Sample size estimation to substantiate freedom from disease for clustered binary data with a specific risk profile

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kostoulas, P.; Nielsen, Søren Saxmose; Browne, W. J.

2013-01-01

and power when applied to these groups. We propose the use of the variance partition coefficient (VPC), which measures the clustering of infection/disease for individuals with a common risk profile. Sample size estimates are obtained separately for those groups that exhibit markedly different heterogeneity......, thus, optimizing resource allocation. A VPC-based predictive simulation method for sample size estimation to substantiate freedom from disease is presented. To illustrate the benefits of the proposed approach we give two examples with the analysis of data from a risk factor study on Mycobacterium avium...

Comparisons of Crosswind Velocity Profile Estimates Used in Fast-Time Wake Vortex Prediction Models

Science.gov (United States)

Pruis, Mathew J.; Delisi, Donald P.; Ahmad, Nashat N.

2011-01-01

Five methods for estimating crosswind profiles used in fast-time wake vortex prediction models are compared in this study. Previous investigations have shown that temporal and spatial variations in the crosswind vertical profile have a large impact on the transport and time evolution of the trailing vortex pair. The most important crosswind parameters are the magnitude of the crosswind and the gradient in the crosswind shear. It is known that pulsed and continuous wave lidar measurements can provide good estimates of the wind profile in the vicinity of airports. In this study comparisons are made between estimates of the crosswind profiles from a priori information on the trajectory of the vortex pair as well as crosswind profiles derived from different sensors and a regional numerical weather prediction model.

Impact of instrumental response on observed ozonesonde profiles: First-order estimates and implications for measures of variability

Science.gov (United States)

Clifton, G. T.; Merrill, J. T.; Johnson, B. J.; Oltmans, S. J.

2009-12-01

Ozonesondes provide information on the ozone distribution up to the middle stratosphere. Ozone profiles often feature layers, with vertically discrete maxima and minima in the mixing ratio. Layers are especially common in the UT/LS regions and originate from wave breaking, shearing and other transport processes. ECC sondes, however, have a moderate response time to significant changes in ozone. A sonde can ascend over 350 meters before it responds fully to a step change in ozone. This results in an overestimate of the altitude assigned to layers and an underestimate of the underlying variability in the amount of ozone. An estimate of the response time is made for each instrument during the preparation for flight, but the profile data are typically not processed to account for the response. Here we present a method of categorizing the response time of ECC instruments and an analysis of a low-pass filter approximation to the effects on profile data. Exponential functions were fit to the step-up and step-down responses using laboratory data. The resulting response time estimates were consistent with results from standard procedures, with the up-step response time exceeding the down-step value somewhat. A single-pole Butterworth filter that approximates the instrumental effect was used with synthetic layered profiles to make first-order estimates of the impact of the finite response time. Using a layer analysis program previously applied to observed profiles we find that instrumental effects can attenuate ozone variability by 20-45% in individual layers, but that the vertical offset in layer altitudes is moderate, up to about 150 meters. We will present results obtained using this approach, coupled with data on the distribution of layer characteristics found using the layer analysis procedure on profiles from Narragansett, Rhode Island and other US sites to quantify the impact on overall variability estimates given ambient distributions of layer occurrence, thickness

Nose profile morphology and accuracy study of nose profile estimation method in Scottish subadult and Indonesian adult populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarilita, Erli; Rynn, Christopher; Mossey, Peter A; Black, Sue; Oscandar, Fahmi

2018-05-01

This study investigated nose profile morphology and its relationship to the skull in Scottish subadult and Indonesian adult populations, with the aim of improving the accuracy of forensic craniofacial reconstruction. Samples of 86 lateral head cephalograms from Dundee Dental School (mean age, 11.8 years) and 335 lateral head cephalograms from the Universitas Padjadjaran Dental Hospital, Bandung, Indonesia (mean age 24.2 years), were measured. The method of nose profile estimation based on skull morphology previously proposed by Rynn and colleagues in 2010 (FSMP 6:20-34) was tested in this study. Following this method, three nasal aperture-related craniometrics and six nose profile dimensions were measured from the cephalograms. To assess the accuracy of the method, six nose profile dimensions were estimated from the three craniometric parameters using the published method and then compared to the actual nose profile dimensions.In the Scottish subadult population, no sexual dimorphism was evident in the measured dimensions. In contrast, sexual dimorphism of the Indonesian adult population was evident in all craniometric and nose profile dimensions; notably, males exhibited statistically significant larger values than females. The published method by Rynn and colleagues (FSMP 6:20-34, 2010) performed better in the Scottish subadult population (mean difference of maximum, 2.35 mm) compared to the Indonesian adult population (mean difference of maximum, 5.42 mm in males and 4.89 mm in females).In addition, regression formulae were derived to estimate nose profile dimensions based on the craniometric measurements for the Indonesian adult population. The published method is not sufficiently accurate for use on the Indonesian population, so the derived method should be used. The accuracy of the published method by Rynn and colleagues (FSMP 6:20-34, 2010) was sufficiently reliable to be applied in Scottish subadult population.

Vertical profiles of aerosol optical properties and the solar heating rate estimated by combining sky radiometer and lidar measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Kudo, Rei; Nishizawa, Tomoaki; Aoyagi, Toshinori

2016-07-01

The SKYLIDAR algorithm was developed to estimate vertical profiles of aerosol optical properties from sky radiometer (SKYNET) and lidar (AD-Net) measurements. The solar heating rate was also estimated from the SKYLIDAR retrievals. The algorithm consists of two retrieval steps: (1) columnar properties are retrieved from the sky radiometer measurements and the vertically mean depolarization ratio obtained from the lidar measurements and (2) vertical profiles are retrieved from the lidar measurements and the results of the first step. The derived parameters are the vertical profiles of the size distribution, refractive index (real and imaginary parts), extinction coefficient, single-scattering albedo, and asymmetry factor. Sensitivity tests were conducted by applying the SKYLIDAR algorithm to the simulated sky radiometer and lidar data for vertical profiles of three different aerosols, continental average, transported dust, and pollution aerosols. The vertical profiles of the size distribution, extinction coefficient, and asymmetry factor were well estimated in all cases. The vertical profiles of the refractive index and single-scattering albedo of transported dust, but not those of transported pollution aerosol, were well estimated. To demonstrate the performance and validity of the SKYLIDAR algorithm, we applied the SKYLIDAR algorithm to the actual measurements at Tsukuba, Japan. The detailed vertical structures of the aerosol optical properties and solar heating rate of transported dust and smoke were investigated. Examination of the relationship between the solar heating rate and the aerosol optical properties showed that the vertical profile of the asymmetry factor played an important role in creating vertical variation in the solar heating rate. We then compared the columnar optical properties retrieved with the SKYLIDAR algorithm to those produced with the more established scheme SKYRAD.PACK, and the surface solar irradiance calculated from the SKYLIDAR

Off-Nadir Hyperspectral Sensing for Estimation of Vertical Profile of Leaf Chlorophyll Content within Wheat Canopies.

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Weiping; Huang, Wenjiang; Casa, Raffaele; Zhou, Xianfeng; Ye, Huichun; Dong, Yingying

2017-11-23

Monitoring the vertical profile of leaf chlorophyll (Chl) content within winter wheat canopies is of significant importance for revealing the real nutritional status of the crop. Information on the vertical profile of Chl content is not accessible to nadir-viewing remote or proximal sensing. Off-nadir or multi-angle sensing would provide effective means to detect leaf Chl content in different vertical layers. However, adequate information on the selection of sensitive spectral bands and spectral index formulas for vertical leaf Chl content estimation is not yet available. In this study, all possible two-band and three-band combinations over spectral bands in normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)-, simple ratio (SR)- and chlorophyll index (CI)-like types of indices at different viewing angles were calculated and assessed for their capability of estimating leaf Chl for three vertical layers of wheat canopies. The vertical profiles of Chl showed top-down declining trends and the patterns of band combinations sensitive to leaf Chl content varied among different vertical layers. Results indicated that the combinations of green band (520 nm) with NIR bands were efficient in estimating upper leaf Chl content, whereas the red edge (695 nm) paired with NIR bands were dominant in quantifying leaf Chl in the lower layers. Correlations between published spectral indices and all NDVI-, SR- and CI-like types of indices and vertical distribution of Chl content showed that reflectance measured from 50°, 30° and 20° backscattering viewing angles were the most promising to obtain information on leaf Chl in the upper-, middle-, and bottom-layer, respectively. Three types of optimized spectral indices improved the accuracy for vertical leaf Chl content estimation. The optimized three-band CI-like index performed the best in the estimation of vertical distribution of leaf Chl content, with R² of 0.84-0.69, and RMSE of 5.37-5.56 µg/cm² from the top to the bottom layers

Comparison of inverse Laplace and numerical inversion methods for obtaining z-depth profiles of diffraction data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiaojing Zhu; Predecki, P.; Ballard, B.

1995-01-01

Two different inversion methods, the inverse Laplace method and the linear constrained numerical method, for retrieving the z-profiles of diffraction data from experimentally obtained i-profiles were compared using tests with a known function as the original z-profile. Two different real data situations were simulated to determine the effects of specimen thickness and missing τ-profile data at small τ-values on the retrieved z-profiles. The results indicate that although both methods are able to retrieve the z-profiles in the bulk specimens satisfactorily, the numerical method can be used for thin film samples as well. Missing τ-profile data at small τ values causes error in the retrieved z-profiles with both methods, particularly when the trend of the τ-profile at small τ is significantly changed because of the missing data. 6 refs., 3 figs

An Estimate of Solar Wind Velocity Profiles in a Coronal Hole and a Coronal Streamer Area (6-40 R(radius symbol)

Science.gov (United States)

Patzold, M.; Tsurutani, B. T.; Bird, M. K.

1995-01-01

Total electron content data obtained from the Ulysses Solar Corona Experiment (SCE) in 1991 were used to select two data sets, one associated with a coronal hole and the other with coronal streamer crossings. (This is largely equatorial data shortly after solar maximum.) The solar wind velocity profile is estimated for these areas.

Developing Soil Moisture Profiles Utilizing Remotely Sensed MW and TIR Based SM Estimates Through Principle of Maximum Entropy

Science.gov (United States)

Mishra, V.; Cruise, J. F.; Mecikalski, J. R.

2015-12-01

Developing accurate vertical soil moisture profiles with minimum input requirements is important to agricultural as well as land surface modeling. Earlier studies show that the principle of maximum entropy (POME) can be utilized to develop vertical soil moisture profiles with accuracy (MAE of about 1% for a monotonically dry profile; nearly 2% for monotonically wet profiles and 3.8% for mixed profiles) with minimum constraints (surface, mean and bottom soil moisture contents). In this study, the constraints for the vertical soil moisture profiles were obtained from remotely sensed data. Low resolution (25 km) MW soil moisture estimates (AMSR-E) were downscaled to 4 km using a soil evaporation efficiency index based disaggregation approach. The downscaled MW soil moisture estimates served as a surface boundary condition, while 4 km resolution TIR based Atmospheric Land Exchange Inverse (ALEXI) estimates provided the required mean root-zone soil moisture content. Bottom soil moisture content is assumed to be a soil dependent constant. Mulit-year (2002-2011) gridded profiles were developed for the southeastern United States using the POME method. The soil moisture profiles were compared to those generated in land surface models (Land Information System (LIS) and an agricultural model DSSAT) along with available NRCS SCAN sites in the study region. The end product, spatial soil moisture profiles, can be assimilated into agricultural and hydrologic models in lieu of precipitation for data scarce regions.Developing accurate vertical soil moisture profiles with minimum input requirements is important to agricultural as well as land surface modeling. Previous studies have shown that the principle of maximum entropy (POME) can be utilized with minimal constraints to develop vertical soil moisture profiles with accuracy (MAE = 1% for monotonically dry profiles; MAE = 2% for monotonically wet profiles and MAE = 3.8% for mixed profiles) when compared to laboratory and field

Modeling the vertical soil organic matter profile using Bayesian parameter estimation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. C. Braakhekke

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The vertical distribution of soil organic matter (SOM in the profile may constitute an important factor for soil carbon cycling. However, the formation of the SOM profile is currently poorly understood due to equifinality, caused by the entanglement of several processes: input from roots, mixing due to bioturbation, and organic matter leaching. In this study we quantified the contribution of these three processes using Bayesian parameter estimation for the mechanistic SOM profile model SOMPROF. Based on organic carbon measurements, 13 parameters related to decomposition and transport of organic matter were estimated for two temperate forest soils: an Arenosol with a mor humus form (Loobos, the Netherlands, and a Cambisol with mull-type humus (Hainich, Germany. Furthermore, the use of the radioisotope ²¹⁰Pb_ex as tracer for vertical SOM transport was studied. For Loobos, the calibration results demonstrate the importance of organic matter transport with the liquid phase for shaping the vertical SOM profile, while the effects of bioturbation are generally negligible. These results are in good agreement with expectations given in situ conditions. For Hainich, the calibration offered three distinct explanations for the observations (three modes in the posterior distribution. With the addition of ²¹⁰Pb_ex data and prior knowledge, as well as additional information about in situ conditions, we were able to identify the most likely explanation, which indicated that root litter input is a dominant process for the SOM profile. For both sites the organic matter appears to comprise mainly adsorbed but potentially leachable material, pointing to the importance of organo-mineral interactions. Furthermore, organic matter in the mineral soil appears to be mainly derived from root litter, supporting previous studies that highlighted the importance of root input for soil carbon sequestration. The ²¹⁰

Assimilation of Remotely Sensed Soil Moisture Profiles into a Crop Modeling Framework for Reliable Yield Estimations

Science.gov (United States)

Mishra, V.; Cruise, J.; Mecikalski, J. R.

2017-12-01

Much effort has been expended recently on the assimilation of remotely sensed soil moisture into operational land surface models (LSM). These efforts have normally been focused on the use of data derived from the microwave bands and results have often shown that improvements to model simulations have been limited due to the fact that microwave signals only penetrate the top 2-5 cm of the soil surface. It is possible that model simulations could be further improved through the introduction of geostationary satellite thermal infrared (TIR) based root zone soil moisture in addition to the microwave deduced surface estimates. In this study, root zone soil moisture estimates from the TIR based Atmospheric Land Exchange Inverse (ALEXI) model were merged with NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) based surface estimates through the application of informational entropy. Entropy can be used to characterize the movement of moisture within the vadose zone and accounts for both advection and diffusion processes. The Principle of Maximum Entropy (POME) can be used to derive complete soil moisture profiles and, fortuitously, only requires a surface boundary condition as well as the overall mean moisture content of the soil column. A lower boundary can be considered a soil parameter or obtained from the LSM itself. In this study, SMAP provided the surface boundary while ALEXI supplied the mean and the entropy integral was used to tie the two together and produce the vertical profile. However, prior to the merging, the coarse resolution (9 km) SMAP data were downscaled to the finer resolution (4.7 km) ALEXI grid. The disaggregation scheme followed the Soil Evaporative Efficiency approach and again, all necessary inputs were available from the TIR model. The profiles were then assimilated into a standard agricultural crop model (Decision Support System for Agrotechnology, DSSAT) via the ensemble Kalman Filter. The study was conducted over the Southeastern United States for the

Targeted estimation of nuisance parameters to obtain valid statistical inference.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Laan, Mark J

2014-01-01

In order to obtain concrete results, we focus on estimation of the treatment specific mean, controlling for all measured baseline covariates, based on observing independent and identically distributed copies of a random variable consisting of baseline covariates, a subsequently assigned binary treatment, and a final outcome. The statistical model only assumes possible restrictions on the conditional distribution of treatment, given the covariates, the so-called propensity score. Estimators of the treatment specific mean involve estimation of the propensity score and/or estimation of the conditional mean of the outcome, given the treatment and covariates. In order to make these estimators asymptotically unbiased at any data distribution in the statistical model, it is essential to use data-adaptive estimators of these nuisance parameters such as ensemble learning, and specifically super-learning. Because such estimators involve optimal trade-off of bias and variance w.r.t. the infinite dimensional nuisance parameter itself, they result in a sub-optimal bias/variance trade-off for the resulting real-valued estimator of the estimand. We demonstrate that additional targeting of the estimators of these nuisance parameters guarantees that this bias for the estimand is second order and thereby allows us to prove theorems that establish asymptotic linearity of the estimator of the treatment specific mean under regularity conditions. These insights result in novel targeted minimum loss-based estimators (TMLEs) that use ensemble learning with additional targeted bias reduction to construct estimators of the nuisance parameters. In particular, we construct collaborative TMLEs (C-TMLEs) with known influence curve allowing for statistical inference, even though these C-TMLEs involve variable selection for the propensity score based on a criterion that measures how effective the resulting fit of the propensity score is in removing bias for the estimand. As a particular special

Multiscale estimation of excess mass from gravity data

Science.gov (United States)

Castaldo, Raffaele; Fedi, Maurizio; Florio, Giovanni

2014-06-01

We describe a multiscale method to estimate the excess mass of gravity anomaly sources, based on the theory of source moments. Using a multipole expansion of the potential field and considering only the data along the vertical direction, a system of linear equations is obtained. The choice of inverting data along a vertical profile can help us to reduce the interference effects due to nearby anomalies and will allow a local estimate of the source parameters. A criterion is established allowing the selection of the optimal highest altitude of the vertical profile data and truncation order of the series expansion. The inversion provides an estimate of the total anomalous mass and of the depth to the centre of mass. The method has several advantages with respect to classical methods, such as the Gauss' method: (i) we need just a 1-D inversion to obtain our estimates, being the inverted data sampled along a single vertical profile; (ii) the resolution may be straightforward enhanced by using vertical derivatives; (iii) the centre of mass is also estimated, besides the excess mass; (iv) the method is very robust versus noise; (v) the profile may be chosen in such a way to minimize the effects from interfering anomalies or from side effects due to the a limited area extension. The multiscale estimation of excess mass method can be successfully used in various fields of application. Here, we analyse the gravity anomaly generated by a sulphide body in the Skelleftea ore district, North Sweden, obtaining source mass and volume estimates in agreement with the known information. We show also that these estimates are substantially improved with respect to those obtained with the classical approach.

A Simultaneous Density-Integral System for Estimating Stem Profile and Biomass: Slash Pine and Willow Oak

Science.gov (United States)

Bernard R. Parresol; Charles E. Thomas

1996-01-01

In the wood utilization industry, both stem profile and biomass are important quantities. The two have traditionally been estimated separately. The introduction of a density-integral method allows for coincident estimation of stem profile and biomass, based on the calculus of mass theory, and provides an alternative to weight-ratio methodology. In the initial...

Method for calculating the variance and prediction intervals for biomass estimates obtained from allometric equations

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Kirton, A

2010-08-01

Full Text Available for calculating the variance and prediction intervals for biomass estimates obtained from allometric equations A KIRTON B SCHOLES S ARCHIBALD CSIR Ecosystem Processes and Dynamics, Natural Resources and the Environment P.O. BOX 395, Pretoria, 0001, South... intervals (confidence intervals for predicted values) for allometric estimates can be obtained using an example of estimating tree biomass from stem diameter. It explains how to deal with relationships which are in the power function form - a common form...

Methods for obtaining distributions of uranium occurrence from estimates of geologic features

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ford, C.E.; McLaren, R.A.

1980-04-01

The problem addressed in this paper is the determination of a quantitative estimate of a resource from estimates of fundamental variables which describe the resource. Due to uncertainty about the estimates, these basic variables are stochastic. The evaluation of random equations involving these variables is the core of the analysis process. The basic variables are originally described in terms of a low and a high percentile (the 5th and 95th, for example) and a central value (the mode, mean or median). The variable thus described is then generally assumed to be represented by a three-parameter lognormal distribution. Expressions involving these variables are evaluated by computing the first four central moments of the random functions (which are usually products and sums of variables). Stochastic independence is discussed. From the final set of moments a Pearson distribution is obtained; the high values of skewness and kurtosis resulting from uranium data require obtaining Pearson curves beyond those described in published tables. A cubic spline solution to the Pearson differential equation accomplishes this task. A sample problem is used to illustrate the application of the process; sensitivity to the estimated values of the basic variables is discussed. Appendices contain details of the methods and descriptions of computer programs

Methods for obtaining distributions of uranium occurrence from estimates of geologic features

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ford, C.E.; McLaren, R.A.

1980-04-01

The problem addressed in this report is the determination of a quantitative estimate of a resource from estimates of fundamental variables which describe the resource. Due to uncertainty about the estimates, these basic variables are stochastic. The evaluation of random equations involving these variables is the core of the analysis process. The basic variables are originally described in terms of a low and a high percentile (the 5th and 95th, for example) and a central value (the mode, mean or median). The variable thus described is then generally assumed to be represented by a three-parameter lognormal distribution. Expressions involving these variables are evaluated by computing the first four central moments of the random functions (which are usually products and sums of variables). Stochastic independence is discussed. From the final set of moments a Pearson distribution is obtained; the high values of skewness and kurtosis resulting from uranium data requires obtaining Pearson curves beyond those described in published tables. A cubic spline solution to the Pearson differential equation accomplishes this task. A sample problem is used to illustrate the application of the process; sensitivity to the estimated values of the basic variables is discussed. Appendices contain details of the methods and descriptions of computer programs

Combined estimation of kappa and shear-wave velocity profile of the Japanese rock reference

Science.gov (United States)

Poggi, Valerio; Edwards, Benjamin; Fäh, Donat

2013-04-01

the retrieval of the shape of the velocity profile that is characterized by no relative amplification within the network. Subsequently, the contribution of intrinsic attenuation is analyzed, disaggregated from the anelastic function by using the frequency independent (and site-dependent) attenuation operator kappa (κ). By comparing the dependency of κ with the quarter-wavelength velocity at selected sites, a frequency-dependent predictive equation is established to model the attenuation characteristics of an arbitrary rock or stiff-soil velocity model, such as the reference model obtained in the first step. The result of this application can be used to model the site-dependent attenuation for any rock and stiff-soil site for which an estimation of the velocity profile or its corresponding quarter-wavelength velocity representation is available. As an additional output of the present study, we also propose a simplified method to estimate kappa from the average velocity estimates over the first 30m (Vs30). We provide an example of such predictions for a range of Vs30 velocities up to 2000m/s.

Crystallite size and lattice distortion of human dental enamel estimated from the integral width of x-ray diffraction peak profile

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maruyama, Fumiaki; Sakae, Toshiro

2000-01-01

Crystallite size and lattice distortion of human dental enamel were estimated by peak profile analysis using x-ray diffraction pattern. Firstly, noises were removed from x-ray diffraction pattern, and deconvolution of overlapping peaks and determination of baseline level were carried out. Then, the instrumental peak broadening and effect of overlapping Kα1 and Kα2 were eliminated to obtain pure peak profile using the Stokes's Fourier method. The integral width method was applied for estimation of crystallite size and 'upper-limit of distortion', assuming the peak profile as Cauchy function. The estimated crystallite size and distortion were ca. 210 A and ca. 0.4% in the a-axis direction and ca. 550 A and ca. 0.7% in the c-axis direction, respectively. The crystallite size value along the a-axis was almost the same to the previously reported values, but the value for along the c-axis was nearly half of the reported values. The crystallite size in this study means the size of coherent domain in contrast to the size of particle which may contain several domains in the case of enamel crystals. The results suggest that human enamel crystals grow in their size along the c-axis by multiplication, fusion of crystallites. It was notable that the distortion value was larger in the c-axis direction. The phenomenon may partly be due to the high carbonate ion content of enamel crystals and partly due to crystal growth mechanism. (author)

Obtaining and Estimating Low Noise Floors in Vibration Sensors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brincker, Rune; Larsen, Jesper Abildgaard

2007-01-01

For some applications like seismic applications and measuring ambient vibrations in structures, it is essential that the noise floors of the sensors and other system components are low and known to the user. Some of the most important noise sources are reviewed and it is discussed how the sensor...... can be designed in order to obtain a low noise floor. Techniques to estimate the noise floors for sensors are reviewed and are demonstrated on a commercial commonly used sensor for vibration testing. It is illustrated how the noise floor can be calculated using the coherence between simultaneous...

Postmortem interval estimation: a novel approach utilizing gas chromatography/mass spectrometry-based biochemical profiling.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaszynski, Richard H; Nishiumi, Shin; Azuma, Takeshi; Yoshida, Masaru; Kondo, Takeshi; Takahashi, Motonori; Asano, Migiwa; Ueno, Yasuhiro

2016-05-01

While the molecular mechanisms underlying postmortem change have been exhaustively investigated, the establishment of an objective and reliable means for estimating postmortem interval (PMI) remains an elusive feat. In the present study, we exploit low molecular weight metabolites to estimate postmortem interval in mice. After sacrifice, serum and muscle samples were procured from C57BL/6J mice (n = 52) at seven predetermined postmortem intervals (0, 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h). After extraction and isolation, low molecular weight metabolites were measured via gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and examined via semi-quantification studies. Then, PMI prediction models were generated for each of the 175 and 163 metabolites identified in muscle and serum, respectively, using a non-linear least squares curve fitting program. A PMI estimation panel for muscle and serum was then erected which consisted of 17 (9.7%) and 14 (8.5%) of the best PMI biomarkers identified in muscle and serum profiles demonstrating statistically significant correlations between metabolite quantity and PMI. Using a single-blinded assessment, we carried out validation studies on the PMI estimation panels. Mean ± standard deviation for accuracy of muscle and serum PMI prediction panels was -0.27 ± 2.88 and -0.89 ± 2.31 h, respectively. Ultimately, these studies elucidate the utility of metabolomic profiling in PMI estimation and pave the path toward biochemical profiling studies involving human samples.

Breast cancer: determining the genetic profile from ultrasound-guided percutaneous biopsy specimens obtained during the diagnostic workups.

Science.gov (United States)

López Ruiz, J A; Zabalza Estévez, I; Mieza Arana, J A

2016-01-01

To evaluate the possibility of determining the genetic profile of primary malignant tumors of the breast from specimens obtained by ultrasound-guided percutaneous biopsies during the diagnostic imaging workup. This is a retrospective study in 13 consecutive patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer by B-mode ultrasound-guided 12 G core needle biopsy. After clinical indication, the pathologist decided whether the paraffin block specimens seemed suitable (on the basis of tumor size, validity of the sample, and percentage of tumor cells) before sending them for genetic analysis with the MammaPrint® platform. The size of the tumors on ultrasound ranged from 0.6cm to 5cm. In 11 patients the preserved specimen was considered valid and suitable for use in determining the genetic profile. In 1 patient (with a 1cm tumor) the pathologist decided that it was necessary to repeat the core biopsy to obtain additional samples. In 1 patient (with a 5cm tumor) the specimen was not considered valid by the genetic laboratory. The percentage of tumor cells in the samples ranged from 60% to 70%. In 11/13 cases (84.62%) it was possible to do the genetic analysis on the previously diagnosed samples. In most cases, regardless of tumor size, it is possible to obtain the genetic profile from tissue specimens obtained with ultrasound-guided 12 G core biopsy preserved in paraffin blocks. Copyright © 2015 SERAM. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

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

An improved estimation and focusing scheme for vector velocity estimation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jørgen Arendt; Munk, Peter

1999-01-01

to reduce spatial velocity dispersion. Examples of different velocity vector conditions are shown using the Field II simulation program. A relative accuracy of 10.1 % is obtained for the lateral velocity estimates for a parabolic velocity profile for a flow perpendicular to the ultrasound beam and a signal...

Fast estimation of defect profiles from the magnetic flux leakage signal based on a multi-power affine projection algorithm.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Wenhua; Shen, Xiaohui; Xu, Jun; Wang, Ping; Tian, Guiyun; Wu, Zhengyang

2014-09-04

Magnetic flux leakage (MFL) inspection is one of the most important and sensitive nondestructive testing approaches. For online MFL inspection of a long-range railway track or oil pipeline, a fast and effective defect profile estimating method based on a multi-power affine projection algorithm (MAPA) is proposed, where the depth of a sampling point is related with not only the MFL signals before it, but also the ones after it, and all of the sampling points related to one point appear as serials or multi-power. Defect profile estimation has two steps: regulating a weight vector in an MAPA filter and estimating a defect profile with the MAPA filter. Both simulation and experimental data are used to test the performance of the proposed method. The results demonstrate that the proposed method exhibits high speed while maintaining the estimated profiles clearly close to the desired ones in a noisy environment, thereby meeting the demand of accurate online inspection.

Application of the inverse estimation method of current distribution from magnetic fields using genetic algorithm to beam profile measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kishimoto, M.; Sakasai, K.; Ara, K.

1994-01-01

In this paper, the new type of non-invasive beam profile monitor for intense ion accelerator using high-temperature superconductor. We regard the inverse estimation problem of beam profile as the optimum allocation problem of the currents into the cross-section of the beam vacuum pipe and applied genetic algorithm to solve this optimization problem. And we carried out the computer simulation to verify the effectiveness of this inverse estimation method of beam profile. (author)

Impact of nonlinearity on changing the a priori of trace gas profile estimates from the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. S. Kulawik

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Non-linear maximum a posteriori (MAP estimates of atmospheric profiles from the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES contains a priori information that may vary geographically, which is a confounding factor in the analysis and physical interpretation of an ensemble of profiles. One mitigation strategy is to transform profile estimates to a common prior using a linear operation thereby facilitating the interpretation of profile variability. However, this operation is dependent on the assumption of not worse than moderate non-linearity near the solution of the non-linear estimate. The robustness of this assumption is tested by comparing atmospheric retrievals from the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer processed with a uniform prior with those processed with a variable prior and converted to a uniform prior following the non-linear retrieval. Linearly converting the prior following a non-linear retrieval is shown to have a minor effect on the results as compared to a non-linear retrieval using a uniform prior when compared to the expected total error, with less than 10% of the change in the prior ending up as unbiased fluctuations in the profile estimate results.

Application of Depth-Averaged Velocity Profile for Estimation of Longitudinal Dispersion in Rivers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Givehchi

2010-01-01

Full Text Available River bed profiles and depth-averaged velocities are used as basic data in empirical and analytical equations for estimating the longitudinal dispersion coefficient which has always been a topic of great interest for researchers. The simple model proposed by Maghrebi is capable of predicting the normalized isovel contours in the cross section of rivers and channels as well as the depth-averaged velocity profiles. The required data in Maghrebi’s model are bed profile, shear stress, and roughness distributions. Comparison of depth-averaged velocities and longitudinal dispersion coefficients observed in the field data and those predicted by Maghrebi’s model revealed that Maghrebi’s model had an acceptable accuracy in predicting depth-averaged velocity.

Estimating cumulative soil accumulation rates with in situ-produced cosmogenic nuclide depth profiles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phillips, William M.

2000-01-01

A numerical model relating spatially averaged rates of cumulative soil accumulation and hillslope erosion to cosmogenic nuclide distribution in depth profiles is presented. Model predictions are compared with cosmogenic 21 Ne and AMS radiocarbon data from soils of the Pajarito Plateau, New Mexico. Rates of soil accumulation and hillslope erosion estimated by cosmogenic 21 Ne are significantly lower than rates indicated by radiocarbon and regional soil-geomorphic studies. The low apparent cosmogenic erosion rates are artifacts of high nuclide inheritance in cumulative soil parent material produced from erosion of old soils on hillslopes. In addition, 21 Ne profiles produced under conditions of rapid accumulation (>0.1 cm/a) are difficult to distinguish from bioturbated soil profiles. Modeling indicates that while 10 Be profiles will share this problem, both bioturbation and anomalous inheritance can be identified with measurement of in situ-produced 14 C

Reliability of fish size estimates obtained from multibeam imaging sonar

Science.gov (United States)

Hightower, Joseph E.; Magowan, Kevin J.; Brown, Lori M.; Fox, Dewayne A.

2013-01-01

Multibeam imaging sonars have considerable potential for use in fisheries surveys because the video-like images are easy to interpret, and they contain information about fish size, shape, and swimming behavior, as well as characteristics of occupied habitats. We examined images obtained using a dual-frequency identification sonar (DIDSON) multibeam sonar for Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus, striped bass Morone saxatilis, white perch M. americana, and channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus of known size (20–141 cm) to determine the reliability of length estimates. For ranges up to 11 m, percent measurement error (sonar estimate – total length)/total length × 100 varied by species but was not related to the fish's range or aspect angle (orientation relative to the sonar beam). Least-square mean percent error was significantly different from 0.0 for Atlantic sturgeon (x̄  =  −8.34, SE  =  2.39) and white perch (x̄  = 14.48, SE  =  3.99) but not striped bass (x̄  =  3.71, SE  =  2.58) or channel catfish (x̄  = 3.97, SE  =  5.16). Underestimating lengths of Atlantic sturgeon may be due to difficulty in detecting the snout or the longer dorsal lobe of the heterocercal tail. White perch was the smallest species tested, and it had the largest percent measurement errors (both positive and negative) and the lowest percentage of images classified as good or acceptable. Automated length estimates for the four species using Echoview software varied with position in the view-field. Estimates tended to be low at more extreme azimuthal angles (fish's angle off-axis within the view-field), but mean and maximum estimates were highly correlated with total length. Software estimates also were biased by fish images partially outside the view-field and when acoustic crosstalk occurred (when a fish perpendicular to the sonar and at relatively close range is detected in the side lobes of adjacent beams). These sources of

Hydraulic conductivity obtained by instantaneous profile method using retention curve and neutron probes and Genuchten model; Condutividade hidraulica obtida pelo metodo do perfil instantaneo utilizando curva de retencao e sonda de neutrons e pelo modelo de Genuchten

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berretta, Ana Lucia Olmedo

1999-07-01

The hydraulic conductivity is one of the most important parameters to understand the movement of water in the unsaturated zone. Reliable estimations are difficult to obtain, once the hydraulic conductivity is highly variable. This study was carried out at 'Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz', Universidade de Sao Paulo, in a Kandiudalfic Eutrudox soil. The hydraulic conductivity was determined by a direct and an indirect method. The instantaneous profile method was described and the hydraulic conductivity as a function of soil water content was determined by solving the Richards equation. Tensiometers were used to estimate the total soil water potential, and the neutron probe and the soil retention curve were used to estimate soil water content in the direct method. The neutron probe showed to be not adequately sensible to the changes of soil water content in this soil. Despite of the soil retention curve provides best correlation values to soil water content as a function of water redistribution time, the soil water content in this soil did not vary too much till the depth of 50 cm, reflecting the influence of the presence of a Bt horizon. The soil retention curve was well fitted by the van Genuchten model used as an indirect method. The values of the van Genuchten and the experimental relative hydraulic conductivity obtained by the instantaneous profile method provided a good correlation. However, the values estimated by the model were always lower than that ones obtained experimentally. (author)

Ethical frameworks for obtaining informed consent in tumour profiling: an evidence-based case for Singapore.

Science.gov (United States)

Bylstra, Yasmin; Lysaght, Tamra; Thrivikraman, Jyothi; Watson, Sangeetha; Tan, Patrick

2017-12-08

Genomic profiling of malignant tumours has assisted clinicians in providing targeted therapies for many serious cancer-related illnesses. Although the characterisation of somatic mutations is the primary aim of tumour profiling for treatment, germline mutations may also be detected given the heterogenous origin of mutations observed in tumours. Guidance documents address the return of germline findings that have health implications for patients and their genetic relations. However, the implications of discovering a potential but unconfirmed germline finding from tumour profiling are yet to be fully explored. Moreover, as tumour profiling is increasingly applied in oncology, robust ethical frameworks are required to encourage large-scale data sharing and data aggregation linking molecular data to clinical outcomes, to further understand the role of genetics in oncogenesis and to develop improved cancer therapies. This paper reports on the results of empirical research that is broadly aimed at developing an ethical framework for obtaining informed consent to return results from tumour profiling tests and to share the biomolecular data sourced from tumour tissues of cancer patients. Specifically, qualitative data were gathered from 36 semi-structured interviews with cancer patients and oncology clinicians at a cancer treatment centre in Singapore. The interview data indicated that patients had a limited comprehension of cancer genetics and implications of tumour testing. Furthermore, oncology clinicians stated that they lacked the time to provide in depth explanations of the tumour profile tests. However, it was accepted from both patients and oncologist that the return potential germline variants and the sharing of de-identified tumour profiling data nationally and internationally should be discussed and provided as an option during the consent process. Findings provide support for the return of tumour profiling results provided that they are accompanied with an

Determination of the meniscus shape of a negative ion beam from an experimentally obtained beam profile

Science.gov (United States)

Ichikawa, M.; Kojima, A.; Chitarin, G.; Agostinetti, P.; Aprile, D.; Baltador, C.; Barbisan, M.; Delogu, R.; Hiratsuka, J.; Marconato, N.; Nishikiori, R.; Pimazzoni, A.; Sartori, E.; Serianni, G.; Tobari, H.; Umeda, N.; Veltri, P.; Watanabe, K.; Yoshida, M.; Antoni, V.; Kashiwagi, M.

2017-08-01

In order to understand the physics mechanism of a negative ion extraction in negative ion sources, an emission surface of the negative ions around an aperture at a plasma grid, so-called a meniscus, has been analyzed by an inverse calculation of the negative ion trajectory in a two dimensional beam analysis code. In this method, the meniscus is defined as the final position of the negative ion trajectories which are inversely calculated from the measured beam profile to the plasma grid. In a case of the volume-produced negative ions, the calculated meniscus by the inverse calculation was similar to that obtained in conventional beam simulation codes for positive ion extractions such as BEAMORBT and SLACCAD. The negative ion current density was uniform along the meniscus. This indicates that the negative ions produced in the plasma are transported to the plasma grid uniformly as considered in the transportation of the positive ions. However, in a surface production case of negative ions, where the negative ions are generated near the plasma grid with lower work function by seeding cesium, the current density in the peripheral region of the meniscus close to the plasma grid surface was estimated to be 2 times larger than the center region, which suggested that the extraction process of the surface-produced negative ions was much different with that for the positive ions. Because this non-uniform profile of the current density made the meniscus shape strongly concave, the beam extracted from the peripheral region could have a large divergence angle, which might be one of origins of so-called beam halo. This is the first results of the determination of the meniscus based on the experiment, which is useful to improve the prediction of the meniscus shape and heat loads based on the beam trajectories including beam halo.

Magnetic resonance metabolic profiling of breast cancer tissue obtained with core needle biopsy for predicting pathologic response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

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Ji Soo Choi

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to determine whether metabolic profiling of core needle biopsy (CNB samples using high-resolution magic angle spinning (HR-MAS magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS could be used for predicting pathologic response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC in patients with locally advanced breast cancer. After institutional review board approval and informed consent were obtained, CNB tissue samples were collected from 37 malignant lesions in 37 patients before NAC treatment. The metabolic profiling of CNB samples were performed by HR-MAS MRS. Metabolic profiles were compared according to pathologic response to NAC using the Mann-Whitney test. Multivariate analysis was performed with orthogonal projections to latent structure-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA. Various metabolites including choline-containing compounds were identified and quantified by HR-MAS MRS in all 37 breast cancer tissue samples obtained by CNB. In univariate analysis, the metabolite concentrations and metabolic ratios of CNB samples obtained with HR-MAS MRS were not significantly different between different pathologic response groups. However, there was a trend of lower levels of phosphocholine/creatine ratio and choline-containing metabolite concentrations in the pathologic complete response group compared to the non-pathologic complete response group. In multivariate analysis, the OPLS-DA models built with HR-MAS MR metabolic profiles showed visible discrimination between the pathologic response groups. This study showed OPLS-DA multivariate analysis using metabolic profiles of pretreatment CNB samples assessed by HR- MAS MRS may be used to predict pathologic response before NAC, although we did not identify the metabolite showing statistical significance in univariate analysis. Therefore, our preliminary results raise the necessity of further study on HR-MAS MR metabolic profiling of CNB samples for a large number of cancers.

Vineyard Yield Estimation Based on the Analysis of High Resolution Images Obtained with Artificial Illumination at Night

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Davinia Font

2015-04-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a method for vineyard yield estimation based on the analysis of high-resolution images obtained with artificial illumination at night. First, this paper assesses different pixel-based segmentation methods in order to detect reddish grapes: threshold based, Mahalanobis distance, Bayesian classifier, linear color model segmentation and histogram segmentation, in order to obtain the best estimation of the area of the clusters of grapes in this illumination conditions. The color spaces tested were the original RGB and the Hue-Saturation-Value (HSV. The best segmentation method in the case of a non-occluded reddish table-grape variety was the threshold segmentation applied to the H layer, with an estimation error in the area of 13.55%, improved up to 10.01% by morphological filtering. Secondly, after segmentation, two procedures for yield estimation based on a previous calibration procedure have been proposed: (1 the number of pixels corresponding to a cluster of grapes is computed and converted directly into a yield estimate; and (2 the area of a cluster of grapes is converted into a volume by means of a solid of revolution, and this volume is converted into a yield estimate; the yield errors obtained were 16% and −17%, respectively.

Penetration profiles of particles injected into the crystal under channeling conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rozhkov, V.V.

1980-01-01

A new method of calculating profiles of channeled parricle implantation is proposed. The profile calculation by the method proposed requires only standard computer programs and, consequently, little of the computer time. An analytical expression has been obtained for profiles of the channelled particle implantation under some simplifying allowances, the value of the error due to the allowances being estimated. An analytical formula is also obtained for the distribution function of dechanneling depths with taking account of deceleration of particles in a channel

Sugarcane leaf area estimate obtained from the corrected Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI

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Rodrigo Moura Pereira

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Large farmland areas and the knowledge on the interaction between solar radiation and vegetation canopies have increased the use of data from orbital remote sensors in sugarcane monitoring. However, the constituents of the atmosphere affect the reflectance values obtained by imaging sensors. This study aimed at improving a sugarcane Leaf Area Index (LAI estimation model, concerning the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI subjected to atmospheric correction. The model generated by the NDVI with atmospheric correction showed the best results (R2 = 0.84; d = 0.95; MAE = 0.44; RMSE = 0.55, in relation to the other models compared. LAI estimation with this model, during the sugarcane plant cycle, reached a maximum of 4.8 at the vegetative growth phase and 2.3 at the end of the maturation phase. Thus, the use of atmospheric correction to estimate the sugarcane LAI is recommended, since this procedure increases the correlations between the LAI estimated by image and by plant parameters.

Quantitative estimation of defects from measurement obtained by remote field eddy current inspection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davoust, M.E.; Fleury, G.

1999-01-01

Remote field eddy current technique is used for dimensioning grooves that may occurs in ferromagnetic pipes. This paper proposes a method to estimate the depth and the length of corrosion grooves from measurement of a pick-up coil signal phase at different positions close to the defect. Grooves dimensioning needs the knowledge of the physical relation between measurements and defect dimensions. So, finite element calculations are performed to obtain a parametric algebraic function of the physical phenomena. By means of this model and a previously defined general approach, an estimate of groove size may be given. In this approach, algebraic function parameters and groove dimensions are linked through a polynomial function. In order to validate this estimation procedure, a statistical study has been performed. The approach is proved to be suitable for real measurements. (authors)

Biological activity and chemical profile of Lavatera thuringiaca L. extracts obtained by different extraction approaches.

Science.gov (United States)

Mašković, Pavle Z; Veličković, Vesna; Đurović, Saša; Zeković, Zoran; Radojković, Marija; Cvetanović, Aleksandra; Švarc-Gajić, Jaroslava; Mitić, Milan; Vujić, Jelena

2018-01-01

Lavatera thuringiaca L. is herbaceous perennial plant from Malvaceae family, which is known for its biological activity and richness in polyphenolic compounds. Despite this, the information regarding the biological activity and chemical profile is still insufficient. Aim of this study was to investigate biological potential and chemical profile of Lavatera thuringiaca L., as well as influence of applied extraction technique on them. Two conventional and four non-conventional extraction techniques were applied in order to obtain extracts rich in bioactive compound. Extracts were further tested for total phenolics, flavonoids, condensed tannins, gallotannins and anthocyanins contents using spectrophotometric assays. Polyphenolic profile was established using HPLC-DAD analysis. Biological activity was investigated regarding antioxidant, cytotoxic and antibacterial activities. Four antioxidant assays were applied as well as three different cell lines for cytotoxic and fifteen bacterial strain for antibacterial activity. Results showed that subcritical water extraction (SCW) dominated over the other extraction techniques, where SCW extract exhibited the highest biological activity. Study indicates that plant Lavatera thuringiaca L. may be used as a potential source of biologically compounds. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Real Mission Profile Based Lifetime Estimation of Fuel-cell Power Converter

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhou, Dao; Wang, Huai; Blaabjerg, Frede

2016-01-01

. This paper describes a lifetime prediction method for the power semiconductors used in the power conditioning of a fuel cell based backup system, considering both the long-term standby mode and active operation mode. The annual ambient temperature profile is taken into account to estimate its impact...... on the degradation of MOSFETs during the standby mode. At the presence of power outages, the backup system is activated into the operation mode and the MOSFETs withstand additional thermal stresses due to power losses. A study case of a 1 kW backup system is presented with two annual mission profiles in Denmark...... and India, respectively. The ambient temperature, occurrence frequency of power outages, active operation time and power levels are considered for the lifetime prediction of the applied MOSFETs. Comparisons of the accumulated lifetime consumptions are performed between standby mode and operation mode...

Inverse estimation for the unknown frost geometry on the external wall of a forced-convection pipe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, W.-L.; Yang, Y.-C.

2009-01-01

In this study, a conjugate gradient method based inverse algorithm is applied to estimate the unknown frost-layer boundary profile on the external wall of a pipe system using temperature measurements. It is assumed that no prior information is available on the functional form of the unknown profile; hence the procedure is classified as the function estimation in inverse calculation. The temperature data obtained from the direct problem are used to simulate the temperature measurements. The accuracy of the inverse analysis is examined by using simulated exact and inexact temperature measurements. Results show that an excellent estimation on boundary profile can be obtained for the test case considered in this study.

Atmospheric Turbulence Estimates from a Pulsed Lidar

Science.gov (United States)

Pruis, Matthew J.; Delisi, Donald P.; Ahmad, Nash'at N.; Proctor, Fred H.

2013-01-01

Estimates of the eddy dissipation rate (EDR) were obtained from measurements made by a coherent pulsed lidar and compared with estimates from mesoscale model simulations and measurements from an in situ sonic anemometer at the Denver International Airport and with EDR estimates from the last observation time of the trailing vortex pair. The estimates of EDR from the lidar were obtained using two different methodologies. The two methodologies show consistent estimates of the vertical profiles. Comparison of EDR derived from the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) mesoscale model with the in situ lidar estimates show good agreement during the daytime convective boundary layer, but the WRF simulations tend to overestimate EDR during the nighttime. The EDR estimates from a sonic anemometer located at 7.3 meters above ground level are approximately one order of magnitude greater than both the WRF and lidar estimates - which are from greater heights - during the daytime convective boundary layer and substantially greater during the nighttime stable boundary layer. The consistency of the EDR estimates from different methods suggests a reasonable ability to predict the temporal evolution of a spatially averaged vertical profile of EDR in an airport terminal area using a mesoscale model during the daytime convective boundary layer. In the stable nighttime boundary layer, there may be added value to EDR estimates provided by in situ lidar measurements.

Raman lidar water vapor profiling over Warsaw, Poland

Science.gov (United States)

Stachlewska, Iwona S.; Costa-Surós, Montserrat; Althausen, Dietrich

2017-09-01

Water vapor mixing ratio and relative humidity profiles were derived from the multi-wavelength Raman PollyXT lidar at the EARLINET site in Warsaw, using the Rayleigh molecular extinction calculation based on atmospheric temperature and pressure from three different sources: i) the standard atmosphere US 62, ii) the Global Data Assimilation System (GDAS) model output, and iii) the WMO 12374 radiosoundings launched at Legionowo. With each method, 136 midnight relative humidity profiles were obtained for lidar observations from July 2013 to August 2015. Comparisons of these profiles showed in favor of the latter method (iii), but it also indicated that the other two data sources could replace it, if necessary. Such use was demonstrated for an automated retrieval of water vapor mixing ratio from dusk until dawn on 19/20 March 2015; a case study related to an advection of biomass burning aerosol from forest fires over Ukraine. Additionally, an algorithm that applies thresholds to the radiosounding relative humidity profiles to estimate macro-physical cloud vertical structure was used for the first time on the Raman lidar relative humidity profiles. The results, based on a subset of 66 profiles, indicate that below 6 km cloud bases/tops can be successfully obtained in 53% and 76% cases from lidar and radiosounding profiles, respectively. Finally, a contribution of the lidar derived mean relative humidity to cloudy conditions within the range of 0.8 to 6.2 km, in comparison to clear-sky conditions, was estimated.

qpure: A tool to estimate tumor cellularity from genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism profiles.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah Song

Full Text Available Tumour cellularity, the relative proportion of tumour and normal cells in a sample, affects the sensitivity of mutation detection, copy number analysis, cancer gene expression and methylation profiling. Tumour cellularity is traditionally estimated by pathological review of sectioned specimens; however this method is both subjective and prone to error due to heterogeneity within lesions and cellularity differences between the sample viewed during pathological review and tissue used for research purposes. In this paper we describe a statistical model to estimate tumour cellularity from SNP array profiles of paired tumour and normal samples using shifts in SNP allele frequency at regions of loss of heterozygosity (LOH in the tumour. We also provide qpure, a software implementation of the method. Our experiments showed that there is a medium correlation 0.42 ([Formula: see text]-value=0.0001 between tumor cellularity estimated by qpure and pathology review. Interestingly there is a high correlation 0.87 ([Formula: see text]-value [Formula: see text] 2.2e-16 between cellularity estimates by qpure and deep Ion Torrent sequencing of known somatic KRAS mutations; and a weaker correlation 0.32 ([Formula: see text]-value=0.004 between IonTorrent sequencing and pathology review. This suggests that qpure may be a more accurate predictor of tumour cellularity than pathology review. qpure can be downloaded from https://sourceforge.net/projects/qpure/.

