To improve our mental models of the real world and devise strategies to promote oral health equity, methods including system dynamics, agent-based modeling, geographic information science, and social network simulation have been leveraged by the research team. The practice of systems science modeling is situated amidst an ongoing modeling process of observing the real world, formulating mental models of how it works, setting decision rules to guide behavior, and from these heuristics, making decisions that in turn affect the state of the real world. Qualitative data were obtained from focus groups conducted with community-dwelling older adults who self-identify as African American, Dominican, or Puerto Rican to elicit their lived experiences in accessing oral health care in their northern Manhattan neighborhoods. The findings of this study support the multi-dimensional and multi-level perspective of access to oral health care and affirm a theorized discrepancy in fit between available dental providers and patients. The lack of information about oral health at the community level may be compromising the use and quality of oral health care among racial/ethnic minority older adults. Well-informed community members may fill critical roles in oral health promotion, as they are viewed as highly credible

  17. The national education plan as articulator of the democratization of access to university and empowerment of the working class

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hildegard Susana Jung

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this essay, theoretical and documental, is to reflect on the concept(s of empowerment of the working class, in which it invests itself in power, but with an important caveat: this process cannot be individual but collective, through the cooperative dialogue, in which education – especially higher education – is the great protagonist, as articulator of the process. On this track, shows a comparison between the National Education Plan (PNE 2001-2010 and the PNE 2014-2024 regarding the goals aimed to the democratization of the access to university, finding that, in this moment, what can be affirmed in fact is that there were not many advances in Higher Education. Still, the PNE is an important legal instrument for the democratization of access to university, which may serve as an articulator of the empowerment of the working class. Rethinking education means rethinking the entire State, since education policy suffers injunctions of political, economic and social spheres. Enhancing the Brazilian State, means moving towards a broader concept, which will translate a correlation of forces between civil society and politics, which means a greater social participation, increased democratization of access to university and consequently, greater empowerment of the working class through (why not? Higher Education. Therefore, it lies the important role of the academy to prepare educators who disseminate the reflexive practice, which will lead to autonomy and emancipation.

  18. Effect of an intervention based on socio-ecological model in promoting physical activity of female employees

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amineh Sahranavard Gargari

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Although active life style is one of the main determining factors of health, the level of regular physical activities in women is less than in men and even this level decreases with aging. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of an intervention based on the social ecological model on promotion of physical activity among female employees. In this study, 160 women employed at Shabestar universities were selected, and randomly divided into two groups of control (n=80 and intervention (n=80. The intervention group received an instructional program according to the model, including one session for general instruction and four sessions for group discussion along with daily walking for 30 minutes within 8 weeks. In order to objectively measure the physical activity, the pedometer was used and to measure the perceived physical activity, the long form of International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ was applied. The variables related to the components of socio-ecological model were measured using the socio-ecological model questionnaire. A significant difference was found between two groups after the intervention in terms of That is, the average number of steps in walking in the intervention group increased significantly (from 4204 to 7882 steps per day, while it did not significantly increase in the control group. Thus, it can be argued that designing and implementing the interventional programs based on the socio-ecological model can promote physical activity behavior among employed women

  19. Two-stage revision of septic knee prosthesis with articulating knee spacers yields better infection eradication rate than one-stage or two-stage revision with static spacers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romanò, C L; Gala, L; Logoluso, N; Romanò, D; Drago, L

    2012-12-01

    The best method for treating chronic periprosthetic knee infection remains controversial. Randomized, comparative studies on treatment modalities are lacking. This systematic review of the literature compares the infection eradication rate after two-stage versus one-stage revision and static versus articulating spacers in two-stage procedures. We reviewed full-text papers and those with an abstract in English published from 1966 through 2011 that reported the success rate of infection eradication after one-stage or two-stage revision with two different types of spacers. In all, 6 original articles reporting the results after one-stage knee exchange arthoplasty (n = 204) and 38 papers reporting on two-stage revision (n = 1,421) were reviewed. The average success rate in the eradication of infection was 89.8% after a two-stage revision and 81.9% after a one-stage procedure at a mean follow-up of 44.7 and 40.7 months, respectively. The average infection eradication rate after a two-stage procedure was slightly, although significantly, higher when an articulating spacer rather than a static spacer was used (91.2 versus 87%). The methodological limitations of this study and the heterogeneous material in the studies reviewed notwithstanding, this systematic review shows that, on average, a two-stage procedure is associated with a higher rate of eradication of infection than one-stage revision for septic knee prosthesis and that articulating spacers are associated with a lower recurrence of infection than static spacers at a comparable mean duration of follow-up. IV.

