Deviation-based spam-filtering method via stochastic approach

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Daekyung; Lee, Mi Jin; Kim, Beom Jun

2018-03-01

In the presence of a huge number of possible purchase choices, ranks or ratings of items by others often play very important roles for a buyer to make a final purchase decision. Perfectly objective rating is an impossible task to achieve, and we often use an average rating built on how previous buyers estimated the quality of the product. The problem of using a simple average rating is that it can easily be polluted by careless users whose evaluation of products cannot be trusted, and by malicious spammers who try to bias the rating result on purpose. In this letter we suggest how trustworthiness of individual users can be systematically and quantitatively reflected to build a more reliable rating system. We compute the suitably defined reliability of each user based on the user's rating pattern for all products she evaluated. We call our proposed method as the deviation-based ranking, since the statistical significance of each user's rating pattern with respect to the average rating pattern is the key ingredient. We find that our deviation-based ranking method outperforms existing methods in filtering out careless random evaluators as well as malicious spammers.

Genome profiling (GP method based classification of insects: congruence with that of classical phenotype-based one.

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Shamim Ahmed

Full Text Available Ribosomal RNAs have been widely used for identification and classification of species, and have produced data giving new insights into phylogenetic relationships. Recently, multilocus genotyping and even whole genome sequencing-based technologies have been adopted in ambitious comparative biology studies. However, such technologies are still far from routine-use in species classification studies due to their high costs in terms of labor, equipment and consumables.Here, we describe a simple and powerful approach for species classification called genome profiling (GP. The GP method composed of random PCR, temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TGGE and computer-aided gel image processing is highly informative and less laborious. For demonstration, we classified 26 species of insects using GP and 18S rDNA-sequencing approaches. The GP method was found to give a better correspondence to the classical phenotype-based approach than did 18S rDNA sequencing employing a congruence value. To our surprise, use of a single probe in GP was sufficient to identify the relationships between the insect species, making this approach more straightforward.The data gathered here, together with those of previous studies show that GP is a simple and powerful method that can be applied for actually universally identifying and classifying species. The current success supported our previous proposal that GP-based web database can be constructible and effective for the global identification/classification of species.

Risk assessment for pipelines with active defects based on artificial intelligence methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anghel, Calin I. [Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University ' Babes-Bolyai' , Cluj-Napoca (Romania)], E-mail: canghel@chem.ubbcluj.ro

2009-07-15

The paper provides another insight into the pipeline risk assessment for in-service pressure piping containing defects. Beside of the traditional analytical approximation methods or sampling-based methods safety index and failure probability of pressure piping containing defects will be obtained based on a novel type of support vector machine developed in a minimax manner. The safety index or failure probability is carried out based on a binary classification approach. The procedure named classification reliability procedure, involving a link between artificial intelligence and reliability methods was developed as a user-friendly computer program in MATLAB language. To reveal the capacity of the proposed procedure two comparative numerical examples replicating a previous related work and predicting the failure probabilities of pressured pipeline with defects were presented.

Risk assessment for pipelines with active defects based on artificial intelligence methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anghel, Calin I.

2009-01-01

The paper provides another insight into the pipeline risk assessment for in-service pressure piping containing defects. Beside of the traditional analytical approximation methods or sampling-based methods safety index and failure probability of pressure piping containing defects will be obtained based on a novel type of support vector machine developed in a minimax manner. The safety index or failure probability is carried out based on a binary classification approach. The procedure named classification reliability procedure, involving a link between artificial intelligence and reliability methods was developed as a user-friendly computer program in MATLAB language. To reveal the capacity of the proposed procedure two comparative numerical examples replicating a previous related work and predicting the failure probabilities of pressured pipeline with defects were presented.

Comparing methods of targeting obesity interventions in populations: An agent-based simulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Beheshti, Rahmatollah; Jalalpour, Mehdi; Glass, Thomas A

2017-12-01

Social networks as well as neighborhood environments have been shown to effect obesity-related behaviors including energy intake and physical activity. Accordingly, harnessing social networks to improve targeting of obesity interventions may be promising to the extent this leads to social multiplier effects and wider diffusion of intervention impact on populations. However, the literature evaluating network-based interventions has been inconsistent. Computational methods like agent-based models (ABM) provide researchers with tools to experiment in a simulated environment. We develop an ABM to compare conventional targeting methods (random selection, based on individual obesity risk, and vulnerable areas) with network-based targeting methods. We adapt a previously published and validated model of network diffusion of obesity-related behavior. We then build social networks among agents using a more realistic approach. We calibrate our model first against national-level data. Our results show that network-based targeting may lead to greater population impact. We also present a new targeting method that outperforms other methods in terms of intervention effectiveness at the population level.

Laparoscopy After Previous Laparotomy

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Zulfo Godinjak

2006-11-01

Full Text Available Following the abdominal surgery, extensive adhesions often occur and they can cause difficulties during laparoscopic operations. However, previous laparotomy is not considered to be a contraindication for laparoscopy. The aim of this study is to present that an insertion of Veres needle in the region of umbilicus is a safe method for creating a pneumoperitoneum for laparoscopic operations after previous laparotomy. In the last three years, we have performed 144 laparoscopic operations in patients that previously underwent one or two laparotomies. Pathology of digestive system, genital organs, Cesarean Section or abdominal war injuries were the most common causes of previouslaparotomy. During those operations or during entering into abdominal cavity we have not experienced any complications, while in 7 patients we performed conversion to laparotomy following the diagnostic laparoscopy. In all patients an insertion of Veres needle and trocar insertion in the umbilical region was performed, namely a technique of closed laparoscopy. Not even in one patient adhesions in the region of umbilicus were found, and no abdominal organs were injured.

Knowledge-Based Trajectory Error Pattern Method Applied to an Active Force Control Scheme

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Endra Pitowarno, Musa Mailah, Hishamuddin Jamaluddin

2012-08-01

Full Text Available The active force control (AFC method is known as a robust control scheme that dramatically enhances the performance of a robot arm particularly in compensating the disturbance effects. The main task of the AFC method is to estimate the inertia matrix in the feedback loop to provide the correct (motor torque required to cancel out these disturbances. Several intelligent control schemes have already been introduced to enhance the estimation methods of acquiring the inertia matrix such as those using neural network, iterative learning and fuzzy logic. In this paper, we propose an alternative scheme called Knowledge-Based Trajectory Error Pattern Method (KBTEPM to suppress the trajectory track error of the AFC scheme. The knowledge is developed from the trajectory track error characteristic based on the previous experimental results of the crude approximation method. It produces a unique, new and desirable error pattern when a trajectory command is forced. An experimental study was performed using simulation work on the AFC scheme with KBTEPM applied to a two-planar manipulator in which a set of rule-based algorithm is derived. A number of previous AFC schemes are also reviewed as benchmark. The simulation results show that the AFC-KBTEPM scheme successfully reduces the trajectory track error significantly even in the presence of the introduced disturbances.Key Words:  Active force control, estimated inertia matrix, robot arm, trajectory error pattern, knowledge-based.

Method paper--distance and travel time to casualty clinics in Norway based on crowdsourced postcode coordinates: a comparison with other methods.

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Raknes, Guttorm; Hunskaar, Steinar

2014-01-01

We describe a method that uses crowdsourced postcode coordinates and Google maps to estimate average distance and travel time for inhabitants of a municipality to a casualty clinic in Norway. The new method was compared with methods based on population centroids, median distance and town hall location, and we used it to examine how distance affects the utilisation of out-of-hours primary care services. At short distances our method showed good correlation with mean travel time and distance. The utilisation of out-of-hours services correlated with postcode based distances similar to previous research. The results show that our method is a reliable and useful tool for estimating average travel distances and travel times.

Method paper--distance and travel time to casualty clinics in Norway based on crowdsourced postcode coordinates: a comparison with other methods.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guttorm Raknes

Full Text Available We describe a method that uses crowdsourced postcode coordinates and Google maps to estimate average distance and travel time for inhabitants of a municipality to a casualty clinic in Norway. The new method was compared with methods based on population centroids, median distance and town hall location, and we used it to examine how distance affects the utilisation of out-of-hours primary care services. At short distances our method showed good correlation with mean travel time and distance. The utilisation of out-of-hours services correlated with postcode based distances similar to previous research. The results show that our method is a reliable and useful tool for estimating average travel distances and travel times.

Comparison of Standard Culture-Based Method to Culture-Independent Method for Evaluation of Hygiene Effects on the Hand Microbiome

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Leff, J.; Henley, J.; Tittl, J.; De Nardo, E.; Butler, M.; Griggs, R.; Fierer, N.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Hands play a critical role in the transmission of microbiota on one’s own body, between individuals, and on environmental surfaces. Effectively measuring the composition of the hand microbiome is important to hand hygiene science, which has implications for human health. Hand hygiene products are evaluated using standard culture-based methods, but standard test methods for culture-independent microbiome characterization are lacking. We sampled the hands of 50 participants using swab-based and glove-based methods prior to and following four hand hygiene treatments (using a nonantimicrobial hand wash, alcohol-based hand sanitizer [ABHS], a 70% ethanol solution, or tap water). We compared results among culture plate counts, 16S rRNA gene sequencing of DNA extracted directly from hands, and sequencing of DNA extracted from culture plates. Glove-based sampling yielded higher numbers of unique operational taxonomic units (OTUs) but had less diversity in bacterial community composition than swab-based sampling. We detected treatment-induced changes in diversity only by using swab-based samples (P hand hygiene industry methods and for future hand microbiome studies. On the basis of our results and previously published studies, we propose recommendations for best practices in hand microbiome research. PMID:28351915

Effectiveness of Ritonavir-Boosted Protease Inhibitor Monotherapy in Clinical Practice Even with Previous Virological Failures to Protease Inhibitor-Based Regimens.

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Luis F López-Cortés

Full Text Available Significant controversy still exists about ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitor monotherapy (mtPI/rtv as a simplification strategy that is used up to now to treat patients that have not experienced previous virological failure (VF while on protease inhibitor (PI -based regimens. We have evaluated the effectiveness of two mtPI/rtv regimens in an actual clinical practice setting, including patients that had experienced previous VF with PI-based regimens.This retrospective study analyzed 1060 HIV-infected patients with undetectable viremia that were switched to lopinavir/ritonavir or darunavir/ritonavir monotherapy. In cases in which the patient had previously experienced VF while on a PI-based regimen, the lack of major HIV protease resistance mutations to lopinavir or darunavir, respectively, was mandatory. The primary endpoint of this study was the percentage of participants with virological suppression after 96 weeks according to intention-to-treat analysis (non-complete/missing = failure.A total of 1060 patients were analyzed, including 205 with previous VF while on PI-based regimens, 90 of whom were on complex therapies due to extensive resistance. The rates of treatment effectiveness (intention-to-treat analysis and virological efficacy (on-treatment analysis at week 96 were 79.3% (CI95, 76.8-81.8 and 91.5% (CI95, 89.6-93.4, respectively. No relationships were found between VF and earlier VF while on PI-based regimens, the presence of major or minor protease resistance mutations, the previous time on viral suppression, CD4+ T-cell nadir, and HCV-coinfection. Genotypic resistance tests were available in 49 out of the 74 patients with VFs and only four patients presented new major protease resistance mutations.Switching to mtPI/rtv achieves sustained virological control in most patients, even in those with previous VF on PI-based regimens as long as no major resistance mutations are present for the administered drug.

Comments and Remarks over Classic Linear Loop-Gain Method for Oscillator Design and Analysis. New Proposed Method Based on NDF/RRT

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J. L. Jimenez-Martin

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Present paper describes a new method for designing oscillators based on the Normalized Determinant Function (NDF and Return Relations (RRT . First a review of the loop-gain method will be performed, showing pros, cons and including some examples for exploring wrong so- lutions provided by this method. Wrong solutions, because some conditions have to be previously fulfilled in order to obtain right ones, which will be described and finally, demonstrate that NDF analysis is necessary, including Return Relations (RRT usefulness, which in fact are related with the True Loop-Gain. Finally concluding this paper, steps for oscillator design and analysis, using the proposed NDF/RRT method will be presented, compared to wrong previous solutions pointing out new accuracy achieved on oscillation frequency and QL prediction. Also, more new examples, of plane reference oscillators (Z/Y/rho, will be added for which loop gain method application is clearly difficult or even impossible, solving them with the new proposed NDF/RRT method.

Health economics and outcomes methods in risk-based decision-making for blood safety

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Custer, Brian; Janssen, Mart P.

2015-01-01

Analytical methods appropriate for health economic assessments of transfusion safety interventions have not previously been described in ways that facilitate their use. Within the context of risk-based decision-making (RBDM), health economics can be important for optimizing decisions among competing

Development of an ELA-DRA gene typing method based on pyrosequencing technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Díaz, S; Echeverría, M G; It, V; Posik, D M; Rogberg-Muñoz, A; Pena, N L; Peral-García, P; Vega-Pla, J L; Giovambattista, G

2008-11-01

The polymorphism of equine lymphocyte antigen (ELA) class II DRA gene had been detected by polymerase chain reaction-single-strand conformational polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and reference strand-mediated conformation analysis. These methodologies allowed to identify 11 ELA-DRA exon 2 sequences, three of which are widely distributed among domestic horse breeds. Herein, we describe the development of a pyrosequencing-based method applicable to ELA-DRA typing, by screening samples from eight different horse breeds previously typed by PCR-SSCP. This sequence-based method would be useful in high-throughput genotyping of major histocompatibility complex genes in horses and other animal species, making this system interesting as a rapid screening method for animal genotyping of immune-related genes.

[A brief history of resuscitation - the influence of previous experience on modern techniques and methods].

Science.gov (United States)

Kucmin, Tomasz; Płowaś-Goral, Małgorzata; Nogalski, Adam

2015-02-01

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is relatively novel branch of medical science, however first descriptions of mouth-to-mouth ventilation are to be found in the Bible and literature is full of descriptions of different resuscitation methods - from flagellation and ventilation with bellows through hanging the victims upside down and compressing the chest in order to stimulate ventilation to rectal fumigation with tobacco smoke. The modern history of CPR starts with Kouwenhoven et al. who in 1960 published a paper regarding heart massage through chest compressions. Shortly after that in 1961Peter Safar presented a paradigm promoting opening the airway, performing rescue breaths and chest compressions. First CPR guidelines were published in 1966. Since that time guidelines were modified and improved numerously by two leading world expert organizations ERC (European Resuscitation Council) and AHA (American Heart Association) and published in a new version every 5 years. Currently 2010 guidelines should be obliged. In this paper authors made an attempt to present history of development of resuscitation techniques and methods and assess the influence of previous lifesaving methods on nowadays technologies, equipment and guidelines which allow to help those women and men whose life is in danger due to sudden cardiac arrest. © 2015 MEDPRESS.

Comparison of a New Cobinamide-Based Method to a Standard Laboratory Method for Measuring Cyanide in Human Blood

Science.gov (United States)

Swezey, Robert; Shinn, Walter; Green, Carol; Drover, David R.; Hammer, Gregory B.; Schulman, Scott R.; Zajicek, Anne; Jett, David A.; Boss, Gerry R.

2013-01-01

Most hospital laboratories do not measure blood cyanide concentrations, and samples must be sent to reference laboratories. A simple method is needed for measuring cyanide in hospitals. The authors previously developed a method to quantify cyanide based on the high binding affinity of the vitamin B12 analog, cobinamide, for cyanide and a major spectral change observed for cyanide-bound cobinamide. This method is now validated in human blood, and the findings include a mean inter-assay accuracy of 99.1%, precision of 8.75% and a lower limit of quantification of 3.27 µM cyanide. The method was applied to blood samples from children treated with sodium nitroprusside and it yielded measurable results in 88 of 172 samples (51%), whereas the reference laboratory yielded results in only 19 samples (11%). In all 19 samples, the cobinamide-based method also yielded measurable results. The two methods showed reasonable agreement when analyzed by linear regression, but not when analyzed by a standard error of the estimate or paired t-test. Differences in results between the two methods may be because samples were assayed at different times on different sample types. The cobinamide-based method is applicable to human blood, and can be used in hospital laboratories and emergency rooms. PMID:23653045

Reference Values for Spirometry Derived Using Lambda, Mu, Sigma (LMS) Method in Korean Adults: in Comparison with Previous References.

Science.gov (United States)

Jo, Bum Seak; Myong, Jun Pyo; Rhee, Chin Kook; Yoon, Hyoung Kyu; Koo, Jung Wan; Kim, Hyoung Ryoul

2018-01-15

The present study aimed to update the prediction equations for spirometry and their lower limits of normal (LLN) by using the lambda, mu, sigma (LMS) method and to compare the outcomes with the values of previous spirometric reference equations. Spirometric data of 10,249 healthy non-smokers (8,776 females) were extracted from the fourth and fifth versions of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES IV, 2007-2009; V, 2010-2012). Reference equations were derived using the LMS method which allows modeling skewness (lambda [L]), mean (mu [M]), and coefficient of variation (sigma [S]). The outcome equations were compared with previous reference values. Prediction equations were presented in the following form: predicted value = e{a + b × ln(height) + c × ln(age) + M - spline}. The new predicted values for spirometry and their LLN derived using the LMS method were shown to more accurately reflect transitions in pulmonary function in young adults than previous prediction equations derived using conventional regression analysis in 2013. There were partial discrepancies between the new reference values and the reference values from the Global Lung Function Initiative in 2012. The results should be interpreted with caution for young adults and elderly males, particularly in terms of the LLN for forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity in elderly males. Serial spirometry follow-up, together with correlations with other clinical findings, should be emphasized in evaluating the pulmonary function of individuals. Future studies are needed to improve the accuracy of reference data and to develop continuous reference values for spirometry across all ages. © 2018 The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences.

Semantic text relatedness on Al-Qur’an translation using modified path based method

Science.gov (United States)

Irwanto, Yudi; Arif Bijaksana, Moch; Adiwijaya

2018-03-01

Abdul Baquee Muhammad [1] have built Corpus that contained AlQur’an domain, WordNet and dictionary. He has did initialisation in the development of knowledges about AlQur’an and the knowledges about relatedness between texts in AlQur’an. The Path based measurement method that proposed by Liu, Zhou and Zheng [3] has never been used in the AlQur’an domain. By using AlQur’an translation dataset in this research, the path based measurement method proposed by Liu, Zhou and Zheng [3] will be used to test this method in AlQur’an domain to obtain similarity values and to measure its correlation value. In this study the degree value is proposed to be used in modifying the path based method that proposed in previous research. Degree Value is the number of links that owned by a lcs (lowest common subsumer) node on a taxonomy. The links owned by a node on the taxonomy represent the semantic relationship that a node has in the taxonomy. By using degree value to modify the path-based method that proposed in previous research is expected that the correlation value obtained will increase. After running some experiment by using proposed method, the correlation measurement value can obtain fairly good correlation ties with 200 Word Pairs derive from Noun POS SimLex-999. The correlation value that be obtained is 93.3% which means their bonds are strong and they have very strong correlation. Whereas for the POS other than Noun POS vocabulary that owned by WordNet is incomplete therefore many pairs of words that the value of its similarity is zero so the correlation value is low.

Sensitivity Analysis of the Proximal-Based Parallel Decomposition Methods

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Feng Ma

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The proximal-based parallel decomposition methods were recently proposed to solve structured convex optimization problems. These algorithms are eligible for parallel computation and can be used efficiently for solving large-scale separable problems. In this paper, compared with the previous theoretical results, we show that the range of the involved parameters can be enlarged while the convergence can be still established. Preliminary numerical tests on stable principal component pursuit problem testify to the advantages of the enlargement.

A novel three-stage distance-based consensus ranking method

Science.gov (United States)

Aghayi, Nazila; Tavana, Madjid

2018-05-01

In this study, we propose a three-stage weighted sum method for identifying the group ranks of alternatives. In the first stage, a rank matrix, similar to the cross-efficiency matrix, is obtained by computing the individual rank position of each alternative based on importance weights. In the second stage, a secondary goal is defined to limit the vector of weights since the vector of weights obtained in the first stage is not unique. Finally, in the third stage, the group rank position of alternatives is obtained based on a distance of individual rank positions. The third stage determines a consensus solution for the group so that the ranks obtained have a minimum distance from the ranks acquired by each alternative in the previous stage. A numerical example is presented to demonstrate the applicability and exhibit the efficacy of the proposed method and algorithms.

GPU based contouring method on grid DEM data

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Liheng; Wan, Gang; Li, Feng; Chen, Xiaohui; Du, Wenlong

2017-08-01

This paper presents a novel method to generate contour lines from grid DEM data based on the programmable GPU pipeline. The previous contouring approaches often use CPU to construct a finite element mesh from the raw DEM data, and then extract contour segments from the elements. They also need a tracing or sorting strategy to generate the final continuous contours. These approaches can be heavily CPU-costing and time-consuming. Meanwhile the generated contours would be unsmooth if the raw data is sparsely distributed. Unlike the CPU approaches, we employ the GPU's vertex shader to generate a triangular mesh with arbitrary user-defined density, in which the height of each vertex is calculated through a third-order Cardinal spline function. Then in the same frame, segments are extracted from the triangles by the geometry shader, and translated to the CPU-side with an internal order in the GPU's transform feedback stage. Finally we propose a "Grid Sorting" algorithm to achieve the continuous contour lines by travelling the segments only once. Our method makes use of multiple stages of GPU pipeline for computation, which can generate smooth contour lines, and is significantly faster than the previous CPU approaches. The algorithm can be easily implemented with OpenGL 3.3 API or higher on consumer-level PCs.

Previous experience in manned space flight: A survey of human factors lessons learned

Science.gov (United States)

Chandlee, George O.; Woolford, Barbara

1993-01-01

Previous experience in manned space flight programs can be used to compile a data base of human factors lessons learned for the purpose of developing aids in the future design of inhabited spacecraft. The objectives are to gather information available from relevant sources, to develop a taxonomy of human factors data, and to produce a data base that can be used in the future for those people involved in the design of manned spacecraft operations. A study is currently underway at the Johnson Space Center with the objective of compiling, classifying, and summarizing relevant human factors data bearing on the lessons learned from previous manned space flights. The research reported defines sources of data, methods for collection, and proposes a classification for human factors data that may be a model for other human factors disciplines.

Betweenness-Based Method to Identify Critical Transmission Sectors for Supply Chain Environmental Pressure Mitigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Sai; Qu, Shen; Xu, Ming

2016-02-02

To develop industry-specific policies for mitigating environmental pressures, previous studies primarily focus on identifying sectors that directly generate large amounts of environmental pressures (a.k.a. production-based method) or indirectly drive large amounts of environmental pressures through supply chains (e.g., consumption-based method). In addition to those sectors as important environmental pressure producers or drivers, there exist sectors that are also important to environmental pressure mitigation as transmission centers. Economy-wide environmental pressure mitigation might be achieved by improving production efficiency of these key transmission sectors, that is, using less upstream inputs to produce unitary output. We develop a betweenness-based method to measure the importance of transmission sectors, borrowing the betweenness concept from network analysis. We quantify the betweenness of sectors by examining supply chain paths extracted from structural path analysis that pass through a particular sector. We take China as an example and find that those critical transmission sectors identified by betweenness-based method are not always identifiable by existing methods. This indicates that betweenness-based method can provide additional insights that cannot be obtained with existing methods on the roles individual sectors play in generating economy-wide environmental pressures. Betweenness-based method proposed here can therefore complement existing methods for guiding sector-level environmental pressure mitigation strategies.

Comparison of Standard Culture-Based Method to Culture-Independent Method for Evaluation of Hygiene Effects on the Hand Microbiome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Zapka

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Hands play a critical role in the transmission of microbiota on one’s own body, between individuals, and on environmental surfaces. Effectively measuring the composition of the hand microbiome is important to hand hygiene science, which has implications for human health. Hand hygiene products are evaluated using standard culture-based methods, but standard test methods for culture-independent microbiome characterization are lacking. We sampled the hands of 50 participants using swab-based and glove-based methods prior to and following four hand hygiene treatments (using a nonantimicrobial hand wash, alcohol-based hand sanitizer [ABHS], a 70% ethanol solution, or tap water. We compared results among culture plate counts, 16S rRNA gene sequencing of DNA extracted directly from hands, and sequencing of DNA extracted from culture plates. Glove-based sampling yielded higher numbers of unique operational taxonomic units (OTUs but had less diversity in bacterial community composition than swab-based sampling. We detected treatment-induced changes in diversity only by using swab-based samples (P < 0.001; we were unable to detect changes with glove-based samples. Bacterial cell counts significantly decreased with use of the ABHS (P < 0.05 and ethanol control (P < 0.05. Skin hydration at baseline correlated with bacterial abundances, bacterial community composition, pH, and redness across subjects. The importance of the method choice was substantial. These findings are important to ensure improvement of hand hygiene industry methods and for future hand microbiome studies. On the basis of our results and previously published studies, we propose recommendations for best practices in hand microbiome research.

A novel three-dimensional mesh deformation method based on sphere relaxation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Xuan; Li, Shuixiang

2015-01-01

In our previous work (2013) [19], we developed a disk relaxation based mesh deformation method for two-dimensional mesh deformation. In this paper, the idea of the disk relaxation is extended to the sphere relaxation for three-dimensional meshes with large deformations. We develop a node based pre-displacement procedure to apply initial movements on nodes according to their layer indices. Afterwards, the nodes are moved locally by the improved sphere relaxation algorithm to transfer boundary deformations and increase the mesh quality. A three-dimensional mesh smoothing method is also adopted to prevent the occurrence of the negative volume of elements, and further improve the mesh quality. Numerical applications in three-dimension including the wing rotation, bending beam and morphing aircraft are carried out. The results demonstrate that the sphere relaxation based approach generates the deformed mesh with high quality, especially regarding complex boundaries and large deformations

A novel three-dimensional mesh deformation method based on sphere relaxation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, Xuan [Department of Mechanics & Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 (China); Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics, Beijing, 100094 (China); Li, Shuixiang, E-mail: lsx@pku.edu.cn [Department of Mechanics & Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 (China)

2015-10-01

In our previous work (2013) [19], we developed a disk relaxation based mesh deformation method for two-dimensional mesh deformation. In this paper, the idea of the disk relaxation is extended to the sphere relaxation for three-dimensional meshes with large deformations. We develop a node based pre-displacement procedure to apply initial movements on nodes according to their layer indices. Afterwards, the nodes are moved locally by the improved sphere relaxation algorithm to transfer boundary deformations and increase the mesh quality. A three-dimensional mesh smoothing method is also adopted to prevent the occurrence of the negative volume of elements, and further improve the mesh quality. Numerical applications in three-dimension including the wing rotation, bending beam and morphing aircraft are carried out. The results demonstrate that the sphere relaxation based approach generates the deformed mesh with high quality, especially regarding complex boundaries and large deformations.

Comparison of Standard Culture-Based Method to Culture-Independent Method for Evaluation of Hygiene Effects on the Hand Microbiome.

Science.gov (United States)

Zapka, C; Leff, J; Henley, J; Tittl, J; De Nardo, E; Butler, M; Griggs, R; Fierer, N; Edmonds-Wilson, S

2017-03-28

Hands play a critical role in the transmission of microbiota on one's own body, between individuals, and on environmental surfaces. Effectively measuring the composition of the hand microbiome is important to hand hygiene science, which has implications for human health. Hand hygiene products are evaluated using standard culture-based methods, but standard test methods for culture-independent microbiome characterization are lacking. We sampled the hands of 50 participants using swab-based and glove-based methods prior to and following four hand hygiene treatments (using a nonantimicrobial hand wash, alcohol-based hand sanitizer [ABHS], a 70% ethanol solution, or tap water). We compared results among culture plate counts, 16S rRNA gene sequencing of DNA extracted directly from hands, and sequencing of DNA extracted from culture plates. Glove-based sampling yielded higher numbers of unique operational taxonomic units (OTUs) but had less diversity in bacterial community composition than swab-based sampling. We detected treatment-induced changes in diversity only by using swab-based samples ( P hand hygiene industry methods and for future hand microbiome studies. On the basis of our results and previously published studies, we propose recommendations for best practices in hand microbiome research. IMPORTANCE The hand microbiome is a critical area of research for diverse fields, such as public health and forensics. The suitability of culture-independent methods for assessing effects of hygiene products on microbiota has not been demonstrated. This is the first controlled laboratory clinical hand study to have compared traditional hand hygiene test methods with newer culture-independent characterization methods typically used by skin microbiologists. This study resulted in recommendations for hand hygiene product testing, development of methods, and future hand skin microbiome research. It also demonstrated the importance of inclusion of skin physiological metadata in

Evaluation of a fluorescence-based method for antibabesial drug screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Guswanto, Azirwan; Sivakumar, Thillaiampalam; Rizk, Mohamed Abdo; Elsayed, Shimaa Abd Elsalam; Youssef, Mohamed Ahmed; ElSaid, ElSaid El Shirbini; Yokoyama, Naoaki; Igarashi, Ikuo

2014-08-01

In vitro evaluation of chemotherapeutic agents against Babesia and Theileria parasites has become routine, and the effectiveness of these chemicals is usually determined by comparing the parasitemia dynamics of untreated and treated parasites. Although microscopy is widely used to calculate parasitemia, several disadvantages are associated with this technique. The present study evaluated a fluorescence-based method using SYBR green I stain (SG I) to screen antibabesial agents in in vitro cultures of Babesia bovis. The linearity between relative fluorescence units (RFU) and parasitemia was found to be well correlated with a 0.9944 goodness-of-fit (r(2)) value. Subsequently, 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values were calculated for 3 antiprotozoan agents, diminazene aceturate, nimbolide, and gedunin, by this method. For diminazene aceturate and nimbolide, the IC(50)s determined by the fluorescence-based method (408 nM and 8.13 μM, respectively) and microscopy (400.3 nM and 9.4 μM, respectively) were in agreement. Furthermore, the IC50 of gedunin determined by the fluorescence-based method (19 μM) was similar to the recently described microscopy-based value (21.7 μM) for B. bovis. Additionally, the Z' factor (0.80 to 0.90), signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio (44.15 to 87.64), coefficient of variation at the maximum signal (%CVmax) (0.50 to 2.85), and coefficient of variation at the minimum signal (%CVmin) (1.23 to 2.21) calculated for the fluorescence method using diminazene aceturate were comparable to those previously determined in malaria research for this assay. These findings suggest that the fluorescence-based method might be useful for antibabesial drug screening and may have potential to be developed into a high-throughput screening (HTS) assay. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

A probability-based multi-cycle sorting method for 4D-MRI: A simulation study.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Xiao; Yin, Fang-Fang; Liu, Yilin; Cai, Jing

2016-12-01

To develop a novel probability-based sorting method capable of generating multiple breathing cycles of 4D-MRI images and to evaluate performance of this new method by comparing with conventional phase-based methods in terms of image quality and tumor motion measurement. Based on previous findings that breathing motion probability density function (PDF) of a single breathing cycle is dramatically different from true stabilized PDF that resulted from many breathing cycles, it is expected that a probability-based sorting method capable of generating multiple breathing cycles of 4D images may capture breathing variation information missing from conventional single-cycle sorting methods. The overall idea is to identify a few main breathing cycles (and their corresponding weightings) that can best represent the main breathing patterns of the patient and then reconstruct a set of 4D images for each of the identified main breathing cycles. This method is implemented in three steps: (1) The breathing signal is decomposed into individual breathing cycles, characterized by amplitude, and period; (2) individual breathing cycles are grouped based on amplitude and period to determine the main breathing cycles. If a group contains more than 10% of all breathing cycles in a breathing signal, it is determined as a main breathing pattern group and is represented by the average of individual breathing cycles in the group; (3) for each main breathing cycle, a set of 4D images is reconstructed using a result-driven sorting method adapted from our previous study. The probability-based sorting method was first tested on 26 patients' breathing signals to evaluate its feasibility of improving target motion PDF. The new method was subsequently tested for a sequential image acquisition scheme on the 4D digital extended cardiac torso (XCAT) phantom. Performance of the probability-based and conventional sorting methods was evaluated in terms of target volume precision and accuracy as measured

Is previous disaster experience a good predictor for disaster preparedness in extreme poverty households in remote Muslim minority based community in China?

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Emily Y Y; Kim, Jean H; Lin, Cherry; Cheung, Eliza Y L; Lee, Polly P Y

2014-06-01

Disaster preparedness is an important preventive strategy for protecting health and mitigating adverse health effects of unforeseen disasters. A multi-site based ethnic minority project (2009-2015) is set up to examine health and disaster preparedness related issues in remote, rural, disaster prone communities in China. The primary objective of this reported study is to examine if previous disaster experience significantly increases household disaster preparedness levels in remote villages in China. A cross-sectional, household survey was conducted in January 2011 in Gansu Province, in a predominately Hui minority-based village. Factors related to disaster preparedness were explored using quantitative methods. Two focus groups were also conducted to provide additional contextual explanations to the quantitative findings of this study. The village household response rate was 62.4 % (n = 133). Although previous disaster exposure was significantly associated with perception of living in a high disaster risk area (OR = 6.16), only 10.7 % households possessed a disaster emergency kit. Of note, for households with members who had non-communicable diseases, 9.6 % had prepared extra medications to sustain clinical management of their chronic conditions. This is the first study that examined disaster preparedness in an ethnic minority population in remote communities in rural China. Our results indicate the need of disaster mitigation education to promote preparedness in remote, resource-poor communities.

Vaccinia-based influenza vaccine overcomes previously induced immunodominance hierarchy for heterosubtypic protection.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Ji-Sun; Yoon, Jungsoon; Kim, Yeon-Jung; Kang, Kyuho; Woo, Sunje; Jung, Dea-Im; Song, Man Ki; Kim, Eun-Ha; Kwon, Hyeok-Il; Choi, Young Ki; Kim, Jihye; Lee, Jeewon; Yoon, Yeup; Shin, Eui-Cheol; Youn, Jin-Won

2014-08-01

Growing concerns about unpredictable influenza pandemics require a broadly protective vaccine against diverse influenza strains. One of the promising approaches was a T cell-based vaccine, but the narrow breadth of T-cell immunity due to the immunodominance hierarchy established by previous influenza infection and efficacy against only mild challenge condition are important hurdles to overcome. To model T-cell immunodominance hierarchy in humans in an experimental setting, influenza-primed C57BL/6 mice were chosen and boosted with a mixture of vaccinia recombinants, individually expressing consensus sequences from avian, swine, and human isolates of influenza internal proteins. As determined by IFN-γ ELISPOT and polyfunctional cytokine secretion, the vaccinia recombinants of influenza expanded the breadth of T-cell responses to include subdominant and even minor epitopes. Vaccine groups were successfully protected against 100 LD50 challenges with PR/8/34 and highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1, which contained the identical dominant NP366 epitope. Interestingly, in challenge with pandemic A/Cal/04/2009 containing mutations in the dominant epitope, only the group vaccinated with rVV-NP + PA showed improved protection. Taken together, a vaccinia-based influenza vaccine expressing conserved internal proteins improved the breadth of influenza-specific T-cell immunity and provided heterosubtypic protection against immunologically close as well as distant influenza strains. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Improving local clustering based top-L link prediction methods via asymmetric link clustering information

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Zhihao; Lin, Youfang; Zhao, Yiji; Yan, Hongyan

2018-02-01

Networks can represent a wide range of complex systems, such as social, biological and technological systems. Link prediction is one of the most important problems in network analysis, and has attracted much research interest recently. Many link prediction methods have been proposed to solve this problem with various techniques. We can note that clustering information plays an important role in solving the link prediction problem. In previous literatures, we find node clustering coefficient appears frequently in many link prediction methods. However, node clustering coefficient is limited to describe the role of a common-neighbor in different local networks, because it cannot distinguish different clustering abilities of a node to different node pairs. In this paper, we shift our focus from nodes to links, and propose the concept of asymmetric link clustering (ALC) coefficient. Further, we improve three node clustering based link prediction methods via the concept of ALC. The experimental results demonstrate that ALC-based methods outperform node clustering based methods, especially achieving remarkable improvements on food web, hamster friendship and Internet networks. Besides, comparing with other methods, the performance of ALC-based methods are very stable in both globalized and personalized top-L link prediction tasks.

Learning-based controller for biotechnology processing, and method of using

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, John A.; Stoner, Daphne L.; Larsen, Eric D.; Miller, Karen S.; Tolle, Charles R.

2004-09-14

The present invention relates to process control where some of the controllable parameters are difficult or impossible to characterize. The present invention relates to process control in biotechnology of such systems, but not limited to. Additionally, the present invention relates to process control in biotechnology minerals processing. In the inventive method, an application of the present invention manipulates a minerals bioprocess to find local exterma (maxima or minima) for selected output variables/process goals by using a learning-based controller for bioprocess oxidation of minerals during hydrometallurgical processing. The learning-based controller operates with or without human supervision and works to find processor optima without previously defined optima due to the non-characterized nature of the process being manipulated.

Sunburn and sun-protective behaviors among adults with and without previous nonmelanoma skin cancer: a population-based study

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, Alexander H.; Wang, Timothy S.; Yenokyan, Gayane; Kang, Sewon; Chien, Anna L.

2016-01-01

Background Individuals with previous nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) are at increased risk for subsequent skin cancer, and should therefore limit UV exposure. Objective To determine whether individuals with previous NMSC engage in better sun protection than those with no skin cancer history. Methods We pooled self-reported data (2005 and 2010 National Health Interview Surveys) from US non-Hispanic white adults (758 with and 34,161 without previous NMSC). We calculated adjusted prevalence odds ratios (aPOR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), taking into account the complex survey design. Results Individuals with previous NMSC versus no history of NMSC had higher rates of frequent use of shade (44.3% versus 27.0%; aPOR=1.41; 1.16–1.71), long sleeves (20.5% versus 7.7%; aPOR=1.55; 1.21–1.98), a wide-brimmed hat (26.1% versus 10.5%; aPOR=1.52; 1.24–1.87), and sunscreen (53.7% versus 33.1%; aPOR=2.11; 95% CI=1.73–2.59), but did not have significantly lower odds of recent sunburn (29.7% versus 40.7%; aPOR=0.95; 0.77–1.17). Among subjects with previous NMSC, recent sunburn was inversely associated with age, sun avoidance, and shade but not sunscreen. Limitations Self-reported cross-sectional data and unavailable information quantifying regular sun exposure. Conclusion Physicians should emphasize sunburn prevention when counseling patients with previous NMSC, especially younger adults, focusing on shade and sun avoidance over sunscreen. PMID:27198078

SU-D-207-04: GPU-Based 4D Cone-Beam CT Reconstruction Using Adaptive Meshing Method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhong, Z; Gu, X; Iyengar, P; Mao, W; Wang, J; Guo, X

2015-01-01

Purpose: Due to the limited number of projections at each phase, the image quality of a four-dimensional cone-beam CT (4D-CBCT) is often degraded, which decreases the accuracy of subsequent motion modeling. One of the promising methods is the simultaneous motion estimation and image reconstruction (SMEIR) approach. The objective of this work is to enhance the computational speed of the SMEIR algorithm using adaptive feature-based tetrahedral meshing and GPU-based parallelization. Methods: The first step is to generate the tetrahedral mesh based on the features of a reference phase 4D-CBCT, so that the deformation can be well captured and accurately diffused from the mesh vertices to voxels of the image volume. After the mesh generation, the updated motion model and other phases of 4D-CBCT can be obtained by matching the 4D-CBCT projection images at each phase with the corresponding forward projections of the deformed reference phase of 4D-CBCT. The entire process of this 4D-CBCT reconstruction method is implemented on GPU, resulting in significantly increasing the computational efficiency due to its tremendous parallel computing ability. Results: A 4D XCAT digital phantom was used to test the proposed mesh-based image reconstruction algorithm. The image Result shows both bone structures and inside of the lung are well-preserved and the tumor position can be well captured. Compared to the previous voxel-based CPU implementation of SMEIR, the proposed method is about 157 times faster for reconstructing a 10 -phase 4D-CBCT with dimension 256×256×150. Conclusion: The GPU-based parallel 4D CBCT reconstruction method uses the feature-based mesh for estimating motion model and demonstrates equivalent image Result with previous voxel-based SMEIR approach, with significantly improved computational speed

In vivo dentate nucleus MRI relaxometry correlates with previous administration of Gadolinium-based contrast agents

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tedeschi, Enrico; Canna, Antonietta; Cocozza, Sirio; Russo, Carmela; Angelini, Valentina; Brunetti, Arturo [University ' ' Federico II' ' , Neuroradiology, Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Naples (Italy); Palma, Giuseppe; Quarantelli, Mario [National Research Council, Institute of Biostructure and Bioimaging, Naples (Italy); Borrelli, Pasquale; Salvatore, Marco [IRCCS SDN, Naples (Italy); Lanzillo, Roberta; Postiglione, Emanuela; Morra, Vincenzo Brescia [University ' ' Federico II' ' , Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, Naples (Italy)

2016-12-15

To evaluate changes in T1 and T2* relaxometry of dentate nuclei (DN) with respect to the number of previous administrations of Gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCA). In 74 relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RR-MS) patients with variable disease duration (9.8±6.8 years) and severity (Expanded Disability Status Scale scores:3.1±0.9), the DN R1 (1/T1) and R2* (1/T2*) relaxation rates were measured using two unenhanced 3D Dual-Echo spoiled Gradient-Echo sequences with different flip angles. Correlations of the number of previous GBCA administrations with DN R1 and R2* relaxation rates were tested, including gender and age effect, in a multivariate regression analysis. The DN R1 (normalized by brainstem) significantly correlated with the number of GBCA administrations (p<0.001), maintaining the same significance even when including MS-related factors. Instead, the DN R2* values correlated only with age (p=0.003), and not with GBCA administrations (p=0.67). In a subgroup of 35 patients for whom the administered GBCA subtype was known, the effect of GBCA on DN R1 appeared mainly related to linear GBCA. In RR-MS patients, the number of previous GBCA administrations correlates with R1 relaxation rates of DN, while R2* values remain unaffected, suggesting that T1-shortening in these patients is related to the amount of Gadolinium given. (orig.)

A Method for Microalgae Proteomics Analysis Based on Modified Filter-Aided Sample Preparation.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Song; Cao, Xupeng; Wang, Yan; Zhu, Zhen; Zhang, Haowei; Xue, Song; Tian, Jing

2017-11-01

With the fast development of microalgal biofuel researches, the proteomics studies of microalgae increased quickly. A filter-aided sample preparation (FASP) method is widely used proteomics sample preparation method since 2009. Here, a method of microalgae proteomics analysis based on modified filter-aided sample preparation (mFASP) was described to meet the characteristics of microalgae cells and eliminate the error caused by over-alkylation. Using Chlamydomonas reinhardtii as the model, the prepared sample was tested by standard LC-MS/MS and compared with the previous reports. The results showed mFASP is suitable for most of occasions of microalgae proteomics studies.

Model Reduction in Co-Rotated Multi-Body Dynamics Based on the Dual Craig-Bampton Method

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Weerathunge Kadawathagedara, S.T.; Rixen, D.J.

2011-01-01

A new reduction method for dynamical analsis of multi-body systems is presented in this paper. It fundamentally differs from the ones previously published in the way kinematical constraints are handled. Our approach is based on component mode synthesis, but the specificity of articulated mechanism,

Determining root correspondence between previously and newly detected objects

Science.gov (United States)

Paglieroni, David W.; Beer, N Reginald

2014-06-17

A system that applies attribute and topology based change detection to networks of objects that were detected on previous scans of a structure, roadway, or area of interest. The attributes capture properties or characteristics of the previously detected objects, such as location, time of detection, size, elongation, orientation, etc. The topology of the network of previously detected objects is maintained in a constellation database that stores attributes of previously detected objects and implicitly captures the geometrical structure of the network. A change detection system detects change by comparing the attributes and topology of new objects detected on the latest scan to the constellation database of previously detected objects.

Singularity Processing Method of Microstrip Line Edge Based on LOD-FDTD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lei Li

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In order to improve the performance of the accuracy and efficiency for analyzing the microstrip structure, a singularity processing method is proposed theoretically and experimentally based on the fundamental locally one-dimensional finite difference time domain (LOD-FDTD with second-order temporal accuracy (denoted as FLOD2-FDTD. The proposed method can highly improve the performance of the FLOD2-FDTD even when the conductor is embedded into more than half of the cell by the coordinate transformation. The experimental results showed that the proposed method can achieve higher accuracy when the time step size is less than or equal to 5 times of that the Courant-Friedrich-Levy (CFL condition allowed. In comparison with the previously reported methods, the proposed method for calculating electromagnetic field near microstrip line edge not only improves the efficiency, but also can provide a higher accuracy.

COMPANY VALUATION METHODS BASED ON PATRIMONY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SUCIU GHEORGHE

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The methods used for the company valuation can be divided into 3 main groups: methods based on patrimony,methods based on financial performance, methods based both on patrimony and on performance. The companyvaluation methods based on patrimony are implemented taking into account the balance sheet or the financialstatement. The financial statement refers to that type of balance in which the assets are arranged according to liquidity,and the liabilities according to their financial maturity date. The patrimonial methods are based on the principle thatthe value of the company equals that of the patrimony it owns. From a legal point of view, the patrimony refers to allthe rights and obligations of a company. The valuation of companies based on their financial performance can be donein 3 ways: the return value, the yield value, the present value of the cash flows. The mixed methods depend both onpatrimony and on financial performance or can make use of other methods.

Prevalence of pain in the head, back and feet in refugees previously exposed to torture: a ten-year follow-up study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Dorthe Reff; Montgomery, Edith; Bøjholm, Søren

2007-01-01

AIM: To estimate change over 10 years concerning the prevalence of pain in the head, back and feet, among previously tortured refugees settled in Denmark, and to compare associations between methods of torture and prevalent pain at baseline and at 10-year follow-up. METHODS: 139 refugees previous...... associated with the type and bodily focus of the torture. This presents a considerable challenge to future evidence-based development of effective treatment programs....

Groin Problems in Male Soccer Players Are More Common Than Previously Reported

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Harøy, Joar; Clarsen, Ben; Thorborg, Kristian

2017-01-01

surveillance method developed to capture acute and overuse problems. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive epidemiology study. METHODS: We registered groin problems during a 6-week period of match congestion using the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Overuse Injury Questionnaire. A total of 240 players from 15 teams......BACKGROUND: The majority of surveillance studies in soccer have used a time-loss injury definition, and many groin problems result from overuse, leading to gradually increasing pain and/or reduced performance without necessarily causing an absence from soccer training or match play. Thus......, the magnitude of groin problems in soccer has probably been underestimated in previous studies based on traditional injury surveillance methods. PURPOSE: To investigate the prevalence of groin problems among soccer players of both sexes and among male soccer players at different levels of play through a new...

Case Study of CPT-based Design Methods for Axial Capacity of Driven Piles in Sand

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomassen, Kristina; Ibsen, Lars Bo; Andersen, Lars Vabbersgaard

2012-01-01

loaded offshore driven piles in cohesionless soil has until now been the β-method given in API. The API-method is based on the effective overburden pressure at the depth in question. Previous studies show deviations between full-scale load test measurements of the axial pile capacity and the predictions...... found by means of the API-method. Compared to the test measurements, the API-method under-estimates the capacity of short piles (piles in loose sand, and gives a shaft capacity less conservative for piles in tension than for piles in compression......Today the design of onshore axially loaded driven piles in cohesionless soil is commonly made on basis of CPT-based methods because field investigations have shown strong correlation between the local shaft friction and the CPT cone resistance. However, the recommended design method for axially...

Multi-objective genetic algorithm based innovative wind farm layout optimization method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Ying; Li, Hua; He, Bang; Wang, Pengcheng; Jin, Kai

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Innovative optimization procedures for both regular and irregular shape wind farm. • Using real wind condition and commercial wind turbine parameters. • Using multiple-objective genetic algorithm optimization method. • Optimize the selection of different wind turbine types and their hub heights. - Abstract: Layout optimization has become one of the critical approaches to increase power output and decrease total cost of a wind farm. Previous researches have applied intelligent algorithms to optimizing the wind farm layout. However, those wind conditions used in most of previous research are simplified and not accurate enough to match the real world wind conditions. In this paper, the authors propose an innovative optimization method based on multi-objective genetic algorithm, and test it with real wind condition and commercial wind turbine parameters. Four case studies are conducted to investigate the number of wind turbines needed in the given wind farm. Different cost models are also considered in the case studies. The results clearly demonstrate that the new method is able to optimize the layout of a given wind farm with real commercial data and wind conditions in both regular and irregular shapes, and achieve a better result by selecting different type and hub height wind turbines.