Global mapping of vertical injection profiles of wild-fire emission

Science.gov (United States)

Sofiev, M.; Vankevich, R.; Ermakova, T.; Hakkarainen, J.

2012-08-01

A problem of a characteristic vertical profile of smoke released from wild-land fires is considered. A methodology for bottom-up evaluation of this profile is suggested and a corresponding global dataset is calculated. The profile estimation is based on: (i) a semi-empirical formula for plume-top height recently suggested by the authors, (ii) MODIS satellite observations of active wild-land fires, and (iii) meteorological conditions evaluated at each fireplace using output of ECMWF weather prediction model. Plumes from all fires recorded globally during two arbitrarily picked years 2001 and 2008 are evaluated and their smoke injection profiles are estimated with a time step of 3 h. The resulting 4-dimensional dataset is split to day- and night-time subsets. Each of the subsets is projected to global grid with resolution 1° × 1° × 500 m, averaged to monthly level, and normalised with total emission. Evaluation of the obtained dataset was performed at several levels. Firstly, the quality of the semi-empirical formula for plume-top computations was evaluated using recent additions to the MISR fire plume-height dataset. Secondly, the obtained maps of injection profiles are compared with another global distribution available from literature. Thirdly, the upper percentiles of the profiles are compared with an independent dataset of space-based lidar CALIOP. Finally, the stability of the calculated profiles with regard to inter-annual variations of the fire activity and meteorological conditions is roughly estimated by comparing the sub-sets for 2001 and 2008.

Electron shower transverse profile measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lednev, A.A.

1993-01-01

A method to measure the shower transverse profile is described. Calibration data of the lead-glass spectrometer GAMS collected in a wide electron beam without any additional coordinate detector are used. The method may be used for the measurements in both cellular- and projective-type spectrometers. The results of measuring the 10 GeV electron shower profile in the GAMS spectrometer, without optical grease between the lead-glass radiators and photomultipliers, are approximated with an analytical function. The estimate of the coordinate accuracy is obtained. 5 refs., 8 figs

Profile reconstruction from neutron reflectivity data and a priori knowledge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leeb, H.

2008-01-01

The problem of incomplete and noisy information in profile reconstruction from neutron reflectometry data is considered. In particular methods of Bayesian statistics in combination with modelling or inverse scattering techniques are considered in order to properly include the required a priori knowledge to obtain quantitatively reliable estimates of the reconstructed profiles. Applying Bayes theorem the results of different experiments on the same sample can be consistently included in the profile reconstruction

Discrepancies between conformational distributions of a polyalanine peptide in solution obtained from molecular dynamics force fields and amide I' band profiles.

Science.gov (United States)

Verbaro, Daniel; Ghosh, Indrajit; Nau, Werner M; Schweitzer-Stenner, Reinhard

2010-12-30

Structural preferences in the unfolded state of peptides determined by molecular dynamics still contradict experimental data. A remedy in this regard has been suggested by MD simulations with an optimized Amber force field ff03* ( Best, R. Hummer, G. J. Phys. Chem. B 2009 , 113 , 9004 - 9015 ). The simulations yielded a statistical coil distribution for alanine which is at variance with recent experimental results. To check the validity of this distribution, we investigated the peptide H-A(5)W-OH, which with the exception of the additional terminal tryptophan is analogous to the peptide used to optimize the force fields ff03*. Electronic circular dichroism, vibrational circular dichroism, and infrared spectroscopy as well as J-coupling constants obtained from NMR experiments were used to derive the peptide's conformational ensemble. Additionally, Förster resonance energy transfer between the terminal chromophores of the fluorescently labeled peptide analogue H-Dbo-A(5)W-OH was used to determine its average length, from which the end-to-end distance of the unlabeled peptide was estimated. Qualitatively, the experimental (3)J(H(N),C(α)), VCD, and ECD indicated a preference of alanine for polyproline II-like conformations. The experimental (3)J(H(N),C(α)) for A(5)W closely resembles the constants obtained for A(5). In order to quantitatively relate the conformational distribution of A(5) obtained with the optimized AMBER ff03* force field to experimental data, the former was used to derive a distribution function which expressed the conformational ensemble as a mixture of polyproline II, β-strand, helical, and turn conformations. This model was found to satisfactorily reproduce all experimental J-coupling constants. We employed the model to calculate the amide I' profiles of the IR and vibrational circular dichroism spectrum of A(5)W, as well as the distance between the two terminal peptide carbonyls. This led to an underestimated negative VCD couplet and an

Influence of the ozone profile above Madrid (Spain) on Brewer estimation of ozone air mass factor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anton, M. [Univ. de Extremadura, Badajoz (Spain). Dept. de Fisica; Evora Univ. (PT). Goephysics Centre of Evora (CGE); Lopez, M.; Banon, M. [Agenica Estatal de Meteorologia (AEMET), Madrid (Spain); Costa, M.J.; Silva, A.M. [Evora Univ. (PT). Goephysics Centre of Evora (CGE); Evora Univ. (Portugal). Dept. of Physics; Serrano, A. [Univ. de Extremadura, Badajoz (Spain). Dept. de Fisica; Bortoli, D. [Evora Univ. (PT). Goephysics Centre of Evora (CGE); Vilaplana, J.M. [Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aeroespacial (INTA), Huelva (Spain). Estacion de Sondeos Atmosferico ' ' El Arenosillo' '

2009-07-01

The methodology used by Brewer spectroradiometers to estimate the ozone column is based on differential absorption spectroscopy. This methodology employs the ozone air mass factor (AMF) to derive the total ozone column from the slant path ozone amount. For the calculating the ozone AMF, the Brewer algorithm assumes that the ozone layer is located at a fixed height of 22 km. However, for a real specific site the ozone presents a certain profile, which varies spatially and temporally depending on the latitude, altitude and dynamical conditions of the atmosphere above the site of measurements. In this sense, this work address the reliability of the mentioned assumption and analyses the influence of the ozone profiles measured above Madrid (Spain) in the ozone AMF calculations. The approximated ozone AMF used by the Brewer algorithm is compared with simulations obtained using the libRadtran radiative transfer model code. The results show an excellent agreement between the simulated and the approximated AMF values for solar zenith angle lower than 75 . In addition, the relative differences remain lower than 2% at 85 . These good results are mainly due to the fact that the altitude of the ozone layer assumed constant by the Brewer algorithm for all latitudes notably can be considered representative of the real profile of ozone above Madrid (average value of 21.7{+-}1.8 km). The operational ozone AMF calculations for Brewer instruments are limited, in general, to SZA below 80 . Extending the usable SZA range is especially relevant for Brewer instruments located at high mid-latitudes. (orig.)

Mission profile resolution effects on lifetime estimation of doubly-fed induction generator power converter

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Guanguan; Zhou, Dao; Blaabjerg, Frede

2017-01-01

, and the corresponding thermal modeling of power semiconductors are discussed. Accordingly, effects of different mission profiles on the consumed lifetime of the power converter are evaluated. In the above three thermal cycles, the IGBT of the grid-side converter and the diode of the rotor-side converter are more...... fragile, and the total consumed lifetimes are higher. Moreover, the short-term thermal cycles with milliseconds resolution induce the unbalance of the lifetime between the diode and IGBT of the grid-side converter, while thermal cycles with hour, second, and millisecond resolution consumes the similar......In the wind energy generation system, mission profiles are complicated, which range from seconds to years. In order to estimate the consumed lifetime of the power converter, wind speed profiles with the time resolution of 1 hour, 1 second and 0.5 millisecond are studied in this paper...

Estimating Oceanic Primary Production Using Vertical Irradiance and Chlorophyll Profiles from Ocean Gliders in the North Atlantic.

Science.gov (United States)

Hemsley, Victoria S; Smyth, Timothy J; Martin, Adrian P; Frajka-Williams, Eleanor; Thompson, Andrew F; Damerell, Gillian; Painter, Stuart C

2015-10-06

An autonomous underwater vehicle (Seaglider) has been used to estimate marine primary production (PP) using a combination of irradiance and fluorescence vertical profiles. This method provides estimates for depth-resolved and temporally evolving PP on fine spatial scales in the absence of ship-based calibrations. We describe techniques to correct for known issues associated with long autonomous deployments such as sensor calibration drift and fluorescence quenching. Comparisons were made between the Seaglider, stable isotope ((13)C), and satellite estimates of PP. The Seaglider-based PP estimates were comparable to both satellite estimates and stable isotope measurements.

Determination of Contamination Profiles of Human Bacterial Pathogens in Shrimp Obtained from Java, Indonesia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dewanti-Hariyadi, R. [Center for Assessment of Traditional Foods, Department of Food Technology and Human Nutrition, Bogor Agricultural University (Indonesia); Suliantari,; Nuraida, L. [Department of Food Technology and Human Nutrition, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Bogor Agricultural University (Indonesia); Fardiaz, S. [Inter University for Food and Nutrition, Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor (Indonesia)

2005-01-15

Shrimp continues to be an important export commodity for Indonesia and contributed significantly to the country’s revenue. However, shrimp exports have been frequently rejected by importing countries due to filth, Salmonella and insanitary conditions. This study was conducted to evaluate the profiles of bacterial contamination of ocean and aquaculture shrimp obtained from the area of West, Central and East Java; frozen shrimp and shrimp during industry production of frozen shrimp. The study indicated that both ocean and aquaculture shrimp obtained from the study area were heavily contaminated. On the average, shrimp obtained from West Java were more contaminated than those obtained from East and Central Java. The total bacterial counts were generally higher in ocean shrimp than those of aquaculture ones. Salmonella was present in two of 32 samples of ocean shrimp and in four of 32 samples of aquaculture shrimp obtained from the study area. Vibrio cholerae was not detected in shrimp from West Java, but was found in three out of 16 samples obtained from East and Central Java. V. parahaemolyticus was frequently identified in aquaculture shrimp but absent in fresh ocean shrimp. Studies on shrimp collected from six sampling points during frozen shrimp production revealed that processing will reduce the number of total bacterial, E. coli, and Staphylococal counts. However, the processing did not effectively reduce the incidence of Salmonella or V. parahaemolyticus when the raw material has been contaminated with the pathogens. Sizing and grading as well as arrangement of shrimp before freezing were considered as the critical points where bacteria should be controlled to inhibit growth and cross contamination with bacteria such as Listeria. Implementation of Good Agricultural Practices in production of raw shrimp as well as Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point at the line processing are expected to improve the quality of fresh and frozen shrimp. (author)

Estimating Between-Person and Within-Person Subscore Reliability with Profile Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bulut, Okan; Davison, Mark L; Rodriguez, Michael C

2017-01-01

Subscores are of increasing interest in educational and psychological testing due to their diagnostic function for evaluating examinees' strengths and weaknesses within particular domains of knowledge. Previous studies about the utility of subscores have mostly focused on the overall reliability of individual subscores and ignored the fact that subscores should be distinct and have added value over the total score. This study introduces a profile reliability approach that partitions the overall subscore reliability into within-person and between-person subscore reliability. The estimation of between-person reliability and within-person reliability coefficients is demonstrated using subscores from number-correct scoring, unidimensional and multidimensional item response theory scoring, and augmented scoring approaches via a simulation study and a real data study. The effects of various testing conditions, such as subtest length, correlations among subscores, and the number of subtests, are examined. Results indicate that there is a substantial trade-off between within-person and between-person reliability of subscores. Profile reliability coefficients can be useful in determining the extent to which subscores provide distinct and reliable information under various testing conditions.

Thermal Profile of the Lunar Interior Constrained by Revised Estimates of Concentrations of Heat Producing Elements

Science.gov (United States)

Fuqua-Haviland, H.; Panovska, S.; Mallik, A.; Bremner, P. M.; McDonough, W. F.

2017-12-01

Constraining the heat producing element (HPE) concentrations of the Moon is important for understanding the thermal state of the interior. The lunar HPE budget is debated to be suprachondritic [1] to chondritic [2]. The Moon is differentiated, thus, each reservoir has a distinct HPE signature complicating this effort. The thermal profile of the lunar interior has been constructed using HPE concentrations of an ordinary chondrite (U = 0.0068 ppm; Th = 0.025 ppm; K = 17 ppm) which yields a conservative low estimate [2, 3, 4]. A later study estimated the bulk lunar mantle HPE concentrations (U = 0.039 ppm; Th = 0.15 ppm; K = 212 ppm) based on measurements of Apollo pyroclastic glasses [5] assuming that these glasses represent the least fractionated, near-primary lunar mantle melts, hence, are the best proxies for capturing mantle composition. In this study, we independently validate the revised estimate by using HPE concentrations [5] to construct a conductive lunar thermal profile, or selenotherm. We compare our conductive profile to the range of valid temperatures. We demonstrate the HPE concentrations reported by [5], when used in a simple 1D spherical thermal conduction equation, yield an impossibly hot mantle with temperatures in excess of 4,000 K (Fig 1). This confirms their revised estimate is not representative of the bulk lunar mantle, and perhaps only representative of a locally enriched mantle domain. We believe that their Low-Ti avg. source estimate (Th = 0.055 ppm, Th/U=4; K/U=1700), with the least KREEP assimilation is the closest representation of the bulk lunar mantle, producing 3E-12 W/kg of heat. This estimate is close to that of the Earth (5E-12 W/kg), indicating that the bulk Earth and lunar mantles are similar in their HPE constituents. We have used the lunar mantle heat production, in conjunction with HPE estimates of the Fe-Ti-rich cumulates (high Ti-source estimate from [5]) and measurements of crustal ferroan anorthite [6], to capture the

Modeling Site Heterogeneity with Posterior Mean Site Frequency Profiles Accelerates Accurate Phylogenomic Estimation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Huai-Chun; Minh, Bui Quang; Susko, Edward; Roger, Andrew J

2018-03-01

Proteins have distinct structural and functional constraints at different sites that lead to site-specific preferences for particular amino acid residues as the sequences evolve. Heterogeneity in the amino acid substitution process between sites is not modeled by commonly used empirical amino acid exchange matrices. Such model misspecification can lead to artefacts in phylogenetic estimation such as long-branch attraction. Although sophisticated site-heterogeneous mixture models have been developed to address this problem in both Bayesian and maximum likelihood (ML) frameworks, their formidable computational time and memory usage severely limits their use in large phylogenomic analyses. Here we propose a posterior mean site frequency (PMSF) method as a rapid and efficient approximation to full empirical profile mixture models for ML analysis. The PMSF approach assigns a conditional mean amino acid frequency profile to each site calculated based on a mixture model fitted to the data using a preliminary guide tree. These PMSF profiles can then be used for in-depth tree-searching in place of the full mixture model. Compared with widely used empirical mixture models with $k$ classes, our implementation of PMSF in IQ-TREE (http://www.iqtree.org) speeds up the computation by approximately $k$/1.5-fold and requires a small fraction of the RAM. Furthermore, this speedup allows, for the first time, full nonparametric bootstrap analyses to be conducted under complex site-heterogeneous models on large concatenated data matrices. Our simulations and empirical data analyses demonstrate that PMSF can effectively ameliorate long-branch attraction artefacts. In some empirical and simulation settings PMSF provided more accurate estimates of phylogenies than the mixture models from which they derive.

Optimization of the temperature profiles due to a nitrogen jet impinging on a TLD detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohen, I.; Bar-Kohany, T.; German, U.; Ziskind, G.

2014-01-01

A study was conducted to simulate the temperature profiles during readout in a typical, commercial thermo-luminescence dosimeter (TLD) chip and to optimize the readout conditions. The study makes use of a previously developed numerical model which calculates the crystal's temperature profile evolution inside a TLD crystal compound. The calculated profiles were implemented in the Randall-Wilkins equation to obtain the estimated glow curve. A number of jet temperature profiles were investigated in order to optimize the readout process. - Highlights: • The temperature profiles in a TLD chip compound were simulated. • Some non-routine heating profiles are proposed. • A better efficiency and shorter time can be obtained with these profiles. • The resulting glow curves were evaluated as well

Objective measurement of inhaler inhalation flow profile using acoustic methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lacalle, H.; Taylor, T.E.; Marco, S.; Reilly, R.B.

2016-07-01

Patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) are mostly treated with inhalers that deliver medication directly to their airways. Drug delivery from dry powder inhalers (DPIs) is very much reliant on the inhalation manoeuvre, specifically the peak inspiratory flow rate (PIFR), inspiratory capacity (IC) and inhalation rise time (IRT) of the inhalation. It has been widely reported that patients may not follow correct inhalation technique while using their inhaler. In this study, a novel acoustic method is proposed to accurately estimate inhalation flow profile using only one inhalation recording for calibration. An Ellipta DPI was placed inside an airtight container with a spirometer connected in order to measure inhalation flow parameters. An acoustic recording device (Inhaler Compliance Assessment (INCA)) was also attached to the DPI. Inhalation audio and flow signals were recorded simultaneously. The data were collected from 20 healthy subjects while performing inhaler inhalations at a range of inspiratory flow rates. A power law regression model was computed to obtain the relationship between the acoustic envelope of the inhalation and flow profile of each recording. Each model was tested on the remaining audio signals to estimate flow profile. The average estimation error was found to be 10.5±0.3% for estimating flow profile from audio signals. Inhalation flow profile parameters (PIFR, IC and IRT) could then be measured from the estimated flow profile with high accuracy giving information on user inhalation technique. This method may assist in improving patient inhaler adherence and overall disease control. (Author)

Revised Line Profile Function for Hydrogenic Species

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Sapar A.

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Analytical series expansions for the hydrogenic spectral line profile functions are derived starting from the three single expressions, obtained by integrating twice the convolution of the Holtsmark, Lorentz and Doppler line profile functions. We get well converging series expansions for the line wings and centers by reducing the number of arguments in the profile function by one, introducing the module of the Holtsmark and Lorentz profiles as a new argument. In the intermediate part of the line, the parabolic cylinder functions expressed via the confluent hypergeometric series, are used. The multi-component Stark splitting of the hydrogenic spectral lines and the modeled stochastic electron transitions in the electric field of the adjacent ions generate wide Doppler plateaux at the line centers, with the characteristic widths estimated from the fit to the characteristic width of the Holtsmark profile. This additional Doppler broadening of the line profile function removes the central dip typical to the Holtsmark profile.

Models to estimate volume of individual trees by morphometry of crowns obtained with lidar

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Evandro Orfanó Figueiredo

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The volumetric estimate from digital scanning of the forests through the use of LIDAR increases the precision of forest management techniques in planning tropical forest logging operations. The use of this remote detection technology allows the incorporation of crown morphometric variables which are still little known and little used due to the difficulty of collecting field data for volume equations. The objective of this study was to build equations capable of estimating the stem volume of dominant and codominant individual trees from the crown's morphometry obtained by airborne LIDAR, considering two forest inventory situations: a with the collection of diameter at breast height (DBH, and crown morphometric variables obtained from LIDAR data and b using only the crown morphometry variables. For the selection of models the factors considered were: the correlation matrix of predictor variables and the combination of variables that generates the best results by statistical criteria Syx, Syx(% and Pressp, and that were homoscedastic and had a normal and independent distribution of errors. The influence analysis was performed for the best equations. The results for the statistical fit of the equations to the two situations allowed the selection of models with and without DBH, with R2aj.( % values of a 92.92 and b 79.44, Syx(% values of a 16.73 and b 27.47, and, Pressp criterion values of a 201.15 m6 and b 537.47 m6, respectively. Through morphometric variables it was possible to develop equations capable of accurately estimating the stem volume of dominant and codominant trees in tropical forests.

Profiling of RNA degradation for estimation of post mortem [corrected] interval.

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Fernanda Sampaio-Silva

Full Text Available An estimation of the post mortem interval (PMI is frequently touted as the Holy Grail of forensic pathology. During the first hours after death, PMI estimation is dependent on the rate of physical observable modifications including algor, rigor and livor mortis. However, these assessment methods are still largely unreliable and inaccurate. Alternatively, RNA has been put forward as a valuable tool in forensic pathology, namely to identify body fluids, estimate the age of biological stains and to study the mechanism of death. Nevertheless, the attempts to find correlation between RNA degradation and PMI have been unsuccessful. The aim of this study was to characterize the RNA degradation in different post mortem tissues in order to develop a mathematical model that can be used as coadjuvant method for a more accurate PMI determination. For this purpose, we performed an eleven-hour kinetic analysis of total extracted RNA from murine's visceral and muscle tissues. The degradation profile of total RNA and the expression levels of several reference genes were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR. A quantitative analysis of normalized transcript levels on the former tissues allowed the identification of four quadriceps muscle genes (Actb, Gapdh, Ppia and Srp72 that were found to significantly correlate with PMI. These results allowed us to develop a mathematical model with predictive value for estimation of the PMI (confidence interval of ±51 minutes at 95% that can become an important complementary tool for traditional methods.

Inversely estimating the vertical profile of the soil CO2 production rate in a deciduous broadleaf forest using a particle filtering method.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakurai, Gen; Yonemura, Seiichiro; Kishimoto-Mo, Ayaka W; Murayama, Shohei; Ohtsuka, Toshiyuki; Yokozawa, Masayuki

2015-01-01

Carbon dioxide (CO2) efflux from the soil surface, which is a major source of CO2 from terrestrial ecosystems, represents the total CO2 production at all soil depths. Although many studies have estimated the vertical profile of the CO2 production rate, one of the difficulties in estimating the vertical profile is measuring diffusion coefficients of CO2 at all soil depths in a nondestructive manner. In this study, we estimated the temporal variation in the vertical profile of the CO2 production rate using a data assimilation method, the particle filtering method, in which the diffusion coefficients of CO2 were simultaneously estimated. The CO2 concentrations at several soil depths and CO2 efflux from the soil surface (only during the snow-free period) were measured at two points in a broadleaf forest in Japan, and the data were assimilated into a simple model including a diffusion equation. We found that there were large variations in the pattern of the vertical profile of the CO2 production rate between experiment sites: the peak CO2 production rate was at soil depths around 10 cm during the snow-free period at one site, but the peak was at the soil surface at the other site. Using this method to estimate the CO2 production rate during snow-cover periods allowed us to estimate CO2 efflux during that period as well. We estimated that the CO2 efflux during the snow-cover period (about half the year) accounted for around 13% of the annual CO2 efflux at this site. Although the method proposed in this study does not ensure the validity of the estimated diffusion coefficients and CO2 production rates, the method enables us to more closely approach the "actual" values by decreasing the variance of the posterior distribution of the values.

A Remote Sensing Approach to Estimate Vertical Profile Classes of Phytoplankton in a Eutrophic Lake

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Kun Xue

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The extension and frequency of algal blooms in surface waters can be monitored using remote sensing techniques, yet knowledge of their vertical distribution is fundamental to determine total phytoplankton biomass and understanding temporal variability of surface conditions and the underwater light field. However, different vertical distribution classes of phytoplankton may occur in complex inland lakes. Identification of the vertical profile classes of phytoplankton becomes the key and first step to estimate its vertical profile. The vertical distribution profile of phytoplankton is based on a weighted integral of reflected light from all depths and is difficult to determine by reflectance data alone. In this study, four Chla vertical profile classes (vertically uniform, Gaussian, exponential and hyperbolic were found to occur in three in situ vertical surveys (28 May, 19–24 July and 10–12 October in a shallow eutrophic lake, Lake Chaohu. We developed and validated a classification and regression tree (CART to determine vertical phytoplankton biomass profile classes. This was based on an algal bloom index (Normalized Difference algal Bloom Index, NDBI applied to both in situ remote sensing reflectance (Rrs and MODIS Rayleigh-corrected reflectance (Rrc data in combination with data of local wind speed. The results show the potential of retrieving Chla vertical profiles information from integrated information sources following a decision tree approach.

Examples of invasive and non-invasive methods for estimation of shear-wave velocity profile in Bucharest

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aldea, A.; Albota, E.; Yamanaka, H.; Fukumoto, S.; Poiata, N.

2007-01-01

The estimation of subsurface shear-wave velocity is of major importance for understanding and modelling site-response and surface ground motion. The shear-wave velocity profile strongly influence the shear-wave part of the seismic motion that proved to be the most damaging one. The improvement of input seismic ground motion for design is one of the long-term objectives within the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Project in Romania. Two approaches were used: installation of a digital seismic network and soil investigations (in situ and in laboratory). National Center for Seismic Risk Reduction (NCSRR, Romania), the implementing agency of JICA Project, performed these activities in cooperation with Japanese partner institutions, and an efficient know-how transfer was achieved. Between the soil investigation activities, a special importance was given to the estimation of shear-wave velocity profile. The present paper presents results from PS logging tests at NCSRR seismic station sites, and from single-station and array microtremor measurements. Other results from PS logging tests, surface-wave method and in situ and laboratory geotechnical investigations are presented in other papers in these proceedings. In future, a joint-collaborative effort of Romanian institutions may allow an improved characterisation of the soil profile beneath Bucharest. (authors)

Metabolite profiling and volatiles of pineapple wine and vinegar obtained from pineapple waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Roda, Arianna; Lucini, Luigi; Torchio, Fabrizio; Dordoni, Roberta; De Faveri, Dante Marco; Lambri, Milena

2017-08-15

Vinegar is an inexpensive commodity, and economic considerations require that a relatively low-cost raw material be used for its production. An investigation into the use of a new, alternative substrate - pineapple waste - is described. This approach enables the utilization of the pineapple's (Ananas comosus) peels and core, which are usually discarded during the processing or consumption of the fruit. Using physical and enzymatic treatments, the waste was saccharified, and the resulting substrate was fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae for 7-10days under aerobic conditions at 25°C. This resulted in an alcohol yield of approximately 7%. The alcoholic medium was then used as a seed broth for acetic fermentation using Acetobacter aceti as the inoculum for approximately 30days at 32°C to obtain 5% acetic acid. Samples were analyzed at the beginning and end of the acetification cycle to assess the volatile and fixed compounds by GC-MS and UHPLC-QTOF-MS. The metabolomic analysis indicated that l-lysine, mellein, and gallic acid were significantly more concentrated in the pineapple vinegar than in the original wine. Higher alcohols, aldehydes, and ketones characterized the aroma of the final pineapple vinegar, whilst off-flavors were significantly reduced relative to the initial wine. This study is the first to highlight the metabolite profile of fruit vinegar with a slight floral aroma profile derived from pineapple waste. The potential to efficiently reduce the post-harvest losses of pineapple fruits by re-using them for products with added food values is also demonstrated. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Equatorial bottom and topside electron density profiles and comparison with IRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reinisch, B.W.; Huang, X.; Conway, J.; Komjathy, A.

2001-01-01

A new technique of estimating the ionospheric topside profile from the information contained in the groundbased ionograms is described. The electron density profile above the F2 layer peak is approximated by an α-Chapman function with a constant scale height that is derived from the bottomside profile shape near the F2 peak. The scale height is obtained from the bottomside profile by representing the latter in terms of α-Chapman functions with scale heights H(h) that vary as a function of height. The scale height at the layer peak is then used for the topside profile. The bottomside and topside electron contents is obtained by integrating the electron density from h=0 to hmF2 and from hmF2 to ∞. The ionogram derived electron content values for Jicamarca in 1998 are compared with the respective IRI values. (author)

Adaptive Hybrid Control of Vehicle Semiactive Suspension Based on Road Profile Estimation

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Yechen Qin

2015-01-01

Full Text Available A new road estimation based suspension hybrid control strategy is proposed. Its aim is to adaptively change control gains to improve both ride comfort and road handling with the constraint of rattle space. To achieve this, analytical expressions for ride comfort, road handling, and rattle space with respect to road input are derived based on the hybrid control, and the problem is transformed into a MOOP (Multiobjective Optimization Problem and has been solved by NSGA-II (Nondominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm-II. A new road estimation and classification method, which is based on ANFIS (Adaptive Neurofuzzy Inference System and wavelet transforms, is then presented as a means of detecting the road profile level, and a Kalman filter is designed for observing unknown states. The results of simulations conducted with random road excitation show that the efficiency of the proposed control strategy compares favourably to that of a passive system.

Estimation of the profile of cross-machine shrinkage of paper

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

I'Anson, S J; Sampson, W W; Constantino, R P A; Hoole, S M

2008-01-01

In common with many other materials, paper tends to shrink as it dries. Although every attempt is made to restrain paper, some shrinkage occurs on all paper machines in the direction perpendicular to that of manufacture and this shrinkage is always much higher at the edges of the machine than in the centre. Measurement of the profile of this cross-machine shrinkage is possible using the fast Fourier transform to locate and measure periodic elements imprinted by the filtration fabrics used during the formation of the paper web. This paper describes a new method which allows the geometrical relationships within the fabric to be used along with dimensional changes to estimate shrinkage. The method has the advantages over previous methods of more tolerant sampling protocols, operator independent analysis and improved accuracy

An Estimation Method of System Voltage Sag Profile using Recorded Sag Data

Science.gov (United States)

Tanaka, Kazuyuki; Sakashita, Tadashi

The influence of voltage sag to electric equipment has become big issues because of wider utilization of voltage sensitive devices. In order to reduce the influence of voltage sag appearing at each customer side, it is necessary to recognize the level of receiving voltage drop due to lightning faults for transmission line. However it is hard to measure directly those sag level at every load node. In this report, a new method of efficiently estimating system voltage sag profile is proposed based on symmetrical coordinate. In the proposed method, limited recorded sag data is used as the estimation condition which is recorded at each substation in power systems. From the point of view that the number of the recorded node is generally far less than those of the transmission route, a fast solution method is developed to calculate only recorder faulted voltage by applying reciprocity theorem for Y matrix. Furthermore, effective screening process is incorporated, in which the limited candidate of faulted transmission line can be chosen. Demonstrative results are presented using the IEEJ East10 standard system and actual 1700 bus system. The results show that estimation accuracy is sufficiently acceptable under less computation labor.

Gas-hydrate concentration estimated from P- and S-wave velocities at the Mallik 2L-38 research well, Mackenzie Delta, Canada

Science.gov (United States)

Carcione, José M.; Gei, Davide

2004-05-01

We estimate the concentration of gas hydrate at the Mallik 2L-38 research site using P- and S-wave velocities obtained from well logging and vertical seismic profiles (VSP). The theoretical velocities are obtained from a generalization of Gassmann's modulus to three phases (rock frame, gas hydrate and fluid). The dry-rock moduli are estimated from the log profiles, in sections where the rock is assumed to be fully saturated with water. We obtain hydrate concentrations up to 75%, average values of 37% and 21% from the VSP P- and S-wave velocities, respectively, and 60% and 57% from the sonic-log P- and S-wave velocities, respectively. The above averages are similar to estimations obtained from hydrate dissociation modeling and Archie methods. The estimations based on the P-wave velocities are more reliable than those based on the S-wave velocities.

An iterative procedure for obtaining maximum-likelihood estimates of the parameters for a mixture of normal distributions, Addendum

Science.gov (United States)

Peters, B. C., Jr.; Walker, H. F.

1975-01-01

New results and insights concerning a previously published iterative procedure for obtaining maximum-likelihood estimates of the parameters for a mixture of normal distributions were discussed. It was shown that the procedure converges locally to the consistent maximum likelihood estimate as long as a specified parameter is bounded between two limits. Bound values were given to yield optimal local convergence.

Profile-likelihood Confidence Intervals in Item Response Theory Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Chalmers, R Philip; Pek, Jolynn; Liu, Yang

2017-01-01

Confidence intervals (CIs) are fundamental inferential devices which quantify the sampling variability of parameter estimates. In item response theory, CIs have been primarily obtained from large-sample Wald-type approaches based on standard error estimates, derived from the observed or expected information matrix, after parameters have been estimated via maximum likelihood. An alternative approach to constructing CIs is to quantify sampling variability directly from the likelihood function with a technique known as profile-likelihood confidence intervals (PL CIs). In this article, we introduce PL CIs for item response theory models, compare PL CIs to classical large-sample Wald-type CIs, and demonstrate important distinctions among these CIs. CIs are then constructed for parameters directly estimated in the specified model and for transformed parameters which are often obtained post-estimation. Monte Carlo simulation results suggest that PL CIs perform consistently better than Wald-type CIs for both non-transformed and transformed parameters.

Vertical profiles of ozone, carbon monoxide, and dew-point temperature obtained during GTE/CITE 1, October-November 1983. [Chemical Instrumentation Test and Evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Fishman, Jack; Gregory, Gerald L.; Sachse, Glen W.; Beck, Sherwin M.; Hill, Gerald F.

1987-01-01

A set of 14 pairs of vertical profiles of ozone and carbon monoxide, obtained with fast-response instrumentation, is presented. Most of these profiles, which were measured in the remote troposphere, also have supporting fast-response dew-point temperature profiles. The data suggest that the continental boundary layer is a source of tropospheric ozone, even in October and November, when photochemical activity should be rather small. In general, the small-scale vertical variability between CO and O3 is in phase. At low latitudes this relationship defines levels in the atmosphere where midlatitude air is being transported to lower latitudes, since lower dew-point temperatures accompany these higher CO and O3 concentrations. A set of profiles which is suggestive of interhemispheric transport is also presented. Independent meteorological analyses support these interpretations.

Transcriptional profile of fibroblasts obtained from the primary site, lymph node and bone marrow of breast cancer patients

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Paulo Roberto Del Valle

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF influence tumor development at primary as well as in metastatic sites, but there have been no direct comparisons of the transcriptional profiles of stromal cells from different tumor sites. In this study, we used customized cDNA microarrays to compare the gene expression profile of stromal cells from primary tumor (CAF, n = 4, lymph node metastasis (N+, n = 3 and bone marrow (BM, n = 4 obtained from breast cancer patients. Biological validation was done in another 16 samples by RT-qPCR. Differences between CAF vs N+, CAF vs BM and N+ vs BM were represented by 20, 235 and 245 genes, respectively (SAM test, FDR < 0.01. Functional analysis revealed that genes related to development and morphogenesis were overrepresented. In a biological validation set, NOTCH2 was confirmed to be more expressed in N+ (vs CAF and ADCY2, HECTD1, HNMT, LOX, MACF1, SLC1A3 and USP16 more expressed in BM (vs CAF. Only small differences were observed in the transcriptional profiles of fibroblasts from the primary tumor and lymph node of breast cancer patients, whereas greater differences were observed between bone marrow stromal cells and the other two sites. These differences may reflect the activities of distinct differentiation programs.

Evaluation of volatile profiles obtained for minimally-processed pineapple fruit samples during storage by headspace-solid phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francielle Crocetta TURAZZI

Full Text Available Abstract This paper describes the application of the solid-phase microextraction (SPME technique for the determination and monitoring of the volatile profile of minimally-processed pineapple fruit stored at various temperatures (-12 °C, 4 °C and 25 °C for different periods (1, 4 and 10 days. The SPME fiber coating composed of Car/PDMS presented the best performance. The optimal extraction conditions obtained through a Doehlert design were 60 min at 35 °C. The profiles for the volatile compounds content of the fruit at each stage of storage were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS. The variation in the volatile profile over time was greater when the fruit samples were stored at 25 °C and at -12 °C compared to 4 °C. Thus, according to the volatile profiles associated with the storage conditions evaluated in this study, packaged pineapple retains best its fresh fruit aroma when stored at 4 °C.

The use of importance sampling in a trial assessment to obtain converged estimates of radiological risk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, K.; Lucas, R.

1986-12-01

In developing a methodology for assessing potential sites for the disposal of radioactive wastes, the Department of the Environment has conducted a series of trial assessment exercises. In order to produce converged estimates of radiological risk using the SYVAC A/C simulation system an efficient sampling procedure is required. Previous work has demonstrated that importance sampling can substantially increase sampling efficiency. This study used importance sampling to produce converged estimates of risk for the first DoE trial assessment. Four major nuclide chains were analysed. In each case importance sampling produced converged risk estimates with between 10 and 170 times fewer runs of the SYVAC A/C model. This increase in sampling efficiency can reduce the total elapsed time required to obtain a converged estimate of risk from one nuclide chain by a factor of 20. The results of this study suggests that the use of importance sampling could reduce the elapsed time required to perform a risk assessment of a potential site by a factor of ten. (author)

Stokes profile analysis and vector magnetic fields. I. Inversion of photospheric lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skumanich, A.; Lites, B.W.

1987-01-01

Improvements are proposed for the Auer et al. (1977) method for the analytic inversion of Stokes profiles via nonlinear least squares. The introduction of additional physics into the Mueller absorption matrix (by including damping wings and magnetooptical birefringence, and by decoupling the intensity profile from the three-vector polarization profile in the analysis) is found to result in a more robust inversion method, providing more reliable and accurate estimates of sunspot vector magnetic fields without significant loss of economy. The method is applied to sunspot observations obtained with the High Altitude Observatory polarimeter. 29 references

Using bremsstrahlung for electron density estimation and correction in EAST tokamak

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Yingjie, E-mail: bestfaye@gmail.com; Wu, Zhenwei; Gao, Wei; Jie, Yinxian; Zhang, Jizong; Huang, Juan; Zhang, Ling; Zhao, Junyu

2013-11-15

Highlights: • The visible bremsstrahlung diagnostic provides a simple and effective tool for electron density estimation in steady state discharges. • This method can make up some disadvantages of present FIR and TS diagnostics in EAST tokamak. • Line averaged electron density has been deduced from central VB signal. The results can also be used for FIR n{sub e} correction. • Typical n{sub e} profiles have been obtained with T{sub e} and reconstructed bremsstrahlung profiles. -- Abstract: In EAST electron density (n{sub e}) is measured by the multi-channel far-infrared (FIR) hydrogen cyanide (HCN) interferometer and Thomson scattering (TS) diagnostics. However, it is difficult to obtain accurate n{sub e} profile for that there are many problems existing in current electron density diagnostics. Since the visible bremsstrahlung (VB) emission coefficient has a strong dependence on electron density, the visible bremsstrahlung measurement system developed to determine the ion effective charge (Z{sub eff}) may also be used for n{sub e} estimation via inverse operations. With assumption that Z{sub eff} has a flat profile and does not change significantly in steady state discharges, line averaged electron density (n{sup ¯}{sub e}) has been deduced from VB signals in L-mode and H-mode discharges in EAST. The results are in good coincidence with n{sup ¯}{sub e} from FIR, which proves that VB measurement is an effective tool for n{sub e} estimation. VB diagnostic is also applied to n{sup ¯}{sub e} correction when FIR n{sup ¯}{sub e} is wrong for the laser phase shift reversal together with noise causes errors when electron density changed rapidly in the H-mode discharges. Typical n{sub e} profiles in L-mode and H-mode phase are also deduced with reconstructed bremsstrahlung profiles.

Enhanced closed loop State of Charge estimator for lithium-ion batteries based on Extended Kalman Filter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pérez, Gustavo; Garmendia, Maitane; Reynaud, Jean François; Crego, Jon; Viscarret, Unai

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Based on a general model valid in full range of SOC considering varied dynamics. • Integration of an accurate OCV model in EKF taking into account hysteresis effect. • Experimental validation with different current profiles: pulses, EV and lift. • Validated with specifically designed profile demanding accurate OCV modeling. - Abstract: The accurate State of Charge (SOC) estimation in a Li-ion battery requires a suitable model of the cell behavior. In this work an enhanced closed loop estimator based on Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) is proposed, considering a precise model of the cell dynamics valid for different current profiles and SOCs, and a complete model of the Open Circuit Voltage (OCV) which takes into account the hysteresis influence. The employed model and proposed estimator are validated with experimental results obtained from the response of a 40 Ah NMC Li-ion cell to several current profiles. These tests include current pulses, FUDS driving cycles, residential lift profiles, and specially designed profiles which demand an accurate modeling of the transitions between OCV boundaries. In each case, it is demonstrated that the enhanced model can reduce the estimation error nearly by half compared to an estimator ignoring the hysteresis effect. Furthermore, the good performance of the cell dynamics model allows an accurate and stable estimation over different conditions

Evaluation of methods to estimate the essential amino acids requirements of fish from the muscle amino acid profile

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Álvaro José de Almeida Bicudo

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Many methods to estimate amino acid requirement based on amino acid profile of fish have been proposed. This study evaluates the methodology proposed by Meyer & Fracalossi (2005 and by Tacon (1989 to estimate amino acids requirement of fish, which do exempt knowledge on previous nutritional requirement of reference amino acid. Data on amino acid requirement of pacu, Piaractus mesopotamicus, were used to validate de accuracy of those methods. Meyer & Fracalossi's and Tacon's methodology estimated the lysine requirement of pacu, respectively, at 13 and 23% above requirement determined using dose-response method. The values estimated by both methods lie within the range of requirements determined for other omnivorous fish species, the Meyer & Fracalossi (2005 method showing better accuracy.

Quantitative precipitation estimation in complex orography using quasi-vertical profiles of dual polarization radar variables

Science.gov (United States)

Montopoli, Mario; Roberto, Nicoletta; Adirosi, Elisa; Gorgucci, Eugenio; Baldini, Luca

2017-04-01

Weather radars are nowadays a unique tool to estimate quantitatively the rain precipitation near the surface. This is an important task for a plenty of applications. For example, to feed hydrological models, mitigate the impact of severe storms at the ground using radar information in modern warning tools as well as aid the validation studies of satellite-based rain products. With respect to the latter application, several ground validation studies of the Global Precipitation Mission (GPM) products have recently highlighted the importance of accurate QPE from ground-based weather radars. To date, a plenty of works analyzed the performance of various QPE algorithms making use of actual and synthetic experiments, possibly trained by measurement of particle size distributions and electromagnetic models. Most of these studies support the use of dual polarization variables not only to ensure a good level of radar data quality but also as a direct input in the rain estimation equations. Among others, one of the most important limiting factors in radar QPE accuracy is the vertical variability of particle size distribution that affects at different levels, all the radar variables acquired as well as rain rates. This is particularly impactful in mountainous areas where the altitudes of the radar sampling is likely several hundred of meters above the surface. In this work, we analyze the impact of the vertical profile variations of rain precipitation on several dual polarization radar QPE algorithms when they are tested a in complex orography scenario. So far, in weather radar studies, more emphasis has been given to the extrapolation strategies that make use of the signature of the vertical profiles in terms of radar co-polar reflectivity. This may limit the use of the radar vertical profiles when dual polarization QPE algorithms are considered because in that case all the radar variables used in the rain estimation process should be consistently extrapolated at the surface

A linear programming approach for estimating the structure of a sparse linear genetic network from transcript profiling data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chandra Nagasuma R

2009-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A genetic network can be represented as a directed graph in which a node corresponds to a gene and a directed edge specifies the direction of influence of one gene on another. The reconstruction of such networks from transcript profiling data remains an important yet challenging endeavor. A transcript profile specifies the abundances of many genes in a biological sample of interest. Prevailing strategies for learning the structure of a genetic network from high-dimensional transcript profiling data assume sparsity and linearity. Many methods consider relatively small directed graphs, inferring graphs with up to a few hundred nodes. This work examines large undirected graphs representations of genetic networks, graphs with many thousands of nodes where an undirected edge between two nodes does not indicate the direction of influence, and the problem of estimating the structure of such a sparse linear genetic network (SLGN from transcript profiling data. Results The structure learning task is cast as a sparse linear regression problem which is then posed as a LASSO (l1-constrained fitting problem and solved finally by formulating a Linear Program (LP. A bound on the Generalization Error of this approach is given in terms of the Leave-One-Out Error. The accuracy and utility of LP-SLGNs is assessed quantitatively and qualitatively using simulated and real data. The Dialogue for Reverse Engineering Assessments and Methods (DREAM initiative provides gold standard data sets and evaluation metrics that enable and facilitate the comparison of algorithms for deducing the structure of networks. The structures of LP-SLGNs estimated from the INSILICO1, INSILICO2 and INSILICO3 simulated DREAM2 data sets are comparable to those proposed by the first and/or second ranked teams in the DREAM2 competition. The structures of LP-SLGNs estimated from two published Saccharomyces cerevisae cell cycle transcript profiling data sets capture known

Radial profiles of velocity and pressure for condensation-induced hurricanes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makarieva, A.M.; Gorshkov, V.G.

2011-01-01

The Bernoulli integral in the form of an algebraic equation is obtained for the hurricane air flow as the sum of the kinetic energy of wind and the condensational potential energy. With an account for the eye rotation energy and the decrease of angular momentum towards the hurricane center it is shown that the theoretical profiles of pressure and velocity agree well with observations for intense hurricanes. The previous order of magnitude estimates obtained in pole approximation are confirmed.

Radial profiles of velocity and pressure for condensation-induced hurricanes

Science.gov (United States)

Makarieva, A. M.; Gorshkov, V. G.

2011-02-01

The Bernoulli integral in the form of an algebraic equation is obtained for the hurricane air flow as the sum of the kinetic energy of wind and the condensational potential energy. With an account for the eye rotation energy and the decrease of angular momentum towards the hurricane center it is shown that the theoretical profiles of pressure and velocity agree well with observations for intense hurricanes. The previous order of magnitude estimates obtained in pole approximation are confirmed.

Radial profiles of velocity and pressure for condensation-induced hurricanes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Makarieva, A.M., E-mail: ammakarieva@gmail.co [Theoretical Physics Division, Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, Gatchina, St. Petersburg (Russian Federation); Gorshkov, V.G. [Theoretical Physics Division, Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, Gatchina, St. Petersburg (Russian Federation)

2011-02-14

The Bernoulli integral in the form of an algebraic equation is obtained for the hurricane air flow as the sum of the kinetic energy of wind and the condensational potential energy. With an account for the eye rotation energy and the decrease of angular momentum towards the hurricane center it is shown that the theoretical profiles of pressure and velocity agree well with observations for intense hurricanes. The previous order of magnitude estimates obtained in pole approximation are confirmed.

Obtaining appropriate interval estimates for age when multiple indicators are used

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fieuws, Steffen; Willems, Guy; Larsen, Sara Tangmose

2016-01-01

When an estimate of age is needed, typically multiple indicators are present as found in skeletal or dental information. There exists a vast literature on approaches to estimate age from such multivariate data. Application of Bayes' rule has been proposed to overcome drawbacks of classical regres...... the need for interval estimation. To illustrate and evaluate the method, Köhler et al. (1995) third molar scores are used to estimate the age in a dataset of 3200 male subjects in the juvenile age range.......When an estimate of age is needed, typically multiple indicators are present as found in skeletal or dental information. There exists a vast literature on approaches to estimate age from such multivariate data. Application of Bayes' rule has been proposed to overcome drawbacks of classical...... regression models but becomes less trivial as soon as the number of indicators increases. Each of the age indicators can lead to a different point estimate ("the most plausible value for age") and a prediction interval ("the range of possible values"). The major challenge in the combination of multiple...

Growth, characterization and estimation of lattice strain and size in CdS nanoparticles: X-ray peak profile analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Solanki, Rekha Garg; Rajaram, Poolla; Bajpai, P. K.

2018-05-01

This work is based on the growth, characterization and estimation of lattice strain and crystallite size in CdS nanoparticles by X-ray peak profile analysis. The CdS nanoparticles were synthesized by a non-aqueous solvothermal method and were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman and UV-visible spectroscopy. XRD confirms that the CdS nanoparticles have the hexagonal structure. The Williamson-Hall (W-H) method was used to study the X-ray peak profile analysis. The strain-size plot (SSP) was used to study the individual contributions of crystallite size and lattice strain from the X-rays peaks. The physical parameters such as strain, stress and energy density values were calculated using various models namely, isotropic strain model, anisotropic strain model and uniform deformation energy density model. The particle size was estimated from the TEM images to be in the range of 20-40 nm. The Raman spectrum shows the characteristic optical 1LO and 2LO vibrational modes of CdS. UV-visible absorption studies show that the band gap of the CdS nanoparticles is 2.48 eV. The results show that the crystallite size estimated from Scherrer's formula, W-H plots, SSP and the particle size calculated by TEM images are approximately similar.