  20. Computer vision system R&D for EAST Articulated Maintenance Arm robot

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lin, Linglong, E-mail: linglonglin@ipp.ac.cn; Song, Yuntao, E-mail: songyt@ipp.ac.cn; Yang, Yang, E-mail: yangy@ipp.ac.cn; Feng, Hansheng, E-mail: hsfeng@ipp.ac.cn; Cheng, Yong, E-mail: chengyong@ipp.ac.cn; Pan, Hongtao, E-mail: panht@ipp.ac.cn

    2015-11-15

    Highlights: • We discussed the image preprocessing, object detection and pose estimation algorithms under poor light condition of inner vessel of EAST tokamak. • The main pipeline, including contours detection, contours filter, MER extracted, object location and pose estimation, was carried out in detail. • The technical issues encountered during the research were discussed. - Abstract: Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) is the first full superconducting tokamak device which was constructed at Institute of Plasma Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP). The EAST Articulated Maintenance Arm (EAMA) robot provides the means of the in-vessel maintenance such as inspection and picking up the fragments of first wall. This paper presents a method to identify and locate the fragments semi-automatically by using the computer vision. The use of computer vision in identification and location faces some difficult challenges such as shadows, poor contrast, low illumination level, less texture and so on. The method developed in this paper enables credible identification of objects with shadows through invariant image and edge detection. The proposed algorithms are validated through our ASIPP robotics and computer vision platform (ARVP). The results show that the method can provide a 3D pose with reference to robot base so that objects with different shapes and size can be picked up successfully.

  1. Turing patterns and biological explanation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Serban, Maria

    2017-01-01

    , promoting theory exploration, and acting as constitutive parts of empirically adequate explanations of naturally occurring phenomena, such as biological pattern formation. Focusing on the roles that minimal model explanations play in science motivates the adoption of a broader diachronic view of scientific......Turing patterns are a class of minimal mathematical models that have been used to discover and conceptualize certain abstract features of early biological development. This paper examines a range of these minimal models in order to articulate and elaborate a philosophical analysis...

  2. Personalized models of bones based on radiographic photogrammetry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berthonnaud, E; Hilmi, R; Dimnet, J

    2009-07-01

    The radiographic photogrammetry is applied, for locating anatomical landmarks in space, from their two projected images. The goal of this paper is to define a personalized geometric model of bones, based uniquely on photogrammetric reconstructions. The personalized models of bones are obtained from two successive steps: their functional frameworks are first determined experimentally, then, the 3D bone representation results from modeling techniques. Each bone functional framework is issued from direct measurements upon two radiographic images. These images may be obtained using either perpendicular (spine and sacrum) or oblique incidences (pelvis and lower limb). Frameworks link together their functional axes and punctual landmarks. Each global bone volume is decomposed in several elementary components. Each volumic component is represented by simple geometric shapes. Volumic shapes are articulated to the patient's bone structure. The volumic personalization is obtained by best fitting the geometric model projections to their real images, using adjustable articulations. Examples are presented to illustrating the technique of personalization of bone volumes, directly issued from the treatment of only two radiographic images. The chosen techniques for treating data are then discussed. The 3D representation of bones completes, for clinical users, the information brought by radiographic images.

  3. The reinvention of terroir in Danish food place promotion

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gyimóthy, Szilvia

    2017-01-01

    This paper conceptualizes place branding narratives that mobilize local food and contemporary gastronomic trends by revisiting the notion of terroir (taste of place) as a strategic marketing asset. In particular, it explores how rural tourism destinations with little or no gastronomic heritage...... exploit the discourses of New Nordic Food to create a distinct sense of place. An extensive review of the literature identifies two conservationist strategies by which terroir narratives are constructed (accreditation and patrimonialization), neither of which fully captures the particular rhetorical...... and enterprising). The paper contributes with a conceptual model conceived through a unique combination of place-specific (typicality) themes and market-specific ideologies, which has the explanatory power to distinguish Nordic terroir narratives from earlier articulations of taste of place....