Knowledge and method base for shape memory alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Welp, E.G.; Breidert, J. [Ruhr-University Bochum, Institute of Engineering Design, 44780 Bochum (Germany)

2004-05-01

It is often impossible for design engineers to decide whether it is possible to use shape memory alloys (SMA) for a particular task. In case of a decision to use SMA for product development, design engineers normally do not know in detail how to proceed in a correct and beneficial way. In order to support design engineers who have no previous knowledge about SMA and to assist in the transfer of results from basic research to industrial practice, an essential knowledge and method base has been developed. Through carefully conducted literature studies and patent analysis material and design information could be collected. All information is implemented into a computer supported knowledge and method base that provides design information with a particular focus on the conceptual and embodiment design phase. The knowledge and method base contains solution principles and data about effects, material and manufacturing as well as design guidelines and calculation methods for dimensioning and optimization. A browser-based user interface ensures that design engineers have immediate access to the latest version of the knowledge and method base. In order to ensure a user friendly application, an evaluation with several test users has been carried out. Reactions of design engineers from the industrial sector underline the need for support related to knowledge on SMA. (Abstract Copyright [2004], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.) [German] Fuer Konstrukteure ist es haeufig schwierig zu entscheiden, ob sich der Einsatz von Formgedaechtnislegierungen (FGL) fuer eine bestimmte Aufgabe eignet. Fuer den Fall, dass FGL fuer die Produktentwicklung genutzt werden sollen, besitzen Ingenieure zumeist nur unzureichende Detailkenntnisse, um Formgedaechtnislegierungen richtig und in vorteilhafter Weise anwenden zu koennen. Zur Unterstuetzung von Konstrukteuren, die ueber kein Vorwissen und keine Erfahrungen zu FGL verfuegen und zum Transfer von Forschungsergebnissen in die industrielle Praxis, ist eine

Cone Beam X-ray Luminescence Computed Tomography Based on Bayesian Method.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Guanglei; Liu, Fei; Liu, Jie; Luo, Jianwen; Xie, Yaoqin; Bai, Jing; Xing, Lei

2017-01-01

X-ray luminescence computed tomography (XLCT), which aims to achieve molecular and functional imaging by X-rays, has recently been proposed as a new imaging modality. Combining the principles of X-ray excitation of luminescence-based probes and optical signal detection, XLCT naturally fuses functional and anatomical images and provides complementary information for a wide range of applications in biomedical research. In order to improve the data acquisition efficiency of previously developed narrow-beam XLCT, a cone beam XLCT (CB-XLCT) mode is adopted here to take advantage of the useful geometric features of cone beam excitation. Practically, a major hurdle in using cone beam X-ray for XLCT is that the inverse problem here is seriously ill-conditioned, hindering us to achieve good image quality. In this paper, we propose a novel Bayesian method to tackle the bottleneck in CB-XLCT reconstruction. The method utilizes a local regularization strategy based on Gaussian Markov random field to mitigate the ill-conditioness of CB-XLCT. An alternating optimization scheme is then used to automatically calculate all the unknown hyperparameters while an iterative coordinate descent algorithm is adopted to reconstruct the image with a voxel-based closed-form solution. Results of numerical simulations and mouse experiments show that the self-adaptive Bayesian method significantly improves the CB-XLCT image quality as compared with conventional methods.

Low-dose computed tomography image restoration using previous normal-dose scan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma, Jianhua; Huang, Jing; Feng, Qianjin; Zhang, Hua; Lu, Hongbing; Liang, Zhengrong; Chen, Wufan

2011-01-01

Purpose: In current computed tomography (CT) examinations, the associated x-ray radiation dose is of a significant concern to patients and operators. A simple and cost-effective means to perform the examinations is to lower the milliampere-seconds (mAs) or kVp parameter (or delivering less x-ray energy to the body) as low as reasonably achievable in data acquisition. However, lowering the mAs parameter will unavoidably increase data noise and the noise would propagate into the CT image if no adequate noise control is applied during image reconstruction. Since a normal-dose high diagnostic CT image scanned previously may be available in some clinical applications, such as CT perfusion imaging and CT angiography (CTA), this paper presents an innovative way to utilize the normal-dose scan as a priori information to induce signal restoration of the current low-dose CT image series. Methods: Unlike conventional local operations on neighboring image voxels, nonlocal means (NLM) algorithm utilizes the redundancy of information across the whole image. This paper adapts the NLM to utilize the redundancy of information in the previous normal-dose scan and further exploits ways to optimize the nonlocal weights for low-dose image restoration in the NLM framework. The resulting algorithm is called the previous normal-dose scan induced nonlocal means (ndiNLM). Because of the optimized nature of nonlocal weights calculation, the ndiNLM algorithm does not depend heavily on image registration between the current low-dose and the previous normal-dose CT scans. Furthermore, the smoothing parameter involved in the ndiNLM algorithm can be adaptively estimated based on the image noise relationship between the current low-dose and the previous normal-dose scanning protocols. Results: Qualitative and quantitative evaluations were carried out on a physical phantom as well as clinical abdominal and brain perfusion CT scans in terms of accuracy and resolution properties. The gain by the use

An incremental DPMM-based method for trajectory clustering, modeling, and retrieval.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Weiming; Li, Xi; Tian, Guodong; Maybank, Stephen; Zhang, Zhongfei

2013-05-01

Trajectory analysis is the basis for many applications, such as indexing of motion events in videos, activity recognition, and surveillance. In this paper, the Dirichlet process mixture model (DPMM) is applied to trajectory clustering, modeling, and retrieval. We propose an incremental version of a DPMM-based clustering algorithm and apply it to cluster trajectories. An appropriate number of trajectory clusters is determined automatically. When trajectories belonging to new clusters arrive, the new clusters can be identified online and added to the model without any retraining using the previous data. A time-sensitive Dirichlet process mixture model (tDPMM) is applied to each trajectory cluster for learning the trajectory pattern which represents the time-series characteristics of the trajectories in the cluster. Then, a parameterized index is constructed for each cluster. A novel likelihood estimation algorithm for the tDPMM is proposed, and a trajectory-based video retrieval model is developed. The tDPMM-based probabilistic matching method and the DPMM-based model growing method are combined to make the retrieval model scalable and adaptable. Experimental comparisons with state-of-the-art algorithms demonstrate the effectiveness of our algorithm.

Survival after early-stage breast cancer of women previously treated for depression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Suppli, Nis Frederik Palm; Johansen, Christoffer; Kessing, Lars Vedel

2017-01-01

treatment of depression and risk of receiving nonguideline treatment of breast cancer were assessed in multivariable logistic regression analyses. We compared the overall survival, breast cancer-specific survival, and risk of death by suicide of women who were and were not treated for depression before......Purpose The aim of this nationwide, register-based cohort study was to determine whether women treated for depression before primary early-stage breast cancer are at increased risk for receiving treatment that is not in accordance with national guidelines and for poorer survival. Material...... and Methods We identified 45,325 women with early breast cancer diagnosed in Denmark from 1998 to 2011. Of these, 744 women (2%) had had a previous hospital contact (as an inpatient or outpatient) for depression and another 6,068 (13%) had been treated with antidepressants. Associations between previous...

Improved Ordinary Measure and Image Entropy Theory based intelligent Copy Detection Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dengpan Ye

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, more and more multimedia websites appear in social network. It brings some security problems, such as privacy, piracy, disclosure of sensitive contents and so on. Aiming at copyright protection, the copy detection technology of multimedia contents becomes a hot topic. In our previous work, a new computer-based copyright control system used to detect the media has been proposed. Based on this system, this paper proposes an improved media feature matching measure and an entropy based copy detection method. The Levenshtein Distance was used to enhance the matching degree when using for feature matching measure in copy detection. For entropy based copy detection, we make a fusion of the two features of entropy matrix of the entropy feature we extracted. Firstly,we extract the entropy matrix of the image and normalize it. Then, we make a fusion of the eigenvalue feature and the transfer matrix feature of the entropy matrix. The fused features will be used for image copy detection. The experiments show that compared to use these two kinds of features for image detection singly, using feature fusion matching method is apparent robustness and effectiveness. The fused feature has a high detection for copy images which have been received some attacks such as noise, compression, zoom, rotation and so on. Comparing with referred methods, the method proposed is more intelligent and can be achieved good performance.

Methods in Logic Based Control

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Georg Kronborg

1999-01-01

Desing and theory of Logic Based Control systems.Boolean Algebra, Karnaugh Map, Quine McClusky's algorithm. Sequential control design. Logic Based Control Method, Cascade Control Method. Implementation techniques: relay, pneumatic, TTL/CMOS,PAL and PLC- and Soft_PLC implementation. PLC...

Provisional-Ideal-Point-Based Multi-objective Optimization Method for Drone Delivery Problem

Science.gov (United States)

Omagari, Hiroki; Higashino, Shin-Ichiro

2018-04-01

In this paper, we proposed a new evolutionary multi-objective optimization method for solving drone delivery problems (DDP). It can be formulated as a constrained multi-objective optimization problem. In our previous research, we proposed the "aspiration-point-based method" to solve multi-objective optimization problems. However, this method needs to calculate the optimal values of each objective function value in advance. Moreover, it does not consider the constraint conditions except for the objective functions. Therefore, it cannot apply to DDP which has many constraint conditions. To solve these issues, we proposed "provisional-ideal-point-based method." The proposed method defines a "penalty value" to search for feasible solutions. It also defines a new reference solution named "provisional-ideal point" to search for the preferred solution for a decision maker. In this way, we can eliminate the preliminary calculations and its limited application scope. The results of the benchmark test problems show that the proposed method can generate the preferred solution efficiently. The usefulness of the proposed method is also demonstrated by applying it to DDP. As a result, the delivery path when combining one drone and one truck drastically reduces the traveling distance and the delivery time compared with the case of using only one truck.

Application of a data-mining method based on Bayesian networks to lesion-deficit analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Herskovits, Edward H.; Gerring, Joan P.

2003-01-01

Although lesion-deficit analysis (LDA) has provided extensive information about structure-function associations in the human brain, LDA has suffered from the difficulties inherent to the analysis of spatial data, i.e., there are many more variables than subjects, and data may be difficult to model using standard distributions, such as the normal distribution. We herein describe a Bayesian method for LDA; this method is based on data-mining techniques that employ Bayesian networks to represent structure-function associations. These methods are computationally tractable, and can represent complex, nonlinear structure-function associations. When applied to the evaluation of data obtained from a study of the psychiatric sequelae of traumatic brain injury in children, this method generates a Bayesian network that demonstrates complex, nonlinear associations among lesions in the left caudate, right globus pallidus, right side of the corpus callosum, right caudate, and left thalamus, and subsequent development of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, confirming and extending our previous statistical analysis of these data. Furthermore, analysis of simulated data indicates that methods based on Bayesian networks may be more sensitive and specific for detecting associations among categorical variables than methods based on chi-square and Fisher exact statistics.

Development of knowledge acquisition methods for knowledge base construction for autonomous plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoshikawa, S. [Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corp., Oarai, Ibaraki (Japan). Oarai Engineering Center; Sasajima, M.; Kitamura, Y.; Ikeda, M.; Mizoguchi, R.

1993-03-01

In order to enhance safety and reliability of nuclear plant operation, it is strongly desired to construct diagnostic knowledge base without lacking, contradiction, and description inconsistency. Nowadays, an advanced method Knowledge Compiler` has been studied to acquire diagnostic knowledge, mainly based on qualitative reasoning technique, without accumulating heuristics by interviews. Until now, 2 methods to suppress the ambiguity observed when qualitative reasoning mechanism were applied to heat transport systems of nuclear power plants: In the first method, qualitative values are allocated to the system variables along with the causality direction, avoiding contradictions among plural variables in each qualitative constraint describing knowledge of deviation propagation, heat balance, or energy conservation. In the second method, all the qualitative information is represented as a set of simultaneous qualitative equations. And, an appropriate subset is selected so that the qualitative solutions of unknowns in this subset can be derived independently of the remaining part. A contrary method is applied for the selected subset to derive local solutions. Then the problem size is reduced by substituting solutions of the subset, in a recursive manner. In the previous report on this research project, complete computer softwares have been constructed based on these methods, and applied to a 2-loop heat transport system of a nuclear power plant. The detailed results are discussed in this report. In addition, an integrated configuration of diagnostic knowledge generation system of nuclear power plants is proposed, based upon the results and new foundings obtained through the research activities so far, and the future works to overcome remaining problems are also identified. (author)

Human Detection System by Fusing Depth Map-Based Method and Convolutional Neural Network-Based Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anh Vu Le

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the depth images and the colour images provided by Kinect sensors are used to enhance the accuracy of human detection. The depth-based human detection method is fast but less accurate. On the other hand, the faster region convolutional neural network-based human detection method is accurate but requires a rather complex hardware configuration. To simultaneously leverage the advantages and relieve the drawbacks of each method, one master and one client system is proposed. The final goal is to make a novel Robot Operation System (ROS-based Perception Sensor Network (PSN system, which is more accurate and ready for the real time application. The experimental results demonstrate the outperforming of the proposed method compared with other conventional methods in the challenging scenarios.

Molecular-based rapid inventories of sympatric diversity: a comparison of DNA barcode clustering methods applied to geography-based vs clade-based sampling of amphibians.

Science.gov (United States)

Paz, Andrea; Crawford, Andrew J

2012-11-01

Molecular markers offer a universal source of data for quantifying biodiversity. DNA barcoding uses a standardized genetic marker and a curated reference database to identify known species and to reveal cryptic diversity within wellsampled clades. Rapid biological inventories, e.g. rapid assessment programs (RAPs), unlike most barcoding campaigns, are focused on particular geographic localities rather than on clades. Because of the potentially sparse phylogenetic sampling, the addition of DNA barcoding to RAPs may present a greater challenge for the identification of named species or for revealing cryptic diversity. In this article we evaluate the use of DNA barcoding for quantifying lineage diversity within a single sampling site as compared to clade-based sampling, and present examples from amphibians. We compared algorithms for identifying DNA barcode clusters (e.g. species, cryptic species or Evolutionary Significant Units) using previously published DNA barcode data obtained from geography-based sampling at a site in Central Panama, and from clade-based sampling in Madagascar. We found that clustering algorithms based on genetic distance performed similarly on sympatric as well as clade-based barcode data, while a promising coalescent-based method performed poorly on sympatric data. The various clustering algorithms were also compared in terms of speed and software implementation. Although each method has its shortcomings in certain contexts, we recommend the use of the ABGD method, which not only performs fairly well under either sampling method, but does so in a few seconds and with a user-friendly Web interface.

The frequency of previously undetectable deletions involving 3' Exons of the PMS2 gene.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaughn, Cecily P; Baker, Christine L; Samowitz, Wade S; Swensen, Jeffrey J

2013-01-01

Lynch syndrome is characterized by mutations in one of four mismatch repair genes, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, or PMS2. Clinical mutation analysis of these genes includes sequencing of exonic regions and deletion/duplication analysis. However, detection of deletions and duplications in PMS2 has previously been confined to Exons 1-11 due to gene conversion between PMS2 and the pseudogene PMS2CL in the remaining 3' exons (Exons 12-15). We have recently described an MLPA-based method that permits detection of deletions of PMS2 Exons 12-15; however, the frequency of such deletions has not yet been determined. To address this question, we tested for 3' deletions in 58 samples that were reported to be negative for PMS2 mutations using previously available methods. All samples were from individuals whose tumors exhibited loss of PMS2 immunohistochemical staining without concomitant loss of MLH1 immunostaining. We identified seven samples in this cohort with deletions in the 3' region of PMS2, including three previously reported samples with deletions of Exons 13-15 (two samples) and Exons 14-15. Also detected were deletions of Exons 12-15, Exon 13, and Exon 14 (two samples). Breakpoint analysis of the intragenic deletions suggests they occurred through Alu-mediated recombination. Our results indicate that ∼12% of samples suspected of harboring a PMS2 mutation based on immunohistochemical staining, for which mutations have not yet been identified, would benefit from testing using the new methodology. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The influence of previous subject experience on interactions during peer instruction in an introductory physics course: A mixed methods analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Vondruska, Judy A.

Over the past decade, peer instruction and the introduction of student response systems has provided a means of improving student engagement and achievement in large-lecture settings. While the nature of the student discourse occurring during peer instruction is less understood, existing studies have shown student ideas about the subject, extraneous cues, and confidence level appear to matter in the student-student discourse. Using a mixed methods research design, this study examined the influence of previous subject experience on peer instruction in an introductory, one-semester Survey of Physics course. Quantitative results indicated students in discussion pairs where both had previous subject experience were more likely to answer clicker question correctly both before and after peer discussion compared to student groups where neither partner had previous subject experience. Students in mixed discussion pairs were not statistically different in correct response rates from the other pairings. There was no statistically significant difference between the experience pairs on unit exam scores or the Peer Instruction Partner Survey. Although there was a statistically significant difference between the pre-MPEX and post-MPEX scores, there was no difference between the members of the various subject experience peer discussion pairs. The qualitative study, conducted after the quantitative study, helped to inform the quantitative results by exploring the nature of the peer interactions through survey questions and a series of focus groups discussions. While the majority of participants described a benefit to the use of clickers in the lecture, their experience with their discussion partners varied. Students with previous subject experience tended to describe peer instruction more positively than students who did not have previous subject experience, regardless of the experience level of their partner. They were also more likely to report favorable levels of comfort with

Implementation of Simulation Based-Concept Attainment Method to Increase Interest Learning of Engineering Mechanics Topic

Science.gov (United States)

Sultan, A. Z.; Hamzah, N.; Rusdi, M.

2018-01-01

The implementation of concept attainment method based on simulation was used to increase student’s interest in the subjects Engineering of Mechanics in second semester of academic year 2016/2017 in Manufacturing Engineering Program, Department of Mechanical PNUP. The result of the implementation of this learning method shows that there is an increase in the students’ learning interest towards the lecture material which is summarized in the form of interactive simulation CDs and teaching materials in the form of printed books and electronic books. From the implementation of achievement method of this simulation based concept, it is noted that the increase of student participation in the presentation and discussion as well as the deposit of individual assignment of significant student. With the implementation of this method of learning the average student participation reached 89%, which before the application of this learning method only reaches an average of 76%. And also with previous learning method, for exam achievement of A-grade under 5% and D-grade above 8%. After the implementation of the new learning method (simulation based-concept attainment method) the achievement of Agrade has reached more than 30% and D-grade below 1%.

A nodal method based on matrix-response method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rocamora Junior, F.D.; Menezes, A.

1982-01-01

A nodal method based in the matrix-response method, is presented, and its application to spatial gradient problems, such as those that exist in fast reactors, near the core - blanket interface, is investigated. (E.G.) [pt

Cognitive Artificial Intelligence Method for Interpreting Transformer Condition Based on Maintenance Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karel Octavianus Bachri

2017-07-01

Full Text Available A3S(Arwin-Adang-Aciek-Sembiring is a method of information fusion at a single observation and OMA3S(Observation Multi-time A3S is a method of information fusion for time-series data. This paper proposes OMA3S-based Cognitive Artificial-Intelligence method for interpreting Transformer Condition, which is calculated based on maintenance data from Indonesia National Electric Company (PLN. First, the proposed method is tested using the previously published data, and then followed by implementation on maintenance data. Maintenance data are fused to obtain part condition, and part conditions are fused to obtain transformer condition. Result shows proposed method is valid for DGA fault identification with the average accuracy of 91.1%. The proposed method not only can interpret the major fault, it can also identify the minor fault occurring along with the major fault, allowing early warning feature. Result also shows part conditions can be interpreted using information fusion on maintenance data, and the transformer condition can be interpreted using information fusion on part conditions. The future works on this research is to gather more data, to elaborate more factors to be fused, and to design a cognitive processor that can be used to implement this concept of intelligent instrumentation.

A CT-based method for fully quantitative TI SPECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Willowson, Kathy; Bailey, Dale; Baldock, Clive

2009-01-01

Full text: Objectives: To develop and validate a method for quantitative 2 0 l TI SPECT data based on corrections derived from X-ray CT data, and to apply the method in the clinic for quantitative determination of recurrence of brain tumours. Method: A previously developed method for achieving quantitative SPECT with 9 9 m Tc based on corrections derived from xray CT data was extended to apply to 2 0 l Tl. Experimental validation was performed on a cylindrical phantom by comparing known injected activity and measured concentration to quantitative calculations. Further evaluation was performed on a RSI Striatal Brain Phantom containing three 'lesions' with activity to background ratios of 1: 1, 1.5: I and 2: I. The method was subsequently applied to a series of scans from patients with suspected recurrence of brain tumours (principally glioma) to determine an SUV-like measure (Standardised Uptake Value). Results: The total activity and concentration in the phantom were calculated to within 3% and I % of the true values, respectively. The calculated values for the concentration of activity in the background and corresponding lesions of the brain phantom (in increasing ratios) were found to be within 2%,10%,1% and 2%, respectively, of the true concentrations. Patient studies showed that an initial SUV greater than 1.5 corresponded to a 56% mortality rate in the first 12 months, as opposed to a 14% mortality rate for those with a SUV less than 1.5. Conclusion: The quantitative technique produces accurate results for the radionuclide 2 0 l Tl. Initial investigation in clinical brain SPECT suggests correlation between quantitative uptake and survival.

A Learning-Based Steganalytic Method against LSB Matching Steganography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z. Xia

2011-04-01

Full Text Available This paper considers the detection of spatial domain least significant bit (LSB matching steganography in gray images. Natural images hold some inherent properties, such as histogram, dependence between neighboring pixels, and dependence among pixels that are not adjacent to each other. These properties are likely to be disturbed by LSB matching. Firstly, histogram will become smoother after LSB matching. Secondly, the two kinds of dependence will be weakened by the message embedding. Accordingly, three features, which are respectively based on image histogram, neighborhood degree histogram and run-length histogram, are extracted at first. Then, support vector machine is utilized to learn and discriminate the difference of features between cover and stego images. Experimental results prove that the proposed method possesses reliable detection ability and outperforms the two previous state-of-the-art methods. Further more, the conclusions are drawn by analyzing the individual performance of three features and their fused feature.

Image based method for aberration measurement of lithographic tools

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Shuang; Tao, Bo; Guo, Yongxing; Li, Gongfa

2018-01-01

Information of lens aberration of lithographic tools is important as it directly affects the intensity distribution in the image plane. Zernike polynomials are commonly used for a mathematical description of lens aberrations. Due to the advantage of lower cost and easier implementation of tools, image based measurement techniques have been widely used. Lithographic tools are typically partially coherent systems that can be described by a bilinear model, which entails time consuming calculations and does not lend a simple and intuitive relationship between lens aberrations and the resulted images. Previous methods for retrieving lens aberrations in such partially coherent systems involve through-focus image measurements and time-consuming iterative algorithms. In this work, we propose a method for aberration measurement in lithographic tools, which only requires measuring two images of intensity distribution. Two linear formulations are derived in matrix forms that directly relate the measured images to the unknown Zernike coefficients. Consequently, an efficient non-iterative solution is obtained.

Modelling Coastal Cliff Recession Based on the GIM-DDD Method

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Bin; Wang, Shanyong; Sloan, Scott William; Sheng, Daichao; Tang, Chun'an

2018-04-01

The unpredictable and instantaneous collapse behaviour of coastal rocky cliffs may cause damage that extends significantly beyond the area of failure. Gravitational movements that occur during coastal cliff recession involve two major stages: the small deformation stage and the large displacement stage. In this paper, a method of simulating the entire progressive failure process of coastal rocky cliffs is developed based on the gravity increase method (GIM), the rock failure process analysis method and the discontinuous deformation analysis method, and it is referred to as the GIM-DDD method. The small deformation stage, which includes crack initiation, propagation and coalescence processes, and the large displacement stage, which includes block translation and rotation processes during the rocky cliff collapse, are modelled using the GIM-DDD method. In addition, acoustic emissions, stress field variations, crack propagation and failure mode characteristics are further analysed to provide insights that can be used to predict, prevent and minimize potential economic losses and casualties. The calculation and analytical results are consistent with previous studies, which indicate that the developed method provides an effective and reliable approach for performing rocky cliff stability evaluations and coastal cliff recession analyses and has considerable potential for improving the safety and protection of seaside cliff areas.

Triptycene-based dianhydrides, polyimides, methods of making each, and methods of use

KAUST Repository

Ghanem, Bader; Pinnau, Ingo; Swaidan, Raja

2015-01-01

A triptycene-based monomer, a method of making a triptycene-based monomer, a triptycene-based aromatic polyimide, a method of making a triptycene- based aromatic polyimide, methods of using triptycene-based aromatic polyimides, structures incorporating triptycene-based aromatic polyimides, and methods of gas separation are provided. Embodiments of the triptycene-based monomers and triptycene-based aromatic polyimides have high permeabilities and excellent selectivities. Embodiments of the triptycene-based aromatic polyimides have one or more of the following characteristics: intrinsic microporosity, good thermal stability, and enhanced solubility. In an exemplary embodiment, the triptycene-based aromatic polyimides are microporous and have a high BET surface area. In an exemplary embodiment, the triptycene-based aromatic polyimides can be used to form a gas separation membrane.

Triptycene-based dianhydrides, polyimides, methods of making each, and methods of use

KAUST Repository

Ghanem, Bader

2015-12-30

A triptycene-based monomer, a method of making a triptycene-based monomer, a triptycene-based aromatic polyimide, a method of making a triptycene- based aromatic polyimide, methods of using triptycene-based aromatic polyimides, structures incorporating triptycene-based aromatic polyimides, and methods of gas separation are provided. Embodiments of the triptycene-based monomers and triptycene-based aromatic polyimides have high permeabilities and excellent selectivities. Embodiments of the triptycene-based aromatic polyimides have one or more of the following characteristics: intrinsic microporosity, good thermal stability, and enhanced solubility. In an exemplary embodiment, the triptycene-based aromatic polyimides are microporous and have a high BET surface area. In an exemplary embodiment, the triptycene-based aromatic polyimides can be used to form a gas separation membrane.

Knowledge-base for the new human reliability analysis method, A Technique for Human Error Analysis (ATHEANA)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cooper, S.E.; Wreathall, J.; Thompson, C.M., Drouin, M.; Bley, D.C.

1996-01-01

This paper describes the knowledge base for the application of the new human reliability analysis (HRA) method, a ''A Technique for Human Error Analysis'' (ATHEANA). Since application of ATHEANA requires the identification of previously unmodeled human failure events, especially errors of commission, and associated error-forcing contexts (i.e., combinations of plant conditions and performance shaping factors), this knowledge base is an essential aid for the HRA analyst

A hybrid network-based method for the detection of disease-related genes

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Ying; Cai, Meng; Dai, Yang; Stanley, H. Eugene

2018-02-01

Detecting disease-related genes is crucial in disease diagnosis and drug design. The accepted view is that neighbors of a disease-causing gene in a molecular network tend to cause the same or similar diseases, and network-based methods have been recently developed to identify novel hereditary disease-genes in available biomedical networks. Despite the steady increase in the discovery of disease-associated genes, there is still a large fraction of disease genes that remains under the tip of the iceberg. In this paper we exploit the topological properties of the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network to detect disease-related genes. We compute, analyze, and compare the topological properties of disease genes with non-disease genes in PPI networks. We also design an improved random forest classifier based on these network topological features, and a cross-validation test confirms that our method performs better than previous similar studies.

Lung lesion doubling times: values and variability based on method of volume determination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eisenbud Quint, Leslie; Cheng, Joan; Schipper, Matthew; Chang, Andrew C.; Kalemkerian, Gregory

2008-01-01

Purpose: To determine doubling times (DTs) of lung lesions based on volumetric measurements from thin-section CT imaging. Methods: Previously untreated patients with ≥ two thin-section CT scans showing a focal lung lesion were identified. Lesion volumes were derived using direct volume measurements and volume calculations based on lesion area and diameter. Growth rates (GRs) were compared by tissue diagnosis and measurement technique. Results: 54 lesions were evaluated including 8 benign lesions, 10 metastases, 3 lymphomas, 15 adenocarcinomas, 11 squamous carcinomas, and 7 miscellaneous lung cancers. Using direct volume measurements, median DTs were 453, 111, 15, 181, 139 and 137 days, respectively. Lung cancer DTs ranged from 23-2239 days. There were no significant differences in GRs among the different lesion types. There was considerable variability among GRs using different volume determination methods. Conclusions: Lung cancer doubling times showed a substantial range, and different volume determination methods gave considerably different DTs

Hybrid perturbation methods based on statistical time series models

Science.gov (United States)

San-Juan, Juan Félix; San-Martín, Montserrat; Pérez, Iván; López, Rosario

2016-04-01

In this work we present a new methodology for orbit propagation, the hybrid perturbation theory, based on the combination of an integration method and a prediction technique. The former, which can be a numerical, analytical or semianalytical theory, generates an initial approximation that contains some inaccuracies derived from the fact that, in order to simplify the expressions and subsequent computations, not all the involved forces are taken into account and only low-order terms are considered, not to mention the fact that mathematical models of perturbations not always reproduce physical phenomena with absolute precision. The prediction technique, which can be based on either statistical time series models or computational intelligence methods, is aimed at modelling and reproducing missing dynamics in the previously integrated approximation. This combination results in the precision improvement of conventional numerical, analytical and semianalytical theories for determining the position and velocity of any artificial satellite or space debris object. In order to validate this methodology, we present a family of three hybrid orbit propagators formed by the combination of three different orders of approximation of an analytical theory and a statistical time series model, and analyse their capability to process the effect produced by the flattening of the Earth. The three considered analytical components are the integration of the Kepler problem, a first-order and a second-order analytical theories, whereas the prediction technique is the same in the three cases, namely an additive Holt-Winters method.

Analysis of Product Buying Decision on Lazada E-commerce based on Previous Buyers’ Comments

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Neil Aldrin

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The aims of the present research are: 1 to know that product buying decision possibly occurs, 2 to know how product buying decision occurs on Lazada e-commerce’s customers, 3 how previous buyers’ comments can increase product buying decision on Lazada e-commerce. This research utilizes qualitative research method. Qualitative research is a research that investigates other researches and makes assumption or discussion result so that other analysis results can be made in order to widen idea and opinion. Research result shows that product which has many ratings and reviews will trigger other buyers to purchase or get that product. The conclusion is that product buying decision may occur because there are some processes before making decision which are: looking for recognition and searching for problems, knowing the needs, collecting information, evaluating alternative, evaluating after buying. In those stages, buying decision on Lazada e-commerce is supported by price, promotion, service, and brand.

A library based fitting method for visual reflectance spectroscopy of human skin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verkruysse, Wim; Zhang Rong; Choi, Bernard; Lucassen, Gerald; Svaasand, Lars O; Nelson, J Stuart

2005-01-01

The diffuse reflectance spectrum of human skin in the visible region (400-800 nm) contains information on the concentrations of chromophores such as melanin and haemoglobin. This information may be extracted by fitting the reflectance spectrum with an optical diffusion based analytical expression applied to a layered skin model. With the use of the analytical expression, it is assumed that light transport is dominated by scattering. For port wine stain (PWS) and highly pigmented human skin, however, this assumption may not be valid resulting in a potentially large error in visual reflectance spectroscopy (VRS). Monte Carlo based techniques can overcome this problem but are currently too computationally intensive to be combined with previously used fitting procedures. The fitting procedure presented herein is based on a library search which enables the use of accurate reflectance spectra based on forward Monte Carlo simulations or diffusion theory. This allows for accurate VRS to characterize chromophore concentrations in PWS and highly pigmented human skin. The method is demonstrated using both simulated and measured reflectance spectra. An additional advantage of the method is that the fitting procedure is very fast

A library based fitting method for visual reflectance spectroscopy of human skin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verkruysse, Wim [Beckman Laser Institute, University of California, Irvine, CA 92612 (United States); Zhang Rong [Beckman Laser Institute, University of California, Irvine, CA 92612 (United States); Choi, Bernard [Beckman Laser Institute, University of California, Irvine, CA 92612 (United States); Lucassen, Gerald [Personal Care Institute, Philips Research, Prof Holstlaan 4, Eindhoven (Netherlands); Svaasand, Lars O [Department of Physical Electronics Norwegian University of Science and Technology, N-7491 Trondheim (Norway); Nelson, J Stuart [Beckman Laser Institute, University of California, Irvine, CA 92612 (United States)

2005-01-07

The diffuse reflectance spectrum of human skin in the visible region (400-800 nm) contains information on the concentrations of chromophores such as melanin and haemoglobin. This information may be extracted by fitting the reflectance spectrum with an optical diffusion based analytical expression applied to a layered skin model. With the use of the analytical expression, it is assumed that light transport is dominated by scattering. For port wine stain (PWS) and highly pigmented human skin, however, this assumption may not be valid resulting in a potentially large error in visual reflectance spectroscopy (VRS). Monte Carlo based techniques can overcome this problem but are currently too computationally intensive to be combined with previously used fitting procedures. The fitting procedure presented herein is based on a library search which enables the use of accurate reflectance spectra based on forward Monte Carlo simulations or diffusion theory. This allows for accurate VRS to characterize chromophore concentrations in PWS and highly pigmented human skin. The method is demonstrated using both simulated and measured reflectance spectra. An additional advantage of the method is that the fitting procedure is very fast.

A library based fitting method for visual reflectance spectroscopy of human skin

Science.gov (United States)

Verkruysse, Wim; Zhang, Rong; Choi, Bernard; Lucassen, Gerald; Svaasand, Lars O.; Nelson, J. Stuart

2005-01-01

The diffuse reflectance spectrum of human skin in the visible region (400-800 nm) contains information on the concentrations of chromophores such as melanin and haemoglobin. This information may be extracted by fitting the reflectance spectrum with an optical diffusion based analytical expression applied to a layered skin model. With the use of the analytical expression, it is assumed that light transport is dominated by scattering. For port wine stain (PWS) and highly pigmented human skin, however, this assumption may not be valid resulting in a potentially large error in visual reflectance spectroscopy (VRS). Monte Carlo based techniques can overcome this problem but are currently too computationally intensive to be combined with previously used fitting procedures. The fitting procedure presented herein is based on a library search which enables the use of accurate reflectance spectra based on forward Monte Carlo simulations or diffusion theory. This allows for accurate VRS to characterize chromophore concentrations in PWS and highly pigmented human skin. The method is demonstrated using both simulated and measured reflectance spectra. An additional advantage of the method is that the fitting procedure is very fast.

Typing DNA profiles from previously enhanced fingerprints using direct PCR.

Science.gov (United States)

Templeton, Jennifer E L; Taylor, Duncan; Handt, Oliva; Linacre, Adrian

2017-07-01

Fingermarks are a source of human identification both through the ridge patterns and DNA profiling. Typing nuclear STR DNA markers from previously enhanced fingermarks provides an alternative method of utilising the limited fingermark deposit that can be left behind during a criminal act. Dusting with fingerprint powders is a standard method used in classical fingermark enhancement and can affect DNA data. The ability to generate informative DNA profiles from powdered fingerprints using direct PCR swabs was investigated. Direct PCR was used as the opportunity to generate usable DNA profiles after performing any of the standard DNA extraction processes is minimal. Omitting the extraction step will, for many samples, be the key to success if there is limited sample DNA. DNA profiles were generated by direct PCR from 160 fingermarks after treatment with one of the following dactyloscopic fingerprint powders: white hadonite; silver aluminium; HiFi Volcano silk black; or black magnetic fingerprint powder. This was achieved by a combination of an optimised double-swabbing technique and swab media, omission of the extraction step to minimise loss of critical low-template DNA, and additional AmpliTaq Gold ® DNA polymerase to boost the PCR. Ninety eight out of 160 samples (61%) were considered 'up-loadable' to the Australian National Criminal Investigation DNA Database (NCIDD). The method described required a minimum of working steps, equipment and reagents, and was completed within 4h. Direct PCR allows the generation of DNA profiles from enhanced prints without the need to increase PCR cycle numbers beyond manufacturer's recommendations. Particular emphasis was placed on preventing contamination by applying strict protocols and avoiding the use of previously used fingerprint brushes. Based on this extensive survey, the data provided indicate minimal effects of any of these four powders on the chance of obtaining DNA profiles from enhanced fingermarks. Copyright © 2017

Impacts of previous crops on Fusarium foot and root rot, and on yields of durum wheat in North West Tunisia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samia CHEKALI

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The impacts of ten previous crop rotations (cereals, legumes and fallow on Fusarium foot and root rot of durum wheat were investigated for three cropping seasons in a trial established in 2004 in Northwest Tunisia. Fungi isolated from the roots and stem bases were identified using morphological and molecular methods, and were primarily Fusarium culmorum and F. pseudograminearum. Under low rainfall conditions, the previous crop affected F. pseudograminearum incidence on durum wheat roots but not F. culmorum. Compared to continuous cropping of durum wheat, barley as a previous crop increased disease incidence more than fivefold, while legumes and fallow tended to reduce incidence.  Barley as a previous crop increased wheat disease severity by 47%, compared to other rotations. Grain yield was negatively correlated with the incidence of F. culmorum infection, both in roots and stem bases, and fitted an exponential model (R2 = -0.61 for roots and -0.77 for stem bases, P<0.0001. Fusarium pseudograminearum was also negatively correlated with yield and fitted an exponential model (R2 = -0.53 on roots and -0.71 on stem bases, P < 0.0001 but was not correlated with severity.

Locating previously unknown patterns in data-mining results: a dual data- and knowledge-mining method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Knaus William A

2006-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Data mining can be utilized to automate analysis of substantial amounts of data produced in many organizations. However, data mining produces large numbers of rules and patterns, many of which are not useful. Existing methods for pruning uninteresting patterns have only begun to automate the knowledge acquisition step (which is required for subjective measures of interestingness, hence leaving a serious bottleneck. In this paper we propose a method for automatically acquiring knowledge to shorten the pattern list by locating the novel and interesting ones. Methods The dual-mining method is based on automatically comparing the strength of patterns mined from a database with the strength of equivalent patterns mined from a relevant knowledgebase. When these two estimates of pattern strength do not match, a high "surprise score" is assigned to the pattern, identifying the pattern as potentially interesting. The surprise score captures the degree of novelty or interestingness of the mined pattern. In addition, we show how to compute p values for each surprise score, thus filtering out noise and attaching statistical significance. Results We have implemented the dual-mining method using scripts written in Perl and R. We applied the method to a large patient database and a biomedical literature citation knowledgebase. The system estimated association scores for 50,000 patterns, composed of disease entities and lab results, by querying the database and the knowledgebase. It then computed the surprise scores by comparing the pairs of association scores. Finally, the system estimated statistical significance of the scores. Conclusion The dual-mining method eliminates more than 90% of patterns with strong associations, thus identifying them as uninteresting. We found that the pruning of patterns using the surprise score matched the biomedical evidence in the 100 cases that were examined by hand. The method automates the acquisition of

Fatigue Life Prediction of High Modulus Asphalt Concrete Based on the Local Stress-Strain Method

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Mulian Zheng

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Previously published studies have proposed fatigue life prediction models for dense graded asphalt pavement based on flexural fatigue test. This study focused on the fatigue life prediction of High Modulus Asphalt Concrete (HMAC pavement using the local strain-stress method and direct tension fatigue test. First, the direct tension fatigue test at various strain levels was conducted on HMAC prism samples cut from plate specimens. Afterwards, their true stress-strain loop curves were obtained and modified to develop the strain-fatigue life equation. Then the nominal strain of HMAC course determined using finite element method was converted into local strain using the Neuber method. Finally, based on the established fatigue equation and converted local strain, a method to predict the pavement fatigue crack initiation life was proposed and the fatigue life of a typical HMAC overlay pavement which runs a risk of bottom-up cracking was predicted and validated. Results show that the proposed method was able to produce satisfactory crack initiation life.

Mathematical foundation of the optimization-based fluid animation method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Erleben, Kenny; Misztal, Marek Krzysztof; Bærentzen, Jakob Andreas

2011-01-01

We present the mathematical foundation of a fluid animation method for unstructured meshes. Key contributions not previously treated are the extension to include diffusion forces and higher order terms of non-linear force approximations. In our discretization we apply a fractional step method to ...

Distributed-Lagrange-Multiplier-based computational method for particulate flow with collisions

Science.gov (United States)

Ardekani, Arezoo; Rangel, Roger

2006-11-01

A Distributed-Lagrange-Multiplier-based computational method is developed for colliding particles in a solid-fluid system. A numerical simulation is conducted in two dimensions using the finite volume method. The entire domain is treated as a fluid but the fluid in the particle domains satisfies a rigidity constraint. We present an efficient method for predicting the collision between particles. In earlier methods, a repulsive force was applied to the particles when their distance was less than a critical value. In this method, an impulsive force is computed. During the frictionless collision process between two particles, linear momentum is conserved while the tangential forces are zero. Thus, instead of satisfying a condition of rigid body motion for each particle separately, as done when particles are not in contact, both particles are rigidified together along their line of centers. Particles separate from each other when the impulsive force is less than zero and after this time, a rigidity constraint is satisfied for each particle separately. Grid independency is implemented to ensure the accuracy of the numerical simulation. A comparison between this method and previous collision strategies is presented and discussed.

Development of an improved high resolution mass spectrometry based multi-residue method for veterinary drugs in various food matrices.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaufmann, A; Butcher, P; Maden, K; Walker, S; Widmer, M

2011-08-26

Multi-residue methods for veterinary drugs or pesticides in food are increasingly often based on ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Previous available time of flight (TOF) technologies, showing resolutions up to 15,000 full width at half maximum (FWHM), were not sufficiently selective for monitoring low residue concentrations in difficult matrices (e.g. hormones in tissue or antibiotics in honey). The approach proposed in this paper is based on a single stage Orbitrap mass spectrometer operated at 50,000 FWHM. Extracts (liver and kidney) which were produced according to a validated multi-residue method (time of flight detection based) could not be analyzed by Orbitrap because of extensive signal suppression. This required the improvement of established extraction and clean-up procedures. The introduced, more extensive deproteinzation steps and dedicated instrumental settings successfully eliminated these detrimental suppression effects. The reported method, covering more than 100 different veterinary dugs, was validated according to the EU Commission Decision 2002/657/EEC. Validated matrices include muscle, kidney, liver, fish and honey. Significantly better performance parameters (e.g. linearity, reproducibility and detection limits) were obtained when comparing the new method with the older, TOF based method. These improvements are attributed to the higher resolution (50,000 versus 12,000 FWHM) and the superior mass stability of the of the Orbitrap over the previously utilized TOF instrument. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spherical aberration compensation method for long focal-length measurement based on Talbot interferometry

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Yupeng; Huang, Xiao; Bai, Jian; Du, Juan; Liu, Qun; Luo, Yujie; Luo, Jia

2017-08-01

Large-aperture and long focal-length lens is widely used in high energy laser system. The method based on Talbot interferometry is a reliable method to measure the focal length of such elements. By employing divergent beam and two gratings of different periods, this method could realize full-aperture measurement, higher accuracy and better repeatability. However, it does not take into account the spherical aberration of the measured lens resulting in the moiré fringes bending, which will introduce measurement error. Furthermore, in long-focal measurement with divergent beam, this error is an important factor affecting the measurement accuracy. In this paper, we propose a new spherical aberration compensation method, which could significantly reduce the measurement error. Characterized by central-symmetric scanning window, the proposed method is based on the relationship between spherical aberration and the lens aperture. Angle data of moiré fringes in each scanning window is retrieved by Fourier analysis and statistically fitted to estimate a globally optimum value for spherical-aberration-free focal length calculation. Simulation and experiment have been carried out. Compared to the previous work, the proposed method is able to reduce the relative measurement error by 50%. The effect of scanning window size and shift step length on the results is also discussed.

Adaptive oriented PDEs filtering methods based on new controlling speed function for discontinuous optical fringe patterns

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Qiuling; Tang, Chen; Li, Biyuan; Wang, Linlin; Lei, Zhenkun; Tang, Shuwei

2018-01-01

The filtering of discontinuous optical fringe patterns is a challenging problem faced in this area. This paper is concerned with oriented partial differential equations (OPDEs)-based image filtering methods for discontinuous optical fringe patterns. We redefine a new controlling speed function to depend on the orientation coherence. The orientation coherence can be used to distinguish the continuous regions and the discontinuous regions, and can be calculated by utilizing fringe orientation. We introduce the new controlling speed function to the previous OPDEs and propose adaptive OPDEs filtering models. According to our proposed adaptive OPDEs filtering models, the filtering in the continuous and discontinuous regions can be selectively carried out. We demonstrate the performance of the proposed adaptive OPDEs via application to the simulated and experimental fringe patterns, and compare our methods with the previous OPDEs.

Charged-particle thermonuclear reaction rates: IV. Comparison to previous work

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iliadis, C.; Longland, R.; Champagne, A.E.; Coc, A.

2010-01-01

We compare our Monte Carlo reaction rates (see Paper II of this issue) to previous results that were obtained by using the classical method of computing thermonuclear reaction rates. For each reaction, the comparison is presented using two types of graphs: the first shows the change in reaction rate uncertainties, while the second displays our new results normalized to the previously recommended reaction rate. We find that the rates have changed significantly for almost all reactions considered here. The changes are caused by (i) our new Monte Carlo method of computing reaction rates (see Paper I of this issue), and (ii) newly available nuclear physics information (see Paper III of this issue).

Fuzzy Shannon Entropy: A Hybrid GIS-Based Landslide Susceptibility Mapping Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Majid Shadman Roodposhti

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Assessing Landslide Susceptibility Mapping (LSM contributes to reducing the risk of living with landslides. Handling the vagueness associated with LSM is a challenging task. Here we show the application of hybrid GIS-based LSM. The hybrid approach embraces fuzzy membership functions (FMFs in combination with Shannon entropy, a well-known information theory-based method. Nine landslide-related criteria, along with an inventory of landslides containing 108 recent and historic landslide points, are used to prepare a susceptibility map. A random split into training (≈70% and testing (≈30% samples are used for training and validation of the LSM model. The study area—Izeh—is located in the Khuzestan province of Iran, a highly susceptible landslide zone. The performance of the hybrid method is evaluated using receiver operating characteristics (ROC curves in combination with area under the curve (AUC. The performance of the proposed hybrid method with AUC of 0.934 is superior to multi-criteria evaluation approaches using a subjective scheme in this research in comparison with a previous study using the same dataset through extended fuzzy multi-criteria evaluation with AUC value of 0.894, and was built on the basis of decision makers’ evaluation in the same study area.

An information theory criteria based blind method for enumerating active users in DS-CDMA system

Science.gov (United States)

Samsami Khodadad, Farid; Abed Hodtani, Ghosheh

2014-11-01

In this paper, a new and blind algorithm for active user enumeration in asynchronous direct sequence code division multiple access (DS-CDMA) in multipath channel scenario is proposed. The proposed method is based on information theory criteria. There are two main categories of information criteria which are widely used in active user enumeration, Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and Minimum Description Length (MDL) information theory criteria. The main difference between these two criteria is their penalty functions. Due to this difference, MDL is a consistent enumerator which has better performance in higher signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) but AIC is preferred in lower SNRs. In sequel, we propose a SNR compliance method based on subspace and training genetic algorithm to have the performance of both of them. Moreover, our method uses only a single antenna, in difference to the previous methods which decrease hardware complexity. Simulation results show that the proposed method is capable of estimating the number of active users without any prior knowledge and the efficiency of the method.

De novo clustering methods outperform reference-based methods for assigning 16S rRNA gene sequences to operational taxonomic units

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah L. Westcott

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Background. 16S rRNA gene sequences are routinely assigned to operational taxonomic units (OTUs that are then used to analyze complex microbial communities. A number of methods have been employed to carry out the assignment of 16S rRNA gene sequences to OTUs leading to confusion over which method is optimal. A recent study suggested that a clustering method should be selected based on its ability to generate stable OTU assignments that do not change as additional sequences are added to the dataset. In contrast, we contend that the quality of the OTU assignments, the ability of the method to properly represent the distances between the sequences, is more important.Methods. Our analysis implemented six de novo clustering algorithms including the single linkage, complete linkage, average linkage, abundance-based greedy clustering, distance-based greedy clustering, and Swarm and the open and closed-reference methods. Using two previously published datasets we used the Matthew’s Correlation Coefficient (MCC to assess the stability and quality of OTU assignments.Results. The stability of OTU assignments did not reflect the quality of the assignments. Depending on the dataset being analyzed, the average linkage and the distance and abundance-based greedy clustering methods generated OTUs that were more likely to represent the actual distances between sequences than the open and closed-reference methods. We also demonstrated that for the greedy algorithms VSEARCH produced assignments that were comparable to those produced by USEARCH making VSEARCH a viable free and open source alternative to USEARCH. Further interrogation of the reference-based methods indicated that when USEARCH or VSEARCH were used to identify the closest reference, the OTU assignments were sensitive to the order of the reference sequences because the reference sequences can be identical over the region being considered. More troubling was the observation that while both USEARCH and

Learning Algorithm of Boltzmann Machine Based on Spatial Monte Carlo Integration Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muneki Yasuda

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The machine learning techniques for Markov random fields are fundamental in various fields involving pattern recognition, image processing, sparse modeling, and earth science, and a Boltzmann machine is one of the most important models in Markov random fields. However, the inference and learning problems in the Boltzmann machine are NP-hard. The investigation of an effective learning algorithm for the Boltzmann machine is one of the most important challenges in the field of statistical machine learning. In this paper, we study Boltzmann machine learning based on the (first-order spatial Monte Carlo integration method, referred to as the 1-SMCI learning method, which was proposed in the author’s previous paper. In the first part of this paper, we compare the method with the maximum pseudo-likelihood estimation (MPLE method using a theoretical and a numerical approaches, and show the 1-SMCI learning method is more effective than the MPLE. In the latter part, we compare the 1-SMCI learning method with other effective methods, ratio matching and minimum probability flow, using a numerical experiment, and show the 1-SMCI learning method outperforms them.