Estimation of suspended sediment concentration from Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) instrument: A case study of Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi

Science.gov (United States)

Dwinovantyo, Angga; Manik, Henry M.; Prartono, Tri; Susilohadi; Ilahude, Delyuzar

2017-01-01

Measurement of suspended sediment concentration (SSC) is one of the parameters needed to determine the characteristics of sediment transport. However, the measurement of SSC nowadays still uses conventional technique and it has limitations; especially in temporal resolution. With advanced technology, the measurement can use hydroacoustic technology such as Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP). ADCP measures the intensity of backscatter as echo intensity unit from sediment particles. The frequency of ADCP used in this study was 400 kHz. The samples were measured and collected from Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi. The highest concentration of suspended sediment was 98.89 mg L-1 and the lowest was 45.20 mg L-1. Time series data showed the tidal condition affected the SSC. From the research, we also made correction from sound signal losses effect such as spherical spreading and sound absorption to get more accurate results by eliminating these parameters in echo intensity data. Simple linear regression analysis at echo intensity measured from ADCP to direct measurement of SSC was performed to obtain the estimation of the SSC. The comparison result of estimation of SSC from ADCP measurements and SSC from laboratory analyses was insignificantly different based on t-test statistical analysis with 95% confidence interval percentage.

Neural networks for the dimensionality reduction of GOME measurement vector in the estimation of ozone profiles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Del Frate, F.; Iapaolo, M.; Casadio, S.; Godin-Beekmann, S.; Petitdidier, M.

2005-01-01

Dimensionality reduction can be of crucial importance in the application of inversion schemes to atmospheric remote sensing data. In this study the problem of dimensionality reduction in the retrieval of ozone concentration profiles from the radiance measurements provided by the instrument Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) on board of ESA satellite ERS-2 is considered. By means of radiative transfer modelling, neural networks and pruning algorithms, a complete procedure has been designed to extract the GOME spectral ranges most crucial for the inversion. The quality of the resulting retrieval algorithm has been evaluated by comparing its performance to that yielded by other schemes and co-located profiles obtained with lidar measurements

Estimation of pore pressure from seismic velocities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perez, Zayra; Ojeda, German Y; Mateus, Darwin

2009-01-01

On pore pressure calculations it is common to obtain a profile in a well bore, which is then extrapolated toward offset wells. This practice might generate mistakes on pore pressure measurements, since geological conditions may change from a well bore to another, even into the same basin. Therefore, it is important to use other tools which allow engineers not only to detect and estimate in an indirect way overpressure zones, but also to keep a lateral tracking of possible changes that may affect those values in the different formations. Taking into account this situation, we applied a methodology that estimates formation pressure from 3D seismic velocities by using the Eaton method. First, we estimated formation pore pressure; then, we identified possible overpressure zones. Finally, those results obtained from seismic information were analyzed involving well logs and pore pressure tests, in order to compare real data with prediction based on seismic information from the Colombian foothill.

Statistical Estimation of the Protein-Ligand Binding Free Energy Based On Direct Protein-Ligand Interaction Obtained by Molecular Dynamics Simulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haruki Nakamura

2012-09-01

Full Text Available We have developed a method for estimating protein-ligand binding free energy (DG based on the direct protein-ligand interaction obtained by a molecular dynamics simulation. Using this method, we estimated the DG value statistically by the average values of the van der Waals and electrostatic interactions between each amino acid of the target protein and the ligand molecule. In addition, we introduced fluctuations in the accessible surface area (ASA and dihedral angles of the protein-ligand complex system as the entropy terms of the DG estimation. The present method included the fluctuation term of structural change of the protein and the effective dielectric constant. We applied this method to 34 protein-ligand complex structures. As a result, the correlation coefficient between the experimental and calculated DG values was 0.81, and the average error of DG was 1.2 kcal/mol with the use of the fixed parameters. These results were obtained from a 2 nsec molecular dynamics simulation.

Genomic outlier profile analysis: mixture models, null hypotheses, and nonparametric estimation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, Debashis; Chinnaiyan, Arul M

2009-01-01

In most analyses of large-scale genomic data sets, differential expression analysis is typically assessed by testing for differences in the mean of the distributions between 2 groups. A recent finding by Tomlins and others (2005) is of a different type of pattern of differential expression in which a fraction of samples in one group have overexpression relative to samples in the other group. In this work, we describe a general mixture model framework for the assessment of this type of expression, called outlier profile analysis. We start by considering the single-gene situation and establishing results on identifiability. We propose 2 nonparametric estimation procedures that have natural links to familiar multiple testing procedures. We then develop multivariate extensions of this methodology to handle genome-wide measurements. The proposed methodologies are compared using simulation studies as well as data from a prostate cancer gene expression study.

Automatic Detection of Mitosis and Nuclei from Cytogenetic Images by CellProfiler Software for Mitotic Index Estimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez, Jorge Ernesto; Romero, Ivonne; Garcia, Omar; Radl, Analia; Di Giorgio, Marina; Barquinero, Joan Francesc

2016-01-01

Mitotic Index (MI) estimation expressed as percentage of mitosis plays an important role as quality control endpoint. To this end, MI is applied to check the lot of media and reagents to be used throughout the assay and also to check cellular viability after blood sample shipping, indicating satisfactory/unsatisfactory conditions for the progression of cell culture. The objective of this paper was to apply the CellProfiler open-source software for automatic detection of mitotic and nuclei figures from digitized images of cultured human lymphocytes for MI assessment, and to compare its performance to that performed through semi-automatic and visual detection. Lymphocytes were irradiated and cultured for mitosis detection. Sets of images from cultures were analyzed visually and findings were compared with those using CellProfiler software. The CellProfiler pipeline includes the detection of nuclei and mitosis with 80% sensitivity and more than 99% specificity. We conclude that CellProfiler is a reliable tool for counting mitosis and nuclei from cytogenetic images, saves considerable time compared to manual operation and reduces the variability derived from the scoring criteria of different scorers. The CellProfiler automated pipeline achieves good agreement with visual counting workflow, i.e. it allows fully automated mitotic and nuclei scoring in cytogenetic images yielding reliable information with minimal user intervention. (authors)

Error estimation and global fitting in transverse-relaxation dispersion experiments to determine chemical-exchange parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishima, Rieko; Torchia, Dennis A.

2005-01-01

Off-resonance effects can introduce significant systematic errors in R 2 measurements in constant-time Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) transverse relaxation dispersion experiments. For an off-resonance chemical shift of 500 Hz, 15 N relaxation dispersion profiles obtained from experiment and computer simulation indicated a systematic error of ca. 3%. This error is three- to five-fold larger than the random error in R 2 caused by noise. Good estimates of total R 2 uncertainty are critical in order to obtain accurate estimates in optimized chemical exchange parameters and their uncertainties derived from χ 2 minimization of a target function. Here, we present a simple empirical approach that provides a good estimate of the total error (systematic + random) in 15 N R 2 values measured for the HIV protease. The advantage of this empirical error estimate is that it is applicable even when some of the factors that contribute to the off-resonance error are not known. These errors are incorporated into a χ 2 minimization protocol, in which the Carver-Richards equation is used fit the observed R 2 dispersion profiles, that yields optimized chemical exchange parameters and their confidence limits. Optimized parameters are also derived, using the same protein sample and data-fitting protocol, from 1 H R 2 measurements in which systematic errors are negligible. Although 1 H and 15 N relaxation profiles of individual residues were well fit, the optimized exchange parameters had large uncertainties (confidence limits). In contrast, when a single pair of exchange parameters (the exchange lifetime, τ ex , and the fractional population, p a ), were constrained to globally fit all R 2 profiles for residues in the dimer interface of the protein, confidence limits were less than 8% for all optimized exchange parameters. In addition, F-tests showed that quality of the fits obtained using τ ex , p a as global parameters were not improved when these parameters were free to fit the R

Using the profile method for evaluationthe beer quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. Bocharova

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The expediency of using the profile method of analysis for assessing the influence of technological factors on the quality of beer has been established. The characteristics for the evaluation of beer quality by the profile method are chosen. The results obtained using the profile method give a more complete picture of the properties of beer than the results of the scoring method. Each of the samples was analyzed and studied. The results of analysis of such criteria as aroma, flavor, appearance and physicochemical parameters are demonstrated on profilograms. Estimation of flavor is the most difficult, since this concept includes a complex sensation of taste, aroma and consistency, determined in the oral cavity. To confirm the organoleptic properties of the «body» of the best sort of beer, rheological analysis data were presented. Such an integrated approach will allow fully studying the properties of a low-alcohol beverage and clearly demonstrating the advantages of a profile method of analysis.

Method of LSD profile asymmetry for estimating the center of mass velocities of pulsating stars

Science.gov (United States)

Britavskiy, N.; Pancino, E.; Tsymbal, V.; Romano, D.; Cacciari, C.; Clementini, C.

2016-05-01

We present radial velocity analysis for 20 solar neighborhood RR Lyrae and 3 Population II Cepheids. High-resolution spectra were observed with either TNG/SARG or VLT/UVES over varying phases. To estimate the center of mass (barycentric) velocities of the program stars, we utilized two independent methods. First, the 'classic' method was employed, which is based on RR Lyrae radial velocity curve templates. Second, we provide the new method that used absorption line profile asymmetry to determine both the pulsation and the barycentric velocities even with a low number of high-resolution spectra and in cases where the phase of the observations is uncertain. This new method is based on a least squares deconvolution (LSD) of the line profiles in order to an- alyze line asymmetry that occurs in the spectra of pulsating stars. By applying this method to our sample stars we attain accurate measurements (+- 2 kms^-1) of the pulsation component of the radial velocity. This results in determination of the barycentric velocity to within 5 kms^-1 even with a low number of high- resolution spectra. A detailed investigation of LSD profile asymmetry shows the variable nature of the project factor at different pulsation phases, which should be taken into account in the detailed spectroscopic analysis of pulsating stars.

Comparison of internal dose estimates obtained using organ-level, voxel S value, and Monte Carlo techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grimes, Joshua, E-mail: grimes.joshua@mayo.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver V5Z 1L8 (Canada); Celler, Anna [Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver V5Z 1L8 (Canada)

2014-09-15

Purpose: The authors’ objective was to compare internal dose estimates obtained using the Organ Level Dose Assessment with Exponential Modeling (OLINDA/EXM) software, the voxel S value technique, and Monte Carlo simulation. Monte Carlo dose estimates were used as the reference standard to assess the impact of patient-specific anatomy on the final dose estimate. Methods: Six patients injected with{sup 99m}Tc-hydrazinonicotinamide-Tyr{sup 3}-octreotide were included in this study. A hybrid planar/SPECT imaging protocol was used to estimate {sup 99m}Tc time-integrated activity coefficients (TIACs) for kidneys, liver, spleen, and tumors. Additionally, TIACs were predicted for {sup 131}I, {sup 177}Lu, and {sup 90}Y assuming the same biological half-lives as the {sup 99m}Tc labeled tracer. The TIACs were used as input for OLINDA/EXM for organ-level dose calculation and voxel level dosimetry was performed using the voxel S value method and Monte Carlo simulation. Dose estimates for {sup 99m}Tc, {sup 131}I, {sup 177}Lu, and {sup 90}Y distributions were evaluated by comparing (i) organ-level S values corresponding to each method, (ii) total tumor and organ doses, (iii) differences in right and left kidney doses, and (iv) voxelized dose distributions calculated by Monte Carlo and the voxel S value technique. Results: The S values for all investigated radionuclides used by OLINDA/EXM and the corresponding patient-specific S values calculated by Monte Carlo agreed within 2.3% on average for self-irradiation, and differed by as much as 105% for cross-organ irradiation. Total organ doses calculated by OLINDA/EXM and the voxel S value technique agreed with Monte Carlo results within approximately ±7%. Differences between right and left kidney doses determined by Monte Carlo were as high as 73%. Comparison of the Monte Carlo and voxel S value dose distributions showed that each method produced similar dose volume histograms with a minimum dose covering 90% of the volume (D90

Modification of Turbulent Pipe Flow Equations to Estimate the Vertical Velocity Profiles Under Woody Debris Jams

Science.gov (United States)

Cervania, A.; Knack, I. M. W.

2017-12-01

The presence of woody debris (WD) jams in rivers and streams increases the risk of backwater flooding and reduces the navigability of a channel, but adds fish and macroinvertebrate habitat to the stream. When designing river engineering projects engineers use hydraulic models to predict flow behavior around these obstructions. However, the complexities of flow through and beneath WD jams are still poorly understood. By increasing the ability to predict flow behavior around WD jams, landowners and engineers are empowered to develop sustainable practices regarding the removal or placement of WD in rivers and flood plains to balance the desirable and undesirable effects to society and the environment. The objective of this study is to address some of this knowledge gap by developing a method to estimate the vertical velocity profile of flow under WD jams. When flow passes under WD jams, it becomes affected by roughness elements on all sides, similar to turbulent flows in pipe systems. Therefore, the method was developed using equations that define the velocity profiles of turbulent pipe flows: the law of the wall, the logarithmic law, and the velocity defect law. Flume simulations of WD jams were conducted and the vertical velocity profiles were measured along the centerline. A calculated velocity profile was fit to the measured profile through the calibration of eight parameters. An optimal value or range of values have been determined for several of these parameters using cross-validation techniques. The results indicate there may be some promise to using this method in hydraulic models.

A new retrieval algorithm for tropospheric temperature, humidity and pressure profiling based on GNSS radio occultation data

Science.gov (United States)

Kirchengast, Gottfried; Li, Ying; Scherllin-Pirscher, Barbara; Schwärz, Marc; Schwarz, Jakob; Nielsen, Johannes K.

2017-04-01

The GNSS radio occultation (RO) technique is an important remote sensing technique for obtaining thermodynamic profiles of temperature, humidity, and pressure in the Earth's troposphere. However, due to refraction effects of both dry ambient air and water vapor in the troposphere, retrieval of accurate thermodynamic profiles at these lower altitudes is challenging and requires suitable background information in addition to the RO refractivity information. Here we introduce a new moist air retrieval algorithm aiming to improve the quality and robustness of retrieving temperature, humidity and pressure profiles in moist air tropospheric conditions. The new algorithm consists of four steps: (1) use of prescribed specific humidity and its uncertainty to retrieve temperature and its associated uncertainty; (2) use of prescribed temperature and its uncertainty to retrieve specific humidity and its associated uncertainty; (3) use of the previous results to estimate final temperature and specific humidity profiles through optimal estimation; (4) determination of air pressure and density profiles from the results obtained before. The new algorithm does not require elaborated matrix inversions which are otherwise widely used in 1D-Var retrieval algorithms, and it allows a transparent uncertainty propagation, whereby the uncertainties of prescribed variables are dynamically estimated accounting for their spatial and temporal variations. Estimated random uncertainties are calculated by constructing error covariance matrices from co-located ECMWF short-range forecast and corresponding analysis profiles. Systematic uncertainties are estimated by empirical modeling. The influence of regarding or disregarding vertical error correlations is quantified. The new scheme is implemented with static input uncertainty profiles in WEGC's current OPSv5.6 processing system and with full scope in WEGC's next-generation system, the Reference Occultation Processing System (rOPS). Results from

Rain cell-based identification of the vertical profile of reflectivity as observed by weather radar and its use for precipitation uncertainty estimation

Science.gov (United States)

Hazenberg, P.; Torfs, P. J. J. F.; Leijnse, H.; Uijlenhoet, R.

2012-04-01

The wide scale implementation of weather radar systems over the last couple of decades has increased our understanding concerning spatio-temporal precipitation dynamics. However, the quantitative estimation of precipitation by these devices is affected by many sources of error. A very dominant source of error results from vertical variations in the hydrometeor size distribution known as the vertical profile of reflectivity (VPR). Since the height of the measurement as well as the beam volume increases with distance from the radar, for stratiform precipitation this results in a serious underestimation (overestimation) of the surface reflectivity while sampling within the snow (bright band) region. This research presents a precipitation cell-based implementation to correct volumetric weather radar measurements for VPR effects. Using the properties of a flipping carpenter square, a contour-based identification technique was developed, which is able to identify and track precipitation cells in real time, distinguishing between convective, stratiform and undefined precipitation. For the latter two types of systems, for each individual cell, a physically plausible vertical profile of reflectivity is estimated using a Monte Carlo optimization method. Since it can be expected that the VPR will vary within a given precipitation cell, a method was developed to take the uncertainty of the VPR estimate into account. As a result, we are able to estimate the amount of precipitation uncertainty as observed by weather radar due to VPR for a given precipitation type and storm cell. We demonstrate the possibilities of this technique for a number of winter precipitation systems observed within the Belgian Ardennes. For these systems, in general, the precipitation uncertainty estimate due to vertical reflectivity profile variations varies between 10-40%.

An iterative procedure for obtaining maximum-likelihood estimates of the parameters for a mixture of normal distributions

Science.gov (United States)

Peters, B. C., Jr.; Walker, H. F.

1978-01-01

This paper addresses the problem of obtaining numerically maximum-likelihood estimates of the parameters for a mixture of normal distributions. In recent literature, a certain successive-approximations procedure, based on the likelihood equations, was shown empirically to be effective in numerically approximating such maximum-likelihood estimates; however, the reliability of this procedure was not established theoretically. Here, we introduce a general iterative procedure, of the generalized steepest-ascent (deflected-gradient) type, which is just the procedure known in the literature when the step-size is taken to be 1. We show that, with probability 1 as the sample size grows large, this procedure converges locally to the strongly consistent maximum-likelihood estimate whenever the step-size lies between 0 and 2. We also show that the step-size which yields optimal local convergence rates for large samples is determined in a sense by the 'separation' of the component normal densities and is bounded below by a number between 1 and 2.

Molecular profiling of Vitis vinifera Chardonnay obtained by somatic embryogenesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christophe Bertsch

2003-12-01

Full Text Available With the help of microsatellite profiling, we showed that Vitis vinifera Chardonnay clone 96 is a periclinal chimera plant which is composed at least of two distinct cell layers. Performing somatic embryogenesis allowed us to separate the two cell layers and to regenerate L1 plants. These regenerated L1 plants did not show phenotypic differences to the parental clone when grown in greenhouse conditions, suggesting therefore that the phenotype of Chardonnay 96 did not result of an interaction between the two distinct cell layers L1 and L2.

Manual estimation of fallout casualties. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gant, K.S.; Haaland, C.M.

1978-08-01

A method is described for enabling Emergency Operating Centers (EOCs) to estimate nuclear fallout casualties (fatalities and injuries) during and after nuclear attack without the aid of computers. This method is compatible with the current manual method for estimating initial weapons effects. The new technique requires that the EOCs have information on nuclear detonations and upper wind conditions and that they have maps, a protractor, map overlay material, grease pencils, worksheets, and pencils. In addition, they will need two tables of data and a fallout casualty (FC) template, all supplied in this report. Five steps are involved in the estimation of fallout casualties for an area: sketching fallout wind streamlines on a map overlay; plotting locations of nuclear detonations and their fallout streamlines; measuring crosswind and upwind distances to detonation points from the point of interest; reading radiation exposure tables and summing the contributions from different weapons to obtain the exposure at that point; and using the FC template with the protection factor profile for the area to estimate fatalities and injuries. The tables of radiation exposure are based on a modified Weapons Systems Evaluation Group-10 (WSEG-10) fallout model. The table of county protection factor profiles (PFPs) assumes a Community Shelter Plan (CSP) posture

Concentration profiles near an activated enzyme.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Soohyung; Agmon, Noam

2008-09-25

When a resting enzyme is activated, substrate concentration profile evolves in its vicinity, ultimately tending to steady state. We use modern theories for many-body effects on diffusion-influenced reactions to derive approximate analytical expressions for the steady-state profile and the Laplace transform of the transient concentration profiles. These show excellent agreement with accurate many-particle Brownian-dynamics simulations for the Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The steady-state profile has a hyperbolic dependence on the distance of the substrate from the enzyme, albeit with a prefactor containing the complexity of the many-body effects. These are most conspicuous for the substrate concentration at the surface of the enzyme. It shows an interesting transition as a function of the enzyme turnover rate. When it is high, the contact concentration decays monotonically to steady state. However, for slow turnover it is nonmonotonic, showing a minimum due to reversible substrate binding, then a maximum due to diffusion of new substrate toward the enzyme, and finally decay to steady state. Under certain conditions one can obtain a good estimate for the critical value of the turnover rate constant at the transition.

Automatic Detection of Mitosis and Nuclei From Cytogenetic Images by CellProfiler Software for Mitotic Index Estimation.

Science.gov (United States)

González, Jorge Ernesto; Radl, Analía; Romero, Ivonne; Barquinero, Joan Francesc; García, Omar; Di Giorgio, Marina

2016-12-01

Mitotic Index (MI) estimation expressed as percentage of mitosis plays an important role as quality control endpoint. To this end, MI is applied to check the lot of media and reagents to be used throughout the assay and also to check cellular viability after blood sample shipping, indicating satisfactory/unsatisfactory conditions for the progression of cell culture. The objective of this paper was to apply the CellProfiler open-source software for automatic detection of mitotic and nuclei figures from digitized images of cultured human lymphocytes for MI assessment, and to compare its performance to that performed through semi-automatic and visual detection. Lymphocytes were irradiated and cultured for mitosis detection. Sets of images from cultures were analyzed visually and findings were compared with those using CellProfiler software. The CellProfiler pipeline includes the detection of nuclei and mitosis with 80% sensitivity and more than 99% specificity. We conclude that CellProfiler is a reliable tool for counting mitosis and nuclei from cytogenetic images, saves considerable time compared to manual operation and reduces the variability derived from the scoring criteria of different scorers. The CellProfiler automated pipeline achieves good agreement with visual counting workflow, i.e. it allows fully automated mitotic and nuclei scoring in cytogenetic images yielding reliable information with minimal user intervention. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Estimation of the algal-available phosphorus pool in sediments of a large, shallow eutrophic lake (Taihu, China) using profiled SMT fractional analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Mengyuan; Zhu Guangwei; Li Wei; Zhang Yunlin; Zhao Linlin; Gu Zhao

2013-01-01

Because large, shallow lakes are heavily influenced by wind–wave disturbance, it is difficult to estimate internal phosphorus load using traditional methods. To estimate the potential contribution of phosphorus from sediment to overlying water in eutrophic Lake Taihu, phosphorus fractions of surface and deep layer sediments were quantified and analyzed for algal bloom potential using a Standard Measurements and Testing (SMT) sequential extraction method and incubation experiments. Phosphorus bound to Fe, Al and Mn oxides and hydroxides (Fe–P) and organic phosphorus (OP) were to be found bioactive. The difference in Fe–P and OP contents between surface and deep layers equates to the sediment pool of potentially algal-available phosphorus. This pool was estimated at 5168 tons for the entire lake and was closely related to pollution input and algal blooms. Profiled SMT fractionation analysis is thus a potentially useful tool for estimating internal phosphorus loading in large, shallow lakes. - Highlights: ► We used profiled sediment P activity by SMT fractionation to evaluate the P release potential in large and shallow lakes. ► We built the relationship between sediment SMT fractionations of P and the P release by algal bloom degradation process. ► We discussed the supporting mechanism of sediment P release to Microcystis algal bloom in a large and shallow lake. ► We discussed the nutrient control strategy of algal bloom in shallow lakes in highly human activities disturbance catchment. - Profiled SMT fractional analysis of internal phosphorus pool in large, shallow lake.

Profiles of chloride and water stable isotope in porewater obtained from a 2000 m-deep borehole through the Mesozoic sedimentary series in the East of France

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bensenouci, F.; Michelot, J.L.; Matray, J.M.; Savoye, S.

2010-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. A method to obtain information about fluid flow and solute transport in porous media with low hydraulic conductivity and low water content is based on the study of the natural tracer distribution in pore water. This approach was previously applied to the Callovo-Oxfordian argillites, studied by Andra at the Bure URL (East of France), using several natural tracer profiles ( 4 He, 2 H, 18 O, Cl - , 37 Cl). These profiles were interpreted as the result of a diffusive exchange between pore water in the aquitard and groundwater in the surrounding aquifers. However, at the Bure URL, and in contrast to other investigated argillaceous formations, the concentrations of tracers in lower aquifer groundwater may be higher than those in argillite pore water and increase with depth. The continuity of the profiles and the origin of pore water salinity remained questionable. This study aims at presenting and interpreting chloride and stable isotope profiles in pore water through more than 800 m of sediments, from the lower Oxfordian to the lower Hettangian. Drill-core samples were collected from the 2000 m-deep borehole (EST 433) drilled by Andra in the so-called 'Transposition Zone', located north to the Bure URL. In the framework of the TAPPS 2000 programme, twenty-five core samples were collected from the Oxfordian to the lower Hettangian during the drilling campaign, and in-situ conditioned. The chloride concentrations in pore water were firstly estimated by aqueous leaching, using a geochemical porosity two times smaller than the porosity measured by heating at 150 deg. C. After this estimation of pore water salinities, the radial diffusion and vapour exchange methods were applied to determine the stable isotope and anion concentrations in pore water. The deuterium contents of pore water derived from the vapour exchange experiments describe a classical bell-shape profile in the Callovo-Oxfordian argillites with an

Estimation of the mechanical loading of the shoulder joint in daily conditions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

De Vries, W.H.K.

2015-01-01

The goal of this thesis is to assemble a method to estimate shoulder joint reaction forces, in daily conditions, based on long term collection of ambulatory measurable variables, to obtain the desired long term mechanical load profile of the shoulder. Chapter 2 examines, and discusses one of the

Atomistic minimal model for estimating profile of electrodeposited nanopatterns

Science.gov (United States)

Asgharpour Hassankiadeh, Somayeh; Sadeghi, Ali

2018-06-01

We develop a computationally efficient and methodologically simple approach to realize molecular dynamics simulations of electrodeposition. Our minimal model takes into account the nontrivial electric field due a sharp electrode tip to perform simulations of the controllable coating of a thin layer on a surface with an atomic precision. On the atomic scale a highly site-selective electrodeposition of ions and charged particles by means of the sharp tip of a scanning probe microscope is possible. A better understanding of the microscopic process, obtained mainly from atomistic simulations, helps us to enhance the quality of this nanopatterning technique and to make it applicable in fabrication of nanowires and nanocontacts. In the limit of screened inter-particle interactions, it is feasible to run very fast simulations of the electrodeposition process within the framework of the proposed model and thus to investigate how the shape of the overlayer depends on the tip-sample geometry and dielectric properties, electrolyte viscosity, etc. Our calculation results reveal that the sharpness of the profile of a nano-scale deposited overlayer is dictated by the normal-to-sample surface component of the electric field underneath the tip.

A novel technique for real-time estimation of edge pedestal density gradients via reflectometer time delay data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zeng, L., E-mail: zeng@fusion.gat.com; Doyle, E. J.; Rhodes, T. L.; Wang, G.; Sung, C.; Peebles, W. A. [Physics and Astronomy Department, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095 (United States); Bobrek, M. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6006 (United States)

2016-11-15

A new model-based technique for fast estimation of the pedestal electron density gradient has been developed. The technique uses ordinary mode polarization profile reflectometer time delay data and does not require direct profile inversion. Because of its simple data processing, the technique can be readily implemented via a Field-Programmable Gate Array, so as to provide a real-time density gradient estimate, suitable for use in plasma control systems such as envisioned for ITER, and possibly for DIII-D and Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak. The method is based on a simple edge plasma model with a linear pedestal density gradient and low scrape-off-layer density. By measuring reflectometer time delays for three adjacent frequencies, the pedestal density gradient can be estimated analytically via the new approach. Using existing DIII-D profile reflectometer data, the estimated density gradients obtained from the new technique are found to be in good agreement with the actual density gradients for a number of dynamic DIII-D plasma conditions.

Cognitive profiles and heritability estimates in the Old Order Amish.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuehner, Ryan M; Kochunov, Peter; Nugent, Katie L; Jurius, Deanna E; Savransky, Anya; Gaudiot, Christopher; Bruce, Heather A; Gold, James; Shuldiner, Alan R; Mitchell, Braxton D; Hong, L Elliot

2016-08-01

This study aimed to establish the applicability of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) in the Old Order Amish (OOA) and to assess the genetic contribution toward the RBANS total score and its cognitive domains using a large family-based sample of OOA. RBANS data were collected in 103 OOA individuals from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, including 85 individuals without psychiatric illness and 18 individuals with current psychiatric diagnoses. The RBANS total score and all five cognitive domains of in nonpsychiatric OOA were within half a SD of the normative data of the general population. The RBANS total score was highly heritable (h=0.51, P=0.019). OOA with psychiatric diagnoses had a numerically lower RBANS total score and domain scores compared with the nonpsychiatric participants. The RBANS appears to be a suitable cognitive battery for the OOA population as measurements obtained from the OOA are comparable with normative data in the US population. The heritability estimated from the OOA is in line with heritabilities of other cognitive batteries estimated in other populations. These results support the use of RBANS in cognitive assessment, clinical care, and behavioral genetic studies of neuropsychological functioning in this population.

A time-frequency analysis method to obtain stable estimates of magnetotelluric response function based on Hilbert-Huang transform

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Jianhua

2017-05-01

The time-frequency analysis method represents signal as a function of time and frequency, and it is considered a powerful tool for handling arbitrary non-stationary time series by using instantaneous frequency and instantaneous amplitude. It also provides a possible alternative to the analysis of the non-stationary magnetotelluric (MT) signal. Based on the Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT), a time-frequency analysis method is proposed to obtain stable estimates of the magnetotelluric response function. In contrast to conventional methods, the response function estimation is performed in the time-frequency domain using instantaneous spectra rather than in the frequency domain, which allows for imaging the response parameter content as a function of time and frequency. The theory of the method is presented and the mathematical model and calculation procedure, which are used to estimate response function based on HHT time-frequency spectrum, are discussed. To evaluate the results, response function estimates are compared with estimates from a standard MT data processing method based on the Fourier transform. All results show that apparent resistivities and phases, which are calculated from the HHT time-frequency method, are generally more stable and reliable than those determined from the simple Fourier analysis. The proposed method overcomes the drawbacks of the traditional Fourier methods, and the resulting parameter minimises the estimation bias caused by the non-stationary characteristics of the MT data.

A fast pulse phase estimation method for X-ray pulsar signals based on epoch folding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xue Mengfan

2016-06-01

Full Text Available X-ray pulsar-based navigation (XPNAV is an attractive method for autonomous deep-space navigation in the future. The pulse phase estimation is a key task in XPNAV and its accuracy directly determines the navigation accuracy. State-of-the-art pulse phase estimation techniques either suffer from poor estimation accuracy, or involve the maximization of generally non-convex object function, thus resulting in a large computational cost. In this paper, a fast pulse phase estimation method based on epoch folding is presented. The statistical properties of the observed profile obtained through epoch folding are developed. Based on this, we recognize the joint probability distribution of the observed profile as the likelihood function and utilize a fast Fourier transform-based procedure to estimate the pulse phase. Computational complexity of the proposed estimator is analyzed as well. Experimental results show that the proposed estimator significantly outperforms the currently used cross-correlation (CC and nonlinear least squares (NLS estimators, while significantly reduces the computational complexity compared with NLS and maximum likelihood (ML estimators.

Simulating the Surface Relief of Nanoaerosols Obtained via the Rapid Cooling of Droplets

Science.gov (United States)

Tovbin, Yu. K.; Zaitseva, E. S.; Rabinovich, A. B.

2018-03-01

An approach is formulated that theoretically describes the structure of a rough surface of small aerosol particles obtained from a liquid droplet upon its rapid cooling. The problem consists of two stages. In the first stage, a concentration profile of the droplet-vapor transition region is calculated. In the second stage, local fractions of vacant sites and their pairs are found on the basis of this profile, and the rough structure of a frozen droplet surface transitioning to the solid state is calculated. Model parameters are the temperature of the initial droplet and those of the lateral interaction between droplet atoms. Information on vacant sites inside the region of transition allows us to identify adsorption centers and estimate the monolayer capacity, compared to that of the total space of the region of transition. The approach is oriented toward calculating adsorption isotherms on real surfaces.

Evaluation of ruminal degradation profiles of forages using bags made from different textiles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tiago Neves Pereira Valente

2011-11-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to evaluate the in situ degradation profiles of dry matter (DM and neutral detergent fiber (NDF of different forages using nylon (50 µm, F57 (Ankom® and non-woven textile (NWT - 100 g/m² bags. Eight forage samples were used: sugarcane, corn silage, elephant grass cut at 50 and 250 days of regrowth, corn straw, signal grass hay, coast cross hay, and fresh alfalfa. Samples were incubated for 0, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144, 168, 192, 216, 240, and 312 hours. Two bags of each textile were used at each incubation time, totaling 768 bags, using two crossbred Holstein × Zebu steers fitted with ruminal canullae. There was difference in the common rate of lag and degradation (λ of DM for all forages, except for sugarcane. In general, higher λ estimates were obtained using nylon, followed by NWT and F57. Concerning NDF degradation profiles, differences in λ were observed for all forages. Greater estimates were obtained using nylon. Degradation profiles of DM and NDF must not be evaluated using F57 and NWT. These textiles underestimate the degradation rate due to constraints regarding exchange between bags' content and rumen environment.

Profiling polyphenol composition by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MSn and the antibacterial activity of infusion preparations obtained from four medicinal plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Ziani, Borhane E C; Barros, Lillian; Boumehira, Ali Z; Bachari, Khaldoun; Heleno, Sandrina A; Alves, Maria Jose; Ferreira, Isabel C F R

2018-01-24

The infusions of Thymus pallescens Noë, Saccocalyx satureioides Coss. et Dur., Ptychotis verticillata Briq. and Limoniastrum guyonianum Boiss. have been used as medicinal remedies for many diseases in Algerian folk medicine. These species have also been well documented as rich sources of phytochemicals, such as phenolic compounds with wide diversified chemical structures, which exhibit far-ranging biological activities. Thus, the phenolic compound profile of the aqueous extracts, obtained by infusing, of the mentioned species was obtained by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS, and their antibacterial activity was evaluated against clinical isolates. Several phenolic acids were identified and quantified, particularly caffeic acid derivatives along with glycosylated flavonoids. T. pallescens and S. satureioides contain 13 phenolic compounds, where rosmarinic acid was the most abundant phenolic acid present, while L. guyonianum presented myricetin-3-O-glucoside and myricetin-O-rhamnoside as the main compounds among the eight detected molecules. P. verticillata presented a profile of ten phenolic compounds, where 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid was the most abundant phenolic acid, followed by the flavone luteolin-3-O-glucoside. The antibacterial activity of the infusions ranged between 2.5 and 20 mg mL -1 (MIC values), and L. guyonianum showed the highest activity against all of the tested bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa being the most sensitive and resistant strains, respectively. Thus, the studied plant species are sources of natural antibacterial substances that can be used to fight against pathogenic microorganisms.

Fabrication of Graded Porous and Skin-Core Structure RDX-Based Propellants via Supercritical CO2 Concentration Profile

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Weitao; Li, Yuxiang; Ying, Sanjiu

2015-04-01

A fabrication process to produce graded porous and skin-core structure propellants via supercritical CO2 concentration profile is reported in this article. It utilizes a partial gas saturation technique to obtain nonequilibrium gas concentration profiles in propellants. Once foamed, the propellant obtains a graded porous or skin-pore structure. This fabrication method was studied with RDX(Hexogen)-based propellant under an SC-CO2 saturation condition. The principle was analyzed and the one-dimensional diffusion model was employed to estimate the gas diffusion coefficient and to predict the gas concentration profiles inside the propellant. Scanning electron microscopy images were used to analyze the effects of partial saturation on the inner structure. The results also suggested that the sorption time and desorption time played an important role in gas profile generation and controlled the inner structure of propellants.

Estimation of rainfall inputs and direct recharge to the deep unsaturated zone of southern Niger using the chloride profile method.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bromley, J.; Edmunds, W.M.; Fellman, E.; Brouwer, J.; Gaze, S.R.; Sudlow, J.; Taupin, J.D.

1997-01-01

An estimate of direct groundwater recharge below a region of natural woodland (tiger bush) has been made in south-west Niger using the solute profile technique. Data has been collected from a 77 m deep well dug within the study area covered by HAPEX-Sahel (Hydrological and Atmospheric Pilot

Experimental and theoretical Compton profiles of Be, C and Al

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aguiar, Julio C., E-mail: jaguiar@arn.gob.a [Autoridad Regulatoria Nuclear, Av. Del Libertador 8250, C1429BNP, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Instituto de Fisica ' Arroyo Seco' , Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, U.N.C.P.B.A., Pinto 399, 7000 Tandil (Argentina); Di Rocco, Hector O. [Instituto de Fisica ' Arroyo Seco' , Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, U.N.C.P.B.A., Pinto 399, 7000 Tandil (Argentina); Arazi, Andres [Laboratorio TANDAR, Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica, Av. General Paz 1499, 1650 San Martin, Buenos Aires (Argentina)

2011-02-01

The results of Compton profile measurements, Fermi momentum determinations, and theoretical values obtained from a linear combination of Slater-type orbital (STO) for core electrons in beryllium; carbon and aluminium are presented. In addition, a Thomas-Fermi model is used to estimate the contribution of valence electrons to the Compton profile. Measurements were performed using monoenergetic photons of 59.54 keV provided by a low-intensity Am-241 {gamma}-ray source. Scattered photons were detected at 90{sup o} from the beam direction using a p-type coaxial high-purity germanium detector (HPGe). The experimental results are in good agreement with theoretical calculations.

Quantification of in vivo 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy signals with baseline and lineshape estimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osorio-Garcia, M I; Sima, D M; Van Huffel, S; Nielsen, F U; Dresselaers, T; Himmelreich, U; Van Leuven, F

2011-01-01

The in vivo quantification of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) signals is a method to estimate metabolite concentrations of living tissue. Obtaining reliable concentrations is still a challenge due to the experimental conditions affecting spectral quality. Additionally, lipids and macromolecules overlap with the metabolites of interest, affecting their reliable estimation. In this study, we propose to combine the self-deconvolution lineshape estimation method, which accounts for spectral shape distortions, with two different approaches for taking into account the macromolecular baseline contribution: (a) based on macromolecules and lipids measured in vivo using an inversion recovery technique, and (b) based on the simulation of macromolecular resonances using prior knowledge from a database of inversion recovery signals. The ultimate goal is to measure macromolecular and lipid data only once as described in (a) to create macromolecular and lipid profiles. These profiles then can be used as described in (b) for data measured under the same conditions. The method is evaluated on in vivo 1 H MRS signals at 9.4 T from mouse hippocampus. Results show that better metabolite fits are obtained when lineshape and baseline estimations are simultaneously performed and that baseline estimation based on prior knowledge from macromolecular measured signals can be reliably used to replace time-consuming individual macromolecular and lipid acquisitions

An iterative procedure for obtaining maximum-likelihood estimates of the parameters for a mixture of normal distributions, 2

Science.gov (United States)

Peters, B. C., Jr.; Walker, H. F.

1976-01-01

The problem of obtaining numerically maximum likelihood estimates of the parameters for a mixture of normal distributions is addressed. In recent literature, a certain successive approximations procedure, based on the likelihood equations, is shown empirically to be effective in numerically approximating such maximum-likelihood estimates; however, the reliability of this procedure was not established theoretically. Here, a general iterative procedure is introduced, of the generalized steepest-ascent (deflected-gradient) type, which is just the procedure known in the literature when the step-size is taken to be 1. With probability 1 as the sample size grows large, it is shown that this procedure converges locally to the strongly consistent maximum-likelihood estimate whenever the step-size lies between 0 and 2. The step-size which yields optimal local convergence rates for large samples is determined in a sense by the separation of the component normal densities and is bounded below by a number between 1 and 2.

A novel method for decomposing electricity feeder load into elementary profiles from customer information

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerossier, Alexis; Barbier, Thibaut; Girard, Robin

2017-01-01

Highlights: •Use of aggregated electricity load profiles and customer description at feeder level. •Statistical recovery of elementary load profiles with customer categorization. •Generation of load demand profiles for unknown feeders and new local areas. •Relevancy of the different categorizations. -- Abstract: To plan a distribution grid involves making a long-term forecast of sub-hourly demand, which requires modeling the demand and its dynamics with aggregated measurement data. Distribution system operators (DSOs) have been recording electricity sub-hourly demand delivered by their medium-voltage feeders (around 1000—10,000 customers) for several years. Demand profiles differ widely among the various considered feeders. This is partly due to the varying mix of customer categories from one feeder to another. To overcome this issue, elementary demand profiles are often associated with customer categories and then combined according to a mix description. This paper presents a novel method to estimate elementary profiles that only requires several feeder demand curves and a description of customers. The method relies on a statistical blind source model and a new estimation procedure based on the augmented Lagrangian method. The use of feeders to estimate elementary profiles means that measurements are fully representative and continuously updated. We illustrate the proposed method through a case study comprising around 1000 feeder demand curves operated by the main French DSO Enedis. We propose an application o that uses the obtained profiles to evaluate the contribution of any set of new customers to a feeder peak load. We show that profiles enable a simulation of new unmeasured areas with errors of around 20%. We also show how our method can be used to evaluate the relevancy of different customer categorizations.

A comparative study of three model-based algorithms for estimating state-of-charge of lithium-ion batteries under a new combined dynamic loading profile

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Fangfang; Xing, Yinjiao; Wang, Dong; Tsui, Kwok-Leung

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Three different model-based filtering algorithms for SOC estimation are compared. • A combined dynamic loading profile is proposed to evaluate the three algorithms. • Robustness against uncertainty of initial states of SOC estimators are investigated. • Battery capacity degradation is considered in SOC estimation. - Abstract: Accurate state-of-charge (SOC) estimation is critical for the safety and reliability of battery management systems in electric vehicles. Because SOC cannot be directly measured and SOC estimation is affected by many factors, such as ambient temperature, battery aging, and current rate, a robust SOC estimation approach is necessary to be developed so as to deal with time-varying and nonlinear battery systems. In this paper, three popular model-based filtering algorithms, including extended Kalman filter, unscented Kalman filter, and particle filter, are respectively used to estimate SOC and their performances regarding to tracking accuracy, computation time, robustness against uncertainty of initial values of SOC, and battery degradation, are compared. To evaluate the performances of these algorithms, a new combined dynamic loading profile composed of the dynamic stress test, the federal urban driving schedule and the US06 is proposed. The comparison results showed that the unscented Kalman filter is the most robust to different initial values of SOC, while the particle filter owns the fastest convergence ability when an initial guess of SOC is far from a true initial SOC.

Synthesis of national risk profile

Science.gov (United States)

1979-01-01

The methodology used and results obtained in computing the national risk profile for carbon fibers (CF) released after an aircraft accident (fire or explosion) are presented. The computation was performed by use of twenty-six individual conditional risk profiles, together with the extrapolation of these profiles to other U.S. airports. The risk profile was obtained using 1993 CF utilization forecasts, but numbers of facilities were taken from 1972 and 1975 census data, while losses were expressed in 1977 dollars.

A convenient method of obtaining percentile norms and accompanying interval estimates for self-report mood scales (DASS, DASS-21, HADS, PANAS, and sAD).

Science.gov (United States)

Crawford, John R; Garthwaite, Paul H; Lawrie, Caroline J; Henry, Julie D; MacDonald, Marie A; Sutherland, Jane; Sinha, Priyanka

2009-06-01

A series of recent papers have reported normative data from the general adult population for commonly used self-report mood scales. To bring together and supplement these data in order to provide a convenient means of obtaining percentile norms for the mood scales. A computer program was developed that provides point and interval estimates of the percentile rank corresponding to raw scores on the various self-report scales. The program can be used to obtain point and interval estimates of the percentile rank of an individual's raw scores on the DASS, DASS-21, HADS, PANAS, and sAD mood scales, based on normative sample sizes ranging from 758 to 3822. The interval estimates can be obtained using either classical or Bayesian methods as preferred. The computer program (which can be downloaded at www.abdn.ac.uk/~psy086/dept/MoodScore.htm) provides a convenient and reliable means of supplementing existing cut-off scores for self-report mood scales.

Profiles of radiation power density in WEGA stellarator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, D.; Otte, M.; Giannone, L.

2005-01-01

On the WEGA stellarator, a 12 channel bolometer camera has been used to measure the radiation power losses of the plasma, which is heated by ECR at 2.45 GHz with a maximum power of 26 kW. The typical electron temperatures achieved are around 10 eV. The bolometer is of the Au resistor type and is positioned on the mid-plane, viewing the plasma from the low-field side with a spatial resolution of about 6 cm. The viewing angle is opened to poloidally (±47 o ) and covers the whole cross-section. Angular profiles of radiation power density (emissivity) can be achieved using the measured fluxes to the channels, which are given by the integrals along the sight lines. Using Abel inversion with maximum entropy regularisation, radial profiles of emissivity could be obtained. It is found that the angular profile of emissivity depends on the magnetic configuration, the working gas (Ar, He) and the heating scenario. Peaked and hollow emissivity profiles have been obtained by using different types of heating antenna. By changing the magnetic configuration, strong edge radiation has been observed. The largest emissivity values are obtained in the upper SOL range of Ar-discharges. This edge radiation can be reduced by shifting the flux surfaces inwards or by changing their shape at the antenna. The reconstruction of the radial profile of the emissivity was carried out in the case of a peaked angular profile with minimum edge radiation. The total radiation power was estimated by linear extrapolation of the integrated radiation power in the viewing region to the torus volume. It is typically less than 30% of the ECRH input power, but depending on the ECRH input power, again the magnetic configuration, the working gas as well as the absolute field strength on the magnetic axis. Maximum radiation losses have been obtained around 0.6·B0, where B 0 =87.5 mT is the resonant field strength of the ECRH. No evidence for impurities was obtained from spectroscopic measurements, and thus the

Theoretical estimation of adiabatic temperature rise from the heat flow data obtained from a reaction calorimeter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, Parichay K.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► This method for estimating ΔT ad (t) against time in a semi-batch reactor is distinctively pioneer and novel. ► It has established uniquely a direct correspondence between the evolution of ΔT ad (t) in RC and C A (t) in a semi-batch reactor. ► Through a unique reaction scheme, the independent effects of heat of mixing and reaction on ΔT ad (t) has been demonstrated quantitatively. ► This work will help to build a thermally safe corridor of a thermally hazard reaction. ► This manuscript, the author believes will open a new vista for further research in Adiabatic Calorimetry. - Abstract: A novel method for estimating the transient profile of adiabatic rise in temperature has been developed from the heat flow data for exothermic chemical reactions that are conducted in reaction calorimeter (RC). It has also been mathematically demonstrated by the present design that there exists a direct qualitative equivalence between the temporal evolution of the adiabatic temperature rise and the concentration of the limiting reactant for an exothermic chemical reaction, carried out in semi batch mode. The proposed procedure shows that the adiabatic temperature rise will always be less than that of the reaction executed at batch mode thereby affording a thermally safe corridor. Moreover, a unique reaction scheme has been designed to establish the independent heat effect of dissolution and reaction quantitatively. It is hoped that the testimony of the transient adiabatic temperature rise that can be prepared by the proposed method, may provide ample scope for further research.

Study of Profile Changes during Mechanical Polishing using Relocation Profilometry

Science.gov (United States)

Kumaran, S. Chidambara; Shunmugam, M. S.

2017-10-01

Mechanical polishing is a finishing process practiced conventionally to enhance quality of surface. Surface finish is improved by mechanical cutting action of abrasive particles on work surface. Polishing is complex in nature and research efforts have been focused on understanding the polishing mechanism. Study of changes in profile is a useful method of understanding behavior of the polishing process. Such a study requires tracing same profile at regular process intervals, which is a tedious job. An innovative relocation technique is followed in the present work to study profile changes during mechanical polishing of austenitic stainless steel specimen. Using special locating fixture, micro-indentation mark and cross-correlation technique, the same profile is traced at certain process intervals. Comparison of different parameters of profiles shows the manner in which metal removal takes place in the polishing process. Mass removal during process estimated by the same relocation technique is checked with that obtained using weight measurement. The proposed approach can be extended to other micro/nano finishing processes and favorable process conditions can be identified.

Temperature profiles of time dependent tokamak plasmas from the parallel Ohm's law

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Micozzi, P.; Roccella, M.