  4. Effects of Application of Social Marketing Theory and the Health Belief Model in Promoting Cervical Cancer Screening among Targeted Women in Sisaket Province, Thailand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wichachai, Suparp; Songserm, Nopparat; Akakul, Theerawut; Kuasiri, Chanapong

    2016-01-01

    Cervical cancer is a major public health problem in Thailand, being ranked second only to breast cancer. Thai women have been reported to have a low rate of cervical cancer screening (27.7% of the 80% goal of WHO). We therefore aimed to apply the social marketing theory and health belief model in promoting cervical cancer screening in Kanthararom District, Sisaket Province. A total of 92 from 974 targeted women aged 3060 years were randomly divided into two groups. The experimental group underwent application of social marketing theory and a health belief model program promoting cervical cancer screening while the control group received normal services. Two research tools were used: (1) application of social marketing theory and health belief model program and (2) questionnaire used to evaluate perceptions of cervical cancer. Descriptive and inferential statistics including paired sample ttest and independent ttest were used to analyze the data. After the program had been used, the mean score of perception of cervical cancer of experimental group was at a higher level (x=4.09; S.D. =0.30), than in the control group (x=3.82; S.D. =0.20) with statistical significance (psocial marketing and the health belief model be used to promote cervical cancer screening in targeted women and it can be promoted as a guideline for other health services, especially in health promotion and disease prevention.

  5. Reorienting health services in the Northern Territory of Australia: a conceptual model for building health promotion capacity in the workforce.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Judd, Jenni; Keleher, Helen

    2013-06-01

    Reorienting work practices to include health promotion and prevention is complex and requires specific strategies and interventions. This paper presents original research that used 'real-world' practice to demonstrate that knowledge gathered from practice is relevant for the development of practice-based evidence. The paper shows how practitioners can inform and influence improvements in health promotion practice. Practitioner-informed evidence necessarily incorporates qualitative research to capture the richness of their reflective experiences. Using a participatory action research (PAR) approach, the research question asked 'what are the core dimensions of building health promotion capacity in a primary health care workforce in a real-world setting?' PAR is a method in which the researcher operates in full collaboration with members of the organisation being studied for the purposes of achieving some kind of change, in this case to increase the amount of health promotion and prevention practice within this community health setting. The PAR process involved six reflection and action cycles over two years. Data collection processes included: survey; in-depth interviews; a training intervention; observations of practice; workplace diaries; and two nominal groups. The listen/reflect/act process enabled lessons from practice to inform future capacity-building processes. This research strengthened and supported the development of health promotion to inform 'better health' practices through respectful change processes based on research, practitioner-informed evidence, and capacity-building strategies. A conceptual model for building health promotion capacity in the primary health care workforce was informed by the PAR processes and recognised the importance of the determinants approach. Practitioner-informed evidence is the missing link in the evidence debate and provides the links between evidence and its translation to practice. New models of health promotion service

  6. Decomposing the sales promotion bump with store data

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Heerde, H.J.; Leeflang, P.S.H.; Wittink, D.R.

    2004-01-01

    Sales promotions generate substantial short-term sales increases. To determine whether the sales promotion bump is truly beneficial from a managerial perspective, we propose a system of store-level regression models that decomposes the sales promotion bump into three parts: cross-brand effects

  7. Parents as Teachers Health Literacy Demonstration project: integrating an empowerment model of health literacy promotion into home-based parent education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carroll, Lauren N; Smith, Sandra A; Thomson, Nicole R

    2015-03-01

    The Parents as Teachers (PAT) Health Literacy Demonstration project assessed the impact of integrating data-driven reflective practices into the PAT home visitation model to promote maternal health literacy. PAT is a federally approved Maternal, Infant, Early Childhood Home Visiting program with the goal of promoting school readiness and healthy child development. This 2-year demonstration project used an open-cohort longitudinal design to promote parents' interactive and reflective skills, enhance health education, and provide direct assistance to personalize and act on information by integrating an empowerment paradigm into PAT's parent education model. Eight parent educators used the Life Skills Progression instrument to tailor the intervention to each of 103 parent-child dyads. Repeated-measures analysis of variance, paired t tests, and logistic regression combined with qualitative data demonstrated that mothers achieved overall significant improvements in health literacy, and that home visitors are important catalysts for these improvements. These findings support the use of an empowerment model of health education, skill building, and direct information support to enable parents to better manage personal and child health and health care. © 2014 Society for Public Health Education.