Two new prediction rules for spontaneous pregnancy leading to live birth among subfertile couples, based on the synthesis of three previous models.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

C.C. Hunault; J.D.F. Habbema (Dik); M.J.C. Eijkemans (René); J.A. Collins (John); J.L.H. Evers (Johannes); E.R. te Velde (Egbert)

2004-01-01

textabstractBACKGROUND: Several models have been published for the prediction of spontaneous pregnancy among subfertile patients. The aim of this study was to broaden the empirical basis for these predictions by making a synthesis of three previously published models. METHODS:

Revisiting chlorophyll extraction methods in biological soil crusts - methodology for determination of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll a + b as compared to previous methods

Science.gov (United States)

Caesar, Jennifer; Tamm, Alexandra; Ruckteschler, Nina; Lena Leifke, Anna; Weber, Bettina

2018-03-01

Chlorophyll concentrations of biological soil crust (biocrust) samples are commonly determined to quantify the relevance of photosynthetically active organisms within these surface soil communities. Whereas chlorophyll extraction methods for freshwater algae and leaf tissues of vascular plants are well established, there is still some uncertainty regarding the optimal extraction method for biocrusts, where organism composition is highly variable and samples comprise major amounts of soil. In this study we analyzed the efficiency of two different chlorophyll extraction solvents, the effect of grinding the soil samples prior to the extraction procedure, and the impact of shaking as an intermediate step during extraction. The analyses were conducted on four different types of biocrusts. Our results show that for all biocrust types chlorophyll contents obtained with ethanol were significantly lower than those obtained using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as a solvent. Grinding of biocrust samples prior to analysis caused a highly significant decrease in chlorophyll content for green algal lichen- and cyanolichen-dominated biocrusts, and a tendency towards lower values for moss- and algae-dominated biocrusts. Shaking of the samples after each extraction step had a significant positive effect on the chlorophyll content of green algal lichen- and cyanolichen-dominated biocrusts. Based on our results we confirm a DMSO-based chlorophyll extraction method without grinding pretreatment and suggest the addition of an intermediate shaking step for complete chlorophyll extraction (see Supplement S6 for detailed manual). Determination of a universal chlorophyll extraction method for biocrusts is essential for the inter-comparability of publications conducted across all continents.

Mixed methods for implementation research: application to evidence-based practice implementation and staff turnover in community-based organizations providing child welfare services.

Science.gov (United States)

Aarons, Gregory A; Fettes, Danielle L; Sommerfeld, David H; Palinkas, Lawrence A

2012-02-01

Many public sector service systems and provider organizations are in some phase of learning about or implementing evidence-based interventions. Child welfare service systems represent a context where implementation spans system, management, and organizational concerns. Research utilizing mixed methods that combine qualitative and quantitative design, data collection, and analytic approaches are particularly well suited to understanding both the process and outcomes of dissemination and implementation efforts in child welfare systems. This article describes the process of using mixed methods in implementation research and provides an applied example of an examination of factors impacting staff retention during an evidence-based intervention implementation in a statewide child welfare system. The authors integrate qualitative data with previously published quantitative analyses of job autonomy and staff turnover during this statewide implementation project in order to illustrate the utility of mixed method approaches in providing a more comprehensive understanding of opportunities and challenges in implementation research.

Triptycene-based ladder monomers and polymers, methods of making each, and methods of use

KAUST Repository

Pinnau, Ingo

2015-02-05

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for a triptycene-based A-B monomer, a method of making a triptycene-based A-B monomer, a triptycene-based ladder polymer, a method of making a triptycene-based ladder polymers, a method of using triptycene-based ladder polymers, a structure incorporating triptycene-based ladder polymers, a method of gas separation, and the like.

Influence of Previous Knowledge, Language Skills and Domain-specific Interest on Observation Competency

Science.gov (United States)

Kohlhauf, Lucia; Rutke, Ulrike; Neuhaus, Birgit

2011-10-01

Many epoch-making biological discoveries (e.g. Darwinian Theory) were based upon observations. Nevertheless, observation is often regarded as `just looking' rather than a basic scientific skill. As observation is one of the main research methods in biological sciences, it must be considered as an independent research method and systematic practice of this method is necessary. Because observation skills form the basis of further scientific methods (e.g. experiments or comparisons) and children from the age of 4 years are able to independently generate questions and hypotheses, it seems possible to foster observation competency at a preschool level. To be able to provide development-adequate individual fostering of this competency, it is first necessary to assess each child's competency. Therefore, drawing on the recent literature, we developed in this study a competency model that was empirically evaluated within learners ( N = 110) from different age groups, from kindergarten to university. In addition, we collected data on language skills, domain-specific interest and previous knowledge to analyse coherence between these skills and observation competency. The study showed as expected that previous knowledge had a high impact on observation competency, whereas the influence of domain-specific interest was nonexistent. Language skills were shown to have a weak influence. By utilising the empirically validated model consisting of three dimensions (`Describing', `Scientific reasoning' and `Interpreting') and three skill levels, it was possible to assess each child's competency level and to develop and evaluate guided play activities to individually foster a child's observation competency.

Language Practitioners' Reflections on Method-Based and Post-Method Pedagogies

Science.gov (United States)

Soomro, Abdul Fattah; Almalki, Mansoor S.

2017-01-01

Method-based pedagogies are commonly applied in teaching English as a foreign language all over the world. However, in the last quarter of the 20th century, the concept of such pedagogies based on the application of a single best method in EFL started to be viewed with concerns by some scholars. In response to the growing concern against the…

Product and corporate carbon footprint using the compound method based on financial accounts. The case of Osorio wind farms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alvarez, Sergio; Sosa, María; Rubio, Agustín

2015-01-01

Highlights: • We applied novel organisation-product-based-life-cycle assessment to Osorio Wind Farms. • This study includes sources, phases and areas previously unreported for the wind power sector. • MC3 assess carbon footprint in a practical and comprehensive manner. • MC3 is suitable for its application in major international projects. - Abstract: The challenge of developing clean and renewable energy sources is becoming ever more urgent. Over the last decade, the concept of carbon footprint has been used to report direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions and as a support for sustainable consumption decisions. However, the discrepancies in the approaches based on either the product or corporate carbon footprint can seriously hinder its successful implementation. The so-called compound method based on financial accounts is a tiered hybrid method which enables the calculation of both the product and corporate carbon footprint. This work aims to assess this method as a tool for carbon footprint through its implementation in a comprehensive life-cycle assessment of the Osorio Wind Farms in Brazil. The total cumulative life-cycle emissions are 362.455 t CO 2 eq, representing 18.33 gr CO 2 eq per kW h delivered to the Brazilian national power grid. The difference with regard to previous works derives from its broader scope and different assumptions. In this study the comparable value from wind turbine manufacture, transport and construction is 8.42 gr CO 2 eq per kW h, 56% lower than the mean figure reported by Arvesen and Hertwich (2012). This study includes sources, phases and areas previously unreported in the carbon footprint reviews for the wind power sector. We conclude that the compound method based on financial accounts is a practical method that allows the definition of a more comprehensive goal and scope. Its implementation at Osorio Wind Farms demonstrates the method’s suitability for application in major international projects and

Spectrophotometric determination of uranium by previous extraction chromatography separation in polimetalic mineral, phosphorites and technological licours

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreno Bermudez, J.; Cabrera Quevedo, C.; Alfonso Mendez, L.; Rodriguez Aguilera, M.

1994-01-01

The development of an analytical procedure for spectrophotometric determination of uranium in polimetalic mineral, phosphorites and technological licours is described. The method is based on the previous separation of interfering elements by extraction chromatography and on spectrophotometric determination of uranium (IV) with arsenazo III in concentrated hydrochloric acid. Tributyl phosphate impregnate on politetrafluoroethylene is used as stationary phase and 5.5 M nitric acid is used as movie phase. The influence of matrix-component elements was studies. The development procedure was applied to real samples, being the results compared with those obtained by other well established analytical methods like gamma-spectrometry, laser fluorimetric, spectrophotometry previous uranium separation by liquid liquid extraction and anion exchange. The reproducibility is evaluated and the detection limited has been established for each studied matrix. A procedure for correcting the thorium interference has been developed for samples with a Th/ 3U8O higher than 0.2

Model-Based Method for Sensor Validation

Science.gov (United States)

Vatan, Farrokh

2012-01-01

Fault detection, diagnosis, and prognosis are essential tasks in the operation of autonomous spacecraft, instruments, and in situ platforms. One of NASA s key mission requirements is robust state estimation. Sensing, using a wide range of sensors and sensor fusion approaches, plays a central role in robust state estimation, and there is a need to diagnose sensor failure as well as component failure. Sensor validation can be considered to be part of the larger effort of improving reliability and safety. The standard methods for solving the sensor validation problem are based on probabilistic analysis of the system, from which the method based on Bayesian networks is most popular. Therefore, these methods can only predict the most probable faulty sensors, which are subject to the initial probabilities defined for the failures. The method developed in this work is based on a model-based approach and provides the faulty sensors (if any), which can be logically inferred from the model of the system and the sensor readings (observations). The method is also more suitable for the systems when it is hard, or even impossible, to find the probability functions of the system. The method starts by a new mathematical description of the problem and develops a very efficient and systematic algorithm for its solution. The method builds on the concepts of analytical redundant relations (ARRs).

Activity based costing (ABC Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prof. Ph.D. Saveta Tudorache

2008-05-01

Full Text Available In the present paper the need and advantages are presented of using the Activity BasedCosting method, need arising from the need of solving the information pertinence issue. This issue has occurreddue to the limitation of classic methods in this field, limitation also reflected by the disadvantages ofsuch classic methods in establishing complete costs.

An Efficient Upscaling Procedure Based on Stokes-Brinkman Model and Discrete Fracture Network Method for Naturally Fractured Carbonate Karst Reservoirs

KAUST Repository

Qin, Guan; Bi, Linfeng; Popov, Peter; Efendiev, Yalchin; Espedal, Magne

2010-01-01

, fractures and their interconnectivities in coarse-scale simulation models. In this paper, we present a procedure based on our previously proposed Stokes-Brinkman model (SPE 125593) and the discrete fracture network method for accurate and efficient upscaling

Topology-Based Methods in Visualization 2015

CERN Document Server

Garth, Christoph; Weinkauf, Tino

2017-01-01

This book presents contributions on topics ranging from novel applications of topological analysis for particular problems, through studies of the effectiveness of modern topological methods, algorithmic improvements on existing methods, and parallel computation of topological structures, all the way to mathematical topologies not previously applied to data analysis. Topological methods are broadly recognized as valuable tools for analyzing the ever-increasing flood of data generated by simulation or acquisition. This is particularly the case in scientific visualization, where the data sets have long since surpassed the ability of the human mind to absorb every single byte of data. The biannual TopoInVis workshop has supported researchers in this area for a decade, and continues to serve as a vital forum for the presentation and discussion of novel results in applications in the area, creating a platform to disseminate knowledge about such implementations throughout and beyond the community. The present volum...

An Automatic Diagnosis Method of Facial Acne Vulgaris Based on Convolutional Neural Network.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Xiaolei; Zhang, Jiachi; Yan, Chenjun; Zhou, Hong

2018-04-11

In this paper, we present a new automatic diagnosis method for facial acne vulgaris which is based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs). To overcome the shortcomings of previous methods which were the inability to classify enough types of acne vulgaris. The core of our method is to extract features of images based on CNNs and achieve classification by classifier. A binary-classifier of skin-and-non-skin is used to detect skin area and a seven-classifier is used to achieve the classification task of facial acne vulgaris and healthy skin. In the experiments, we compare the effectiveness of our CNN and the VGG16 neural network which is pre-trained on the ImageNet data set. We use a ROC curve to evaluate the performance of binary-classifier and use a normalized confusion matrix to evaluate the performance of seven-classifier. The results of our experiments show that the pre-trained VGG16 neural network is effective in extracting features from facial acne vulgaris images. And the features are very useful for the follow-up classifiers. Finally, we try applying the classifiers both based on the pre-trained VGG16 neural network to assist doctors in facial acne vulgaris diagnosis.

Kontexte qualitativer Sozialforschung: Arts-Based Research, Mixed Methods und Emergent Methods

OpenAIRE

Schreier, Margrit

2017-01-01

In dem vorliegenden Beitrag werden drei Kontexte qualitativer Sozialforschung genauer dargestellt, die in den vergangenen Jahren zunehmend an Bedeutung gewonnen haben: Arts-Based Research, Mixed Methods und Emergent Methods. Es werden verschiedene Ansätze und Varianten von Arts-Informed und Arts-Based Research genauer beschrieben, und es wird argumentiert, dass Arts-Based Research eine eigenständige Forschungstradition darstellt, die der qualitativen Sozialforschung wichtige Impulse geben kan...

Mixed Methods for Implementation Research: Application to Evidence-Based Practice Implementation and Staff Turnover in Community Based Organizations Providing Child Welfare Services

Science.gov (United States)

Aarons, Gregory A.; Fettes, Danielle L.; Sommerfeld, David H.; Palinkas, Lawrence

2013-01-01

Many public sector services systems and provider organizations are in some phase of learning about or implementing evidence-based interventions. Child welfare service systems represent a context where implementation spans system, management, and organizational concerns. Research utilizing mixed methods that combine qualitative and quantitative design, data collection, and analytic approaches are particularly well-suited to understanding both the process and outcomes of dissemination and implementation efforts in child welfare systems. This paper describes the process of using mixed methods in implementation research and provides an applied example of an examination of factors impacting staff retention during an evidence-based intervention implementation in a statewide child welfare system. We integrate qualitative data with previously published quantitative analyses of job autonomy and staff turnover during this statewide implementation project in order to illustrate the utility of mixed method approaches in providing a more comprehensive understanding of opportunities and challenges in implementation research. PMID:22146861

Triptycene-based ladder monomers and polymers, methods of making each, and methods of use

KAUST Repository

Pinnau, Ingo; Ghanem, Bader; Swaidan, Raja

2015-01-01

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for a triptycene-based A-B monomer, a method of making a triptycene-based A-B monomer, a triptycene-based ladder polymer, a method of making a triptycene-based ladder polymers, a method of using

Obstructive pulmonary disease in patients with previous tuberculosis ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Obstructive pulmonary disease in patients with previous tuberculosis: Pathophysiology of a community-based cohort. B.W. Allwood, R Gillespie, M Galperin-Aizenberg, M Bateman, H Olckers, L Taborda-Barata, G.L. Calligaro, Q Said-Hartley, R van Zyl-Smit, C.B. Cooper, E van Rikxoort, J Goldin, N Beyers, E.D. Bateman ...

An operant-based detection method for inferring tinnitus in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Zuo, Hongyan; Lei, Debin; Sivaramakrishnan, Shobhana; Howie, Benjamin; Mulvany, Jessica; Bao, Jianxin

2017-11-01

Subjective tinnitus is a hearing disorder in which a person perceives sound when no external sound is present. It can be acute or chronic. Because our current understanding of its pathology is incomplete, no effective cures have yet been established. Mouse models are useful for studying the pathophysiology of tinnitus as well as for developing therapeutic treatments. We have developed a new method for determining acute and chronic tinnitus in mice, called sound-based avoidance detection (SBAD). The SBAD method utilizes one paradigm to detect tinnitus and another paradigm to monitor possible confounding factors, such as motor impairment, loss of motivation, and deficits in learning and memory. The SBAD method has succeeded in monitoring both acute and chronic tinnitus in mice. Its detection ability is further validated by functional studies demonstrating an abnormal increase in neuronal activity in the inferior colliculus of mice that had previously been identified as having tinnitus by the SBAD method. The SBAD method provides a new means by which investigators can detect tinnitus in a single mouse accurately and with more control over potential confounding factors than existing methods. This work establishes a new behavioral method for detecting tinnitus in mice. The detection outcome is consistent with functional validation. One key advantage of mouse models is they provide researchers the opportunity to utilize an extensive array of genetic tools. This new method could lead to a deeper understanding of the molecular pathways underlying tinnitus pathology. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enhanced iris recognition method based on multi-unit iris images

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Kwang Yong; Kim, Yeong Gon; Park, Kang Ryoung

2013-04-01

For the purpose of biometric person identification, iris recognition uses the unique characteristics of the patterns of the iris; that is, the eye region between the pupil and the sclera. When obtaining an iris image, the iris's image is frequently rotated because of the user's head roll toward the left or right shoulder. As the rotation of the iris image leads to circular shifting of the iris features, the accuracy of iris recognition is degraded. To solve this problem, conventional iris recognition methods use shifting of the iris feature codes to perform the matching. However, this increases the computational complexity and level of false acceptance error. To solve these problems, we propose a novel iris recognition method based on multi-unit iris images. Our method is novel in the following five ways compared with previous methods. First, to detect both eyes, we use Adaboost and a rapid eye detector (RED) based on the iris shape feature and integral imaging. Both eyes are detected using RED in the approximate candidate region that consists of the binocular region, which is determined by the Adaboost detector. Second, we classify the detected eyes into the left and right eyes, because the iris patterns in the left and right eyes in the same person are different, and they are therefore considered as different classes. We can improve the accuracy of iris recognition using this pre-classification of the left and right eyes. Third, by measuring the angle of head roll using the two center positions of the left and right pupils, detected by two circular edge detectors, we obtain the information of the iris rotation angle. Fourth, in order to reduce the error and processing time of iris recognition, adaptive bit-shifting based on the measured iris rotation angle is used in feature matching. Fifth, the recognition accuracy is enhanced by the score fusion of the left and right irises. Experimental results on the iris open database of low-resolution images showed that the

3D Fourier synthesis of a new X-ray picture identical in projection to a previous picture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlsson, P.E.

1993-01-01

A central problem in diagnostic radiology is to compare a new X-ray picture with a previous picture and from this comparison be able to decide if anatomical changes have occurred in the patient or not. It is of primary interest that these pictures are identical in projection. If not it is difficult to decide with confidence if differences between the pictures are due to anatomical changes or differences in their projection geometry. In this thesis we present a non invasive method that makes it possible to find the relative changes in the projection geometry between the exposure of a previous picture and a new picture. The method presented is based on the projection slice theorem (central section theorem). Instead of an elaborate search for a single new picture a pre-planned set of pictures are exposed from a circular orbit above the patient. By using 3D Fourier transform techniques we are able to synthesize a new X-ray picture from this set of pictures that is identical in projection to the previous one. The method has certain limits. Those are as follows: *The X-ray focus position must always be at a fixed distance from the image plane. *The object may only be translated parallel to the image plane and rotated around axes perpendicular to this plane. Under those restrictions, we may treat divergent projection pictures as if they are generated by a parallel projection of a scaled object. The unknown rotation and translation of the object in the previous case are both retrieved in two different procedures and compensated for. Experiments on synthetic data has proved that the method is working even in the presence of severe noise

Late preterm birth and previous cesarean section: a population-based cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Yasseen Iii, Abdool S; Bassil, Kate; Sprague, Ann; Urquia, Marcelo; Maguire, Jonathon L

2018-02-21

Late preterm birth (LPB) is increasingly common and associated with higher morbidity and mortality than term birth. Yet, little is known about the influence of previous cesarean section (PCS) and the occurrence of LPB in subsequent pregnancies. We aim to evaluate this association along with the potential mediation by cesarean sections in the current pregnancy. We use population-based birth registry data (2005-2012) to establish a cohort of live born singleton infants born between 34 and 41 gestational weeks to multiparous mothers. PCS was the primary exposure, LPB (34-36 weeks) was the primary outcome, and an unplanned or emergency cesarean section in the current pregnancy was the potential mediator. Associations were quantified using propensity weighted multivariable Poisson regression, and mediating associations were explored using the Baron-Kenny approach. The cohort included 481,531 births, 21,893 (4.5%) were LPB, and 119,983 (24.9%) were predated by at least one PCS. Among mothers with at least one PCS, 6307 (5.26%) were LPB. There was increased risk of LPB among women with at least one PCS (adjusted Relative Risk (aRR): 1.20 (95%CI [1.16, 1.23]). Unplanned or emergency cesarean section in the current pregnancy was identified as a strong mediator to this relationship (mediation ratio = 97%). PCS was associated with higher risk of LPB in subsequent pregnancies. This may be due to an increased risk of subsequent unplanned or emergency preterm cesarean sections. Efforts to minimize index cesarean sections may reduce the risk of LPB in subsequent pregnancies.

A DNA microarray-based methylation-sensitive (MS)-AFLP hybridization method for genetic and epigenetic analyses.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, F; Yamamoto, M

2004-07-01

We previously developed a PCR-based DNA fingerprinting technique named the Methylation Sensitive (MS)-AFLP method, which permits comparative genome-wide scanning of methylation status with a manageable number of fingerprinting experiments. The technique uses the methylation sensitive restriction enzyme NotI in the context of the existing Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) method. Here we report the successful conversion of this gel electrophoresis-based DNA fingerprinting technique into a DNA microarray hybridization technique (DNA Microarray MS-AFLP). By performing a total of 30 (15 x 2 reciprocal labeling) DNA Microarray MS-AFLP hybridization experiments on genomic DNA from two breast and three prostate cancer cell lines in all pairwise combinations, and Southern hybridization experiments using more than 100 different probes, we have demonstrated that the DNA Microarray MS-AFLP is a reliable method for genetic and epigenetic analyses. No statistically significant differences were observed in the number of differences between the breast-prostate hybridization experiments and the breast-breast or prostate-prostate comparisons.

Validation of the Online version of the Previous Day Food Questionnaire for schoolchildren

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raquel ENGEL

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate the validity of the web-based version of the Previous Day Food Questionnaire Online for schoolchildren from the 2nd to 5th grades of elementary school. Methods Participants were 312 schoolchildren aged 7 to 12 years of a public school from the city of Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Validity was assessed by sensitivity, specificity, as well as by agreement rates (match, omission, and intrusion rates of food items reported by children on the Previous Day Food Questionnaire Online, using direct observation of foods/beverages eaten during school meals (mid-morning snack or afternoon snack on the previous day as the reference. Multivariate multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the influence of participants’ characteristics on omission and intrusion rates. Results The results showed adequate sensitivity (67.7% and specificity (95.2%. There were low omission and intrusion rates of 22.8% and 29.5%, respectively when all food items were analyzed. Pizza/hamburger showed the highest omission rate, whereas milk and milk products showed the highest intrusion rate. The participants who attended school in the afternoon shift presented a higher probability of intrusion compared to their peers who attended school in the morning. Conclusion The Previous Day Food Questionnaire Online possessed satisfactory validity for the assessment of food intake at the group level in schoolchildren from the 2nd to 5th grades of public school.

SONOGRAPHIC PREDICTION OF SCAR DEHISCENCE IN WOMEN WITH PREVIOUS CAESAREAN SECTION

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Shubhada Suhas Jajoo

2018-01-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND Caesarean section (Sectio Caesarea is a surgical method for the completion of delivery. After various historical modifications of operative techniques, modern approach consists in the transverse dissection of the anterior wall of the uterus. The rate of vaginal birth after caesarean section was significantly reduced from year to year and the rate of repeated caesarean section is increased during the past 10 years. Evaluation of scar thickness is done by ultrasound, but it is still debatable size of thick scar that would be guiding “cut-off value” for the completion of the delivery method. To better assess the risk of uterine rupture, some authors have proposed sonographic measurement of lower uterine segment thickness near term assuming that there is an inverse correlation between LUS thickness and the risk of uterine scar defect. Therefore, this assessment for the management of women with prior CS may increase safety during labour by selecting women with the lowest risk of uterine rupture. The aim of the study is to study the diagnostic accuracy of sonographic measurements of the Lower Uterine Segment (LUS thickness near term in predicting uterine scar defects in women with prior Caesarean Section (CS. We aim to ascertain the best cut-off values for predicting uterine rupture. MATERIALS AND METHODS 100 antenatal women with history of previous one LSCS who come to attend antenatal clinic will be assessed for scar thickness by transabdominal ultrasonography and its correlation with intraoperative findings. This prospective longitudinal study was conducted for 1 year after IEC approval with inclusion criteria previous one LSCS. Exclusion criteria- 1 Previous myomectomy scar; 2 Previous 2 LSCS; 3 Previous hysterotomy scar. RESULTS Our findings indicate that there is a strong association between degree of LUS thinning measured near term and the risk of uterine scar defect at birth. In our study, optimal cut-off value for predicting

Prediction and evaluation method of wind environment in the early design stage using BIM-based CFD simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Sumi; Song, Doosam

2010-01-01

Drastic urbanization and manhattanization are causing various problems in wind environment. This study suggests a CFD simulation method to evaluate wind environment in the early design stage of high-rise buildings. The CFD simulation of this study is not a traditional in-depth simulation, but a method to immediately evaluate wind environment for each design alternative and provide guidelines for design modification. Thus, the CFD simulation of this study to evaluate wind environments uses BIM-based CFD tools to utilize building models in the design stage. This study examined previous criteria to evaluate wind environment for pedestrians around buildings and selected evaluation criteria applicable to the CFD simulation method of this study. Furthermore, proper mesh generation method and CPU time were reviewed to find a meaningful CFD simulation result for determining optimal design alternative from the perspective of wind environment in the design stage. In addition, this study is to suggest a wind environment evaluation method through a BIM-based CFD simulation.

Ratio-based vs. model-based methods to correct for urinary creatinine concentrations.

Science.gov (United States)

Jain, Ram B

2016-08-01

Creatinine-corrected urinary analyte concentration is usually computed as the ratio of the observed level of analyte concentration divided by the observed level of the urinary creatinine concentration (UCR). This ratio-based method is flawed since it implicitly assumes that hydration is the only factor that affects urinary creatinine concentrations. On the contrary, it has been shown in the literature, that age, gender, race/ethnicity, and other factors also affect UCR. Consequently, an optimal method to correct for UCR should correct for hydration as well as other factors like age, gender, and race/ethnicity that affect UCR. Model-based creatinine correction in which observed UCRs are used as an independent variable in regression models has been proposed. This study was conducted to evaluate the performance of ratio-based and model-based creatinine correction methods when the effects of gender, age, and race/ethnicity are evaluated one factor at a time for selected urinary analytes and metabolites. It was observed that ratio-based method leads to statistically significant pairwise differences, for example, between males and females or between non-Hispanic whites (NHW) and non-Hispanic blacks (NHB), more often than the model-based method. However, depending upon the analyte of interest, the reverse is also possible. The estimated ratios of geometric means (GM), for example, male to female or NHW to NHB, were also compared for the two methods. When estimated UCRs were higher for the group (for example, males) in the numerator of this ratio, these ratios were higher for the model-based method, for example, male to female ratio of GMs. When estimated UCR were lower for the group (for example, NHW) in the numerator of this ratio, these ratios were higher for the ratio-based method, for example, NHW to NHB ratio of GMs. Model-based method is the method of choice if all factors that affect UCR are to be accounted for.

Application of model-based and knowledge-based measuring methods as analytical redundancy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hampel, R.; Kaestner, W.; Chaker, N.; Vandreier, B.

1997-01-01

The safe operation of nuclear power plants requires the application of modern and intelligent methods of signal processing for the normal operation as well as for the management of accident conditions. Such modern and intelligent methods are model-based and knowledge-based ones being founded on analytical knowledge (mathematical models) as well as experiences (fuzzy information). In addition to the existing hardware redundancies analytical redundancies will be established with the help of these modern methods. These analytical redundancies support the operating staff during the decision-making. The design of a hybrid model-based and knowledge-based measuring method will be demonstrated by the example of a fuzzy-supported observer. Within the fuzzy-supported observer a classical linear observer is connected with a fuzzy-supported adaptation of the model matrices of the observer model. This application is realized for the estimation of the non-measurable variables as steam content and mixture level within pressure vessels with water-steam mixture during accidental depressurizations. For this example the existing non-linearities will be classified and the verification of the model will be explained. The advantages of the hybrid method in comparison to the classical model-based measuring methods will be demonstrated by the results of estimation. The consideration of the parameters which have an important influence on the non-linearities requires the inclusion of high-dimensional structures of fuzzy logic within the model-based measuring methods. Therefore methods will be presented which allow the conversion of these high-dimensional structures to two-dimensional structures of fuzzy logic. As an efficient solution of this problem a method based on cascaded fuzzy controllers will be presented. (author). 2 refs, 12 figs, 5 tabs

Research on Fault Diagnosis Method Based on Rule Base Neural Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zheng Ni

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The relationship between fault phenomenon and fault cause is always nonlinear, which influences the accuracy of fault location. And neural network is effective in dealing with nonlinear problem. In order to improve the efficiency of uncertain fault diagnosis based on neural network, a neural network fault diagnosis method based on rule base is put forward. At first, the structure of BP neural network is built and the learning rule is given. Then, the rule base is built by fuzzy theory. An improved fuzzy neural construction model is designed, in which the calculated methods of node function and membership function are also given. Simulation results confirm the effectiveness of this method.

NetFCM: A Semi-Automated Web-Based Method for Flow Cytometry Data Analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frederiksen, Juliet Wairimu; Buggert, Marcus; Karlsson, Annika C.

2014-01-01

data analysis has become more complex and labor-intensive than previously. We have therefore developed a semi-automatic gating strategy (NetFCM) that uses clustering and principal component analysis (PCA) together with other statistical methods to mimic manual gating approaches. NetFCM is an online...... tool both for subset identification as well as for quantification of differences between samples. Additionally, NetFCM can classify and cluster samples based on multidimensional data. We tested the method using a data set of peripheral blood mononuclear cells collected from 23 HIV-infected individuals...... corresponding to those obtained by manual gating strategies. These data demonstrate that NetFCM has the potential to identify relevant T cell populations by mimicking classical FCM data analysis and reduce the subjectivity and amount of time associated with such analysis. (c) 2014 International Society...

Knee Motion Generation Method for Transfemoral Prosthesis Based on Kinematic Synergy and Inertial Motion.

Science.gov (United States)

Sano, Hiroshi; Wada, Takahiro

2017-12-01

Previous research has shown that the effective use of inertial motion (i.e., less or no torque input at the knee joint) plays an important role in achieving a smooth gait of transfemoral prostheses in the swing phase. In our previous research, a method for generating a timed knee trajectory close to able-bodied individuals, which leads to sufficient clearance between the foot and the floor and the knee extension, was proposed using the inertial motion. Limb motions are known to correlate with each other during walking. This phenomenon is called kinematic synergy. In this paper, we measure gaits in level walking of able-bodied individuals with a wide range of walking velocities. We show that this kinematic synergy also exists between the motions of the intact limbs and those of the knee as determined by the inertial motion technique. We then propose a new method for generating the motion of the knee joint using its inertial motion close to the able-bodied individuals in mid-swing based on its kinematic synergy, such that the method can adapt to the changes in the motion velocity. The numerical simulation results show that the proposed method achieves prosthetic walking similar to that of able-bodied individuals with a wide range of constant walking velocities and termination of walking from steady-state walking. Further investigations have found that a kinematic synergy also exists at the start of walking. Overall, our method successfully achieves knee motion generation from the initiation of walking through steady-state walking with different velocities until termination of walking.

New Internet search volume-based weighting method for integrating various environmental impacts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ji, Changyoon, E-mail: changyoon@yonsei.ac.kr; Hong, Taehoon, E-mail: hong7@yonsei.ac.kr

2016-01-15

Weighting is one of the steps in life cycle impact assessment that integrates various characterized environmental impacts as a single index. Weighting factors should be based on the society's preferences. However, most previous studies consider only the opinion of some people. Thus, this research proposes a new weighting method that determines the weighting factors of environmental impact categories by considering public opinion on environmental impacts using the Internet search volumes for relevant terms. To validate the new weighting method, the weighting factors for six environmental impacts calculated by the new weighting method were compared with the existing weighting factors. The resulting Pearson's correlation coefficient between the new and existing weighting factors was from 0.8743 to 0.9889. It turned out that the new weighting method presents reasonable weighting factors. It also requires less time and lower cost compared to existing methods and likewise meets the main requirements of weighting methods such as simplicity, transparency, and reproducibility. The new weighting method is expected to be a good alternative for determining the weighting factor. - Highlight: • A new weighting method using Internet search volume is proposed in this research. • The new weighting method reflects the public opinion using Internet search volume. • The correlation coefficient between new and existing weighting factors is over 0.87. • The new weighting method can present the reasonable weighting factors. • The proposed method can be a good alternative for determining the weighting factors.

New Internet search volume-based weighting method for integrating various environmental impacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ji, Changyoon; Hong, Taehoon

2016-01-01

Weighting is one of the steps in life cycle impact assessment that integrates various characterized environmental impacts as a single index. Weighting factors should be based on the society's preferences. However, most previous studies consider only the opinion of some people. Thus, this research proposes a new weighting method that determines the weighting factors of environmental impact categories by considering public opinion on environmental impacts using the Internet search volumes for relevant terms. To validate the new weighting method, the weighting factors for six environmental impacts calculated by the new weighting method were compared with the existing weighting factors. The resulting Pearson's correlation coefficient between the new and existing weighting factors was from 0.8743 to 0.9889. It turned out that the new weighting method presents reasonable weighting factors. It also requires less time and lower cost compared to existing methods and likewise meets the main requirements of weighting methods such as simplicity, transparency, and reproducibility. The new weighting method is expected to be a good alternative for determining the weighting factor. - Highlight: • A new weighting method using Internet search volume is proposed in this research. • The new weighting method reflects the public opinion using Internet search volume. • The correlation coefficient between new and existing weighting factors is over 0.87. • The new weighting method can present the reasonable weighting factors. • The proposed method can be a good alternative for determining the weighting factors.

Method Points: towards a metric for method complexity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Graham McLeod

1998-11-01

Full Text Available A metric for method complexity is proposed as an aid to choosing between competing methods, as well as in validating the effects of method integration or the products of method engineering work. It is based upon a generic method representation model previously developed by the author and adaptation of concepts used in the popular Function Point metric for system size. The proposed technique is illustrated by comparing two popular I.E. deliverables with counterparts in the object oriented Unified Modeling Language (UML. The paper recommends ways to improve the practical adoption of new methods.

Entropy-based benchmarking methods

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Temurshoev, Umed

2012-01-01

We argue that benchmarking sign-volatile series should be based on the principle of movement and sign preservation, which states that a bench-marked series should reproduce the movement and signs in the original series. We show that the widely used variants of Denton (1971) method and the growth

Improvement of a sample preparation method assisted by sodium deoxycholate for mass-spectrometry-based shotgun membrane proteomics.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yong; Lin, Haiyan; Liu, Zhonghua; Wang, Kunbo; Yan, Yujun

2014-11-01

In current shotgun-proteomics-based biological discovery, the identification of membrane proteins is a challenge. This is especially true for integral membrane proteins due to their highly hydrophobic nature and low abundance. Thus, much effort has been directed at sample preparation strategies such as use of detergents, chaotropes, and organic solvents. We previously described a sample preparation method for shotgun membrane proteomics, the sodium deoxycholate assisted method, which cleverly circumvents many of the challenges associated with traditional sample preparation methods. However, the method is associated with significant sample loss due to the slightly weaker extraction/solubilization ability of sodium deoxycholate when it is used at relatively low concentrations such as 1%. Hence, we present an enhanced sodium deoxycholate sample preparation strategy that first uses a high concentration of sodium deoxycholate (5%) to lyse membranes and extract/solubilize hydrophobic membrane proteins, and then dilutes the detergent to 1% for a more efficient digestion. We then applied the improved method to shotgun analysis of proteins from rat liver membrane enriched fraction. Compared with other representative sample preparation strategies including our previous sodium deoxycholate assisted method, the enhanced sodium deoxycholate method exhibited superior sensitivity, coverage, and reliability for the identification of membrane proteins particularly those with high hydrophobicity and/or multiple transmembrane domains. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Arrival-time picking method based on approximate negentropy for microseismic data

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yue; Ni, Zhuo; Tian, Yanan

2018-05-01

Accurate and dependable picking of the first arrival time for microseismic data is an important part in microseismic monitoring, which directly affects analysis results of post-processing. This paper presents a new method based on approximate negentropy (AN) theory for microseismic arrival time picking in condition of much lower signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). According to the differences in information characteristics between microseismic data and random noise, an appropriate approximation of negentropy function is selected to minimize the effect of SNR. At the same time, a weighted function of the differences between maximum and minimum value of AN spectrum curve is designed to obtain a proper threshold function. In this way, the region of signal and noise is distinguished to pick the first arrival time accurately. To demonstrate the effectiveness of AN method, we make many experiments on a series of synthetic data with different SNR from -1 dB to -12 dB and compare it with previously published Akaike information criterion (AIC) and short/long time average ratio (STA/LTA) methods. Experimental results indicate that these three methods can achieve well picking effect when SNR is from -1 dB to -8 dB. However, when SNR is as low as -8 dB to -12 dB, the proposed AN method yields more accurate and stable picking result than AIC and STA/LTA methods. Furthermore, the application results of real three-component microseismic data also show that the new method is superior to the other two methods in accuracy and stability.

Computer Animation Based on Particle Methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafal Wcislo

1999-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the main issues of a computer animation of a set of elastic macroscopic objects based on the particle method. The main assumption of the generated animations is to achieve very realistic movements in a scene observed on the computer display. The objects (solid bodies interact mechanically with each other, The movements and deformations of solids are calculated using the particle method. Phenomena connected with the behaviour of solids in the gravitational field, their defomtations caused by collisions and interactions with the optional liquid medium are simulated. The simulation ofthe liquid is performed using the cellular automata method. The paper presents both simulation schemes (particle method and cellular automata rules an the method of combining them in the single animation program. ln order to speed up the execution of the program the parallel version based on the network of workstation was developed. The paper describes the methods of the parallelization and it considers problems of load-balancing, collision detection, process synchronization and distributed control of the animation.

History based batch method preserving tally means

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shim, Hyung Jin; Choi, Sung Hoon

2012-01-01

In the Monte Carlo (MC) eigenvalue calculations, the sample variance of a tally mean calculated from its cycle-wise estimates is biased because of the inter-cycle correlations of the fission source distribution (FSD). Recently, we proposed a new real variance estimation method named the history-based batch method in which a MC run is treated as multiple runs with small number of histories per cycle to generate independent tally estimates. In this paper, the history-based batch method based on the weight correction is presented to preserve the tally mean from the original MC run. The effectiveness of the new method is examined for the weakly coupled fissile array problem as a function of the dominance ratio and the batch size, in comparison with other schemes available

Predicting Radiation Pneumonitis After Stereotactic Ablative Radiation Therapy in Patients Previously Treated With Conventional Thoracic Radiation Therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Hui; Zhang Xu; Vinogradskiy, Yevgeniy Y.; Swisher, Stephen G.; Komaki, Ritsuko; Chang, Joe Y.

2012-01-01

Purpose: To determine the incidence of and risk factors for radiation pneumonitis (RP) after stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SABR) to the lung in patients who had previously undergone conventional thoracic radiation therapy. Methods and Materials: Seventy-two patients who had previously received conventionally fractionated radiation therapy to the thorax were treated with SABR (50 Gy in 4 fractions) for recurrent disease or secondary parenchymal lung cancer (T 10 and mean lung dose (MLD) of the previous plan and the V 10 -V 40 and MLD of the composite plan were also related to RP. Multivariate analysis revealed that ECOG PS scores of 2-3 before SABR (P=.009), FEV1 ≤65% before SABR (P=.012), V 20 ≥30% of the composite plan (P=.021), and an initial PTV in the bilateral mediastinum (P=.025) were all associated with RP. Conclusions: We found that severe RP was relatively common, occurring in 20.8% of patients, and could be predicted by an ECOG PS score of 2-3, an FEV1 ≤65%, a previous PTV spanning the bilateral mediastinum, and V 20 ≥30% on composite (previous RT+SABR) plans. Prospective studies are needed to validate these predictors and the scoring system on which they are based.

Whole vertebral bone segmentation method with a statistical intensity-shape model based approach

Science.gov (United States)

Hanaoka, Shouhei; Fritscher, Karl; Schuler, Benedikt; Masutani, Yoshitaka; Hayashi, Naoto; Ohtomo, Kuni; Schubert, Rainer

2011-03-01

An automatic segmentation algorithm for the vertebrae in human body CT images is presented. Especially we focused on constructing and utilizing 4 different statistical intensity-shape combined models for the cervical, upper / lower thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, respectively. For this purpose, two previously reported methods were combined: a deformable model-based initial segmentation method and a statistical shape-intensity model-based precise segmentation method. The former is used as a pre-processing to detect the position and orientation of each vertebra, which determines the initial condition for the latter precise segmentation method. The precise segmentation method needs prior knowledge on both the intensities and the shapes of the objects. After PCA analysis of such shape-intensity expressions obtained from training image sets, vertebrae were parametrically modeled as a linear combination of the principal component vectors. The segmentation of each target vertebra was performed as fitting of this parametric model to the target image by maximum a posteriori estimation, combined with the geodesic active contour method. In the experimental result by using 10 cases, the initial segmentation was successful in 6 cases and only partially failed in 4 cases (2 in the cervical area and 2 in the lumbo-sacral). In the precise segmentation, the mean error distances were 2.078, 1.416, 0.777, 0.939 mm for cervical, upper and lower thoracic, lumbar spines, respectively. In conclusion, our automatic segmentation algorithm for the vertebrae in human body CT images showed a fair performance for cervical, thoracic and lumbar vertebrae.

A Robust Blind Quantum Copyright Protection Method for Colored Images Based on Owner's Signature

Science.gov (United States)

Heidari, Shahrokh; Gheibi, Reza; Houshmand, Monireh; Nagata, Koji

2017-08-01

Watermarking is the imperceptible embedding of watermark bits into multimedia data in order to use for different applications. Among all its applications, copyright protection is the most prominent usage which conceals information about the owner in the carrier, so as to prohibit others from assertion copyright. This application requires high level of robustness. In this paper, a new blind quantum copyright protection method based on owners's signature in RGB images is proposed. The method utilizes one of the RGB channels as indicator and two remained channels are used for embedding information about the owner. In our contribution the owner's signature is considered as a text. Therefore, in order to embed in colored image as watermark, a new quantum representation of text based on ASCII character set is offered. Experimental results which are analyzed in MATLAB environment, exhibit that the presented scheme shows good performance against attacks and can be used to find out who the real owner is. Finally, the discussed quantum copyright protection method is compared with a related work that our analysis confirm that the presented scheme is more secure and applicable than the previous ones currently found in the literature.

Energy Sustainability Evaluation Model Based on the Matter-Element Extension Method: A Case Study of Shandong Province, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siqi Li

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Energy sustainability is of vital importance to regional sustainability, because energy sustainability is closely related to both regional economic growth and social stability. The existing energy sustainability evaluation methods lack a unified system to determine the relevant influencing factors, are relatively weak in quantitative analysis, and do not fully describe the ‘paradoxical’ characteristics of energy sustainability. To solve those problems and to reasonably and objectively evaluate energy sustainability, we propose an energy sustainability evaluation model based on the matter-element extension method. We first select energy sustainability evaluation indexes based on previous research and experience. Then, a variation coefficient method is used to determine the weights of these indexes. Finally, the study establishes the classical domain, joint domain, and the matter-element relationship to evaluate energy sustainability through matter-element extension. Data from Shandong Province is used as a case study to evaluate the region’s energy sustainability. The case study shows that the proposed energy sustainability evaluation model, based on the matter-element extension method, can effectively evaluate regional energy sustainability.

Bus Based Synchronization Method for CHIPPER Based NoC

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Muralidharan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Network on Chip (NoC reduces the communication delay of System on Chip (SoC. The main limitation of NoC is power consumption and area overhead. Bufferless NoC reduces the area complexity and power consumption by eliminating buffers in the traditional routers. The bufferless NoC design should include live lock freeness since they use hot potato routing. This increases the complexity of bufferless NoC design. Among the available propositions to reduce this complexity, CHIPPER based bufferless NoC is considered as one of the best options. Live lock freeness is provided in CHIPPER through golden epoch and golden packet. All routers follow some synchronization method to identify a golden packet. Clock based method is intuitively followed for synchronization in CHIPPER based NoCs. It is shown in this work that the worst-case latency of packets is unbearably high when the above synchronization is followed. To alleviate this problem, broadcast bus NoC (BBus NoC approach is proposed in this work. The proposed method decreases the worst-case latency of packets by increasing the golden epoch rate of CHIPPER.

An improved AE detection method of rail defect based on multi-level ANC with VSS-LMS

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xin; Cui, Yiming; Wang, Yan; Sun, Mingjian; Hu, Hengshan

2018-01-01

In order to ensure the safety and reliability of railway system, Acoustic Emission (AE) method is employed to investigate rail defect detection. However, little attention has been paid to the defect detection at high speed, especially for noise interference suppression. Based on AE technology, this paper presents an improved rail defect detection method by multi-level ANC with VSS-LMS. Multi-level noise cancellation based on SANC and ANC is utilized to eliminate complex noises at high speed, and tongue-shaped curve with index adjustment factor is proposed to enhance the performance of variable step-size algorithm. Defect signals and reference signals are acquired by the rail-wheel test rig. The features of noise signals and defect signals are analyzed for effective detection. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated by comparing with the previous study, and different filter lengths are investigated to obtain a better noise suppression performance. Meanwhile, the detection ability of the proposed method is verified at the top speed of the test rig. The results clearly illustrate that the proposed method is effective in detecting rail defects at high speed, especially for noise interference suppression.

Morphological observation and analysis using automated image cytometry for the comparison of trypan blue and fluorescence-based viability detection method.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Leo Li-Ying; Kuksin, Dmitry; Laverty, Daniel J; Saldi, Stephanie; Qiu, Jean

2015-05-01

The ability to accurately determine cell viability is essential to performing a well-controlled biological experiment. Typical experiments range from standard cell culturing to advanced cell-based assays that may require cell viability measurement for downstream experiments. The traditional cell viability measurement method has been the trypan blue (TB) exclusion assay. However, since the introduction of fluorescence-based dyes for cell viability measurement using flow or image-based cytometry systems, there have been numerous publications comparing the two detection methods. Although previous studies have shown discrepancies between TB exclusion and fluorescence-based viability measurements, image-based morphological analysis was not performed in order to examine the viability discrepancies. In this work, we compared TB exclusion and fluorescence-based viability detection methods using image cytometry to observe morphological changes due to the effect of TB on dead cells. Imaging results showed that as the viability of a naturally-dying Jurkat cell sample decreased below 70 %, many TB-stained cells began to exhibit non-uniform morphological characteristics. Dead cells with these characteristics may be difficult to count under light microscopy, thus generating an artificially higher viability measurement compared to fluorescence-based method. These morphological observations can potentially explain the differences in viability measurement between the two methods.

Convex-based void filling method for CAD-based Monte Carlo geometry modeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, Shengpeng; Cheng, Mengyun; Song, Jing; Long, Pengcheng; Hu, Liqin

2015-01-01

Highlights: • We present a new void filling method named CVF for CAD based MC geometry modeling. • We describe convex based void description based and quality-based space subdivision. • The results showed improvements provided by CVF for both modeling and MC calculation efficiency. - Abstract: CAD based automatic geometry modeling tools have been widely applied to generate Monte Carlo (MC) calculation geometry for complex systems according to CAD models. Automatic void filling is one of the main functions in the CAD based MC geometry modeling tools, because the void space between parts in CAD models is traditionally not modeled while MC codes such as MCNP need all the problem space to be described. A dedicated void filling method, named Convex-based Void Filling (CVF), is proposed in this study for efficient void filling and concise void descriptions. The method subdivides all the problem space into disjointed regions using Quality based Subdivision (QS) and describes the void space in each region with complementary descriptions of the convex volumes intersecting with that region. It has been implemented in SuperMC/MCAM, the Multiple-Physics Coupling Analysis Modeling Program, and tested on International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) Alite model. The results showed that the new method reduced both automatic modeling time and MC calculation time

A Proposal of Estimation Methodology to Improve Calculation Efficiency of Sampling-based Method in Nuclear Data Sensitivity and Uncertainty Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, Myung Sub; Kim, Song Hyun; Kim, Jong Kyung; Noh, Jae Man

2014-01-01

The uncertainty with the sampling-based method is evaluated by repeating transport calculations with a number of cross section data sampled from the covariance uncertainty data. In the transport calculation with the sampling-based method, the transport equation is not modified; therefore, all uncertainties of the responses such as k eff , reaction rates, flux and power distribution can be directly obtained all at one time without code modification. However, a major drawback with the sampling-based method is that it requires expensive computational load for statistically reliable results (inside confidence level 0.95) in the uncertainty analysis. The purpose of this study is to develop a method for improving the computational efficiency and obtaining highly reliable uncertainty result in using the sampling-based method with Monte Carlo simulation. The proposed method is a method to reduce the convergence time of the response uncertainty by using the multiple sets of sampled group cross sections in a single Monte Carlo simulation. The proposed method was verified by estimating GODIVA benchmark problem and the results were compared with that of conventional sampling-based method. In this study, sampling-based method based on central limit theorem is proposed to improve calculation efficiency by reducing the number of repetitive Monte Carlo transport calculation required to obtain reliable uncertainty analysis results. Each set of sampled group cross sections is assigned to each active cycle group in a single Monte Carlo simulation. The criticality uncertainty for the GODIVA problem is evaluated by the proposed and previous method. The results show that the proposed sampling-based method can efficiently decrease the number of Monte Carlo simulation required for evaluate uncertainty of k eff . It is expected that the proposed method will improve computational efficiency of uncertainty analysis with sampling-based method

An inter-comparison of similarity-based methods for organisation and classification of groundwater hydrographs

Science.gov (United States)

Haaf, Ezra; Barthel, Roland

2018-04-01

Classification and similarity based methods, which have recently received major attention in the field of surface water hydrology, namely through the PUB (prediction in ungauged basins) initiative, have not yet been applied to groundwater systems. However, it can be hypothesised, that the principle of "similar systems responding similarly to similar forcing" applies in subsurface hydrology as well. One fundamental prerequisite to test this hypothesis and eventually to apply the principle to make "predictions for ungauged groundwater systems" is efficient methods to quantify the similarity of groundwater system responses, i.e. groundwater hydrographs. In this study, a large, spatially extensive, as well as geologically and geomorphologically diverse dataset from Southern Germany and Western Austria was used, to test and compare a set of 32 grouping methods, which have previously only been used individually in local-scale studies. The resulting groupings are compared to a heuristic visual classification, which serves as a baseline. A performance ranking of these classification methods is carried out and differences in homogeneity of grouping results were shown, whereby selected groups were related to hydrogeological indices and geological descriptors. This exploratory empirical study shows that the choice of grouping method has a large impact on the object distribution within groups, as well as on the homogeneity of patterns captured in groups. The study provides a comprehensive overview of a large number of grouping methods, which can guide researchers when attempting similarity-based groundwater hydrograph classification.