1993-01-01

Profile consistency based on the parallel component of Ohm's law has been used to obtain electron temperature profiles. A resistive neoclassical term and a term that accounts for the bootstrap current contributions have been considered in Ohm's law. A numerical code has been developed to find solutions according to the MHD equilibrium equations. For stationary plasmas, the temperature profiles, obtained by a procedure in which a pseudo-parabolic shape of (J φ /R) is assumed and the peak temperature known from experiments is used, are close to the experimental data for several very different machines (JET, TFTR, ASDEX, ALCATOR-C and FT). The main feature of the model is its capability to provide an easy parametrization of Ohm's law also in non-stationary cases, without going through the complication of a detailed solution of the magnetic field diffusion equation. A rule for estimating a maximum value of the current diffusion time inside the plasma volume in such situations is given. This rule accounts for both the temperature profiles and the stabilization times in some non-stationary pulses observed in JET. (author). 28 refs, 12 figs

Wavelet based methods for improved wind profiler signal processing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Lehmann

2001-08-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we apply wavelet thresholding for removing automatically ground and intermittent clutter (airplane echoes from wind profiler radar data. Using the concept of discrete multi-resolution analysis and non-parametric estimation theory, we develop wavelet domain thresholding rules, which allow us to identify the coefficients relevant for clutter and to suppress them in order to obtain filtered reconstructions.Key words. Meteorology and atmospheric dynamics (instruments and techniques – Radio science (remote sensing; signal processing

Turbulent heat fluxes by profile and inertial dissipation methods: analysis of the atmospheric surface layer from shipboard measurements during the SOFIA/ASTEX and SEMAPHORE experiments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Dupuis

Full Text Available Heat flux estimates obtained using the inertial dissipation method, and the profile method applied to radiosonde soundings, are assessed with emphasis on the parameterization of the roughness lengths for temperature and specific humidity. Results from the inertial dissipation method show a decrease of the temperature and humidity roughness lengths for increasing neutral wind speed, in agreement with previous studies. The sensible heat flux estimates were obtained using the temperature estimated from the speed of sound determined by a sonic anemometer. This method seems very attractive for estimating heat fluxes over the ocean. However allowance must be made in the inertial dissipation method for non-neutral stratification. The SOFIA/ASTEX and SEMAPHORE results show that, in unstable stratification, a term due to the transport terms in the turbulent kinetic energy budget, has to be included in order to determine the friction velocity with better accuracy. Using the profile method with radiosonde data, the roughness length values showed large scatter. A reliable estimate of the temperature roughness length could not be obtained. The humidity roughness length values were compatible with those found using the inertial dissipation method.

Turbulent heat fluxes by profile and inertial dissipation methods: analysis of the atmospheric surface layer from shipboard measurements during the SOFIA/ASTEX and SEMAPHORE experiments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Dupuis

1995-10-01

Full Text Available Heat flux estimates obtained using the inertial dissipation method, and the profile method applied to radiosonde soundings, are assessed with emphasis on the parameterization of the roughness lengths for temperature and specific humidity. Results from the inertial dissipation method show a decrease of the temperature and humidity roughness lengths for increasing neutral wind speed, in agreement with previous studies. The sensible heat flux estimates were obtained using the temperature estimated from the speed of sound determined by a sonic anemometer. This method seems very attractive for estimating heat fluxes over the ocean. However allowance must be made in the inertial dissipation method for non-neutral stratification. The SOFIA/ASTEX and SEMAPHORE results show that, in unstable stratification, a term due to the transport terms in the turbulent kinetic energy budget, has to be included in order to determine the friction velocity with better accuracy. Using the profile method with radiosonde data, the roughness length values showed large scatter. A reliable estimate of the temperature roughness length could not be obtained. The humidity roughness length values were compatible with those found using the inertial dissipation method.

Turbulent heat fluxes by profile and inertial dissipation methods: analysis of the atmospheric surface layer from shipboard measurements during the SOFIA/ASTEX and SEMAPHORE experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Dupuis, Hélène; Weill, Alain; Katsaros, Kristina; Taylor, Peter K.

1995-10-01

Heat flux estimates obtained using the inertial dissipation method, and the profile method applied to radiosonde soundings, are assessed with emphasis on the parameterization of the roughness lengths for temperature and specific humidity. Results from the inertial dissipation method show a decrease of the temperature and humidity roughness lengths for increasing neutral wind speed, in agreement with previous studies. The sensible heat flux estimates were obtained using the temperature estimated from the speed of sound determined by a sonic anemometer. This method seems very attractive for estimating heat fluxes over the ocean. However allowance must be made in the inertial dissipation method for non-neutral stratification. The SOFIA/ASTEX and SEMAPHORE results show that, in unstable stratification, a term due to the transport terms in the turbulent kinetic energy budget, has to be included in order to determine the friction velocity with better accuracy. Using the profile method with radiosonde data, the roughness length values showed large scatter. A reliable estimate of the temperature roughness length could not be obtained. The humidity roughness length values were compatible with those found using the inertial dissipation method.

Technical Note: Variance-covariance matrix and averaging kernels for the Levenberg-Marquardt solution of the retrieval of atmospheric vertical profiles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Ceccherini

2010-03-01

Full Text Available The variance-covariance matrix (VCM and the averaging kernel matrix (AKM are widely used tools to characterize atmospheric vertical profiles retrieved from remote sensing measurements. Accurate estimation of these quantities is essential for both the evaluation of the quality of the retrieved profiles and for the correct use of the profiles themselves in subsequent applications such as data comparison, data assimilation and data fusion. We propose a new method to estimate the VCM and AKM of vertical profiles retrieved using the Levenberg-Marquardt iterative technique. We apply the new method to the inversion of simulated limb emission measurements. Then we compare the obtained VCM and AKM with those resulting from other methods already published in the literature and with accurate estimates derived using statistical and numerical estimators. The proposed method accounts for all the iterations done in the inversion and provides the most accurate VCM and AKM. Furthermore, it correctly estimates the VCM and the AKM also if the retrieval iterations are stopped when a physically meaningful convergence criterion is fulfilled, i.e. before achievement of the numerical convergence at machine precision. The method can be easily implemented in any Levenberg-Marquardt iterative retrieval scheme, either constrained or unconstrained, without significant computational overhead.

Resemblance profiles as clustering decision criteria: Estimating statistical power, error, and correspondence for a hypothesis test for multivariate structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Kilborn, Joshua P; Jones, David L; Peebles, Ernst B; Naar, David F

2017-04-01

Clustering data continues to be a highly active area of data analysis, and resemblance profiles are being incorporated into ecological methodologies as a hypothesis testing-based approach to clustering multivariate data. However, these new clustering techniques have not been rigorously tested to determine the performance variability based on the algorithm's assumptions or any underlying data structures. Here, we use simulation studies to estimate the statistical error rates for the hypothesis test for multivariate structure based on dissimilarity profiles (DISPROF). We concurrently tested a widely used algorithm that employs the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) to estimate the proficiency of clustering with DISPROF as a decision criterion. We simulated unstructured multivariate data from different probability distributions with increasing numbers of objects and descriptors, and grouped data with increasing overlap, overdispersion for ecological data, and correlation among descriptors within groups. Using simulated data, we measured the resolution and correspondence of clustering solutions achieved by DISPROF with UPGMA against the reference grouping partitions used to simulate the structured test datasets. Our results highlight the dynamic interactions between dataset dimensionality, group overlap, and the properties of the descriptors within a group (i.e., overdispersion or correlation structure) that are relevant to resemblance profiles as a clustering criterion for multivariate data. These methods are particularly useful for multivariate ecological datasets that benefit from distance-based statistical analyses. We propose guidelines for using DISPROF as a clustering decision tool that will help future users avoid potential pitfalls during the application of methods and the interpretation of results.

Linked versus unlinked hospital discharge data on hip fractures for estimating incidence and comorbidity profiles.

Science.gov (United States)

Vu, Trang; Day, Lesley; Finch, Caroline F

2012-08-01

Studies comparing internally linked (person-identifying) and unlinked (episodes of care) hospital discharge data (HDD) on hip fractures have mainly focused on incidence overestimation by unlinked HDD, but little is known about the impact of overestimation on patient profiles such as comorbidity estimates. In view of the continuing use of unlinked HDD in hip fracture research and the desire to apply research results to hip fracture prevention, we concurrently assessed the accuracy of both incidence and comorbidity estimates derived from unlinked HDD compared to those estimated from internally linked HDD. We analysed unlinked and internally linked HDD between 01 July 2005 and 30 June 2008, inclusive, from Victoria, Australia to estimate the incidence of hospital admission for fall-related hip fracture in community-dwelling older people aged 65+ years and determine the prevalence of comorbidity in patients. Community-dwelling status was defined as living in private residence, supported residential facilities or special accommodation but not in nursing homes. We defined internally linked HDD as the reference standard and calculated measures of accuracy of fall-related hip fracture incidence by unlinked HDD using standard definitions. The extent to which comorbidity prevalence estimates by unlinked HDD differed from those by the reference standard was assessed in absolute terms. The sensitivity and specificity of a standard approach for estimating fall-related hip fracture incidence using unlinked HDD (i.e. omitting records of in-hospital deaths, inter-hospital transfers and readmissions within 30 days of discharge) were 94.4% and 97.5%, respectively. The standard approach and its variants underestimated the prevalence of some comorbidities and altered their ranking. The use of more stringent selection criteria led to major improvements in all measures of accuracy as well as overall and specific comorbidity estimates. This study strongly supports the use of linked

A level playing field: Obtaining consistent cost estimates for advanced reactor designs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hudson, C.R. II; Rohm, H.H.; Humphreys, J.R. Jr.

1987-01-01

Rules and guidelines for developing cost estimates are given which provide a means for presenting cost estimates for advanced concepts on a consistent and equitable basis. For advanced reactor designs, the scope of a cost estimate includes the plant capital cost, the operating and maintenance cost, the fuel cycle cost, and the cost of decommissioning. Each element is subdivided as is necessary to provide a common reporting format for all power plant concepts. The total generation cost is taken to be a suitable choice for a summary figure of merit. To test the application of the rules and guidelines as well as developing reference costs for current technologies, several different sized coal and pressurized water reactor plant cost estimates have been prepared

A level playing field-obtaining consistent cost estimates for advanced reactor designs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hudson, C.R.; Rohm, H.H.; Humphreys, J.R.

1987-01-01

A level playing field in sports is necessary to avoid a situation in which a team has an unfair advantage over its competition. Similarly, rules and guidelines for developing cost estimates can be established which, in effect, provide a level playing field whereby cost estimates for advanced power plant concepts can be presented on a consistent and equitable basis. As an example, consider the capital costs shown in Table 1. Both sets of cost are for the exact same power plant; Estimate 1 is expressed in constant dollars while Estimate 2 is presented in nominal or as-spent dollars. As shown, the costs in Table 1 are not directly comparable. Similar problems can be introduced as a result of differing assumptions in any number of parameters including the scope of the cost estimate, inflation/escalation and interest rates, contingency costs, and site location. Of course, the motivation for having consistent cost estimates is to permit comparison among various concepts. As the U.S. Department of Energy sponsors research and development work on several advanced reactor concepts in which expected cost is a key evaluation parameter, the emphasis in this particular endeavor has been in promoting the comparability of advanced reactor cost estimates among themselves and to existing power plant types. To continue with the analogy, the idea is to lay out the playing field and the rules of the contest such that each team participates in the match on an equal basis with the final score being solely determined by the inherent strengths and abilities of the teams. A description of the playing field and some of the more important rules will now be provided

Estimates of the Lightning NOx Profile in the Vicinity of the North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array

Science.gov (United States)

Koshak, William J.; Peterson, Harold S.; McCaul, Eugene W.; Blazar, Arastoo

2010-01-01

The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Lightning Nitrogen Oxides Model (LNOM) is applied to August 2006 North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (NALMA) data to estimate the (unmixed and otherwise environmentally unmodified) vertical source profile of lightning nitrogen oxides, NOx = NO + NO2. Data from the National Lightning Detection Network (Trademark) (NLDN) is also employed. This is part of a larger effort aimed at building a more realistic lightning NOx emissions inventory for use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling system. Overall, special attention is given to several important lightning variables including: the frequency and geographical distribution of lightning in the vicinity of the NALMA network, lightning type (ground or cloud flash), lightning channel length, channel altitude, channel peak current, and the number of strokes per flash. Laboratory spark chamber results from the literature are used to convert 1-meter channel segments (that are located at a particular known altitude; i.e., air density) to NOx concentration. The resulting lightning NOx source profiles are discussed.

Atmospheric Profiles of Carbon Dioxide Obtained with a UAS: Constraints on Square Kilometre Scale Carbon Budgets

Science.gov (United States)

Kunz, M.; Lavric, J. V.; Grant, R. H.; Gerbig, C.; Heimann, M.; Flatt, J. E.; Zeeman, M. J.; Wolf, B.

2016-12-01

The exchange of carbon between biosphere and atmosphere is a topic of high interest, particularly because the magnitude of biospheric climate feedback is uncertain. Soil chambers and eddy covariance systems, the traditional tools for the measurement of exchange fluxes, are subject to inherent limitations: chambers cover only small areas of typically less than on square meter, and eddy covariance is not applicable under very low wind conditions. Complementary methods can help to deal with these limitations and provide more confidence in up-scaling. During the ScaleX 2016 campaign an ecosystem was studied with a combination of multiple measurement approaches, including soil chambers, an eddy covariance station, a weather station, quasi-continuous CO2 measurements on a 10 m tower, multiple UAS with different sensors and remote sensing of temperature, humidity and wind profiles. The campaign took place at Fendt in Southern Germany on a flat valley floor covered by grass. We deployed COCAP, a compact carbon dioxide analyser for airborne platforms developed at the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry in Jena, on a commercial multicopter (DJI S1000). COCAP measures carbon dioxide dry air mole fraction to an accuracy of 2 ppm as well as ambient pressure, temperature and relative humidity. At a total mass of 1 kg it contains a GPS receiver, on-board data logging capabilities and a radio transmitter which allows for real-time data visualisation on a ground station computer. In consecutive vertical profile measurements at night-time, reaching up to a maximum height of 150 m, we see a strong build-up of CO2 close to the ground which we attribute to exchange fluxes from the surface into the atmosphere that are trapped below a nocturnal inversion. We estimate these fluxes from the change in observed column amount of CO2 over time and compare our results to other methods. Challenges in the measurement and data analysis as well as the influence of wind, rotor downwash and

Methane Emission Estimates from Landfills Obtained with Dynamic Plume Measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hensen, A.; Scharff, H.

2001-01-01

Methane emissions from 3 different landfills in the Netherlands were estimated using a mobile Tuneable Diode Laser system (TDL). The methane concentration in the cross section of the plume is measured downwind of the source on a transect perpendicular to the wind direction. A gaussian plume model was used to simulate the concentration levels at the transect. The emission from the source is calculated from the measured and modelled concentration levels.Calibration of the plume dispersion model is done using a tracer (N 2 O) that is released from the landfill and measured simultaneously with the TDL system. The emission estimates for the different locations ranged from 3.6 to 16 m 3 ha -1 hr -1 for the different sites. The emission levels were compared to emission estimates based on the landfill gas production models. This comparison suggests oxidation rates that are up to 50% in spring and negligible in November. At one of the three sites measurements were performed in campaigns in 3 consecutive years. Comparison of the emission levels in the first and second year showed a reduction of the methane emission of about 50% due to implementation of a gas extraction system. From the second to the third year emissions increased by a factor of 4 due to new land filling. Furthermore measurements were performed in winter when oxidation efficiency was reduced. This paper describes the measurement technique used, and discusses the results of the experimental sessions that were performed

Transcriptome profiling of sheep granulosa cells and oocytes during early follicular development obtained by Laser Capture Microdissection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bonnet Agnes

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Successful achievement of early folliculogenesis is crucial for female reproductive function. The process is finely regulated by cell-cell interactions and by the coordinated expression of genes in both the oocyte and in granulosa cells. Despite many studies, little is known about the cell-specific gene expression driving early folliculogenesis. The very small size of these follicles and the mixture of types of follicles within the developing ovary make the experimental study of isolated follicular components very difficult. The recently developed laser capture microdissection (LCM technique coupled with microarray experiments is a promising way to address the molecular profile of pure cell populations. However, one main challenge was to preserve the RNA quality during the isolation of single cells or groups of cells and also to obtain sufficient amounts of RNA. Using a new LCM method, we describe here the separate expression profiles of oocytes and follicular cells during the first stages of sheep folliculogenesis. Results We developed a new tissue fixation protocol ensuring efficient single cell capture and RNA integrity during the microdissection procedure. Enrichment in specific cell types was controlled by qRT-PCR analysis of known genes: six oocyte-specific genes (SOHLH2, MAEL, MATER, VASA, GDF9, BMP15 and three granulosa cell-specific genes (KL, GATA4, AMH. A global gene expression profile for each follicular compartment during early developmental stages was identified here for the first time, using a bovine Affymetrix chip. Most notably, the granulosa cell dataset is unique to date. The comparison of oocyte vs. follicular cell transcriptomes revealed 1050 transcripts specific to the granulosa cell and 759 specific to the oocyte. Functional analyses allowed the characterization of the three main cellular events involved in early folliculogenesis and confirmed the relevance and potential of LCM-derived RNA. Conclusions

Improvement of Bragg peak shift estimation using dimensionality reduction techniques and predictive linear modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Xing, Yafei; Macq, Benoit

2017-11-01

With the emergence of clinical prototypes and first patient acquisitions for proton therapy, the research on prompt gamma imaging is aiming at making most use of the prompt gamma data for in vivo estimation of any shift from expected Bragg peak (BP). The simple problem of matching the measured prompt gamma profile of each pencil beam with a reference simulation from the treatment plan is actually made complex by uncertainties which can translate into distortions during treatment. We will illustrate this challenge and demonstrate the robustness of a predictive linear model we proposed for BP shift estimation based on principal component analysis (PCA) method. It considered the first clinical knife-edge slit camera design in use with anthropomorphic phantom CT data. Particularly, 4115 error scenarios were simulated for the learning model. PCA was applied to the training input randomly chosen from 500 scenarios for eliminating data collinearities. A total variance of 99.95% was used for representing the testing input from 3615 scenarios. This model improved the BP shift estimation by an average of 63+/-19% in a range between -2.5% and 86%, comparing to our previous profile shift (PS) method. The robustness of our method was demonstrated by a comparative study conducted by applying 1000 times Poisson noise to each profile. 67% cases obtained by the learning model had lower prediction errors than those obtained by PS method. The estimation accuracy ranged between 0.31 +/- 0.22 mm and 1.84 +/- 8.98 mm for the learning model, while for PS method it ranged between 0.3 +/- 0.25 mm and 20.71 +/- 8.38 mm.

Nuclear material inventory estimation in solvent extraction contractors II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beyerlein, A.

1987-11-01

The effectiveness of near-real-time nuclear materials accounting in reprocessing facilities can be limited by inventory variations in the separations contactors. Investigations are described in three areas: (i) Improvements in the model that the authors have described previously for the steady state inventory estimation in mixer-settler contactors, (ii) extension for the model for steady state inventory estimation to transient inventory estimation for non-steady state conditions, and (iii) the development of a computer model CUSEP (Clemson University Solvent Extraction Program) for simulating the concentration profiles and nuclear material inventories in pulsed column contactors. Improvements in the steady state model that are described in this report are the simplification of the methods for evaluating model parameters and development of methods for reducing the equation which estimates the total inventory of the set of contactors directly. The pulsed column computer model CUSEP (Clemson University Solvent Extraction Program) was developed. Concentration profiles and inventories calculated from CUSEP are compared with measured data from pilot scale contactors containing uranium. Excellent agreement between measured and simulated data for both the concentration profile and inventories is obtained, demonstrating that the program correctly predicts the concentration dispersion caused by pulsing and the dispersed phase holdup within the contactor. Further research to investigate (i) correction of the MUF (Material Unaccounted For) and CUMUF (Cumulative Material Unaccounted For) tests for mixer-settler contactor inventory using the simplified model developed in this work, (ii) development of a simple inventory estimation model for pulsed column contactors similar to that developed for mixer-settler contactors using CUSEP to provide necessary database, and (iii) sources of bias appearing in the MUF and CUMUF tests using computer simulation techniques are planned. Refs

Estimation of stature from hand impression: a nonconventional approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahemad, Nasir; Purkait, Ruma

2011-05-01

Stature is used for constructing a biological profile that assists with the identification of an individual. So far, little attention has been paid to the fact that stature can be estimated from hand impressions left at scene of crime. The present study based on practical observations adopted a new methodology of measuring hand length from the depressed area between hypothenar and thenar region on the proximal surface of the palm. Stature and bilateral hand impressions were obtained from 503 men of central India. Seventeen dimensions of hand were measured on the impression. Linear regression equations derived showed hand length followed by palm length are best estimates of stature. Testing the practical utility of the suggested method on latent prints of 137 subjects, a statistically insignificant result was obtained when known and estimated stature derived from latent prints was compared. The suggested approach points to a strong possibility of its usage in crime scene investigation, albeit the fact that validation studies in real-life scenarios are performed. © 2011 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

A NEW RECIPE FOR OBTAINING CENTRAL VOLUME DENSITIES OF PRESTELLAR CORES FROM SIZE MEASUREMENTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tassis, Konstantinos; Yorke, Harold W.

2011-01-01

We propose a simple analytical method for estimating the central volume density of prestellar molecular cloud cores from their column density profiles. Prestellar cores feature a flat central part of the column density and volume density profiles of the same size indicating the existence of a uniform-density inner region. The size of this region is set by the thermal pressure force which depends only on the central volume density and temperature of the core, and can provide a direct measurement of the central volume density. Thus, a simple length measurement can immediately yield a central density estimate independent of any dynamical model for the core and without the need for fitting. Using the radius at which the column density is 90% of the central value as an estimate of the size of the flat inner part of the column density profile yields an estimate of the central volume density within a factor of two for well-resolved cores.

Estimating local noise power spectrum from a few FBP-reconstructed CT scans

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zeng, Rongping, E-mail: rongping.zeng@fda.hhs.gov; Gavrielides, Marios A.; Petrick, Nicholas; Sahiner, Berkman; Li, Qin; Myers, Kyle J. [Division of Imaging, Diagnostics, and Software Reliability, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, CDRH, FDA, Silver Spring, Maryland 20993 (United States)

2016-01-15

Purpose: Traditional ways to estimate 2D CT noise power spectrum (NPS) involve an ensemble average of the power spectrums of many noisy scans. When only a few scans are available, regions of interest are often extracted from different locations to obtain sufficient samples to estimate the NPS. Using image samples from different locations ignores the nonstationarity of CT noise and thus cannot accurately characterize its local properties. The purpose of this work is to develop a method to estimate local NPS using only a few fan-beam CT scans. Methods: As a result of FBP reconstruction, the CT NPS has the same radial profile shape for all projection angles, with the magnitude varying with the noise level in the raw data measurement. This allows a 2D CT NPS to be factored into products of a 1D angular and a 1D radial function in polar coordinates. The polar separability of CT NPS greatly reduces the data requirement for estimating the NPS. The authors use this property and derive a radial NPS estimation method: in brief, the radial profile shape is estimated from a traditional NPS based on image samples extracted at multiple locations. The amplitudes are estimated by fitting the traditional local NPS to the estimated radial profile shape. The estimated radial profile shape and amplitudes are then combined to form a final estimate of the local NPS. We evaluate the accuracy of the radial NPS method and compared it to traditional NPS methods in terms of normalized mean squared error (NMSE) and signal detectability index. Results: For both simulated and real CT data sets, the local NPS estimated with no more than six scans using the radial NPS method was very close to the reference NPS, according to the metrics of NMSE and detectability index. Even with only two scans, the radial NPS method was able to achieve a fairly good accuracy. Compared to those estimated using traditional NPS methods, the accuracy improvement was substantial when a few scans were available

MR fingerprinting with simultaneous B1 estimation.

Science.gov (United States)

Buonincontri, Guido; Sawiak, Stephen J

2016-10-01

MR fingerprinting (MRF) can be used for quantitative estimation of physical parameters in MRI. Here, we extend the method to incorporate B1 estimation. The acquisition is based on steady state free precession MR fingerprinting with a Cartesian trajectory. To increase the sensitivity to the B1 profile, abrupt changes in flip angle were introduced in the sequence. Slice profile and B1 effects were included in the dictionary and the results from two- and three-dimensional (3D) acquisitions were compared. Acceleration was demonstrated using retrospective undersampling in the phase encode directions of 3D data exploiting redundancy between MRF frames at the edges of k-space. Without B1 estimation, T2 and B1 were inaccurate by more than 20%. Abrupt changes in flip angle improved B1 maps. T1 and T2 values obtained with the new MRF methods agree with classical spin echo measurements and are independent of the B1 field profile. When using view sharing reconstruction, results remained accurate (error Reson Med 76:1127-1135, 2016. © 2015 The Authors Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made. © 2015 The Authors Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Impact of the Road Profile on Vehicle Deceleration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vidas Žuraulis

2012-11-01

Full Text Available The article analyzes the impact of the longitudinal road profile on the efficiency of car braking estimated applying deceleration value. Different formulas are used for theoretical calculations, and therefore experimental brakes in different road slopes were performed to obtain the most accurate results. Deceleration, as one of the most important safety parameters, depends on the technical condition of the braking system, road conditions and structural and dynamic properties of the other car. Road alignments can significantly affect car manageability, because of weight transfer and extra track resistance, which may change the overall balance of the car and affect the nature of dynamic characteristics that may vary from certain critical values. The results of corrections to deceleration dependence on the road profile can be used for investigating traffic accidents, optimizing traffic control arrangements and implementing advanced systems for automotive active safety.

Modeling the vertical soil organic matter profile using Bayesian parameter estimation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Braakhekke, M.C.; Wutzler, T.; Beer, C.; Kattge, J.; Schrumpf, M.; Schöning, I.; Hoosbeek, M.R.; Kruijt, B.; Kabat, P.

2012-01-01

The vertical distribution of soil organic matter (SOM) in the profile may constitute a significant factor for soil carbon cycling. However, the formation of the SOM profile is currently poorly understood due to equifinality, caused by the entanglement of several processes: input from roots, mixing

Modeling the vertical soil organic matter profile using Bayesian parameter estimation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Braakhekke, M.C.; Wutzler, T.; Beer, C.; Kattge, J.; Schrumpf, M.; Ahrens, B.; Schoning, I.; Hoosbeek, M.R.; Kruijt, B.; Kabat, P.; Reichstein, M.

2013-01-01

The vertical distribution of soil organic matter (SOM) in the profile may constitute an important factor for soil carbon cycling. However, the formation of the SOM profile is currently poorly understood due to equifinality, caused by the entanglement of several processes: input from roots, mixing

Tyre-road friction coefficient estimation based on tyre sensors and lateral tyre deflection: modelling, simulations and experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Sanghyun; Erdogan, Gurkan; Hedrick, Karl; Borrelli, Francesco

2013-05-01

The estimation of the tyre-road friction coefficient is fundamental for vehicle control systems. Tyre sensors enable the friction coefficient estimation based on signals extracted directly from tyres. This paper presents a tyre-road friction coefficient estimation algorithm based on tyre lateral deflection obtained from lateral acceleration. The lateral acceleration is measured by wireless three-dimensional accelerometers embedded inside the tyres. The proposed algorithm first determines the contact patch using a radial acceleration profile. Then, the portion of the lateral acceleration profile, only inside the tyre-road contact patch, is used to estimate the friction coefficient through a tyre brush model and a simple tyre model. The proposed strategy accounts for orientation-variation of accelerometer body frame during tyre rotation. The effectiveness and performance of the algorithm are demonstrated through finite element model simulations and experimental tests with small tyre slip angles on different road surface conditions.

An appraisal of the properties of bottom waste obtained from bio-mass congestion to estimate the ways of its environmental use

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Śliwka Małgorzata

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The bottom waste obtained from bio-mass burning shows a huge variability of chemical and physical properties, depending on the kind of bio-mass, the type of a cauldron and burning parameters. The huge variability of the bottom ashes from the incineration plant and co-combustion of bio-mass makes it difficult to find any way to its management. In reality, only the bottom ashes from coal combustion and the small amount from lignite combustion are used, mainly in the building industry and in mining industry. The article presents the initial research, concerning the estimation of the properties of the bottom ashes obtained from bio-mass congestion in the fluidized-bed boiler to use them safely for the environment. To determine the influence of the tested waste on plants, a number of pot experiments have been conducted. The plants which have been used are recommended for phytotoxicity estimation, and are also used for biological reclamation.

Uncertainties Involved in the Iopospheric Conductivity Estimation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Young-Sil Kwak

2002-12-01

Full Text Available Various uncertainties involved in ionospheric conductivity estimation utilizing the electron density profile obtained from the Sondrestrom incoherent scatter radar are examined. First, we compare the conductivity which is based on raw electron density and the one based on corrected electron density that takes into account the effects of the difference between the electron and ion temperatures and the Debye length. The corrected electron density yields higher Pedersen and Hall conductivities than the raw electron density does. Second, the dependence of collision frequency model on the conductivity estimation is examined. Below 110 km conductivity does not depend significantly on collision frequency models. Above 110 km, however, the collision models affect the conductivity estimation. Third, the influence of the electron and ion temperatures on the conductivity estimation is examined. Electron and ion temperatures carrying an error of about 10% do not seem to affect significantly the conductivity estimation. Fourth, also examined is the effect of the choice of the altitude range of integration in calculating the height-integrated conductivity, conductance. It has been demonstrated that the lower and upper boundaries of the integration are quite sensitive to the estimation of the Hall and Pedersen conductances, respectively.

Identification and uncertainty estimation of vertical reflectivity profiles using a Lagrangian approach to support quantitative precipitation measurements by weather radar

Science.gov (United States)

Hazenberg, P.; Torfs, P. J. J. F.; Leijnse, H.; Delrieu, G.; Uijlenhoet, R.

2013-09-01

This paper presents a novel approach to estimate the vertical profile of reflectivity (VPR) from volumetric weather radar data using both a traditional Eulerian as well as a newly proposed Lagrangian implementation. For this latter implementation, the recently developed Rotational Carpenter Square Cluster Algorithm (RoCaSCA) is used to delineate precipitation regions at different reflectivity levels. A piecewise linear VPR is estimated for either stratiform or neither stratiform/convective precipitation. As a second aspect of this paper, a novel approach is presented which is able to account for the impact of VPR uncertainty on the estimated radar rainfall variability. Results show that implementation of the VPR identification and correction procedure has a positive impact on quantitative precipitation estimates from radar. Unfortunately, visibility problems severely limit the impact of the Lagrangian implementation beyond distances of 100 km. However, by combining this procedure with the global Eulerian VPR estimation procedure for a given rainfall type (stratiform and neither stratiform/convective), the quality of the quantitative precipitation estimates increases up to a distance of 150 km. Analyses of the impact of VPR uncertainty shows that this aspect accounts for a large fraction of the differences between weather radar rainfall estimates and rain gauge measurements.

Programs to obtain vertical heights from mean sea level and for computing volume of sand/mineral along beaches: A case study with Kalbadevi beach profiling data and results

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Ganesan, P.

Two programs have been developed to process profile data, for obtaining vertical heights with respect to mean sea level (M.S.L.) and for computation of volume of heavy mineral / sand accumulation or erosion along the beaches. The final output...

Linear pressure profile estimation along a penstock associated with transients due to severe defects

Science.gov (United States)

Kueny, J. L.; Combes, G.; Lourenço, M.; Clary, V.; Ballester, J. L.

2014-03-01

The purpose of this article is to show how the pressure load profile along a penstock of an hydroplant and the corresponding flow rate is obtained from the pressure signal using a code called ACHYL CF. In particular the paper will present how it is possible to reconstruct the history of the incident after a strong transient state, in the case of two plants with Pelton turbines and one DSPCF device on a branch of the circuit. For plant1 the DSPCF device observes an overrun of the maximal allowed pressure after the filling of the injector branch and for plant_2, a strong transient leads to the rupture of the penstock.

Linear pressure profile estimation along a penstock associated with transients due to severe defects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kueny, J L; Clary, V; Combes, G; Lourenço, M; Ballester, J L

2014-01-01

The purpose of this article is to show how the pressure load profile along a penstock of an hydroplant and the corresponding flow rate is obtained from the pressure signal using a code called ACHYL CF. In particular the paper will present how it is possible to reconstruct the history of the incident after a strong transient state, in the case of two plants with Pelton turbines and one DSPCF device on a branch of the circuit. For plant 1 the DSPCF device observes an overrun of the maximal allowed pressure after the filling of the injector branch and for plant 2 , a strong transient leads to the rupture of the penstock

Wheel set run profile renewing method effectiveness estimation

OpenAIRE

Somov, Dmitrij; Bazaras, Žilvinas; Žukauskaite, Orinta

2010-01-01

At all the repair enterprises, despite decreased rim wear-off resistance, after every grinding only geometry wheel profile parameters are renewed. Exploit wheel rim work edge decrease tendency is noticed what induces acquiring new wheels. This is related to considerable axle load and train speed increase and also because of wheel work edge repair method imperfection.

Variance of discharge estimates sampled using acoustic Doppler current profilers from moving boats

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia, Carlos M.; Tarrab, Leticia; Oberg, Kevin; Szupiany, Ricardo; Cantero, Mariano I.

2012-01-01

This paper presents a model for quantifying the random errors (i.e., variance) of acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) discharge measurements from moving boats for different sampling times. The model focuses on the random processes in the sampled flow field and has been developed using statistical methods currently available for uncertainty analysis of velocity time series. Analysis of field data collected using ADCP from moving boats from three natural rivers of varying sizes and flow conditions shows that, even though the estimate of the integral time scale of the actual turbulent flow field is larger than the sampling interval, the integral time scale of the sampled flow field is on the order of the sampling interval. Thus, an equation for computing the variance error in discharge measurements associated with different sampling times, assuming uncorrelated flow fields is appropriate. The approach is used to help define optimal sampling strategies by choosing the exposure time required for ADCPs to accurately measure flow discharge.

Estimation of Hypertension Risk from Lifestyle Factors and Health Profile: A Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhuoyuan Zheng

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Hypertension is a highly prevalent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and it can also lead to other diseases which seriously harm the human health. Screening the risks and finding a clinical model for estimating the risk of onset, maintenance, or the prognosis of hypertension are of great importance to the prevention or treatment of the disease, especially if the indicator can be derived from simple health profile. In this study, we investigate a chronic disease questionnaire data set of 6563 rural citizens in East China and find out a clinical signature that can assess the risk of hypertension easily and accurately. The signature achieves an accuracy of about 83% on the external test dataset, with an AUC of 0.91. Our study demonstrates that a combination of simple lifestyle features can sufficiently reflect the risk of hypertension onset. This finding provides potential guidance for disease prevention and control as well as development of home care and home-care technologies.

Classification of Spanish white wines using their electrophoretic profiles obtained by capillary zone electrophoresis with amperometric detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Arribas, Alberto Sánchez; Martínez-Fernández, Marta; Moreno, Mónica; Bermejo, Esperanza; Zapardiel, Antonio; Chicharro, Manuel

2014-06-01

A method was developed for the simultaneous detection of eight polyphenols (t-resveratrol, (+)-catechin, quercetin and p-coumaric, caffeic, sinapic, ferulic, and gallic acids) by CZE with electrochemical detection. Separation of these polyphenols was achieved within 25 min using a 200 mM borate buffer (pH 9.4) containing 10% methanol as separation electrolyte. Amperometric detection of polyphenols was carried out with a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with a multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNT) layer obtained from a dispersion of CNT in polyethylenimine. The excellent electrochemical properties of this modified electrode allowed the detection and quantification of the selected polyphenols in white wines without any pretreatment step, showing remarkable signal stability despite the presence of potential fouling substances in wine. The electrophoretic profiles of white wines, obtained using this methodology, have proven to be useful for the classification of these wines by means of chemometric multivariate techniques. Principal component analysis and discriminant analysis allowed accurate classification of wine samples on the basis of their grape varietal (verdejo and airén) using the information contained in selected zones of the electropherogram. The utility of the proposed CZE methodology based on the electrochemical response of CNT-modified electrodes appears to be promising in the field of wine industry and it is expected to be successfully extended to classification of a wider range of wines made of other grape varietals. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Quantitative estimation of carbonation and chloride penetration in reinforced concrete by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Eto, Shuzo; Matsuo, Toyofumi; Matsumura, Takuro; Fujii, Takashi; Tanaka, Masayoshi Y.

2014-11-01

The penetration profile of chlorine in a reinforced concrete (RC) specimen was determined by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). The concrete core was prepared from RC beams with cracking damage induced by bending load and salt water spraying. LIBS was performed using a specimen that was obtained by splitting the concrete core, and the line scan of laser pulses gave the two-dimensional emission intensity profiles of 100 × 80 mm2 within one hour. The two-dimensional profile of the emission intensity suggests that the presence of the crack had less effect on the emission intensity when the measurement interval was larger than the crack width. The chlorine emission spectrum was measured without using the buffer gas, which is usually used for chlorine measurement, by collinear double-pulse LIBS. The apparent diffusion coefficient, which is one of the most important parameters for chloride penetration in concrete, was estimated using the depth profile of chlorine emission intensity and Fick's law. The carbonation depth was estimated on the basis of the relationship between carbon and calcium emission intensities. When the carbon emission intensity was statistically higher than the calcium emission intensity at the measurement point, we determined that the point was carbonated. The estimation results were consistent with the spraying test results using phenolphthalein solution. These results suggest that the quantitative estimation by LIBS of carbonation depth and chloride penetration can be performed simultaneously.

The Potential of The Synergy of Sunphotometer and Lidar Data to Validate Vertical Profiles of The Aerosol Mass Concentration Estimated by An Air Quality Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siomos N.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Vertical profiles of the aerosol mass concentration derived by the Lidar/Radiometer Inversion Code (LIRIC, that uses combined sunphotometer and lidar data, were used in order to validate the aerosol mass concentration profiles estimated by the air quality model CAMx. Lidar and CIMEL measurements performed at the Laboratory of Atmospheric Physics of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece (40.5N, 22.9E from the period 2013-2014 were used in this study.

Estimation of the dietary nutrient profile of free-roaming feral cats: possible implications for nutrition of domestic cats.

Science.gov (United States)

Plantinga, Esther A; Bosch, Guido; Hendriks, Wouter H

2011-10-01

Cats are strict carnivores and in the wild rely on a diet solely based on animal tissues to meet their specific and unique nutritional requirements. Although the feeding ecology of cats in the wild has been well documented in the literature, there is no information on the precise nutrient profile to which the cat's metabolism has adapted. The present study aimed to derive the dietary nutrient profile of free-living cats. Studies reporting the feeding habits of cats in the wild were reviewed and data on the nutrient composition of the consumed prey items obtained from the literature. Fifty-five studies reported feeding strategy data of cats in the wild. After specific exclusion criteria, twenty-seven studies were used to derive thirty individual dietary nutrient profiles. The results show that feral cats are obligatory carnivores, with their daily energy intake from crude protein being 52 %, from crude fat 46 % and from N-free extract only 2 %. Minerals and trace elements are consumed in relatively high concentrations compared with recommended allowances determined using empirical methods. The calculated nutrient profile may be considered the nutrient intake to which the cat's metabolic system has adapted. The present study provides insight into the nutritive, as well as possible non-nutritive aspects of a natural diet of whole prey for cats and provides novel ways to further improve feline diets to increase health and longevity.

Eigenvector of gravity gradient tensor for estimating fault dips considering fault type

Science.gov (United States)

Kusumoto, Shigekazu

2017-12-01

The dips of boundaries in faults and caldera walls play an important role in understanding their formation mechanisms. The fault dip is a particularly important parameter in numerical simulations for hazard map creation as the fault dip affects estimations of the area of disaster occurrence. In this study, I introduce a technique for estimating the fault dip using the eigenvector of the observed or calculated gravity gradient tensor on a profile and investigating its properties through numerical simulations. From numerical simulations, it was found that the maximum eigenvector of the tensor points to the high-density causative body, and the dip of the maximum eigenvector closely follows the dip of the normal fault. It was also found that the minimum eigenvector of the tensor points to the low-density causative body and that the dip of the minimum eigenvector closely follows the dip of the reverse fault. It was shown that the eigenvector of the gravity gradient tensor for estimating fault dips is determined by fault type. As an application of this technique, I estimated the dip of the Kurehayama Fault located in Toyama, Japan, and obtained a result that corresponded to conventional fault dip estimations by geology and geomorphology. Because the gravity gradient tensor is required for this analysis, I present a technique that estimates the gravity gradient tensor from the gravity anomaly on a profile.

Retrieval of convective boundary layer wind field statistics from radar profiler measurements in conjunction with large eddy simulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danny Scipión

2009-05-01

Full Text Available The daytime convective boundary layer (CBL is characterized by strong turbulence that is primarily forced by buoyancy transport from the heated underlying surface. The present study focuses on an example of flow structure of the CBL as observed in the U.S. Great Plains on June 8, 2007. The considered CBL flow has been reproduced using a numerical large eddy simulation (LES, sampled with an LES-based virtual boundary layer radar (BLR, and probed with an actual operational radar profiler. The LES-generated CBL flow data are then ingested by the virtual BLR and treated as a proxy for prevailing atmospheric conditions. The mean flow and turbulence parameters retrieved via each technique (actual radar profiler, virtual BLR, and LES have been cross-analyzed and reasonable agreement was found between the CBL wind parameters obtained from the LES and those measured by the actual radar. Averaged vertical velocity variance estimates from the virtual and actual BLRs were compared with estimates calculated from the LES for different periods of time. There is good agreement in the estimates from all three sources. Also, values of the vertical velocity skewness retrieved by all three techniques have been inter-compared as a function of height for different stages of the CBL evolution, showing fair agreement with each other. All three retrievals contain positively skewed vertical velocity structure throughout the main portion of the CBL. Radar estimates of the turbulence kinetic energy (eddy dissipation rate (ε have been obtained based on the Doppler spectral width of the returned signal for the vertical radar beam. The radar estimates were averaged over time in the same fashion as the LES output data. The agreement between estimates was generally good, especially within the mixing layer. Discrepancies observed above the inversion layer may be explained by a weak turbulence signal in particular flow configurations. The virtual BLR produces voltage

Steel Energy and Environmental Profile

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2000-08-01

Major steelmaking processes (from ironmaking through fabrication and forming) and their associated energy requirements have been profiled in this 2001 report (PDF 582 KB). This profile by Energetics, Inc. also describes the waste streams generated by each process and estimates annual emissions of CO₂ and criteria pollutants.

Construction of an optimal background profile for the Kuramoto–Sivashinsky equation using semidefinite programming

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fantuzzi, G.; Wynn, A.

2015-01-01

A method to construct systematically an optimal background profile for the Kuramoto–Sivashinsky equation is developed by formulating the classical problem as an optimisation problem. In particular, we show that the infinite-dimensional problem can be rewritten as a finite-dimensional convex semidefinite problem, which is solved to construct a background profile and to obtain an upper bound on the energy of the solution ‖u‖ that applies to the infinite-dimensional PDE. The results are compared to existing analytical results, and support the fact that limsup t→∞ ‖u‖≤O(L 3/2 ) is the optimal estimate achievable with the background profile method and a quadratic Lyapunov function. - Highlights: • Optimal background profiles are constructed for the Kuramoto–Sivashinsky equation. • Analytical L 2 bounds for the solution are found using convex optimisation. • The optimal background profile is a double shock profile. • Results attest that L 1.5 scaling is optimal within the classic Lyapunov argument. • We improve the proportionality constant of the scaling law for the attracting set

Profile measurements in the plasma edge of mega amp spherical tokamak using a ball pen probe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walkden, N. R.; Adamek, J.; Komm, M.; Allan, S.; Elmore, S.; Fishpool, G.; Harrison, J.; Kirk, A.; Dudson, B. D.

2015-01-01

The ball pen probe (BPP) technique is used successfully to make profile measurements of plasma potential, electron temperature, and radial electric field on the Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak. The potential profile measured by the BPP is shown to significantly differ from the floating potential both in polarity and profile shape. By combining the BPP potential and the floating potential, the electron temperature can be measured, which is compared with the Thomson scattering (TS) diagnostic. Excellent agreement between the two diagnostics is obtained when secondary electron emission is accounted for in the floating potential. From the BPP profile, an estimate of the radial electric field is extracted which is shown to be of the order ∼1 kV/m and increases with plasma current. Corrections to the BPP measurement, constrained by the TS comparison, introduce uncertainty into the E R measurements. The uncertainty is most significant in the electric field well inside the separatrix. The electric field is used to estimate toroidal and poloidal rotation velocities from E × B motion. This paper further demonstrates the ability of the ball pen probe to make valuable and important measurements in the boundary plasma of a tokamak

Profile measurements in the plasma edge of mega amp spherical tokamak using a ball pen probe

Science.gov (United States)

Walkden, N. R.; Adamek, J.; Allan, S.; Dudson, B. D.; Elmore, S.; Fishpool, G.; Harrison, J.; Kirk, A.; Komm, M.

2015-02-01

The ball pen probe (BPP) technique is used successfully to make profile measurements of plasma potential, electron temperature, and radial electric field on the Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak. The potential profile measured by the BPP is shown to significantly differ from the floating potential both in polarity and profile shape. By combining the BPP potential and the floating potential, the electron temperature can be measured, which is compared with the Thomson scattering (TS) diagnostic. Excellent agreement between the two diagnostics is obtained when secondary electron emission is accounted for in the floating potential. From the BPP profile, an estimate of the radial electric field is extracted which is shown to be of the order ˜1 kV/m and increases with plasma current. Corrections to the BPP measurement, constrained by the TS comparison, introduce uncertainty into the ER measurements. The uncertainty is most significant in the electric field well inside the separatrix. The electric field is used to estimate toroidal and poloidal rotation velocities from E × B motion. This paper further demonstrates the ability of the ball pen probe to make valuable and important measurements in the boundary plasma of a tokamak.

Profile measurements in the plasma edge of mega amp spherical tokamak using a ball pen probe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walkden, N. R., E-mail: nrw504@york.ac.uk [CCFE, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon,Oxon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Department of Physics, York Plasma Institute, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD (United Kingdom); Adamek, J.; Komm, M. [Institute of Plasma Physics of AS CR, v. v. i., Za Slovankou 3, 182 00 Praha 8 (Czech Republic); Allan, S.; Elmore, S.; Fishpool, G.; Harrison, J.; Kirk, A. [CCFE, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon,Oxon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Dudson, B. D. [Department of Physics, York Plasma Institute, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD (United Kingdom)

2015-02-15

The ball pen probe (BPP) technique is used successfully to make profile measurements of plasma potential, electron temperature, and radial electric field on the Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak. The potential profile measured by the BPP is shown to significantly differ from the floating potential both in polarity and profile shape. By combining the BPP potential and the floating potential, the electron temperature can be measured, which is compared with the Thomson scattering (TS) diagnostic. Excellent agreement between the two diagnostics is obtained when secondary electron emission is accounted for in the floating potential. From the BPP profile, an estimate of the radial electric field is extracted which is shown to be of the order ∼1 kV/m and increases with plasma current. Corrections to the BPP measurement, constrained by the TS comparison, introduce uncertainty into the E{sub R} measurements. The uncertainty is most significant in the electric field well inside the separatrix. The electric field is used to estimate toroidal and poloidal rotation velocities from E × B motion. This paper further demonstrates the ability of the ball pen probe to make valuable and important measurements in the boundary plasma of a tokamak.

3D Auger quantitative depth profiling of individual nanoscaled III–V heterostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hourani, W. [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, F-38000 Grenoble (France); CEA, LETI, MINATEC Campus, F-38054 Grenoble (France); Gorbenko, V. [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, F-38000 Grenoble (France); CEA, LETI, MINATEC Campus, F-38054 Grenoble (France); Univ. Grenoble Alpes, LTM, CNRS, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Barnes, J.-P.; Guedj, C. [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, F-38000 Grenoble (France); CEA, LETI, MINATEC Campus, F-38054 Grenoble (France); Cipro, R.; Moeyaert, J.; David, S.; Bassani, F.; Baron, T. [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, LTM, CNRS, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Martinez, E., E-mail: eugenie.martinez@cea.fr [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, F-38000 Grenoble (France); CEA, LETI, MINATEC Campus, F-38054 Grenoble (France)

2016-11-15

Highlights: • The nanoscale chemical characterization of III–V heterostructures is performed using Auger depth profiling below decananometric spatial resolution. • Reliable indium quantification is achieved on planar structures for thicknesses down to 9 nm. • Quantitative 3D compositional depth profiles are obtained on patterned structures, with sufficient lateral resolution to analyze one single trench. • The Auger intrinsic spatial resolution is estimated around 150–200 nm using a comparison with HAADF-STEM. • Auger and SIMS provide reliable in-depth chemical analysis of such complex 3D heterostructures, in particular regarding indium quantification. - Abstract: The nanoscale chemical characterization of III–V heterostructures is performed using Auger depth profiling below decananometric spatial resolution. This technique is successfully applied to quantify the elemental composition of planar and patterned III–V heterostructures containing InGaAs quantum wells. Reliable indium quantification is achieved on planar structures for thicknesses down to 9 nm. Quantitative 3D compositional depth profiles are obtained on patterned structures, for trench widths down to 200 nm. The elemental distributions obtained in averaged and pointed mode are compared. For this last case, we show that Zalar rotation during sputtering is crucial for a reliable indium quantification. Results are confirmed by comparisons with secondary ion mass spectrometry, photoluminescence spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and electron dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The Auger intrinsic spatial resolution is quantitatively measured using an original methodology based on the comparison with high angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy measurements at the nanometric scale.