  8. An articulated predictive model for fluid-free artificial basilar membrane as broadband frequency sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Riaz; Banerjee, Sourav

    2018-02-01

    In this article, an extremely versatile predictive model for a newly developed Basilar meta-Membrane (BM2) sensors is reported with variable engineering parameters that contribute to it's frequency selection capabilities. The predictive model reported herein is for advancement over existing method by incorporating versatile and nonhomogeneous (e.g. functionally graded) model parameters that could not only exploit the possibilities of creating complex combinations of broadband frequency sensors but also explain the unique unexplained physical phenomenon that prevails in BM2, e.g. tailgating waves. In recent years, few notable attempts were made to fabricate the artificial basilar membrane, mimicking the mechanics of the human cochlea within a very short range of frequencies. To explain the operation of these sensors a few models were proposed. But, we fundamentally argue the "fabrication to explanation" approach and proposed the model driven predictive design process for the design any (BM2) as broadband sensors. Inspired by the physics of basilar membrane, frequency domain predictive model is proposed where both the material and geometrical parameters can be arbitrarily varied. Broadband frequency is applicable in many fields of science, engineering and technology, such as, sensors for chemical, biological and acoustic applications. With the proposed model, which is three times faster than its FEM counterpart, it is possible to alter the attributes of the selected length of the designed sensor using complex combinations of model parameters, based on target frequency applications. Finally, the tailgating wave peaks in the artificial basilar membranes that prevails in the previously reported experimental studies are also explained using the proposed model.

  9. DNA structure in human RNA polymerase II promoters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Anders Gorm; Baldi, Pierre; Chauvin, Yves

    1998-01-01

    with a very low level of sequence similarity. The sequences, which include both TATA-containing and TATA-less promoters, are aligned by hidden Markov models. Using three different models of sequence-derived DNA bendability, the aligned promoters display a common structural profile with bendability being low...... protein in a manner reminiscent of DNA in a nucleosome. This notion is further supported by the finding that the periodic bendability is caused mainly by the complementary triplet pairs CAG/CTG and GGC/GCC, which previously have been found to correlate with nucleosome positioning. We present models where......The fact that DNA three-dimensional structure is important for transcriptional regulation begs the question of whether eukaryotic promoters contain general structural features independently of what genes they control. We present an analysis of a large set of human RNA polymerase II promoters...

  10. Securing funds for health promotion: lessons from health promotion foundations based on experiences from Austria, Australia, Germany, Hungary and Switzerland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schang, Laura K; Czabanowska, Katarzyna M; Lin, Vivian

    2012-06-01

    Worldwide, countries face the challenge of securing funds for health promotion. To address this issue, some governments have established health promotion foundations, which are statutory bodies with long-term and recurrent public resources. This article draws on experiences from Austria, Australia, Germany, Hungary and Switzerland to illustrate four lessons learned from the foundation model to secure funding for health promotion. These lessons are concerned with: (i) the broad spectrum of potential revenue sources for health promotion foundations within national contexts; (ii) legislative anchoring of foundation revenues as a base for financial sustainability; (iii) co-financing as a means to increase funds and shared commitment for health promotion; (iv) complementarity of foundations to existing funding. Synthesizing the lessons, we discuss health promotion foundations in relation to wider concerns for investment in health based on the values of sustainability, solidarity and stewardship. We recommend policy-makers and researchers take notice of health promotion foundations as an alternative model for securing funds for health promotion, and appreciate their potential for integrating inter-sectoral revenue collection and inter-sectoral funding strategies. However, health promotion foundations are not a magic bullet. They also pose challenges to coordination and public sector stewardship. Therefore, health promotion foundations will need to act in concert with other governance instruments as part of a wider societal agenda for investment in health.