Description logic-based methods for auditing frame-based medical terminological systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Cornet, Ronald; Abu-Hanna, Ameen

2005-07-01

Medical terminological systems (TSs) play an increasingly important role in health care by supporting recording, retrieval and analysis of patient information. As the size and complexity of TSs are growing, the need arises for means to audit them, i.e. verify and maintain (logical) consistency and (semantic) correctness of their contents. This is not only important for the management of TSs but also for providing their users with confidence about the reliability of their contents. Formal methods have the potential to play an important role in the audit of TSs, although there are few empirical studies to assess the benefits of using these methods. In this paper we propose a method based on description logics (DLs) for the audit of TSs. This method is based on the migration of the medical TS from a frame-based representation to a DL-based one. Our method is characterized by a process in which initially stringent assumptions are made about concept definitions. The assumptions allow the detection of concepts and relations that might comprise a source of logical inconsistency. If the assumptions hold then definitions are to be altered to eliminate the inconsistency, otherwise the assumptions are revised. In order to demonstrate the utility of the approach in a real-world case study we audit a TS in the intensive care domain and discuss decisions pertaining to building DL-based representations. This case study demonstrates that certain types of inconsistencies can indeed be detected by applying the method to a medical terminological system. The added value of the method described in this paper is that it provides a means to evaluate the compliance to a number of common modeling principles in a formal manner. The proposed method reveals potential modeling inconsistencies, helping to audit and (if possible) improve the medical TS. In this way, it contributes to providing confidence in the contents of the terminological system.

Method and platform standardization in MRM-based quantitative plasma proteomics.

Science.gov (United States)

Percy, Andrew J; Chambers, Andrew G; Yang, Juncong; Jackson, Angela M; Domanski, Dominik; Burkhart, Julia; Sickmann, Albert; Borchers, Christoph H

2013-12-16

There exists a growing demand in the proteomics community to standardize experimental methods and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) platforms in order to enable the acquisition of more precise and accurate quantitative data. This necessity is heightened by the evolving trend of verifying and validating candidate disease biomarkers in complex biofluids, such as blood plasma, through targeted multiple reaction monitoring (MRM)-based approaches with stable isotope-labeled standards (SIS). Considering the lack of performance standards for quantitative plasma proteomics, we previously developed two reference kits to evaluate the MRM with SIS peptide approach using undepleted and non-enriched human plasma. The first kit tests the effectiveness of the LC/MRM-MS platform (kit #1), while the second evaluates the performance of an entire analytical workflow (kit #2). Here, these kits have been refined for practical use and then evaluated through intra- and inter-laboratory testing on 6 common LC/MS platforms. For an identical panel of 22 plasma proteins, similar concentrations were determined, regardless of the kit, instrument platform, and laboratory of analysis. These results demonstrate the value of the kit and reinforce the utility of standardized methods and protocols. The proteomics community needs standardized experimental protocols and quality control methods in order to improve the reproducibility of MS-based quantitative data. This need is heightened by the evolving trend for MRM-based validation of proposed disease biomarkers in complex biofluids such as blood plasma. We have developed two kits to assist in the inter- and intra-laboratory quality control of MRM experiments: the first kit tests the effectiveness of the LC/MRM-MS platform (kit #1), while the second evaluates the performance of an entire analytical workflow (kit #2). In this paper, we report the use of these kits in intra- and inter-laboratory testing on 6 common LC/MS platforms. This

Kernel based eigenvalue-decomposition methods for analysing ham

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Asger Nyman; Nielsen, Allan Aasbjerg; Møller, Flemming

2010-01-01

methods, such as PCA, MAF or MNF. We therefore investigated the applicability of kernel based versions of these transformation. This meant implementing the kernel based methods and developing new theory, since kernel based MAF and MNF is not described in the literature yet. The traditional methods only...... have two factors that are useful for segmentation and none of them can be used to segment the two types of meat. The kernel based methods have a lot of useful factors and they are able to capture the subtle differences in the images. This is illustrated in Figure 1. You can see a comparison of the most...... useful factor of PCA and kernel based PCA respectively in Figure 2. The factor of the kernel based PCA turned out to be able to segment the two types of meat and in general that factor is much more distinct, compared to the traditional factor. After the orthogonal transformation a simple thresholding...

Interchange Recognition Method Based on CNN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

HE Haiwei

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The identification and classification of interchange structures in OSM data can provide important information for the construction of multi-scale model, navigation and location services, congestion analysis, etc. The traditional method of interchange identification relies on the low-level characteristics of artificial design, and cannot distinguish the complex interchange structure with interference section effectively. In this paper, a new method based on convolutional neural network for identification of the interchange is proposed. The method combines vector data with raster image, and uses neural network to learn the fuzzy characteristics of the interchange, and classifies the complex interchange structure in OSM. Experiments show that this method has strong anti-interference, and has achieved good results in the classification of complex interchange shape, and there is room for further improvement with the expansion of the case base and the optimization of neural network model.

An auxiliary optimization method for complex public transit route network based on link prediction

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lin; Lu, Jian; Yue, Xianfei; Zhou, Jialin; Li, Yunxuan; Wan, Qian

2018-02-01

Inspired by the missing (new) link prediction and the spurious existing link identification in link prediction theory, this paper establishes an auxiliary optimization method for public transit route network (PTRN) based on link prediction. First, link prediction applied to PTRN is described, and based on reviewing the previous studies, the summary indices set and its algorithms set are collected for the link prediction experiment. Second, through analyzing the topological properties of Jinan’s PTRN established by the Space R method, we found that this is a typical small-world network with a relatively large average clustering coefficient. This phenomenon indicates that the structural similarity-based link prediction will show a good performance in this network. Then, based on the link prediction experiment of the summary indices set, three indices with maximum accuracy are selected for auxiliary optimization of Jinan’s PTRN. Furthermore, these link prediction results show that the overall layout of Jinan’s PTRN is stable and orderly, except for a partial area that requires optimization and reconstruction. The above pattern conforms to the general pattern of the optimal development stage of PTRN in China. Finally, based on the missing (new) link prediction and the spurious existing link identification, we propose optimization schemes that can be used not only to optimize current PTRN but also to evaluate PTRN planning.

Full-waveform detection of non-impulsive seismic events based on time-reversal methods

Science.gov (United States)

Solano, Ericka Alinne; Hjörleifsdóttir, Vala; Liu, Qinya

2017-12-01

We present a full-waveform detection method for non-impulsive seismic events, based on time-reversal principles. We use the strain Green's tensor as a matched filter, correlating it with continuous observed seismograms, to detect non-impulsive seismic events. We show that this is mathematically equivalent to an adjoint method for detecting earthquakes. We define the detection function, a scalar valued function, which depends on the stacked correlations for a group of stations. Event detections are given by the times at which the amplitude of the detection function exceeds a given value relative to the noise level. The method can make use of the whole seismic waveform or any combination of time-windows with different filters. It is expected to have an advantage compared to traditional detection methods for events that do not produce energetic and impulsive P waves, for example glacial events, landslides, volcanic events and transform-fault earthquakes for events which velocity structure along the path is relatively well known. Furthermore, the method has advantages over empirical Greens functions template matching methods, as it does not depend on records from previously detected events, and therefore is not limited to events occurring in similar regions and with similar focal mechanisms as these events. The method is not specific to any particular way of calculating the synthetic seismograms, and therefore complicated structural models can be used. This is particularly beneficial for intermediate size events that are registered on regional networks, for which the effect of lateral structure on the waveforms can be significant. To demonstrate the feasibility of the method, we apply it to two different areas located along the mid-oceanic ridge system west of Mexico where non-impulsive events have been reported. The first study area is between Clipperton and Siqueiros transform faults (9°N), during the time of two earthquake swarms, occurring in March 2012 and May

New decision criteria for selecting delta check methods based on the ratio of the delta difference to the width of the reference range can be generally applicable for each clinical chemistry test item.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Sang Hyuk; Kim, So-Young; Lee, Woochang; Chun, Sail; Min, Won-Ki

2012-09-01

Many laboratories use 4 delta check methods: delta difference, delta percent change, rate difference, and rate percent change. However, guidelines regarding decision criteria for selecting delta check methods have not yet been provided. We present new decision criteria for selecting delta check methods for each clinical chemistry test item. We collected 811,920 and 669,750 paired (present and previous) test results for 27 clinical chemistry test items from inpatients and outpatients, respectively. We devised new decision criteria for the selection of delta check methods based on the ratio of the delta difference to the width of the reference range (DD/RR). Delta check methods based on these criteria were compared with those based on the CV% of the absolute delta difference (ADD) as well as those reported in 2 previous studies. The delta check methods suggested by new decision criteria based on the DD/RR ratio corresponded well with those based on the CV% of the ADD except for only 2 items each in inpatients and outpatients. Delta check methods based on the DD/RR ratio also corresponded with those suggested in the 2 previous studies, except for 1 and 7 items in inpatients and outpatients, respectively. The DD/RR method appears to yield more feasible and intuitive selection criteria and can easily explain changes in the results by reflecting both the biological variation of the test item and the clinical characteristics of patients in each laboratory. We suggest this as a measure to determine delta check methods.

EEG feature selection method based on decision tree.

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Lijuan; Ge, Hui; Ma, Wei; Miao, Jun

2015-01-01

This paper aims to solve automated feature selection problem in brain computer interface (BCI). In order to automate feature selection process, we proposed a novel EEG feature selection method based on decision tree (DT). During the electroencephalogram (EEG) signal processing, a feature extraction method based on principle component analysis (PCA) was used, and the selection process based on decision tree was performed by searching the feature space and automatically selecting optimal features. Considering that EEG signals are a series of non-linear signals, a generalized linear classifier named support vector machine (SVM) was chosen. In order to test the validity of the proposed method, we applied the EEG feature selection method based on decision tree to BCI Competition II datasets Ia, and the experiment showed encouraging results.

Communication: An improved linear scaling perturbative triples correction for the domain based local pair-natural orbital based singles and doubles coupled cluster method [DLPNO-CCSD(T)

KAUST Repository

Guo, Yang

2018-01-04

In this communication, an improved perturbative triples correction (T) algorithm for domain based local pair-natural orbital singles and doubles coupled cluster (DLPNO-CCSD) theory is reported. In our previous implementation, the semi-canonical approximation was used and linear scaling was achieved for both the DLPNO-CCSD and (T) parts of the calculation. In this work, we refer to this previous method as DLPNO-CCSD(T0) to emphasize the semi-canonical approximation. It is well-established that the DLPNO-CCSD method can predict very accurate absolute and relative energies with respect to the parent canonical CCSD method. However, the (T0) approximation may introduce significant errors in absolute energies as the triples correction grows up in magnitude. In the majority of cases, the relative energies from (T0) are as accurate as the canonical (T) results of themselves. Unfortunately, in rare cases and in particular for small gap systems, the (T0) approximation breaks down and relative energies show large deviations from the parent canonical CCSD(T) results. To address this problem, an iterative (T) algorithm based on the previous DLPNO-CCSD(T0) algorithm has been implemented [abbreviated here as DLPNO-CCSD(T)]. Using triples natural orbitals to represent the virtual spaces for triples amplitudes, storage bottlenecks are avoided. Various carefully designed approximations ease the computational burden such that overall, the increase in the DLPNO-(T) calculation time over DLPNO-(T0) only amounts to a factor of about two (depending on the basis set). Benchmark calculations for the GMTKN30 database show that compared to DLPNO-CCSD(T0), the errors in absolute energies are greatly reduced and relative energies are moderately improved. The particularly problematic case of cumulene chains of increasing lengths is also successfully addressed by DLPNO-CCSD(T).

Communication: An improved linear scaling perturbative triples correction for the domain based local pair-natural orbital based singles and doubles coupled cluster method [DLPNO-CCSD(T)

KAUST Repository

Guo, Yang; Riplinger, Christoph; Becker, Ute; Liakos, Dimitrios G.; Minenkov, Yury; Cavallo, Luigi; Neese, Frank

2018-01-01

In this communication, an improved perturbative triples correction (T) algorithm for domain based local pair-natural orbital singles and doubles coupled cluster (DLPNO-CCSD) theory is reported. In our previous implementation, the semi-canonical approximation was used and linear scaling was achieved for both the DLPNO-CCSD and (T) parts of the calculation. In this work, we refer to this previous method as DLPNO-CCSD(T0) to emphasize the semi-canonical approximation. It is well-established that the DLPNO-CCSD method can predict very accurate absolute and relative energies with respect to the parent canonical CCSD method. However, the (T0) approximation may introduce significant errors in absolute energies as the triples correction grows up in magnitude. In the majority of cases, the relative energies from (T0) are as accurate as the canonical (T) results of themselves. Unfortunately, in rare cases and in particular for small gap systems, the (T0) approximation breaks down and relative energies show large deviations from the parent canonical CCSD(T) results. To address this problem, an iterative (T) algorithm based on the previous DLPNO-CCSD(T0) algorithm has been implemented [abbreviated here as DLPNO-CCSD(T)]. Using triples natural orbitals to represent the virtual spaces for triples amplitudes, storage bottlenecks are avoided. Various carefully designed approximations ease the computational burden such that overall, the increase in the DLPNO-(T) calculation time over DLPNO-(T0) only amounts to a factor of about two (depending on the basis set). Benchmark calculations for the GMTKN30 database show that compared to DLPNO-CCSD(T0), the errors in absolute energies are greatly reduced and relative energies are moderately improved. The particularly problematic case of cumulene chains of increasing lengths is also successfully addressed by DLPNO-CCSD(T).

Development of new HRA methods based upon operational experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cooper, S.E.; Luckas, W.J.; Barriere, M.T.; Wreathall, J.

2004-01-01

Under the auspices of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), previously unaddressed human reliability issues are being investigated in order to support the development of human reliability analysis (HRA) methods for both low power and shutdown (LP and S) and full-power conditions. Actual operational experience, such as that reported in Licensee Event Reports (LERs), have been used to gain insights and provide a basis for the requirements of new HRA methods. In particular, operational experience has shown that new HRA methods for LP and S must address human-induced initiators, errors of commission, mistakes (vs. slips), dependencies, and the effects of multiple performance shaping factors (PSFs). (author)

Statistical analysis tolerance using jacobian torsor model based on uncertainty propagation method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W Ghie

2016-04-01

Full Text Available One risk inherent in the use of assembly components is that the behaviourof these components is discovered only at the moment an assembly isbeing carried out. The objective of our work is to enable designers to useknown component tolerances as parameters in models that can be usedto predict properties at the assembly level. In this paper we present astatistical approach to assemblability evaluation, based on tolerance andclearance propagations. This new statistical analysis method for toleranceis based on the Jacobian-Torsor model and the uncertainty measurementapproach. We show how this can be accomplished by modeling thedistribution of manufactured dimensions through applying a probabilitydensity function. By presenting an example we show how statisticaltolerance analysis should be used in the Jacobian-Torsor model. This workis supported by previous efforts aimed at developing a new generation ofcomputational tools for tolerance analysis and synthesis, using theJacobian-Torsor approach. This approach is illustrated on a simple threepartassembly, demonstrating the method’s capability in handling threedimensionalgeometry.

Real-Time PCR Typing of Escherichia coli Based on Multiple Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms--a Convenient and Rapid Method.

Science.gov (United States)

Lager, Malin; Mernelius, Sara; Löfgren, Sture; Söderman, Jan

2016-01-01

Healthcare-associated infections caused by Escherichia coli and antibiotic resistance due to extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production constitute a threat against patient safety. To identify, track, and control outbreaks and to detect emerging virulent clones, typing tools of sufficient discriminatory power that generate reproducible and unambiguous data are needed. A probe based real-time PCR method targeting multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) was developed. The method was based on the multi locus sequence typing scheme of Institute Pasteur and by adaptation of previously described typing assays. An 8 SNP-panel that reached a Simpson's diversity index of 0.95 was established, based on analysis of sporadic E. coli cases (ESBL n = 27 and non-ESBL n = 53). This multi-SNP assay was used to identify the sequence type 131 (ST131) complex according to the Achtman's multi locus sequence typing scheme. However, it did not fully discriminate within the complex but provided a diagnostic signature that outperformed a previously described detection assay. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis typing of isolates from a presumed outbreak (n = 22) identified two outbreaks (ST127 and ST131) and three different non-outbreak-related isolates. Multi-SNP typing generated congruent data except for one non-outbreak-related ST131 isolate. We consider multi-SNP real-time PCR typing an accessible primary generic E. coli typing tool for rapid and uniform type identification.

Real-time prediction of respiratory motion based on local regression methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruan, D; Fessler, J A; Balter, J M

2007-01-01

Recent developments in modulation techniques enable conformal delivery of radiation doses to small, localized target volumes. One of the challenges in using these techniques is real-time tracking and predicting target motion, which is necessary to accommodate system latencies. For image-guided-radiotherapy systems, it is also desirable to minimize sampling rates to reduce imaging dose. This study focuses on predicting respiratory motion, which can significantly affect lung tumours. Predicting respiratory motion in real-time is challenging, due to the complexity of breathing patterns and the many sources of variability. We propose a prediction method based on local regression. There are three major ingredients of this approach: (1) forming an augmented state space to capture system dynamics, (2) local regression in the augmented space to train the predictor from previous observation data using semi-periodicity of respiratory motion, (3) local weighting adjustment to incorporate fading temporal correlations. To evaluate prediction accuracy, we computed the root mean square error between predicted tumor motion and its observed location for ten patients. For comparison, we also investigated commonly used predictive methods, namely linear prediction, neural networks and Kalman filtering to the same data. The proposed method reduced the prediction error for all imaging rates and latency lengths, particularly for long prediction lengths

An Entropy-Based Network Anomaly Detection Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Przemysław Bereziński

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Data mining is an interdisciplinary subfield of computer science involving methods at the intersection of artificial intelligence, machine learning and statistics. One of the data mining tasks is anomaly detection which is the analysis of large quantities of data to identify items, events or observations which do not conform to an expected pattern. Anomaly detection is applicable in a variety of domains, e.g., fraud detection, fault detection, system health monitoring but this article focuses on application of anomaly detection in the field of network intrusion detection.The main goal of the article is to prove that an entropy-based approach is suitable to detect modern botnet-like malware based on anomalous patterns in network. This aim is achieved by realization of the following points: (i preparation of a concept of original entropy-based network anomaly detection method, (ii implementation of the method, (iii preparation of original dataset, (iv evaluation of the method.

An analytical method for calculating stresses and strains of ATF cladding based on thick walled theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Dong Hyun; Kim, Hak Sung [Hanyang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hyo Chan; Yang, Yong Sik; In, Wang kee [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

In this paper, an analytical method based on thick walled theory has been studied to calculate stress and strain of ATF cladding. In order to prescribe boundary conditions of the analytical method, two algorithms were employed which are called subroutine 'Cladf' and 'Couple' of FRACAS, respectively. To evaluate the developed method, equivalent model using finite element method was established and stress components of the method were compared with those of equivalent FE model. One of promising ATF concepts is the coated cladding, which take advantages such as high melting point, a high neutron economy, and low tritium permeation rate. To evaluate the mechanical behavior and performance of the coated cladding, we need to develop the specified model to simulate the ATF behaviors in the reactor. In particular, the model for simulation of stress and strain for the coated cladding should be developed because the previous model, which is 'FRACAS', is for one body model. The FRACAS module employs the analytical method based on thin walled theory. According to thin-walled theory, radial stress is defined as zero but this assumption is not suitable for ATF cladding because value of the radial stress is not negligible in the case of ATF cladding. Recently, a structural model for multi-layered ceramic cylinders based on thick-walled theory was developed. Also, FE-based numerical simulation such as BISON has been developed to evaluate fuel performance. An analytical method that calculates stress components of ATF cladding was developed in this study. Thick-walled theory was used to derive equations for calculating stress and strain. To solve for these equations, boundary and loading conditions were obtained by subroutine 'Cladf' and 'Couple' and applied to the analytical method. To evaluate the developed method, equivalent FE model was established and its results were compared to those of analytical model. Based on the

Ontology-Based Method for Fault Diagnosis of Loaders.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Feixiang; Liu, Xinhui; Chen, Wei; Zhou, Chen; Cao, Bingwei

2018-02-28

This paper proposes an ontology-based fault diagnosis method which overcomes the difficulty of understanding complex fault diagnosis knowledge of loaders and offers a universal approach for fault diagnosis of all loaders. This method contains the following components: (1) An ontology-based fault diagnosis model is proposed to achieve the integrating, sharing and reusing of fault diagnosis knowledge for loaders; (2) combined with ontology, CBR (case-based reasoning) is introduced to realize effective and accurate fault diagnoses following four steps (feature selection, case-retrieval, case-matching and case-updating); and (3) in order to cover the shortages of the CBR method due to the lack of concerned cases, ontology based RBR (rule-based reasoning) is put forward through building SWRL (Semantic Web Rule Language) rules. An application program is also developed to implement the above methods to assist in finding the fault causes, fault locations and maintenance measures of loaders. In addition, the program is validated through analyzing a case study.

A direct method to transform between expansions in the configuration state function and Slater determinant bases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olsen, Jeppe

2014-01-01

A novel algorithm is introduced for the transformation of wave functions between the bases of Slater determinants (SD) and configuration state functions (CSF) in the genealogical coupling scheme. By modifying the expansion coefficients as each electron is spin-coupled, rather than performing a single many-electron transformation, the large transformation matrix that plagues previous approaches is avoided and the required number of operations is drastically reduced. As an example of the efficiency of the algorithm, the transformation for a configuration with 30 unpaired electrons and singlet spin is discussed. For this case, the 10 × 10 6 coefficients in the CSF basis is obtained from the 150 × 10 6 coefficients in the SD basis in 1 min, which should be compared with the seven years that the previously employed method is estimated to require

Displacement based seismic design of symmetric single-storey wood-frame buildings with the aid of N2 method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Panagiotis eMergos

2015-07-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a new methodology for the displacement-based seismic design of symmetric single-storey wood-frame buildings. Previous displacement-based design efforts were based on the direct displacement-based design (DDBD approach, which uses a substitute linear system with an appropriate stiffness and viscous damping combination. Despite the fact that this method has shown to produce promising results for wood structures, it does not fit into the framework of the Eurocode 8 (EC8 provisions. The methodology presented herein is based on the N2 method, which is incorporated in EC8 and combines the non-linear pushover analysis with the response spectrum method. The N2 method has been mostly applied to reinforced concrete and steel structures. In order to properly implement the N2 method for the case of wood-frame buildings new behavior factor – displacement ductility relationships are proposed. These relationships were derived from inelastic time history analyses of 35 SDOF systems subjected to 80 different ground motion records. Furthermore, the validity of the N2 method is examined for the case of a timber shear wall tested on a shake table and satisfactory predictions are obtained. Last, the proposed design methodology is applied to the displacement-based seismic design of a realistic symmetric single-storey wood-frame building in order to meet the performance objectives of EC8. It is concluded that the simplicity and computational efficiency of the adopted methodology make it a valuable tool for the seismic design of this category of wood-frame buildings, while the need for extending the method to more complex wood-frame buildings is also highlighted.

Evaluation of medical students of teacher-based and student-based teaching methods in Infectious diseases course.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghasemzadeh, I; Aghamolaei, T; Hosseini-Parandar, F

2015-01-01

Introduction: In recent years, medical education has changed dramatically and many medical schools in the world have been trying for expand modern training methods. Purpose of the research is to appraise the medical students of teacher-based and student-based teaching methods in Infectious diseases course, in the Medical School of Hormozgan Medical Sciences University. Methods: In this interventional study, a total of 52 medical scholars that used Section in this Infectious diseases course were included. About 50% of this course was presented by a teacher-based teaching method (lecture) and 50% by a student-based teaching method (problem-based learning). The satisfaction of students regarding these methods was assessed by a questionnaire and a test was used to measure their learning. information are examined with using SPSS 19 and paired t-test. Results: The satisfaction of students of student-based teaching method (problem-based learning) was more positive than their satisfaction of teacher-based teaching method (lecture).The mean score of students in teacher-based teaching method was 12.03 (SD=4.08) and in the student-based teaching method it was 15.50 (SD=4.26) and where is a considerable variation among them (p<0.001). Conclusion: The use of the student-based teaching method (problem-based learning) in comparison with the teacher-based teaching method (lecture) to present the Infectious diseases course led to the student satisfaction and provided additional learning opportunities.

Springback Compensation Based on FDM-DTF Method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Qiang; Kang Lan

2010-01-01

Stamping part error caused by springback is usually considered to be a tooling defect in sheet metal forming process. This problem can be corrected by adjusting the tooling shape to appropriate shape. In this paper, springback compensation based on FDM-DTF method is proposed to be used for design and modification of the tooling shape. Firstly, based on FDM method, the tooling shape is designed by reversing inner force's direction at the end of forming simulation, the required tooling shape can be got through some iterations. Secondly actual tooling is produced based on results got in the first step. When the tooling and part surface discrete data are investigated, the transfer function between numerical springback error and real springback error can be calculated based on wavelet transform results, which can be used in predicting the tooling shape for the desired product. Finally the FDM-DTF method is proved to control springback effectively after it has been applied in the 2D irregular product springback control.

A novel quantum LSB-based steganography method using the Gray code for colored quantum images

Science.gov (United States)

Heidari, Shahrokh; Farzadnia, Ehsan

2017-10-01

As one of the prevalent data-hiding techniques, steganography is defined as the act of concealing secret information in a cover multimedia encompassing text, image, video and audio, imperceptibly, in order to perform interaction between the sender and the receiver in which nobody except the receiver can figure out the secret data. In this approach a quantum LSB-based steganography method utilizing the Gray code for quantum RGB images is investigated. This method uses the Gray code to accommodate two secret qubits in 3 LSBs of each pixel simultaneously according to reference tables. Experimental consequences which are analyzed in MATLAB environment, exhibit that the present schema shows good performance and also it is more secure and applicable than the previous one currently found in the literature.

HPLC-Based Method to Evaluate Kinetics of Glucosinolate Hydrolysis by Sinapis alba Myrosinase1

Science.gov (United States)

Vastenhout, Kayla J.; Tornberg, Ruthellen H.; Johnson, Amanda L.; Amolins, Michael W.; Mays, Jared R.

2014-01-01

Isothiocyanates (ITCs) are one of several hydrolysis products of glucosinolates, plant secondary metabolites which are substrates for the thioglucohydrolase myrosinase. Recent pursuits toward the development of synthetic, non-natural ITCs have consequently led to an exploration of generating these compounds from non-natural glucosinolate precursors. Evaluation of the myrosinase-dependent conversion of select non-natural glucosinolates to non-natural ITCs cannot be accomplished using established UV-Vis spectroscopic methods. To overcome this limitation, an alternative HPLC-based analytical approach was developed where initial reaction velocities were generated from non-linear reaction progress curves. Validation of this HPLC method was accomplished through parallel evaluation of three glucosinolates with UV-Vis methodology. The results of this study demonstrate that kinetic data is consistent between both analytical methods and that the tested glucosinolates respond similarly to both Michaelis–Menten and specific activity analyses. Consequently, this work resulted in the complete kinetic characterization of three glucosinolates with Sinapis alba myrosinase, with results that were consistent with previous reports. PMID:25068719

Quartet-based methods to reconstruct phylogenetic networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Jialiang; Grünewald, Stefan; Xu, Yifei; Wan, Xiu-Feng

2014-02-20

Phylogenetic networks are employed to visualize evolutionary relationships among a group of nucleotide sequences, genes or species when reticulate events like hybridization, recombination, reassortant and horizontal gene transfer are believed to be involved. In comparison to traditional distance-based methods, quartet-based methods consider more information in the reconstruction process and thus have the potential to be more accurate. We introduce QuartetSuite, which includes a set of new quartet-based methods, namely QuartetS, QuartetA, and QuartetM, to reconstruct phylogenetic networks from nucleotide sequences. We tested their performances and compared them with other popular methods on two simulated nucleotide sequence data sets: one generated from a tree topology and the other from a complicated evolutionary history containing three reticulate events. We further validated these methods to two real data sets: a bacterial data set consisting of seven concatenated genes of 36 bacterial species and an influenza data set related to recently emerging H7N9 low pathogenic avian influenza viruses in China. QuartetS, QuartetA, and QuartetM have the potential to accurately reconstruct evolutionary scenarios from simple branching trees to complicated networks containing many reticulate events. These methods could provide insights into the understanding of complicated biological evolutionary processes such as bacterial taxonomy and reassortant of influenza viruses.

Revisiting chlorophyll extraction methods in biological soil crusts – methodology for determination of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll a + b as compared to previous methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Caesar

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Chlorophyll concentrations of biological soil crust (biocrust samples are commonly determined to quantify the relevance of photosynthetically active organisms within these surface soil communities. Whereas chlorophyll extraction methods for freshwater algae and leaf tissues of vascular plants are well established, there is still some uncertainty regarding the optimal extraction method for biocrusts, where organism composition is highly variable and samples comprise major amounts of soil. In this study we analyzed the efficiency of two different chlorophyll extraction solvents, the effect of grinding the soil samples prior to the extraction procedure, and the impact of shaking as an intermediate step during extraction. The analyses were conducted on four different types of biocrusts. Our results show that for all biocrust types chlorophyll contents obtained with ethanol were significantly lower than those obtained using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO as a solvent. Grinding of biocrust samples prior to analysis caused a highly significant decrease in chlorophyll content for green algal lichen- and cyanolichen-dominated biocrusts, and a tendency towards lower values for moss- and algae-dominated biocrusts. Shaking of the samples after each extraction step had a significant positive effect on the chlorophyll content of green algal lichen- and cyanolichen-dominated biocrusts. Based on our results we confirm a DMSO-based chlorophyll extraction method without grinding pretreatment and suggest the addition of an intermediate shaking step for complete chlorophyll extraction (see Supplement S6 for detailed manual. Determination of a universal chlorophyll extraction method for biocrusts is essential for the inter-comparability of publications conducted across all continents.

Activity – based costing method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Èuchranová Katarína

2001-06-01

Full Text Available Activity based costing is a method of identifying and tracking the operating costs directly associated with processing items. It is the practice of focusing on some unit of output, such as a purchase order or an assembled automobile and attempting to determine its total as precisely as poccible based on the fixed and variable costs of the inputs.You use ABC to identify, quantify and analyze the various cost drivers (such as labor, materials, administrative overhead, rework. and to determine which ones are candidates for reduction.A processes any activity that accepts inputs, adds value to these inputs for customers and produces outputs for these customers. The customer may be either internal or external to the organization. Every activity within an organization comprimes one or more processes. Inputs, controls and resources are all supplied to the process.A process owner is the person responsible for performing and or controlling the activity.The direction of cost through their contact to partial activity and processes is a new modern theme today. Beginning of this method is connected with very important changes in the firm processes.ABC method is a instrument , that bring a competitive advantages for the firm.

Validation of LWR calculation methods and JEF-1 based data libraries by TRX and BAPL critical experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pelloni, S.; Grimm, P.; Mathews, D.; Paratte, J.M.

1989-06-01

In this report the capability of various code systems widely used at PSI (such as WIMS-D, BOXER, and the AARE modules TRAMIX and MICROX-2 in connection with the one-dimensional transport code ONEDANT) and JEF-1 based nuclear data libraries to compute LWR lattices is analysed by comparing results from thermal reactor benchmarks TRX and BAPL with experiment and with previously published values. It is shown that with the JEF-1 evaluation eigenvalues are generally well predicted within 8 mk (1 mk = 0.001) or less by all code systems, and that all methods give reasonable results for the measured reaction rate within or not too far from the experimental uncertainty. This is consistent with previous similar studies. (author) 7 tabs., 36 refs

Prevalent musculoskeletal pain as a correlate of previous exposure to torture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Dorte Reff; Montgomery, Edith; Bojholm, S

2006-01-01

AIM: To research possible associations between previous exposure to specific torture techniques and prevalent pain in the head and face, back, and feet. METHODS: 221 refugees, 193 males and 28 females, previously exposed to torture in their home country, were subject to a clinical interview...... was general abuse of the whole body (OR 5.64, 95% CI 1.93-16.45). CONCLUSION: In spite of many factors being potentially co-responsible for prevalent pain, years after the torture took place it presents itself as strongly associated with specific loci of pain, with generalized effects, and with somatizing....

An overview of modal-based damage identification methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Farrar, C.R.; Doebling, S.W. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States). Engineering Analysis Group

1997-09-01

This paper provides an overview of methods that examine changes in measured vibration response to detect, locate, and characterize damage in structural and mechanical systems. The basic idea behind this technology is that modal parameters (notably frequencies, mode shapes, and modal damping) are functions of the physical properties of the structure (mass, damping, and stiffness). Therefore, changes in the physical properties will cause detectable changes in the modal properties. The motivation for the development of this technology is first provided. The methods are then categorized according to various criteria such as the level of damage detection provided, model-based vs. non-model-based methods and linear vs. nonlinear methods. This overview is limited to methods that can be adapted to a wide range of structures (i.e., are not dependent on a particular assumed model form for the system such as beam-bending behavior and methods and that are not based on updating finite element models). Next, the methods are described in general terms including difficulties associated with their implementation and their fidelity. Past, current and future-planned applications of this technology to actual engineering systems are summarized. The paper concludes with a discussion of critical issues for future research in the area of modal-based damage identification.

Preoperative screening: value of previous tests.

Science.gov (United States)

Macpherson, D S; Snow, R; Lofgren, R P

1990-12-15

To determine the frequency of tests done in the year before elective surgery that might substitute for preoperative screening tests and to determine the frequency of test results that change from a normal value to a value likely to alter perioperative management. Retrospective cohort analysis of computerized laboratory data (complete blood count, sodium, potassium, and creatinine levels, prothrombin time, and partial thromboplastin time). Urban tertiary care Veterans Affairs Hospital. Consecutive sample of 1109 patients who had elective surgery in 1988. At admission, 7549 preoperative tests were done, 47% of which duplicated tests performed in the previous year. Of 3096 previous results that were normal as defined by hospital reference range and done closest to the time of but before admission (median interval, 2 months), 13 (0.4%; 95% CI, 0.2% to 0.7%), repeat values were outside a range considered acceptable for surgery. Most of the abnormalities were predictable from the patient's history, and most were not noted in the medical record. Of 461 previous tests that were abnormal, 78 (17%; CI, 13% to 20%) repeat values at admission were outside a range considered acceptable for surgery (P less than 0.001, frequency of clinically important abnormalities of patients with normal previous results with those with abnormal previous results). Physicians evaluating patients preoperatively could safely substitute the previous test results analyzed in this study for preoperative screening tests if the previous tests are normal and no obvious indication for retesting is present.

Outcomes With Edoxaban Versus Warfarin in Patients With Previous Cerebrovascular Events

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rost, Natalia S; Giugliano, Robert P; Ruff, Christian T

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Patients with atrial fibrillation and previous ischemic stroke (IS)/transient ischemic attack (TIA) are at high risk of recurrent cerebrovascular events despite anticoagulation. In this prespecified subgroup analysis, we compared warfarin with edoxaban in patients with ver......BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Patients with atrial fibrillation and previous ischemic stroke (IS)/transient ischemic attack (TIA) are at high risk of recurrent cerebrovascular events despite anticoagulation. In this prespecified subgroup analysis, we compared warfarin with edoxaban in patients...... with versus without previous IS/TIA. METHODS: ENGAGE AF-TIMI 48 (Effective Anticoagulation With Factor Xa Next Generation in Atrial Fibrillation-Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction 48) was a double-blind trial of 21 105 patients with atrial fibrillation randomized to warfarin (international normalized ratio......). Because only HDER is approved, we focused on the comparison of HDER versus warfarin. RESULTS: Of 5973 (28.3%) patients with previous IS/TIA, 67% had CHADS2 (congestive heart failure, hypertension, age, diabetes, prior stroke/transient ischemic attack) >3 and 36% were ≥75 years. Compared with 15 132...

A thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) method developed for estimating the stoichiometric ratio of solid-state {alpha}-cyclodextrin-based inclusion complexes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bai, Yuxiang; Wang, Jinpeng; Bashari, Mohanad; Hu, Xiuting [The State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122 (China); Feng, Tao [School of Perfume and Aroma Technology, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai 201418 (China); Xu, Xueming [The State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122 (China); Jin, Zhengyu, E-mail: jinlab2008@yahoo.com [The State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122 (China); Tian, Yaoqi, E-mail: yqtian@jiangnan.edu.cn [The State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122 (China)

2012-08-10

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We develop a TGA method for the measurement of the stoichiometric ratio. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A series of formulas are deduced to calculate the stoichiometric ratio. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Four {alpha}-CD-based inclusion complexes were successfully prepared. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The developed method is applicable. - Abstract: An approach mainly based on thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was developed to evaluate the stoichiometric ratio (SR, guest to host) of the guest-{alpha}-cyclodextrin (Guest-{alpha}-CD) inclusion complexes (4-cresol-{alpha}-CD, benzyl alcohol-{alpha}-CD, ferrocene-{alpha}-CD and decanoic acid-{alpha}-CD). The present data obtained from Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy showed that all the {alpha}-CD-based inclusion complexes were successfully prepared in a solid-state form. The stoichiometric ratios of {alpha}-CD to the relative guests (4-cresol, benzyl alcohol, ferrocene and decanoic acid) determined by the developed method were 1:1, 1:2, 2:1 and 1:2, respectively. These SR data were well demonstrated by the previously reported X-ray diffraction (XRD) method and the NMR confirmatory experiments, except the SR of decanoic acid with a larger size and longer chain was not consistent. It is, therefore, suggested that the TGA-based method is applicable to follow the stoichiometric ratio of the polycrystalline {alpha}-CD-based inclusion complexes with smaller and shorter chain guests.

A thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) method developed for estimating the stoichiometric ratio of solid-state α-cyclodextrin-based inclusion complexes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bai, Yuxiang; Wang, Jinpeng; Bashari, Mohanad; Hu, Xiuting; Feng, Tao; Xu, Xueming; Jin, Zhengyu; Tian, Yaoqi

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► We develop a TGA method for the measurement of the stoichiometric ratio. ► A series of formulas are deduced to calculate the stoichiometric ratio. ► Four α-CD-based inclusion complexes were successfully prepared. ► The developed method is applicable. - Abstract: An approach mainly based on thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was developed to evaluate the stoichiometric ratio (SR, guest to host) of the guest–α-cyclodextrin (Guest-α-CD) inclusion complexes (4-cresol-α-CD, benzyl alcohol-α-CD, ferrocene-α-CD and decanoic acid-α-CD). The present data obtained from Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy showed that all the α-CD-based inclusion complexes were successfully prepared in a solid-state form. The stoichiometric ratios of α-CD to the relative guests (4-cresol, benzyl alcohol, ferrocene and decanoic acid) determined by the developed method were 1:1, 1:2, 2:1 and 1:2, respectively. These SR data were well demonstrated by the previously reported X-ray diffraction (XRD) method and the NMR confirmatory experiments, except the SR of decanoic acid with a larger size and longer chain was not consistent. It is, therefore, suggested that the TGA-based method is applicable to follow the stoichiometric ratio of the polycrystalline α-CD-based inclusion complexes with smaller and shorter chain guests.

Refinements to the method of epicentral location based on surface waves from ambient seismic noise: introducing Love waves

Science.gov (United States)

Levshin, Anatoli L.; Barmin, Mikhail P.; Moschetti, Morgan P.; Mendoza, Carlos; Ritzwoller, Michael H.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to develop and test a modification to a previous method of regional seismic event location based on Empirical Green’s Functions (EGFs) produced from ambient seismic noise. Elastic EGFs between pairs of seismic stations are determined by cross-correlating long ambient noise time-series recorded at the two stations. The EGFs principally contain Rayleigh- and Love-wave energy on the vertical and transverse components, respectively, and we utilize these signals between about 5 and 12 s period. The previous method, based exclusively on Rayleigh waves, may yield biased epicentral locations for certain event types with hypocentral depths between 2 and 5 km. Here we present theoretical arguments that show how Love waves can be introduced to reduce or potentially eliminate the bias. We also present applications of Rayleigh- and Love-wave EGFs to locate 10 reference events in the western United States. The separate Rayleigh and Love epicentral locations and the joint locations using a combination of the two waves agree to within 1 km distance, on average, but confidence ellipses are smallest when both types of waves are used.

Personnel Selection Based on Fuzzy Methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lourdes Cañós

2011-03-01

Full Text Available The decisions of managers regarding the selection of staff strongly determine the success of the company. A correct choice of employees is a source of competitive advantage. We propose a fuzzy method for staff selection, based on competence management and the comparison with the valuation that the company considers the best in each competence (ideal candidate. Our method is based on the Hamming distance and a Matching Level Index. The algorithms, implemented in the software StaffDesigner, allow us to rank the candidates, even when the competences of the ideal candidate have been evaluated only in part. Our approach is applied in a numerical example.

A method of knowledge base verification for nuclear power plant expert systems using extended Petri Nets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwon, I. W.; Seong, P. H.

1996-01-01

The adoption of expert systems mainly as operator supporting systems is becoming increasingly popular as the control algorithms of system become more and more sophisticated and complicated. The verification phase of knowledge base is an important part for developing reliable expert systems, especially in nuclear industry. Although several strategies or tools have been developed to perform potential error checking, they often neglect the reliability of verification methods. Because a Petri net provides a uniform mathematical formalization of knowledge base, it has been employed for knowledge base verification. In this work, we devise and suggest an automated tool, called COKEP(Checker of Knowledge base using Extended Petri net), for detecting incorrectness, inconsistency, and incompleteness in a knowledge base. The scope of the verification problem is expended to chained errors, unlike previous studies that assume error incidence to be limited to rule pairs only. In addition, we consider certainty factor in checking, because most of knowledge bases have certainly factors. 8 refs,. 2 figs,. 4 tabs. (author)

Methods for Reachability-based Hybrid Controller Design

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-10

approaches for airport runways ( Teo and Tomlin, 2003). The results of the reachability calculations were validated in extensive simulations as well as...UAV flight experiments (Jang and Tomlin, 2005; Teo , 2005). While the focus of these previous applications lies largely in safety verification, the work...B([15, 0],a0)× [−π,π])\\ V,∀qi ∈ Q, where a0 = 30m is the protected radius (chosen based upon published data of the wingspan of a Boeing KC -135

Arts-Based Methods in Education

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chemi, Tatiana; Du, Xiangyun

2017-01-01

This chapter introduces the field of arts-based methods in education with a general theoretical perspective, reviewing the journey of learning in connection to the arts, and the contribution of the arts to societies from an educational perspective. Also presented is the rationale and structure...

Summary of Time Period-Based and Other Approximation Methods for Determining the Capacity Value of Wind and Solar in the United States: September 2010 - February 2012

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rogers, J.; Porter, K.

2012-03-01

This paper updates previous work that describes time period-based and other approximation methods for estimating the capacity value of wind power and extends it to include solar power. The paper summarizes various methods presented in utility integrated resource plans, regional transmission organization methodologies, regional stakeholder initiatives, regulatory proceedings, and academic and industry studies. Time period-based approximation methods typically measure the contribution of a wind or solar plant at the time of system peak - sometimes over a period of months or the average of multiple years.

Previous medical history of diseases in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and their parents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayyoub Malek

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The etiology of Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD is complex and most likely includes genetic and environmental factors. This study was conducted to evaluatethe role of previous medical history of diseases in ADHD children and their parents during theearlier years of the ADHD children's lives. Methods: In this case-control study, 164 ADHD children attending to Child and AdolescentPsychiatric Clinics of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Iran, compared with 166 normal children selected in a random-cluster method from primary and guidance schools. ADHDrating scale (Parents version and clinical interview based on schedule for Schedule forAffective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime Version(K-SADS were used to diagnose ADHD cases and to select the control group. Two groupswere compared for the existence of previous medical history of diseases in children andparents. Fisher's exact test and logistic regression model were used for data analysis. Results: The frequency of maternal history of medical disorders (28.7% vs. 12.0%; P = 0.001was significantly higher in children with ADHD compared with the control group. The frequency of jaundice, dysentery, epilepsy, asthma, allergy, and head trauma in the medicalhistory of children were not significantly differed between the two groups. Conclusion: According to this preliminary study, it may be concluded that the maternal historyof medical disorders is one of contributing risk factors for ADHD.

Estimation of inhalation flow profile using audio-based methods to assess inhaler medication adherence

Science.gov (United States)

Lacalle Muls, Helena; Costello, Richard W.; Reilly, Richard B.

2018-01-01

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients are required to inhale forcefully and deeply to receive medication when using a dry powder inhaler (DPI). There is a clinical need to objectively monitor the inhalation flow profile of DPIs in order to remotely monitor patient inhalation technique. Audio-based methods have been previously employed to accurately estimate flow parameters such as the peak inspiratory flow rate of inhalations, however, these methods required multiple calibration inhalation audio recordings. In this study, an audio-based method is presented that accurately estimates inhalation flow profile using only one calibration inhalation audio recording. Twenty healthy participants were asked to perform 15 inhalations through a placebo Ellipta™ DPI at a range of inspiratory flow rates. Inhalation flow signals were recorded using a pneumotachograph spirometer while inhalation audio signals were recorded simultaneously using the Inhaler Compliance Assessment device attached to the inhaler. The acoustic (amplitude) envelope was estimated from each inhalation audio signal. Using only one recording, linear and power law regression models were employed to determine which model best described the relationship between the inhalation acoustic envelope and flow signal. Each model was then employed to estimate the flow signals of the remaining 14 inhalation audio recordings. This process repeated until each of the 15 recordings were employed to calibrate single models while testing on the remaining 14 recordings. It was observed that power law models generated the highest average flow estimation accuracy across all participants (90.89±0.9% for power law models and 76.63±2.38% for linear models). The method also generated sufficient accuracy in estimating inhalation parameters such as peak inspiratory flow rate and inspiratory capacity within the presence of noise. Estimating inhaler inhalation flow profiles using audio based methods may be

Droplet-based microfluidic method for synthesis of microparticles

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Mbanjwa, MB

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Droplet-based microfluidics has, in recent years, received increased attention as an important tool for performing numerous methods in modern day chemistry and biology such as the synthesis of hydrogel microparticles. Hydrogels have been used in many..., in recent years, received increased attention as an important tool for performing numerous methods in modern day chemistry and biology, such as synthesis of hydrogel microparticles. CONCLUSION AND OUTLOOK The droplet-based microfluidic method offers...

Estimating misclassification error: a closer look at cross-validation based methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ounpraseuth Songthip

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background To estimate a classifier’s error in predicting future observations, bootstrap methods have been proposed as reduced-variation alternatives to traditional cross-validation (CV methods based on sampling without replacement. Monte Carlo (MC simulation studies aimed at estimating the true misclassification error conditional on the training set are commonly used to compare CV methods. We conducted an MC simulation study to compare a new method of bootstrap CV (BCV to k-fold CV for estimating clasification error. Findings For the low-dimensional conditions simulated, the modest positive bias of k-fold CV contrasted sharply with the substantial negative bias of the new BCV method. This behavior was corroborated using a real-world dataset of prognostic gene-expression profiles in breast cancer patients. Our simulation results demonstrate some extreme characteristics of variance and bias that can occur due to a fault in the design of CV exercises aimed at estimating the true conditional error of a classifier, and that appear not to have been fully appreciated in previous studies. Although CV is a sound practice for estimating a classifier’s generalization error, using CV to estimate the fixed misclassification error of a trained classifier conditional on the training set is problematic. While MC simulation of this estimation exercise can correctly represent the average bias of a classifier, it will overstate the between-run variance of the bias. Conclusions We recommend k-fold CV over the new BCV method for estimating a classifier’s generalization error. The extreme negative bias of BCV is too high a price to pay for its reduced variance.

A nodal method based on the response-matrix method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cunha Menezes Filho, A. da; Rocamora Junior, F.D.