High resolution vertical profiles of wind, temperature and humidity obtained by computer processing and digital filtering of radiosonde and radar tracking data from the ITCZ experiment of 1977

Science.gov (United States)

Danielson, E. F.; Hipskind, R. S.; Gaines, S. E.

1980-01-01

Results are presented from computer processing and digital filtering of radiosonde and radar tracking data obtained during the ITCZ experiment when coordinated measurements were taken daily over a 16 day period across the Panama Canal Zone. The temperature relative humidity and wind velocity profiles are discussed.

Estimation of the adiabatic energy limit versus beta in Baseball II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foote, J.H.

1976-01-01

Several estimates of the adiabatic energy limit versus beta in Baseball II are summarized, and the calculational methods used to obtain them are described. Some estimates are based on analytic expressions; for others, particle orbits are calculated, magnetic-moment jumps are inspected, and adiabatic limits then derived. The results are sensitive to the assumed variation of the combined vacuum-plus-plasma magnetic field. The calculated adiabatic energy limit falls rapidly with beta, even for a gradual magnetic-field variation. If we assume a sharp depression in the axial profile of the combined magnetic field for a finite-beta plasma, the adiabatic limit can be further markedly reduced

Method for estimating modulation transfer function from sample images.

Science.gov (United States)

Saiga, Rino; Takeuchi, Akihisa; Uesugi, Kentaro; Terada, Yasuko; Suzuki, Yoshio; Mizutani, Ryuta

2018-02-01

The modulation transfer function (MTF) represents the frequency domain response of imaging modalities. Here, we report a method for estimating the MTF from sample images. Test images were generated from a number of images, including those taken with an electron microscope and with an observation satellite. These original images were convolved with point spread functions (PSFs) including those of circular apertures. The resultant test images were subjected to a Fourier transformation. The logarithm of the squared norm of the Fourier transform was plotted against the squared distance from the origin. Linear correlations were observed in the logarithmic plots, indicating that the PSF of the test images can be approximated with a Gaussian. The MTF was then calculated from the Gaussian-approximated PSF. The obtained MTF closely coincided with the MTF predicted from the original PSF. The MTF of an x-ray microtomographic section of a fly brain was also estimated with this method. The obtained MTF showed good agreement with the MTF determined from an edge profile of an aluminum test object. We suggest that this approach is an alternative way of estimating the MTF, independently of the image type. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DFT-based channel estimation and noise variance estimation techniques for single-carrier FDMA

OpenAIRE

Huang, G; Nix, AR; Armour, SMD

2010-01-01

Practical frequency domain equalization (FDE) systems generally require knowledge of the channel and the noise variance to equalize the received signal in a frequency-selective fading channel. Accurate channel estimate and noise variance estimate are thus desirable to improve receiver performance. In this paper we investigate the performance of the denoise channel estimator and the approximate linear minimum mean square error (A-LMMSE) channel estimator with channel power delay profile (PDP) ...

Damage profiles and ion distribution in Pt-irradiated SiC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xue, H.Z. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 (United States); Zhang, Y., E-mail: Zhangy1@ornl.gov [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 (United States); Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States); Zhu, Z. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, P.O. Box 999, Richland, WA 99352 (United States); Zhang, W.M. [Department of Radiation Therapy, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034 (China); Bae, I.-T. [Small Scale Systems Integration and Packaging Center, State University of New York at Binghamton, P.O. Box 6000, Binghamton, NY 13902 (United States); Weber, W.J. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 (United States); Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States)

2012-09-01

Single crystalline 6H-SiC samples were irradiated at 150 K with 2 MeV Pt ions. The local volume swelling was determined by electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), and a nearly sigmoidal dependence on irradiation dose is observed. The disorder profiles and ion distribution were determined by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), transmission electron microscopy, and secondary ion mass spectrometry. Since the volume swelling reaches 12% over the damage region at high ion fluence, the effect of lattice expansion is considered and corrected for in the analysis of RBS spectra to obtain depth profiles. Projectile and damage profiles are estimated by SRIM (Stopping and Range of Ions in Matter). When compared with the measured profiles, the SRIM code predictions of ion distribution and the damage profiles are underestimated due to significant overestimation of the electronic stopping power for the slow heavy Pt ions. By utilizing the reciprocity method, which is based on the invariance of the inelastic energy loss in ion-solid collisions against interchange of projectile and target atom, a much lower electronic stopping power is deduced. A simple approach, based on reducing the density of SiC target in SRIM simulation, is proposed to compensate the overestimated SRIM electronic stopping power values, which results in improved agreement between predicted and measured damage profiles and ion ranges.

Estimation of power dissipation of a 4H-SiC Schottky barrier diode with a linearly graded doping profile in the drift region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rajneesh Talwar

2009-09-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to establish the importance of a linearly graded profile in the drift region of a 4H-SiC Schottky barrier diode (SBD. The power dissipation of the device is found to be considerably lower at any given current density as compared to its value obtained for a uniformly doped drift region. The corresponding values of breakdown voltages obtained are similar to those obtained with uniformly doped wafers of 4H-SiC.

Exact estimation of biodiesel cetane number (CN) from its fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) profile using partial least square (PLS) adapted by artificial neural network (ANN)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hosseinpour, Soleiman; Aghbashlo, Mortaza; Tabatabaei, Meisam; Khalife, Esmail

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Estimating the biodiesel CN from its FAMEs profile using ANN-based PLS approach. • Comparing the capability of ANN-adapted PLS approach with the standard PLS model. • Exact prediction of biodiesel CN from it FAMEs profile using ANN-based PLS method. • Developing an easy-to-use software using ANN-PLS model for computing the biodiesel CN. - Abstract: Cetane number (CN) is among the most important properties of biodiesel because it quantifies combustion speed or in better words, ignition quality. Experimental measurement of biodiesel CN is rather laborious and expensive. However, the high proportionality of biodiesel fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) profile with its CN is very appealing to develop straightforward and inexpensive computerized tools for biodiesel CN estimation. Unfortunately, correlating the chemical structure of biodiesel to its CN using conventional statistical and mathematical approaches is very difficult. To solve this issue, partial least square (PLS) adapted by artificial neural network (ANN) was introduced and examined herein as an innovative approach for the exact estimation of biodiesel CN from its FAMEs profile. In the proposed approach, ANN paradigm was used for modeling the inner relation between the input and the output PLS score vectors. In addition, the capability of the developed method in predicting the biodiesel CN was compared with the basal PLS method. The accuracy of the developed approaches for computing the biodiesel CN was assessed using three statistical criteria, i.e., coefficient of determination (R"2), mean-squared error (MSE), and percentage error (PE). The ANN-adapted PLS method predicted the biodiesel CN with an R"2 value higher than 0.99 demonstrating the fidelity of the developed model over the classical PLS method with a markedly lower R"2 value of about 0.85. In order to facilitate the use of the proposed model, an easy-to-use computer program was also developed on the basis of ANN-adapted PLS

A Fourier transform method for Vsin i estimations under nonlinear Limb-Darkening laws

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Levenhagen, R. S., E-mail: ronaldo.levenhagen@gmail.com [Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Depto. Ciências Exatas e da Terra, Rua Prof. Arthur Riedel, 275, Jd. Eldorado, CEP 09972-270 Diadema, SP (Brazil)

2014-12-10

Star rotation offers us a large horizon for the study of many important physical issues pertaining to stellar evolution. Currently, four methods are widely used to infer rotation velocities, namely those related to line width calibrations, on the fitting of synthetic spectra, interferometry, and on Fourier transforms (FTs) of line profiles. Almost all of the estimations of stellar projected rotation velocities using the Fourier method in the literature have been addressed with the use of linear limb-darkening (LD) approximations during the evaluation of rotation profiles and their cosine FTs, which in certain cases, lead to discrepant velocity estimates. In this work, we introduce new mathematical expressions of rotation profiles and their Fourier cosine transforms assuming three nonlinear LD laws—quadratic, square-root, and logarithmic—and study their applications with and without gravity-darkening (GD) and geometrical flattening (GF) effects. Through an analysis of He I models in the visible range accounting for both limb and GD, we find out that, for classical models without rotationally driven effects, all the Vsin i values are too close to each other. On the other hand, taking into account GD and GF, the Vsin i obtained with the linear law result in Vsin i values that are systematically smaller than those obtained with the other laws. As a rule of thumb, we apply these expressions to the FT method to evaluate the projected rotation velocity of the emission B-type star Achernar (α Eri).

Estimating evaporative fraction from readily obtainable variables in mangrove forests of the Everglades, U.S.A.

Science.gov (United States)

Yagci, Ali Levent; Santanello, Joseph A.; Jones, John W.; Barr, Jordan G.

2017-01-01

A remote-sensing-based model to estimate evaporative fraction (EF) – the ratio of latent heat (LE; energy equivalent of evapotranspiration –ET–) to total available energy – from easily obtainable remotely-sensed and meteorological parameters is presented. This research specifically addresses the shortcomings of existing ET retrieval methods such as calibration requirements of extensive accurate in situ micrometeorological and flux tower observations or of a large set of coarse-resolution or model-derived input datasets. The trapezoid model is capable of generating spatially varying EF maps from standard products such as land surface temperature (Ts) normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and daily maximum air temperature (Ta). The 2009 model results were validated at an eddy-covariance tower (Fluxnet ID: US-Skr) in the Everglades using Ts and NDVI products from Landsat as well as the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors. Results indicate that the model accuracy is within the range of instrument uncertainty, and is dependent on the spatial resolution and selection of end-members (i.e. wet/dry edge). The most accurate results were achieved with the Ts from Landsat relative to the Ts from the MODIS flown on the Terra and Aqua platforms due to the fine spatial resolution of Landsat (30 m). The bias, mean absolute percentage error and root mean square percentage error were as low as 2.9% (3.0%), 9.8% (13.3%), and 12.1% (16.1%) for Landsat-based (MODIS-based) EF estimates, respectively. Overall, this methodology shows promise for bridging the gap between temporally limited ET estimates at Landsat scales and more complex and difficult to constrain global ET remote-sensing models.

Inverse methods for estimating primary input signals from time-averaged isotope profiles

Science.gov (United States)

Passey, Benjamin H.; Cerling, Thure E.; Schuster, Gerard T.; Robinson, Todd F.; Roeder, Beverly L.; Krueger, Stephen K.

2005-08-01

Mammalian teeth are invaluable archives of ancient seasonality because they record along their growth axes an isotopic record of temporal change in environment, plant diet, and animal behavior. A major problem with the intra-tooth method is that intra-tooth isotope profiles can be extremely time-averaged compared to the actual pattern of isotopic variation experienced by the animal during tooth formation. This time-averaging is a result of the temporal and spatial characteristics of amelogenesis (tooth enamel formation), and also results from laboratory sampling. This paper develops and evaluates an inverse method for reconstructing original input signals from time-averaged intra-tooth isotope profiles. The method requires that the temporal and spatial patterns of amelogenesis are known for the specific tooth and uses a minimum length solution of the linear system Am = d, where d is the measured isotopic profile, A is a matrix describing temporal and spatial averaging during amelogenesis and sampling, and m is the input vector that is sought. Accuracy is dependent on several factors, including the total measurement error and the isotopic structure of the measured profile. The method is shown to accurately reconstruct known input signals for synthetic tooth enamel profiles and the known input signal for a rabbit that underwent controlled dietary changes. Application to carbon isotope profiles of modern hippopotamus canines reveals detailed dietary histories that are not apparent from the measured data alone. Inverse methods show promise as an effective means of dealing with the time-averaging problem in studies of intra-tooth isotopic variation.

Estimation method of the cohesion degree for the users’ profiles of social network based on open data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valentina A. Kataeva

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of research was to study the existing methods of determining the degree of cohesion of two users of social network, identifying their shortcomings and developing a new method. The research identified shortcomings of existing methods and proposed a new method for assessing the degree of cohesion of social network profiles based on open data from a social network. Under the degree of cohesion of users’ profiles is understood the probability of communication (interaction of profile owners in real life, it is calculated for two users of the social network and expressed in percent. The work of the method is demonstrated on the example of the social network “In contact”. This method includes the sequence of the following stages: the first stage is data collection about users of the social network with API and the formation of tuples of users’ profile characteristics. A tuple of characteristics of social network profiles is the data, collected for each user, stored in a structured form.The next step is the analysis of the collected information. For each characteristic of the tuple of profiles, i.e. the possible element of interaction of users in the social network, the coefficient of cohesion by the characteristic is calculated. In addition, for each feature, its informativeness is calculated, i.e. how important is this or that feature in this social network. At the final stage, the results are generated, using the formula for the probability of communication between two users, derived during the investigation. Obtained as a result of the application of the method, the probability of communication between two users can be used to optimize the activities of the operative-search services and special bodies.In addition, the received degree of cohesion of two users can be interpreted as the probability of a channel of information leakage between them. The role of the user of the method can be any private or state organization that cares

Vertical microphysical profiles of convective clouds as a tool for obtaining aerosol cloud-mediated climate forcings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosenfeld, Daniel [Hebrew Univ. of Jerusalem (Israel)

2015-12-23

Quantifying the aerosol/cloud-mediated radiative effect at a global scale requires simultaneous satellite retrievals of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations and cloud base updraft velocities (Wb). Hitherto, the inability to do so has been a major cause of high uncertainty regarding anthropogenic aerosol/cloud-mediated radiative forcing. This can be addressed by the emerging capability of estimating CCN and Wb of boundary layer convective clouds from an operational polar orbiting weather satellite. Our methodology uses such clouds as an effective analog for CCN chambers. The cloud base supersaturation (S) is determined by Wb and the satellite-retrieved cloud base drop concentrations (Ndb), which is the same as CCN(S). Developing and validating this methodology was possible thanks to the ASR/ARM measurements of CCN and vertical updraft profiles. Validation against ground-based CCN instruments at the ARM sites in Oklahoma, Manaus, and onboard a ship in the northeast Pacific showed a retrieval accuracy of ±25% to ±30% for individual satellite overpasses. The methodology is presently limited to boundary layer not raining convective clouds of at least 1 km depth that are not obscured by upper layer clouds, including semitransparent cirrus. The limitation for small solar backscattering angles of <25º restricts the satellite coverage to ~25% of the world area in a single day. This methodology will likely allow overcoming the challenge of quantifying the aerosol indirect effect and facilitate a substantial reduction of the uncertainty in anthropogenic climate forcing.

Reversed field pinch magnetic equilibrium and profile dynamics in Extrap T1-upgrade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nordlund, P.; Mazur, S.; Drake, J.R.

1992-05-01

An eight station insertable magnetic probe has been installed on the Extrap T1-U machine. The structure of the reversed field pinch magnetic equilibrium and the time evolution of the profiles has been studied. The probe was inserted into sustained high current density RFP plasma, typically 12-16 MA/m 2 on axis. When the probe was inserted there was a somewhat shorter pulse duration and a slightly decaying current. The magnetic field profiles are shift corrected and expressed in a cylindrically symmetric form. All quantities are then derived from cylindrically symmetric equations. In the beginning of the sustainment phase, where the best reproducibility is achieved, we have been able to obtain estimates of the pressure profile consistent with independent measurements of the central pressure. Values of βθ approx = 0.19 and approx = 0.09 are found leading to an estimation of the energy confinement time, with the probe inserted, of τε approx = 5 μs. Profiles of the effective parallel conductivity clearly indicates the presence of a 'dynamo mechanism' sustaining the field configuration. Higher Θ discharges usually exhibit large oscillations in the F-Θ plane. We find that these oscillations represents macroscopic redistribution of the current in the plasma. A cyclic process is found where the parallel current density (μ-profile) tends to peak in the center and then relax towards a flatter and broader configuration. Towards the end of the discharge there is an increasing fluctuation level along with an increasing V loop /I p - Here we find a relative increase in the current density in the edge region resulting in a hollow μ-profile. (au) (15 refs., 31 figs.)

Semi-analytical model of laser resonance absorption in plasmas with a parabolic density profile

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pestehe, S J; Mohammadnejad, M

2010-01-01

Analytical expressions for mode conversion and resonance absorption of electromagnetic waves in inhomogeneous, unmagnetized plasmas are required for laboratory and simulation studies. Although most of the analyses of this problem have concentrated on the linear plasma density profile, there are a few research works that deal with different plasma density profiles including the parabolic profile. Almost none of them could give clear analytical formulae for the electric and magnetic components of the electromagnetic field propagating through inhomogeneous plasmas. In this paper, we have considered the resonant absorption of laser light near the critical density of plasmas with parabolic electron density profiles followed by a uniform over-dense region and have obtained expressions for the electric and magnetic vectors of laser light propagating through the plasma. An estimation of the fractional absorption of laser energy has also been carried out. It has been shown that, in contrast to the linear density profile, the energy absorption depends explicitly on the value of collision frequency as well as on a new parameter, N, called the over-dense density order.

The electrical conductivity of the Earth's upper mantle as estimated from satellite measured magnetic field variations. Ph.D. Thesis

Science.gov (United States)

Didwall, E. M.

1981-01-01

Low latitude magnetic field variations (magnetic storms) caused by large fluctuations in the equatorial ring current were derived from magnetic field magnitude data obtained by OGO 2, 4, and 6 satellites over an almost 5 year period. Analysis procedures consisted of (1) separating the disturbance field into internal and external parts relative to the surface of the Earth; (2) estimating the response function which related to the internally generated magnetic field variations to the external variations due to the ring current; and (3) interpreting the estimated response function using theoretical response functions for known conductivity profiles. Special consideration is given to possible ocean effects. A temperature profile is proposed using conductivity temperature data for single crystal olivine. The resulting temperature profile is reasonable for depths below 150-200 km, but is too high for shallower depths. Apparently, conductivity is not controlled solely by olivine at shallow depths.

Aquifer recharge estimation at the Mesilla Bolson and Guaymas aquifer systems, Mexico

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ojeda, C.G.

2001-01-01

Three unsaturated profiles were obtained from Mesilla Bolson and Guaymas aquifer systems, northern Mexico. About 500 mL of undisturbed soil from depths between 1 m and 58 m below the surface were obtained every meter by dry percussion from a borehole located near Cd Juarez, Chihuahua state. The other two boreholes were located in the southwestern portion of Sonora state; about 500 mL of undisturbed soil from depths 0-5.50 and 0- 8.50 m were obtained every 0.25 m by dry drilling at Narciso Mendoza and Guaymas sites, respectively. Samples were contained in sealed glass jars and analyzed for moisture content, chloride, deuterium and nitrate (NO 3 -N). The interstitial water was extracted by elution; chloride and nitrate were determined by automated colorimetry while deuterium by direct reduction. Considering an average precipitation at Mesilla Bolson area of 230 mm/year, a chloride rain content of 1 mg/L and a mean Cl content on the unsaturated profile of 977 mg/L below the zero flux plane, we estimated by the Cl mass balance approach a net palaeorecharge in the area of about 0.24 mm/year with a probable time scale profile of 11,000 years. For the Guaymas area the net recharge is in the range 0.11-0.16 mm/year, assuming an average rainfall of 320 mm/year, Cl rainfall content of 3.4 mg/L and mean Cl concentrations on the profiles of 6,939 and 9,470 mg/L below the zero flux plane, respectively. (author)

MEASURING THE ULTIMATE HALO MASS OF GALAXY CLUSTERS: REDSHIFTS AND MASS PROFILES FROM THE HECTOSPEC CLUSTER SURVEY (HeCS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rines, Kenneth; Geller, Margaret J.; Kurtz, Michael J.; Diaferio, Antonaldo

2013-01-01

The infall regions of galaxy clusters represent the largest gravitationally bound structures in a ΛCDM universe. Measuring cluster mass profiles into the infall regions provides an estimate of the ultimate mass of these halos. We use the caustic technique to measure cluster mass profiles from galaxy redshifts obtained with the Hectospec Cluster Survey (HeCS), an extensive spectroscopic survey of galaxy clusters with MMT/Hectospec. We survey 58 clusters selected by X-ray flux at 0.1 200 , a new observational cosmological test in essential agreement with simulations. Summed profiles binned in M 200 and in L X demonstrate that the predicted Navarro-Frenk-White form of the density profile is a remarkably good representation of the data in agreement with weak lensing results extending to large radius. The concentration of these summed profiles is also consistent with theoretical predictions.

BWR AXIAL PROFILE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huffer, J.

2004-01-01

The purpose of this calculation is to develop axial profiles for estimating the axial variation in burnup of a boiling water reactor (BWR) assembly spent nuclear fuel (SNF) given the average burnup of an assembly. A discharged fuel assembly typically exhibits higher burnup in the center and lower burnup at the ends of the assembly. Criticality safety analyses taking credit for SNF burnup must account for axially varying burnup relative to calculations based on uniformly distributed assembly average burnup due to the under-burned tips. Thus, accounting for axially varying burnup in criticality analyses is also referred to as accounting for the ''end effect'' reactivity. The magnitude of the reactivity change due to ''end effect'' is dependent on the initial assembly enrichment, the assembly average burnup, and the particular axial profile characterizing the burnup distribution. The set of bounding axial profiles should incorporate multiple BWR core designs and provide statistical confidence (95 percent confidence that 95 percent of the population is bound by the profile) that end nodes are conservatively represented. The profiles should also conserve the overall burnup of the fuel assembly. More background on BWR axial profiles is provided in Attachment I

Profiles of Psychological Well-being and Coping Strategies among University Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Freire

2016-10-01

Full Text Available In the transactional model of stress, coping responses are the key to preventing the stress response. In this study, the possible role of psychological well-being as a personal determinant of coping strategies in the academic context was analyzed. Specifically, the study has two objectives: (a to identify different profiles of students according to their level of psychological well-being; and (b to analyze the differences between these profiles in the use of three coping strategies (positive reappraisal, support-seeking, and planning. Age, gender, and degree were estimated as covariables. A total of 1,072 university students participated in the study. Latent profile analysis was applied to four indices of psychological well-being: self-acceptance, environmental mastery, purpose in life, and personal growth. An optimal four-profile solution, reflecting significant incremental shifts from low to very high psychological well-being, was obtained. As predicted, the profile membership distinguished between participants in positive reappraisal, support-seeking, and planning. Importantly, the higher the profile of psychological well-being was, the higher the use of the three coping strategies. Gender differences in coping strategies were observed, but no interaction effects with psychological well-being were found. Age and degree were not relevant in explaining the use of coping strategies. These results suggest that psychological well-being stands as an important personal resource to favor adaptive coping strategies for academic stress.

Decoding tactile afferent activity to obtain an estimate of instantaneous force and torque applied to the fingerpad

Science.gov (United States)

Birznieks, Ingvars; Redmond, Stephen J.

2015-01-01

Dexterous manipulation is not possible without sensory information about object properties and manipulative forces. Fundamental neuroscience has been unable to demonstrate how information about multiple stimulus parameters may be continuously extracted, concurrently, from a population of tactile afferents. This is the first study to demonstrate this, using spike trains recorded from tactile afferents innervating the monkey fingerpad. A multiple-regression model, requiring no a priori knowledge of stimulus-onset times or stimulus combination, was developed to obtain continuous estimates of instantaneous force and torque. The stimuli consisted of a normal-force ramp (to a plateau of 1.8, 2.2, or 2.5 N), on top of which −3.5, −2.0, 0, +2.0, or +3.5 mNm torque was applied about the normal to the skin surface. The model inputs were sliding windows of binned spike counts recorded from each afferent. Models were trained and tested by 15-fold cross-validation to estimate instantaneous normal force and torque over the entire stimulation period. With the use of the spike trains from 58 slow-adapting type I and 25 fast-adapting type I afferents, the instantaneous normal force and torque could be estimated with small error. This study demonstrated that instantaneous force and torque parameters could be reliably extracted from a small number of tactile afferent responses in a real-time fashion with stimulus combinations that the model had not been exposed to during training. Analysis of the model weights may reveal how interactions between stimulus parameters could be disentangled for complex population responses and could be used to test neurophysiologically relevant hypotheses about encoding mechanisms. PMID:25948866

TES/Aura L2 Summary Profiles V005

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Atmospheric vertical profile estimates, along with retrieved surface temperature, cloud effective optical depth, column estimates, quality flags, and a priori...

TES/Aura L2 Summary Profiles V003

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Atmospheric vertical profile estimates, along with retrieved surface temperature, cloud effective optical depth, column estimates, quality flags, and a priori...

Estimación de la característica de Inductancia de fase del Motor de Reluctancia Conmutada MFR 132.1 Estimation of phase inductance profile of MFR 132.1 switched reluctance motor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Javier Quintana Santos

2011-06-01

Full Text Available En el presente trabajo se enuncia la idea fundamental en la que se basan todos los métodos empleados para la estimación de los parámetros de fase de los motores de reluctancia conmutada. Se describe, además, un algoritmo de división con punto decimal fijo en lenguaje VHDL. El algoritmo descrito se utiliza posteriormente para la estimación de la inductancia de fase del motor de reluctancia conmutada MFR 132.1, mediante el empleo de la técnica invasiva de modulación de amplitud con señales de tensión pulsantes de tres estados. Se diseñó y construyó una instalación experimental sobre la base de un FPGA de Actel, de la familia ProASIC 3 modelo A3P250, para el procesamiento de las señales. Finalmente se exponen y comentan las características de inductancia de fase del motor de reluctancia MFR 132.1, obtenidas.  In the present work is enunciated the fundamental idea of all the methods used for the estimation of phase parameters in the switched reluctance motors. The fixed point division algorithm employed to estimate the inactive phase inductance profile of the MFR 132.1 switched reluctance motor, is described in VHDL programming language. The algorithm implements the intrusive estimation technique of amplitude modulation with three states pulsating signals. The structure of the experimental set up for the digital signal processing, which is based on the Actel FPGA ProAsic 3 A3P250 development kit, is depicted. Finally, the inactive phase’s inductance profiles, which were experimentally obtained, are shown for different voltage values in the Direct Current converter link.

Adjoint optimization scheme for lower hybrid current rampup and profile control in Tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Litaudon, X.; Moreau, D.; Bizarro, J.P.; Hoang, G.T.; Kupfer, K.; Peysson, Y.; Shkarofsky, I.P.; Bonoli, P.

1992-12-01

The purpose of this work is to take into account and study the effect of the electric field profiles on the Lower Hybrid (LH) current drive efficiency during transient phases such as rampup. As a complement to the full ray-tracing / Fokker Planck studies, and for the purpose of optimization studies, we developed a simplified 1-D model based on the adjoint Karney-Fisch numerical results. This approach allows us to estimate the LH power deposition profile which would be required for ramping the current with prescribed rate, total current density profile (q-profile) and surface loop voltage. For rampup optimization studies, we can therefore scan the whole parameter space and eliminate a posteriori those scenarios which correspond to unrealistic deposition profiles. We thus obtain the time evolution of the LH power, minor radius of the plasma, volt-second consumption and total energy dissipated. Optimization can thus be performed with respect to any of those criteria. This scheme is illustrated by some numerical simulations performed with TORE-SUPRA and NET/ITER parameters. We conclude with a derivation of a simple and general scaling law for the flux consumption during the rampup phase

Sparse Representation Denoising for Radar High Resolution Range Profiling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Min Li

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Radar high resolution range profile has attracted considerable attention in radar automatic target recognition. In practice, radar return is usually contaminated by noise, which results in profile distortion and recognition performance degradation. To deal with this problem, in this paper, a novel denoising method based on sparse representation is proposed to remove the Gaussian white additive noise. The return is sparsely described in the Fourier redundant dictionary and the denoising problem is described as a sparse representation model. Noise level of the return, which is crucial to the denoising performance but often unknown, is estimated by performing subspace method on the sliding subsequence correlation matrix. Sliding window process enables noise level estimation using only one observation sequence, not only guaranteeing estimation efficiency but also avoiding the influence of profile time-shift sensitivity. Experimental results show that the proposed method can effectively improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the return, leading to a high-quality profile.

DNA profiling of trace DNA recovered from bedding.

Science.gov (United States)

Petricevic, Susan F; Bright, Jo-Anne; Cockerton, Sarah L

2006-05-25

Trace DNA is often detected on handled items and worn clothing examined in forensic laboratories. In this study, the potential transfer of trace DNA to bedding by normal contact, when an individual sleeps in a bed, is examined. Volunteers slept one night on a new, lower bed sheet in their own bed and one night in a bed foreign to them. Samples from the sheets were collected and analysed by DNA profiling. The results indicate that the DNA profile of an individual can be obtained from bedding after one night of sleeping in a bed. The DNA profile of the owner of the bed could also be detected in the foreign bed experiments. Since mixed DNA profiles can be obtained from trace DNA on bedding, caution should be exercised when drawing conclusions from DNA profiling results obtained from such samples. This transfer may have important repercussions in sexual assault investigations.

A comparison of mixing depths observed by ground-based wind profilers and an airborne lidar

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

White, A.B.; Senff, C. [Univ. of Colorado/NOAA Environmental Technology Lab., Cooperative Inst. for Research in Environmental Sciences, Boulder, CO (United States); Banta, R.M. [NOAA Environmental Technology Lab., Boulder, CO (United States)

1997-10-01

The mixing depth is one of the most important parameters in air pollution studies because it determines the vertical extent of the `box` in which pollutants are mixed and dispersed. During the 1995 Southern Oxidants Study (SOS95), scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Environmental Technology Laboratory (NOAA/ETL) deployed four 915-MHz boundary-layer radar/wind profilers (hereafter radars) in and around the Nashville, Tennessee metropolitan area. Scientists from NOAA/ETL also operated an ultraviolet differential absorption lidar (DIAL) onboard a CASA-212 aircraft. Profiles from radar and DIAL can be used to derive estimates of the mixing depth. The methods used for both instruments are similar in that they depend on information derived from the backscattered power. However, different scattering mechanisms for the radar and DIAL mean that different tracers of mixing depth are measured. In this paper we compare the mixing depth estimates obtained from the radar and DIAL and discuss the similarities and differences that occur. (au)

Ti(r) profiles from the JET neutron profile monitor for ohmic discharges

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Esposito, B. (ENEA, Frascati (Italy). Centro Ricerche Energia); Marcus, F.B.; Conroy, S.; Jarvis, O.N.; Loughlin, M.J.; Sadler, G.; Belle, P. van (Commission of the European Communities, Abingdon (United Kingdom). JET Joint Undertaking); Adams, J.M.; Watkins, N. (AEA Industrial Technology, Harwell (United Kingdom))

1991-01-01

A study has been made of the neutron emissivity, using the JET neutron profile monitor, obtained for ohmically heated deuterium discharges. Both one-dimensional (1-D) best-fit inversion procedures and 2-D tomography have been used to deduce the radial profile of the neutron emission from the line-integral data. The profiles of ion temperature and ion thermal conductivity are then derived. The scaling of the ion thermal conductivity with plasma current is found to be opposite to that of neoclassical theory. (author) 4 refs., 5 figs.

Retrieval of ozone profiles from OMPS limb scattering observations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Arosio

2018-04-01

Full Text Available This study describes a retrieval algorithm developed at the University of Bremen to obtain vertical profiles of ozone from limb observations performed by the Ozone Mapper and Profiler Suite (OMPS. This algorithm is based on the technique originally developed for use with data from the SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY (SCIAMACHY instrument. As both instruments make limb measurements of the scattered solar radiation in the ultraviolet (UV and visible (Vis spectral ranges, an underlying objective of the study is to obtain consolidated and consistent ozone profiles from the two satellites and to produce a combined data set. The retrieval algorithm uses radiances in the UV and Vis wavelength ranges normalized to the radiance at an upper tangent height to obtain ozone concentrations in the altitude range of 12–60 km. Measurements at altitudes contaminated by clouds in the instrument field of view are identified and filtered out. An independent aerosol retrieval is performed beforehand and its results are used to account for the stratospheric aerosol load in the ozone inversion. The typical vertical resolution of the retrieved profiles varies from  ∼  2.5 km at lower altitudes ( < 30 km to  ∼  1.5 km (about 45 km and becomes coarser at upper altitudes. The retrieval errors resulting from the measurement noise are estimated to be 1–4 % above 25 km, increasing to 10–30 % in the upper troposphere. OMPS data are processed for the whole of 2016. The results are compared with the NASA product and validated against profiles derived from passive satellite observations or measured in situ by balloon-borne sondes. Between 20 and 60 km, OMPS ozone profiles typically agree with data from the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS v4.2 within 5–10 %, whereas in the lower altitude range the bias becomes larger, especially in the tropics. The comparison of OMPS profiles with ozonesonde

Maximum profile likelihood estimation of differential equation parameters through model based smoothing state estimates.

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, D A; Chkrebtii, O

2013-12-01

Statistical inference for biochemical models often faces a variety of characteristic challenges. In this paper we examine state and parameter estimation for the JAK-STAT intracellular signalling mechanism, which exemplifies the implementation intricacies common in many biochemical inference problems. We introduce an extension to the Generalized Smoothing approach for estimating delay differential equation models, addressing selection of complexity parameters, choice of the basis system, and appropriate optimization strategies. Motivated by the JAK-STAT system, we further extend the generalized smoothing approach to consider a nonlinear observation process with additional unknown parameters, and highlight how the approach handles unobserved states and unevenly spaced observations. The methodology developed is generally applicable to problems of estimation for differential equation models with delays, unobserved states, nonlinear observation processes, and partially observed histories. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Frequency of fault occurrence at shallow depths during Plio-Pleistocene and estimation of the incident of new faults

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiratsuchi, H.; Yoshida, S.

2009-01-01

It is required that buried high-level radioactive wastes should not be broken directly by faulting in the future. Although a disposal site will be selected in an area where no active faults are present, the possibility of new fault occurrence in the site has to be evaluated. The probability of new fault occurrence is estimated from the frequency of faults which exist in Pliocene and Pleistocene strata distributed beneath 3 large plains in Japan, where a large number of seismic profiles and borehole data are obtained. Estimation of the frequency of faults having occurred and/or reached at shallow depth during Plio-Pleistocene time. The frequency of fault occurrence was estimated by counting the number of faults that exist in Plio-Pleistocene strata that are widely distributed in large plains in Japan. Three plains, Kanto, Nobi and Osaka Plains are selected for this purpose because highly precise geological profiles, which were prepared from numerous geological drillings and geophysical investigations, are available in them. (authors)

The impact of high pressure processing on the phenolic profile, hydrophilic antioxidant and reducing capacity of purée obtained from commercial tomato varieties.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeż, Maja; Wiczkowski, Wiesław; Zielińska, Danuta; Białobrzewski, Ireneusz; Błaszczak, Wioletta

2018-09-30

The effect of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) (450-550-650 MPa/5-10-15 min) on polyphenols profile of purée obtained from commercial tomato varieties (Maliniak, Cerise, Black Prince and Lima) was investigated. Individual polyphenols, total phenolic index (TPI) were quantified using a mass spectrometer (HPLC-MS/MS). Photochemiluminescence (PCLACW), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays were used to determine the antioxidant capacity of the hydrophilic extract. The results demonstrated that at certain processing conditions, HHP may enhance or decrease the nutritional quality of tomato purée. However, the tomato variety was a key factor influencing the polyphenols profile and the antioxidant capacity. A significant positive correlation was found among TPI, FRAP or CV parameters and the concentration of caffeic, ferulic, sinapic and p-coumaric acids, and epicatechin. On the other hand, significant positive correlation was observed among antioxidant capacity (PCLACW), TPC, rutin and naringenin concentration as well as chlorogenic and isochlorogenic acids. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterizations of Soil Profiles Through Electric Resistivity Ratio

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chik Z

2015-04-01

Full Text Available This paper presents how near surface soil characteristics are obtained through soil electric resistivity ratio from soil apparent resistivity profile. In recent advances of electrical sensors, soil apparent resistivity is implemented as nondestructive method for obtaining near surface soil profile. Although geo-electric techniques offer an improvement to traditional soil sampling methods, the resulting data are still often misinterpreted for obtaining soil characteristics through apparent electrical resistivity in the field. Because, soil resistivity as before rain and after rain are changeable due to the presence of more moisture contents in field investigations. In this study, the parameter of soil electric resistivity ratio is incorporated to obtain reliable near surface soil profiles from apparent resistivity of adjacent two layers in soil. The variations of potential differences are taken into account for using four probes method to get the soil apparent resistivity profile. The research is significant for simpler and faster soil characterizations using resistivity ratio of apparent resistivity in soil investigations.

Utilization of Weibull equation to obtain soil-water diffusivity in horizontal infiltration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guerrini, I.A.

1982-06-01

Water movement was studied in horizontal infiltration experiments using laboratory columns of air-dry and homogeneous soil to obtain a simple and suitable equation for soil-water diffusivity. Many water content profiles for each one of the ten soil columns utilized were obtained through gamma-ray attenuation technique using a 137 Cs source. During the measurement of a particular water content profile, the soil column was held in the same position in order to measure changes in time and so to reduce the errors in water content determination. The Weibull equation utilized was excellent in fitting water content profiles experimental data. The use of an analytical function for ν, the Boltzmann variable, according to Weibull model, allowed to obtain a simple equation for soil water diffusivity. Comparisons among the equation here obtained for diffusivity and others solutions found in literature were made, and the unsuitability of a simple exponential variation of diffusivity with water content for the full range of the latter was shown. The necessity of admitting the time dependency for diffusivity was confirmed and also the possibility fixing that dependency on a well known value extended to generalized soil water infiltration studies was found. Finally, it was shown that the soil water diffusivity function given by the equation here proposed can be obtained just by the analysis of the wetting front advance as a function of time. (Author) [pt

Depth profiling of oxide-trapped charges in 6H-SiC MOS structures by slant etching method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saitoh, Kazunari; Takahashi, Yoshihiro; Ohnishi, Kazunori [Nihon Univ., Tokyo (Japan). Coll. of Science and Technology; Yoshikawa, Masahito; Ohshima, Takeshi; Itoh, Hisayoshi; Nashiyama, Isamu

1997-03-01

In this paper, we propose a method to evaluate the depth profile of trapped charges in an oxide layer on SiC. Using this method, 6H-SiC MOS structures with different oxide thickness were fabricated on the same substrate under the same oxidation condition, and the depth profile of oxide-trapped charges before and after {sup 60}Co-gamma ray irradiation were obtained. It is found, from the depth profiling, that the trapping mechanism of electrons and holes in the oxide strongly depends on the bias polarity during irradiation, and these charges are trapped near 6H-SiC/SiO{sub 2} interface. We believe that this method is very useful for estimation of the oxide-trapped charges in 6H-SiC MOS structures. (author)

A model to obtain an optimum erbium desity for gain increasing in EDFA

OpenAIRE

E. Arzi; A. Hassani; F. E. Seraji

2003-01-01

  In this paper, we suggest a novel model, based on input pump power and wave guidestructure, to calculate the Er-density profile in Erbium doped fiber amplifiers. This optimization is carried out for both SMF and DSF fibers. These optimized profiles have a Gaussian-like shape. Using the SMF optimized Er-density profile, high gain enhancement is obtained in a relatively short length of fibers. On the other hand, the DSF optimized profile shows small changes in the gain, which agrees with the ...

A statistical approach to plasma profile analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kardaun, O.J.W.F.; McCarthy, P.J.; Lackner, K.; Riedel, K.S.

1990-05-01

A general statistical approach to the parameterisation and analysis of tokamak profiles is presented. The modelling of the profile dependence on both the radius and the plasma parameters is discussed, and pertinent, classical as well as robust, methods of estimation are reviewed. Special attention is given to statistical tests for discriminating between the various models, and to the construction of confidence intervals for the parameterised profiles and the associated global quantities. The statistical approach is shown to provide a rigorous approach to the empirical testing of plasma profile invariance. (orig.)

Aquifer Recharge Estimation In Unsaturated Porous Rock Using Darcian And Geophysical Methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Nimmo, J. R.; De Carlo, L.; Masciale, R.; Turturro, A. C.; Perkins, K. S.; Caputo, M. C.

2016-12-01

Within the unsaturated zone a constant downward gravity-driven flux of water commonly exists at depths ranging from a few meters to tens of meters depending on climate, medium, and vegetation. In this case a steady-state application of Darcy's law can provide recharge rate estimates.We have applied an integrated approach that combines field geophysical measurements with laboratory hydraulic property measurements on core samples to produce accurate estimates of steady-state aquifer recharge, or, in cases where episodic recharge also occurs, the steady component of recharge. The method requires (1) measurement of the water content existing in the deep unsaturated zone at the location of a core sample retrieved for lab measurements, and (2) measurement of the core sample's unsaturated hydraulic conductivity over a range of water content that includes the value measured in situ. Both types of measurements must be done with high accuracy. Darcy's law applied with the measured unsaturated hydraulic conductivity and gravitational driving force provides recharge estimates.Aquifer recharge was estimated using Darcian and geophysical methods at a deep porous rock (calcarenite) experimental site in Canosa, southern Italy. Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) profiles were collected from the land surface to water table to provide data for Darcian recharge estimation. Volumetric water content was estimated from resistivity profiles using a laboratory-derived calibration function based on Archie's law for rock samples from the experimental site, where electrical conductivity of the rock was related to the porosity and water saturation. Multiple-depth core samples were evaluated using the Quasi-Steady Centrifuge (QSC) method to obtain hydraulic conductivity (K), matric potential (ψ), and water content (θ) estimates within this profile. Laboratory-determined unsaturated hydraulic conductivity ranged from 3.90 x 10-9 to 1.02 x 10-5 m

Estimation of the thermal characteristics of a bridgewire environment by an electrothermal response test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donaldson, A.B.; Strasburg, A.C.

1976-01-01

The electrothermal response of an electroexplosive device is determined by applying a subcritical square wave current pulse to the bridgewire and monitoring the resultant temperature excursion. The temperature profile, thus obtained, can be utilized with a mathematical model called the ''Probe Method'' for approximating thermal properties. It is possible to estimate the thermal conductivity and specific heat of the pyrotechnic and the thermal contact conductance at the bridgewire/pyrotechnic interface by this technique

Salmonella Typhimurium transcription profiles in space flight

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Salmonella transcription profiles were obtained from samples flown on space shuttle mission STS-115 and compared to profiles from Salmonella grown under identical...

Estimation of water percolation by different methods using TDR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alisson Jadavi Pereira da Silva

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Detailed knowledge on water percolation into the soil in irrigated areas is fundamental for solving problems of drainage, pollution and the recharge of underground aquifers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the percolation estimated by time-domain-reflectometry (TDR in a drainage lysimeter. We used Darcy's law with K(θ functions determined by field and laboratory methods and by the change in water storage in the soil profile at 16 points of moisture measurement at different time intervals. A sandy clay soil was saturated and covered with plastic sheet to prevent evaporation and an internal drainage trial in a drainage lysimeter was installed. The relationship between the observed and estimated percolation values was evaluated by linear regression analysis. The results suggest that percolation in the field or laboratory can be estimated based on continuous monitoring with TDR, and at short time intervals, of the variations in soil water storage. The precision and accuracy of this approach are similar to those of the lysimeter and it has advantages over the other evaluated methods, of which the most relevant are the possibility of estimating percolation in short time intervals and exemption from the predetermination of soil hydraulic properties such as water retention and hydraulic conductivity. The estimates obtained by the Darcy-Buckingham equation for percolation levels using function K(θ predicted by the method of Hillel et al. (1972 provided compatible water percolation estimates with those obtained in the lysimeter at time intervals greater than 1 h. The methods of Libardi et al. (1980, Sisson et al. (1980 and van Genuchten (1980 underestimated water percolation.

Preliminary liver dose estimation in the new facility for biomedical applications at the RA-3 reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gadan, M.; Crawley, V.; Thorp, S.; Miller, M.

2009-01-01

As a part of the project concerning the irradiation of a section of the human liver left lobe, a preliminary estimation of the expected dose was performed. To obtain proper input values for the calculation, neutron flux and gamma dose rate characterization were carried out using adequate portions of cow or pig liver covered with demineralized water simulating the preservation solution. Irradiations were done inside a container specially designed to fulfill temperature preservation of the organ and a reproducible irradiation position (which will be of importance for future planification purposes). Implantable rhodium based self-powered neutron detectors were developed to obtain neutron flux profiles both external and internal. Implantation of SPND was done along the central longitudinal axis of the samples, where lowest flux is expected. Gamma dose rate was obtained using a neutron shielded graphite ionization chamber moved along external surfaces of the samples. The internal neutron profile resulted uniform enough to allow for a single and static irradiation of the liver. For dose estimation, irradiation condition was set in order to obtain a maximum of 15 Gy-eq in healthy tissue. Additionally, literature reported boron concentrations of 47 ppm in tumor and 8 ppm in healthy tissue and a more conservative relationship (30/10 ppm) were used. To make a conservative estimation of the dose the following considerations were done: (i).Minimum measured neutron flux inside the sample (∼5x10 9 n cm -2 s -1 ) was considered to calculate dose in tumor. (ii).Maximum measured neutron flux (considering both internal as external profiles) was used to calculate dose in healthy tissue (∼8.7x10 9 n cm -2 s -1 ). (iii).Maximum measured gamma dose rate (∼13.5 Gy h -1 ) was considered for both tumor and healthy tissue. Tumor tissue dose was ∼69 Gy-eq for 47 ppm of 10 B and ∼42 Gy-eq for 30 ppm, for a maximum dose of 15 Gy-eq in healthy tissue. As can be seen from these results

The relationship between fetal biophysical profile and cord blood PH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valadan M

2009-02-01

Full Text Available "nBackground: The Biophysical Profile (BPP is a noninvasive test that predicts the presence or absence of fetal asphyxia and, ultimately, the risk of fetal death in the antenatal period. Intervention on the basis of an abnormal biophysical profile result has been reported to yield a significant reduction in prenatal mortality, and an association exists between biophysical profile scoring and a decreased cerebral palsy rate in a given population. The BPP evaluates five characteristics: fetal movement, tone, breathing, heart reactivity, and amniotic fluid (AF volume estimation. The purpose of study was to determine whether there are different degree of acidosis at which the biophysical activity (acute marker are affected. "nMethods: In a prospective study of 140 patients undergoing cesarean section before onset of labor, the fetal biophysical profile was performed 24h before the time of cesarean and was matched with cord arterial PH that was obtained from a cord segment (10-20cm that was double clamped after delivery of newborn. (using cord arterial PH less than 7.20 for the diagnosis of acidosis. "nResults: The fetal biophysical profile was found to have a significant relationship with umbilical blood PH. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value of fetal biophysical profile score were: 88.9%, 88.6%, 50%, 98.1%. "nConclusion: The first manifestations of fetal acidosis are nonreactive nonstress testing and fetal breathing loss; in advanced acidemia fetal movements and fetal tone are compromised. A protocol of antepartum fetal evaluation is suggested based upon the individual biophysical components rather than the score alone.

Improved Monte Carlo-perturbation method for estimation of control rod worths in a research reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalcheva, Silva; Koonen, Edgar

2009-01-01

A hybrid method dedicated to improve the experimental technique for estimation of control rod worths in a research reactor is presented. The method uses a combination of Monte Carlo technique and perturbation theory. Perturbation method is used to obtain the equation for the relative efficiency of control rod insertion. A series of coefficients, describing the axial absorption profile are used to correct the equation for a composite rod, having a complicated burn-up irradiation history. These coefficients have to be determined - by experiment or by using some theoretical/numerical method. In the present paper they are derived from the macroscopic absorption cross-sections, obtained from detailed Monte Carlo calculations by MCNPX 2.6.F of the axial burn-up profile during control rod life. The method is validated on measurements of control rod worths at the BR2 reactor. Comparison with direct MCNPX evaluations of control rod worths is also presented

Statistical evaluation of fatty acid profile and cholesterol content in fish (common carp) lipids obtained by different sample preparation procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Spiric, Aurelija; Trbovic, Dejana; Vranic, Danijela; Djinovic, Jasna; Petronijevic, Radivoj; Matekalo-Sverak, Vesna

2010-07-05

Studies performed on lipid extraction from animal and fish tissues do not provide information on its influence on fatty acid composition of the extracted lipids as well as on cholesterol content. Data presented in this paper indicate the impact of extraction procedures on fatty acid profile of fish lipids extracted by the modified Soxhlet and ASE (accelerated solvent extraction) procedure. Cholesterol was also determined by direct saponification method, too. Student's paired t-test used for comparison of the total fat content in carp fish population obtained by two extraction methods shows that differences between values of the total fat content determined by ASE and modified Soxhlet method are not statistically significant. Values obtained by three different methods (direct saponification, ASE and modified Soxhlet method), used for determination of cholesterol content in carp, were compared by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The obtained results show that modified Soxhlet method gives results which differ significantly from the results obtained by direct saponification and ASE method. However the results obtained by direct saponification and ASE method do not differ significantly from each other. The highest quantities for cholesterol (37.65 to 65.44 mg/100 g) in the analyzed fish muscle were obtained by applying direct saponification method, as less destructive one, followed by ASE (34.16 to 52.60 mg/100 g) and modified Soxhlet extraction method (10.73 to 30.83 mg/100 g). Modified Soxhlet method for extraction of fish lipids gives higher values for n-6 fatty acids than ASE method (t(paired)=3.22 t(c)=2.36), while there is no statistically significant difference in the n-3 content levels between the methods (t(paired)=1.31). The UNSFA/SFA ratio obtained by using modified Soxhlet method is also higher than the ratio obtained using ASE method (t(paired)=4.88 t(c)=2.36). Results of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed that the highest positive impact to

Duality based direct resolution of unique profiles using zero concentration region information.