  11. Promoting excellence in end-of-life care: a report on innovative models of palliative care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byock, Ira; Twohig, Jeanne Sheils; Merriman, Melanie; Collins, Karyn

    2006-02-01

    Promoting Excellence in End-of Life Care, a national program of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, funded 22 demonstration projects representing a wide range of health care settings and patient populations to develop innovative models for delivering palliative care that addressed documented deficiencies in the care of patients and families facing the final stage of life. To determine the practicality (feasibility of development and operation as well as acceptance by stakeholders) of new models of care and to determine the impact of the models on access to, quality of and financing for palliative care. The program cannot report scientifically rigorous outcomes, but the grant-funded projects used a variety of methods and measures to assess acceptance of new models and their impact from the perspectives of various stakeholders, including patients and their families, clinicians, administrators and payers. While it is not possible to aggregate data across projects, the data reported to the Promoting Excellence national program office were used to describe program impact with respect to the practicality of palliative care service integration into existing clinical care settings (feasibility and acceptance by stakeholders), the availability and use of palliative care services (access), quality of care (conformance to patient expectations and accepted clinical standards) and costs of care. The 22 projects provided services in urban as well as rural settings, in integrated health systems, hospitals, outpatient clinics, cancer centers, nursing homes, renal dialysis clinics, inner city public health and safety net systems and prisons. Populations served included prison inmates, military veterans, renal dialysis patients, Native Americans, Native Alaskans, and African American patients, inner-city medically underserved patients, pediatric patients, and persons with serious mental illness patients. Hosting or adopting institutions sustained or expanded twenty of the 22 models

  12. Models of Christian Leadership in Youth Ministry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Canales, Arthur David

    2014-01-01

    This article addresses four models of leadership that Christian communities may want to adopt to help them assess and articulate a more vibrant and dynamic youth ministry. In particular, this article will demonstrate that authentic Christian leadership for youth ministry is much more than teaching young people about pastoral skills, but requires a…

  13. Health Promoting Self-Care Behaviors and Its Related Factors in Elderly: Application of Health Belief Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mojtaba Azadbakht

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Health beliefs significantly affect health promoting self-care behaviors. The most important model designed based on health beliefs is the Health Belief Model. This study examined the association between health belief model constructs and demographic factors with behaviors in elderly. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 465 elders referring to Tehran's cultural centers recruited with a multi-stage sampling method. Study instruments were questionnaires regarding demographic information, health beliefs, self-efficacy and health-promoting self-care behaviors. Data analysis was performed using SPSS-22 software by Independent T-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation and Multiple linear regression. Results: The mean (±SD age of subjects was 68.24±6.12 years and the mean of general self-care score was 1.79±0.36. Gender (P=0.011, economy (P<0.001, education level (P<0.001 and age (P=0.008 were significantly associated with self-care behaviors. Regression analysis showed that perceived barriers, self-efficacy and perceived severity were determinants of behavior (P<0.001. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, it is essential to pay special attention to self-efficacy, perceived severity and perceived barriers to design health education for elderly.

  14. The Mouse Solitary Odorant Receptor Gene Promoters as Models for the Study of Odorant Receptor Gene Choice.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrea Degl'Innocenti

    Full Text Available In vertebrates, several anatomical regions located within the nasal cavity mediate olfaction. Among these, the main olfactory epithelium detects most conventional odorants. Olfactory sensory neurons, provided with cilia exposed to the air, detect volatile chemicals via an extremely large family of seven-transmembrane chemoreceptors named odorant receptors. Their genes are expressed in a monogenic and monoallelic fashion: a single allele of a single odorant receptor gene is transcribed in a given mature neuron, through a still uncharacterized molecular mechanism known as odorant receptor gene choice.Odorant receptor genes are typically arranged in genomic clusters, but a few are isolated (we call them solitary from the others within a region broader than 1 Mb upstream and downstream with respect to their transcript's coordinates. The study of clustered genes is problematic, because of redundancy and ambiguities in their regulatory elements: we propose to use the solitary genes as simplified models to understand odorant receptor gene choice.Here we define number and identity of the solitary genes in the mouse genome (C57BL/6J, and assess the conservation of the solitary status in some mammalian orthologs. Furthermore, we locate their putative promoters, predict their homeodomain binding sites (commonly present in the promoters of odorant receptor genes and compare candidate promoter sequences with those of wild-caught mice. We also provide expression data from histological sections.In the mouse genome there are eight intact solitary genes: Olfr19 (M12, Olfr49, Olfr266, Olfr267, Olfr370, Olfr371, Olfr466, Olfr1402; five are conserved as solitary in rat. These genes are all expressed in the main olfactory epithelium of three-day-old mice. The C57BL/6J candidate promoter of Olfr370 has considerably varied compared to its wild-type counterpart. Within the putative promoter for Olfr266 a homeodomain binding site is predicted. As a whole, our findings