1983-02-01

A nodal approach based on the Response-Matrix method is presented with the purpose of investigating the possibility of mixing two different allocations in the same problem. It is found that the use of allocation of albedo combined with allocation of direct reflection produces good results for homogeneous fast reactor configurations. (Author) [pt

A New Developed GIHS-BT-SFIM Fusion Method Based On Edge and Class Data

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S. Dehnavi

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The objective of image fusion (or sometimes pan sharpening is to produce a single image containing the best aspects of the source images. Some desirable aspects are high spatial resolution and high spectral resolution. With the development of space borne imaging sensors, a unified image fusion approach suitable for all employed imaging sources becomes necessary. Among various image fusion methods, intensity-hue-saturation (IHS and Brovey Transforms (BT can quickly merge huge amounts of imagery. However they often face color distortion problems with fused images. The SFIM fusion is one of the most frequently employed approaches in practice to control the tradeoff between the spatial and spectral information. In addition it preserves more spectral information but suffer more spatial information loss. Its effectiveness is heavily depends on the filter design. In this work, two modifications were tested to improve the spectral quality of the images and also investigating class-based fusion results. First, a Generalized Intensity-Hue-Saturation (GIHS, Brovey Transform (BT and smoothing-filter based intensity modulation (SFIM approach was implemented. This kind of algorithm has shown computational advantages among other fusion methods like wavelet, and can be extended to different number of bands as in literature discussed. The used IHS-BT-SFIM algorithm incorporates IHS, IHS-BT, BT, BT-SFIM and SFIM methods by two adjustable parameters. Second, a method was proposed to plus edge information in previous GIHS_BT_SFIM and edge enhancement by panchromatic image. Adding panchromatic data to images had no much improvement. Third, an edge adaptive GIHS_BT_SFIM was proposed to enforce fidelity away from the edges. Using MS image off edges has shown spectral improvement in some fusion methods. Fourth, a class based fusion was tested, which tests different coefficients for each method due to its class. The best parameters for vegetated areas was k1 = 0.6, k2

A Novel Acoustic Liquid Level Determination Method for Coal Seam Gas Wells Based on Autocorrelation Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ximing Zhang

2017-11-01

Full Text Available In coal seam gas (CSG wells, water is periodically removed from the wellbore in order to keep the bottom-hole flowing pressure at low levels, facilitating the desorption of methane gas from the coal bed. In order to calculate gas flow rate and further optimize well performance, it is necessary to accurately monitor the liquid level in real-time. This paper presents a novel method based on autocorrelation function (ACF analysis for determining the liquid level in CSG wells under intense noise conditions. The method involves the calculation of the acoustic travel time in the annulus and processing the autocorrelation signal in order to extract the weak echo under high background noise. In contrast to previous works, the non-linear dependence of the acoustic velocity on temperature and pressure is taken into account. To locate the liquid level of a coal seam gas well the travel time is computed iteratively with the non-linear velocity model. Afterwards, the proposed method is validated using experimental laboratory investigations that have been developed for liquid level detection under two scenarios, representing the combination of low pressure, weak signal, and intense noise generated by gas flowing and leakage. By adopting an evaluation indicator called Crest Factor, the results have shown the superiority of the ACF-based method compared to Fourier filtering (FFT. In the two scenarios, the maximal measurement error from the proposed method was 0.34% and 0.50%, respectively. The latent periodic characteristic of the reflected signal can be extracted by the ACF-based method even when the noise is larger than 1.42 Pa, which is impossible for FFT-based de-noising. A case study focused on a specific CSG well is presented to illustrate the feasibility of the proposed approach, and also to demonstrate that signal processing with autocorrelation analysis can improve the sensitivity of the detection system.

Incremental and Enhanced Scanline-Based Segmentation Method for Surface Reconstruction of Sparse LiDAR Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weimin Wang

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The segmentation of point clouds is an important aspect of automated processing tasks such as semantic extraction. However, the sparsity and non-uniformity of the point clouds gathered by the popular 3D mobile LiDAR devices pose many challenges for existing segmentation methods. To improve the segmentation results of point clouds from mobile LiDAR devices, we propose an optimized segmentation method based on Scanline Continuity Constraint (SLCC in this work. Unlike conventional scanline-based segmentation methods, SLCC clusters scanlines using the continuity constraints in terms of the distance as well as the direction of two consecutive points. In addition, scanline clusters are agglomerated not only into primitive geometrical shapes but also irregular shapes. Another downside to existing segmentation methods is that they are not capable of incremental processing. This causes unnecessary memory and time consumption for applications that require frame-wise segmentation or when new point clouds are added. In order to address this, we propose an incremental scheme—the Incremental Recursive Segmentation (IRIS, that can be easily applied to any segmentation method. IRIS is achieved by combining the segments of newly added point clouds and the previously segmented results. Furthermore, as an example application, we construct a processing pipeline consisting of plane fitting and surface reconstruction using the segmentation results. Finally, we evaluate the proposed methods on three datasets acquired from a handheld Velodyne HDL-32E LiDAR device. The experimental results verify the efficiency of IRIS for any segmentation method and the advantages of SLCC for processing mobile LiDAR data.

A voxel-based approach to gray matter asymmetries.

Science.gov (United States)

Luders, E; Gaser, C; Jancke, L; Schlaug, G

2004-06-01

Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to analyze gray matter (GM) asymmetries in a large sample (n = 60) of male and female professional musicians with and without absolute pitch (AP). We chose to examine these particular groups because previous studies using traditional region-of-interest (ROI) analyses have shown differences in hemispheric asymmetry related to AP and gender. Voxel-based methods may have advantages over traditional ROI-based methods since the analysis can be performed across the whole brain with minimal user bias. After determining that the VBM method was sufficiently sensitive for the detection of differences in GM asymmetries between groups, we found that male AP musicians were more leftward lateralized in the anterior region of the planum temporale (PT) than male non-AP musicians. This confirmed the results of previous studies using ROI-based methods that showed an association between PT asymmetry and the AP phenotype. We further observed that male non-AP musicians revealed an increased leftward GM asymmetry in the postcentral gyrus compared to female non-AP musicians, again corroborating results of a previously published study using ROI-based methods. By analyzing hemispheric GM differences across our entire sample, we were able to partially confirm findings of previous studies using traditional morphometric techniques, as well as more recent, voxel-based analyses. In addition, we found some unusually pronounced GM asymmetries in our musician sample not previously detected in subjects unselected for musical training. Since we were able to validate gender- and AP-related brain asymmetries previously described using traditional ROI-based morphometric techniques, the results of our analyses support the use of VBM for examinations of GM asymmetries.

10 CFR Appendix W to Subpart B of... - Uniform Test Method for Measuring the Energy Consumption of Medium Base Compact Fluorescent Lamps

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Uniform Test Method for Measuring the Energy Consumption of Medium Base Compact Fluorescent Lamps W Appendix W to Subpart B of Part 430 Energy DEPARTMENT OF... the previous step. Round the final energy consumption value, as applicable, to the nearest decimal...

Role of the lattice dynamics in La2-xBaxCuO4 superconductor based on DFT method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A Tavana

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Electron-phonon coupling parameters are calculated for La2-x BaxCuO4 cuprate superconductor in a wide range of dopings, from undoped to overdoped compounds. In this study we aim to study the quality of such calculations based on DFT method so, the results of σ GGA+U electronic structure calculations are also investigated. The obtained value for electron-phonon coupling is in the same order of previous calculations but, the value obtained for the Hubbard U parameter shows that, such methods are poor in the estimation of electronic correlations to decide about the role of phonons in these compounds based on their results. Moreover, existence of several structural phase transitions with temperature and doping, lead to larger error in these calculations. Based on the calculated phonon dispersions, structural phase transitions can be resulted which shows the ability of DFT in the study of structural properties and the weakness of the strongly correlations in this properties.

The impact of previous knee injury on force plate and field-based measures of balance.

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Baltich, Jennifer; Whittaker, Jackie; Von Tscharner, Vinzenz; Nettel-Aguirre, Alberto; Nigg, Benno M; Emery, Carolyn

2015-10-01

Individuals with post-traumatic osteoarthritis demonstrate increased sway during quiet stance. The prospective association between balance and disease onset is unknown. Improved understanding of balance in the period between joint injury and disease onset could inform secondary prevention strategies to prevent or delay the disease. This study examines the association between youth sport-related knee injury and balance, 3-10years post-injury. Participants included 50 individuals (ages 15-26years) with a sport-related intra-articular knee injury sustained 3-10years previously and 50 uninjured age-, sex- and sport-matched controls. Force-plate measures during single-limb stance (center-of-pressure 95% ellipse-area, path length, excursion, entropic half-life) and field-based balance scores (triple single-leg hop, star-excursion, unipedal dynamic balance) were collected. Descriptive statistics (mean within-pair difference; 95% confidence intervals) were used to compare groups. Linear regression (adjusted for injury history) was used to assess the relationship between ellipse-area and field-based scores. Injured participants on average demonstrated greater medio-lateral excursion [mean within-pair difference (95% confidence interval); 2.8mm (1.0, 4.5)], more regular medio-lateral position [10ms (2, 18)], and shorter triple single-leg hop distances [-30.9% (-8.1, -53.7)] than controls, while no between group differences existed for the remaining outcomes. After taking into consideration injury history, triple single leg hop scores demonstrated a linear association with ellipse area (β=0.52, 95% confidence interval 0.01, 1.01). On average the injured participants adjusted their position less frequently and demonstrated a larger magnitude of movement during single-limb stance compared to controls. These findings support the evaluation of balance outcomes in the period between knee injury and post-traumatic osteoarthritis onset. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights

Application of random seismic inversion method based on tectonic model in thin sand body research

Science.gov (United States)

Dianju, W.; Jianghai, L.; Qingkai, F.

2017-12-01

The oil and gas exploitation at Songliao Basin, Northeast China have already progressed to the period with high water production. The previous detailed reservoir description that based on seismic image, sediment core, borehole logging has great limitations in small scale structural interpretation and thin sand body characterization. Thus, precise guidance for petroleum exploration is badly in need of a more advanced method. To do so, we derived the method of random seismic inversion constrained by tectonic model.It can effectively improve the depicting ability of thin sand bodies, combining numerical simulation techniques, which can credibly reducing the blindness of reservoir analysis from the whole to the local and from the macroscopic to the microscopic. At the same time, this can reduce the limitations of the study under the constraints of different geological conditions of the reservoir, accomplish probably the exact estimation for the effective reservoir. Based on the research, this paper has optimized the regional effective reservoir evaluation and the productive location adjustment of applicability, combined with the practical exploration and development in Aonan oil field.

The prevalence of previous self-harm amongst self-poisoning patients in Sri Lanka

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mohamed, Fahim; Perera, Aravinda; Wijayaweera, Kusal

2011-01-01

BACKGROUND: One of the most important components of suicide prevention strategies is to target people who repeat self-harm as they are a high risk group. However, there is some evidence that the incidence of repeat self-harm is lower in Asia than in the West. The objective of this study...... was to investigate the prevalence of previous self-harm among a consecutive series of self-harm patients presenting to hospitals in rural Sri Lanka. METHOD: Six hundred and ninety-eight self-poisoning patients presenting to medical wards at two hospitals in Sri Lanka were interviewed about their previous episodes...... of self-harm. RESULTS: Sixty-one (8.7%, 95% CI 6.7-11%) patients reported at least one previous episode of self-harm [37 (10.7%) male, 24 (6.8%) female]; only 19 (2.7%, 95% CI 1.6-4.2%) patients had made more than one previous attempt. CONCLUSION: The low prevalence of previous self-harm is consistent...

A fast quadrature-based numerical method for the continuous spectrum biphasic poroviscoelastic model of articular cartilage.

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Stuebner, Michael; Haider, Mansoor A

2010-06-18

A new and efficient method for numerical solution of the continuous spectrum biphasic poroviscoelastic (BPVE) model of articular cartilage is presented. Development of the method is based on a composite Gauss-Legendre quadrature approximation of the continuous spectrum relaxation function that leads to an exponential series representation. The separability property of the exponential terms in the series is exploited to develop a numerical scheme that can be reduced to an update rule requiring retention of the strain history at only the previous time step. The cost of the resulting temporal discretization scheme is O(N) for N time steps. Application and calibration of the method is illustrated in the context of a finite difference solution of the one-dimensional confined compression BPVE stress-relaxation problem. Accuracy of the numerical method is demonstrated by comparison to a theoretical Laplace transform solution for a range of viscoelastic relaxation times that are representative of articular cartilage. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Do attitudes of families concerned influence features of children who claim to remember previous lives?

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Pasricha, Satwant K

2011-01-01

Reported cases of nearly 2600 children (subjects) who claim to remember previous lives have been investigated in cultures with and without belief in reincarnation. The authenticity in most cases has been established. To study the influence of attitudes of parents of the subjects, families of the deceased person with whom they are identified and attention paid by others on the features of the cases. The study is based on field investigations. Data is derived from analysis of a larger series of an ongoing project. Information on initial and subsequent attitudes of subjects' mothers was available for 292 and 136 cases, respectively; attitudes of 227 families of deceased person (previous personality) with whom he is identified, and the extent of attention received from outsiders for 252 cases. Observations and interviews with multiple firsthand informants on both sides of the case as well as some neutral informants supplemented by examination of objective data were the chief methods of investigation. The initial attitude of mothers varied from encouragement (21%) to neutral or tolerance (51%) to discouragement (28%). However, it changed significantly from neutrality to taking measures to induce amnesia in their children for previous life memories due to various psychosocial pressures and prevalent beliefs. Families of the previous personalities, once convinced, showed complete acceptance in a majority of cases. Outside attention was received in 58% cases. The positive attitude of parents might facilitate expression of memories but subsequently attitudes of persons concerned do not seem to alter features of the cases.

Bioactive conformational generation of small molecules: A comparative analysis between force-field and multiple empirical criteria based methods

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Jiang Hualiang

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Conformational sampling for small molecules plays an essential role in drug discovery research pipeline. Based on multi-objective evolution algorithm (MOEA, we have developed a conformational generation method called Cyndi in the previous study. In this work, in addition to Tripos force field in the previous version, Cyndi was updated by incorporation of MMFF94 force field to assess the conformational energy more rationally. With two force fields against a larger dataset of 742 bioactive conformations of small ligands extracted from PDB, a comparative analysis was performed between pure force field based method (FFBM and multiple empirical criteria based method (MECBM hybrided with different force fields. Results Our analysis reveals that incorporating multiple empirical rules can significantly improve the accuracy of conformational generation. MECBM, which takes both empirical and force field criteria as the objective functions, can reproduce about 54% (within 1Å RMSD of the bioactive conformations in the 742-molecule testset, much higher than that of pure force field method (FFBM, about 37%. On the other hand, MECBM achieved a more complete and efficient sampling of the conformational space because the average size of unique conformations ensemble per molecule is about 6 times larger than that of FFBM, while the time scale for conformational generation is nearly the same as FFBM. Furthermore, as a complementary comparison study between the methods with and without empirical biases, we also tested the performance of the three conformational generation methods in MacroModel in combination with different force fields. Compared with the methods in MacroModel, MECBM is more competitive in retrieving the bioactive conformations in light of accuracy but has much lower computational cost. Conclusions By incorporating different energy terms with several empirical criteria, the MECBM method can produce more reasonable conformational

Examining the Impact of a Video Case-Based Mathematics Methods Course on Secondary Pre-Service Teachers' Skills at Analysing Students' Strategies

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Martinez, Mara Vanina; Superfine, Alison Castro; Carlton, Theresa; Dasgupta, Chandan

2015-01-01

This paper focuses on results from a study conducted with two cohorts of pre-service teachers (PSTs) in a video case-based mathematics methods course at a large Midwestern university in the US. The motivation for this study was to look beyond whether or not PSTs pay attention to mathematical thinking of students, as shown by previous studies when…

Failure Probability Calculation Method Using Kriging Metamodel-based Importance Sampling Method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Seunggyu [Korea Aerospace Research Institue, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jae Hoon [Chungnam Nat’l Univ., Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2017-05-15

The kernel density was determined based on sampling points obtained in a Markov chain simulation and was assumed to be an important sampling function. A Kriging metamodel was constructed in more detail in the vicinity of a limit state. The failure probability was calculated based on importance sampling, which was performed for the Kriging metamodel. A pre-existing method was modified to obtain more sampling points for a kernel density in the vicinity of a limit state. A stable numerical method was proposed to find a parameter of the kernel density. To assess the completeness of the Kriging metamodel, the possibility of changes in the calculated failure probability due to the uncertainty of the Kriging metamodel was calculated.

Utility of Combining a Simulation-Based Method With a Lecture-Based Method for Fundoscopy Training in Neurology Residency.

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Gupta, Deepak K; Khandker, Namir; Stacy, Kristin; Tatsuoka, Curtis M; Preston, David C

2017-10-01

Fundoscopic examination is an essential component of the neurologic examination. Competence in its performance is mandated as a required clinical skill for neurology residents by the American Council of Graduate Medical Education. Government and private insurance agencies require its performance and documentation for moderate- and high-level neurologic evaluations. Traditionally, assessment and teaching of this key clinical examination technique have been difficult in neurology residency training. To evaluate the utility of a simulation-based method and the traditional lecture-based method for assessment and teaching of fundoscopy to neurology residents. This study was a prospective, single-blinded, education research study of 48 neurology residents recruited from July 1, 2015, through June 30, 2016, at a large neurology residency training program. Participants were equally divided into control and intervention groups after stratification by training year. Baseline and postintervention assessments were performed using questionnaire, survey, and fundoscopy simulators. After baseline assessment, both groups initially received lecture-based training, which covered fundamental knowledge on the components of fundoscopy and key neurologic findings observed on fundoscopic examination. The intervention group additionally received simulation-based training, which consisted of an instructor-led, hands-on workshop that covered practical skills of performing fundoscopic examination and identifying neurologically relevant findings on another fundoscopy simulator. The primary outcome measures were the postintervention changes in fundoscopy knowledge, skills, and total scores. A total of 30 men and 18 women were equally distributed between the 2 groups. The intervention group had significantly higher mean (SD) increases in skills (2.5 [2.3] vs 0.8 [1.8], P = .01) and total (9.3 [4.3] vs 5.3 [5.8], P = .02) scores compared with the control group. Knowledge scores (6.8 [3

Time delayed Ensemble Nudging Method

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An, Zhe; Abarbanel, Henry

Optimal nudging method based on time delayed embedding theory has shows potentials on analyzing and data assimilation in previous literatures. To extend the application and promote the practical implementation, new nudging assimilation method based on the time delayed embedding space is presented and the connection with other standard assimilation methods are studied. Results shows the incorporating information from the time series of data can reduce the sufficient observation needed to preserve the quality of numerical prediction, making it a potential alternative in the field of data assimilation of large geophysical models.

Contrast-based fully automatic segmentation of white matter hyperintensities: method and validation.

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Thomas Samaille

Full Text Available White matter hyperintensities (WMH on T2 or FLAIR sequences have been commonly observed on MR images of elderly people. They have been associated with various disorders and have been shown to be a strong risk factor for stroke and dementia. WMH studies usually required visual evaluation of WMH load or time-consuming manual delineation. This paper introduced WHASA (White matter Hyperintensities Automated Segmentation Algorithm, a new method for automatically segmenting WMH from FLAIR and T1 images in multicentre studies. Contrary to previous approaches that were based on intensities, this method relied on contrast: non linear diffusion filtering alternated with watershed segmentation to obtain piecewise constant images with increased contrast between WMH and surroundings tissues. WMH were then selected based on subject dependant automatically computed threshold and anatomical information. WHASA was evaluated on 67 patients from two studies, acquired on six different MRI scanners and displaying a wide range of lesion load. Accuracy of the segmentation was assessed through volume and spatial agreement measures with respect to manual segmentation; an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC of 0.96 and a mean similarity index (SI of 0.72 were obtained. WHASA was compared to four other approaches: Freesurfer and a thresholding approach as unsupervised methods; k-nearest neighbours (kNN and support vector machines (SVM as supervised ones. For these latter, influence of the training set was also investigated. WHASA clearly outperformed both unsupervised methods, while performing at least as good as supervised approaches (ICC range: 0.87-0.91 for kNN; 0.89-0.94 for SVM. Mean SI: 0.63-0.71 for kNN, 0.67-0.72 for SVM, and did not need any training set.

The pathogenicity of genetic variants previously associated with left ventricular non-compaction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Abbasi, Yeganeh; Jabbari, Javad; Jabbari, Reza

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC) is a rare cardiomyopathy. Many genetic variants have been associated with LVNC. However, the number of the previous LVNC-associated variants that are common in the background population remains unknown. The aim of this study was to provide...... an updated list of previously reported LVNC-associated variants with biologic description and investigate the prevalence of LVNC variants in healthy general population to find false-positive LVNC-associated variants. METHODS AND RESULTS: The Human Gene Mutation Database and PubMed were systematically...... searched to identify all previously reported LVNC-associated variants. Thereafter, the Exome Sequencing Project (ESP) and the Exome Aggregation Consortium (ExAC), that both represent the background population, was searched for all variants. Four in silico prediction tools were assessed to determine...

Interlaboratory diagnostic accuracy of a Salmonella specific PCR-based method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Malorny, B.; Hoorfar, Jeffrey; Hugas, M.

2003-01-01

A collaborative study involving four European laboratories was conducted to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of a Salmonella specific PCR-based method, which was evaluated within the European FOOD-PCR project (http://www.pcr.dk). Each laboratory analysed by the PCR a set of independent obtained...... presumably naturally contaminated samples and compared the results with the microbiological culture method. The PCR-based method comprised a preenrichment step in buffered peptone water followed by a thermal cell lysis using a closed tube resin-based method. Artificially contaminated minced beef and whole......-based diagnostic methods and is currently proposed as international standard document....

Analysis of current research addressing complementary use of life-cycle assessment and risk assessment for engineered nanomaterials: have lessons been learned from previous experience with chemicals?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grieger, Khara D.; Laurent, Alexis; Miseljic, Mirko; Christensen, Frans; Baun, Anders; Olsen, Stig I.

2012-01-01

While it is generally agreed that successful strategies to address the health and environmental impacts of engineered nanomaterials (NM) should consider the well-established frameworks for conducting life-cycle assessment (LCA) and risk assessment (RA), scientific research, and specific guidance on how to practically apply these methods are still very much under development. This paper evaluates how research efforts have applied LCA and RA together for NM, particularly reflecting on previous experiences with applying these methods to chemicals. Through a literature review and a separate analysis of research focused on applying LCA and RA together for NM, it appears that current research efforts have taken into account some key “lessons learned” from previous experience with chemicals while many key challenges remain for practically applying these methods to NM. We identified two main approaches for using these methods together for NM: “LC-based RA” (traditional RA applied in a life-cycle perspective) and “RA-complemented LCA” (conventional LCA supplemented by RA in specific life-cycle steps). Hence, the latter is the only identified approach which genuinely combines LC- and RA-based methods for NM-risk research efforts to date as the former is rather a continuation of normal RA according to standard assessment procedures (e.g., REACH). Both these approaches along with recommendations for using LCA and RA together for NM are similar to those made previously for chemicals, and thus, there does not appear to be much progress made specific for NM. We have identified one issue in particular that may be specific for NM when applying LCA and RA at this time: the need to establish proper dose metrics within both methods.

Analysis of 60 706 Exomes Questions the Role of De Novo Variants Previously Implicated in Cardiac Disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Paludan-Müller, Christian; Ahlberg, Gustav; Ghouse, Jonas

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: De novo variants in the exome occur at a rate of 1 per individual per generation, and because of the low reproductive fitness for de novo variants causing severe disease, the likelihood of finding these as standing variations in the general population is low. Therefore, this study...... sought to evaluate the pathogenicity of de novo variants previously associated with cardiac disease based on a large population-representative exome database. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed a literature search for previous publications on de novo variants associated with severe arrhythmias...... trio studies (>1000 subjects). Of the monogenic variants, 11% (23/211) were present in ExAC, whereas 26% (802/3050) variants believed to increase susceptibility of disease were identified in ExAC. Monogenic de novo variants in ExAC had a total allele count of 109 and with ≈844 expected cases in Ex...

The Study of Cooperative Obstacle Avoidance Method for MWSN Based on Flocking Control

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Zuo Chen

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Compared with the space fixed feature of traditional wireless sensor network (WSN, mobile WSN has better robustness and adaptability in unknown environment, so that it is always applied in the research of target tracking. In order to reach the target, the nodes group should find a self-adaptive method to avoid the obstacles together in their moving directions. Previous methods, which were based on flocking control model, realized the strategy of obstacle avoidance by means of potential field. However, these may sometimes lead the nodes group to fall into a restricted area like a trap and never get out of it. Based on traditional flocking control model, this paper introduced a new cooperative obstacle avoidance model combined with improved SA obstacle avoidance algorithm. It defined the tangent line of the intersection of node’s velocity line and the edge of obstacle as the steering direction. Furthermore, the cooperative obstacle avoidance model was also improved in avoiding complex obstacles. When nodes group encounters mobile obstacles, nodes will predict movement path based on the spatial location and velocity of obstacle. And when nodes group enters concave obstacles, nodes will temporarily ignore the gravity of the target and search path along the edge of the concave obstacles. Simulation results showed that cooperative obstacle avoidance model has significant improvement on average speed and time efficiency in avoiding obstacle compared with the traditional flocking control model. It is more suitable for obstacle avoidance in complex environment.

The study of cooperative obstacle avoidance method for MWSN based on flocking control.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Zuo; Ding, Lei; Chen, Kai; Li, Renfa

2014-01-01

Compared with the space fixed feature of traditional wireless sensor network (WSN), mobile WSN has better robustness and adaptability in unknown environment, so that it is always applied in the research of target tracking. In order to reach the target, the nodes group should find a self-adaptive method to avoid the obstacles together in their moving directions. Previous methods, which were based on flocking control model, realized the strategy of obstacle avoidance by means of potential field. However, these may sometimes lead the nodes group to fall into a restricted area like a trap and never get out of it. Based on traditional flocking control model, this paper introduced a new cooperative obstacle avoidance model combined with improved SA obstacle avoidance algorithm. It defined the tangent line of the intersection of node's velocity line and the edge of obstacle as the steering direction. Furthermore, the cooperative obstacle avoidance model was also improved in avoiding complex obstacles. When nodes group encounters mobile obstacles, nodes will predict movement path based on the spatial location and velocity of obstacle. And when nodes group enters concave obstacles, nodes will temporarily ignore the gravity of the target and search path along the edge of the concave obstacles. Simulation results showed that cooperative obstacle avoidance model has significant improvement on average speed and time efficiency in avoiding obstacle compared with the traditional flocking control model. It is more suitable for obstacle avoidance in complex environment.

KFC2: a knowledge-based hot spot prediction method based on interface solvation, atomic density, and plasticity features.

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Zhu, Xiaolei; Mitchell, Julie C

2011-09-01

Hot spots constitute a small fraction of protein-protein interface residues, yet they account for a large fraction of the binding affinity. Based on our previous method (KFC), we present two new methods (KFC2a and KFC2b) that outperform other methods at hot spot prediction. A number of improvements were made in developing these new methods. First, we created a training data set that contained a similar number of hot spot and non-hot spot residues. In addition, we generated 47 different features, and different numbers of features were used to train the models to avoid over-fitting. Finally, two feature combinations were selected: One (used in KFC2a) is composed of eight features that are mainly related to solvent accessible surface area and local plasticity; the other (KFC2b) is composed of seven features, only two of which are identical to those used in KFC2a. The two models were built using support vector machines (SVM). The two KFC2 models were then tested on a mixed independent test set, and compared with other methods such as Robetta, FOLDEF, HotPoint, MINERVA, and KFC. KFC2a showed the highest predictive accuracy for hot spot residues (True Positive Rate: TPR = 0.85); however, the false positive rate was somewhat higher than for other models. KFC2b showed the best predictive accuracy for hot spot residues (True Positive Rate: TPR = 0.62) among all methods other than KFC2a, and the False Positive Rate (FPR = 0.15) was comparable with other highly predictive methods. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Optimizing distance-based methods for large data sets

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Scholl, Tobias; Brenner, Thomas

2015-10-01

Distance-based methods for measuring spatial concentration of industries have received an increasing popularity in the spatial econometrics community. However, a limiting factor for using these methods is their computational complexity since both their memory requirements and running times are in {{O}}(n^2). In this paper, we present an algorithm with constant memory requirements and shorter running time, enabling distance-based methods to deal with large data sets. We discuss three recent distance-based methods in spatial econometrics: the D&O-Index by Duranton and Overman (Rev Econ Stud 72(4):1077-1106, 2005), the M-function by Marcon and Puech (J Econ Geogr 10(5):745-762, 2010) and the Cluster-Index by Scholl and Brenner (Reg Stud (ahead-of-print):1-15, 2014). Finally, we present an alternative calculation for the latter index that allows the use of data sets with millions of firms.

Correction of Misclassifications Using a Proximity-Based Estimation Method

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Shmulevich Ilya

2004-01-01

Full Text Available An estimation method for correcting misclassifications in signal and image processing is presented. The method is based on the use of context-based (temporal or spatial information in a sliding-window fashion. The classes can be purely nominal, that is, an ordering of the classes is not required. The method employs nonlinear operations based on class proximities defined by a proximity matrix. Two case studies are presented. In the first, the proposed method is applied to one-dimensional signals for processing data that are obtained by a musical key-finding algorithm. In the second, the estimation method is applied to two-dimensional signals for correction of misclassifications in images. In the first case study, the proximity matrix employed by the estimation method follows directly from music perception studies, whereas in the second case study, the optimal proximity matrix is obtained with genetic algorithms as the learning rule in a training-based optimization framework. Simulation results are presented in both case studies and the degree of improvement in classification accuracy that is obtained by the proposed method is assessed statistically using Kappa analysis.

A Channelization-Based DOA Estimation Method for Wideband Signals

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Rui Guo

2016-07-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we propose a novel direction of arrival (DOA estimation method for wideband signals with sensor arrays. The proposed method splits the wideband array output into multiple frequency sub-channels and estimates the signal parameters using a digital channelization receiver. Based on the output sub-channels, a channelization-based incoherent signal subspace method (Channelization-ISM and a channelization-based test of orthogonality of projected subspaces method (Channelization-TOPS are proposed. Channelization-ISM applies narrowband signal subspace methods on each sub-channel independently. Then the arithmetic mean or geometric mean of the estimated DOAs from each sub-channel gives the final result. Channelization-TOPS measures the orthogonality between the signal and the noise subspaces of the output sub-channels to estimate DOAs. The proposed channelization-based method isolates signals in different bandwidths reasonably and improves the output SNR. It outperforms the conventional ISM and TOPS methods on estimation accuracy and dynamic range, especially in real environments. Besides, the parallel processing architecture makes it easy to implement on hardware. A wideband digital array radar (DAR using direct wideband radio frequency (RF digitization is presented. Experiments carried out in a microwave anechoic chamber with the wideband DAR are presented to demonstrate the performance. The results verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Improved olefinic fat suppression in skeletal muscle DTI using a magnitude-based dixon method.

Science.gov (United States)

Burakiewicz, Jedrzej; Hooijmans, Melissa T; Webb, Andrew G; Verschuuren, Jan J G M; Niks, Erik H; Kan, Hermien E

2018-01-01

To develop a method of suppressing the multi-resonance fat signal in diffusion-weighted imaging of skeletal muscle. This is particularly important when imaging patients with muscular dystrophies, a group of diseases which cause gradual replacement of muscle tissue by fat. The signal from the olefinic fat peak at 5.3 ppm can significantly confound diffusion-tensor imaging measurements. Dixon olefinic fat suppression (DOFS), a magnitude-based chemical-shift-based method of suppressing the olefinic peak, is proposed. It is verified in vivo by performing diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)-based quantification in the lower leg of seven healthy volunteers, and compared to two previously described fat-suppression techniques in regions with and without fat contamination. In the region without fat contamination, DOFS produces similar results to existing techniques, whereas in muscle contaminated by subcutaneous fat signal moved due to the chemical shift artefact, it consistently showed significantly higher (P = 0.018) mean diffusivity (MD). Because fat presence lowers MD, this suggests improved fat suppression. DOFS offers superior fat suppression and enhances quantitative measurements in the muscle in the presence of fat. DOFS is an alternative to spectral olefinic fat suppression. Magn Reson Med 79:152-159, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Response to health insurance by previously uninsured rural children.

Science.gov (United States)

Tilford, J M; Robbins, J M; Shema, S J; Farmer, F L

1999-08-01

To examine the healthcare utilization and costs of previously uninsured rural children. Four years of claims data from a school-based health insurance program located in the Mississippi Delta. All children who were not Medicaid-eligible or were uninsured, were eligible for limited benefits under the program. The 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey (NMES) was used to compare utilization of services. The study represents a natural experiment in the provision of insurance benefits to a previously uninsured population. Premiums for the claims cost were set with little or no information on expected use of services. Claims from the insurer were used to form a panel data set. Mixed model logistic and linear regressions were estimated to determine the response to insurance for several categories of health services. The use of services increased over time and approached the level of utilization in the NMES. Conditional medical expenditures also increased over time. Actuarial estimates of claims cost greatly exceeded actual claims cost. The provision of a limited medical, dental, and optical benefit package cost approximately $20-$24 per member per month in claims paid. An important uncertainty in providing health insurance to previously uninsured populations is whether a pent-up demand exists for health services. Evidence of a pent-up demand for medical services was not supported in this study of rural school-age children. States considering partnerships with private insurers to implement the State Children's Health Insurance Program could lower premium costs by assembling basic data on previously uninsured children.

Arts-Based Methods in Education Around the World

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arts-Based Methods in Education Around the World aims to investigate arts-based encounters in educational settings in response to a global need for studies that connect the cultural, inter-cultural, cross-cultural, and global elements of arts-based methods in education. In this extraordinary...... collection, contributions are collected from experts all over the world and involve a multiplicity of arts genres and traditions. These contributions bring together diverse cultural and educational perspectives and include a large variety of artistic genres and research methodologies. The topics covered...

Optimization of the solvent-based dissolution method to sample volatile organic compound vapors for compound-specific isotope analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bouchard, Daniel; Wanner, Philipp; Luo, Hong; McLoughlin, Patrick W; Henderson, James K; Pirkle, Robert J; Hunkeler, Daniel

2017-10-20

The methodology of the solvent-based dissolution method used to sample gas phase volatile organic compounds (VOC) for compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) was optimized to lower the method detection limits for TCE and benzene. The sampling methodology previously evaluated by [1] consists in pulling the air through a solvent to dissolve and accumulate the gaseous VOC. After the sampling process, the solvent can then be treated similarly as groundwater samples to perform routine CSIA by diluting an aliquot of the solvent into water to reach the required concentration of the targeted contaminant. Among solvents tested, tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether (TGDE) showed the best aptitude for the method. TGDE has a great affinity with TCE and benzene, hence efficiently dissolving the compounds during their transition through the solvent. The method detection limit for TCE (5±1μg/m 3 ) and benzene (1.7±0.5μg/m 3 ) is lower when using TGDE compared to methanol, which was previously used (385μg/m 3 for TCE and 130μg/m 3 for benzene) [2]. The method detection limit refers to the minimal gas phase concentration in ambient air required to load sufficient VOC mass into TGDE to perform δ 13 C analysis. Due to a different analytical procedure, the method detection limit associated with δ 37 Cl analysis was found to be 156±6μg/m 3 for TCE. Furthermore, the experimental results validated the relationship between the gas phase TCE and the progressive accumulation of dissolved TCE in the solvent during the sampling process. Accordingly, based on the air-solvent partitioning coefficient, the sampling methodology (e.g. sampling rate, sampling duration, amount of solvent) and the final TCE concentration in the solvent, the concentration of TCE in the gas phase prevailing during the sampling event can be determined. Moreover, the possibility to analyse for TCE concentration in the solvent after sampling (or other targeted VOCs) allows the field deployment of the sampling

An Intelligent Fleet Condition-Based Maintenance Decision Making Method Based on Multi-Agent

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Bo Sun

2012-01-01

Full Text Available According to the demand for condition-based maintenance online decision making among a mission oriented fleet, an intelligent maintenance decision making method based on Multi-agent and heuristic rules is proposed. The process of condition-based maintenance within an aircraft fleet (each containing one or more Line Replaceable Modules based on multiple maintenance thresholds is analyzed. Then the process is abstracted into a Multi-Agent Model, a 2-layer model structure containing host negotiation and independent negotiation is established, and the heuristic rules applied to global and local maintenance decision making is proposed. Based on Contract Net Protocol and the heuristic rules, the maintenance decision making algorithm is put forward. Finally, a fleet consisting of 10 aircrafts on a 3-wave continuous mission is illustrated to verify this method. Simulation results indicate that this method can improve the availability of the fleet, meet mission demands, rationalize the utilization of support resources and provide support for online maintenance decision making among a mission oriented fleet.

Detection of needle to nerve contact based on electric bioimpedance and machine learning methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalvoy, Havard; Tronstad, Christian; Ullensvang, Kyrre; Steinfeldt, Thorsten; Sauter, Axel R

2017-07-01

In an ongoing project for electrical impedance-based needle guidance we have previously showed in an animal model that intraneural needle positions can be detected with bioimpedance measurement. To enhance the power of this method we in this study have investigated whether an early detection of the needle only touching the nerve also is feasible. Measurement of complex impedance during needle to nerve contact was compared with needle positions in surrounding tissues in a volunteer study on 32 subjects. Classification analysis using Support-Vector Machines demonstrated that discrimination is possible, but that the sensitivity and specificity for the nerve touch algorithm not is at the same level of performance as for intra-neuralintraneural detection.

Novel Fingertip Image-Based Heart Rate Detection Methods for a Smartphone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rifat Zaman

2017-02-01

Full Text Available We hypothesize that our fingertip image-based heart rate detection methods using smartphone reliably detect the heart rhythm and rate of subjects. We propose fingertip curve line movement-based and fingertip image intensity-based detection methods, which both use the movement of successive fingertip images obtained from smartphone cameras. To investigate the performance of the proposed methods, heart rhythm and rate of the proposed methods are compared to those of the conventional method, which is based on average image pixel intensity. Using a smartphone, we collected 120 s pulsatile time series data from each recruited subject. The results show that the proposed fingertip curve line movement-based method detects heart rate with a maximum deviation of 0.0832 Hz and 0.124 Hz using time- and frequency-domain based estimation, respectively, compared to the conventional method. Moreover, another proposed fingertip image intensity-based method detects heart rate with a maximum deviation of 0.125 Hz and 0.03 Hz using time- and frequency-based estimation, respectively.

Determining Accuracy of Thermal Dissipation Methods-based Sap Flux in Japanese Cedar Trees

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Man-Ping; Shinohara, Yoshinori; Laplace, Sophie; Lin, Song-Jin; Kume, Tomonori

2017-04-01

Thermal dissipation method, one kind of sap flux measurement method that can estimate individual tree transpiration, have been widely used because of its low cost and uncomplicated operation. Although thermal dissipation method is widespread, the accuracy of this method is doubted recently because some tree species materials in previous studies were not suitable for its empirical formula from Granier due to difference of wood characteristics. In Taiwan, Cryptomeria japonica (Japanese cedar) is one of the dominant species in mountainous area, quantifying the transpiration of Japanese cedar trees is indispensable to understand water cycling there. However, no one have tested the accuracy of thermal dissipation methods-based sap flux for Japanese cedar trees in Taiwan. Thus, in this study we conducted calibration experiment using twelve Japanese cedar stem segments from six trees to investigate the accuracy of thermal dissipation methods-based sap flux in Japanese cedar trees in Taiwan. By pumping water from segment bottom to top and inserting probes into segments to collect data simultaneously, we compared sap flux densities calculated from real water uptakes (Fd_actual) and empirical formula (Fd_Granier). Exact sapwood area and sapwood depth of each sample were obtained from dying segment with safranin stain solution. Our results showed that Fd_Granier underestimated 39 % of Fd_actual across sap flux densities ranging from 10 to 150 (cm3m-2s-1); while applying sapwood depth corrected formula from Clearwater, Fd_Granier became accurately that only underestimated 0.01 % of Fd_actual. However, when sap flux densities ranging from 10 to 50 (cm3m-2s-1)which is similar with the field data of Japanese cedar trees in a mountainous area of Taiwan, Fd_Granier underestimated 51 % of Fd_actual, and underestimated 26 % with applying Clearwater sapwood depth corrected formula. These results suggested sapwood depth significantly impacted on the accuracy of thermal dissipation

Protein-Based Nanoparticle Preparation via Nanoprecipitation Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamad Tarhini

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Nanoparticles are nowadays largely investigated in the field of drug delivery. Among nanoparticles, protein-based particles are of paramount importance since they are natural, biodegradable, biocompatible, and nontoxic. There are several methods to prepare proteins containing nanoparticles, but only a few studies have been dedicated to the preparation of protein- based nanoparticles. Then, the aim of this work was to report on the preparation of bovine serum albumin (BSA-based nanoparticles using a well-defined nanoprecipitation process. Special attention has been dedicated to a systematic study in order to understand separately the effect of each operating parameter of the method (such as protein concentration, solvent/non-solvent volume ratio, non-solvent injection rate, ionic strength of the buffer solution, pH, and cross-linking on the colloidal properties of the obtained nanoparticles. In addition, the mixing processes (batch or drop-wise were also investigated. Using a well-defined formulation, submicron protein-based nanoparticles have been obtained. All prepared particles have been characterized in terms of size, size distribution, morphology, and electrokinetic properties. In addition, the stability of nanoparticles was investigated using Ultraviolet (UV scan and electrophoresis, and the optimal conditions for preparing BSA nanoparticles by the nanoprecipitation method were concluded.

A novel method of S-box design based on chaotic map and composition method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lambić, Dragan

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Novel chaotic S-box generation method is presented. • Presented S-box has better cryptographic properties than other examples of chaotic S-boxes. • The advantages of the proposed method are the low complexity and large key space. -- Abstract: An efficient algorithm for obtaining random bijective S-boxes based on chaotic maps and composition method is presented. The proposed method is based on compositions of S-boxes from a fixed starting set. The sequence of the indices of starting S-boxes used is obtained by using chaotic maps. The results of performance test show that the S-box presented in this paper has good cryptographic properties. The advantages of the proposed method are the low complexity and the possibility to achieve large key space

Energy-Based Acoustic Source Localization Methods: A Survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Meng

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Energy-based source localization is an important problem in wireless sensor networks (WSNs, which has been studied actively in the literature. Numerous localization algorithms, e.g., maximum likelihood estimation (MLE and nonlinear-least-squares (NLS methods, have been reported. In the literature, there are relevant review papers for localization in WSNs, e.g., for distance-based localization. However, not much work related to energy-based source localization is covered in the existing review papers. Energy-based methods are proposed and specially designed for a WSN due to its limited sensor capabilities. This paper aims to give a comprehensive review of these different algorithms for energy-based single and multiple source localization problems, their merits and demerits and to point out possible future research directions.

Methods for risk-based planning of O&M of wind turbines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Jannie Sønderkær; Sørensen, John Dalsgaard

2014-01-01

take more information into account, and especially, the method based on the Markov decision process is very flexible and accurate. A case study shows that the Markov decision process and decision rules based on the probability of failure are equally good and give lower costs compared to decision rules......In order to make wind energy more competitive, the big expenses for operation and maintenance must be reduced. Consistent decisions that minimize the expected costs can be made based on risk-based methods. Such methods have been implemented for maintenance planning for oil and gas structures......, a method based on limited memory influence diagrams and a method based on the partially observable Markov decision process. The methods with decision rules based on observed variables are easy to use, but can only take the most recent observation into account, when a decision is made. The other methods can...

Detection of previously undiagnosed cases of COPD in a high-risk population identified in general practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Løkke, Anders; Ulrik, Charlotte Suppli; Dahl, Ronald

2012-01-01

Background and Aim: Under-diagnosis of COPD is a widespread problem. This study aimed to identify previously undiagnosed cases of COPD in a high-risk population identified through general practice. Methods: Participating GPs (n = 241) recruited subjects with no previous diagnosis of lung disease,...

Algebraic Verification Method for SEREs Properties via Groebner Bases Approaches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ning Zhou

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This work presents an efficient solution using computer algebra system to perform linear temporal properties verification for synchronous digital systems. The method is essentially based on both Groebner bases approaches and symbolic simulation. A mechanism for constructing canonical polynomial set based symbolic representations for both circuit descriptions and assertions is studied. We then present a complete checking algorithm framework based on these algebraic representations by using Groebner bases. The computational experience result in this work shows that the algebraic approach is a quite competitive checking method and will be a useful supplement to the existent verification methods based on simulation.

EP BASED PSO METHOD FOR SOLVING PROFIT BASED MULTI AREA UNIT COMMITMENT PROBLEM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. VENKATESAN

2015-04-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a new approach to solve the profit based multi area unit commitment problem (PBMAUCP using an evolutionary programming based particle swarm optimization (EPPSO method. The objective of this paper is to maximize the profit of generation companies (GENCOs with considering system social benefit. The proposed method helps GENCOs to make a decision, how much power and reserve should be sold in markets, and how to schedule generators in order to receive the maximum profit. Joint operation of generation resources can result in significant operational cost savings. Power transfer between the areas through the tie lines depends upon the operating cost of generation at each hour and tie line transfer limits. The tie line transfer limits were considered as a set of constraints during optimization process to ensure the system security and reliability. The overall algorithm can be implemented on an IBM PC, which can process a fairly large system in a reasonable period of time. Case study of four areas with different load pattern each containing 7 units (NTPS and 26 units connected via tie lines have been taken for analysis. Numerical results showed comparing the profit of evolutionary programming-based particle swarm optimization method (EPPSO with conventional dynamic programming (DP, evolutionary programming (EP, and particle swarm optimization (PSO method. Experimental results shows that the application of this evolutionary programming based particle swarm optimization method have the potential to solve profit based multi area unit commitment problem with lesser computation time.

Enhancements to Graph based methods for Multi Document Summarization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rengaramanujam Srinivasan

2009-01-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses its attention on extractivesummarization using popular graph based approaches. Graphbased methods can be broadly classified into two categories:non- PageRank type and PageRank type methods. Of themethods already proposed - the Centrality Degree methodbelongs to the former category while LexRank and ContinuousLexRank methods belong to later category. The paper goes on tosuggest two enhancements to both PageRank type and non-PageRank type methods. The first modification is that ofrecursively discounting the selected sentences, i.e. if a sentence isselected it is removed from further consideration and the nextsentence is selected based upon the contributions of theremaining sentences only. Next the paper suggests a method ofincorporating position weight to these schemes. In all 14methods –six of non- PageRank type and eight of PageRanktype have been investigated. To clearly distinguish betweenvarious schemes, we call the methods of incorporatingdiscounting and position weight enhancements over LexicalRank schemes as Sentence Rank (SR methods. Intrinsicevaluation of all the 14 graph based methods were done usingconventional Precision metric and metrics earlier proposed byus - Effectiveness1 (E1 and Effectiveness2 (E2. Experimentalstudy brings out that the proposed SR methods are superior toall the other methods.

Multiscale Simulation of Porous Ceramics Based on Movable Cellular Automaton Method

Science.gov (United States)

Smolin, A.; Smolin, I.; Eremina, G.; Smolina, I.

2017-10-01

The paper presents a model for simulating mechanical behaviour of multiscale porous ceramics based on movable cellular automaton method, which is a novel particle method in computational mechanics of solid. The initial scale of the proposed approach corresponds to the characteristic size of the smallest pores in the ceramics. At this scale, we model uniaxial compression of several representative samples with an explicit account of pores of the same size but with the random unique position in space. As a result, we get the average values of Young’s modulus and strength, as well as the parameters of the Weibull distribution of these properties at the current scale level. These data allow us to describe the material behaviour at the next scale level were only the larger pores are considered explicitly, while the influence of small pores is included via the effective properties determined at the previous scale level. If the pore size distribution function of the material has N maxima we need to perform computations for N - 1 levels in order to get the properties from the lowest scale up to the macroscale step by step. The proposed approach was applied to modelling zirconia ceramics with bimodal pore size distribution. The obtained results show correct behaviour of the model sample at the macroscale.

An Activity-based Approach to the Learning and Teaching of Research Methods: Measuring Student Engagement and Learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eimear Fallon

2013-05-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses a research project carried out with 82 final and third year undergraduate students, learning Research Methods prior to undertaking an undergraduate thesis during the academic years 2010 and 2011. The research had two separate, linked objectives, (a to develop a Research Methods module that embraces an activity-based approach to learning in a group environment, (b to improve engagement by all students. The Research Methods module was previously taught through a traditional lecture-based format. Anecdotally, it was felt that student engagement was poor and learning was limited. It was believed that successful completion of the development of this Module would equip students with a deeply-learned battery of research skills to take into their further academic and professional careers. Student learning was achieved through completion of a series of activities based on different research methods. In order to encourage student engagement, a wide variety of activities were used. These activities included workshops, brainstorming, mind-mapping, presentations, written submissions, peer critiquing, lecture/seminar, and ‘speed dating’ with more senior students and self reflection. Student engagement was measured through a survey based on a U.S. National Survey of Student Engagement (2000. A questionnaire was devised to establish whether, and to what degree, students were engaged in the material that they were learning, while they were learning it. The results of the questionnaire were very encouraging with between 63% and 96% of students answering positively to a range of questions concerning engagement. In terms of the two objectives set, these were satisfactorily met. The module was successfully developed and continues to be delivered, based upon this new and significant level of student engagement.