Science.gov (United States)

Tavakkoli, Elnaz; Rajkó, Róbert; Abdollahi, Hamid

2018-07-01

Self Modeling Curve Resolution (SMCR) is a class of techniques concerned with estimating pure profiles underlying a set of measurements on chemical systems. In general, the estimated profiles are ambiguous (non-unique) except if some special conditions fulfilled. Implementing the adequate information can reduce the so-called rotational ambiguity effectively, and in the most desirable cases lead to the unique solution. Therefore, studies on circumstances resulting in unique solution are of particular importance. The conditions of unique solution can particularly be studied based on duality principle. In bilinear chemical (e.g., spectroscopic) data matrix, there is a natural duality between its row and column vector spaces using minimal constraints (non-negativity of concentrations and absorbances). In this article, the conditions of the unique solution according to duality concept and using zero concentration region information is intended to show. A simulated dataset of three components and an experimental system with synthetic mixtures containing three amino acids tyrosine, phenylalanine and tryptophan are analyzed. It is shown that in the presence of sufficient information, the reliable unique solution is obtained that is valuable in analytical qualification and for quantitative verification analysis. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of specific-yield estimates for calculating evapotranspiration from diurnal groundwater-level fluctuations

Science.gov (United States)

Gribovszki, Zoltán

2018-05-01

Methods that use diurnal groundwater-level fluctuations are commonly used for shallow water-table environments to estimate evapotranspiration (ET) and recharge. The key element needed to obtain reliable estimates is the specific yield (Sy), a soil-water storage parameter that depends on unsaturated soil-moisture and water-table fluxes, among others. Soil-moisture profile measurement down to the water table, along with water-table-depth measurements, can provide a good opportunity to calculate Sy values even on a sub-daily scale. These values were compared with Sy estimates derived by traditional techniques, and it was found that slug-test-based Sy values gave the most similar results in a sandy soil environment. Therefore, slug-test methods, which are relatively cheap and require little time, were most suited to estimate Sy using diurnal fluctuations. The reason for this is that the timeframe of the slug-test measurement is very similar to the dynamic of the diurnal signal. The dynamic characteristic of Sy was also analyzed on a sub-daily scale (depending mostly on the speed of drainage from the soil profile) and a remarkable difference was found in Sy with respect to the rate of change of the water table. When comparing constant and sub-daily (dynamic) Sy values for ET estimation, the sub-daily Sy application yielded higher correlation, but only a slightly smaller deviation from the control ET method, compared with the usage of constant Sy.

How to efficiently obtain accurate estimates of flower visitation rates by pollinators

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fijen, Thijs P.M.; Kleijn, David

2017-01-01

Regional declines in insect pollinators have raised concerns about crop pollination. Many pollinator studies use visitation rate (pollinators/time) as a proxy for the quality of crop pollination. Visitation rate estimates are based on observation durations that vary significantly between studies.

Narrow nuclear resonance profiling of Al with subnanometric depth resolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosa, E.B.O. da; Krug, C.; Stedile, F.C.; Morais, J.; Baumvol, I.J.R.

2002-01-01

We report on the use of the narrow and isolated resonance at 404.9 keV in the cross-section curve of the 27 Al(p,γ) 28 Si nuclear reaction for profiling Al in ultrathin aluminum oxide films on Si. The samples were characterized as-deposited and after thermal annealing, so that Al transport could be studied. An estimated depth resolution of approximately 0.4 nm near the surface of the films could be obtained owing to: (i) the very small resonance width; (ii) the high stopping power of Al 2 O 3 for 404.9 keV protons; (iii) the high energy stability of the proton beam provided by the 500 kV HVEE ion implanter at Porto Alegre; and (iv) an apparent thickness magnification by a factor between 2.0 and 2.4 with the use of glancing incidence. This technique is compared to other methods for Al profiling like medium energy ion scattering and some sputtering-based techniques

The impact of in-canopy wind profile formulations on heat flux estimation in an open orchard using the remote sensing-based two-source model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Cammalleri

2010-12-01

Full Text Available For open orchard and vineyard canopies containing significant fractions of exposed soil (>50%, typical of Mediterranean agricultural regions, the energy balance of the vegetation elements is strongly influenced by heat exchange with the bare soil/substrate. For these agricultural systems a "two-source" approach, where radiation and turbulent exchange between the soil and canopy elements are explicitly modelled, appears to be the only suitable methodology for reliably assessing energy fluxes. In strongly clumped canopies, the effective wind speed profile inside and below the canopy layer can strongly influence the partitioning of energy fluxes between the soil and vegetation components. To assess the impact of in-canopy wind profile on model flux estimates, an analysis of three different formulations is presented, including algorithms from Goudriaan (1977, Massman (1987 and Lalic et al. (2003. The in-canopy wind profile formulations are applied to the thermal-based two-source energy balance (TSEB model developed by Norman et al. (1995 and modified by Kustas and Norman (1999. High resolution airborne remote sensing images, collected over an agricultural area located in the western part of Sicily (Italy comprised primarily of vineyards, olive and citrus orchards, are used to derive all the input parameters needed to apply the TSEB. The images were acquired from June to October 2008 and include a relatively wide range of meteorological and soil moisture conditions. A preliminary sensitivity analysis of the three wind profile algorithms highlights the dependence of wind speed just above the soil/substrate to leaf area index and canopy height over the typical range of canopy properties encountered in these agricultural areas. It is found that differences among the models in wind just above the soil surface are most significant under sparse and medium fractional cover conditions (15–50%. The TSEB model heat flux estimates are compared with micro

Robust-BD Estimation and Inference for General Partially Linear Models

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Chunming Zhang

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The classical quadratic loss for the partially linear model (PLM and the likelihood function for the generalized PLM are not resistant to outliers. This inspires us to propose a class of “robust-Bregman divergence (BD” estimators of both the parametric and nonparametric components in the general partially linear model (GPLM, which allows the distribution of the response variable to be partially specified, without being fully known. Using the local-polynomial function estimation method, we propose a computationally-efficient procedure for obtaining “robust-BD” estimators and establish the consistency and asymptotic normality of the “robust-BD” estimator of the parametric component β o . For inference procedures of β o in the GPLM, we show that the Wald-type test statistic W n constructed from the “robust-BD” estimators is asymptotically distribution free under the null, whereas the likelihood ratio-type test statistic Λ n is not. This provides an insight into the distinction from the asymptotic equivalence (Fan and Huang 2005 between W n and Λ n in the PLM constructed from profile least-squares estimators using the non-robust quadratic loss. Numerical examples illustrate the computational effectiveness of the proposed “robust-BD” estimators and robust Wald-type test in the appearance of outlying observations.

The fit of an X-ray diffraction profile by Fourier analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bourniquel, B.; Feron, J.

1985-01-01

The fast Fourier transform algorithm commonly used for line profile analysis requires a list of values of the diffracted intensity with constant sintheta step; raw data are usually obtained at constant 2theta step; to interpolate between the measured values an analytic expression of the profile function is very useful. Statistical estimation is used to fit an analytic function to data; the only assumption made is the continuity of this function and no critical initialization is needed. Three different expressions are used: a Fourier sum for the peak and two polynomials of a suitable variable for the tails; the algorithm provides continuity for the function and its first derivative. Simulated examples using a Lorentzian and a Gaussian function are given and several criteria of goodness of fit are examined. The program runs on a PDP 11/03 digital computer with only 45 kbytes available memory. (orig.)

Ultrasound elastographic imaging of thermal lesions and temperature profiles during radiofrequency ablation

Science.gov (United States)

Techavipoo, Udomchai

Manual palpation to sense variations in tissue stiffness for disease diagnosis has been regularly performed by clinicians for centuries. However, it is generally limited to large and superficial structures and the ability of the physician performing the palpation. Imaging of tissue stiffness or elastic properties via the aid of modern imaging such as ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging, referred to as elastography, enhances the capability for disease diagnosis. In addition, elastography could be used for monitoring tissue response to minimally invasive ablative therapies, which are performed percutaneously to destruct tumors with minimum damage to surrounding tissue. Monitoring tissue temperature during ablation is another approach to estimate tissue damage. The ultimate goal of this dissertation is to improve the image quality of elastograms and temperature profiles for visualizing thermal lesions during and after ablative therapies. Elastographic imaging of thermal lesions is evaluated by comparison of sizes, shapes, and volumes with the results obtained using gross pathology. Semiautomated segmentation of lesion boundaries on elastograms is also developed. It provides comparable results to those with manual segmentation. Elastograms imaged during radiofrequency ablation in vitro show that the impact of gas bubbles during ablation on the ability to delineate the thermal lesion is small. Two novel methods to reduce noise artifacts in elastograms, and an accurate estimation of displacement vectors are proposed. The first method applies wavelet-denoising algorithms to the displacement estimates. The second method utilizes angular compounding of the elastograms generated using ultrasound signal frames acquired from different insonification angles. These angular frames are also utilized to estimate all tissue displacement vector components in response to a deformation. These enable the generation of normal and shear strain elastograms and Poisson's ratio

Mass profile and dynamical status of the z ~ 0.8 galaxy cluster LCDCS 0504

Science.gov (United States)

Guennou, L.; Biviano, A.; Adami, C.; Limousin, M.; Lima Neto, G. B.; Mamon, G. A.; Ulmer, M. P.; Gavazzi, R.; Cypriano, E. S.; Durret, F.; Clowe, D.; LeBrun, V.; Allam, S.; Basa, S.; Benoist, C.; Cappi, A.; Halliday, C.; Ilbert, O.; Johnston, D.; Jullo, E.; Just, D.; Kubo, J. M.; Márquez, I.; Marshall, P.; Martinet, N.; Maurogordato, S.; Mazure, A.; Murphy, K. J.; Plana, H.; Rostagni, F.; Russeil, D.; Schirmer, M.; Schrabback, T.; Slezak, E.; Tucker, D.; Zaritsky, D.; Ziegler, B.

2014-06-01

Context. Constraints on the mass distribution in high-redshift clusters of galaxies are currently not very strong. Aims: We aim to constrain the mass profile, M(r), and dynamical status of the z ~ 0.8 LCDCS 0504 cluster of galaxies that is characterized by prominent giant gravitational arcs near its center. Methods: Our analysis is based on deep X-ray, optical, and infrared imaging as well as optical spectroscopy, collected with various instruments, which we complemented with archival data. We modeled the mass distribution of the cluster with three different mass density profiles, whose parameters were constrained by the strong lensing features of the inner cluster region, by the X-ray emission from the intracluster medium, and by the kinematics of 71 cluster members. Results: We obtain consistent M(r) determinations from three methods based on kinematics (dispersion-kurtosis, caustics, and MAMPOSSt), out to the cluster virial radius, ≃1.3 Mpc and beyond. The mass profile inferred by the strong lensing analysis in the central cluster region is slightly higher than, but still consistent with, the kinematics estimate. On the other hand, the X-ray based M(r) is significantly lower than the kinematics and strong lensing estimates. Theoretical predictions from ΛCDM cosmology for the concentration-mass relation agree with our observational results, when taking into account the uncertainties in the observational and theoretical estimates. There appears to be a central deficit in the intracluster gas mass fraction compared with nearby clusters. Conclusions: Despite the relaxed appearance of this cluster, the determinations of its mass profile by different probes show substantial discrepancies, the origin of which remains to be determined. The extension of a dynamical analysis similar to that of other clusters of the DAFT/FADA survey with multiwavelength data of sufficient quality will allow shedding light on the possible systematics that affect the determination of mass

3-D Vector Flow Estimation With Row-Column-Addressed Arrays.

Science.gov (United States)

Holbek, Simon; Christiansen, Thomas Lehrmann; Stuart, Matthias Bo; Beers, Christopher; Thomsen, Erik Vilain; Jensen, Jorgen Arendt

2016-11-01

Simulation and experimental results from 3-D vector flow estimations for a 62 + 62 2-D row-column (RC) array with integrated apodization are presented. A method for implementing a 3-D transverse oscillation (TO) velocity estimator on a 3-MHz RC array is developed and validated. First, a parametric simulation study is conducted, where flow direction, ensemble length, number of pulse cycles, steering angles, transmit/receive apodization, and TO apodization profiles and spacing are varied, to find the optimal parameter configuration. The performance of the estimator is evaluated with respect to relative mean bias ~B and mean standard deviation ~σ . Second, the optimal parameter configuration is implemented on the prototype RC probe connected to the experimental ultrasound scanner SARUS. Results from measurements conducted in a flow-rig system containing a constant laminar flow and a straight-vessel phantom with a pulsating flow are presented. Both an M-mode and a steered transmit sequence are applied. The 3-D vector flow is estimated in the flow rig for four representative flow directions. In the setup with 90° beam-to-flow angle, the relative mean bias across the entire velocity profile is (-4.7, -0.9, 0.4)% with a relative standard deviation of (8.7, 5.1, 0.8)% for ( v x , v y , v z ). The estimated peak velocity is 48.5 ± 3 cm/s giving a -3% bias. The out-of-plane velocity component perpendicular to the cross section is used to estimate volumetric flow rates in the flow rig at a 90° beam-to-flow angle. The estimated mean flow rate in this setup is 91.2 ± 3.1 L/h corresponding to a bias of -11.1%. In a pulsating flow setup, flow rate measured during five cycles is 2.3 ± 0.1 mL/stroke giving a negative 9.7% bias. It is concluded that accurate 3-D vector flow estimation can be obtained using a 2-D RC-addressed array.

A model for quantification of temperature profiles via germination times

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pipper, Christian Bressen; Adolf, Verena Isabelle; Jacobsen, Sven-Erik

2013-01-01

Current methodology to quantify temperature characteristics in germination of seeds is predominantly based on analysis of the time to reach a given germination fraction, that is, the quantiles in the distribution of the germination time of a seed. In practice interpolation between observed...... time and a specific type of accelerated failure time models is provided. As a consequence the observed number of germinated seeds at given monitoring times may be analysed directly by a grouped time-to-event model from which characteristics of the temperature profile may be identified and estimated...... germination fractions at given monitoring times is used to obtain the time to reach a given germination fraction. As a consequence the obtained value will be highly dependent on the actual monitoring scheme used in the experiment. In this paper a link between currently used quantile models for the germination...

Crustal composition in the Hidaka Metamorphic Belt estimated from seismic velocity by laboratory measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Yamauchi, K.; Ishikawa, M.; Sato, H.; Iwasaki, T.; Toyoshima, T.

2015-12-01

To understand the dynamics of the lithosphere in subduction systems, the knowledge of rock composition is significant. However, rock composition of the overriding plate is still poorly understood. To estimate rock composition of the lithosphere, it is an effective method to compare the elastic wave velocities measured under the high pressure and temperature condition with the seismic velocities obtained by active source experiment and earthquake observation. Due to an arc-arc collision in central Hokkaido, middle to lower crust is exposed along the Hidaka Metamorphic Belt (HMB), providing exceptional opportunities to study crust composition of an island arc. Across the HMB, P-wave velocity model has been constructed by refraction/wide-angle reflection seismic profiling (Iwasaki et al., 2004). Furthermore, because of the interpretation of the crustal structure (Ito, 2000), we can follow a continuous pass from the surface to the middle-lower crust. We corrected representative rock samples from HMB and measured ultrasonic P-wave (Vp) and S-wave velocities (Vs) under the pressure up to 1.0 GPa in a temperature range from 25 to 400 °C. For example, the Vp values measured at 25 °C and 0.5 GPa are 5.88 km/s for the granite (74.29 wt.% SiO2), 6.02-6.34 km/s for the tonalites (66.31-68.92 wt.% SiO2), 6.34 km/s for the gneiss (64.69 wt.% SiO2), 6.41-7.05 km/s for the amphibolites (50.06-51.13 wt.% SiO2), and 7.42 km/s for the mafic granulite (50.94 wt.% SiO2). And, Vp of tonalites showed a correlation with SiO2 (wt.%). Comparing with the velocity profiles across the HMB (Iwasaki et al., 2004), we estimate that the lower to middle crust consists of amphibolite and tonalite, and the estimated acoustic impedance contrast between them suggests an existence of a clear reflective boundary, which accords well to the obtained seismic reflection profile (Iwasaki et al., 2014). And, we can obtain the same tendency from comparing measured Vp/Vs ratio and Vp/Vs ratio structure model

Convolution-based estimation of organ dose in tube current modulated CT

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Xiaoyu; Segars, W. Paul; Dixon, Robert L.; Samei, Ehsan

2016-05-01

Estimating organ dose for clinical patients requires accurate modeling of the patient anatomy and the dose field of the CT exam. The modeling of patient anatomy can be achieved using a library of representative computational phantoms (Samei et al 2014 Pediatr. Radiol. 44 460-7). The modeling of the dose field can be challenging for CT exams performed with a tube current modulation (TCM) technique. The purpose of this work was to effectively model the dose field for TCM exams using a convolution-based method. A framework was further proposed for prospective and retrospective organ dose estimation in clinical practice. The study included 60 adult patients (age range: 18-70 years, weight range: 60-180 kg). Patient-specific computational phantoms were generated based on patient CT image datasets. A previously validated Monte Carlo simulation program was used to model a clinical CT scanner (SOMATOM Definition Flash, Siemens Healthcare, Forchheim, Germany). A practical strategy was developed to achieve real-time organ dose estimation for a given clinical patient. CTDIvol-normalized organ dose coefficients ({{h}\\text{Organ}} ) under constant tube current were estimated and modeled as a function of patient size. Each clinical patient in the library was optimally matched to another computational phantom to obtain a representation of organ location/distribution. The patient organ distribution was convolved with a dose distribution profile to generate {{≤ft(\\text{CTD}{{\\text{I}}\\text{vol}}\\right)}\\text{organ, \\text{convolution}}} values that quantified the regional dose field for each organ. The organ dose was estimated by multiplying {{≤ft(\\text{CTD}{{\\text{I}}\\text{vol}}\\right)}\\text{organ, \\text{convolution}}} with the organ dose coefficients ({{h}\\text{Organ}} ). To validate the accuracy of this dose estimation technique, the organ dose of the original clinical patient was estimated using Monte Carlo program with TCM profiles explicitly modeled. The

An Algorithm for Obtaining the Distribution of 1-Meter Lightning Channel Segment Altitudes for Application in Lightning NOx Production Estimation

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, Harold; Koshak, William J.

2009-01-01

An algorithm has been developed to estimate the altitude distribution of one-meter lightning channel segments. The algorithm is required as part of a broader objective that involves improving the lightning NOx emission inventories of both regional air quality and global chemistry/climate models. The algorithm was tested and applied to VHF signals detected by the North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (NALMA). The accuracy of the algorithm was characterized by comparing algorithm output to the plots of individual discharges whose lengths were computed by hand; VHF source amplitude thresholding and smoothing were applied to optimize results. Several thousands of lightning flashes within 120 km of the NALMA network centroid were gathered from all four seasons, and were analyzed by the algorithm. The mean, standard deviation, and median statistics were obtained for all the flashes, the ground flashes, and the cloud flashes. One-meter channel segment altitude distributions were also obtained for the different seasons.

A Solution to Modeling Multilevel Confirmatory Factor Analysis with Data Obtained from Complex Survey Sampling to Avoid Conflated Parameter Estimates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiun-Yu Wu

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The issue of equality in the between-and within-level structures in Multilevel Confirmatory Factor Analysis (MCFA models has been influential for obtaining unbiased parameter estimates and statistical inferences. A commonly seen condition is the inequality of factor loadings under equal level-varying structures. With mathematical investigation and Monte Carlo simulation, this study compared the robustness of five statistical models including two model-based (a true and a mis-specified models, one design-based, and two maximum models (two models where the full rank of variance-covariance matrix is estimated in between level and within level, respectively in analyzing complex survey measurement data with level-varying factor loadings. The empirical data of 120 3rd graders' (from 40 classrooms perceived Harter competence scale were modeled using MCFA and the parameter estimates were used as true parameters to perform the Monte Carlo simulation study. Results showed maximum models was robust to unequal factor loadings while the design-based and the miss-specified model-based approaches produced conflated results and spurious statistical inferences. We recommend the use of maximum models if researchers have limited information about the pattern of factor loadings and measurement structures. Measurement models are key components of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM; therefore, the findings can be generalized to multilevel SEM and CFA models. Mplus codes are provided for maximum models and other analytical models.

Quantitative proteome profiling of normal human circulating microparticles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Østergaard, Ole; Nielsen, Christoffer T; Iversen, Line V

2012-01-01

Circulating microparticles (MPs) are produced as part of normal physiology. Their numbers, origin, and composition change in pathology. Despite this, the normal MP proteome has not yet been characterized with standardized high-resolution methods. We here quantitatively profile the normal MP...... proteome using nano-LC-MS/MS on an LTQ-Orbitrap with optimized sample collection, preparation, and analysis of 12 different normal samples. Analytical and procedural variation were estimated in triply processed samples analyzed in triplicate from two different donors. Label-free quantitation was validated...... by the correlation of cytoskeletal protein intensities with MP numbers obtained by flow cytometry. Finally, the validity of using pooled samples was evaluated using overlap protein identification numbers and multivariate data analysis. Using conservative parameters, 536 different unique proteins were quantitated...

Vibration Suppression for Improving the Estimation of Kinematic Parameters on Industrial Robots

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Alejandro Elvira-Ortiz

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Vibration is a phenomenon that is present on every industrial system such as CNC machines and industrial robots. Moreover, sensors used to estimate angular position of a joint in an industrial robot are severely affected by vibrations and lead to wrong estimations. This paper proposes a methodology for improving the estimation of kinematic parameters on industrial robots through a proper suppression of the vibration components present on signals acquired from two primary sensors: accelerometer and gyroscope. A Kalman filter is responsible for the filtering of spurious vibration. Additionally, a sensor fusion technique is used to merge information from both sensors and improve the results obtained using each sensor separately. The methodology is implemented in a proprietary hardware signal processor and tested in an ABB IRB 140 industrial robot, first by analyzing the motion profile of only one joint and then by estimating the path tracking of two welding tasks: one rectangular and another one circular. Results from this work prove that the sensor fusion technique accompanied by proper suppression of vibrations delivers better estimation than other proposed techniques.

Application of modeling methods for an estimation of a specific activity 137Cs geologic environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalinovskij, A.K.; Batij, V.G.; Pravdivyj, A.A.; Krasnov, V.A.

2004-01-01

The manual application of methods of mathematical and physical modeling for an estimation of the specific activity 137 Cs in soils composing a geological profile of site of object 'Ukryttya' is demonstrated. The calculations are executed by the software packages of Micro Shield, CYCLON, MCNP5. The experimental measurements are carried out by logging radiometers of different type on the borehole models. The value of a conversion coefficient of infinite environment for quantitative interpretation of gamma-ray logging data is determined over calculations outcomes and experimental measurements. The calculated and experimental values have agreement among themselves. the error estimation of the obtained outcomes is executed. 26 refs., 3 tab., 10 figs

Process optimization for obtaining nano cellulose from curaua fiber

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lunz, Juliana do N.; Cordeiro, Suellem B.; Mota, Jose Carlos F.; Marques, Maria de Fatima V.

2011-01-01

This study focuses on the methodology for optimization to obtain nanocellulose from vegetal fibers. An experimental planning was carried out for the treatment of curaua fibers and parameters were estimated, having the concentration of H 2 SO 4 , hydrolysis time, reaction temperature and time of sonication applied as independent variables for further statistical analysis. According to the estimated parameters, the statistically significant effects were determined for the process of obtaining nanocellulose. According to the results obtained from the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) it was observed that certain conditions led to cellulose with degradation temperatures near or even above that of untreated cellulose fibers. The crystallinity index (IC) obtained after fiber treatment (X-ray diffraction) were higher than that of the pure fiber. Treatments with high acid concentrations led to higher IC. (author)

Development of a measuring system for poloidal field profile in JIPP T-IIU plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuramoto, Hideharu; Hiraki, Naoji; Moriyama, Shin-ichi; Toi, Kazuo; Sato, Kuninori.

1995-01-01

A Zeeman polarimeter has been developed to measure the poloidal magnetic field profile in the plasma edge of the JIPP T-IIU tokamak. The poloidal field strength is determined from the analysis of circular polarization of a HeII 4686A spectral lines emitted from a plasma. The polarization modulation rate, which is proportional to the magnetic field strength along a line of sight, is estimated as a ratio of the difference between the left-hand circular polarized line intensity and right-hand one to the sum of them. A newly developed fast scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer allows us to improve a time resolution up to 1.5 ms. The poloidal magnetic field profile in He-doped deuterium plasmas of JIPP T-IIU has been successfully obtained with this polarimeter system. (author)

Global Validation of MODIS Atmospheric Profile-Derived Near-Surface Air Temperature and Dew Point Estimates

Science.gov (United States)

Famiglietti, C.; Fisher, J.; Halverson, G. H.

2017-12-01

This study validates a method of remote sensing near-surface meteorology that vertically interpolates MODIS atmospheric profiles to surface pressure level. The extraction of air temperature and dew point observations at a two-meter reference height from 2001 to 2014 yields global moderate- to fine-resolution near-surface temperature distributions that are compared to geographically and temporally corresponding measurements from 114 ground meteorological stations distributed worldwide. This analysis is the first robust, large-scale validation of the MODIS-derived near-surface air temperature and dew point estimates, both of which serve as key inputs in models of energy, water, and carbon exchange between the land surface and the atmosphere. Results show strong linear correlations between remotely sensed and in-situ near-surface air temperature measurements (R2 = 0.89), as well as between dew point observations (R2 = 0.77). Performance is relatively uniform across climate zones. The extension of mean climate-wise percent errors to the entire remote sensing dataset allows for the determination of MODIS air temperature and dew point uncertainties on a global scale.

Small field depth dose profile of 6 MV photon beam in a simple air-water heterogeneity combination: A comparison between anisotropic analytical algorithm dose estimation with thermoluminescent dosimeter dose measurement.

Science.gov (United States)

Mandal, Abhijit; Ram, Chhape; Mourya, Ankur; Singh, Navin

2017-01-01

To establish trends of estimation error of dose calculation by anisotropic analytical algorithm (AAA) with respect to dose measured by thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) in air-water heterogeneity for small field size photon. TLDs were irradiated along the central axis of the photon beam in four different solid water phantom geometries using three small field size single beams. The depth dose profiles were estimated using AAA calculation model for each field sizes. The estimated and measured depth dose profiles were compared. The over estimation (OE) within air cavity were dependent on field size (f) and distance (x) from solid water-air interface and formulated as OE = - (0.63 f + 9.40) x2+ (-2.73 f + 58.11) x + (0.06 f2 - 1.42 f + 15.67). In postcavity adjacent point and distal points from the interface have dependence on field size (f) and equations are OE = 0.42 f2 - 8.17 f + 71.63, OE = 0.84 f2 - 1.56 f + 17.57, respectively. The trend of estimation error of AAA dose calculation algorithm with respect to measured value have been formulated throughout the radiation path length along the central axis of 6 MV photon beam in air-water heterogeneity combination for small field size photon beam generated from a 6 MV linear accelerator.

Estimate of the angular dimensions of objects and reconstruction of their shapes from the parameters of the fourth-order radiation correlation function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buryi, E V; Kosygin, A A

2004-01-01

It is shown that, when the angular resolution of a receiving optical system is insufficient, the angular dimensions of a located object can be estimated and its shape can be reconstructed by estimating the parameters of the fourth-order correlation function (CF) of scattered coherent radiation. The reliability of the estimates of CF counts obtained by the method of a discrete spatial convolution of the intensity-field counts, the possibility of estimating the CF profile counts by the method of one-dimensional convolution of intensity counts, and the applicability of the method for reconstructing the object shape are confirmed experimentally. (laser applications and other topics in quantum electronics)

QUANTITATIVE ESTIMATION OF VOLUMETRIC ICE CONTENT IN FROZEN GROUND BY DIPOLE ELECTROMAGNETIC PROFILING METHOD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. G. Neradovskiy

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Volumetric estimation of the ice content in frozen soils is known as one of the main problems in the engineering geocryology and the permafrost geophysics. A new way to use the known method of dipole electromagnetic profiling for the quantitative estimation of the volumetric ice content in frozen soils is discussed. Investigations of foundation of the railroad in Yakutia (i.e. in the permafrost zone were used as an example for this new approach. Unlike the conventional way, in which the permafrost is investigated by its resistivity and constructing of geo-electrical cross-sections, the new approach is aimed at the study of the dynamics of the process of attenuation in the layer of annual heat cycle in the field of high-frequency vertical magnetic dipole. This task is simplified if not all the characteristics of the polarization ellipse are measured but the only one which is the vertical component of the dipole field and can be the most easily measured. Collected data of the measurements were used to analyze the computational errors of the average values of the volumetric ice content from the amplitude attenuation of the vertical component of the dipole field. Note that the volumetric ice content is very important for construction. It is shown that usually the relative error of computation of this characteristic of a frozen soil does not exceed 20% if the works are performed by the above procedure using the key-site methodology. This level of accuracy meets requirements of the design-and-survey works for quick, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly zoning of built-up remote and sparsely populated territories of the Russian permafrost zone according to a category of a degree of the ice content in frozen foundations of engineering constructions.

Comparison of Sun-Induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence Estimates Obtained from Four Portable Field Spectroradiometers

Science.gov (United States)

Julitta, Tommaso; Corp, Lawrence A.; Rossini, Micol; Burkart, Andreas; Cogliati, Sergio; Davies, Neville; Hom, Milton; Mac Arthur, Alasdair; Middleton, Elizabeth M.; Rascher, Uwe;

Simulation of Profiles Data For Computed Tomography Using Object Images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Srisatit, Somyot

2007-08-01

Full text: It is necessary to use a scanning system to obtain the profiles data for computed tomographic images. A good profile data can give a good contrast and resolution. For the scanning system, high efficiency and high price of radiation equipments must be used. So, the simulated profiles data to obtain a good CT images quality as same as the real one for the demonstration can be used

Sediment trace metal profiles in lakes of Killarney Park, Canada from regional to continental influence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belzile, Nelson; Chen Yuwei; Gunn, John M.; Dixit, Sushil S.

2004-01-01

The lakes in Killarney Provincial Park (KPP) located 40-60 km southwest of Sudbury, Ontario are beginning to recover after decades of being severely affected by acidification and atmospheric pollutants. Detailed profiles of acid-recoverable trace elements (As. Cd, Cu, Co. Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) were obtained after aqua regia digestion and ICP-OES analysis of sediment cores taken from six Park lakes. Results permitted the identification of two types of profiles. The first type applies to elements such as Fe, Mn, As and Co for which historical deposition and recent recovery are strongly masked by diagenetic remobilization. The second type of profile applies to elements such as Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn on which the history of industrialisation in North America and mining activities in Sudbury can be superimposed. Based on sediment data of trace elements less affected by diagenetic remobilization (Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn), chemical recovery indices can be estimated from depth profiles. Indices of maximum (C p ) and surface (C s ) contamination were calculated by dividing the concentration of a given metal by the pre-industrial level. The ratio of the two indices provided a simple estimation of the chemical recovery of lakes that does not consider the influence of the watershed or the lake pH. Profiles of metals in sediment of KPP complement the water quality monitoring data and tend to indicate that this area is in transition from dominant influence of regional pollution sources to becoming controlled by continental atmospheric deposition. - Lakes in Killarney Park are in transition from being impacted by regional pollution to being controlled by continental atmospheric deposition

Assessment of IRI-2016 profile parameters over Indian low latitude station

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Nilesh C.; Karia, Sheetal P.; Pathak, Kamlesh N.

2018-05-01

The present study reports the assessment of the bottom-side profile thickness (B0), shape (B1) and F2-peak height (hmF2) parameters IRI-2016 model over the Indian region by using digisonde observations. The digisonde data from a low latitude station Ahmedabad, (located at the crest of the northern equatorial anomaly) during three months June-2012, July-2012 and December-2012 are considered for this study. Simultaneous comparison is made on the performance of three different options `Gul-1987', `Bil-2000' and the `ABT-2009' for the bottom-side profile, three different options`AMTB2013 (AMT)', `SHU-2015 (SHU)', and `BSE-1979 (BSE)' for the hmF2 estimation in the latest available IRI-2016 to that obtained from digisonde measurements. Further, the diurnal characteristics of the B0 and B1 from digisonde measurements are also compared with those from the IRI-2016 model using the three different options.

Measurement of whole tire profile

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yongyue; Jiao, Wenguang

2010-08-01

In this paper, a precision measuring device is developed for obtaining characteristic curve of tire profile and its geometric parameters. It consists of a laser displacement measurement unit, a closed-loop precision two-dimensional coordinate table, a step motor control system and a fast data acquisition and analysis system. Based on the laser trigonometry, a data map of tire profile and coordinate values of all points can be obtained through corresponding data transformation. This device has a compact structure, a convenient control, a simple hardware circuit design and a high measurement precision. Experimental results indicate that measurement precision can meet the customer accuracy requirement of +/-0.02 mm.

Regional and longitudinal estimation of product lifespan distribution: a case study for automobiles and a simplified estimation method.

Science.gov (United States)

Oguchi, Masahiro; Fuse, Masaaki

2015-02-03

Product lifespan estimates are important information for understanding progress toward sustainable consumption and estimating the stocks and end-of-life flows of products. Publications reported actual lifespan of products; however, quantitative data are still limited for many countries and years. This study presents regional and longitudinal estimation of lifespan distribution of consumer durables, taking passenger cars as an example, and proposes a simplified method for estimating product lifespan distribution. We estimated lifespan distribution parameters for 17 countries based on the age profile of in-use cars. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated that the shape parameter of the lifespan distribution can be replaced by a constant value for all the countries and years. This enabled a simplified estimation that does not require detailed data on the age profile. Applying the simplified method, we estimated the trend in average lifespans of passenger cars from 2000 to 2009 for 20 countries. Average lifespan differed greatly between countries (9-23 years) and was increasing in many countries. This suggests consumer behavior differs greatly among countries and has changed over time, even in developed countries. The results suggest that inappropriate assumptions of average lifespan may cause significant inaccuracy in estimating the stocks and end-of-life flows of products.

Microphysical retrievals from simultaneous polarimetric and profiling radar observations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. P. Morris

2009-12-01

Full Text Available The character of precipitation detected at the surface is the final product of many microphysical interactions in the cloud above, the combined effects of which may be characterized by the observed drop size distribution (DSD. This necessitates accurate retrieval of the DSD from remote sensing data, especially radar as it offers large areal coverage, high spatial resolution, and rigorous quality control and testing. Combined instrument observations with a UHF wind profiler, an S-band polarimetric weather radar, and a video disdrometer are analyzed for two squall line events occuring during the calendar year 2007. UHF profiler Doppler velocity spectra are used to estimate the DSD aloft, and are complemented by DSDs retrieved from an exponential model applied to polarimetric data. Ground truth is provided by the disdrometer. A complicating factor in the retrieval from UHF profiler spectra is the presence of ambient air motion, which can be corrected using the method proposed by Teshiba et al. (2009, in which a comparison between idealized Doppler spectra calculated from the DSDs retrieved from KOUN and those retrieved from contaminated wind profiler spectra is performed. It is found that DSDs measured using the distrometer at the surface and estimated using the wind profiler and polarimetric weather radar generally showed good agreement. The DSD retrievals using the wind profiler were improved when the estimates of the vertical wind were included into the analysis, thus supporting the method of Teshiba et al. (2009. Furthermore, the the study presents a method of investigating the time and height structure of DSDs.

Projected potential profiles across interfaces obtained by reconstructing the exit face wave function from through focal series

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhattacharyya, Somnath; Koch, Christoph T.; Ruehle, Manfred

2006-01-01

An iterative method for reconstructing the exit face wave function from a through focal series of transmission electron microscopy image line profiles across an interface is presented. Apart from high-resolution images recorded with small changes in defocus, this method works also well for a large defocus range as used for Fresnel imaging. Using the phase-object approximation the projected electrostatic as well as the absorptive potential profiles across an interface are determined from this exit face wave function. A new experimental image alignment procedure was developed in order to align images with large relative defocus shift. The performance of this procedure is shown to be superior to other image alignment procedures existing in the literature. The reconstruction method is applied to both simulated and experimental images

Air velocity profiles near sleeve blockages in an unheated 7 x 7 rod bundle. [PWR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Creer, J. M.; Bates, J. M.

1979-04-01

Local air velocity measurements were obtained with a laser Doppler anemometer near flow blockages in an unheated 7 x 7 rod bundle. Sleeve blockages were positioned on the center nine rods to create an area reduction of 90% in the center four subchannels of the bundle. Experimental results indicated that severe flow disturbances occurred downstream from the blockage cluster but showed only minor flow disturbances upstream from the blockage. Flow reversals were detected downstream from the blockage and persisted for approximately five subchannel hydraulic diameters. The air velocity profiles were in excellent agreement with water velocity data previously obtained at essentially the same Reynolds number. Subchannel average velocity predictions obtained with the COBRA computer program were in good agreement with subchannel average velocities estimated using the measured local velocity data.

A model to obtain an optimum erbium desity for gain increasing in EDFA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Arzi

2003-12-01

Full Text Available   In this paper, we suggest a novel model, based on input pump power and wave guidestructure, to calculate the Er-density profile in Erbium doped fiber amplifiers. This optimization is carried out for both SMF and DSF fibers. These optimized profiles have a Gaussian-like shape. Using the SMF optimized Er-density profile, high gain enhancement is obtained in a relatively short length of fibers. On the other hand, the DSF optimized profile shows small changes in the gain, which agrees with the previously report on other method of gain enhancement. This model is applicable to all active waveguides and any other dopant as well .

Phytochemical screening and analgesic profile of the lyophilized aqueous extract obtained from Chrysobalanus icaco leaves in experimental protocols.

Science.gov (United States)

Araújo-Filho, Heitor G; Dias, Jessica Deise Santos; Quintans-Júnior, Lucindo J; Santos, Márcio R V; White, Pollyanna A S; Barreto, Rosana S S; Barreto, André S; Estevam, Charles S; Araujo, Silvan S; Almeida, Jackson R G S; Menezes, Irwin R A; Coutinho, Henrique D M; Quintans, Jullyana S S

2016-12-01

Chrysobalanus icaco L. (Chrysobalanaceae) has been used for the treatment of abdominal pain and cramps. Assess the chemical and pharmacological profile of the lyophilized aqueous extract from C. icaco leaves (AEC). Chromatographic methods were used to assess compounds from AEC. Mice were treated with vehicle (control group) or AEC (100, 200 or 400 mg/kg, p.o.) (group with 7-8 mice) and the analgesic profile was assessed employing the acetic acid-induced writhing, formalin, hot plate tests and hyperalgesia induced by carrageenan (CG) or tumour necrosis factor-alpha. The animal motor performance was assessed using rota-rod and grip strength tests. The chromatographic profile of AEC demonstrated the presence of terpenoid compounds. The acute pretreatment with AEC, at all doses, produced a significant (p acetic acid-induced writhing test. In the formalin test, AEC were effective in the second phase (p analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. So, these results corroborate the experiments using the AEC in inflammatory pain protocols. Our results suggest that AEC act against inflammatory pain.

Monte Carlo simulation of single accident airport risk profile

Science.gov (United States)

1979-01-01

A computer simulation model was developed for estimating the potential economic impacts of a carbon fiber release upon facilities within an 80 kilometer radius of a major airport. The model simulated the possible range of release conditions and the resulting dispersion of the carbon fibers. Each iteration of the model generated a specific release scenario, which would cause a specific amount of dollar loss to the surrounding community. By repeated iterations, a risk profile was generated, showing the probability distribution of losses from one accident. Using accident probability estimates, the risks profile for annual losses was derived. The mechanics are described of the simulation model, the required input data, and the risk profiles generated for the 26 large hub airports.

Spectroscopic observation of the middle ultraviolet earth albedo by S-520-4 rocket and mesospheric ozone density profile

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Katsuhisa; Ogawa, Toshihiro.

1982-01-01

The ozone Hartey absorption band in the middle ultraviolet range is commonly adopted for the ozone measurement by rocket and satellite observations. In Japan, since 1965 the ozone absorption in the solar ultraviolet radiation has been observed by rocket-borne uv photometers. On the other hand the spectroscopic measurements of the scattered solar ultraviolet radiation from the terrestrial atmosphere will be performed by the EXOS-C satellite which will be launched in 1984. We tested the spectrometer for this satellite experiment by S-520-4 rocket launched on 5 September 1981. This instrument observed the scattered radiation of 2500 A -- 3300 A and the visible earth albedo of 4030 A. The spectrometer is consisted of a concave grating and has about 10 A wavelength resolution. A photomultiplier having a Cs-Te photocathode is used as a uv detector. The visible albedo is measured by a photometer consisting of an interference filter and a phototube. We estimated the atmospheric ozone profile, comparing the uv spectrum obtained by this experiment with the model calculations. The estimated ozone density profile higher than 30 km altitude has good agreement with the profile obtained by the previous uv photometer experiments at Uchinoura. There are differences between the observed spectrum and the calculated one in = 3100 A. We can explain them by the effect of Mie scattering and the uv stray light. In the present experiment we could successfully test the functions of the instrument in the space. rocket, spectrometer, solar ultraviolet radiation, earth albedo, ozone (author)

Cardiorespiratory Fitness Profile of Undergraduate Biomedical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... for developing sedentary habits, which could lead to reduced cardiorespiratory fitness. ... This study therefore examined the cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) profile of ... A modified sub-maximal cycle ergometer protocol was used to estimate ...

High current density ion beam obtained by a transition to a highly focused state in extremely low-energy region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hirano, Y., E-mail: y.hirano@aist.go.jp, E-mail: hirano.yoichi@phys.cst.nihon-u.ac.jp [Innovative Plasma Processing Group, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568 (Japan); College of Science and Technologies, Nihon University, Chiyodaku, Tokyo 101-0897 (Japan); Kiyama, S.; Koguchi, H. [Innovative Plasma Processing Group, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568 (Japan); Fujiwara, Y.; Sakakita, H. [Innovative Plasma Processing Group, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568 (Japan); Department of Engineering Mechanics and Energy, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577 (Japan)

2015-11-15

A high current density (≈3 mA/cm{sup 2}) hydrogen ion beam source operating in an extremely low-energy region (E{sub ib} ≈ 150–200 eV) has been realized by using a transition to a highly focused state, where the beam is extracted from the ion source chamber through three concave electrodes with nominal focal lengths of ≈350 mm. The transition occurs when the beam energy exceeds a threshold value between 145 and 170 eV. Low-level hysteresis is observed in the transition when E{sub ib} is being reduced. The radial profiles of the ion beam current density and the low temperature ion current density can be obtained separately using a Faraday cup with a grid in front. The measured profiles confirm that more than a half of the extracted beam ions reaches the target plate with a good focusing profile with a full width at half maximum of ≈3 cm. Estimation of the particle balances in beam ions, the slow ions, and the electrons indicates the possibility that the secondary electron emission from the target plate and electron impact ionization of hydrogen may play roles as particle sources in this extremely low-energy beam after the compensation of beam ion space charge.

Prediction of Human Pharmacokinetic Profile After Transdermal Drug Application Using Excised Human Skin.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, Syunsuke; Karashima, Masatoshi; Arai, Yuta; Tohyama, Kimio; Amano, Nobuyuki

2017-09-01

Although several mathematical models have been reported for the estimation of human plasma concentration profiles of drug substances after dermal application, the successful cases that can predict human pharmacokinetic profiles are limited. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the prediction of human plasma concentrations after dermal application using in vitro permeation parameters obtained from excised human skin. The in vitro skin permeability of 7 marketed drug products was evaluated. The plasma concentration-time profiles of the drug substances in humans after their dermal application were simulated using compartment models and the clinical pharmacokinetic parameters. The transdermal process was simulated using the in vitro skin permeation rate and lag time assuming a zero-order absorption. These simulated plasma concentration profiles were compared with the clinical data. The result revealed that the steady-state plasma concentration of diclofenac and the maximum concentrations of nicotine, bisoprolol, rivastigmine, and lidocaine after topical application were within 2-fold of the clinical data. Furthermore, the simulated concentration profiles of bisoprolol, nicotine, and rivastigmine reproduced the decrease in absorption due to drug depletion from the formulation. In conclusion, this simple compartment model using in vitro human skin permeation parameters as zero-order absorption predicted the human plasma concentrations accurately. Copyright © 2017 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of 1H NMR metabolic profiling using biofluid mixture design.

Science.gov (United States)

Athersuch, Toby J; Malik, Shahid; Weljie, Aalim; Newton, Jack; Keun, Hector C

2013-07-16

A strategy for evaluating the performance of quantitative spectral analysis tools in conditions that better approximate background variation in a metabonomics experiment is presented. Three different urine samples were mixed in known proportions according to a {3, 3} simplex lattice experimental design and analyzed in triplicate by 1D (1)H NMR spectroscopy. Fifty-four urinary metabolites were subsequently quantified from the sample spectra using two methods common in metabolic profiling studies: (1) targeted spectral fitting and (2) targeted spectral integration. Multivariate analysis using partial least-squares (PLS) regression showed the latent structure of the spectral set recapitulated the experimental mixture design. The goodness-of-prediction statistic (Q(2)) of each metabolite variable in a PLS model was calculated as a metric for the reliability of measurement, across the sample compositional space. Several metabolites were observed to have low Q(2) values, largely as a consequence of their spectral resonances having low s/n or strong overlap with other sample components. This strategy has the potential to allow evaluation of spectral features obtained from metabolic profiling platforms in the context of the compositional background found in real biological sample sets, which may be subject to considerable variation. We suggest that it be incorporated into metabolic profiling studies to improve the estimation of matrix effects that confound accurate metabolite measurement. This novel method provides a rational basis for exploiting information from several samples in an efficient manner and avoids the use of multiple spike-in authentic standards, which may be difficult to obtain.

MO-FG-CAMPUS-IeP2-01: Characterization of Beam Shaping Filters and Photon Spectra From HVL Profiles in CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bujila, R [Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm (Sweden); Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm (Sweden); Kull, L [Sunderby Hospital, Lulea (Sweden); Nowik, P; Poludniowski, G [Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm (Sweden); Andersson, J [Umea University, Umea (Sweden)

2016-06-15

Purpose: Advanced dosimetry in CT (e.g. the Monte Carlo method) requires an accurate characterization of the shaped filter and radiation quality used during a scan. The purpose of this work was to develop a method where half value layer (HVL) profiles along shaped filters could be made. From the HVL profiles the beam shaping properties and effective photon spectrum for a particular scan can be inferred. Methods: A measurement rig was developed to allow determinations of the HVL under a scatter-free narrow-beam geometry and constant focal spot to ionization chamber distance for different fan angles. For each fan angle the HVL is obtained by fitting the transmission of radiation through different thicknesses of an Al absorber (type 1100) using an appropriate model. The effective Al thickness of shaped filters and effective photon spectra are estimated using a model of photon emission from a Tungsten anode. This method is used to obtain the effective photon spectra and effective Al thickness of shaped filters for a CT scanner recently introduced to the market. Results: This study resulted in a set of effective photon spectra (central ray) for each kVp along with effective Al thicknesses of the different shaped filters. The effective photon spectra and effective Al thicknesses of shaped filters were used to obtain numerically approximated HVL profiles and compared to measured HVL profiles (mean absolute percentage error = 0.02). The central axis HVL found in the vendor’s technical documentation were compared to approximated HVL values (mean absolute percentage error = 0.03). Conclusion: This work has resulted in a unique method of measuring HVL profiles along shaped filters in CT. Further the effective photon spectra and the effective Al thicknesses of shaped filters that were obtained can be incorporated into Monte Carlo simulations.