  15. La resiliencia en la promoción de la salud de las mujeres Resilience and women´shealth promotion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Doris E Ospina Muñoz

    2005-03-01

    Full Text Available Este artículo parte de un análisis de la resiliencia y sus diferentes escuelas de pensamiento: la anglosajona, la europea y la latinoamericana, para luego analizar las diferencias conceptuales y metodológicas, que pueden ser clarificadoras a la hora de investigar e intervenir este tema que ha devenido un campo fértil en el área de la salud. Posteriormente, muestra algunas de las diferencias existentes entre promoción de la salud y promoción de la resiliencia, incluyendo las sugerencias de algunos investigadores para la implementación de esta última y su articulación al cuidado de la salud de las mujeres.This article begins with the analysis of resililence and the anglosaxon, european and latinamerican ways of thinking. Next it analyses the methodical and conceptual differences that could be clarifying when research and intervention in this fruitful area in health care are undertaken. Finally it shows some of the differences between" promotion of health" and "promotion of resilience", including some researchers´ suggestions for the implementation of the latter and its articulation into feminine health care.

  16. Health and Sustainability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Land, Birgit; Pedersen, Kirsten Bransholm; Kjærgård, Bente

    2014-01-01

    In the present article, we explore how sustainable development strategies and health promotion strategies can be bridged. The concept of the ‘duality of structure’ is taken as our starting point for understanding the linkages between health promotion and sustainable development, and for uncovering...... the structural properties or conditions which either enable or constrain sustainable public health initiatives. We argue that strategies towards health promotion are not sufficiently integrated with strategies for sustainable development, and thus political strategies aimed at solving health problems...... or sustainability problems may cause new, undesired and unforeseen environmental or health problems. First, we explore how the relation between health and sustainability is articulated in international policy documents. Next, we develop a model for understanding the relation between health promotion...

  17. Electromyography of the buccal musculature of octopus (Octopus bimaculoides): a test of the function of the muscle articulation in support and movement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uyeno, Theodore A; Kier, William M

    2007-01-01

    The buccal mass musculature of the octopus (Octopus bimaculoides) was studied with electromyography to test the predictions of a previous morphological study in which we suggested that the muscles of the buccal mass serve as both the effectors of movement and as the joint itself, forming a new category of flexible joint termed a ;muscle articulation'. The predictions of muscle function were tested by correlating muscle electrical activity in isolated buccal masses with spontaneous beak movements. Bipolar electromyography electrodes were implanted in the various beak muscles and beak position was recorded simultaneously with an electronic movement monitor (N=14). The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the lateral mandibular muscles produce opening movements of the beaks and provide the first definitive explanation of the opening mechanism. The results are also consistent with the hypothesis that the superior mandibular muscle functions primarily in closing. Co-contraction of the lateral mandibular muscles and the superior mandibular muscles was also observed, suggesting that these muscles may also stabilize the beaks during movement or provide a means of controlling the location of the pivot between the beaks. This study provides an important first test of the predictions of the role of the complex musculature found in muscle articulations such as the cephalopod buccal mass.