Numerical simulation of the shot peening process under previous loading conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romero-Ángeles, B; Urriolagoitia-Sosa, G; Torres-San Miguel, C R; Molina-Ballinas, A; Benítez-García, H A; Vargas-Bustos, J A; Urriolagoitia-Calderón, G

2015-01-01

This research presents a numerical simulation of the shot peening process and determines the residual stress field induced into a component with a previous loading history. The importance of this analysis is based on the fact that mechanical elements under shot peening are also subjected to manufacturing processes, which convert raw material into finished product. However, material is not provided in a virgin state, it has a previous loading history caused by the manner it is fabricated. This condition could alter some beneficial aspects of the residual stress induced by shot peening and could accelerate the crack nucleation and propagation progression. Studies were performed in beams subjected to strain hardening in tension (5ε y ) before shot peening was applied. Latter results were then compared in a numerical assessment of an induced residual stress field by shot peening carried out in a component (beam) without any previous loading history. In this paper, it is clearly shown the detrimental or beneficial effect that previous loading history can bring to the mechanical component and how it can be controlled to improve the mechanical behavior of the material

Qualitative Assessment of Inquiry-Based Teaching Methods

Science.gov (United States)

Briggs, Michael; Long, George; Owens, Katrina

2011-01-01

A new approach to teaching method assessment using student focused qualitative studies and the theoretical framework of mental models is proposed. The methodology is considered specifically for the advantages it offers when applied to the assessment of inquiry-based teaching methods. The theoretical foundation of mental models is discussed, and…

Analyses of more than 60,000 exomes questions the role of numerous genes previously associated with dilated cardiomyopathy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nouhravesh, Nina; Ahlberg, Gustav; Ghouse, Jonas

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Hundreds of genetic variants have been described as disease causing in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Some of these associations are now being questioned. We aimed to identify the prevalence of previously DCM associated variants in the Exome Aggregation Consortium (ExAC), in order...... to identify potentially false-positive DCM variants. METHODS: Variants listed as DCM disease-causing variants in the Human Gene Mutation Database were extracted from ExAC. Pathogenicity predictions for these variants were mined from dbNSFP v 2.9 database. RESULTS: Of the 473 DCM variants listed in HGMD, 148...... (31%) were found in ExAC. The expected number of individuals with DCM in ExAC is 25 based on the prevalence in the general population. Yet, 35 variants were found in more than 25 individuals. In 13 genes, we identified all variants previously associated with DCM; four genes contained variants above...

New method for identification of precentral and postcentral gyrus on CT and MR studies based on the medullary pattern of cerebral white matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwasaki, S.; Uchida, H.; Kichikawa, K.; Nakagawa, H.; Ohishi, H.; Kuru, Y.

1987-01-01

The authors proposed and verified a new method to identify the precentral and postcentral gyrus on the axial images of CT and MR. The method is founded on the pattern of medullary branches of white matter instead of sulci, which had been reported previously. The accuracy of this method was verified by fixed brains, normal CT analysis based on the pattern of sulci, and clinical cases analyzed by angiography. This method can be used even if there are space-occupying lesions. This will probably be widely used not only for CT but also for MR imaging, which depicts the medullary branch more clearly

Do family physicians retrieve synopses of clinical research previously read as email alerts?

Science.gov (United States)

Grad, Roland; Pluye, Pierre; Johnson-Lafleur, Janique; Granikov, Vera; Shulha, Michael; Bartlett, Gillian; Marlow, Bernard

2011-11-30

A synopsis of new clinical research highlights important aspects of one study in a brief structured format. When delivered as email alerts, synopses enable clinicians to become aware of new developments relevant for practice. Once read, a synopsis can become a known item of clinical information. In time-pressured situations, remembering a known item may facilitate information retrieval by the clinician. However, exactly how synopses first delivered as email alerts influence retrieval at some later time is not known. We examined searches for clinical information in which a synopsis previously read as an email alert was retrieved (defined as a dyad). Our study objectives were to (1) examine whether family physicians retrieved synopses they previously read as email alerts and then to (2) explore whether family physicians purposefully retrieved these synopses. We conducted a mixed-methods study in which a qualitative multiple case study explored the retrieval of email alerts within a prospective longitudinal cohort of practicing family physicians. Reading of research-based synopses was tracked in two contexts: (1) push, meaning to read on email and (2) pull, meaning to read after retrieval from one electronic knowledge resource. Dyads, defined as synopses first read as email alerts and subsequently retrieved in a search of a knowledge resource, were prospectively identified. Participants were interviewed about all of their dyads. Outcomes were the total number of dyads and their type. Over a period of 341 days, 194 unique synopses delivered to 41 participants resulted in 4937 synopsis readings. In all, 1205 synopses were retrieved over an average of 320 days. Of the 1205 retrieved synopses, 21 (1.7%) were dyads made by 17 family physicians. Of the 1205 retrieved synopses, 6 (0.5%) were known item type dyads. However, dyads also occurred serendipitously. In the single knowledge resource we studied, email alerts containing research-based synopses were rarely retrieved

Computer-aided detection system performance on current and previous digital mammograms in patients with contralateral metachronous breast cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Seung Ja; Moon, Woo Kyung; Cho, Nariya; Chang, Jung Min

2012-01-01

Background: The computer-aided detection (CAD) system is widely used for screening mammography. The performance of the CAD system for contralateral breast cancer has not been reported for women with a history of breast cancer. Purpose: To retrospectively evaluate the performance of a CAD system on current and previous mammograms in patients with contralateral metachronous breast cancer. Material and Methods: During a 3-year period, 4945 postoperative patients had follow-up examinations, from whom we selected 55 women with contralateral breast cancers. Among them, 38 had visible malignant signs on the current mammograms. We analyzed the sensitivity and false-positive marks of the system on the current and previous mammograms according to lesion type and breast density. Results: The total visible lesion components on the current mammograms included 27 masses and 14 calcifications in 38 patients. The case-based sensitivity for all lesion types was 63.2% (24/38) with false-positive marks of 0.71 per patient. The lesion-based sensitivity for masses and calcifications was 59.3% (16/27) and 71.4% (10/14), respectively. The lesion-based sensitivity for masses in fatty and dense breasts was 68.8% (11/16) and 45.5% (5/11), respectively. The lesion-based sensitivity for calcifications in fatty and dense breasts was 100.0% (3/3) and 63.6% (7/11), respectively. The total visible lesion components on the previous mammograms included 13 masses and three calcifications in 16 patients, and the sensitivity for all lesion types was 31.3% (5/16) with false-positive marks of 0.81 per patient. On these mammograms, the sensitivity for masses and calcifications was 30.8% (4/13) and 33.3% (1/3), respectively. The sensitivity in fatty and dense breasts was 28.6% (2/7) and 33.3% (3/9), respectively. Conclusion: In the women with a history of breast cancer, the sensitivity of the CAD system in visible contralateral breast cancer was lower than in most previous reports using the same CAD

Quantitative Sasang Constitution Diagnosis Method for Distinguishing between Tae-eumin and Soeumin Types Based on Elasticity Measurements of the Skin of the Human Hand

OpenAIRE

Song, Han Wook; Lee, SungJun; Park, Yon Kyu; Woo, Sam Yong

2009-01-01

The usefulness of constitutional diagnoses based on skin measurements has been established in oriental medicine. However, it is very difficult to standardize traditional diagnosis methods. According to Sasang constitutional medicine, humans can be distinguished based on properties of the skin, including its texture, roughness, hardness and elasticity. The elasticity of the skin was previously used to distinguish between people with Tae-eumin (TE) and Soeumin (SE) constitutions. The present st...

Comparison of gas dehydration methods based on energy ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Comparison of gas dehydration methods based on energy consumption. ... PROMOTING ACCESS TO AFRICAN RESEARCH ... This study compares three conventional methods of natural gas (Associated Natural Gas) dehydration to carry out ...

Therapy Decision Support Based on Recommender System Methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Gräßer, Felix; Beckert, Stefanie; Küster, Denise; Schmitt, Jochen; Abraham, Susanne; Malberg, Hagen; Zaunseder, Sebastian

2017-01-01

We present a system for data-driven therapy decision support based on techniques from the field of recommender systems. Two methods for therapy recommendation, namely, Collaborative Recommender and Demographic-based Recommender , are proposed. Both algorithms aim to predict the individual response to different therapy options using diverse patient data and recommend the therapy which is assumed to provide the best outcome for a specific patient and time, that is, consultation. The proposed methods are evaluated using a clinical database incorporating patients suffering from the autoimmune skin disease psoriasis. The Collaborative Recommender proves to generate both better outcome predictions and recommendation quality. However, due to sparsity in the data, this approach cannot provide recommendations for the entire database. In contrast, the Demographic-based Recommender performs worse on average but covers more consultations. Consequently, both methods profit from a combination into an overall recommender system.

Qualitative Comparison of Contraction-Based Curve Skeletonization Methods

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sobiecki, André; Yasan, Haluk C.; Jalba, Andrei C.; Telea, Alexandru C.

2013-01-01

In recent years, many new methods have been proposed for extracting curve skeletons of 3D shapes, using a mesh-contraction principle. However, it is still unclear how these methods perform with respect to each other, and with respect to earlier voxel-based skeletonization methods, from the viewpoint

New population-based exome data are questioning the pathogenicity of previously cardiomyopathy-associated genetic variants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreasen, Charlotte Hartig; Nielsen, Jonas B; Refsgaard, Lena

2013-01-01

Cardiomyopathies are a heterogeneous group of diseases with various etiologies. We focused on three genetically determined cardiomyopathies: hypertrophic (HCM), dilated (DCM), and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC). Eighty-four genes have so far been associated with these card......Cardiomyopathies are a heterogeneous group of diseases with various etiologies. We focused on three genetically determined cardiomyopathies: hypertrophic (HCM), dilated (DCM), and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC). Eighty-four genes have so far been associated...... with these cardiomyopathies, but the disease-causing effect of reported variants is often dubious. In order to identify possible false-positive variants, we investigated the prevalence of previously reported cardiomyopathy-associated variants in recently published exome data. We searched for reported missense and nonsense...... variants in the NHLBI-Go Exome Sequencing Project (ESP) containing exome data from 6500 individuals. In ESP, we identified 94 variants out of 687 (14%) variants previously associated with HCM, 58 out of 337 (17%) variants associated with DCM, and 38 variants out of 209 (18%) associated with ARVC...

How to prevent type 2 diabetes in women with previous gestational diabetes?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Anne Louise Winkler; Terkildsen Maindal, Helle; Juul, Lise

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVES: Women with previous gestational diabetes (GDM) have a seven times higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2DM) than women without. We aimed to review the evidence of effective behavioural interventions seeking to prevent T2DM in this high-risk group. METHODS: A systematic review...... of RCTs in several databases in March 2016. RESULTS: No specific intervention or intervention components were found superior. The pooled effect on diabetes incidence (four trials) was estimated to: -5.02 per 100 (95% CI: -9.24; -0.80). CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that intervention is superior...... to no intervention in prevention of T2DM among women with previous GDM....

Comparing SVM and ANN based Machine Learning Methods for Species Identification of Food Contaminating Beetles.

Science.gov (United States)

Bisgin, Halil; Bera, Tanmay; Ding, Hongjian; Semey, Howard G; Wu, Leihong; Liu, Zhichao; Barnes, Amy E; Langley, Darryl A; Pava-Ripoll, Monica; Vyas, Himansu J; Tong, Weida; Xu, Joshua

2018-04-25

Insect pests, such as pantry beetles, are often associated with food contaminations and public health risks. Machine learning has the potential to provide a more accurate and efficient solution in detecting their presence in food products, which is currently done manually. In our previous research, we demonstrated such feasibility where Artificial Neural Network (ANN) based pattern recognition techniques could be implemented for species identification in the context of food safety. In this study, we present a Support Vector Machine (SVM) model which improved the average accuracy up to 85%. Contrary to this, the ANN method yielded ~80% accuracy after extensive parameter optimization. Both methods showed excellent genus level identification, but SVM showed slightly better accuracy  for most species. Highly accurate species level identification remains a challenge, especially in distinguishing between species from the same genus which may require improvements in both imaging and machine learning techniques. In summary, our work does illustrate a new SVM based technique and provides a good comparison with the ANN model in our context. We believe such insights will pave better way forward for the application of machine learning towards species identification and food safety.

New mobile methods for dietary assessment: review of image-assisted and image-based dietary assessment methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Boushey, C J; Spoden, M; Zhu, F M; Delp, E J; Kerr, D A

2017-08-01

For nutrition practitioners and researchers, assessing dietary intake of children and adults with a high level of accuracy continues to be a challenge. Developments in mobile technologies have created a role for images in the assessment of dietary intake. The objective of this review was to examine peer-reviewed published papers covering development, evaluation and/or validation of image-assisted or image-based dietary assessment methods from December 2013 to January 2016. Images taken with handheld devices or wearable cameras have been used to assist traditional dietary assessment methods for portion size estimations made by dietitians (image-assisted methods). Image-assisted approaches can supplement either dietary records or 24-h dietary recalls. In recent years, image-based approaches integrating application technology for mobile devices have been developed (image-based methods). Image-based approaches aim at capturing all eating occasions by images as the primary record of dietary intake, and therefore follow the methodology of food records. The present paper reviews several image-assisted and image-based methods, their benefits and challenges; followed by details on an image-based mobile food record. Mobile technology offers a wide range of feasible options for dietary assessment, which are easier to incorporate into daily routines. The presented studies illustrate that image-assisted methods can improve the accuracy of conventional dietary assessment methods by adding eating occasion detail via pictures captured by an individual (dynamic images). All of the studies reduced underreporting with the help of images compared with results with traditional assessment methods. Studies with larger sample sizes are needed to better delineate attributes with regards to age of user, degree of error and cost.

Lesson learned - CGID based on the Method 1 and Method 2 for digital equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Wonil; Sohn, Kwang Young; Cho, Chang Hwan; Kim, Sung Jong

2015-01-01

The acceptance methods associated with commercial-grade dedication are the following: 1) Special tests and inspection (Method 1) 2) Commercial-grade surveys (Method 2) 3) Source verification (Method 3) 4) An acceptable item and supplier performance record (Method 4) Special tests and inspections, often referred to as Method 1, are performed by the dedicating entity after the item is received to verify selected critical characteristics. Conducting a commercial-grade survey of a supplier is often referred to as Method 2. Supplier audits to verify compliance with a nuclear QA program do not meet the intent of a commercial-grade survey. Source verification, often referred to as Method 3, entails verification of critical characteristics during manufacture and testing of the item being procured. The performance history (good or bad) of the item and supplier is a consideration when determining the use of the other acceptance methods and the rigor with which they are used on a case-by-case basis. Some digital equipment system has the delivery reference and its operating history for Nuclear Power Plant as far as surveyed. However it was found that there is difficulty in collecting this of supporting data sheet, so that supplier usually decide to conduct the CGID based on the Method-1 and Method-2 based on the initial qualification likely. It is conceived that the Method-4 might be a better approach for CGID(Commercial Grade Item Dedication) even if there are some difficulties in data package for justifying CGID from the vendor and operating organization. This paper present the lesson learned from the consulting for Method-1 and 2 for digital equipment dedication. Considering all the information above, there are a couple of issues to remind in order to perform the CGID for Method-2. In doing commercial grade survey based on Method 2, quality personnel as well as technical engineer shall be involved for integral dedication. Other than this, the review of critical

Different percentages of false-positive results obtained using five methods for the calculation of reference change values based on simulated normal and ln-normal distributions of data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lund, Flemming; Petersen, Per Hyltoft; Fraser, Callum G

2016-01-01

a homeostatic set point that follows a normal (Gaussian) distribution. This set point (or baseline in steady-state) should be estimated from a set of previous samples, but, in practice, decisions based on reference change value are often based on only two consecutive results. The original reference change value......-positive results. The aim of this study was to investigate false-positive results using five different published methods for calculation of reference change value. METHODS: The five reference change value methods were examined using normally and ln-normally distributed simulated data. RESULTS: One method performed...... best in approaching the theoretical false-positive percentages on normally distributed data and another method performed best on ln-normally distributed data. The commonly used reference change value method based on two results (without use of estimated set point) performed worst both on normally...

A critical pressure based panel method for prediction of unsteady loading of marine propellers under cavitation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, P.; Bose, N.; Colbourne, B.

2002-01-01

A simple numerical procedure is established and implemented into a time domain panel method to predict hydrodynamic performance of marine propellers with sheet cavitation. This paper describes the numerical formulations and procedures to construct this integration. Predicted hydrodynamic loads were compared with both a previous numerical model and experimental measurements for a propeller in steady flow. The current method gives a substantial improvement in thrust and torque coefficient prediction over a previous numerical method at low cavitation numbers of less than 2.0, where severe cavitation occurs. Predicted pressure coefficient distributions are also presented. (author)

Filmless versus film-based systems in radiographic examination costs: an activity-based costing method

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Sase Yuji

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Since the shift from a radiographic film-based system to that of a filmless system, the change in radiographic examination costs and costs structure have been undetermined. The activity-based costing (ABC method measures the cost and performance of activities, resources, and cost objects. The purpose of this study is to identify the cost structure of a radiographic examination comparing a filmless system to that of a film-based system using the ABC method. Methods We calculated the costs of radiographic examinations for both a filmless and a film-based system, and assessed the costs or cost components by simulating radiographic examinations in a health clinic. The cost objects of the radiographic examinations included lumbar (six views, knee (three views, wrist (two views, and other. Indirect costs were allocated to cost objects using the ABC method. Results The costs of a radiographic examination using a filmless system are as follows: lumbar 2,085 yen; knee 1,599 yen; wrist 1,165 yen; and other 1,641 yen. The costs for a film-based system are: lumbar 3,407 yen; knee 2,257 yen; wrist 1,602 yen; and other 2,521 yen. The primary activities were "calling patient," "explanation of scan," "take photographs," and "aftercare" for both filmless and film-based systems. The cost of these activities cost represented 36.0% of the total cost for a filmless system and 23.6% of a film-based system. Conclusions The costs of radiographic examinations using a filmless system and a film-based system were calculated using the ABC method. Our results provide clear evidence that the filmless system is more effective than the film-based system in providing greater value services directly to patients.

Evolutionary game theory using agent-based methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Adami, Christoph; Schossau, Jory; Hintze, Arend

2016-12-01

Evolutionary game theory is a successful mathematical framework geared towards understanding the selective pressures that affect the evolution of the strategies of agents engaged in interactions with potential conflicts. While a mathematical treatment of the costs and benefits of decisions can predict the optimal strategy in simple settings, more realistic settings such as finite populations, non-vanishing mutations rates, stochastic decisions, communication between agents, and spatial interactions, require agent-based methods where each agent is modeled as an individual, carries its own genes that determine its decisions, and where the evolutionary outcome can only be ascertained by evolving the population of agents forward in time. While highlighting standard mathematical results, we compare those to agent-based methods that can go beyond the limitations of equations and simulate the complexity of heterogeneous populations and an ever-changing set of interactors. We conclude that agent-based methods can predict evolutionary outcomes where purely mathematical treatments cannot tread (for example in the weak selection-strong mutation limit), but that mathematics is crucial to validate the computational simulations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Genomic comparisons of Brucella spp. and closely related bacteria using base compositional and proteome based methods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bohlin, Jon; Snipen, Lars; Cloeckaert, Axel

2010-01-01

BACKGROUND: Classification of bacteria within the genus Brucella has been difficult due in part to considerable genomic homogeneity between the different species and biovars, in spite of clear differences in phenotypes. Therefore, many different methods have been used to assess Brucella taxonomy....... In the current work, we examine 32 sequenced genomes from genus Brucella representing the six classical species, as well as more recently described species, using bioinformatical methods. Comparisons were made at the level of genomic DNA using oligonucleotide based methods (Markov chain based genomic signatures...... between the oligonucleotide based methods used. Whilst the Markov chain based genomic signatures grouped the different species in genus Brucella according to host preference, the codon and amino acid frequencies based methods reflected small differences between the Brucella species. Only minor differences...

Comparison and combination of "direct" and fragment based local correlation methods: Cluster in molecules and domain based local pair natural orbital perturbation and coupled cluster theories

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Yang; Becker, Ute; Neese, Frank

2018-03-01

Local correlation theories have been developed in two main flavors: (1) "direct" local correlation methods apply local approximation to the canonical equations and (2) fragment based methods reconstruct the correlation energy from a series of smaller calculations on subsystems. The present work serves two purposes. First, we investigate the relative efficiencies of the two approaches using the domain-based local pair natural orbital (DLPNO) approach as the "direct" method and the cluster in molecule (CIM) approach as the fragment based approach. Both approaches are applied in conjunction with second-order many-body perturbation theory (MP2) as well as coupled-cluster theory with single-, double- and perturbative triple excitations [CCSD(T)]. Second, we have investigated the possible merits of combining the two approaches by performing CIM calculations with DLPNO methods serving as the method of choice for performing the subsystem calculations. Our cluster-in-molecule approach is closely related to but slightly deviates from approaches in the literature since we have avoided real space cutoffs. Moreover, the neglected distant pair correlations in the previous CIM approach are considered approximately. Six very large molecules (503-2380 atoms) were studied. At both MP2 and CCSD(T) levels of theory, the CIM and DLPNO methods show similar efficiency. However, DLPNO methods are more accurate for 3-dimensional systems. While we have found only little incentive for the combination of CIM with DLPNO-MP2, the situation is different for CIM-DLPNO-CCSD(T). This combination is attractive because (1) the better parallelization opportunities offered by CIM; (2) the methodology is less memory intensive than the genuine DLPNO-CCSD(T) method and, hence, allows for large calculations on more modest hardware; and (3) the methodology is applicable and efficient in the frequently met cases, where the largest subsystem calculation is too large for the canonical CCSD(T) method.

Local coding based matching kernel method for image classification.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yan Song

Full Text Available This paper mainly focuses on how to effectively and efficiently measure visual similarity for local feature based representation. Among existing methods, metrics based on Bag of Visual Word (BoV techniques are efficient and conceptually simple, at the expense of effectiveness. By contrast, kernel based metrics are more effective, but at the cost of greater computational complexity and increased storage requirements. We show that a unified visual matching framework can be developed to encompass both BoV and kernel based metrics, in which local kernel plays an important role between feature pairs or between features and their reconstruction. Generally, local kernels are defined using Euclidean distance or its derivatives, based either explicitly or implicitly on an assumption of Gaussian noise. However, local features such as SIFT and HoG often follow a heavy-tailed distribution which tends to undermine the motivation behind Euclidean metrics. Motivated by recent advances in feature coding techniques, a novel efficient local coding based matching kernel (LCMK method is proposed. This exploits the manifold structures in Hilbert space derived from local kernels. The proposed method combines advantages of both BoV and kernel based metrics, and achieves a linear computational complexity. This enables efficient and scalable visual matching to be performed on large scale image sets. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed LCMK method, we conduct extensive experiments with widely used benchmark datasets, including 15-Scenes, Caltech101/256, PASCAL VOC 2007 and 2011 datasets. Experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the relatively efficient LCMK method.

Basics of Bayesian methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, Sujit K

2010-01-01

Bayesian methods are rapidly becoming popular tools for making statistical inference in various fields of science including biology, engineering, finance, and genetics. One of the key aspects of Bayesian inferential method is its logical foundation that provides a coherent framework to utilize not only empirical but also scientific information available to a researcher. Prior knowledge arising from scientific background, expert judgment, or previously collected data is used to build a prior distribution which is then combined with current data via the likelihood function to characterize the current state of knowledge using the so-called posterior distribution. Bayesian methods allow the use of models of complex physical phenomena that were previously too difficult to estimate (e.g., using asymptotic approximations). Bayesian methods offer a means of more fully understanding issues that are central to many practical problems by allowing researchers to build integrated models based on hierarchical conditional distributions that can be estimated even with limited amounts of data. Furthermore, advances in numerical integration methods, particularly those based on Monte Carlo methods, have made it possible to compute the optimal Bayes estimators. However, there is a reasonably wide gap between the background of the empirically trained scientists and the full weight of Bayesian statistical inference. Hence, one of the goals of this chapter is to bridge the gap by offering elementary to advanced concepts that emphasize linkages between standard approaches and full probability modeling via Bayesian methods.

Performance of machine learning methods for ligand-based virtual screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Plewczynski, Dariusz; Spieser, Stéphane A H; Koch, Uwe

2009-05-01

Computational screening of compound databases has become increasingly popular in pharmaceutical research. This review focuses on the evaluation of ligand-based virtual screening using active compounds as templates in the context of drug discovery. Ligand-based screening techniques are based on comparative molecular similarity analysis of compounds with known and unknown activity. We provide an overview of publications that have evaluated different machine learning methods, such as support vector machines, decision trees, ensemble methods such as boosting, bagging and random forests, clustering methods, neuronal networks, naïve Bayesian, data fusion methods and others.

Fast Reduction Method in Dominance-Based Information Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yan; Zhou, Qinghua; Wen, Yongchuan

2018-01-01

In real world applications, there are often some data with continuous values or preference-ordered values. Rough sets based on dominance relations can effectively deal with these kinds of data. Attribute reduction can be done in the framework of dominance-relation based approach to better extract decision rules. However, the computational cost of the dominance classes greatly affects the efficiency of attribute reduction and rule extraction. This paper presents an efficient method of computing dominance classes, and further compares it with traditional method with increasing attributes and samples. Experiments on UCI data sets show that the proposed algorithm obviously improves the efficiency of the traditional method, especially for large-scale data.

Increased risk of default among previously treated tuberculosis cases in the Western Cape Province, South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Marx, F M; Dunbar, R; Hesseling, A C; Enarson, D A; Fielding, K; Beyers, N

2012-08-01

To investigate, in two urban communities with high tuberculosis (TB) incidence and high rates of TB recurrence, whether a history of previous TB treatment is associated with treatment default. Retrospective cohort study of TB cases with an episode of treatment recorded in the clinic-based treatment registers between 2002 and 2007. Probabilistic record linkage was used to ascertain treatment history of TB cases back to 1996. Based on the outcome of their most recent previous treatment episode, previously treated cases were compared to new cases regarding their risk of treatment default. Previous treatment success (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.79; 95%CI 1.17-2.73), previous default (aOR 6.18, 95%CI 3.68-10.36) and previous failure (aOR 9.72, 95%CI 3.07-30.78) were each independently associated with treatment default (P default were male sex (P = 0.003) and age 19-39 years (P risk of treatment default, even after previous successful treatment. This finding is of particular importance in a setting where recurrent TB is very common. Adherence to treatment should be ensured in new and retreatment cases to increase cure rates and reduce transmission of TB in the community.

Spectrum estimation method based on marginal spectrum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai Jianhua; Hu Weiwen; Wang Xianchun

2011-01-01

FFT method can not meet the basic requirements of power spectrum for non-stationary signal and short signal. A new spectrum estimation method based on marginal spectrum from Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT) was proposed. The procession of obtaining marginal spectrum in HHT method was given and the linear property of marginal spectrum was demonstrated. Compared with the FFT method, the physical meaning and the frequency resolution of marginal spectrum were further analyzed. Then the Hilbert spectrum estimation algorithm was discussed in detail, and the simulation results were given at last. The theory and simulation shows that under the condition of short data signal and non-stationary signal, the frequency resolution and estimation precision of HHT method is better than that of FFT method. (authors)

Chapter 11. Community analysis-based methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cao, Y.; Wu, C.H.; Andersen, G.L.; Holden, P.A.

2010-05-01

Microbial communities are each a composite of populations whose presence and relative abundance in water or other environmental samples are a direct manifestation of environmental conditions, including the introduction of microbe-rich fecal material and factors promoting persistence of the microbes therein. As shown by culture-independent methods, different animal-host fecal microbial communities appear distinctive, suggesting that their community profiles can be used to differentiate fecal samples and to potentially reveal the presence of host fecal material in environmental waters. Cross-comparisons of microbial communities from different hosts also reveal relative abundances of genetic groups that can be used to distinguish sources. In increasing order of their information richness, several community analysis methods hold promise for MST applications: phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP), cloning/sequencing, and PhyloChip. Specific case studies involving TRFLP and PhyloChip approaches demonstrate the ability of community-based analyses of contaminated waters to confirm a diagnosis of water quality based on host-specific marker(s). The success of community-based MST for comprehensively confirming fecal sources relies extensively upon using appropriate multivariate statistical approaches. While community-based MST is still under evaluation and development as a primary diagnostic tool, results presented herein demonstrate its promise. Coupled with its inherently comprehensive ability to capture an unprecedented amount of microbiological data that is relevant to water quality, the tools for microbial community analysis are increasingly accessible, and community-based approaches have unparalleled potential for translation into rapid, perhaps real-time, monitoring platforms.

Therapy Decision Support Based on Recommender System Methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Felix Gräßer

2017-01-01

Full Text Available We present a system for data-driven therapy decision support based on techniques from the field of recommender systems. Two methods for therapy recommendation, namely, Collaborative Recommender and Demographic-based Recommender, are proposed. Both algorithms aim to predict the individual response to different therapy options using diverse patient data and recommend the therapy which is assumed to provide the best outcome for a specific patient and time, that is, consultation. The proposed methods are evaluated using a clinical database incorporating patients suffering from the autoimmune skin disease psoriasis. The Collaborative Recommender proves to generate both better outcome predictions and recommendation quality. However, due to sparsity in the data, this approach cannot provide recommendations for the entire database. In contrast, the Demographic-based Recommender performs worse on average but covers more consultations. Consequently, both methods profit from a combination into an overall recommender system.

Analysis of previous perceptual and motor experience in breaststroke kick learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ried Bettina

2015-12-01

Full Text Available One of the variables that influence motor learning is the learner’s previous experience, which may provide perceptual and motor elements to be transferred to a novel motor skill. For swimming skills, several motor experiences may prove effective. Purpose. The aim was to analyse the influence of previous experience in playing in water, swimming lessons, and music or dance lessons on learning the breaststroke kick. Methods. The study involved 39 Physical Education students possessing basic swimming skills, but not the breaststroke, who performed 400 acquisition trials followed by 50 retention and 50 transfer trials, during which stroke index as well as rhythmic and spatial configuration indices were mapped, and answered a yes/no questionnaire regarding previous experience. Data were analysed by ANOVA (p = 0.05 and the effect size (Cohen’s d ≥0.8 indicating large effect size. Results. The whole sample improved their stroke index and spatial configuration index, but not their rhythmic configuration index. Although differences between groups were not significant, two types of experience showed large practical effects on learning: childhood water playing experience only showed major practically relevant positive effects, and no experience in any of the three fields hampered the learning process. Conclusions. The results point towards diverse impact of previous experience regarding rhythmic activities, swimming lessons, and especially with playing in water during childhood, on learning the breaststroke kick.

MR Imaging-based Semi-quantitative Methods for Knee Osteoarthritis

Science.gov (United States)

JARRAYA, Mohamed; HAYASHI, Daichi; ROEMER, Frank Wolfgang; GUERMAZI, Ali

2016-01-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based semi-quantitative (SQ) methods applied to knee osteoarthritis (OA) have been introduced during the last decade and have fundamentally changed our understanding of knee OA pathology since then. Several epidemiological studies and clinical trials have used MRI-based SQ methods to evaluate different outcome measures. Interest in MRI-based SQ scoring system has led to continuous update and refinement. This article reviews the different SQ approaches for MRI-based whole organ assessment of knee OA and also discuss practical aspects of whole joint assessment. PMID:26632537

Incompressible Navier-Stokes inverse design method based on adaptive unstructured meshes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahmati, M.T.; Charlesworth, D.; Zangeneh, M.

2005-01-01

An inverse method for blade design based on Navier-Stokes equations on adaptive unstructured meshes has been developed. In the method, unlike the method based on inviscid equations, the effect of viscosity is directly taken into account. In the method, the pressure (or pressure loading) is prescribed. The design method then computes the blade shape that would accomplish the target prescribed pressure distribution. The method is implemented using a cell-centered finite volume method, which solves the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations on unstructured meshes. An adaptive unstructured mesh method based on grid subdivision and local adaptive mesh method is utilized for increasing the accuracy. (author)

An improved segmentation-based HMM learning method for Condition-based Maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, T; Lemeire, J; Cartella, F; Meganck, S

2012-01-01

In the domain of condition-based maintenance (CBM), persistence of machine states is a valid assumption. Based on this assumption, we present an improved Hidden Markov Model (HMM) learning algorithm for the assessment of equipment states. By a good estimation of initial parameters, more accurate learning can be achieved than by regular HMM learning methods which start with randomly chosen initial parameters. It is also better in avoiding getting trapped in local maxima. The data is segmented with a change-point analysis method which uses a combination of cumulative sum charts (CUSUM) and bootstrapping techniques. The method determines a confidence level that a state change happens. After the data is segmented, in order to label and combine the segments corresponding to the same states, a clustering technique is used based on a low-pass filter or root mean square (RMS) values of the features. The segments with their labelled hidden state are taken as 'evidence' to estimate the parameters of an HMM. Then, the estimated parameters are served as initial parameters for the traditional Baum-Welch (BW) learning algorithms, which are used to improve the parameters and train the model. Experiments on simulated and real data demonstrate that both performance and convergence speed is improved.

Testing survey-based methods for rapid monitoring of child mortality, with implications for summary birth history data.

Science.gov (United States)

Brady, Eoghan; Hill, Kenneth

2017-01-01

Under-five mortality estimates are increasingly used in low and middle income countries to target interventions and measure performance against global development goals. Two new methods to rapidly estimate under-5 mortality based on Summary Birth Histories (SBH) were described in a previous paper and tested with data available. This analysis tests the methods using data appropriate to each method from 5 countries that lack vital registration systems. SBH data are collected across many countries through censuses and surveys, and indirect methods often rely upon their quality to estimate mortality rates. The Birth History Imputation method imputes data from a recent Full Birth History (FBH) onto the birth, death and age distribution of the SBH to produce estimates based on the resulting distribution of child mortality. DHS FBHs and MICS SBHs are used for all five countries. In the implementation, 43 of 70 estimates are within 20% of validation estimates (61%). Mean Absolute Relative Error is 17.7.%. 1 of 7 countries produces acceptable estimates. The Cohort Change method considers the differences in births and deaths between repeated Summary Birth Histories at 1 or 2-year intervals to estimate the mortality rate in that period. SBHs are taken from Brazil's PNAD Surveys 2004-2011 and validated against IGME estimates. 2 of 10 estimates are within 10% of validation estimates. Mean absolute relative error is greater than 100%. Appropriate testing of these new methods demonstrates that they do not produce sufficiently good estimates based on the data available. We conclude this is due to the poor quality of most SBH data included in the study. This has wider implications for the next round of censuses and future household surveys across many low- and middle- income countries.

Power quality events recognition using a SVM-based method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cerqueira, Augusto Santiago; Ferreira, Danton Diego; Ribeiro, Moises Vidal; Duque, Carlos Augusto [Department of Electrical Circuits, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Campus Universitario, 36036 900, Juiz de Fora MG (Brazil)

2008-09-15

In this paper, a novel SVM-based method for power quality event classification is proposed. A simple approach for feature extraction is introduced, based on the subtraction of the fundamental component from the acquired voltage signal. The resulting signal is presented to a support vector machine for event classification. Results from simulation are presented and compared with two other methods, the OTFR and the LCEC. The proposed method shown an improved performance followed by a reasonable computational cost. (author)

Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery via Logic-Based Methods

CERN Document Server

Triantaphyllou, Evangelos

2010-01-01

There are many approaches to data mining and knowledge discovery (DM&KD), including neural networks, closest neighbor methods, and various statistical methods. This monograph, however, focuses on the development and use of a novel approach, based on mathematical logic, that the author and his research associates have worked on over the last 20 years. The methods presented in the book deal with key DM&KD issues in an intuitive manner and in a natural sequence. Compared to other DM&KD methods, those based on mathematical logic offer a direct and often intuitive approach for extracting easily int

Continuous energy Monte Carlo method based lattice homogeinzation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Mancang; Yao Dong; Wang Kan

2014-01-01

Based on the Monte Carlo code MCNP, the continuous energy Monte Carlo multi-group constants generation code MCMC has been developed. The track length scheme has been used as the foundation of cross section generation. The scattering matrix and Legendre components require special techniques, and the scattering event method has been proposed to solve this problem. Three methods have been developed to calculate the diffusion coefficients for diffusion reactor core codes and the Legendre method has been applied in MCMC. To the satisfaction of the equivalence theory, the general equivalence theory (GET) and the superhomogenization method (SPH) have been applied to the Monte Carlo method based group constants. The super equivalence method (SPE) has been proposed to improve the equivalence. GET, SPH and SPE have been implemented into MCMC. The numerical results showed that generating the homogenization multi-group constants via Monte Carlo method overcomes the difficulties in geometry and treats energy in continuum, thus provides more accuracy parameters. Besides, the same code and data library can be used for a wide range of applications due to the versatility. The MCMC scheme can be seen as a potential alternative to the widely used deterministic lattice codes. (authors)

Impact of Previous Pharmacy Work Experience on Pharmacy School Academic Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Mar, Ellena; T-L Tang, Terrill; Sasaki-Hill, Debra; Kuperberg, James R.; Knapp, Katherine

2010-01-01

Objectives To determine whether students' previous pharmacy-related work experience was associated with their pharmacy school performance (academic and clinical). Methods The following measures of student academic performance were examined: pharmacy grade point average (GPA), scores on cumulative high-stakes examinations, and advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) grades. The quantity and type of pharmacy-related work experience each student performed prior to matriculation was solicited through a student survey instrument. Survey responses were correlated with academic measures, and demographic-based stratified analyses were conducted. Results No significant difference in academic or clinical performance between those students with prior pharmacy experience and those without was identified. Subanalyses by work setting, position type, and substantial pharmacy work experience did not reveal any association with student performance. A relationship was found, however, between age and work experience, ie, older students tended to have more work experience than younger students. Conclusions Prior pharmacy work experience did not affect students' overall academic or clinical performance in pharmacy school. The lack of significant findings may have been due to the inherent practice limitations of nonpharmacist positions, changes in pharmacy education, and the limitations of survey responses. PMID:20498735

Functional connectivity analysis of the neural bases of emotion regulation: A comparison of independent component method with density-based k-means clustering method.

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, Ling; Guo, Qian; Xu, Yi; Yang, Biao; Jiao, Zhuqing; Xiang, Jianbo

2016-04-29

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is an important tool in neuroscience for assessing connectivity and interactions between distant areas of the brain. To find and characterize the coherent patterns of brain activity as a means of identifying brain systems for the cognitive reappraisal of the emotion task, both density-based k-means clustering and independent component analysis (ICA) methods can be applied to characterize the interactions between brain regions involved in cognitive reappraisal of emotion. Our results reveal that compared with the ICA method, the density-based k-means clustering method provides a higher sensitivity of polymerization. In addition, it is more sensitive to those relatively weak functional connection regions. Thus, the study concludes that in the process of receiving emotional stimuli, the relatively obvious activation areas are mainly distributed in the frontal lobe, cingulum and near the hypothalamus. Furthermore, density-based k-means clustering method creates a more reliable method for follow-up studies of brain functional connectivity.

Matrix-based image reconstruction methods for tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Llacer, J.; Meng, J.D.

1984-10-01

Matrix methods of image reconstruction have not been used, in general, because of the large size of practical matrices, ill condition upon inversion and the success of Fourier-based techniques. An exception is the work that has been done at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory for imaging with accelerated radioactive ions. An extension of that work into more general imaging problems shows that, with a correct formulation of the problem, positron tomography with ring geometries results in well behaved matrices which can be used for image reconstruction with no distortion of the point response in the field of view and flexibility in the design of the instrument. Maximum Likelihood Estimator methods of reconstruction, which use the system matrices tailored to specific instruments and do not need matrix inversion, are shown to result in good preliminary images. A parallel processing computer structure based on multiple inexpensive microprocessors is proposed as a system to implement the matrix-MLE methods. 14 references, 7 figures

Training Methods to Improve Evidence-Based Medicine Skills

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Filiz Ozyigit

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Evidence based medicine (EBM is the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients. It is estimated that only 15% of medical interventions is evidence-based. Increasing demand, new technological developments, malpractice legislations, a very speed increase in knowledge and knowledge sources push the physicians forward for EBM, but at the same time increase load of physicians by giving them the responsibility to improve their skills. Clinical maneuvers are needed more, as the number of clinical trials and observational studies increase. However, many of the physicians, who are in front row of patient care do not use this increasing evidence. There are several examples related to different training methods in order to improve skills of physicians for evidence based practice. There are many training methods to improve EBM skills and these trainings might be given during medical school, during residency or as continuous trainings to the actual practitioners in the field. It is important to discuss these different training methods in our country as well and encourage dissemination of feasible and effective methods. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2010; 9(3.000: 245-254

Systems and methods for interpolation-based dynamic programming

KAUST Repository

Rockwood, Alyn

2013-01-03

Embodiments of systems and methods for interpolation-based dynamic programming. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving an object function and a set of constraints associated with the objective function. The method may also include identifying a solution on the objective function corresponding to intersections of the constraints. Additionally, the method may include generating an interpolated surface that is in constant contact with the solution. The method may also include generating a vector field in response to the interpolated surface.

Systems and methods for interpolation-based dynamic programming

KAUST Repository

Rockwood, Alyn

2013-01-01

Embodiments of systems and methods for interpolation-based dynamic programming. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving an object function and a set of constraints associated with the objective function. The method may also include identifying a solution on the objective function corresponding to intersections of the constraints. Additionally, the method may include generating an interpolated surface that is in constant contact with the solution. The method may also include generating a vector field in response to the interpolated surface.

New technology-based recruitment methods

OpenAIRE

Oksanen, Reija

2018-01-01

The transformation that recruitment might encounter due to big data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) is particularly fascinating which is why this thesis focuses on the changes recruitment processes are and will be facing as new technological solutions are emerging. The aim and main objective of this study is to widen knowledge about new technology-based recruitment methods, focusing on how they are utilized by Finnish recruitment professionals and how the opportunities and risks th...

Color image definition evaluation method based on deep learning method

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Di; Li, YingChun

2018-01-01

In order to evaluate different blurring levels of color image and improve the method of image definition evaluation, this paper proposed a method based on the depth learning framework and BP neural network classification model, and presents a non-reference color image clarity evaluation method. Firstly, using VGG16 net as the feature extractor to extract 4,096 dimensions features of the images, then the extracted features and labeled images are employed in BP neural network to train. And finally achieve the color image definition evaluation. The method in this paper are experimented by using images from the CSIQ database. The images are blurred at different levels. There are 4,000 images after the processing. Dividing the 4,000 images into three categories, each category represents a blur level. 300 out of 400 high-dimensional features are trained in VGG16 net and BP neural network, and the rest of 100 samples are tested. The experimental results show that the method can take full advantage of the learning and characterization capability of deep learning. Referring to the current shortcomings of the major existing image clarity evaluation methods, which manually design and extract features. The method in this paper can extract the images features automatically, and has got excellent image quality classification accuracy for the test data set. The accuracy rate is 96%. Moreover, the predicted quality levels of original color images are similar to the perception of the human visual system.

Cluster analysis of European Y-chromosomal STR haplotypes using the discrete Laplace method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Mikkel Meyer; Eriksen, Poul Svante; Morling, Niels

2014-01-01

The European Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat (STR) haplotype distribution has previously been analysed in various ways. Here, we introduce a new way of analysing population substructure using a new method based on clustering within the discrete Laplace exponential family that models the probabi......The European Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat (STR) haplotype distribution has previously been analysed in various ways. Here, we introduce a new way of analysing population substructure using a new method based on clustering within the discrete Laplace exponential family that models...... the probability distribution of the Y-STR haplotypes. Creating a consistent statistical model of the haplotypes enables us to perform a wide range of analyses. Previously, haplotype frequency estimation using the discrete Laplace method has been validated. In this paper we investigate how the discrete Laplace...... method can be used for cluster analysis to further validate the discrete Laplace method. A very important practical fact is that the calculations can be performed on a normal computer. We identified two sub-clusters of the Eastern and Western European Y-STR haplotypes similar to results of previous...

Reliability-based design optimization via high order response surface method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Hong Shuang

2013-01-01

To reduce the computational effort of reliability-based design optimization (RBDO), the response surface method (RSM) has been widely used to evaluate reliability constraints. We propose an efficient methodology for solving RBDO problems based on an improved high order response surface method (HORSM) that takes advantage of an efficient sampling method, Hermite polynomials and uncertainty contribution concept to construct a high order response surface function with cross terms for reliability analysis. The sampling method generates supporting points from Gauss-Hermite quadrature points, which can be used to approximate response surface function without cross terms, to identify the highest order of each random variable and to determine the significant variables connected with point estimate method. The cross terms between two significant random variables are added to the response surface function to improve the approximation accuracy. Integrating the nested strategy, the improved HORSM is explored in solving RBDO problems. Additionally, a sampling based reliability sensitivity analysis method is employed to reduce the computational effort further when design variables are distributional parameters of input random variables. The proposed methodology is applied on two test problems to validate its accuracy and efficiency. The proposed methodology is more efficient than first order reliability method based RBDO and Monte Carlo simulation based RBDO, and enables the use of RBDO as a practical design tool.

An entropy-based improved k-top scoring pairs (TSP) method for ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

An entropy-based improved k-top scoring pairs (TSP) (Ik-TSP) method was presented in this study for the classification and prediction of human cancers based on gene-expression data. We compared Ik-TSP classifiers with 5 different machine learning methods and the k-TSP method based on 3 different feature selection ...

A Recording-Based Method for Auralization of Rotorcraft Flyover Noise

Science.gov (United States)

Pera, Nicholas M.; Rizzi, Stephen A.; Krishnamurthy, Siddhartha; Fuller, Christopher R.; Christian, Andrew

2018-01-01

Rotorcraft noise is an active field of study as the sound produced by these vehicles is often found to be annoying. A means to auralize rotorcraft flyover noise is sought to help understand the factors leading to annoyance. Previous work by the authors focused on auralization of rotorcraft fly-in noise, in which a simplification was made that enabled the source noise synthesis to be based on a single emission angle. Here, the goal is to auralize a complete flyover event, so the source noise synthesis must be capable of traversing a range of emission angles. The synthesis uses a source noise definition process that yields periodic and aperiodic (modulation) components at a set of discrete emission angles. In this work, only the periodic components are used for the source noise synthesis for the flyover; the inclusion of modulation components is the subject of ongoing research. Propagation of the synthesized source noise to a ground observer is performed using the NASA Auralization Framework. The method is demonstrated using ground recordings from a flight test of the AS350 helicopter for the source noise definition.

Opinion data mining based on DNA method and ORA software

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Ru-Ya; Wu, Lei; Liang, Xiao-He; Zhang, Xue-Fu

2018-01-01

Public opinion, especially the online public opinion is a critical issue when it comes to mining its characteristics. Because it can be formed directly and intensely in a short time, and may lead to the outbreak of online group events, and the formation of online public opinion crisis. This may become the pushing hand of a public crisis event, or even have negative social impacts, which brings great challenges to the government management. Data from the mass media which reveal implicit, previously unknown, and potentially valuable information, can effectively help us to understand the evolution law of public opinion, and provide a useful reference for rumor intervention. Based on the Dynamic Network Analysis method, this paper uses ORA software to mine characteristics of public opinion information, opinion topics, and public opinion agents through a series of indicators, and quantitatively analyzed the relationships between them. The results show that through the analysis of the 8 indexes associating with opinion data mining, we can have a basic understanding of the public opinion characteristics of an opinion event, such as who is important in the opinion spreading process, the information grasping condition, and the opinion topics release situation.

Quick Link Selection Method by Using Pricing Strategy Based on User Equilibrium for Implementing an Effective Urban Travel Demand Management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shahriar Afandizadeh Zargari

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a two-stage model of optimization as a quick method to choose the best potential links for implementing urban travel demand management (UTDM strategy like road pricing. The model is optimized by minimizing the hidden cost of congestion based on user equilibrium (MHCCUE. It forecasts the exact amount of flows and tolls for links in user equilibrium condition to determine the hidden cost for each link to optimize the link selection based on the network congestion priority. The results show that not only the amount of total cost is decreased, but also the number of selected links for pricing is reduced as compared with the previous toll minimization methods. Moreover, as this model just uses the traffic assignment data for calculation, it could be considered as a quick and optimum solution for choosing the potential links.

An Intuitionistic Fuzzy Stochastic Decision-Making Method Based on Case-Based Reasoning and Prospect Theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peng Li

2017-01-01

Full Text Available According to the case-based reasoning method and prospect theory, this paper mainly focuses on finding a way to obtain decision-makers’ preferences and the criterion weights for stochastic multicriteria decision-making problems and classify alternatives. Firstly, we construct a new score function for an intuitionistic fuzzy number (IFN considering the decision-making environment. Then, we aggregate the decision-making information in different natural states according to the prospect theory and test decision-making matrices. A mathematical programming model based on a case-based reasoning method is presented to obtain the criterion weights. Moreover, in the original decision-making problem, we integrate all the intuitionistic fuzzy decision-making matrices into an expectation matrix using the expected utility theory and classify or rank the alternatives by the case-based reasoning method. Finally, two illustrative examples are provided to illustrate the implementation process and applicability of the developed method.