The effect of sediment thermal conductivity on vertical groundwater flux estimates

Science.gov (United States)

Sebok, Eva; Müller, Sascha; Engesgaard, Peter; Duque, Carlos

2015-04-01

The interaction between groundwater and surface water is of great importance both from ecological and water management perspective. The exchange fluxes are often estimated based on vertical temperature profiles taken from shallow sediments assuming a homogeneous standard value of sediment thermal conductivity. Here we report on a field investigation in a stream and in a fjord, where vertical profiles of sediment thermal conductivity and temperatures were measured in order to, (i) define the vertical variability in sediment thermal conductivity, (ii) quantify the effect of heterogeneity in sediment thermal conductivity on the estimated vertical groundwater fluxes. The study was carried out at field sites located in Ringkøbing fjord and Holtum stream in Western Denmark. Both locations have soft, sandy sediments with an upper organic layer at the fjord site. First 9 and 12 vertical sediment temperature profiles up to 0.5 m depth below the sediment bed were collected in the fjord and in the stream, respectively. Later sediment cores of 0.05 m diameter were removed at the location of the temperature profiles. Sediment thermal conductivity was measured in the sediment cores at 0.1 m intervals with a Decagon KD2 Pro device. A 1D flow and heat transport model (HydroGeoSphere) was set up and vertical groundwater fluxes were estimated based on the measured vertical sediment temperature profiles by coupling the model with PEST. To determine the effect of heterogeneity in sediment thermal conductivity on estimated vertical groundwater fluxes, the model was run by assigning (i) a homogeneous thermal conductivity for all sediment layers, calculated as the average sediment thermal conductivity of the profile, (ii) measured sediment thermal conductivities to the different model layers. The field survey showed that sediment thermal conductivity over a 0.5 m profile below the sediment bed is not uniform, having the largest variability in the fjord where organic sediments were also

Pilot-scale data provide enhanced estimates of the life cycle energy and emissions profile of algae biofuels produced via hydrothermal liquefaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xiaowei; Saydah, Benjamin; Eranki, Pragnya; Colosi, Lisa M; Greg Mitchell, B; Rhodes, James; Clarens, Andres F

2013-11-01

Life cycle assessment (LCA) has been used widely to estimate the environmental implications of deploying algae-to-energy systems even though no full-scale facilities have yet to be built. Here, data from a pilot-scale facility using hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is used to estimate the life cycle profiles at full scale. Three scenarios (lab-, pilot-, and full-scale) were defined to understand how development in the industry could impact its life cycle burdens. HTL-derived algae fuels were found to have lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than petroleum fuels. Algae-derived gasoline had significantly lower GHG emissions than corn ethanol. Most algae-based fuels have an energy return on investment between 1 and 3, which is lower than petroleum biofuels. Sensitivity analyses reveal several areas in which improvements by algae bioenergy companies (e.g., biocrude yields, nutrient recycle) and by supporting industries (e.g., CO2 supply chains) could reduce the burdens of the industry. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An adaptive Bayesian inference algorithm to estimate the parameters of a hazardous atmospheric release

Science.gov (United States)

Rajaona, Harizo; Septier, François; Armand, Patrick; Delignon, Yves; Olry, Christophe; Albergel, Armand; Moussafir, Jacques

2015-12-01

In the eventuality of an accidental or intentional atmospheric release, the reconstruction of the source term using measurements from a set of sensors is an important and challenging inverse problem. A rapid and accurate estimation of the source allows faster and more efficient action for first-response teams, in addition to providing better damage assessment. This paper presents a Bayesian probabilistic approach to estimate the location and the temporal emission profile of a pointwise source. The release rate is evaluated analytically by using a Gaussian assumption on its prior distribution, and is enhanced with a positivity constraint to improve the estimation. The source location is obtained by the means of an advanced iterative Monte-Carlo technique called Adaptive Multiple Importance Sampling (AMIS), which uses a recycling process at each iteration to accelerate its convergence. The proposed methodology is tested using synthetic and real concentration data in the framework of the Fusion Field Trials 2007 (FFT-07) experiment. The quality of the obtained results is comparable to those coming from the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm, a popular Bayesian method used for source estimation. Moreover, the adaptive processing of the AMIS provides a better sampling efficiency by reusing all the generated samples.

A method for measuring the inductive electric field profile and noninductive current profiles on DIII-D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forest, C.B.; Luce, T.C.; Politzer, P.A.; Lao, L.L.; Kupfer, K.; Wroblewski, D.

1994-07-01

A new technique for determining the parallel electric field profile and noninductive current profile in tokamak plasmas has been developed and applied to two DIII-D tokamak discharges. Central to this technique is the determination of the current density profile, J(ρ), and poloidal flux, ψ(ρ), from equilibrium reconstructions. From time sequences of the reconstructions, the flux surface averaged, parallel electric field can be estimated from appropriate derivatives of the poloidal flux. With a model for the conductivity and measurements of T e and Z eff , the noninductive fraction of the current can be determined. Such a technique gives the possibility of measuring directly the bootstrap current profile and the noninductively driven current from auxiliary heating such as neutral beam injection or fast wave current drive. Furthermore, if the noninductively driven current is small or if the noninductive current profile is assumed to be known, this measurement provides a local test of the conductivity model under various conditions

Measurement of high-beta tokamak pressure profiles with multipoint Thomson scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levinton, F.M.

1983-01-01

A multipoint Thomson-scattering system has been developed to obtain pressure profiles along the major radius of Torus II, a high-beta tokamak. The profiles obtained during the 20 to 25 μs lifetime of the discharge indicates that the plasma has a peak temperature of 80 eV and density of 1.0 x 10 15 cm - 3 . The profiles remain fairly constant during this time until the equilibrium is lost, after which the temperature and density decays to 10 eV and 10 14 cm - 3 very quickly (approx. 1 μs). Experimental results show Torus II has a high-beta ( approx. 10%) equilibrium, with a strong shift of the peak of the pressure profile towards the outside. Numerical results from a 2-D free boundary MHD equilibrium code have obtained equilibria which closely approximate the experimentally measured profiles

Web User Profiling Based on Browsing Behavior Analysis

OpenAIRE

Fan , Xiao-Xi; Chow , Kam-Pui; Xu , Fei

2014-01-01

Part 1: Internet Crime Investigations; International audience; Determining the source of criminal activity requires a reliable means to estimate a criminal’s identity. One way to do this is to use web browsing history to build a profile of an anonymous user. Since an individual’s web use is unique, matching the web use profile to known samples provides a means to identify an unknown user. This paper describes a model for web user profiling and identification. Two aspects of browsing behavior ...

Topographic Correction of GPR Profiles Based on Laser Data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Di; Zhong, Ruofei; Li, Jia Cun; Zeng, Fanyang

2014-01-01

Data obtained by GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) are displayed as a continuous cross-sectional profile. Surface, generally, is not flat. As a result, the image becomes distorted and the depth calculated from the surface no longer represents the true and exact position of electrically distinctive layers and objects in materials. In order to get real geologic cross section, GPR data must be corrected. This is paper discusses a new method using the color point cloud data obtained by a Vehicle-borne laser scanning system to compensate for elevation fluctuate. Elevation profile can be extracted from topographic data of survey site acquired using laser scanner, which can then be used to offset the error of GPR data. Through the discrete points in the survey line, each trace of the profile has its own elevation value showing a vertical difference from the reference profile with maximum elevation, then time shifts value of traces vertical offset versus the reference trace of profile can be obtained. At last, the results of topographic correction for radargrams that look extremely like the real geologic cross section are presented, which allows us to get a better profile interpretation and position of the objects and layers in the subsurface

Estimated SAGE II ozone mixing ratios in early 1993 and comparisons with Stratospheric Photochemistry, Aerosols and Dynamic Expedition measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Yue, G. K.; Veiga, R. E.; Poole, L. R.; Zawodny, J. M.; Proffitt, M. H.

1994-01-01

An empirical time-series model for estimating ozone mixing ratios based on Stratospheric Aerosols and Gas Experiment II (SAGE II) monthly mean ozone data for the period October 1984 through June 1991 has been developed. The modeling results for ozone mixing ratios in the 10- to 30- km region in early months of 1993 are presented. In situ ozone profiles obtained by a dual-beam UV-absorption ozone photometer during the Stratospheric Photochemistry, Aerosols and Dynamics Expedition (SPADE) campaign, May 1-14, 1993, are compared with the model results. With the exception of two profiles at altitudes below 16 km, ozone mixing ratios derived by the model and measured by the ozone photometer are in relatively good agreement within their individual uncertainties. The identified discrepancies in the two profiles are discussed.

Analysis shear wave velocity structure obtained from surface wave methods in Bornova, Izmir

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pamuk, Eren, E-mail: eren.pamuk@deu.edu.tr; Akgün, Mustafa, E-mail: mustafa.akgun@deu.edu.tr [Department of Geophysical Engineering, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir (Turkey); Özdağ, Özkan Cevdet, E-mail: cevdet.ozdag@deu.edu.tr [Dokuz Eylul University Rectorate, Izmir (Turkey)

2016-04-18

Properties of the soil from the bedrock is necessary to describe accurately and reliably for the reduction of earthquake damage. Because seismic waves change their amplitude and frequency content owing to acoustic impedance difference between soil and bedrock. Firstly, shear wave velocity and depth information of layers on bedrock is needed to detect this changing. Shear wave velocity can be obtained using inversion of Rayleigh wave dispersion curves obtained from surface wave methods (MASW- the Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves, ReMi-Refraction Microtremor, SPAC-Spatial Autocorrelation). While research depth is limeted in active source study, a passive source methods are utilized for deep depth which is not reached using active source methods. ReMi method is used to determine layer thickness and velocity up to 100 m using seismic refraction measurement systems.The research carried out up to desired depth depending on radius using SPAC which is utilized easily in conditions that district using of seismic studies in the city. Vs profiles which are required to calculate deformations in under static and dynamic loads can be obtained with high resolution using combining rayleigh wave dispersion curve obtained from active and passive source methods. In the this study, Surface waves data were collected using the measurements of MASW, ReMi and SPAC at the İzmir Bornova region. Dispersion curves obtained from surface wave methods were combined in wide frequency band and Vs-depth profiles were obtained using inversion. Reliability of the resulting soil profiles were provided by comparison with theoretical transfer function obtained from soil paremeters and observed soil transfer function from Nakamura technique and by examination of fitting between these functions. Vs values are changed between 200-830 m/s and engineering bedrock (Vs>760 m/s) depth is approximately 150 m.

Molecular weight profiles of proanthocyanidin polymers

Science.gov (United States)

Vincent M. Williams; Lawrence J. Porter; Richard W. Hemingway

1983-01-01

The MW profiles of proanthocyanidin polymers (condensed tannins) from 32 samples representing a wide range of plant tissues of many different species have been obtained by gel permeation chromatography of the peracetate derivatives. The tannins vary widely in MW, with M values for the peracetates in the range 1600-5500. The MW profiles vary greatly from those with...

Estimating maneuvers for precise relative orbit determination using GPS

Science.gov (United States)

Allende-Alba, Gerardo; Montenbruck, Oliver; Ardaens, Jean-Sébastien; Wermuth, Martin; Hugentobler, Urs

2017-01-01

Precise relative orbit determination is an essential element for the generation of science products from distributed instrumentation of formation flying satellites in low Earth orbit. According to the mission profile, the required formation is typically maintained and/or controlled by executing maneuvers. In order to generate consistent and precise orbit products, a strategy for maneuver handling is mandatory in order to avoid discontinuities or precision degradation before, after and during maneuver execution. Precise orbit determination offers the possibility of maneuver estimation in an adjustment of single-satellite trajectories using GPS measurements. However, a consistent formulation of a precise relative orbit determination scheme requires the implementation of a maneuver estimation strategy which can be used, in addition, to improve the precision of maneuver estimates by drawing upon the use of differential GPS measurements. The present study introduces a method for precise relative orbit determination based on a reduced-dynamic batch processing of differential GPS pseudorange and carrier phase measurements, which includes maneuver estimation as part of the relative orbit adjustment. The proposed method has been validated using flight data from space missions with different rates of maneuvering activity, including the GRACE, TanDEM-X and PRISMA missions. The results show the feasibility of obtaining precise relative orbits without degradation in the vicinity of maneuvers as well as improved maneuver estimates that can be used for better maneuver planning in flight dynamics operations.

Influence of laser beam profile on electromagnetically induced absorption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cuk, S. M.; Radonjic, M.; Krmpot, A. J.; Nikolic, S. N.; Grujic, Z. D.; Jelenkovic, B. M.

2010-01-01

We compared, experimentally and theoretically, Hanle electromagnetically induced absorption (EIA) obtained using Gaussian and Π-shaped laser beams 3 mm in diameter. The study was done by measuring the transmission of a laser locked to the F g =2→F e =3 transition at the D 2 line of 87 Rb in a vacuum cell. EIA linewidths obtained for the two laser profiles were significantly different in the range of laser intensities 1-4 mW/cm 2 . EIA with the Π-shaped laser beam has a broad intensity maximum and linewidths larger than those obtained with the Gaussian beam profile. We also studied Hanle EIA by measuring the transmission of selected segments of the entire laser beam by placing a small movable aperture in front of the detector. Waveforms so obtained in Hanle EIA resonances were strongly influenced both by the radial distance of the transmitted segment from the beam center and by the radial profile of the laser beam. We show that outer regions of Gaussian beam, and central regions of the Π-shaped beam generate the narrowest lines. The different behaviors of EIA owing to different beam profiles revealed by both theory and experiment indicate the importance of the radial profile of the laser beam for proper modeling of coherent effects in alkali metal vapors.

Estimation of edge electron temperature profiles via forward modelling of the electron cyclotron radiation transport at ASDEX Upgrade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rathgeber, S K; Barrera, L; Eich, T; Fischer, R; Suttrop, W; Wolfrum, E; Nold, B; Willensdorfer, M

2013-01-01

We present a method to obtain reliable edge profiles of the electron temperature by forward modelling of the electron cyclotron radiation transport. While for the core of ASDEX Upgrade plasmas, straightforward analysis of electron cyclotron intensity measurements based on the optically thick plasma approximation is usually justified, reasonable analysis of the steep and optically thin plasma edge needs to consider broadened emission and absorption profiles and radiation transport processes. This is carried out in the framework of integrated data analysis which applies Bayesian probability theory for joint analysis of the electron density and temperature with data of different interdependent and complementary diagnostics. By this means, electron cyclotron radiation intensity delivers highly spatially resolved electron temperature data for the plasma edge. In H-mode, the edge gradient of the electron temperature can be several times higher than the one of the radiation temperature. Furthermore, we are able to reproduce the ‘shine-through’ peak—the observation of increased radiation temperatures at frequencies resonant in the optically thin scrape-off layer. This phenomenon is caused by strongly down-shifted radiation of Maxwellian tail electrons located in the H-mode edge region and, therefore, contains valuable information about the electron temperature edge gradient. (paper)

Environmental isotope profiles and evaporation in shallow water table soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hussein, M.F.; Froehlich, K.; Nada, A.

2001-01-01

Environmental isotope methods have been employed to evaluate the processes of evaporation and soil salinisation in the Nile Delta. Stable isotope profiles (δ 18 O and δ 2 H) from three sites were analysed using a published isothermal model that analyses the steady-state isotopic profile in the unsaturated zone and provides an estimate of the evaporation rate. Evaporation rates estimated by this method at the three sites range between 60 and 98 mm y -1 which translates to an estimate of net water loss of one billion cubic meters per year from fallow soils on the Nile delta. Capillary rise of water through the root zone during the crop growing season is estimated to be three times greater than evaporation rate estimate and a modified water management strategy could be adopted in order to optimize water use and its management on the regional scale. (author)

GNSS troposphere tomography based on two-step reconstructions using GPS observations and COSMIC profiles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Xia

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Traditionally, balloon-based radiosonde soundings are used to study the spatial distribution of atmospheric water vapour. However, this approach cannot be frequently employed due to its high cost. In contrast, GPS tomography technique can obtain water vapour in a high temporal resolution. In the tomography technique, an iterative or non-iterative reconstruction algorithm is usually utilised to overcome rank deficiency of observation equations for water vapour inversion. However, the single iterative or non-iterative reconstruction algorithm has their limitations. For instance, the iterative reconstruction algorithm requires accurate initial values of water vapour while the non-iterative reconstruction algorithm needs proper constraint conditions. To overcome these drawbacks, we present a combined iterative and non-iterative reconstruction approach for the three-dimensional (3-D water vapour inversion using GPS observations and COSMIC profiles. In this approach, the non-iterative reconstruction algorithm is first used to estimate water vapour density based on a priori water vapour information derived from COSMIC radio occultation data. The estimates are then employed as initial values in the iterative reconstruction algorithm. The largest advantage of this approach is that precise initial values of water vapour density that are essential in the iterative reconstruction algorithm can be obtained. This combined reconstruction algorithm (CRA is evaluated using 10-day GPS observations in Hong Kong and COSMIC profiles. The test results indicate that the water vapor accuracy from CRA is 16 and 14% higher than that of iterative and non-iterative reconstruction approaches, respectively. In addition, the tomography results obtained from the CRA are further validated using radiosonde data. Results indicate that water vapour densities derived from the CRA agree with radiosonde results very well at altitudes above 2.5 km. The average RMS value of their

Country Demographic Profiles: Thailand.

Science.gov (United States)

Bureau of the Census (DOC), Suitland, MD. Population Div.

This profile of the population of Thailand contains 35 tables of selected demographic information, including size of population and estimates of fertility and mortality, beginning in 1950. An adjusted distribution of the population by age and sex is given for the latest census year, as well as for 1976. Projections of the number of women of…

The apparent and effective chloride migration coefficients obtained in migration tests

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spiesz, P.R.; Brouwers, H.J.H.

2013-01-01

The apparent (Dapp) and effective (Deff) migration coefficients obtained in chloride migration tests are investigated in this study. The presented Dapp profiles in concrete show that the apparent migration coefficient is strongly concentration-dependent. As demonstrated, the binding of chlorides is

Accuracy and Sources of Error for an Angle Independent Volume Flow Estimator

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jonas; Olesen, Jacob Bjerring; Hansen, Peter Møller

2014-01-01

This paper investigates sources of error for a vector velocity volume flow estimator. Quantification of the estima tor’s accuracy is performed theoretically and investigated in vivo . Womersley’s model for pulsatile flow is used to simulate velo city profiles and calculate volume flow errors....... A BK Medical UltraView 800 ultrasound scanner with a 9 MHz linear array transducer is used to obtain Vector Flow Imaging sequences of a superficial part of the fistulas. Cross-sectional diameters of each fistu la are measured on B-mode images by rotating the scan plane 90 degrees. The major axis...

Sensitivity of Landsat 8 Surface Temperature Estimates to Atmospheric Profile Data: A Study Using MODTRAN in Dryland Irrigated Systems

KAUST Repository

Rosas, Jorge; Houborg, Rasmus; McCabe, Matthew

2017-01-01

The land surface temperature (LST) represents a critical element in efforts to characterize global surface energy and water fluxes, as well as being an essential climate variable in its own right. Current satellite platforms provide a range of spatial and temporal resolution radiance data from which LST can be determined. One of the most complete records of data comes via the Landsat series of satellites, which provide a continuous sequence that extends back to 1982. However, for much of this time, Landsat thermal data were provided through a single broadband thermal channel, making surface temperature retrieval challenging. To fully exploit the valuable time-series of thermal information that is available from these satellites requires efforts to better describe and understand the accuracy of temperature retrievals. Here, we contribute to these efforts by examining the impact of atmospheric correction on the estimation of LST, using atmospheric profiles derived from a range of in-situ, reanalysis, and satellite data. Radiance data from the thermal infrared (TIR) sensor onboard Landsat 8 was converted to LST by using the MODTRAN version 5.2 radiative transfer model, allowing the production of an LST time series based upon 28 Landsat overpasses. LST retrievals were then evaluated against in-situ thermal measurements collected over an arid zone farmland comprising both bare soil and vegetated surface types. Atmospheric profiles derived from AIRS, MOD07, ECMWF, NCEP, and balloon-based radiosonde data were used to drive the MODTRAN simulations. In addition to examining the direct impact of using various profile data on LST retrievals, randomly distributed errors were introduced into a range of forcing variables to better understand retrieval uncertainty. Results indicated differences in LST of up to 1 K for perturbations in emissivity and profile measurements, with the analysis also highlighting the challenges in modeling aerosol optical depth (AOD) over arid lands and

Sensitivity of Landsat 8 Surface Temperature Estimates to Atmospheric Profile Data: A Study Using MODTRAN in Dryland Irrigated Systems

KAUST Repository

Rosas, Jorge

2017-09-26

The land surface temperature (LST) represents a critical element in efforts to characterize global surface energy and water fluxes, as well as being an essential climate variable in its own right. Current satellite platforms provide a range of spatial and temporal resolution radiance data from which LST can be determined. One of the most complete records of data comes via the Landsat series of satellites, which provide a continuous sequence that extends back to 1982. However, for much of this time, Landsat thermal data were provided through a single broadband thermal channel, making surface temperature retrieval challenging. To fully exploit the valuable time-series of thermal information that is available from these satellites requires efforts to better describe and understand the accuracy of temperature retrievals. Here, we contribute to these efforts by examining the impact of atmospheric correction on the estimation of LST, using atmospheric profiles derived from a range of in-situ, reanalysis, and satellite data. Radiance data from the thermal infrared (TIR) sensor onboard Landsat 8 was converted to LST by using the MODTRAN version 5.2 radiative transfer model, allowing the production of an LST time series based upon 28 Landsat overpasses. LST retrievals were then evaluated against in-situ thermal measurements collected over an arid zone farmland comprising both bare soil and vegetated surface types. Atmospheric profiles derived from AIRS, MOD07, ECMWF, NCEP, and balloon-based radiosonde data were used to drive the MODTRAN simulations. In addition to examining the direct impact of using various profile data on LST retrievals, randomly distributed errors were introduced into a range of forcing variables to better understand retrieval uncertainty. Results indicated differences in LST of up to 1 K for perturbations in emissivity and profile measurements, with the analysis also highlighting the challenges in modeling aerosol optical depth (AOD) over arid lands and

Consumption of seafood and its estimated heavy metals are associated with lipid profile and oxidative lipid damage on healthy adults from a Spanish Mediterranean area: A cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Aranda, N; Valls, R M; Romeu, M; Sánchez-Martos, V; Albaladejo, R; Fernández-Castillejo, S; Nogués, R; Catalán, Ú; Pedret, A; Espinel, A; Delgado, M A; Arija, V; Sola, R; Giralt, M

2017-07-01

The association between the consumption of seafood and its benefits on cardiovascular (CVD) risk can be challenged by its heavy metal (HM) content. This study aimed to explore the association of seafood consumption and its estimated HM contents with the lipid profile and lipid oxidation biomarkers in adults from a Spanish Mediterranean area who do not present risk factors for CVD. In this cross-sectional study, the clinical history, three-day dietary record, lipid profile (LDLc, HDLc, APOB/A, and triglyceride levels), plasma oxidised LDL (oxLDL) and 8-isoprostane levels of 81 adults without risk factors for CVD [43% men, with a mean age of 43.6 years (95%CI: 40.1-47.1)] were assessed. The HM [arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb)] contents of seafood were estimated according to data from analyses of marine species in the same Mediterranean area. Moderate adherence to the Mediterranean diet (score: 4.6 of 9) with a mean seafood consumption of 74.9g/day (95%CI: 59.9-89.9), including 22.7g of shellfish per day (95%CI: 13.5-31.9), was observed. The estimated HM contents were lower than the provisional tolerable weekly intakes (PTWIs): 21.12µg/kg/week As, 0.57µg/kg/week InAs, 0.15µg/kg/week Cd, 1.11µg/kg/week Hg and 0.28µg/kg/week Pb. After adjusting by confounder variables, an increase in shellfish consumption was associated with increases in the levels of LDLc (P=0.013), non-HDLc (P=0.015), APOB/A (P=0.02) and plasma oxLDL (P=0.002). Moreover, an increase in the estimated As and Hg levels in shellfish was associated with an increase in LDLc (P=0.015 and P=0.018, respectively), non-HDLc (Pconsumption, even by a moderate amount, could favour a pro-atherogenic lipid profile and a higher level of oxidised LDL. These associations are likely influenced by the estimated exposure to As and Hg from shellfish despite these values are lower than the PTWIs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prediction of the Inlet Nozzle Velocity Profiles for the CANDU-6 Moderator Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Churl; Park, Joo Hwan

2006-01-01

For the moderator analysis of the CANDU reactors in Korea, predicting local moderator subcooling in the Calandria vessels is one of the main concerns for the estimation of heat sink capability of moderator under LOCA transients. The moderator circulation pattern is determined by the combined forces of the inlet jet momentum and the buoyancy flow. Even though the inlet boundary condition plays an important role in determining the moderator circulations, no measured data of detailed inlet velocity profiles is available. The purpose of this study is to produce the velocity profiles at the inlet nozzles by a CFD simulation. To produce the velocity vector fields at the inlet nozzle surfaces, the internal flows in the nozzle assembly were simulated by using a commercial CFD code, CFX-5.7. In the reference, the analytical capability of CFX-5.7 had been estimated by a validation of the CFD code against available experimental data for separate flow phenomena. Various turbulence models and grid spacing had been also tested. In the following section, the interface treatment between the computational domains would be explained. In section 3, the inlet nozzle flow through the CANDU moderator nozzle assembly was predicted by using the obtained technology of the CFD simulation

Two Years of Ozone Vertical Profiles Collected from Aircraft over California and the Pacific Ocean

Science.gov (United States)

Austerberry, D.; Yates, E. L.; Roby, M.; Chatfield, R. B.; Iraci, L. T.; Pierce, B.; Fairlie, T. D.; Johnson, B. J.; Ives, M.

2012-12-01

Tropospheric ozone transported across the Pacific Ocean has been strongly suggested to contribute substantially to surface ozone levels at several sites within Northern California's Sacramento Valley. Because this contribution can affect a city's ability to meet regulatory ozone limits, the influence of Pacific ozone transport has implications for air quality control strategies in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV). The Alpha Jet Atmospheric Experiment is designed to collect a multi-year data set of tropospheric ozone vertical profiles. Forty-four flights with ozone profiles were conducted between February 2nd, 2011 and August 9th, 2012, and approximately ten more flights are expected in the remainder of 2012. Twenty marine air profiles have been collected at sites including Trinidad Head and two locations tens of kilometers offshore at 37° N latitude. Good agreement is seen with ozonesondes launched from Trinidad Head. Additional profiles over Merced, California were obtained on many of these flight days. These in-situ measurements were conducted during spiral descents of H211's Alpha Jet at mid-day local times using a 2B Technologies Dual Beam Ozone Monitor. Hourly surface ambient ozone data were obtained from the California Air Resources Board's SJV monitoring sites. For each site, the Pearson linear correlation coefficient was calculated between ozone in a 300m vertical layer of an offshore profile and the surface site at varying time offsets from the time of the profile. Each site's local and regional ozone production component was estimated and removed. The resulting correlations suggest instances of Pacific ozone transport following some of the offshore observations. Real-Time Air Quality Modeling System (RAQMS) products constrained by assimilated satellite data model the transport of ozone enhancements and guide flight planning. RAQMS hindcasts also suggest that ozone transport to the surface of the SJV basin occurred following some of these offshore profiles

Obtaining numerically consistent estimates from a mix of administrative data and surveys

OpenAIRE

de Waal, A.G.

2016-01-01

National statistical institutes (NSIs) fulfil an important role as providers of objective and undisputed statistical information on many different aspects of society. To this end NSIs try to construct data sets that are rich in information content and that can be used to estimate a large variety of population figures. At the same time NSIs aim to construct these rich data sets as efficiently and cost effectively as possible. This can be achieved by utilizing already available administrative d...

Plasma profile recovery by function parameterisation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCarthy, P.J.; Sexton, M.C.

1986-11-01

The use of Function Parameterisation for the recovery of plasma profiles as a function of flux surface area from spatial point data directly combined with external magnetic measurements is demonstrated in the case of ASDEX electron temperature and density profiles. The extrapolated temperature on the magnetic axis is shown to be more reliable than that obtained from a conventional fitting procedure. (orig.)

Temperature profiles from Salt Valley, Utah

Science.gov (United States)

Sass, J. H.; Lachenbruch, A. H.; Smith, E. P.

Temperature profiles were obtained in the nine drilled wells as part of a thermal study of the Salt Valley anticline, Paradox Basin, Utha. Thermal conductivities were also measured on 10 samples judged to be representative of the rocks encountered in the deepest hole. The temperature profiles and thermal conductivities are presented, together with preliminary interpretive remarks and suggestions for additional work.

Simulation of annual electric lighting demand using various occupancy profiles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iversen, Anne; Andersen, Philip Hvidthøft Delff; Svendsen, Svend

2013-01-01

This paper describes an investigation of the effect on electric lighting demand of applying occupancy models of various resolution to climate-based daylight modelling. The lighting demand was evaluated for a building zone with the occupant always present, with occupancy corresponding to absence...... factors, based on an estimated annual mean occupancy, based on estimated 1-hour mean occupancy, and based on 2-min occupancy intervals. The results showed little difference in the annual electric lighting demand when the same occupancy profile was used every day, as opposed to when profiles were used...... where occupancy varied every day. Furthermore, the results showed that annual electric lighting demand was evaluated slightly conservatively when a mean absence factor was applied as opposed to using dynamic occupancy profiles....

Estimating the biological value of soft-bottom sediments with sediment profile imaging and grab sampling

Science.gov (United States)

Van Hoey, Gert; Birchenough, Silvana N. R.; Hostens, Kris

2014-02-01

Biological value estimation is based on a set of assessment questions and several thresholds to delineate areas of ecological importance (e.g. biodiversity). An existing framework, that was specifically designed to assess the ecosystem biodiversity, was expanded by adding new questions on the productivity, functionality and biogeochemical status of benthic habitats. The additional ecological and sedimentological information was collected by using sediment profile imagery (SPI) and grab sampling. Additionally, information on the performance and comparability of both techniques is provided in this study. The research idea was tested at a site near the harbor of Zeebrugge, an area under consideration as a new disposal site for dredged material from the harbor entrance. The sedimentology of the area can be adequately described based on the information from both SPI and Van Veen grab samples, but only the SPI revealed structural information on the physical habitat (layering, a-RPD). The latter information represented the current status of the benthic habitat, which was confirmed by the Van Veen grab samples. All information was summarized through the biological valuation framework, and provided clear evidence of the differences in biological value for the different sediment types within the area. We concluded that the installation of a new dredged material disposal site in this area was not in conflict with the benthic ecology. This area has a low biological value and the benthic system is adapted to changing conditions, which was signaled by the dominance of mobile, short living and opportunistic species. This study showed that suitable sedimentological and ecological information can be gathered by these traditional and complementary techniques, to estimate the biological value of an area in the light of marine spatial planning and environmental impact assessments.

Aerodynamics profile not in stationary flow

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

А.А. Загорулько

2006-02-01

Full Text Available  Consider the question about influence of unsteady flight on the size of drag and lift coefficients of theaerodynamic profile. Distinctive features of this investigation are obtaining data about aerodynamic drag chancing in process unsteady on high angle at attack and oscillation profile in subsonic and transonic flight. Given analysis of oscillation profile show, that dynamic loops accompany change of lift and dray force. The researches show that it is necessary to clarity the mathematic model of the airplane flight dynamics by introducing numbers, with take into account unsteady effects.

New Methods for Estimating Water Current Velocity Fields from Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Kinsey, J. C.; Medagoda, L.

2016-02-01

Water current velocities are a crucial component of understanding oceanographic processes and underwater robots, such as autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), provide a mobile platform for obtaining these observations. Estimating water current velocities requires both measurements of the water velocity, often obtained with an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP), as well as estimates of the vehicle velocity. Presently, vehicle velocities are supplied on the sea surface with velocity from GPS, or near the seafloor where Doppler Velocity Log (DVL) in bottom-lock is available; however, this capability is unavailable in the mid-water column where DVL bottom-lock and GPS are unavailable. Here we present a method which calculates vehicle velocities using consecutive ADCP measurements in the mid-water using an extended Kalman filter (EKF). The correlation of the spatially changing water current states, along with mass transport and shear constraints on the water current field, is formulated using least square constraints. Results from the Sentry AUV from a mid-water surveying mission at Deepwater Horizon and a small-scale hydrothermal vent flux estimation mission suggest the method is suitable for real-time use. DVL data is denied to simulate mid-water missions and the results compared to ground truth water velocity measurements estimated using DVL velocities. Results show quantifiable uncertainties in the water current velocities, along with similar performance, for the DVL and no-DVL case in the mid-water. This method has the potential to provide geo-referenced water velocity measurements from mobile ocean robots in the absence of GPS and DVL as well as estimate the uncertainty associated with the measurements.

Improved Monte Carlo - Perturbation Method For Estimation Of Control Rod Worths In A Research Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalcheva, Silva; Koonen, Edgar

2008-01-01

A hybrid method dedicated to improve the experimental technique for estimation of control rod worths in a research reactor is presented. The method uses a combination of Monte Carlo technique and perturbation theory. The perturbation theory is used to obtain the relation between the relative rod efficiency and the buckling of the reactor with partially inserted rod. A series of coefficients, describing the axial absorption profile are used to correct the buckling for an arbitrary composite rod, having complicated burn up irradiation history. These coefficients have to be determined - by experiment or by using some theoretical/numerical method. In the present paper they are derived from the macroscopic absorption cross sections, obtained from detailed Monte Carlo calculations by MCNPX 2.6.F of the axial burn up profile during control rod life. The method is validated on measurements of control rod worths at the BR2 reactor. Comparison with direct Monte Carlo evaluations of control rod worths is also presented. The uncertainties, arising from the used approximations in the presented hybrid method are discussed. (authors)

A proposal of predictive methods of crack propagation life and remaining life of structural metal under creep-fatigue interacted conditions by use of X-ray profile analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohnami, M.; Sakane, M.; Nishino, S.

1987-01-01

The following two series of studies are described: One is crack propagation life prediction in high-temperature low-cycle fatigue tests under triangular and trapezoidal strain or stress waves for austenitic stainless steel by X-ray fractography. Another is remaining life prediction of the steel under creep-fatigue interacted conditions by applying the concept of the remaining life diagram and X-ray profile analysis. Particle size and microstrain obtained by X-ray profile analysis were effective nondestructive parameters for estimating crack propagation life and remaining life in creep-fatigue interaction

Lifetime Estimation of Electrolytic Capacitors in Fuel Cell Power Converter at Various Confidence Levels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhou, Dao; Wang, Huai; Blaabjerg, Frede

2016-01-01

DC capacitors in power electronic converters are a major constraint on improvement of the power density and the reliability. In this paper, according to the degradation data of tested capacitors, the lifetime model of the component is analyzed at various confidence levels. Then, the mission profile...... based lifetime expectancy of the individual capacitor and the capacitor bank is estimated in a fuel cell backup power converter operating in both standby mode and operation mode. The lifetime prediction of the capacitor banks at different confidence levels is also obtained....

Beam profile effects on NPB [neutral particle beam] performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

LeClaire, R.J. Jr.

1988-03-01

A comparison of neutral particle beam brightness for various neutral beam profiles indicates that the widely used assumption of a Gaussian profile may be misleading for collisional neutralizers. An analysis of available experimental evidence shows that lower peaks and higher tails, compared to a Gaussian beam profile, are observed out of collisional neutralizers, which implies that peak brightness is over estimated, and for a given NPB platform-to-target range, the beam current (power), dwell time or some combination of such engagement parameters would have to be altered to maintain a fixed dose on target. Based on the present analysis, this factor is nominally about 2.4 but may actually be as low as 1.8 or as high as 8. This is an important consideration in estimating NPB constellation performance in SDI engagement contexts. 2 refs., 6 figs

The relative impact of baryons and cluster shape on weak lensing mass estimates of galaxy clusters

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, B. E.; Le Brun, A. M. C.; Haq, M. E.; Deering, N. J.; King, L. J.; Applegate, D.; McCarthy, I. G.

2018-05-01

Weak gravitational lensing depends on the integrated mass along the line of sight. Baryons contribute to the mass distribution of galaxy clusters and the resulting mass estimates from lensing analysis. We use the cosmo-OWLS suite of hydrodynamic simulations to investigate the impact of baryonic processes on the bias and scatter of weak lensing mass estimates of clusters. These estimates are obtained by fitting NFW profiles to mock data using MCMC techniques. In particular, we examine the difference in estimates between dark matter-only runs and those including various prescriptions for baryonic physics. We find no significant difference in the mass bias when baryonic physics is included, though the overall mass estimates are suppressed when feedback from AGN is included. For lowest-mass systems for which a reliable mass can be obtained (M200 ≈ 2 × 1014M⊙), we find a bias of ≈-10 per cent. The magnitude of the bias tends to decrease for higher mass clusters, consistent with no bias for the most massive clusters which have masses comparable to those found in the CLASH and HFF samples. For the lowest mass clusters, the mass bias is particularly sensitive to the fit radii and the limits placed on the concentration prior, rendering reliable mass estimates difficult. The scatter in mass estimates between the dark matter-only and the various baryonic runs is less than between different projections of individual clusters, highlighting the importance of triaxiality.

Human reliability analysis data obtainment through fuzzy logic in nuclear plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nascimento, C.S. do; Mesquita, R.N. de

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Human Error Probability estimates from operator's reactions to emergency situations. ► Human Reliability Analysis input data obtainment through fuzzy logic inference. ► Performance Shaping Factors evaluation influence level onto the operator's actions. - Abstract: Human error has been recognized as an important factor for many industrial and nuclear accidents occurrence. Human error data is scarcely available for different reasons among which, lapses in historical database registry methodology is an important one. Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) is an usual tool employed to estimate the probability that an operator will reasonably perform a system required task in required time without degrading the system. This meta-analysis requires specific Human Error Probability estimates for most of its procedure. This work obtains Human Error Probability (HEP) estimates from operator's actions in response to emergency situations hypothesis on Research Reactor IEA-R1 from IPEN, Brazil. Through this proposed methodology HRA should be able to be performed even with shortage of related human error statistical data. A Performance Shaping Factors (PSF's) evaluation in order to classify and estimate their influence level onto the operator's actions and to determine their actual state over the plant was also done. Both HEP estimation and PSF evaluation were done based on expert judgment using interviews and questionnaires. Expert group was established based on selected IEA-R1 operators, and their evaluation were put into a knowledge representation system which used linguistic variables and group evaluation values that were obtained through Fuzzy Logic and Fuzzy Set theory. HEP obtained values show good agreement with literature published data corroborating the proposed methodology as a good alternative to be used on HRA.

Atmospheric turbulence profiling with unknown power spectral density

Science.gov (United States)

Helin, Tapio; Kindermann, Stefan; Lehtonen, Jonatan; Ramlau, Ronny

2018-04-01

Adaptive optics (AO) is a technology in modern ground-based optical telescopes to compensate for the wavefront distortions caused by atmospheric turbulence. One method that allows to retrieve information about the atmosphere from telescope data is so-called SLODAR, where the atmospheric turbulence profile is estimated based on correlation data of Shack-Hartmann wavefront measurements. This approach relies on a layered Kolmogorov turbulence model. In this article, we propose a novel extension of the SLODAR concept by including a general non-Kolmogorov turbulence layer close to the ground with an unknown power spectral density. We prove that the joint estimation problem of the turbulence profile above ground simultaneously with the unknown power spectral density at the ground is ill-posed and propose three numerical reconstruction methods. We demonstrate by numerical simulations that our methods lead to substantial improvements in the turbulence profile reconstruction compared to the standard SLODAR-type approach. Also, our methods can accurately locate local perturbations in non-Kolmogorov power spectral densities.

Solar line Lsub(α) profile and an interstellar wind dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burgin, M.S.

1978-01-01

Analytical theory of interstellar hydrogen atom motion into the region of solar Lsub(α)-radiation is given. Hydrogen distribution in the Solar system is calculated with an account of the Lsub(α) solar line profile difference from a flat one. The effect of the profile form on the scattered radiation intensity is estimated. Calculation errors of the scattered radiation intensity, connected with the difference between a line profile and a flat one, do not exceed 5% for the real Lsub(α) solar line profile

The influence of random element displacement on DOA estimates obtained with (Khatri-Rao-)root-MUSIC.

Science.gov (United States)

Inghelbrecht, Veronique; Verhaevert, Jo; van Hecke, Tanja; Rogier, Hendrik

2014-11-11

Although a wide range of direction of arrival (DOA) estimation algorithms has been described for a diverse range of array configurations, no specific stochastic analysis framework has been established to assess the probability density function of the error on DOA estimates due to random errors in the array geometry. Therefore, we propose a stochastic collocation method that relies on a generalized polynomial chaos expansion to connect the statistical distribution of random position errors to the resulting distribution of the DOA estimates. We apply this technique to the conventional root-MUSIC and the Khatri-Rao-root-MUSIC methods. According to Monte-Carlo simulations, this novel approach yields a speedup by a factor of more than 100 in terms of CPU-time for a one-dimensional case and by a factor of 56 for a two-dimensional case.

Parameter Estimation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sales-Cruz, Mauricio; Heitzig, Martina; Cameron, Ian

2011-01-01

of optimisation techniques coupled with dynamic solution of the underlying model. Linear and nonlinear approaches to parameter estimation are investigated. There is also the application of maximum likelihood principles in the estimation of parameters, as well as the use of orthogonal collocation to generate a set......In this chapter the importance of parameter estimation in model development is illustrated through various applications related to reaction systems. In particular, rate constants in a reaction system are obtained through parameter estimation methods. These approaches often require the application...... of algebraic equations as the basis for parameter estimation.These approaches are illustrated using estimations of kinetic constants from reaction system models....

Radar rainfall estimation of stratiform winter precipitation in the Belgian Ardennes

Science.gov (United States)

Hazenberg, P.; Leijnse, H.; Uijlenhoet, R.

2011-02-01

Radars are known for their ability to obtain a wealth of information about spatial storm field characteristics. Unfortunately, rainfall estimates obtained by this instrument are known to be affected by multiple sources of error. Especially for stratiform precipitation systems, the quality of radar rainfall estimates starts to decrease at relatively close ranges. In the current study, the hydrological potential of weather radar is analyzed during a winter half-year for the hilly region of the Belgian Ardennes. A correction algorithm is proposed which corrects the radar data for errors related to attenuation, ground clutter, anomalous propagation, the vertical profile of reflectivity (VPR), and advection. No final bias correction with respect to rain gauge data was implemented because such an adjustment would not add to a better understanding of the quality of the radar data. The impact of the different corrections is assessed using rainfall information sampled by 42 hourly rain gauges. The largest improvement in the quality of the radar data is obtained by correcting for ground clutter. The impact of VPR correction and advection depends on the spatial variability and velocity of the precipitation system. Overall during the winter period, the radar underestimates the amount of precipitation as compared to the rain gauges. Remaining differences between both instruments can be attributed to spatial and temporal variability in the type of precipitation, which has not been taken into account.

Comparison of the simulated diffusion of 238U and 234U isotopes with profile data from granite fractures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Latham, A.G.

1991-01-01

The observed profiles of uranium content and 234 U/ 238 U activity ratios as they vary with distance into the rock at a granite fracture wall have been interpreted using a simple diffusion-sorption model. For simplicity, the model assumes a linear reversible isotherm. Using simple constraints, it has been possible to estimate long-term values appropriate for the distribution coefficient, K d for uranium in granite. A potential constraint on the uranium K d value is provided by the 234 U/ 238 U activity ratio variations. However, natural 234 U/ 238 U activity ratios seldom change monotonically with distance and it is suspected that they are the result, to some extent, of later uranium removal. To take this approach further, corresponding physical rock property data and closer sampling in the fracture profiles would be required. Estimates of K d are in the range 0.1 to 10 m 3 kg -1 , and are in agreement with the upper part of the range obtained from laboratory experiments. (author)

Estimation of dynamic flux profiles from metabolic time series data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chou I-Chun

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Advances in modern high-throughput techniques of molecular biology have enabled top-down approaches for the estimation of parameter values in metabolic systems, based on time series data. Special among them is the recent method of dynamic flux estimation (DFE, which uses such data not only for parameter estimation but also for the identification of functional forms of the processes governing a metabolic system. DFE furthermore provides diagnostic tools for the evaluation of model validity and of the quality of a model fit beyond residual errors. Unfortunately, DFE works only when the data are more or less complete and the system contains as many independent fluxes as metabolites. These drawbacks may be ameliorated with other types of estimation and information. However, such supplementations incur their own limitations. In particular, assumptions must be made regarding the functional forms of some processes and detailed kinetic information must be available, in addition to the time series data. Results The authors propose here a systematic approach that supplements DFE and overcomes some of its shortcomings. Like DFE, the approach is model-free and requires only minimal assumptions. If sufficient time series data are available, the approach allows the determination of a subset of fluxes that enables the subsequent applicability of DFE to the rest of the flux system. The authors demonstrate the procedure with three artificial pathway systems exhibiting distinct characteristics and with actual data of the trehalose pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Conclusions The results demonstrate that the proposed method successfully complements DFE under various situations and without a priori assumptions regarding the model representation. The proposed method also permits an examination of whether at all, to what degree, or within what range the available time series data can be validly represented in a particular functional format of

High resolution humidity, temperature and aerosol profiling with MeteoSwiss Raman lidar

Science.gov (United States)

Dinoev, Todor; Arshinov, Yuri; Bobrovnikov, Sergei; Serikov, Ilya; Calpini, Bertrand; van den Bergh, Hubert; Parlange, Marc B.; Simeonov, Valentin

2010-05-01

derive vertical profiles of aerosol backscatter ratio and aerosol extinction at 355 nm. Set of Stokes and anti-Stokes PRR lines are separated by the polychromator to derive temperature profiles. The humidity profiles have vertical resolution from 15 m (within the boundary layer) to 100-450 m (within the free troposphere), time resolution of 30 min and 5 km vertical range at daytime and 10 km at night-time. The aerosol backscatter ratio and extinction profiles have similar resolution with vertical range of approximately 10 km. The temperature profiles are derived from PRR lidar signals, simultaneously recorded in analog and photon counting mode, allowing vertical range of approximately 10 km. Vaisala RS-92 and Snow-White chilled mirror hygrometer radiosondes were used for calibration of the water vapor and temperature channels. Continuous temperature profiles were obtained and were coupled with the available water vapor mixing ratio profiles to obtain relative humidity time series. Lidar derived aerosol backscatter ratio profiles will be used for estimation of the boundary layer height and validation of NWP model results. Optical thickness time series are currently compared to independent measurements from a collocated sun photometer to assess the performance of the aerosol channel.

Metagenome and Metatranscriptome Analyses Using Protein Family Profiles.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cuncong Zhong

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Analyses of metagenome data (MG and metatranscriptome data (MT are often challenged by a paucity of complete reference genome sequences and the uneven/low sequencing depth of the constituent organisms in the microbial community, which respectively limit the power of reference-based alignment and de novo sequence assembly. These limitations make accurate protein family classification and abundance estimation challenging, which in turn hamper downstream analyses such as abundance profiling of metabolic pathways, identification of differentially encoded/expressed genes, and de novo reconstruction of complete gene and protein sequences from the protein family of interest. The profile hidden Markov model (HMM framework enables the construction of very useful probabilistic models for protein families that allow for accurate modeling of position specific matches, insertions, and deletions. We present a novel homology detection algorithm that integrates banded Viterbi algorithm for profile HMM parsing with an iterative simultaneous alignment and assembly computational framework. The algorithm searches a given profile HMM of a protein family against a database of fragmentary MG/MT sequencing data and simultaneously assembles complete or near-complete gene and protein sequences of the protein family. The resulting program, HMM-GRASPx, demonstrates superior performance in aligning and assembling homologs when benchmarked on both simulated marine MG and real human saliva MG datasets. On real supragingival plaque and stool MG datasets that were generated from healthy individuals, HMM-GRASPx accurately estimates the abundances of the antimicrobial resistance (AMR gene families and enables accurate characterization of the resistome profiles of these microbial communities. For real human oral microbiome MT datasets, using the HMM-GRASPx estimated transcript abundances significantly improves detection of differentially expressed (DE genes. Finally, HMM

Estimation of Hydraulic properties of a sandy soil using ground-based active and passive microwave remote sensing

KAUST Repository

Jonard, François

2015-06-01

In this paper, we experimentally analyzed the feasibility of estimating soil hydraulic properties from 1.4 GHz radiometer and 0.8-2.6 GHz ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data. Radiometer and GPR measurements were performed above a sand box, which was subjected to a series of vertical water content profiles in hydrostatic equilibrium with a water table located at different depths. A coherent radiative transfer model was used to simulate brightness temperatures measured with the radiometer. GPR data were modeled using full-wave layered medium Green\\'s functions and an intrinsic antenna representation. These forward models were inverted to optimally match the corresponding passive and active microwave data. This allowed us to reconstruct the water content profiles, and thereby estimate the sand water retention curve described using the van Genuchten model. Uncertainty of the estimated hydraulic parameters was quantified using the Bayesian-based DREAM algorithm. For both radiometer and GPR methods, the results were in close agreement with in situ time-domain reflectometry (TDR) estimates. Compared with radiometer and TDR, much smaller confidence intervals were obtained for GPR, which was attributed to its relatively large bandwidth of operation, including frequencies smaller than 1.4 GHz. These results offer valuable insights into future potential and emerging challenges in the development of joint analyses of passive and active remote sensing data to retrieve effective soil hydraulic properties.