  18. Factors Facilitating the Implementation of Church-Based Heart Health Promotion Programs for Older Adults: A Qualitative Study Guided by the Precede-Proceed Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banerjee, Ananya Tina; Kin, R; Strachan, Patricia H; Boyle, Michael H; Anand, Sonia S; Oremus, Mark

    2015-01-01

    To describe the factors facilitating the implementation of heart health promotion programs for older adults in Anglican, United, and Catholic churches. The study used qualitative methods comprising semistructured interviews and focus groups. The interviews and focus groups were conducted in Anglican, Catholic, and United churches located in the Canadian cities of Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario. Twelve ordained pastors and 21 older parishioners who attended church regularly and who had no health conditions were recruited to best explain how churches could be suitable locations for health promotion activities targeting older adults. Twelve semistructured interviews with the pastors and three focus groups with the 21 parishioners were undertaken. A component of the Precede-Proceed model (a model for planning health education and health promotion programs and policies) was applied to the findings after direct content analysis of the data. Participants identified pastor leadership, funding for a parish nurse, community-focused interventions, secured infrastructure, and social support from congregation members as pertinent factors required for implementing health promotion programs in Anglican, United, and Catholic churches. The findings have particular relevance for health promotion and public health because they suggest factors that would be necessary to design church-based heart health promotion programs for older adults at risk of chronic diseases.

  19. Models for the promotion of renewable energy sources. A legal comparing investigation of models for the promotion of renewable enegy sources by the example of Poland and Germany; Modelle zur Foerderung erneuerbarer Energietraeger. Eine rechtsvergleichende Untersuchung von Modellen zur Foerderung erneuerbarer Energietraeger am Beispiel Polens und Deutschlands

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Michalowska, Dorota

    2008-04-08

    Energy sources such as coal, natural gas, petroleum, and nuclear fission have long been established on the marketplace and considered competitive. However, a comprehensive restructuring of energy generation is necessary, as conventional energy generation pollutes the environment. Therefore environmentally friendly energy sources, such as solar, wind or water power need to be promoted. However, regenerative energy sources are still not capable of competing with conventional energy. Marketability of renewable energy sources can only be achieved through government-sponsored promotion and regulation. Such measures include fixed price and fixed quantity models with green certificates. The support schemes for renewable energy sources are characterized by their wide-ranging adaptability. The various elements of a scheme must be adapted to a given country's set goals and specific circumstances. There is no universally applicable model. Based on given goals and opportunities, every domestic legislator faces the challenge of choosing the best scheme or developing a mixed model that combines various elements. The aim of this study is to provide a legal analysis of regulations concerning the support schemes for renewable energy sources within the framework of EU and international law. Furthermore, the study aimed at comparing support schemes implemented in Poland and Germany. In the EU, the electricity directive from 1996 and 2003, the directive on the promotion of electricity from renewable energy sources from 2003 and 2008, non-binding documents, such as the ''green and white book'', as well as the ''ALTENER'' program, successfully contributed to establishing the topic of renewable energies. Regarding international law, it is primarily the Kyoto protocol that has to be mentioned as a basis for the promotion of renewable energy sources. Poland introduced a fixed quantity model with green certificates. Separated reimbursements for

  20. Computational modeling identifies key gene regulatory interactions underlying phenobarbital-mediated tumor promotion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luisier, Raphaëlle; Unterberger, Elif B.; Goodman, Jay I.; Schwarz, Michael; Moggs, Jonathan; Terranova, Rémi; van Nimwegen, Erik

    2014-01-01

    Gene regulatory interactions underlying the early stages of non-genotoxic carcinogenesis are poorly understood. Here, we have identified key candidate regulators of phenobarbital (PB)-mediated mouse liver tumorigenesis, a well-characterized model of non-genotoxic carcinogenesis, by applying a new computational modeling approach to a comprehensive collection of in vivo gene expression studies. We have combined our previously developed motif activity response analysis (MARA), which models gene expression patterns in terms of computationally predicted transcription factor binding sites with singular value decomposition (SVD) of the inferred motif activities, to disentangle the roles that different transcriptional regulators play in specific biological pathways of tumor promotion. Furthermore, transgenic mouse models enabled us to identify which of these regulatory activities was downstream of constitutive androstane receptor and β-catenin signaling, both crucial components of PB-mediated liver tumorigenesis. We propose novel roles for E2F and ZFP161 in PB-mediated hepatocyte proliferation and suggest that PB-mediated suppression of ESR1 activity contributes to the development of a tumor-prone environment. Our study shows that combining MARA with SVD allows for automated identification of independent transcription regulatory programs within a complex in vivo tissue environment and provides novel mechanistic insights into PB-mediated hepatocarcinogenesis. PMID:24464994