Scalable fast multipole methods for vortex element methods

KAUST Repository

Hu, Qi

2012-11-01

We use a particle-based method to simulate incompressible flows, where the Fast Multipole Method (FMM) is used to accelerate the calculation of particle interactions. The most time-consuming kernelsâ\\'the Biot-Savart equation and stretching term of the vorticity equationâ\\'are mathematically reformulated so that only two Laplace scalar potentials are used instead of six, while automatically ensuring divergence-free far-field computation. Based on this formulation, and on our previous work for a scalar heterogeneous FMM algorithm, we develop a new FMM-based vortex method capable of simulating general flows including turbulence on heterogeneous architectures, which distributes the work between multi-core CPUs and GPUs to best utilize the hardware resources and achieve excellent scalability. The algorithm also uses new data structures which can dynamically manage inter-node communication and load balance efficiently but with only a small parallel construction overhead. This algorithm can scale to large-sized clusters showing both strong and weak scalability. Careful error and timing trade-off analysis are also performed for the cutoff functions induced by the vortex particle method. Our implementation can perform one time step of the velocity+stretching for one billion particles on 32 nodes in 55.9 seconds, which yields 49.12 Tflop/s. © 2012 IEEE.

A Review on Human Activity Recognition Using Vision-Based Method.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Shugang; Wei, Zhiqiang; Nie, Jie; Huang, Lei; Wang, Shuang; Li, Zhen

2017-01-01

Human activity recognition (HAR) aims to recognize activities from a series of observations on the actions of subjects and the environmental conditions. The vision-based HAR research is the basis of many applications including video surveillance, health care, and human-computer interaction (HCI). This review highlights the advances of state-of-the-art activity recognition approaches, especially for the activity representation and classification methods. For the representation methods, we sort out a chronological research trajectory from global representations to local representations, and recent depth-based representations. For the classification methods, we conform to the categorization of template-based methods, discriminative models, and generative models and review several prevalent methods. Next, representative and available datasets are introduced. Aiming to provide an overview of those methods and a convenient way of comparing them, we classify existing literatures with a detailed taxonomy including representation and classification methods, as well as the datasets they used. Finally, we investigate the directions for future research.

Biogas slurry pricing method based on nutrient content

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Chang-ai; Guo, Honghai; Yang, Zhengtao; Xin, Shurong

2017-11-01

In order to promote biogas-slurry commercialization, A method was put forward to valuate biogas slurry based on its nutrient contents. Firstly, element contents of biogas slurry was measured; Secondly, each element was valuated based on its market price, and then traffic cost, using cost and market effect were taken into account, the pricing method of biogas slurry were obtained lastly. This method could be useful in practical production. Taking cattle manure raw meterial biogas slurry and con stalk raw material biogas slurry for example, their price were 38.50 yuan RMB per ton and 28.80 yuan RMB per ton. This paper will be useful for recognizing the value of biogas projects, ensuring biogas project running, and instructing the cyclic utilization of biomass resources in China.

Method of coating an iron-based article

Science.gov (United States)

Magdefrau, Neal; Beals, James T.; Sun, Ellen Y.; Yamanis, Jean

2016-11-29

A method of coating an iron-based article includes a first heating step of heating a substrate that includes an iron-based material in the presence of an aluminum source material and halide diffusion activator. The heating is conducted in a substantially non-oxidizing environment, to cause the formation of an aluminum-rich layer in the iron-based material. In a second heating step, the substrate that has the aluminum-rich layer is heated in an oxidizing environment to oxidize the aluminum in the aluminum-rich layer.

A geometrically based method for automated radiosurgery planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wagner, Thomas H.; Yi Taeil; Meeks, Sanford L.; Bova, Francis J.; Brechner, Beverly L.; Chen Yunmei; Buatti, John M.; Friedman, William A.; Foote, Kelly D.; Bouchet, Lionel G.

2000-01-01

Purpose: A geometrically based method of multiple isocenter linear accelerator radiosurgery treatment planning optimization was developed, based on a target's solid shape. Methods and Materials: Our method uses an edge detection process to determine the optimal sphere packing arrangement with which to cover the planning target. The sphere packing arrangement is converted into a radiosurgery treatment plan by substituting the isocenter locations and collimator sizes for the spheres. Results: This method is demonstrated on a set of 5 irregularly shaped phantom targets, as well as a set of 10 clinical example cases ranging from simple to very complex in planning difficulty. Using a prototype implementation of the method and standard dosimetric radiosurgery treatment planning tools, feasible treatment plans were developed for each target. The treatment plans generated for the phantom targets showed excellent dose conformity and acceptable dose homogeneity within the target volume. The algorithm was able to generate a radiosurgery plan conforming to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) guidelines on radiosurgery for every clinical and phantom target examined. Conclusions: This automated planning method can serve as a valuable tool to assist treatment planners in rapidly and consistently designing conformal multiple isocenter radiosurgery treatment plans.

Comparison of Different Recruitment Methods for Sexual and Reproductive Health Research: Social Media-Based Versus Conventional Methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Motoki, Yoko; Miyagi, Etsuko; Taguri, Masataka; Asai-Sato, Mikiko; Enomoto, Takayuki; Wark, John Dennis; Garland, Suzanne Marie

2017-03-10

Prior research about the sexual and reproductive health of young women has relied mostly on self-reported survey studies. Thus, participant recruitment using Web-based methods can improve sexual and reproductive health research about cervical cancer prevention. In our prior study, we reported that Facebook is a promising way to reach young women for sexual and reproductive health research. However, it remains unknown whether Web-based or other conventional recruitment methods (ie, face-to-face or flyer distribution) yield comparable survey responses from similar participants. We conducted a survey to determine whether there was a difference in the sexual and reproductive health survey responses of young Japanese women based on recruitment methods: social media-based and conventional methods. From July 2012 to March 2013 (9 months), we invited women of ages 16-35 years in Kanagawa, Japan, to complete a Web-based questionnaire. They were recruited through either a social media-based (social networking site, SNS, group) or by conventional methods (conventional group). All participants enrolled were required to fill out and submit their responses through a Web-based questionnaire about their sexual and reproductive health for cervical cancer prevention. Of the 243 participants, 52.3% (127/243) were recruited by SNS, whereas 47.7% (116/243) were recruited by conventional methods. We found no differences between recruitment methods in responses to behaviors and attitudes to sexual and reproductive health survey, although more participants from the conventional group (15%, 14/95) chose not to answer the age of first intercourse compared with those from the SNS group (5.2%, 6/116; P=.03). No differences were found between recruitment methods in the responses of young Japanese women to a Web-based sexual and reproductive health survey. ©Yoko Motoki, Etsuko Miyagi, Masataka Taguri, Mikiko Asai-Sato, Takayuki Enomoto, John Dennis Wark, Suzanne Marie Garland. Originally

An improved cellular automaton method to model multispecies biofilms.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Youneng; Valocchi, Albert J

2013-10-01

Biomass-spreading rules used in previous cellular automaton methods to simulate multispecies biofilm introduced extensive mixing between different biomass species or resulted in spatially discontinuous biomass concentration and distribution; this caused results based on the cellular automaton methods to deviate from experimental results and those from the more computationally intensive continuous method. To overcome the problems, we propose new biomass-spreading rules in this work: Excess biomass spreads by pushing a line of grid cells that are on the shortest path from the source grid cell to the destination grid cell, and the fractions of different biomass species in the grid cells on the path change due to the spreading. To evaluate the new rules, three two-dimensional simulation examples are used to compare the biomass distribution computed using the continuous method and three cellular automaton methods, one based on the new rules and the other two based on rules presented in two previous studies. The relationship between the biomass species is syntrophic in one example and competitive in the other two examples. Simulation results generated using the cellular automaton method based on the new rules agree much better with the continuous method than do results using the other two cellular automaton methods. The new biomass-spreading rules are no more complex to implement than the existing rules. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

VBAC Scoring: Successful vaginal delivery in previous one caesarean section in induced labour

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raja, J.F.; Bangash, K.T.; Mahmud, G.

2013-01-01

Objective: To develop a scoring system for the prediction of successful vaginal birth after caesarean section, following induction of labour with intra-vaginal E2 gel (Glandin). Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2010 to August 2011, at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad. Trial of labour in previous one caesarean section, undergoing induction with intra-vaginal E2 gel, was attempted in 100 women. They were scored according to six variables; maternal age; gestation; indications of previous caesarean; history of vaginal birth either before or after the previous caesarean; Bishop score and body mass index. Multivariate and univariate logistic regression analysis was used to develop the scoring system. Results: Of the total, 67 (67%) women delivered vaginally, while 33 (33%) ended in repeat caesarean delivery. Among the subjects, 55 (55%) women had no history of vaginal delivery either before or after previous caesarean section; 15 (15%) had history of vaginal births both before and after the previous caesarean; while 30 (30%) had vaginal delivery only after the previous caesarean section. Rates of successful vaginal birth after caesarean increased from 38% in women having a score of 0-3 to 58% in patients scoring 4-6. Among those having a score of 7-9 and 10-12, the success rates were 71% and 86% respectively. Conclusion: Increasing scores correlated with the increasing probability of vaginal birth after caesarean undergoing induction of labour. The admission VBAC scoring system is useful in counselling women with previous caesarean for the option of induction of labour or repeat caesarean delivery. (author)

Iron oxide nanoparticle-based magnetic resonance method to monitor release kinetics from polymeric particles with high resolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Minnie; Schopf, Eric; Sankaranarayanan, Jagadis; Almutairi, Adah

2012-09-18

A new method to precisely monitor rapid release kinetics from polymeric particles using super paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, specifically by measuring spin-spin relaxation time (T(2)), is reported. Previously, we have published the formulation of logic gate particles from an acid-sensitive poly-β-aminoester ketal-2 polymer. Here, a series of poly-β-aminoester ketal-2 polymers with varying hydrophobicities were synthesized and used to formulate particles. We attempted to measure fluorescence of released Nile red to determine whether the structural adjustments could finely tune the release kinetics in the range of minutes to hours; however, this standard technique did not differentiate each release rate of our series. Thus, a new method based on encapsulation of iron oxide nanoparticles was developed, which enabled us to resolve the release kinetics of our particles. Moreover, the kinetics matched the relative hydrophobicity order determined by octanol-water partition coefficients. To the best of our knowledge, this method provides the highest resolution of release kinetics to date.

Metamodel-based inverse method for parameter identification: elastic-plastic damage model

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Changwu; El Hami, Abdelkhalak; Radi, Bouchaïb

2017-04-01

This article proposed a metamodel-based inverse method for material parameter identification and applies it to elastic-plastic damage model parameter identification. An elastic-plastic damage model is presented and implemented in numerical simulation. The metamodel-based inverse method is proposed in order to overcome the disadvantage in computational cost of the inverse method. In the metamodel-based inverse method, a Kriging metamodel is constructed based on the experimental design in order to model the relationship between material parameters and the objective function values in the inverse problem, and then the optimization procedure is executed by the use of a metamodel. The applications of the presented material model and proposed parameter identification method in the standard A 2017-T4 tensile test prove that the presented elastic-plastic damage model is adequate to describe the material's mechanical behaviour and that the proposed metamodel-based inverse method not only enhances the efficiency of parameter identification but also gives reliable results.

Filmless versus film-based systems in radiographic examination costs: an activity-based costing method.

Science.gov (United States)

Muto, Hiroshi; Tani, Yuji; Suzuki, Shigemasa; Yokooka, Yuki; Abe, Tamotsu; Sase, Yuji; Terashita, Takayoshi; Ogasawara, Katsuhiko

2011-09-30

Since the shift from a radiographic film-based system to that of a filmless system, the change in radiographic examination costs and costs structure have been undetermined. The activity-based costing (ABC) method measures the cost and performance of activities, resources, and cost objects. The purpose of this study is to identify the cost structure of a radiographic examination comparing a filmless system to that of a film-based system using the ABC method. We calculated the costs of radiographic examinations for both a filmless and a film-based system, and assessed the costs or cost components by simulating radiographic examinations in a health clinic. The cost objects of the radiographic examinations included lumbar (six views), knee (three views), wrist (two views), and other. Indirect costs were allocated to cost objects using the ABC method. The costs of a radiographic examination using a filmless system are as follows: lumbar 2,085 yen; knee 1,599 yen; wrist 1,165 yen; and other 1,641 yen. The costs for a film-based system are: lumbar 3,407 yen; knee 2,257 yen; wrist 1,602 yen; and other 2,521 yen. The primary activities were "calling patient," "explanation of scan," "take photographs," and "aftercare" for both filmless and film-based systems. The cost of these activities cost represented 36.0% of the total cost for a filmless system and 23.6% of a film-based system. The costs of radiographic examinations using a filmless system and a film-based system were calculated using the ABC method. Our results provide clear evidence that the filmless system is more effective than the film-based system in providing greater value services directly to patients.

A prediction method for the wax deposition rate based on a radial basis function neural network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ying Xie

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The radial basis function neural network is a popular supervised learning tool based on machinery learning technology. Its high precision having been proven, the radial basis function neural network has been applied in many areas. The accumulation of deposited materials in the pipeline may lead to the need for increased pumping power, a decreased flow rate or even to the total blockage of the line, with losses of production and capital investment, so research on predicting the wax deposition rate is significant for the safe and economical operation of an oil pipeline. This paper adopts the radial basis function neural network to predict the wax deposition rate by considering four main influencing factors, the pipe wall temperature gradient, pipe wall wax crystal solubility coefficient, pipe wall shear stress and crude oil viscosity, by the gray correlational analysis method. MATLAB software is employed to establish the RBF neural network. Compared with the previous literature, favorable consistency exists between the predicted outcomes and the experimental results, with a relative error of 1.5%. It can be concluded that the prediction method of wax deposition rate based on the RBF neural network is feasible.

Horizontal and Vertical Rule Bases Method in Fuzzy Controllers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sadegh Aminifar

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Concept of horizontal and vertical rule bases is introduced. Using this method enables the designers to look for main behaviors of system and describes them with greater approximations. The rules which describe the system in first stage are called horizontal rule base. In the second stage, the designer modulates the obtained surface by describing needed changes on first surface for handling real behaviors of system. The rules used in the second stage are called vertical rule base. Horizontal and vertical rule bases method has a great roll in easing of extracting the optimum control surface by using too lesser rules than traditional fuzzy systems. This research involves with control of a system with high nonlinearity and in difficulty to model it with classical methods. As a case study for testing proposed method in real condition, the designed controller is applied to steaming room with uncertain data and variable parameters. A comparison between PID and traditional fuzzy counterpart and our proposed system shows that our proposed system outperforms PID and traditional fuzzy systems in point of view of number of valve switching and better surface following. The evaluations have done both with model simulation and DSP implementation.

Hybrid method based on embedded coupled simulation of vortex particles in grid based solution

Science.gov (United States)

Kornev, Nikolai

2017-09-01

The paper presents a novel hybrid approach developed to improve the resolution of concentrated vortices in computational fluid mechanics. The method is based on combination of a grid based and the grid free computational vortex (CVM) methods. The large scale flow structures are simulated on the grid whereas the concentrated structures are modeled using CVM. Due to this combination the advantages of both methods are strengthened whereas the disadvantages are diminished. The procedure of the separation of small concentrated vortices from the large scale ones is based on LES filtering idea. The flow dynamics is governed by two coupled transport equations taking two-way interaction between large and fine structures into account. The fine structures are mapped back to the grid if their size grows due to diffusion. Algorithmic aspects of the hybrid method are discussed. Advantages of the new approach are illustrated on some simple two dimensional canonical flows containing concentrated vortices.

49 CFR 173.23 - Previously authorized packaging.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Previously authorized packaging. 173.23 Section... REQUIREMENTS FOR SHIPMENTS AND PACKAGINGS Preparation of Hazardous Materials for Transportation § 173.23 Previously authorized packaging. (a) When the regulations specify a packaging with a specification marking...

CONTROL BASED ON NUMERICAL METHODS AND RECURSIVE BAYESIAN ESTIMATION IN A CONTINUOUS ALCOHOLIC FERMENTATION PROCESS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olga L. Quintero

Full Text Available Biotechnological processes represent a challenge in the control field, due to their high nonlinearity. In particular, continuous alcoholic fermentation from Zymomonas mobilis (Z.m presents a significant challenge. This bioprocess has high ethanol performance, but it exhibits an oscillatory behavior in process variables due to the influence of inhibition dynamics (rate of ethanol concentration over biomass, substrate, and product concentrations. In this work a new solution for control of biotechnological variables in the fermentation process is proposed, based on numerical methods and linear algebra. In addition, an improvement to a previously reported state estimator, based on particle filtering techniques, is used in the control loop. The feasibility estimator and its performance are demonstrated in the proposed control loop. This methodology makes it possible to develop a controller design through the use of dynamic analysis with a tested biomass estimator in Z.m and without the use of complex calculations.

A multivariate quadrature based moment method for LES based modeling of supersonic combustion

Science.gov (United States)

Donde, Pratik; Koo, Heeseok; Raman, Venkat

2012-07-01

The transported probability density function (PDF) approach is a powerful technique for large eddy simulation (LES) based modeling of scramjet combustors. In this approach, a high-dimensional transport equation for the joint composition-enthalpy PDF needs to be solved. Quadrature based approaches provide deterministic Eulerian methods for solving the joint-PDF transport equation. In this work, it is first demonstrated that the numerical errors associated with LES require special care in the development of PDF solution algorithms. The direct quadrature method of moments (DQMOM) is one quadrature-based approach developed for supersonic combustion modeling. This approach is shown to generate inconsistent evolution of the scalar moments. Further, gradient-based source terms that appear in the DQMOM transport equations are severely underpredicted in LES leading to artificial mixing of fuel and oxidizer. To overcome these numerical issues, a semi-discrete quadrature method of moments (SeQMOM) is formulated. The performance of the new technique is compared with the DQMOM approach in canonical flow configurations as well as a three-dimensional supersonic cavity stabilized flame configuration. The SeQMOM approach is shown to predict subfilter statistics accurately compared to the DQMOM approach.

Cost-effectiveness of abiraterone treatment in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer who previously received docetaxel therapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. V. Rudakova

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Therapy for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC is a serious problem that requires significant public health care expenditures.Objective: to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of abiraterone treatment in patients with metastatic CRPC who previously received docetaxel under the conditions of the budgetary public health system of the Russian Federation.Material and methods. Markovian simulation based on the COU-AA-301 randomized placebo-controlled Phase III study was used. Survival analysis was made in 70-year-old patients. The cost of abiraterone therapy corresponded to that of the 2013 auctions.Results. Abiraterone therapy in patients who have previously received docetaxel therapy causes an increase in average life expectancy by an average of 4.6 months and progression-free survival by 2.0 months. Moreover, the cost calculated with reference to one year of additional life will account for about 3.6 million rubles and that to one additional quality-adjusted life year will be about 5.45 million rubles.Conclusion. The cost-effectiveness of abiraterone therapy for metastatic CRPC in patients who have previously received docetaxel therapy is similar to that of other medicaments used in oncological practice under the conditions of the budgetary public health system of the Russian Federation. In this connection, abiraterone may be considered as an economically acceptable medical intervention in this clinical situation.

Cost-effectiveness of abiraterone treatment in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer who previously received docetaxel therapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. V. Rudakova

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Background. Therapy for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC is a serious problem that requires significant public health care expenditures.Objective: to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of abiraterone treatment in patients with metastatic CRPC who previously received docetaxel under the conditions of the budgetary public health system of the Russian Federation.Material and methods. Markovian simulation based on the COU-AA-301 randomized placebo-controlled Phase III study was used. Survival analysis was made in 70-year-old patients. The cost of abiraterone therapy corresponded to that of the 2013 auctions.Results. Abiraterone therapy in patients who have previously received docetaxel therapy causes an increase in average life expectancy by an average of 4.6 months and progression-free survival by 2.0 months. Moreover, the cost calculated with reference to one year of additional life will account for about 3.6 million rubles and that to one additional quality-adjusted life year will be about 5.45 million rubles.Conclusion. The cost-effectiveness of abiraterone therapy for metastatic CRPC in patients who have previously received docetaxel therapy is similar to that of other medicaments used in oncological practice under the conditions of the budgetary public health system of the Russian Federation. In this connection, abiraterone may be considered as an economically acceptable medical intervention in this clinical situation.

Model based methods and tools for process systems engineering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gani, Rafiqul

need to be integrated with work-flows and data-flows for specific product-process synthesis-design problems within a computer-aided framework. The framework therefore should be able to manage knowledge-data, models and the associated methods and tools needed by specific synthesis-design work...... of model based methods and tools within a computer aided framework for product-process synthesis-design will be highlighted.......Process systems engineering (PSE) provides means to solve a wide range of problems in a systematic and efficient manner. This presentation will give a perspective on model based methods and tools needed to solve a wide range of problems in product-process synthesis-design. These methods and tools...

Case-Based FCTF Reasoning System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Lu

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Case-based reasoning uses old information to infer the answer of new problems. In case-based reasoning, a reasoner firstly records the previous cases, then searches the previous case list that is similar to the current one and uses that to solve the new case. Case-based reasoning means adapting old solving solutions to new situations. This paper proposes a reasoning system based on the case-based reasoning method. To begin, we show the theoretical structure and algorithm of from coarse to fine (FCTF reasoning system, and then demonstrate that it is possible to successfully learn and reason new information. Finally, we use our system to predict practical weather conditions based on previous ones and experiments show that the prediction accuracy increases with further learning of the FCTF reasoning system.

AN OBJECT-BASED METHOD FOR CHINESE LANDFORM TYPES CLASSIFICATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Ding

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Landform classification is a necessary task for various fields of landscape and regional planning, for example for landscape evaluation, erosion studies, hazard prediction, et al. This study proposes an improved object-based classification for Chinese landform types using the factor importance analysis of random forest and the gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM. In this research, based on 1km DEM of China, the combination of the terrain factors extracted from DEM are selected by correlation analysis and Sheffield's entropy method. Random forest classification tree is applied to evaluate the importance of the terrain factors, which are used as multi-scale segmentation thresholds. Then the GLCM is conducted for the knowledge base of classification. The classification result was checked by using the 1:4,000,000 Chinese Geomorphological Map as reference. And the overall classification accuracy of the proposed method is 5.7% higher than ISODATA unsupervised classification, and 15.7% higher than the traditional object-based classification method.

Ensemble method: Community detection based on game theory

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xia; Xia, Zhengyou; Xu, Shengwu; Wang, J. D.

2014-08-01

Timely and cost-effective analytics over social network has emerged as a key ingredient for success in many businesses and government endeavors. Community detection is an active research area of relevance to analyze online social network. The problem of selecting a particular community detection algorithm is crucial if the aim is to unveil the community structure of a network. The choice of a given methodology could affect the outcome of the experiments because different algorithms have different advantages and depend on tuning specific parameters. In this paper, we propose a community division model based on the notion of game theory, which can combine advantages of previous algorithms effectively to get a better community classification result. By making experiments on some standard dataset, it verifies that our community detection model based on game theory is valid and better.

Topology Optimization of Passive Micromixers Based on Lagrangian Mapping Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuchen Guo

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an optimization-based design method of passive micromixers for immiscible fluids, which means that the Peclet number infinitely large. Based on topology optimization method, an optimization model is constructed to find the optimal layout of the passive micromixers. Being different from the topology optimization methods with Eulerian description of the convection-diffusion dynamics, this proposed method considers the extreme case, where the mixing is dominated completely by the convection with negligible diffusion. In this method, the mixing dynamics is modeled by the mapping method, a Lagrangian description that can deal with the case with convection-dominance. Several numerical examples have been presented to demonstrate the validity of the proposed method.

SU-D-BRB-01: A Comparison of Learning Methods for Knowledge Based Dose Prediction for Coplanar and Non-Coplanar Liver Radiotherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tran, A; Ruan, D; Woods, K; Yu, V; Nguyen, D; Sheng, K [UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: The predictive power of knowledge based planning (KBP) has considerable potential in the development of automated treatment planning. Here, we examine the predictive capabilities and accuracy of previously reported KBP methods, as well as an artificial neural networks (ANN) method. Furthermore, we compare the predictive accuracy of these methods on coplanar volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and non-coplanar 4π radiotherapy. Methods: 30 liver SBRT patients previously treated using coplanar VMAT were selected for this study. The patients were re-planned using 4π radiotherapy, which involves 20 optimally selected non-coplanar IMRT fields. ANNs were used to incorporate enhanced geometric information including liver and PTV size, prescription dose, patient girth, and proximity to beams. The performance of ANN was compared to three methods from statistical voxel dose learning (SVDL), wherein the doses of voxels sharing the same distance to the PTV are approximated by either taking the median of the distribution, non-parametric fitting, or skew-normal fitting. These three methods were shown to be capable of predicting DVH, but only median approximation can predict 3D dose. Prediction methods were tested using leave-one-out cross-validation tests and evaluated using residual sum of squares (RSS) for DVH and 3D dose predictions. Results: DVH prediction using non-parametric fitting had the lowest average RSS with 0.1176(4π) and 0.1633(VMAT), compared to 0.4879(4π) and 1.8744(VMAT) RSS for ANN. 3D dose prediction with median approximation had lower RSS with 12.02(4π) and 29.22(VMAT), compared to 27.95(4π) and 130.9(VMAT) for ANN. Conclusion: Paradoxically, although the ANNs included geometric features in addition to the distances to the PTV, it did not perform better in predicting DVH or 3D dose compared to simpler, faster methods based on the distances alone. The study further confirms that the prediction of 4π non-coplanar plans were more accurate than

22 CFR 40.91 - Certain aliens previously removed.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Certain aliens previously removed. 40.91... IMMIGRANTS UNDER THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT, AS AMENDED Aliens Previously Removed § 40.91 Certain aliens previously removed. (a) 5-year bar. An alien who has been found inadmissible, whether as a result...

A website evaluation model by integration of previous evaluation models using a quantitative approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Moeini

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Regarding the ecommerce growth, websites play an essential role in business success. Therefore, many authors have offered website evaluation models since 1995. Although, the multiplicity and diversity of evaluation models make it difficult to integrate them into a single comprehensive model. In this paper a quantitative method has been used to integrate previous models into a comprehensive model that is compatible with them. In this approach the researcher judgment has no role in integration of models and the new model takes its validity from 93 previous models and systematic quantitative approach.

Recommendation advertising method based on behavior retargeting

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yao; YIN, Xin-Chun; CHEN, Zhi-Min

2011-10-01

Online advertising has become an important business in e-commerce. Ad recommended algorithms are the most critical part in recommendation systems. We propose a recommendation advertising method based on behavior retargeting which can avoid leakage click of advertising due to objective reasons and can observe the changes of the user's interest in time. Experiments show that our new method can have a significant effect and can be further to apply to online system.

Outcome of trial of scar in patients with previous caesarean section

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, B.; Bashir, R.; Khan, W.

2016-01-01

Medical evidence indicates that 60-80% of women can achieve vaginal delivery after a previous lower segment caesarean section. Proper selection of patients for trial of scar and vigilant monitoring during labour will achieve successful maternal and perinatal outcome. The objective of our study is to establish the fact that vaginal delivery after one caesarean section has a high success rate in patients with previous one caesarean section for non-recurrent cause. Methods: The study was conducted in Ayub Teaching Abbottabad, Gynae-B Unit. All labouring patients, during the study period of five years, with previous one caesarean section and between 37 weeks to 41 weeks of gestation for a non-recurrent cause were included in the study. Data was recorded on special proforma designed for the purpose. Patients who had previous classical caesarean section, more than one caesarean section, and previous caesarean section with severe wound infection, transverse lie and placenta previa in present pregnancy were excluded. Foetal macrosomia (wt>4 kg) and severe IUGR with compromised blood flow on Doppler in present pregnancy were also not considered suitable for the study. Patients who had any absolute contraindication for vaginal delivery were also excluded. Results: There were 12505 deliveries during the study period. Total vaginal deliveries were 8790 and total caesarean sections were 3715. Caesarean section rate was 29.7%. Out of these 8790 patients, 764 patients were given a trial of scar and 535 patients delivered successfully vaginally (70%). Women who presented with spontaneous onset of labour were more likely to deliver vaginally (74.8%) as compared to induction group (27.1%). Conclusion: Trial of vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC) in selected cases has great importance in the present era of the rising rate of primary caesarean section. (author)

Study of functional-performance deficits in athletes with previous ankle sprains

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

hamid Babaee

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background: Despite the importance of functional-performance deficits in athletes with history of ankle sprain few, studies have been carried out in this area. The aim of this research was to study relationship between previous ankle sprains and functional-performance deficits in athletes. Materials and methods: The subjects were 40 professional athletes selected through random sampling among volunteer participants in soccer, basketball, volleyball and handball teams of Lorestan province. The subjects were divided into 2 groups: Injured group (athletes with previous ankle sprains and healthy group (athletes without previous ankle sprains. In this descriptive study we used Functional-performance tests (figure 8 hop test and side hop test to determine ankle deficits and limitations. They participated in figure 8 hop test including hopping in 8 shape course with the length of 5 meters and side hop test including 10 side hop repetitions in course with the length of 30 centimeters. Time were recorded via stopwatch. Results: After data gathering and assessing information distributions, Pearson correlation was used to assess relationships, and independent T test to assess differences between variables. Finally the results showed that there is a significant relationship between previous ankle sprains and functional-performance deficits in the athletes. Conclusion: The athletes who had previous ankle sprains indicated functional-performance deficits more than healthy athletes in completion of mentioned functional-performance tests. The functional-performance tests (figure 8 hop test and side hop test are sensitive and suitable to assess and detect functional-performance deficits in athletes. Therefore we can use the figure 8 hop and side hop tests for goals such as prevention, assessment and rehabilitation of ankle sprains without spending too much money and time.

Comparison between PET template-based method and MRI-based method for cortical quantification of florbetapir (AV-45) uptake in vivo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saint-Aubert, L.; Nemmi, F.; Peran, P. [Inserm, Imagerie Cerebrale et Handicaps neurologiques UMR 825, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse, Toulouse (France); Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse, Universite de Toulouse, UPS, Imagerie Cerebrale et Handicaps Neurologiques UMR 825, Toulouse (France); Barbeau, E.J. [Universite de Toulouse, UPS, Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, France, CNRS, CerCo, Toulouse (France); Service de Neurologie, Pole Neurosciences, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse, Toulouse (France); Payoux, P. [Inserm, Imagerie Cerebrale et Handicaps neurologiques UMR 825, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse, Toulouse (France); Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse, Universite de Toulouse, UPS, Imagerie Cerebrale et Handicaps Neurologiques UMR 825, Toulouse (France); Service de Medecine Nucleaire, Pole Imagerie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse, Toulouse (France); Chollet, F.; Pariente, J. [Inserm, Imagerie Cerebrale et Handicaps neurologiques UMR 825, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse, Toulouse (France); Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse, Universite de Toulouse, UPS, Imagerie Cerebrale et Handicaps Neurologiques UMR 825, Toulouse (France); Service de Neurologie, Pole Neurosciences, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse, Toulouse (France)

2014-05-15

Florbetapir (AV-45) has been shown to be a reliable tool for assessing in vivo amyloid load in patients with Alzheimer's disease from the early stages. However, nonspecific white matter binding has been reported in healthy subjects as well as in patients with Alzheimer's disease. To avoid this issue, cortical quantification might increase the reliability of AV-45 PET analyses. In this study, we compared two quantification methods for AV-45 binding, a classical method relying on PET template registration (route 1), and a MRI-based method (route 2) for cortical quantification. We recruited 22 patients at the prodromal stage of Alzheimer's disease and 17 matched controls. AV-45 binding was assessed using both methods, and target-to-cerebellum mean global standard uptake values (SUVr) were obtained for each of them, together with SUVr in specific regions of interest. Quantification using the two routes was compared between the clinical groups (intragroup comparison), and between groups for each route (intergroup comparison). Discriminant analysis was performed. In the intragroup comparison, differences in uptake values were observed between route 1 and route 2 in both groups. In the intergroup comparison, AV-45 uptake was higher in patients than controls in all regions of interest using both methods, but the effect size of this difference was larger using route 2. In the discriminant analysis, route 2 showed a higher specificity (94.1 % versus 70.6 %), despite a lower sensitivity (77.3 % versus 86.4 %), and D-prime values were higher for route 2. These findings suggest that, although both quantification methods enabled patients at early stages of Alzheimer's disease to be well discriminated from controls, PET template-based quantification seems adequate for clinical use, while the MRI-based cortical quantification method led to greater intergroup differences and may be more suitable for use in current clinical research. (orig.)

A Hybrid Positioning Method Based on Hypothesis Testing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Amiot, Nicolas; Pedersen, Troels; Laaraiedh, Mohamed

2012-01-01

maxima. We propose to first estimate the support region of the two peaks of the likelihood function using a set membership method, and then decide between the two regions using a rule based on the less reliable observations. Monte Carlo simulations show that the performance of the proposed method...

Control method for biped locomotion robots based on ZMP information

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kume, Etsuo

1994-01-01

The Human Acts Simulation Program (HASP) started as a ten year program of Computing and Information Systems Center (CISC) at Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) in 1987. A mechanical design study of biped locomotion robots for patrol and inspection in nuclear facilities is being performed as an item of the research scope. One of the goals of our research is to design a biped locomotion robot for practical use in nuclear facilities. So far, we have been studying for several dynamic walking patterns. In conventional control methods for biped locomotion robots, the program control is used based on preset walking patterns, so it dose not have the robustness such as a dynamic change of walking pattern. Therefore, a real-time control method based on dynamic information of the robot states is necessary for the high performance of walking. In this study a new control method based on Zero Moment Point (ZMP) information is proposed as one of real-time control methods. The proposed method is discussed and validated based on the numerical simulation. (author)

A SOM clustering pattern sequence-based next symbol prediction method for day-ahead direct electricity load and price forecasting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin, Cheng Hao; Pok, Gouchol; Lee, Yongmi; Park, Hyun-Woo; Kim, Kwang Deuk; Yun, Unil; Ryu, Keun Ho

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A novel pattern sequence-based direct time series forecasting method was proposed. • Due to the use of SOM’s topology preserving property, only SOM can be applied. • SCPSNSP only deals with the cluster patterns not each specific time series value. • SCPSNSP performs better than recently developed forecasting algorithms. - Abstract: In this paper, we propose a new day-ahead direct time series forecasting method for competitive electricity markets based on clustering and next symbol prediction. In the clustering step, pattern sequence and their topology relations are obtained from self organizing map time series clustering. In the next symbol prediction step, with each cluster label in the pattern sequence represented as a pair of its topologically identical coordinates, artificial neural network is used to predict the topological coordinates of next day by training the relationship between previous daily pattern sequence and its next day pattern. According to the obtained topology relations, the nearest nonzero hits pattern is assigned to next day so that the whole time series values can be directly forecasted from the assigned cluster pattern. The proposed method was evaluated on Spanish, Australian and New York electricity markets and compared with PSF and some of the most recently published forecasting methods. Experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms the best forecasting methods at least 3.64%

Sunburn and sun-protective behaviors among adults with and without previous nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC): A population-based study.

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, Alexander H; Wang, Timothy S; Yenokyan, Gayane; Kang, Sewon; Chien, Anna L

2016-08-01

Individuals with previous nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) are at increased risk for subsequent skin cancer, and should therefore limit ultraviolet exposure. We sought to determine whether individuals with previous NMSC engage in better sun protection than those with no skin cancer history. We pooled self-reported data (2005 and 2010 National Health Interview Surveys) from US non-Hispanic white adults (758 with and 34,161 without previous NMSC). We calculated adjusted prevalence odds ratios (aPOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), taking into account the complex survey design. Individuals with previous NMSC versus no history of NMSC had higher rates of frequent use of shade (44.3% vs 27.0%; aPOR 1.41; 95% CI 1.16-1.71), long sleeves (20.5% vs 7.7%; aPOR 1.55; 95% CI 1.21-1.98), a wide-brimmed hat (26.1% vs 10.5%; aPOR 1.52; 95% CI 1.24-1.87), and sunscreen (53.7% vs 33.1%; aPOR 2.11; 95% CI 1.73-2.59), but did not have significantly lower odds of recent sunburn (29.7% vs 40.7%; aPOR 0.95; 95% CI 0.77-1.17). Among those with previous NMSC, recent sunburn was inversely associated with age, sun avoidance, and shade but not sunscreen. Self-reported cross-sectional data and unavailable information quantifying regular sun exposure are limitations. Physicians should emphasize sunburn prevention when counseling patients with previous NMSC, especially younger adults, focusing on shade and sun avoidance over sunscreen. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A framework for laboratory pre-work based on the concepts, tools and techniques questioning method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huntula, J; Sharma, M D; Johnston, I; Chitaree, R

2011-01-01

Learning in the laboratory is different from learning in other contexts because students have to engage with various aspects of the practice of science. They have to use many skills and knowledge in parallel-not only to understand the concepts of physics but also to use the tools and analyse the data. The question arises, how to best guide students' learning in the laboratory. This study is about creating and using questions with a specifically designed framework to aid learning in the laboratory. The concepts, tools and techniques questioning (CTTQ) method was initially designed and used at Mahidol University, Thailand, and was subsequently extended to laboratory pre-work at the University of Sydney. The CTTQ method was implemented in Sydney with 190 first-year students. Three pre-work exercises on a series of electrical experiments were created based on the CTTQ method. The pre-works were completed individually and submitted before the experiment started. Analysed pre-work, surveys and interviews were used to evaluate the pre-work questions in this study. The results indicated that the CTTQ method was successful and the flow in the experiments was better than that in the previous year. At the same time students had difficulty with the last experiment in the sequence and with techniques.

AN EFFICIENT METHOD FOR AUTOMATIC ROAD EXTRACTION BASED ON MULTIPLE FEATURES FROM LiDAR DATA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Li

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The road extraction in urban areas is difficult task due to the complicated patterns and many contextual objects. LiDAR data directly provides three dimensional (3D points with less occlusions and smaller shadows. The elevation information and surface roughness are distinguishing features to separate roads. However, LiDAR data has some disadvantages are not beneficial to object extraction, such as the irregular distribution of point clouds and lack of clear edges of roads. For these problems, this paper proposes an automatic road centerlines extraction method which has three major steps: (1 road center point detection based on multiple feature spatial clustering for separating road points from ground points, (2 local principal component analysis with least squares fitting for extracting the primitives of road centerlines, and (3 hierarchical grouping for connecting primitives into complete roads network. Compared with MTH (consist of Mean shift algorithm, Tensor voting, and Hough transform proposed in our previous article, this method greatly reduced the computational cost. To evaluate the proposed method, the Vaihingen data set, a benchmark testing data provided by ISPRS for “Urban Classification and 3D Building Reconstruction” project, was selected. The experimental results show that our method achieve the same performance by less time in road extraction using LiDAR data.

An Efficient Method for Automatic Road Extraction Based on Multiple Features from LiDAR Data

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Y.; Hu, X.; Guan, H.; Liu, P.

2016-06-01

The road extraction in urban areas is difficult task due to the complicated patterns and many contextual objects. LiDAR data directly provides three dimensional (3D) points with less occlusions and smaller shadows. The elevation information and surface roughness are distinguishing features to separate roads. However, LiDAR data has some disadvantages are not beneficial to object extraction, such as the irregular distribution of point clouds and lack of clear edges of roads. For these problems, this paper proposes an automatic road centerlines extraction method which has three major steps: (1) road center point detection based on multiple feature spatial clustering for separating road points from ground points, (2) local principal component analysis with least squares fitting for extracting the primitives of road centerlines, and (3) hierarchical grouping for connecting primitives into complete roads network. Compared with MTH (consist of Mean shift algorithm, Tensor voting, and Hough transform) proposed in our previous article, this method greatly reduced the computational cost. To evaluate the proposed method, the Vaihingen data set, a benchmark testing data provided by ISPRS for "Urban Classification and 3D Building Reconstruction" project, was selected. The experimental results show that our method achieve the same performance by less time in road extraction using LiDAR data.

A fracture mechanics and reliability based method to assess non-destructive testings for pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kitagawa, Hideo; Hisada, Toshiaki

1979-01-01

Quantitative evaluation has not been made on the effects of carrying out preservice and in-service nondestructive tests for securing the soundness, safety and maintainability of pressure vessels, spending large expenses and labor. Especially the problems concerning the time and interval of in-service inspections lack the reasonable, quantitative evaluation method. In this paper, the problems of pressure vessels are treated by having developed the analysis method based on reliability technology and probability theory. The growth of surface cracks in pressure vessels was estimated, using the results of previous studies. The effects of nondestructive inspection on the defects in pressure vessels were evaluated, and the influences of many factors, such as plate thickness, stress, the accuracy of inspection and so on, on the effects of inspection, and the method of evaluating the inspections at unequal intervals were investigated. The analysis of reliability taking in-service inspection into consideration, the evaluation of in-service inspection and other affecting factors through the typical examples of analysis, and the review concerning the time of inspection are described. The method of analyzing the reliability of pressure vessels, considering the growth of defects and preservice and in-service nondestructive tests, was able to be systematized so as to be practically usable. (Kako, I.)

Fast CSF MRI for brain segmentation; Cross-validation by comparison with 3D T1-based brain segmentation methods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

van der Kleij, Lisa A.; de Bresser, Jeroen; Hendrikse, Jeroen

2018-01-01

ObjectiveIn previous work we have developed a fast sequence that focusses on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) based on the long T-2 of CSF. By processing the data obtained with this CSF MRI sequence, brain parenchymal volume (BPV) and intracranial volume (ICV) can be automatically obtained. The aim...... of this study was to assess the precision of the BPV and ICV measurements of the CSF MRI sequence and to validate the CSF MRI sequence by comparison with 3D T-1-based brain segmentation methods.Materials and methodsTen healthy volunteers (2 females; median age 28 years) were scanned (3T MRI) twice......cc) and CSF HR (5 +/- 5/4 +/- 2cc) were comparable to FSL HR (9 +/- 11/19 +/- 23cc), FSL LR (7 +/- 4,6 +/- 5cc),FreeSurfer HR (5 +/- 3/14 +/- 8cc), FreeSurfer LR (9 +/- 8,12 +/- 10cc), and SPM HR (5 +/- 3/4 +/- 7cc), and SPM LR (5 +/- 4,5 +/- 3cc). The correlation between the measured volumes...

Selection of logging-based TOC calculation methods for shale reservoirs: A case study of the Jiaoshiba shale gas field in the Sichuan Basin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renchun Huang

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Various methods are available for calculating the TOC of shale reservoirs with logging data, and each method has its unique applicability and accuracy. So it is especially important to establish a regional experimental calculation model based on a thorough analysis of their applicability. With the Upper Ordovician Wufeng Fm-Lower Silurian Longmaxi Fm shale reservoirs as an example, TOC calculation models were built by use of the improved ΔlgR, bulk density, natural gamma spectroscopy, multi-fitting and volume model methods respectively, considering the previous research results and the geologic features of the area. These models were compared based on the core data. Finally, the bulk density method was selected as the regional experimental calculation model. Field practices demonstrated that the improved ΔlgR and natural gamma spectroscopy methods are poor in accuracy; although the multi-fitting method and bulk density method have relatively high accuracy, the bulk density method is simpler and wider in application. For further verifying its applicability, the bulk density method was applied to calculate the TOC of shale reservoirs in several key wells in the Jiaoshiba shale gas field, Sichuan Basin, and the calculation accuracy was clarified with the measured data of core samples, showing that the coincidence rate of logging-based TOC calculation is up to 90.5%–91.0%.

Guided Image Filtering-Based Pan-Sharpening Method: A Case Study of GaoFen-2 Imagery

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Yalan Zheng

2017-12-01

Full Text Available GaoFen-2 (GF-2 is a civilian optical satellite self-developed by China equipped with both multispectral and panchromatic sensors, and is the first satellite in China with a resolution below 1 m. Because the pan-sharpening methods on GF-2 imagery have not been a focus of previous works, we propose a novel pan-sharpening method based on guided image filtering and compare the performance to state-of-the-art methods on GF-2 images. Guided image filtering was introduced to decompose and transfer the details and structures from the original panchromatic and multispectral bands. Thereafter, an adaptive model that considers the local spectral relationship was designed to properly inject spatial information back into the original spectral bands. Four pairs of GF-2 images acquired from urban, water body, cropland, and forest areas were selected for the experiments. Both quantitative and visual inspections were used for the assessment. The experimental results demonstrated that for GF-2 imagery acquired over different scenes, the proposed approach consistently achieves high spectral fidelity and enhances spatial details, thereby benefitting the potential classification procedures.

On evaluating the robustness of spatial-proximity-based regionalization methods.

OpenAIRE

Lebecherel , L.; Andréassian , V.; Perrin , C.

2016-01-01

International audience; In absence of streamflow data to calibrate a hydrological model, its parameters are to be inferred by a regionalization method. In this technical note, we discuss a specific class of regionalization methods, those based on spatial proximity, which transfers hydrological information (typically calibrated parameter sets) from neighbor gauged stations to the target ungauged station. The efficiency of any spatialproximity-based regionalization method will depend on the den...

On evaluating the robustness of spatial-proximity-based regionalization methods.

OpenAIRE

Lebecherel, L.; Andréassian, V.; Perrin, C.

2016-01-01

In absence of streamflow data to calibrate a hydrological model, its parameters are to be inferred by a regionalization method. In this technical note, we discuss a specific class of regionalization methods, those based on spatial proximity, which transfers hydrological information (typically calibrated parameter sets) from neighbor gauged stations to the target ungauged station. The efficiency of any spatialproximity-based regionalization method will depend on the density of the available st...

Sparse maps—A systematic infrastructure for reduced-scaling electronic structure methods. II. Linear scaling domain based pair natural orbital coupled cluster theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riplinger, Christoph; Pinski, Peter; Becker, Ute; Neese, Frank; Valeev, Edward F.

2016-01-01

Domain based local pair natural orbital coupled cluster theory with single-, double-, and perturbative triple excitations (DLPNO-CCSD(T)) is a highly efficient local correlation method. It is known to be accurate and robust and can be used in a black box fashion in order to obtain coupled cluster quality total energies for large molecules with several hundred atoms. While previous implementations showed near linear scaling up to a few hundred atoms, several nonlinear scaling steps limited the applicability of the method for very large systems. In this work, these limitations are overcome and a linear scaling DLPNO-CCSD(T) method for closed shell systems is reported. The new implementation is based on the concept of sparse maps that was introduced in Part I of this series [P. Pinski, C. Riplinger, E. F. Valeev, and F. Neese, J. Chem. Phys. 143, 034108 (2015)]. Using the sparse map infrastructure, all essential computational steps (integral transformation and storage, initial guess, pair natural orbital construction, amplitude iterations, triples correction) are achieved in a linear scaling fashion. In addition, a number of additional algorithmic improvements are reported that lead to significant speedups of the method. The new, linear-scaling DLPNO-CCSD(T) implementation typically is 7 times faster than the previous implementation and consumes 4 times less disk space for large three-dimensional systems. For linear systems, the performance gains and memory savings are substantially larger. Calculations with more than 20 000 basis functions and 1000 atoms are reported in this work. In all cases, the time required for the coupled cluster step is comparable to or lower than for the preceding Hartree-Fock calculation, even if this is carried out with the efficient resolution-of-the-identity and chain-of-spheres approximations. The new implementation even reduces the error in absolute correlation energies by about a factor of two, compared to the already accurate

Do emotional intelligence and previous caring experience influence student nurse performance? A comparative analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Stenhouse, Rosie; Snowden, Austyn; Young, Jenny; Carver, Fiona; Carver, Hannah; Brown, Norrie

2016-08-01

Reports of poor nursing care have focused attention on values based selection of candidates onto nursing programmes. Values based selection lacks clarity and valid measures. Previous caring experience might lead to better care. Emotional intelligence (EI) might be associated with performance, is conceptualised and measurable. To examine the impact of 1) previous caring experience, 2) emotional intelligence 3) social connection scores on performance and retention in a cohort of first year nursing and midwifery students in Scotland. A longitudinal, quasi experimental design. Adult and mental health nursing, and midwifery programmes in a Scottish University. Adult, mental health and midwifery students (n=598) completed the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-short form and Schutte's Emotional Intelligence Scale on entry to their programmes at a Scottish University, alongside demographic and previous caring experience data. Social connection was calculated from a subset of questions identified within the TEIQue-SF in a prior factor and Rasch analysis. Student performance was calculated as the mean mark across the year. Withdrawal data were gathered. 598 students completed baseline measures. 315 students declared previous caring experience, 277 not. An independent-samples t-test identified that those without previous caring experience scored higher on performance (57.33±11.38) than those with previous caring experience (54.87±11.19), a statistically significant difference of 2.47 (95% CI, 0.54 to 4.38), t(533)=2.52, p=.012. Emotional intelligence scores were not associated with performance. Social connection scores for those withdrawing (mean rank=249) and those remaining (mean rank=304.75) were statistically significantly different, U=15,300, z=-2.61, p$_amp_$lt;0.009. Previous caring experience led to worse performance in this cohort. Emotional intelligence was not a useful indicator of performance. Lower scores on the social connection factor were associated

Accelerated gradient methods for total-variation-based CT image reconstruction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joergensen, Jakob H.; Hansen, Per Christian [Technical Univ. of Denmark, Lyngby (Denmark). Dept. of Informatics and Mathematical Modeling; Jensen, Tobias L.; Jensen, Soeren H. [Aalborg Univ. (Denmark). Dept. of Electronic Systems; Sidky, Emil Y.; Pan, Xiaochuan [Chicago Univ., Chicago, IL (United States). Dept. of Radiology

2011-07-01

Total-variation (TV)-based CT image reconstruction has shown experimentally to be capable of producing accurate reconstructions from sparse-view data. In particular TV-based reconstruction is well suited for images with piecewise nearly constant regions. Computationally, however, TV-based reconstruction is demanding, especially for 3D imaging, and the reconstruction from clinical data sets is far from being close to real-time. This is undesirable from a clinical perspective, and thus there is an incentive to accelerate the solution of the underlying optimization problem. The TV reconstruction can in principle be found by any optimization method, but in practice the large scale of the systems arising in CT image reconstruction preclude the use of memory-intensive methods such as Newton's method. The simple gradient method has much lower memory requirements, but exhibits prohibitively slow convergence. In the present work we address the question of how to reduce the number of gradient method iterations needed to achieve a high-accuracy TV reconstruction. We consider the use of two accelerated gradient-based methods, GPBB and UPN, to solve the 3D-TV minimization problem in CT image reconstruction. The former incorporates several heuristics from the optimization literature such as Barzilai-Borwein (BB) step size selection and nonmonotone line search. The latter uses a cleverly chosen sequence of auxiliary points to achieve a better convergence rate. The methods are memory efficient and equipped with a stopping criterion to ensure that the TV reconstruction has indeed been found. An implementation of the methods (in C with interface to Matlab) is available for download from http://www2.imm.dtu.dk/~pch/TVReg/. We compare the proposed methods with the standard gradient method, applied to a 3D test problem with synthetic few-view data. We find experimentally that for realistic parameters the proposed methods significantly outperform the standard gradient method. (orig.)

Trephine Transverse Colostomy Is Effective for Patients Who Have Previously Undergone Rectal Surgery

Science.gov (United States)

Yeom, Seung-Seop; Jung, Sung Woo; Oh, Se Heon; Lee, Jong Lyul; Yoon, Yong Sik; Park, In Ja; Lim, Seok-Byung; Yu, Chang Sik; Kim, Jin Cheon

2018-01-01

Purpose Colostomy creation is an essential procedure for colorectal surgeons, but the preferred method of colostomy varies by surgeon. We compared the outcomes of trephine colostomy creation with open those for the (laparotomy) and laparoscopic methods and evaluated appropriate indications for a trephine colostomy and the advantages of the technique. Methods We retrospectively evaluated 263 patients who had undergone colostomy creation by trephine, open and laparoscopic approaches between April 2006 and March 2016. We compared the clinical features and the operative and postoperative outcomes according to the approach used for stoma creation. Results One hundred sixty-three patients (62%) underwent colostomy surgery for obstructive causes and 100 (38%) for fistulous problems. The mean operative time was significantly shorter with the trephine approach (trephine, 46.0 ± 1.9 minutes; open, 78.7 ± 3.9 minutes; laparoscopic, 63.5 ± 5.0 minutes; P colostomy was feasible for a diversion colostomy (P colostomy is safe and can be implemented quickly in various situations, and compared to other colostomy procedures, the patient’s recovery is faster. Previous laparotomy history was not a contraindication for a trephine colostomy, and a trephine transverse colostomy is feasible for patients who have undergone previous rectal surgery. PMID:29742862

A Novel Fuzzing Method for Zigbee Based on Finite State Machine

OpenAIRE

Baojiang Cui; Shurui Liang; Shilei Chen; Bing Zhao; Xiaobing Liang

2014-01-01

With the extensive application of Zigbee, some bodies of literature were devoted into finding the vulnerabilities of Zigbee by fuzzing. According to earlier test records, the majority of defects were exposed due to a series of testing cases. However, the context of malformed inputs is not taken account into the previous algorithms. In this paper, we propose a refined structure-based fuzzing algorithm for Zigbee based on FSM, FSM-fuzzing. Any malformed input in FSM-Fuzzing is injected to the t...

At Home Photography-Based Method for Measuring Wrist Range of Motion.

Science.gov (United States)

Trehan, Samir K; Rancy, Schneider K; Johnsen, Parker H; Hillstrom, Howard J; Lee, Steve K; Wolfe, Scott W

2017-11-01

Purpose  To determine the reliability of wrist range of motion (WROM) measurements based on digital photographs taken by patients at home compared with traditional measurements done in the office with a goniometer. Methods  Sixty-nine postoperative patients were enrolled in this study at least 3 months postoperatively. Active and passive wrist flexion/extension and radial/ulnar deviation were recorded by one of the two attending surgeons with a 1-degree resolution goniometer at the last postoperative office visit. Patients were provided an illustrated instruction sheet detailing how to take digital photographic images at home in six wrist positions (active and passive flexion/extension, and radial/ulnar deviation). Wrist position was measured from digital images by both the attending surgeons in a randomized, blinded fashion on two separate occasions greater than 2 weeks apart using the same goniometer. Reliability analysis was performed using the intraclass correlation coefficient to assess agreement between clinical and photography-based goniometry, as well as intra- and interobserver agreement. Results  Out of 69 enrolled patients, 30 (43%) patients sent digital images. Of the 180 digital photographs, only 9 (5%) were missing or deemed inadequate for WROM measurements. Agreement between clinical and photography-based measurements was "almost perfect" for passive wrist flexion/extension and "substantial" for active wrist flexion/extension and radial/ulnar deviation. Inter- and intraobserver agreement for the attending surgeons was "almost perfect" for all measurements. Discussion  This study validates a photography-based goniometry protocol allowing accurate and reliable WROM measurements without direct physician contact. Passive WROM was more accurately measured from photographs than active WROM. This study builds on previous photography-based goniometry literature by validating a protocol in which patients or their families take and submit their own

Validation of an enhanced knowledge-based method for segmentation and quantitative analysis of intrathoracic airway trees from three-dimensional CT images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sonka, M.; Park, W.; Hoffman, E.A.

1995-01-01

Accurate assessment of airway physiology, evaluated in terms of geometric changes, is critically dependent upon the accurate imaging and image segmentation of the three-dimensional airway tree structure. The authors have previously reported a knowledge-based method for three-dimensional airway tree segmentation from high resolution CT (HRCT) images. Here, they report a substantially improved version of the method. In the current implementation, the method consists of several stages. First, the lung borders are automatically determined in the three-dimensional set of HRCT data. The primary airway tree is semi-automatically identified. In the next stage, potential airways are determined in individual CT slices using a rule-based system that uses contextual information and a priori knowledge about pulmonary anatomy. Using three-dimensional connectivity properties of the pulmonary airway tree, the three-dimensional tree is constructed from the set of adjacent slices. The method's performance and accuracy were assessed in five 3D HRCT canine images. Computer-identified airways matched 226/258 observer-defined airways (87.6%); the computer method failed to detect the airways in the remaining 32 locations. By visual assessment of rendered airway trees, the experienced observers judged the computer-detected airway trees as highly realistic

Handbook of methods for risk-based analysis of technical specification requirements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samanta, P.K.; Vesely, W.E.

1994-01-01

Technical Specifications (TS) requirements for nuclear power plants define the Limiting Conditions for Operation (LCOs) and Surveillance Requirements (SRs) to assure safety during operation. In general, these requirements were based on deterministic analysis and engineering judgments. Experiences with plant operation indicate that some elements of the requirements are unnecessarily restrictive, while others may not be conducive to safety. Improvements in these requirements are facilitated by the availability of plant specific Probabilistic Safety Assessments (PSAs). The use of risk and reliability-based methods to improve TS requirements has gained wide interest because these methods can: Quantitatively evaluate the risk and justify changes based on objective risk arguments; Provide a defensible basis for these requirements for regulatory applications. The US NRC Office of Research is sponsoring research to develop systematic risk-based methods to improve various aspects of TS requirements. The handbook of methods, which is being prepared, summarizes such risk-based methods. The scope of the handbook includes reliability and risk-based methods for evaluating allowed outage times (AOTs), action statements requiring shutdown where shutdown risk may be substantial, surveillance test intervals (STIs), defenses against common-cause failures, managing plant configurations, and scheduling maintenances. For each topic, the handbook summarizes methods of analysis and data needs, outlines the insights to be gained, lists additional references, and presents examples of evaluations

Handbook of methods for risk-based analysis of Technical Specification requirements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samanta, P.K.; Vesely, W.E.

1993-01-01

Technical Specifications (TS) requirements for nuclear power plants define the Limiting Conditions for Operation (LCOs) and Surveillance Requirements (SRs) to assure safety during operation. In general, these requirements were based on deterministic analysis and engineering judgments. Experiences with plant operation indicate that some elements of the requirements are unnecessarily restrictive, while others may not be conducive to safety. Improvements in these requirements are facilitated by the availability of plant specific Probabilistic Safety Assessments (PSAs). The use of risk and reliability-based methods to improve TS requirements has gained wide interest because these methods can: quantitatively evaluate the risk impact and justify changes based on objective risk arguments. Provide a defensible basis for these requirements for regulatory applications. The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) Office of Research is sponsoring research to develop systematic risk-based methods to improve various aspects of TS requirements. The handbook of methods, which is being prepared, summarizes such risk-based methods. The scope of the handbook includes reliability and risk-based methods for evaluating allowed outage times (AOTs), action statements requiring shutdown where shutdown risk may be substantial, surveillance test intervals (STIs), defenses against common-cause failures, managing plant configurations, and scheduling maintenances. For each topic, the handbook summarizes methods of analysis and data needs, outlines the insights to be gained, lists additional references, and presents examples of evaluations

Handbook of methods for risk-based analyses of technical specifications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samanta, P.K.; Kim, I.S.; Mankamo, T.; Vesely, W.E.

1994-12-01

Technical Specifications (TS) requirements for nuclear power plants define the Limiting Conditions for Operation (LCOs) and Surveillance Requirements (SRs) to assure safety during operation. In general, these requirements are based on deterministic analysis and engineering judgments. Experiences with plant operation indicate that some elements of the requirements are unnecessarily restrictive, while a few may not be conducive to safety. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) Office of Research has sponsored research to develop systematic risk-based methods to improve various aspects of TS requirements. This handbook summarizes these risk-based methods. The scope of the handbook includes reliability and risk-based methods for evaluating allowed outage times (AOTs), scheduled or preventive maintenance, action statements requiring shutdown where shutdown risk may be substantial, surveillance test intervals (STIs), and management of plant configurations resulting from outages of systems, or components. For each topic, the handbook summarizes analytic methods with data needs, outlines the insights to be gained, lists additional references, and gives examples of evaluations

Handbook of methods for risk-based analyses of technical specifications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Samanta, P.K.; Kim, I.S. [Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States); Mankamo, T. [Avaplan Oy, Espoo (Finland); Vesely, W.E. [Science Applications International Corp., Dublin, OH (United States)

1994-12-01

Technical Specifications (TS) requirements for nuclear power plants define the Limiting Conditions for Operation (LCOs) and Surveillance Requirements (SRs) to assure safety during operation. In general, these requirements are based on deterministic analysis and engineering judgments. Experiences with plant operation indicate that some elements of the requirements are unnecessarily restrictive, while a few may not be conducive to safety. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) Office of Research has sponsored research to develop systematic risk-based methods to improve various aspects of TS requirements. This handbook summarizes these risk-based methods. The scope of the handbook includes reliability and risk-based methods for evaluating allowed outage times (AOTs), scheduled or preventive maintenance, action statements requiring shutdown where shutdown risk may be substantial, surveillance test intervals (STIs), and management of plant configurations resulting from outages of systems, or components. For each topic, the handbook summarizes analytic methods with data needs, outlines the insights to be gained, lists additional references, and gives examples of evaluations.

Fluence-based and microdosimetric event-based methods for radiation protection in space

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Curtis, S.B.

2002-01-01

The National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) has recently published a report (Report no.137) that discusses various aspects of the concepts used in radiation protection and the difficulties in measuring the radiation environment in spacecraft for the estimation of radiation risk to space travelers. Two novel dosimetric methodologies, fluence-based and microdosimetric event-based methods, are discussed and evaluated, along with the more conventional quality factor/linear energy transfer (LET) method. It was concluded that for the present, any reason to switch to a new methodology is not compelling. It is suggested that because of certain drawbacks in the presently-used conventional method, these alternative methodologies should be kept in mind. As new data become available and dosimetric techniques become more refined, the question should be revisited and that in the future, significant improvement might be realized. In addition, such concepts as equivalent dose and organ dose equivalent are discussed and various problems regarding the measurement/estimation of these quantities are presented. (author)

Phase Difference Measurement Method Based on Progressive Phase Shift

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Min Zhang

2018-06-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a method for phase difference measurement based on the principle of progressive phase shift (PPS. A phase difference measurement system based on PPS and implemented in the FPGA chip is proposed and tested. In the realized system, a fully programmable delay line (PDL is constructed, which provides accurate and stable delay, benefitting from the feed-back structure of the control module. The control module calibrates the delay according to process, voltage and temperature (PVT variations. Furthermore, a modified method based on double PPS is incorporated to improve the resolution. The obtained resolution is 25 ps. Moreover, to improve the resolution, the proposed method is implemented on the 20 nm Xilinx Kintex Ultrascale platform, and test results indicate that the obtained measurement error and clock synchronization error is within the range of ±5 ps.

Iron-based amorphous alloys and methods of synthesizing iron-based amorphous alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Saw, Cheng Kiong; Bauer, William A.; Choi, Jor-Shan; Day, Dan; Farmer, Joseph C.

2016-05-03

A method according to one embodiment includes combining an amorphous iron-based alloy and at least one metal selected from a group consisting of molybdenum, chromium, tungsten, boron, gadolinium, nickel phosphorous, yttrium, and alloys thereof to form a mixture, wherein the at least one metal is present in the mixture from about 5 atomic percent (at %) to about 55 at %; and ball milling the mixture at least until an amorphous alloy of the iron-based alloy and the at least one metal is formed. Several amorphous iron-based metal alloys are also presented, including corrosion-resistant amorphous iron-based metal alloys and radiation-shielding amorphous iron-based metal alloys.

A multi-sample based method for identifying common CNVs in normal human genomic structure using high-resolution aCGH data.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chihyun Park

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: It is difficult to identify copy number variations (CNV in normal human genomic data due to noise and non-linear relationships between different genomic regions and signal intensity. A high-resolution array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH containing 42 million probes, which is very large compared to previous arrays, was recently published. Most existing CNV detection algorithms do not work well because of noise associated with the large amount of input data and because most of the current methods were not designed to analyze normal human samples. Normal human genome analysis often requires a joint approach across multiple samples. However, the majority of existing methods can only identify CNVs from a single sample. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We developed a multi-sample-based genomic variations detector (MGVD that uses segmentation to identify common breakpoints across multiple samples and a k-means-based clustering strategy. Unlike previous methods, MGVD simultaneously considers multiple samples with different genomic intensities and identifies CNVs and CNV zones (CNVZs; CNVZ is a more precise measure of the location of a genomic variant than the CNV region (CNVR. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: We designed a specialized algorithm to detect common CNVs from extremely high-resolution multi-sample aCGH data. MGVD showed high sensitivity and a low false discovery rate for a simulated data set, and outperformed most current methods when real, high-resolution HapMap datasets were analyzed. MGVD also had the fastest runtime compared to the other algorithms evaluated when actual, high-resolution aCGH data were analyzed. The CNVZs identified by MGVD can be used in association studies for revealing relationships between phenotypes and genomic aberrations. Our algorithm was developed with standard C++ and is available in Linux and MS Windows format in the STL library. It is freely available at: http://embio.yonsei.ac.kr/~Park/mgvd.php.

Nanoparticle filtration performance of NIOSH-certified particulate air-purifying filtering facepiece respirators: evaluation by light scattering photometric and particle number-based test methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Rengasamy, Samy; Eimer, Benjamin C

2012-01-01

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) certification test methods employ charge neutralized NaCl or dioctyl phthalate (DOP) aerosols to measure filter penetration levels of air-purifying particulate respirators photometrically using a TSI 8130 automated filter tester at 85 L/min. A previous study in our laboratory found that widely different filter penetration levels were measured for nanoparticles depending on whether a particle number (count)-based detector or a photometric detector was used. The purpose of this study was to better understand the influence of key test parameters, including filter media type, challenge aerosol size range, and detector system. Initial penetration levels for 17 models of NIOSH-approved N-, R-, and P-series filtering facepiece respirators were measured using the TSI 8130 photometric method and compared with the particle number-based penetration (obtained using two ultrafine condensation particle counters) for the same challenge aerosols generated by the TSI 8130. In general, the penetration obtained by the photometric method was less than the penetration obtained with the number-based method. Filter penetration was also measured for ambient room aerosols. Penetration measured by the TSI 8130 photometric method was lower than the number-based ambient aerosol penetration values. Number-based monodisperse NaCl aerosol penetration measurements showed that the most penetrating particle size was in the 50 nm range for all respirator models tested, with the exception of one model at ~200 nm size. Respirator models containing electrostatic filter media also showed lower penetration values with the TSI 8130 photometric method than the number-based penetration obtained for the most penetrating monodisperse particles. Results suggest that to provide a more challenging respirator filter test method than what is currently used for respirators containing electrostatic media, the test method should utilize a sufficient number

Connecting clinical and actuarial prediction with rule-based methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Fokkema, Marjolein; Smits, Niels; Kelderman, Henk; Penninx, Brenda W J H

2015-06-01

Meta-analyses comparing the accuracy of clinical versus actuarial prediction have shown actuarial methods to outperform clinical methods, on average. However, actuarial methods are still not widely used in clinical practice, and there has been a call for the development of actuarial prediction methods for clinical practice. We argue that rule-based methods may be more useful than the linear main effect models usually employed in prediction studies, from a data and decision analytic as well as a practical perspective. In addition, decision rules derived with rule-based methods can be represented as fast and frugal trees, which, unlike main effects models, can be used in a sequential fashion, reducing the number of cues that have to be evaluated before making a prediction. We illustrate the usability of rule-based methods by applying RuleFit, an algorithm for deriving decision rules for classification and regression problems, to a dataset on prediction of the course of depressive and anxiety disorders from Penninx et al. (2011). The RuleFit algorithm provided a model consisting of 2 simple decision rules, requiring evaluation of only 2 to 4 cues. Predictive accuracy of the 2-rule model was very similar to that of a logistic regression model incorporating 20 predictor variables, originally applied to the dataset. In addition, the 2-rule model required, on average, evaluation of only 3 cues. Therefore, the RuleFit algorithm appears to be a promising method for creating decision tools that are less time consuming and easier to apply in psychological practice, and with accuracy comparable to traditional actuarial methods. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

An Intelligent Fleet Condition-Based Maintenance Decision Making Method Based on Multi-Agent

OpenAIRE

Bo Sun; Qiang Feng; Songjie Li

2012-01-01

According to the demand for condition-based maintenance online decision making among a mission oriented fleet, an intelligent maintenance decision making method based on Multi-agent and heuristic rules is proposed. The process of condition-based maintenance within an aircraft fleet (each containing one or more Line Replaceable Modules) based on multiple maintenance thresholds is analyzed. Then the process is abstracted into a Multi-Agent Model, a 2-layer model structure containing host negoti...

Technical Note: FreeCT_ICD: An Open Source Implementation of a Model-Based Iterative Reconstruction Method using Coordinate Descent Optimization for CT Imaging Investigations.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffman, John M; Noo, Frédéric; Young, Stefano; Hsieh, Scott S; McNitt-Gray, Michael

2018-06-01

To facilitate investigations into the impacts of acquisition and reconstruction parameters on quantitative imaging, radiomics and CAD using CT imaging, we previously released an open source implementation of a conventional weighted filtered backprojection reconstruction called FreeCT_wFBP. Our purpose was to extend that work by providing an open-source implementation of a model-based iterative reconstruction method using coordinate descent optimization, called FreeCT_ICD. Model-based iterative reconstruction offers the potential for substantial radiation dose reduction, but can impose substantial computational processing and storage requirements. FreeCT_ICD is an open source implementation of a model-based iterative reconstruction method that provides a reasonable tradeoff between these requirements. This was accomplished by adapting a previously proposed method that allows the system matrix to be stored with a reasonable memory requirement. The method amounts to describing the attenuation coefficient using rotating slices that follow the helical geometry. In the initially-proposed version, the rotating slices are themselves described using blobs. We have replaced this description by a unique model that relies on tri-linear interpolation together with the principles of Joseph's method. This model offers an improvement in memory requirement while still allowing highly accurate reconstruction for conventional CT geometries. The system matrix is stored column-wise and combined with an iterative coordinate descent (ICD) optimization. The result is FreeCT_ICD, which is a reconstruction program developed on the Linux platform using C++ libraries and the open source GNU GPL v2.0 license. The software is capable of reconstructing raw projection data of helical CT scans. In this work, the software has been described and evaluated by reconstructing datasets exported from a clinical scanner which consisted of an ACR accreditation phantom dataset and a clinical pediatric

An Efficient Upscaling Procedure Based on Stokes-Brinkman Model and Discrete Fracture Network Method for Naturally Fractured Carbonate Karst Reservoirs

KAUST Repository

Qin, Guan

2010-01-01

Naturally-fractured carbonate karst reservoirs are characterized by various-sized solution caves that are connected via fracture networks at multiple scales. These complex geologic features can not be fully resolved in reservoir simulations due to the underlying uncertainty in geologic models and the large computational resource requirement. They also bring in multiple flow physics which adds to the modeling difficulties. It is thus necessary to develop a method to accurately represent the effect of caves, fractures and their interconnectivities in coarse-scale simulation models. In this paper, we present a procedure based on our previously proposed Stokes-Brinkman model (SPE 125593) and the discrete fracture network method for accurate and efficient upscaling of naturally fractured carbonate karst reservoirs.

Real-time biscuit tile image segmentation method based on edge detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Matić, Tomislav; Aleksi, Ivan; Hocenski, Željko; Kraus, Dieter

2018-05-01

In this paper we propose a novel real-time Biscuit Tile Segmentation (BTS) method for images from ceramic tile production line. BTS method is based on signal change detection and contour tracing with a main goal of separating tile pixels from background in images captured on the production line. Usually, human operators are visually inspecting and classifying produced ceramic tiles. Computer vision and image processing techniques can automate visual inspection process if they fulfill real-time requirements. Important step in this process is a real-time tile pixels segmentation. BTS method is implemented for parallel execution on a GPU device to satisfy the real-time constraints of tile production line. BTS method outperforms 2D threshold-based methods, 1D edge detection methods and contour-based methods. Proposed BTS method is in use in the biscuit tile production line. Copyright © 2018 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

OWL-based reasoning methods for validating archetypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Menárguez-Tortosa, Marcos; Fernández-Breis, Jesualdo Tomás

2013-04-01

Some modern Electronic Healthcare Record (EHR) architectures and standards are based on the dual model-based architecture, which defines two conceptual levels: reference model and archetype model. Such architectures represent EHR domain knowledge by means of archetypes, which are considered by many researchers to play a fundamental role for the achievement of semantic interoperability in healthcare. Consequently, formal methods for validating archetypes are necessary. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in exploring how semantic web technologies in general, and ontologies in particular, can facilitate the representation and management of archetypes, including binding to terminologies, but no solution based on such technologies has been provided to date to validate archetypes. Our approach represents archetypes by means of OWL ontologies. This permits to combine the two levels of the dual model-based architecture in one modeling framework which can also integrate terminologies available in OWL format. The validation method consists of reasoning on those ontologies to find modeling errors in archetypes: incorrect restrictions over the reference model, non-conformant archetype specializations and inconsistent terminological bindings. The archetypes available in the repositories supported by the openEHR Foundation and the NHS Connecting for Health Program, which are the two largest publicly available ones, have been analyzed with our validation method. For such purpose, we have implemented a software tool called Archeck. Our results show that around 1/5 of archetype specializations contain modeling errors, the most common mistakes being related to coded terms and terminological bindings. The analysis of each repository reveals that different patterns of errors are found in both repositories. This result reinforces the need for making serious efforts in improving archetype design processes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prioritizing Roads Safety Based on the Quasi-Induced Exposure Method and Utilization of the Analytical Hierarchy Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sajad rezaei

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Safety analysis of the roads through the accident rates which is one of the widely used tools has been resulted from the direct exposure method which is based on the ratio of the vehicle-kilometers traveled and vehicle-travel time. However, due to some fundamental flaws in its theories and difficulties in gaining access to the data required such as traffic volume, distance and duration of the trip, and various problems in determining the exposure in a specific time, place, and individual categories, there is a need for an algorithm for prioritizing the road safety so that with a new exposure method, the problems of the previous approaches would be resolved. In this way, an efficient application may lead to have more realistic comparisons and the new method would be applicable to a wider range of time, place, and individual categories. Therefore, an algorithm was introduced to prioritize the safety of roads using the quasi-induced exposure method and utilizing the analytical hierarchy process. For this research, 11 provinces of Iran were chosen as case study locations. A rural accidents database was created for these provinces, the validity of quasi-induced exposure method for Iran’s accidents database was explored, and the involvement ratio for different characteristics of the drivers and the vehicles was measured. Results showed that the quasi-induced exposure method was valid in determining the real exposure in the provinces under study. Results also showed a significant difference in the prioritization based on the new and traditional approaches. This difference mostly would stem from the perspective of the quasi-induced exposure method in determining the exposure, opinion of experts, and the quantity of accidents data. Overall, the results for this research showed that prioritization based on the new approach is more comprehensive and reliable compared to the prioritization in the traditional approach which is dependent on various

NMR-based phytochemical analysis of Vitis vinifera cv Falanghina leaves. Characterization of a previously undescribed biflavonoid with antiproliferative activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Tartaglione, Luciana; Gambuti, Angelita; De Cicco, Paola; Ercolano, Giuseppe; Ianaro, Angela; Taglialatela-Scafati, Orazio; Moio, Luigi; Forino, Martino

2018-03-01

Vitis vinifera cv Falanghina is an ancient grape variety of Southern Italy. A thorough phytochemical analysis of the Falanghina leaves was conducted to investigate its specialised metabolite content. Along with already known molecules, such as caftaric acid, quercetin-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, quercetin-3-O-β-d-glucuronide, kaempferol-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside and kaempferol-3-O-β-d-glucuronide, a previously undescribed biflavonoid was identified. For this last compound, a moderate bioactivity against metastatic melanoma cells proliferation was discovered. This datum can be of some interest to researchers studying human melanoma. The high content in antioxidant glycosylated flavonoids supports the exploitation of grape vine leaves as an inexpensive source of natural products for the food industry and for both pharmaceutical and nutraceutical companies. Additionally, this study offers important insights into the plant physiology, thus prompting possible technological researches of genetic selection based on the vine adaptation to specific pedo-climatic environments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A numerical integration-based yield estimation method for integrated circuits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liang Tao; Jia Xinzhang

2011-01-01

A novel integration-based yield estimation method is developed for yield optimization of integrated circuits. This method tries to integrate the joint probability density function on the acceptability region directly. To achieve this goal, the simulated performance data of unknown distribution should be converted to follow a multivariate normal distribution by using Box-Cox transformation (BCT). In order to reduce the estimation variances of the model parameters of the density function, orthogonal array-based modified Latin hypercube sampling (OA-MLHS) is presented to generate samples in the disturbance space during simulations. The principle of variance reduction of model parameters estimation through OA-MLHS together with BCT is also discussed. Two yield estimation examples, a fourth-order OTA-C filter and a three-dimensional (3D) quadratic function are used for comparison of our method with Monte Carlo based methods including Latin hypercube sampling and importance sampling under several combinations of sample sizes and yield values. Extensive simulations show that our method is superior to other methods with respect to accuracy and efficiency under all of the given cases. Therefore, our method is more suitable for parametric yield optimization. (semiconductor integrated circuits)

A numerical integration-based yield estimation method for integrated circuits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liang Tao; Jia Xinzhang, E-mail: tliang@yahoo.cn [Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Materials and Devices, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi' an 710071 (China)

2011-04-15

A novel integration-based yield estimation method is developed for yield optimization of integrated circuits. This method tries to integrate the joint probability density function on the acceptability region directly. To achieve this goal, the simulated performance data of unknown distribution should be converted to follow a multivariate normal distribution by using Box-Cox transformation (BCT). In order to reduce the estimation variances of the model parameters of the density function, orthogonal array-based modified Latin hypercube sampling (OA-MLHS) is presented to generate samples in the disturbance space during simulations. The principle of variance reduction of model parameters estimation through OA-MLHS together with BCT is also discussed. Two yield estimation examples, a fourth-order OTA-C filter and a three-dimensional (3D) quadratic function are used for comparison of our method with Monte Carlo based methods including Latin hypercube sampling and importance sampling under several combinations of sample sizes and yield values. Extensive simulations show that our method is superior to other methods with respect to accuracy and efficiency under all of the given cases. Therefore, our method is more suitable for parametric yield optimization. (semiconductor integrated circuits)

A comprehensive estimation of the economic effects of meteorological services based on the input-output method.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Xianhua; Wei, Guo; Yang, Lingjuan; Guo, Ji; Lu, Huaguo; Chen, Yunfeng; Sun, Jian

2014-01-01

Concentrating on consuming coefficient, partition coefficient, and Leontief inverse matrix, relevant concepts and algorithms are developed for estimating the impact of meteorological services including the associated (indirect, complete) economic effect. Subsequently, quantitative estimations are particularly obtained for the meteorological services in Jiangxi province by utilizing the input-output method. It is found that the economic effects are noticeably rescued by the preventive strategies developed from both the meteorological information and internal relevance (interdependency) in the industrial economic system. Another finding is that the ratio range of input in the complete economic effect on meteorological services is about 1 : 108.27-1 : 183.06, remarkably different from a previous estimation based on the Delphi method (1 : 30-1 : 51). Particularly, economic effects of meteorological services are higher for nontraditional users of manufacturing, wholesale and retail trades, services sector, tourism and culture, and art and lower for traditional users of agriculture, forestry, livestock, fishery, and construction industries.

A Comprehensive Estimation of the Economic Effects of Meteorological Services Based on the Input-Output Method

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Xianhua; Yang, Lingjuan; Guo, Ji; Lu, Huaguo; Chen, Yunfeng; Sun, Jian

2014-01-01

Concentrating on consuming coefficient, partition coefficient, and Leontief inverse matrix, relevant concepts and algorithms are developed for estimating the impact of meteorological services including the associated (indirect, complete) economic effect. Subsequently, quantitative estimations are particularly obtained for the meteorological services in Jiangxi province by utilizing the input-output method. It is found that the economic effects are noticeably rescued by the preventive strategies developed from both the meteorological information and internal relevance (interdependency) in the industrial economic system. Another finding is that the ratio range of input in the complete economic effect on meteorological services is about 1 : 108.27–1 : 183.06, remarkably different from a previous estimation based on the Delphi method (1 : 30–1 : 51). Particularly, economic effects of meteorological services are higher for nontraditional users of manufacturing, wholesale and retail trades, services sector, tourism and culture, and art and lower for traditional users of agriculture, forestry, livestock, fishery, and construction industries. PMID:24578666

Convergence of methods for coupling of microscopic and mesoscopic reaction–diffusion simulations

KAUST Repository

Flegg, Mark B.; Hellander, Stefan; Erban, Radek

2015-01-01

© 2015 Elsevier Inc. In this paper, three multiscale methods for coupling of mesoscopic (compartment-based) and microscopic (molecular-based) stochastic reaction-diffusion simulations are investigated. Two of the three methods that will be discussed in detail have been previously reported in the literature; the two-regime method (TRM) and the compartment-placement method (CPM). The third method that is introduced and analysed in this paper is called the ghost cell method (GCM), since it works by constructing a "ghost cell" in which molecules can disappear and jump into the compartment-based simulation. Presented is a comparison of sources of error. The convergent properties of this error are studied as the time step δ. t (for updating the molecular-based part of the model) approaches zero. It is found that the error behaviour depends on another fundamental computational parameter h, the compartment size in the mesoscopic part of the model. Two important limiting cases, which appear in applications, are considered:. (i)δt→0 and h is fixed;(ii)δt→0 and h→0 such that δt/h is fixed. The error for previously developed approaches (the TRM and CPM) converges to zero only in the limiting case (ii), but not in case (i). It is shown that the error of the GCM converges in the limiting case (i). Thus the GCM is superior to previous coupling techniques if the mesoscopic description is much coarser than the microscopic part of the model.

Convergence of methods for coupling of microscopic and mesoscopic reaction–diffusion simulations

KAUST Repository

Flegg, Mark B.

2015-05-01

© 2015 Elsevier Inc. In this paper, three multiscale methods for coupling of mesoscopic (compartment-based) and microscopic (molecular-based) stochastic reaction-diffusion simulations are investigated. Two of the three methods that will be discussed in detail have been previously reported in the literature; the two-regime method (TRM) and the compartment-placement method (CPM). The third method that is introduced and analysed in this paper is called the ghost cell method (GCM), since it works by constructing a "ghost cell" in which molecules can disappear and jump into the compartment-based simulation. Presented is a comparison of sources of error. The convergent properties of this error are studied as the time step δ. t (for updating the molecular-based part of the model) approaches zero. It is found that the error behaviour depends on another fundamental computational parameter h, the compartment size in the mesoscopic part of the model. Two important limiting cases, which appear in applications, are considered:. (i)δt→0 and h is fixed;(ii)δt→0 and h→0 such that δt/h is fixed. The error for previously developed approaches (the TRM and CPM) converges to zero only in the limiting case (ii), but not in case (i). It is shown that the error of the GCM converges in the limiting case (i). Thus the GCM is superior to previous coupling techniques if the mesoscopic description is much coarser than the microscopic part of the model.

Synthesis of Enterprise and Value-Based Methods for Multiattribute Risk Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kenley, C. Robert; Collins, John W.; Beck, John M.; Heydt, Harold J.; Garcia, Chad B.

2001-01-01

This paper describes a method for performing multiattribute decision analysis to prioritize ap-proaches to handling risks during the development and operation of complex socio-technical systems. The method combines risk categorization based on enterprise views, risk prioritization of the categories based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and more standard probability-consequence ratings schemes. We also apply value-based testing me-thods used in software development to prioritize risk-handling approaches. We describe a tool that synthesizes the methods and performs a multiattribute analysis of the technical and pro-grammatic risks on the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) enterprise.

International Conference on Robust Rank-Based and Nonparametric Methods

CERN Document Server

McKean, Joseph

2016-01-01

The contributors to this volume include many of the distinguished researchers in this area. Many of these scholars have collaborated with Joseph McKean to develop underlying theory for these methods, obtain small sample corrections, and develop efficient algorithms for their computation. The papers cover the scope of the area, including robust nonparametric rank-based procedures through Bayesian and big data rank-based analyses. Areas of application include biostatistics and spatial areas. Over the last 30 years, robust rank-based and nonparametric methods have developed considerably. These procedures generalize traditional Wilcoxon-type methods for one- and two-sample location problems. Research into these procedures has culminated in complete analyses for many of the models used in practice including linear, generalized linear, mixed, and nonlinear models. Settings are both multivariate and univariate. With the development of R packages in these areas, computation of these procedures is easily shared with r...

Automated Extraction of Cranial Landmarks from Computed Tomography Data using a Combined Method of Knowledge and Pattern Based Approaches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roshan N. RAJAPAKSE

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Accurate identification of anatomical structures from medical imaging data is a significant and critical function in the medical domain. Past studies in this context have mainly utilized two main approaches, the knowledge and learning methodologies based methods. Further, most of previous reported studies have focused on identification of landmarks from lateral X-ray Computed Tomography (CT data, particularly in the field of orthodontics. However, this study focused on extracting cranial landmarks from large sets of cross sectional CT slices using a combined method of the two aforementioned approaches. The proposed method of this study is centered mainly on template data sets, which were created using the actual contour patterns extracted from CT cases for each of the landmarks in consideration. Firstly, these templates were used to devise rules which are a characteristic of the knowledge based method. Secondly, the same template sets were employed to perform template matching related to the learning methodologies approach. The proposed method was tested on two landmarks, the Dorsum sellae and the Pterygoid plate, using CT cases of 5 subjects. The results indicate that, out of the 10 tests, the output images were within the expected range (desired accuracy in 7 instances and acceptable range (near accuracy for 2 instances, thus verifying the effectiveness of the combined template sets centric approach proposed in this study.

A gradient-based method for segmenting FDG-PET images: methodology and validation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geets, Xavier; Lee, John A.; Gregoire, Vincent; Bol, Anne; Lonneux, Max

2007-01-01

A new gradient-based method for segmenting FDG-PET images is described and validated. The proposed method relies on the watershed transform and hierarchical cluster analysis. To allow a better estimation of the gradient intensity, iteratively reconstructed images were first denoised and deblurred with an edge-preserving filter and a constrained iterative deconvolution algorithm. Validation was first performed on computer-generated 3D phantoms containing spheres, then on a real cylindrical Lucite phantom containing spheres of different volumes ranging from 2.1 to 92.9 ml. Moreover, laryngeal tumours from seven patients were segmented on PET images acquired before laryngectomy by the gradient-based method and the thresholding method based on the source-to-background ratio developed by Daisne (Radiother Oncol 2003;69:247-50). For the spheres, the calculated volumes and radii were compared with the known values; for laryngeal tumours, the volumes were compared with the macroscopic specimens. Volume mismatches were also analysed. On computer-generated phantoms, the deconvolution algorithm decreased the mis-estimate of volumes and radii. For the Lucite phantom, the gradient-based method led to a slight underestimation of sphere volumes (by 10-20%), corresponding to negligible radius differences (0.5-1.1 mm); for laryngeal tumours, the segmented volumes by the gradient-based method agreed with those delineated on the macroscopic specimens, whereas the threshold-based method overestimated the true volume by 68% (p = 0.014). Lastly, macroscopic laryngeal specimens were totally encompassed by neither the threshold-based nor the gradient-based volumes. The gradient-based segmentation method applied on denoised and deblurred images proved to be more accurate than the source-to-background ratio method. (orig.)

Trends of anti-tuberculosis drug resistance pattern in new cases and previously treated cases of extrapulmonary tuberculosis cases in referral hospitals in northern India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A K Maurya

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Drug-resistant tuberculosis is one of major current challenges to global public health. The transmission of resistant strains is increasing as a burden of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB patients in extra pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB cases in India. Aim and Objectives: The aim was to study trends of anti-tuberculosis drug resistance pattern in new cases and previously treated cases of EPTB in referral hospitals in northern India. Study Design and Setting: A prospectively observational study and referral medical institutions in northern India. Materials and Methods: All EPTB specimens were processed for Ziehl Neelsen staining, BACTEC culture and BACTEC NAP test for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. All M. tuberculosis complex isolates were performed for radiometric-based drug susceptibility pattern against streptomycin, isoniazid, rifampicin and ethambutol using the 1% proportion method. Results: We found that 165/756 (20.5% isolates were identified as M. tuberculosis complex by the NAP test. We observed that 39.9% were resistant to first-line antitubercular drugs. The resistance rate was higher in previously treated patients: H (30.3%, R (16.3%, E (15.7% and S (16.3%. MDR-TB was observed in 13.4%, but, in new cases, this was 11.4% and 19.1% of the previously treated patients (P<0.05. Conclusion: MDR-TB is gradually increased in EPTB cases and predominant resistance to previous treated cases of EPTB. The molecular drug sensitivity test (DST method can be an early decision for chemotherapy in MDR-TB patients. The International Standards of TB Care need to be used by the RNTCP and professional medical associations as a tool to improve TB care in the country.

Knowledge Reduction Based on Divide and Conquer Method in Rough Set Theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Feng Hu

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The divide and conquer method is a typical granular computing method using multiple levels of abstraction and granulations. So far, although some achievements based on divided and conquer method in the rough set theory have been acquired, the systematic methods for knowledge reduction based on divide and conquer method are still absent. In this paper, the knowledge reduction approaches based on divide and conquer method, under equivalence relation and under tolerance relation, are presented, respectively. After that, a systematic approach, named as the abstract process for knowledge reduction based on divide and conquer method in rough set theory, is proposed. Based on the presented approach, two algorithms for knowledge reduction, including an algorithm for attribute reduction and an algorithm for attribute value reduction, are presented. Some experimental evaluations are done to test the methods on uci data sets and KDDCUP99 data sets. The experimental results illustrate that the proposed approaches are efficient to process large data sets with good recognition rate, compared with KNN, SVM, C4.5, Naive Bayes, and CART.

Development of the system based code. v. 5. Method of margin exchange. pt. 2. Determination of quality assurance index based on a 'Vector Method'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asayama, Tai

2003-03-01

For the commercialization of fast breeder reactors, 'System Based Code', a completely new scheme of a code on structural integrity, is being developed. One of the distinguished features of the System Based Code is that it is able to determine a reasonable total margin on a structural of system, by allowing the exchanges of margins between various technical items. Detailed estimation of failure probability of a given combination of technical items and its comparison with a target value is one way to achieve this. However, simpler and easier methods that allow margin exchange without detailed calculation of failure probability are desirable in design. The authors have developed a simplified method such as a 'design factor method' from this viewpoint. This report describes a 'Vector Method', which was been newly developed. Following points are reported: 1) The Vector Method allows margin exchange evaluation on an 'equi-quality assurance plane' using vector calculation. Evaluation is easy and sufficient accuracy is achieved. The equi-quality assurance plane is obtained by a projection of an 'equi-failure probability surface in a n-dimensional space, which is calculated beforehand for typical combinations of design variables. 2) The Vector Method is considered to give the 'Quality Assurance Index Method' a probabilistic interpretation. 3) An algebraic method was proposed for the calculation of failure probabilities, which is necessary to obtain a equi-failure probability surface. This method calculates failure probabilities without using numerical methods such as Monte Carlo simulation or numerical integration. Under limited conditions, this method is quite effective compared to numerical methods. 4) An illustration of the procedure of margin exchange evaluation is given. It may be possible to use this method to optimize ISI plans; even it is not fully implemented in the System Based Code. (author)

Prospective memory and its correlates and predictors in schizophrenia: an extension of previous findings.

Science.gov (United States)

Ungvari, Gabor S; Xiang, Yu-Tao; Tang, Wai-Kwong; Shum, David

2008-09-01

Prospective memory (PM) is the ability to remember to do something in the future without explicit prompts. Extending the number of subjects and the scope of our previously published study, this investigation examined the relationship between PM and socio-demographic and clinical factors, activities of daily living (ADL) and frontal lobe functions in patients with chronic schizophrenia. One hundred and ten Chinese schizophrenia patients, 60 from the previous study and 50 additional patients recruited for this study, and 110 matched healthy comparison subjects (HC) formed the study sample. Patients' clinical condition and activity of daily living were evaluated with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and the Functional Needs Assessment (FNA). Time- and event-based PM tasks and three tests of prefrontal lobe functions (Design Fluency Test [DFT], Tower of London [TOL], Wisconsin Card Sorting Test [WCST]) were also administered. Patients' level of ADL and psychopathology were not associated with PM functions and only anticholinergic medications (ACM) showed a significant negative correlational relationship with PM tasks. Confirming the findings of the previous study, patients performed significantly more poorly on all two PM tasks than HC. Performance on time-based PM task significantly correlated with age, education level and DFT in HC and with age, DFT, TOL and WCST in patients. Patients' performance on the event-based PM correlated with DFT and one measure of WCST. In patients, TOL and age predicted the performance on time-based PM task; DFT and WCST predicted the event-based task. Involving a large sample of patients with matched controls, this study confirmed that PM is impaired in chronic schizophrenia. Deficient PM functions were related to prefrontal lobe dysfunction in both HC and patients but not to the patients' clinical condition, nor did they significantly affect ADL. ACMs determined certain aspects of PM.

NIM: A Node Influence Based Method for Cancer Classification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yiwen Wang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The classification of different cancer types owns great significance in the medical field. However, the great majority of existing cancer classification methods are clinical-based and have relatively weak diagnostic ability. With the rapid development of gene expression technology, it is able to classify different kinds of cancers using DNA microarray. Our main idea is to confront the problem of cancer classification using gene expression data from a graph-based view. Based on a new node influence model we proposed, this paper presents a novel high accuracy method for cancer classification, which is composed of four parts: the first is to calculate the similarity matrix of all samples, the second is to compute the node influence of training samples, the third is to obtain the similarity between every test sample and each class using weighted sum of node influence and similarity matrix, and the last is to classify each test sample based on its similarity between every class. The data sets used in our experiments are breast cancer, central nervous system, colon tumor, prostate cancer, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and lung cancer. experimental results showed that our node influence based method (NIM is more efficient and robust than the support vector machine, K-nearest neighbor, C4.5, naive Bayes, and CART.

Quantitative Sasang Constitution Diagnosis Method for Distinguishing between Tae-eumin and Soeumin Types Based on Elasticity Measurements of the Skin of the Human Hand.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Han Wook; Lee, Sungjun; Park, Yon Kyu; Woo, Sam Yong

2009-09-01

The usefulness of constitutional diagnoses based on skin measurements has been established in oriental medicine. However, it is very difficult to standardize traditional diagnosis methods. According to Sasang constitutional medicine, humans can be distinguished based on properties of the skin, including its texture, roughness, hardness and elasticity. The elasticity of the skin was previously used to distinguish between people with Tae-eumin (TE) and Soeumin (SE) constitutions. The present study designed a system that uses a compression method to measure the elasticity of hand skin and evaluated its measurement repeatability. The proposed system was used to compare the skin elasticity between SE and TE subjects, which produced a measurement repeatability error of <3%. The proposed system is suitable for use as a quantitative constitution diagnosis method for distinguishing between TE and SE subjects with an acceptable level of uncertainty.

Implementation of an office-based semen preparation method (SEP ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Implementation of an office-based semen preparation method (SEP-D Kit) for intra-uterine insemination (IUI): A controlled randomised study to compare the IUI pregnancy outcome between a routine (swim-up) and the SEP-D Kit method.

Development of Method for X-band Weather Radar Calibration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Jesper Ellerbæk; Thorndahl, Søren Liedtke; Rasmussen, Michael R.

2013-01-01

Calibration of the X-band LAWR (Local Area Weather Radar) is traditionally based on an assumed linear relation between the LAWRradar output and the rainfall intensity. However, closer inspections of the data reveal that the validity of this linear assumption is doubtful. Previous studies of this ......Calibration of the X-band LAWR (Local Area Weather Radar) is traditionally based on an assumed linear relation between the LAWRradar output and the rainfall intensity. However, closer inspections of the data reveal that the validity of this linear assumption is doubtful. Previous studies...... of this type of weather radar have also illustrated that the radar commonly has difficulties in estimating high rain rates. Therefore, a new radar–rainfall transformation model and a calibration method have been developed. The new method is based on nonlinear assumptions and is aimed at describing the whole...

Developing a Self-Report-Based Sequential Analysis Method for Educational Technology Systems: A Process-Based Usability Evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yi-Chun; Hsieh, Ya-Hui; Hou, Huei-Tse

2015-01-01

The development of a usability evaluation method for educational systems or applications, called the self-report-based sequential analysis, is described herein. The method aims to extend the current practice by proposing self-report-based sequential analysis as a new usability method, which integrates the advantages of self-report in survey…

Targeting Alzheimer's disease by investigating previously unexplored chemical space surrounding the cholinesterase inhibitor donepezil

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Van Greunen, DG

2017-02-01

Full Text Available A series of twenty seven acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, as potential agents for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, were designed and synthesised based upon previously unexplored chemical space surrounding the molecular skeleton of the drug...

Teaching numerical methods with IPython notebooks and inquiry-based learning

KAUST Repository

Ketcheson, David I.

2014-01-01

A course in numerical methods should teach both the mathematical theory of numerical analysis and the craft of implementing numerical algorithms. The IPython notebook provides a single medium in which mathematics, explanations, executable code, and visualizations can be combined, and with which the student can interact in order to learn both the theory and the craft of numerical methods. The use of notebooks also lends itself naturally to inquiry-based learning methods. I discuss the motivation and practice of teaching a course based on the use of IPython notebooks and inquiry-based learning, including some specific practical aspects. The discussion is based on my experience teaching a Masters-level course in numerical analysis at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), but is intended to be useful for those who teach at other levels or in industry.

Discrete simulation system based on artificial intelligence methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Futo, I; Szeredi, J

1982-01-01

A discrete event simulation system based on the AI language Prolog is presented. The system called t-Prolog extends the traditional possibilities of simulation languages toward automatic problem solving by using backtrack in time and automatic model modification depending on logical deductions. As t-Prolog is an interactive tool, the user has the possibility to interrupt the simulation run to modify the model or to force it to return to a previous state for trying possible alternatives. It admits the construction of goal-oriented or goal-seeking models with variable structure. Models are defined in a restricted version of the first order predicate calculus using Horn clauses. 21 references.

An Improved Conceptually-Based Method for Analysis of Communication Network Structure of Large Complex Organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Richards, William D., Jr.

Previous methods for determining the communication structure of organizations work well for small or simple organizations, but are either inadequate or unwieldy for use with large complex organizations. An improved method uses a number of different measures and a series of successive approximations to order the communication matrix such that…