DETERMINING GEOMETRIC PARAMETERS OF AGRICULTURAL TREES FROM LASER SCANNING DATA OBTAINED WITH UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Hadas

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The estimation of dendrometric parameters has become an important issue for agriculture planning and for the efficient management of orchards. Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS data is widely used in forestry and many algorithms for automatic estimation of dendrometric parameters of individual forest trees were developed. Unfortunately, due to significant differences between forest and fruit trees, some contradictions exist against adopting the achievements of forestry science to agricultural studies indiscriminately. In this study we present the methodology to identify individual trees in apple orchard and estimate heights of individual trees, using high-density LiDAR data (3200 points/m2 obtained with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV equipped with Velodyne HDL32-E sensor. The processing strategy combines the alpha-shape algorithm, principal component analysis (PCA and detection of local minima. The alpha-shape algorithm is used to separate tree rows. In order to separate trees in a single row, we detect local minima on the canopy profile and slice polygons from alpha-shape results. We successfully separated 92 % of trees in the test area. 6 % of trees in orchard were not separated from each other and 2 % were sliced into two polygons. The RMSE of tree heights determined from the point clouds compared to field measurements was equal to 0.09 m, and the correlation coefficient was equal to 0.96. The results confirm the usefulness of LiDAR data from UAV platform in orchard inventory.

Determining Geometric Parameters of Agricultural Trees from Laser Scanning Data Obtained with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

Science.gov (United States)

Hadas, E.; Jozkow, G.; Walicka, A.; Borkowski, A.

2018-05-01

The estimation of dendrometric parameters has become an important issue for agriculture planning and for the efficient management of orchards. Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) data is widely used in forestry and many algorithms for automatic estimation of dendrometric parameters of individual forest trees were developed. Unfortunately, due to significant differences between forest and fruit trees, some contradictions exist against adopting the achievements of forestry science to agricultural studies indiscriminately. In this study we present the methodology to identify individual trees in apple orchard and estimate heights of individual trees, using high-density LiDAR data (3200 points/m2) obtained with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) equipped with Velodyne HDL32-E sensor. The processing strategy combines the alpha-shape algorithm, principal component analysis (PCA) and detection of local minima. The alpha-shape algorithm is used to separate tree rows. In order to separate trees in a single row, we detect local minima on the canopy profile and slice polygons from alpha-shape results. We successfully separated 92 % of trees in the test area. 6 % of trees in orchard were not separated from each other and 2 % were sliced into two polygons. The RMSE of tree heights determined from the point clouds compared to field measurements was equal to 0.09 m, and the correlation coefficient was equal to 0.96. The results confirm the usefulness of LiDAR data from UAV platform in orchard inventory.

Fractal Analysis of Rock Joint Profiles

Science.gov (United States)

Audy, Ondřej; Ficker, Tomáš

2017-10-01

Surface reliefs of rock joints are analyzed in geotechnics when shear strength of rocky slopes is estimated. The rock joint profiles actually are self-affine fractal curves and computations of their fractal dimensions require special methods. Many papers devoted to the fractal properties of these profiles were published in the past but only a few of those papers employed a convenient computational method that would have guaranteed a sound value of that dimension. As a consequence, anomalously low dimensions were presented. This contribution deals with two computational modifications that lead to sound fractal dimensions of the self-affine rock joint profiles. These are the modified box-counting method and the modified yard-stick method sometimes called the compass method. Both these methods are frequently applied to self-similar fractal curves but the self-affine profile curves due to their self-affine nature require modified computational procedures implemented in computer programs.

A Mathematical Technique for Estimating True Temperature Profiles of Data Obtained from Long Time Constant Thermocouples

Science.gov (United States)

1998-02-01

zero, and has therefore been ignored. The inverse transform of Equation (11) (but ignoring the 5.8x) term, yields Equation (12), which is the...done for TC #1, this is ignored in the results. The inverse transform of Equation (14) (but ignoring the 10x) term, yields Equation (15), which is...2.568r 2.568 0.36 A^ —— + + —i— + + 0.36r (19) s s s s The inverse transform of Equation (19) (but ignoring the 0.36x) term, yields

EFFECT OF POLARIMETRIC NOISE ON THE ESTIMATION OF TWIST AND MAGNETIC ENERGY OF FORCE-FREE FIELDS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tiwari, Sanjiv Kumar; Venkatakrishnan, P.; Gosain, Sanjay; Joshi, Jayant

2009-01-01

The force-free parameter α, also known as helicity parameter or twist parameter, bears the same sign as the magnetic helicity under some restrictive conditions. The single global value of α for a whole active region gives the degree of twist per unit axial length. We investigate the effect of polarimetric noise on the calculation of global α value and magnetic energy of an analytical bipole. The analytical bipole has been generated using the force-free field approximation with a known value of constant α and magnetic energy. The magnetic parameters obtained from the analytical bipole are used to generate Stokes profiles from the Unno-Rachkovsky solutions for polarized radiative transfer equations. Then we add random noise of the order of 10 -3 of the continuum intensity (I c ) in these profiles to simulate the real profiles obtained by modern spectropolarimeters such as Hinode (SOT/SP), SVM (USO), ASP, DLSP, POLIS, and SOLIS etc. These noisy profiles are then inverted using a Milne-Eddington inversion code to retrieve the magnetic parameters. Hundred realizations of this process of adding random noise and polarimetric inversion is repeated to study the distribution of error in global α and magnetic energy values. The results show that (1) the sign of α is not influenced by polarimetric noise and very accurate values of global twist can be calculated, and (2) accurate estimation of magnetic energy with uncertainty as low as 0.5% is possible under the force-free condition.

State coal profiles, January 1994

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-02-02

The purpose of State Coal Profiles is to provide basic information about the deposits, production, and use of coal in each of the 27 States with coal production in 1992. Although considerable information on coal has been published on a national level, there is a lack of a uniform overview for the individual States. This report is intended to help fill that gap and also to serve as a framework for more detailed studies. While focusing on coal output, State Coal Profiles shows that the coal-producing States are major users of coal, together accounting for about three-fourths of total US coal consumption in 1992. Each coal-producing State is profiled with a description of its coal deposits and a discussion of the development of its coal industry. Estimates of coal reserves in 1992 are categorized by mining method and sulfur content. Trends, patterns, and other information concerning production, number of mines, miners, productivity, mine price of coal, disposition, and consumption of coal are detailed in statistical tables for selected years from 1980 through 1992. In addition, coal`s contribution to the State`s estimated total energy consumption is given for 1991, the latest year for which data are available. A US summary of all data is provided for comparing individual States with the Nation as a whole. Sources of information are given at the end of the tables.

Experimental methodology for obtaining sound absorption coefficients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos A. Macía M

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Objective: the authors propose a new methodology for estimating sound absorption coefficients using genetic algorithms. Methodology: sound waves are generated and conducted along a rectangular silencer. The waves are then attenuated by the absorbing material covering the silencer’s walls. The attenuated sound pressure level is used in a genetic algorithm-based search to find the parameters of the proposed attenuation expressions that include geometric factors, the wavelength and the absorption coefficient. Results: a variety of adjusted mathematical models were found that make it possible to estimate the absorption coefficients based on the characteristics of a rectangular silencer used for measuring the attenuation of the noise that passes through it. Conclusions: this methodology makes it possible to obtain the absorption coefficients of new materials in a cheap and simple manner. Although these coefficients might be slightly different from those obtained through other methodologies, they provide solutions within the engineering accuracy ranges that are used for designing noise control systems.

Parametric dependencies of JET electron temperature profiles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schunke, B [Commission of the European Communities, Abingdon (United Kingdom). JET Joint Undertaking; Imre, K; Riedel, K [New York Univ., NY (United States)

1994-07-01

The JET Ohmic, L-Mode and H-Mode electron temperature profiles obtained from the LIDAR Thomson Scattering Diagnostic are parameterized in terms of the normalized flux parameter and a set of the engineering parameters like plasma current, toroidal field, line averages electron density... It is shown that the electron temperature profiles fit a log-additive model well. It is intended to use the same model to predict the profile shape for D-T discharges in JET and in ITER. 2 refs., 5 figs.

Modeling of Changing Electrode Profiles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prentice, Geoffrey Allen [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Materials and Molecular Research Division; Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

1980-12-01

A model for simulating the transient behavior of solid electrodes undergoing deposition or dissolution has been developed. The model accounts for ohmic drop, charge transfer overpotential, and mass transport limitations. The finite difference method, coupled with successive overrelaxation, was used as the basis of the solution technique. An algorithm was devised to overcome the computational instabilities associated with the calculations of the secondary and tertiary current distributions. Simulations were performed on several model electrode profiles: the sinusoid, the rounded corner, and the notch. Quantitative copper deposition data were obtained in a contoured rotating cylinder system, Sinusoidal cross-sections, machined on stainless steel cylinders, were used as model geometries, Kinetic parameters for use in the simulation were determined from polarization curves obtained on copper rotating cylinders, These parameters, along with other physical property and geometric data, were incorporated in simulations of growing sinusoidal profiles. The copper distributions on the sinusoidal cross-sections were measured and found to compare favorably with the simulated results. At low Wagner numbers the formation of a slight depression at the profile peak was predicted by the simulation and observed on the profile. At higher Wagner numbers, the simulated and experimental results showed that the formation of a depression was suppressed. This phenomenon was shown to result from the competition between ohmic drop and electrode curvature.

Non-Newtonian flow between concentric cylinders calculated from thermophysical properties obtained from simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narayan, A.P.; Rainwater, J.C.; Hanley, H.J.M.

1995-01-01

A study of the Weissenberg effect (rod climbing in a stirred system) based on nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) is reported. Simulation results from a soft-sphere fluid are used to obtain a self-consistent free-surface profile of the fluid of finite compressibility undergoing Couette flow between concentric cylinders. A numerical procedure is then applied to calculate the height profile for a hypothetical fluid with thermophysical properties of the soft-sphere liquid and of a dense colloidal suspension. The height profile calculated is identified with shear thickening and the forms of the viscometric functions. The maximum climb occurs between the cylinders rather than at the inner cylinder

Lebanon: country profile.

Science.gov (United States)

Marfleet, P

1988-05-01

A brief profile of Lebanon's economy, people, health, culture and political situation is presented. Lebanon has an estimated 3.5 million people, with a Maronite Christian elite, a Muslim Shiite majority, and Muslim Sunnis and Druze groups. The infant mortality is estimated at 41/1000; literacy is 69% among women and 86% among men; life expectancy was 66 years, 10 years ago. The economy, previously thriving on banking, manufacturing and agriculture, is now decimated, and Lebanon's once active tourist industry, based on elegant facilities in Beirut and neighboring beaches and ski slopes, is the victim of 15 years of civil strife. Israel has invaded, supporting Maronite Christians, Syria has invaded in support Muslim and Druze militias, and Iran has aggressively supported Shiite factions.

Estimates of Shear Stress and Measurements of Water Levels in the Lower Fox River near Green Bay, Wisconsin

Science.gov (United States)

Westenbroek, Stephen M.

2006-01-01

Turbulent shear stress in the boundary layer of a natural river system largely controls the deposition and resuspension of sediment, as well as the longevity and effectiveness of granular-material caps used to cover and isolate contaminated sediments. This report documents measurements and calculations made in order to estimate shear stress and shear velocity on the Lower Fox River, Wisconsin. Velocity profiles were generated using an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) mounted on a moored vessel. This method of data collection yielded 158 velocity profiles on the Lower Fox River between June 2003 and November 2004. Of these profiles, 109 were classified as valid and were used to estimate the bottom shear stress and velocity using log-profile and turbulent kinetic energy methods. Estimated shear stress ranged from 0.09 to 10.8 dynes per centimeter squared. Estimated coefficients of friction ranged from 0.001 to 0.025. This report describes both the field and data-analysis methods used to estimate shear-stress parameters for the Lower Fox River. Summaries of the estimated values for bottom shear stress, shear velocity, and coefficient of friction are presented. Confidence intervals about the shear-stress estimates are provided.

Ridge regression estimator: combining unbiased and ordinary ridge regression methods of estimation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sharad Damodar Gore

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Statistical literature has several methods for coping with multicollinearity. This paper introduces a new shrinkage estimator, called modified unbiased ridge (MUR. This estimator is obtained from unbiased ridge regression (URR in the same way that ordinary ridge regression (ORR is obtained from ordinary least squares (OLS. Properties of MUR are derived. Results on its matrix mean squared error (MMSE are obtained. MUR is compared with ORR and URR in terms of MMSE. These results are illustrated with an example based on data generated by Hoerl and Kennard (1975.

Profile of intimate partner violence in Family Health Units.

Science.gov (United States)

Rafael, Ricardo de Mattos Russo; Moura, Anna Tereza Miranda Soares de; Tavares, Jeane Marques Cunha; Ferreira, Renata Evelin Moreno; Camilo, Glauce Gomes da Silva; Neto, Mercedes

2017-01-01

To estimate the profile of intimate partner violence involving women in a scenario of Family Health Strategy in the municipality of Nova Iguaçu (Rio de Janeiro). A transversal study was conducted in four units with a sample of 640 women between the ages of 25 to 64. The phenomena of violence was determined using the tool Revised Conflict Tactics Scales, validated for Brazil. Statistical analysis took into consideration an estimation of prevalence in the calculation of the p values. The situations of violence and the sociodemographic profiles demonstrated a statistically significant relationship with the variables of educational level and housing conditions. Age, ethnicity and economic class demonstrated an association with certain types of violence, varying in type and severity. The study investigated the profile of these situations of violence and enabled reflection regarding the approaches adopted by the Family Health Strategy teams.

Human reliability analysis data obtainment through fuzzy logic in nuclear plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nascimento, C.S. do, E-mail: claudio.souza@ctmsp.mar.mil.br [Centro Tecnologico da Marinha em Sao Paulo (CTMSP), Av. Professor Lineu Prestes 2468, 05508-000 Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Mesquita, R.N. de, E-mail: rnavarro@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN - SP), Av. Professor Lineu Prestes 2242, 05508-000 Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2012-09-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Human Error Probability estimates from operator's reactions to emergency situations. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Human Reliability Analysis input data obtainment through fuzzy logic inference. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Performance Shaping Factors evaluation influence level onto the operator's actions. - Abstract: Human error has been recognized as an important factor for many industrial and nuclear accidents occurrence. Human error data is scarcely available for different reasons among which, lapses in historical database registry methodology is an important one. Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) is an usual tool employed to estimate the probability that an operator will reasonably perform a system required task in required time without degrading the system. This meta-analysis requires specific Human Error Probability estimates for most of its procedure. This work obtains Human Error Probability (HEP) estimates from operator's actions in response to emergency situations hypothesis on Research Reactor IEA-R1 from IPEN, Brazil. Through this proposed methodology HRA should be able to be performed even with shortage of related human error statistical data. A Performance Shaping Factors (PSF's) evaluation in order to classify and estimate their influence level onto the operator's actions and to determine their actual state over the plant was also done. Both HEP estimation and PSF evaluation were done based on expert judgment using interviews and questionnaires. Expert group was established based on selected IEA-R1 operators, and their evaluation were put into a knowledge representation system which used linguistic variables and group evaluation values that were obtained through Fuzzy Logic and Fuzzy Set theory. HEP obtained values show good agreement with literature published data corroborating the proposed methodology as a good alternative to be used on HRA.

Observations of the vertical structure of turbulent oscillatory boundary layers above fixed roughness beds using a prototype wideband coherent Doppler profiler: 1. The oscillatory component of the flow

Science.gov (United States)

Hay, Alex E.; Zedel, Len; Cheel, Richard; Dillon, Jeremy

2012-03-01

Results are presented from an experimental investigation of rough turbulent oscillatory boundary layers using a prototype wideband bistatic coherent Doppler profiler. The profiler operates in the 1.2 MHz to 2.3 MHz frequency band and uses software-defined radio technologies for digital control of the frequency content and shape of the transmit pulse and for digital complex demodulation of the received signals. Velocity profiles are obtained at sub-millimeter range resolution and 100 Hz profiling rates (each profile being an ensemble average of 10 pulse pairs). The measurements were carried out above beds of fixed sand or gravel particles, with median grain diameters of 0.37 mm and 3.9 mm, respectively, oscillating sinusoidally at a 10 s period through excursions of 0.75 m to 1.5 m. The resulting vertical profiles of horizontal velocity magnitude and phase, with the vertical axis scaled by ℓ = κu∗m/ω, are comparable to similarly scaled profiles obtained using laser Doppler anemometry by Sleath (1987) and Jensen (1988). A key objective of the comparisons between the previous experiments and those reported here was to establish how close to the bed reliable velocity measurements can be made with the sonar. This minimum distance above the bed is estimated to be 5 ± 1 mm, a value approaching the 3 to 4 mm limit set by the path of least time.

The Milking Profile of Dairy Cattle Farms in Central Macedonia (Greece

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ioannis Mitsopoulos

2013-05-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to provide insights of the profile of the dairy farms of Central Macedonia (Greece, in terms of their milking practices. The analysis is based on data from a random sample of 123 dairy farms, obtained by means of a survey. The employment of the Categorical Principal Component Analysis on the 14 variables initially used to describe milking practices and of the Two-Step Cluster Analysis led to the grouping of the 123 farms to three clusters. Farms of the first cluster, named “Innovative”, use state-of-the-art equipment, automatic systems and innovative milking techniques (31.1% of the sample farms. “Peasant” farms (11.4% are mainly extensive, using mainly bucket plants. The third and most abundant group, the “Modernizing” farms (54.5% are use equipment of reasonable standards and some of them are on the process of renewing it. The results of a Multinomial Logit model verify that “Innovative” farms are large and achieve high yields, while the “Modernizing” ones are smaller, producing milk of lower quality and they are owned by relatively older dairy farmers. An interesting profile is depicted for “Peasant” farms, as they achieve satisfactory economic performance, combined with adequate milk quality. The analytical framework included the reduction of analysis variables to a smaller group of “dimensions”, using the Categorical Principal Component Analysis (CatPCA, based on which farms were clustered to alternative profiles, by employing a Two-Step Cluster (TSC Analysis. Differences in elements of milk quality and in the social profile of farms and farmers were examined among alternative profiles through the estimation of Multinomial Logit Models.

Use of non-contacting electromagnetic inductive method for estimating soil moisture across a landscape

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khakural, B.R.; Robert, P.C.; Hugins, D.R.

1998-01-01

There is a growing interest in real-time estimation of soil moisture for site-specific crop management. Non-contacting electromagnetic inductive (EMI) methods have potentials to provide real-time estimate of soil profile water contents. Soil profile water contents were monitored with a neutron probe at selected sites. A Geonics LTD EM-38 terrain meter was used to record bulk soil electrical conductivity (EC(A)) readings across a soil-landscape in West central Minnesota with variable moisture regimes. The relationships among EC(A), selected soil and landscape properties were examined. Bulk soil electrical conductivity (0-1.0 and 0-0.5 m) was negatively correlated with relative elevation. It was positively correlated with soil profile (1.0 m) clay content and negatively correlated with soil profile coarse fragments (2 mm) and sand content. There was significant linear relationship between ECA (0-1.0 and 0-0.5) and soil profile water storage. Soil water storage estimated from ECA reflected changes in landscape and soil characteristics

SIMULATION OF THE DISTILLATION BY PRESSURE REDUCTION TO OBTAIN ANHYDROUS ETHANOL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yeney Lauzurique Guerra

2016-10-01

Full Text Available In this work the distillation by pressure reduction was evaluated through the HYSYS v3.2 process simulator. Due to the lack of data in the consulted bibliography to perform the simulation, the STATGRAPHICS Centurion XVI software was used to obtain a response surface that would define optimal operating conditions. The property package selected to work was based on the Margules model. An anhydrous ethanol molar composition of 0.9917 was obtained. Temperature profiles were analyzed as well as liquid and vapor molar flows and dehydration column composition profiles. The influence of operating parameters on the efficiency of simulated technology was determined by analyzing one case study. According to economic evaluation, the implementation of this technology is not economically profitable; taking into account current prices and costs mostly due to high energy consumption and construction costs of the tower. This result contributes to the pursuit of other profitable technologies from the economic point of view.

Comparison of TL profiles in recent sea cores

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Castagnoli, G C; Bonino, G

1985-01-01

The thermoluminescence (TL) profile of different recent Tyrrhenian sea cores sampled at various intervals during the last centuries have been compared in order to check the reproducibility of the profiles and investigate the possibility of using the results for monitoring solar-terrestrial relations in the past. The satisfactory results obtained by comparison of two different cores in the time interval 1755-1969 A.D. has demonstrated: (a) the two TL profiles are correlated; (b) the 11 yr cycle corresponding to the main solar cycle is evident in both TL profiles.

Constraining Saturn's interior density profile from precision gravity field measurement obtained during Grand Finale

Science.gov (United States)

Movshovitz, N.; Fortney, J. J.; Helled, R.; Hubbard, W. B.; Mankovich, C.; Thorngren, D.; Wahl, S. M.; Militzer, B.; Durante, D.

2017-12-01

The external gravity field of a planetary body is determined by the distribution of mass in its interior. Therefore, a measurement of the external field, properlyinterpreted, tells us about the interior density profile, ρ(r), which in turn can be used to constrain the composition in the interior and thereby learn about theformation mechanism of the planet. Recently, very high precision measurements of the gravity coefficients for Saturn have been made by the radio science instrument on the Cassini spacecraft during its Grand Finale orbits. The resulting coefficients come with an associated uncertainty. The task of matching a given density profile to a given set of gravity coefficients is relatively straightforward, but the question of how to best account for the uncertainty is not. In essentially all prior work on matching models to gravity field data inferences about planetary structure have rested on assumptions regarding the imperfectly known H/He equation of state and the assumption of an adiabatic interior. Here we wish to vastly expand the phase space of such calculations. We present a framework for describing all the possible interior density structures of a Jovian planet constrained by a given set of gravity coefficients and their associated uncertainties. Our approach is statistical. We produce a random sample of ρ(a) curves drawn from the underlying (and unknown) probability distribution of all curves, where ρ is the density on an interior level surface with equatorial radius a. Since the resulting set of density curves is a random sample, that is, curves appear with frequency proportional to the likelihood of their being consistent with the measured gravity, we can compute probability distributions for any quantity that is a function of ρ, such as central pressure, oblateness, core mass and radius, etc. Our approach is also Bayesian, in that it can utilize any prior assumptions about the planet's interior, as necessary, without being overly

Anterior corneal profile with variable asphericity.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosales, Marco A; Juárez-Aubry, Montserrat; López-Olazagasti, Estela; Ibarra, Jorge; Tepichín, Eduardo

2009-12-10

We present a corneal profile in which the eccentricity, e(Q=-e(2)), has a nonlinear continuous variation from the center outwards. This nonlinear variation is intended to fit and reproduce our current experimental data in which the anterior corneal surface of the human eye exhibits different values of e at different diameters. According to our clinical data, the variation is similar to an exponential decay. We propose a linear combination of two exponential functions to describe the variation of e. We then calculate the corneal sagittal height by substituting e in the first-order aspherical surface equation to obtain the corneal profile. This corneal profile will be used as a reference to analyze the resultant profiles of the customized corneal ablation in refractive surgery.

Robust DOA Estimation of Harmonic Signals Using Constrained Filters on Phase Estimates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karimian-Azari, Sam; Jensen, Jesper Rindom; Christensen, Mads Græsbøll

2014-01-01

In array signal processing, distances between receivers, e.g., microphones, cause time delays depending on the direction of arrival (DOA) of a signal source. We can then estimate the DOA from the time-difference of arrival (TDOA) estimates. However, many conventional DOA estimators based on TDOA...... estimates are not optimal in colored noise. In this paper, we estimate the DOA of a harmonic signal source from multi-channel phase estimates, which relate to narrowband TDOA estimates. More specifically, we design filters to apply on phase estimates to obtain a DOA estimate with minimum variance. Using...

A bistatic sodar for precision wind profiling in complex terrain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bradley, Stuart; Hünerbein, Sabine Von; Mikkelsen, Torben

2012-01-01

A new ground-based wind profiling technology-a scanned bistatic sodar-is described. The motivation for this design is to obtain a "mastlike"wind vector profile in a single atmospheric column extending from the ground to heights of more than 200 m. The need for this columnar profiling arises from ...

Risk profile and quality of dental restorations: a cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sonbul, Helal; Birkhed, Dowen

2010-03-01

The aims of the present study were (1) to evaluate the percentage of recurrent caries with respect to the estimated caries risk profile obtained with a Cariogram, (2) to evaluate the quality of restorations in a Saudi population with several restorations and (3) to determine the additional value of bite-wing radiographs as an aid to quality evaluation. A total of 803 restorations were examined in 100 adults according to the United States Public Health Service/Ryge criteria. Salivary and microbiological factors, dietary habits and plaque index were investigated. The Cariogram was used to evaluate the risk profiles. Class II bite-wing radiographs (n = 281) were taken to examine the marginal integrity and the anatomic form proximally. The patients were categorized according to 'the chance of avoiding caries' into three risk groups: 0%-20% (n = 38), 21%-40% (n = 28) and 41%-100% (n = 34). ANOVA revealed statistically significant differences between the risk groups with respect to the recurrent caries (P percentage of the total restorations (56%) were diagnosed with recurrent caries. The quality of anatomic form and surface texture was unacceptable in the majority of cases. After adding the evaluations of class II bite-wings, the percentage of unacceptable restorations increased by 28% and 17% with regard to marginal integrity and anatomic form, respectively (P percentage 'chance of avoiding caries' as estimated by the Cariogram. The importance of bite-wings was emphasized as an aid to quality evaluation.

A new estimator for vector velocity estimation [medical ultrasonics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jørgen Arendt

2001-01-01

A new estimator for determining the two-dimensional velocity vector using a pulsed ultrasound field is derived. The estimator uses a transversely modulated ultrasound field for probing the moving medium under investigation. A modified autocorrelation approach is used in the velocity estimation...... be introduced, and the velocity estimation is done at a fixed depth in tissue to reduce the influence of a spatial velocity spread. Examples for different velocity vectors and field conditions are shown using both simple and more complex field simulations. A relative accuracy of 10.1% is obtained...

High Spatio-Temporal Resolution Bathymetry Estimation and Morphology

Science.gov (United States)

Bergsma, E. W. J.; Conley, D. C.; Davidson, M. A.; O'Hare, T. J.

2015-12-01

In recent years, bathymetry estimates using video images have become increasingly accurate. With the cBathy code (Holman et al., 2013) fully operational, bathymetry results with 0.5 metres accuracy have been regularly obtained at Duck, USA. cBathy is based on observations of the dominant frequencies and wavelengths of surface wave motions and estimates the depth (and hence allows inference of bathymetry profiles) based on linear wave theory. Despite the good performance at Duck, large discrepancies were found related to tidal elevation and camera height (Bergsma et al., 2014) and on the camera boundaries. A tide dependent floating pixel and camera boundary solution have been proposed to overcome these issues (Bergsma et al., under review). The video-data collection is set estimate depths hourly on a grid with resolution in the order of 10x25 meters. Here, the application of the cBathy at Porthtowan in the South-West of England is presented. Hourly depth estimates are combined and analysed over a period of 1.5 years (2013-2014). In this work the focus is on the sub-tidal region, where the best cBathy results are achieved. The morphology of the sub-tidal bar is tracked with high spatio-temporal resolution on short and longer time scales. Furthermore, the impact of the storm and reset (sudden and large changes in bathymetry) of the sub-tidal area is clearly captured with the depth estimations. This application shows that the high spatio-temporal resolution of cBathy makes it a powerful tool for coastal research and coastal zone management.

THE LICK AGN MONITORING PROJECT: RECALIBRATING SINGLE-EPOCH VIRIAL BLACK HOLE MASS ESTIMATES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Daeseong; Woo, Jong-Hak [Astronomy Program, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742 (Korea, Republic of); Treu, Tommaso; Bennert, Vardha N. [Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States); Barth, Aaron J.; Walsh, Jonelle [Department of Physics and Astronomy, 4129 Frederick Reines Hall, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-4575 (United States); Bentz, Misty C. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Georgia State University Atlanta, GA 30303 (United States); Canalizo, Gabriela [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA 92521 (United States); Filippenko, Alexei V. [Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411 (United States); Gates, Elinor [Lick Observatory, P.O. Box 85, Mount Hamilton, CA 95140 (United States); Greene, Jenny E. [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States); Malkan, Matthew A., E-mail: woo@astro.snu.ac.kr [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90024 (United States)

2012-03-01

We investigate the calibration and uncertainties of black hole (BH) mass estimates based on the single-epoch (SE) method, using homogeneous and high-quality multi-epoch spectra obtained by the Lick Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN) Monitoring Project for nine local Seyfert 1 galaxies with BH masses <10{sup 8} M{sub Sun }. By decomposing the spectra into their AGNs and stellar components, we study the variability of the SE H{beta} line width (full width at half-maximum intensity, FWHM{sub H{beta}} or dispersion, {sigma}{sub H{beta}}) and of the AGN continuum luminosity at 5100 A (L{sub 5100}). From the distribution of the 'virial products' ({proportional_to} FWHM{sub H{beta}}{sup 2} L{sup 0.5}{sub 5100} or {sigma}{sub H{beta}}{sup 2} L{sup 0.5}{sub 5100}) measured from SE spectra, we estimate the uncertainty due to the combined variability as {approx}0.05 dex (12%). This is subdominant with respect to the total uncertainty in SE mass estimates, which is dominated by uncertainties in the size-luminosity relation and virial coefficient, and is estimated to be {approx}0.46 dex (factor of {approx}3). By comparing the H{beta} line profile of the SE, mean, and root-mean-square (rms) spectra, we find that the H{beta} line is broader in the mean (and SE) spectra than in the rms spectra by {approx}0.1 dex (25%) for our sample with FWHM{sub H{beta}} <3000 km s{sup -1}. This result is at variance with larger mass BHs where the difference is typically found to be much less than 0.1 dex. To correct for this systematic difference of the H{beta} line profile, we introduce a line-width dependent virial factor, resulting in a recalibration of SE BH mass estimators for low-mass AGNs.

Temperature profiles in the Harwell boreholes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robins, N.S.

1983-03-01

Heat flow at Harwell is estimated at 45 mWm -2 (milli Watt per metre squared is the unit of heat flow). Thermal conductivity values for the formations penetrated range from 1.0 to 4.6 Wm -1 K -1 . The temperature profiles recorded in the boreholes enable the vertical groundwater flow patterns within two poorly permeable mudrock units to be evaluated. The two mudrock units act as leaky barriers each separating a pair of aquifer units which induce a vertical hydraulic gradient across the mudrocks. The flow velocity results for the upper mudrock units derived from the temperature profile are compatible with values for groundwater potential derived from hydraulic data (10 -9 ms -1 from the temperature profile and 10 -12 ms -1 from the hydraulic observations). The results from the lower mudrock sequence are incompatible and this may be due to some other overiding influence upon the temperature profile. (author)

Model for Estimation of Fuel Consumption of Cruise Ships

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Morten Simonsen

2018-04-01

Full Text Available This article presents a model to estimate the energy use and fuel consumption of cruise ships that sail Norwegian waters. Automatic identification system (AIS data and technical information about cruise ships provided input to the model, including service speed, total power, and number of engines. The model was tested against real-world data obtained from a small cruise vessel and both a medium and large cruise ship. It is sensitive to speed and the corresponding engine load profile of the ship. A crucial determinate for total fuel consumption is also associated with hotel functions, which can make a large contribution to the overall energy use of cruise ships. Real-world data fits the model best when ship speed is 70–75% of service speed. With decreased or increased speed, the model tends to diverge from real-world observations. The model gives a proxy for calculation of fuel consumption associated with cruise ships that sail to Norwegian waters and can be used to estimate greenhouse gas emissions and to evaluate energy reduction strategies for cruise ships.

3-D Velocity Estimation for Two Planes in vivo

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holbek, Simon; Pihl, Michael Johannes; Ewertsen, Caroline

2014-01-01

3-D velocity vectors can provide additional flow information applicable for diagnosing cardiovascular diseases e.g. by estimating the out-of-plane velocity component. A 3-D version of the Transverse Oscillation (TO) method has previously been used to obtain this information in a carotid flow...... and stored on the experimental scanner SARUS. The full 3-D velocity profile can be created and examined at peak-systole and end-diastole without ECG gating in two planes. Maximum out-of-plane velocities for the three peak-systoles and end-diastoles were 68.5 5.1 cm/s and 26.3 3.3 cm/s, respectively....... In the longitudinal plane, average maximum peak velocity in flow direction was 65.2 14.0 cm/s at peak-systole and 33.6 4.3 cm/s at end-diastole. A commercial BK Medical ProFocus UltraView scanner using a spectral estimator gave 79.3 cm/s and 14.6 cm/s for the same volunteer. This demonstrates that real-time 3-D...

Professional assessment of facial profile attractiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Soh, Jen; Chew, Ming Tak; Wong, Hwee Bee

2005-08-01

The aim of this study was to compare the assessments of Chinese facial profile attractiveness by orthodontists and oral surgeons. The sample comprised 31 dental professionals (20 orthodontists, 11 oral surgeons) in an Asian community. Facial profile photographs and lateral cephalometric radiographs of 2 Chinese adults (1 man, 1 woman) with normal profiles, Class I incisor relationships, and Class I skeletal patterns were digitized. The digital images were modified by altering cephalometric skeletal and dental hard tissue Chinese normative values in increments of 2 standard deviations in the anteroposterior plane to obtain 7 facial profiles for each sex. The images were bimaxillary protrusion, protrusive mandible, retrusive mandible, normal profile (Class I incisor with Class I skeletal pattern), retrusive maxilla, protrusive maxilla, and bimaxillary retrusion. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to determine professional differences in assessment. Multiple regression analysis was performed with age, professional status, sex, and number of years in practice as independent variables. A strong correlation was found in the profile assessment between orthodontists and oral surgeons. Normal and bimaxillary retrusive Chinese male and female profiles were judged to be highly attractive by orthodontists and oral surgeons. Chinese male and female profiles with protrusive mandibles were judged the least attractive. There was a difference in professional opinion about the most attractive male profile (P profile and oral surgeons preferring a fuller normal Chinese profile. Sex of dental professionals and number of years in clinical practice were found to affect profile rankings.

Doping profile measurement on textured silicon surface

Science.gov (United States)

Essa, Zahi; Taleb, Nadjib; Sermage, Bernard; Broussillou, Cédric; Bazer-Bachi, Barbara; Quillec, Maurice

2018-04-01

In crystalline silicon solar cells, the front surface is textured in order to lower the reflection of the incident light and increase the efficiency of the cell. This texturing whose dimensions are a few micrometers wide and high, often makes it difficult to determine the doping profile measurement. We have measured by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and electrochemical capacitance voltage profiling the doping profile of implanted phosphorus in alkaline textured and in polished monocrystalline silicon wafers. The paper shows that SIMS gives accurate results provided the primary ion impact angle is small enough. Moreover, the comparison between these two techniques gives an estimation of the concentration of electrically inactive phosphorus atoms.

Hall Thruster Modeling with a Given Temperature Profile

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dorf, L.; Semenov, V.; Raitses, Y.; Fisch, N.J.

2002-01-01

A quasi one-dimensional steady-state model of the Hall thruster is presented. For given mass flow rate, magnetic field profile, and discharge voltage the unique solution can be constructed, assuming that the thruster operates in one of the two regimes: with or without the anode sheath. It is shown that for a given temperature profile, the applied discharge voltage uniquely determines the operating regime; for discharge voltages greater than a certain value, the sheath disappears. That result is obtained over a wide range of incoming neutral velocities, channel lengths and widths, and cathode plane locations. A good correlation between the quasi one-dimensional model and experimental results can be achieved by selecting an appropriate temperature profile. We also show how the presented model can be used to obtain a two-dimensional potential distribution

Analysis of cytokine profile and growth factors in platelet-rich plasma obtained by open systems and commercial columns.

Science.gov (United States)

Pochini, Alberto de Castro; Antonioli, Eliane; Bucci, Daniella Zanetti; Sardinha, Luiz Roberto; Andreoli, Carlos Vicente; Ferretti, Mario; Ejnisman, Benno; Goldberg, Anna Carla; Cohen, Moisés

2016-01-01

To evaluate growth factors and cytokines in samples of platelet-rich plasma obtained by three different centrifugation methods. Peripheral blood of six individuals with no hematological diseases, aged 18 to 68 years, was drawn to obtain platelet-rich plasma, using the open method and commercial columns by Medtronic and Biomet. The products obtained with the different types of centrifugation were submitted to laboratory analysis, including pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines by flow cytometry assays, the concentration of fibroblast growth factors-2 (FGF-2) and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β1). The diverse separation methods generated systematically different profiles regarding number of platelets and leukocytes. The Medtronic system yielded a product with the highest concentration of platelets, and the open method, with the lowest concentration of platelets. The results of cytokine analysis showed that the different types of centrifugation yielded products with high concentrations of interleukin 8, interleukin 1β. The open system resulted in a product with high levels of interleukin 6. Other cytokines and chemokines measured were similar between systems. The product obtained with the open method showed higher levels of TGF-β1 in relation to other systems and low FGF-2 levels. The formed elements, growth factors and cytokines in samples of platelet-rich plasma varied according to the centrifugation technique used. Avaliar fatores de crescimento e citocinas em amostras de plasma rico em plaquetas obtidas por três diferentes métodos de centrifugação. Foi coletado sangue periférico de seis indivíduos, sem doença hematológica, com idades entre 18 e 68 anos, para obtenção de plasma rico em plaquetas, utilizando o método aberto e sistemas comerciais das empresas Medtronic e Biomet. Os produtos obtidos com os diferentes tipos de centrifugação foram submetidos às análises laboratoriais, incluindo citocinas próinflamatórias e quimiocinas

Power Dependence of the Electron Mobility Profile in a Hall Thruster

Science.gov (United States)

Jorns, Benjamin A.; Hofery, Richard H.; Mikellides, Ioannis G.

2014-01-01

The electron mobility profile is estimated in a 4.5 kW commercial Hall thruster as a function of discharge power. Internal measurements of plasma potential and electron temperature are made in the thruster channel with a high-speed translating probe. These measurements are presented for a range of throttling conditions from 150 - 400 V and 0.6 - 4.5 kW. The fluid-based solver, Hall2De, is used in conjunction with these internal plasma parameters to estimate the anomalous collision frequency profile at fixed voltage, 300 V, and three power levels. It is found that the anomalous collision frequency profile does not change significantly upstream of the location of the magnetic field peak but that the extent and magnitude of the anomalous collision frequency downstream of the magnetic peak does change with thruster power. These results are discussed in the context of developing phenomenological models for how the collision frequency profile depends on thruster operating conditions.

Line profile analyses of rhodium metal obtained by decomposition of rhodium carbonyl

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chandra, D.; Mandalia, H.; Garner, M.L.; Blakely, M.K.; Lau, K.H.

1995-01-01

Metal carbonyls are important for chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of metals and alloys and formation of high surface area metallic particles which have potential applications as catalysts. Rhodium carbonyl [Rh 6 (CO) 16 ] produces high surface area metallic particles whose structure has been reported as monoclinic (I2/a) with lattice dimensions, a=17.00(±0.03)Angstrom, b=9.78(±0.02)Angstrom, c=17.53(±0.03)Angstrom and Β=121 degrees 45' ± 30' at room temperature. Generally, metal carbonyl crystals dissociate under vacuum as carbonyl gas and decompose to metallic crystals and carbon monoxide at higher temperatures. However, the behavior of rhodium carbonyl crystals is different; they decompose directly to metallic rhodium without the formation of rhodium carbonyl gas in vacuum. Several residual fine grains of rhodium metal are found after the decomposition in vacuum at relatively low temperatures. The metallic samples of rhodium were obtained from vapor pressure experiments using torsion Knudsen-effusion apparatus. X-ray diffraction analyses performed on these gains showed severely broadened Bragg reflections indicative of small particle size and/or lattice microgram. In this study, a comparison of lattice strains and domain sizes obtained by integral breadth and Fourier methods has been made. In addition a comparison of the lattice strains and domain sizes has been made between the Cauchy, Gaussian, Cauchy-Gaussian and Aqua integral breadth methods

Estimating Parameters for the Earth-Ionosphere Waveguide Using VLF Narrowband Transmitters

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, N. C.; Cohen, M.

2017-12-01

Estimating the D-region (60 to 90 km altitude) ionospheric electron density profile has always been a challenge. The D-region's altitude is too high for aircraft and balloons to reach but is too low for satellites to orbit at. Sounding rocket measurements have been a useful tool for directly measuring the ionosphere, however, these types of measurements are infrequent and costly. A more sustainable type of measurement, for characterizing the D-region, is remote sensing with very low frequency (VLF) waves. Both the lower ionosphere and Earth's ground strongly reflect VLF waves. These two spherical reflectors form what is known as the Earth-ionosphere waveguide. As VLF waves propagate within the waveguide, they interact with the D-region ionosphere, causing amplitude and phase changes that are polarization dependent. These changes can be monitored with a spatially distributed array of receivers and D-region properties can be inferred from these measurements. Researchers have previously used VLF remote sensing techniques, from either narrowband transmitters or sferics, to estimate the density profile, but these estimations are typically during a short time frame and over a narrow propagation region. We report on an effort to improve the understanding of VLF wave propagation by estimating the commonly known h' and beta two parameter exponential electron density profile. Measurements from multiple narrowband transmitters at multiple receivers are taken, concurrently, and input into an algorithm. The cornerstone of the algorithm is an artificial neural network (ANN), where input values are the received narrowband amplitude and phase and the outputs are the estimated h' and beta parameters. Training data for the ANN is generated using the Navy's Long-Wavelength Propagation Capability (LWPC) model. Emphasis is placed on profiling the daytime ionosphere, which has a more stable and predictable profile than the nighttime. Daytime ionospheric disturbances, from high solar

Profile of intimate partner violence in Family Health Units

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ricardo de Mattos Russo Rafael

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: To estimate the profile of intimate partner violence involving women in a scenario of Family Health Strategy in the municipality of Nova Iguaçu (Rio de Janeiro. Method: A transversal study was conducted in four units with a sample of 640 women between the ages of 25 to 64. The phenomena of violence was determined using the tool Revised Conflict Tactics Scales, validated for Brazil. Statistical analysis took into consideration an estimation of prevalence in the calculation of the p values. Results: The situations of violence and the sociodemographic profiles demonstrated a statistically significant relationship with the variables of educational level and housing conditions. Age, ethnicity and economic class demonstrated an association with certain types of violence, varying in type and severity. Conclusion: The study investigated the profile of these situations of violence and enabled reflection regarding the approaches adopted by the Family Health Strategy teams.

A Transformational Approach to Parametric Accumulated-Cost Static Profiling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haemmerlé, Rémy; López García, Pedro; Liqat, Umer

2016-01-01

Traditional static resource analyses estimate the total resource usage of a program, without executing it. In this paper we present a novel resource analysis whose aim is instead the static profiling of accumulated cost, i.e., to discover, for selected parts of the program, an estimate or bound...... of the resource usage accumulated in each of those parts. Traditional resource analyses are parametric in the sense that the results can be functions on input data sizes. Our static profiling is also parametric, i.e., our accumulated cost estimates are also parameterized by input data sizes. Our proposal is based...... on the concept of cost centers and a program transformation that allows the static inference of functions that return bounds on these accumulated costs depending on input data sizes, for each cost center of interest. Such information is much more useful to the software developer than the traditional resource...

Serotypes and DNA fingerprint profiles of Pasteurella multocida isolated from raptors

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, M.A.; Duncan, R.M.; Nordholm, G.E.; Berlowski, B.M.

1995-01-01

Pasteurella multocida isolates from 21 raptors were examined by DNA fingerprint profile and serotyping methods. Isolates were obtained from noncaptive birds of prey found in 11 states from November 28, 1979, through February 10, 1993. Nine isolates were from bald eagles, and the remaining isolates were from hawks, falcons, and owls. Seven isolates were members of capsule group A, and 14 were nonencapsulated. One isolate was identified as somatic type 3, and another was type 3,4,7; both had unique HhaI DNA fingerprint profiles. Nineteen isolates expressed somatic type 1 antigen; HhaI profiles of all type 1 isolates were identical to each other and to the HhaI profile of the reference somatic type 1, strain X-73. The 19 type 1 isolates were differentiated by sequential digestion of DNA with HpaII; four HpaII fingerprint profiles were obtained. The HpaII profile of one isolate was identical to the HpaII profile of strain X-73. Incidence of P. multocida somatic type 1 in raptors suggests that this type may be prevalent in other wildlife or wildlife environments.

TDR water content inverse profiling in layered soils during infiltration and evaporation

Science.gov (United States)

Greco, R.; Guida, A.

2009-04-01

During the last three decades, time domain reflectometry (TDR) has become one of the most commonly used tools for soil water content measurements either in laboratory or in the field. Indeed, TDR provides easy and cheap water content estimations with relatively small disturbance to the investigated soil. TDR measurements of soil water content are based on the strong correlation between relative dielectric permittivity of wet soil and its volumetric water content. Several expressions of the relationship between relative dielectric permittivity and volumetric water content have been proposed, empirically stated (Topp et al., 1980) as well as based on semi-analytical approach to dielectric mixing models (Roth et al., 1990; Whalley, 1993). So far, TDR field applications suffered the limitation due to the capability of the technique of estimating only the mean water content in the volume investigated by the probe. Whereas the knowledge of non homogeneous vertical water content profiles was needed, it was necessary to install either several vertical probes of different length or several horizontal probes placed in the soil at different depths, in both cases strongly increasing soil disturbance as well as the complexity of the measurements. Several studies have been recently dedicated to the development of inversion methods aimed to extract more information from TDR waveforms, in order to estimate non homogeneous moisture profiles along the axis of the metallic probe used for TDR measurements. A common feature of all these methods is that electromagnetic transient through the wet soil along the probe is mathematically modelled, assuming that the unknown soil water content distribution corresponds to the best agreement between simulated and measured waveforms. In some cases the soil is modelled as a series of small layers with different dielectric properties, and the waveform is obtained as the result of the superposition of multiple reflections arising from impedance

New dynamic NNORSY ozone profile climatology

Science.gov (United States)

Kaifel, A. K.; Felder, M.; Declercq, C.; Lambert, J.-C.

2012-01-01

Climatological ozone profile data are widely used as a-priori information for total ozone using DOAS type retrievals as well as for ozone profile retrieval using optimal estimation, for data assimilation or evaluation of 3-D chemistry-transport models and a lot of other applications in atmospheric sciences and remote sensing. For most applications it is important that the climatology represents not only long term mean values but also the links between ozone and dynamic input parameters. These dynamic input parameters should be easily accessible from auxiliary datasets or easily measureable, and obviously should have a high correlation with ozone. For ozone profile these parameters are mainly total ozone column and temperature profile data. This was the outcome of a user consultation carried out in the framework of developing a new, dynamic ozone profile climatology. The new ozone profile climatology is based on the Neural Network Ozone Retrieval System (NNORSY) widely used for ozone profile retrieval from UV and IR satellite sounder data. NNORSY allows implicit modelling of any non-linear correspondence between input parameters (predictors) and ozone profile target vector. This paper presents the approach, setup and validation of a new family of ozone profile climatologies with static as well as dynamic input parameters (total ozone and temperature profile). The neural network training relies on ozone profile measurement data of well known quality provided by ground based (ozonesondes) and satellite based (SAGE II, HALOE, and POAM-III) measurements over the years 1995-2007. In total, four different combinations (modes) for input parameters (date, geolocation, total ozone column and temperature profile) are available. The geophysical validation spans from pole to pole using independent ozonesonde, lidar and satellite data (ACE-FTS, AURA-MLS) for individual and time series comparisons as well as for analysing the vertical and meridian structure of different modes of

The High Accuracy Measurement of CO2 Mixing Ratio Profiles Using Ground Based 1.6 μm CO2-DIAL with Temperature Measurement Techniques in the Lower-Atmosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Abo, M.; Shibata, Y.; Nagasawa, C.

2017-12-01

We have developed a ground based direct detection three-wavelength 1.6 μm differential absorption lidar (DIAL) to achieve measurements of vertical CO2 concentration and temperature profiles in the atmosphere. As the spectra of absorption lines of any molecules are influenced basically by the temperature and pressure in the atmosphere, it is important to measure them simultaneously so that the better accuracy of the DIAL measurement is realized. Conventionally, we have obtained the vertical profile of absorption cross sections using the atmospheric temperature profile by the objective analysis and the atmospheric pressure profile calculated by the pressure height equation. Comparison of atmospheric pressure profiles calculated from this equation and those obtained from radiosonde observations at Tateno, Japan is consistent within 0.2 % below 3 km altitude. But the temperature dependency of the CO2 density is 0.25 %/°C near the surface. Moreover, the CO2 concentration is often evaluated by the mixing ratio. Because the air density is related by the ideal gas law, the mixing ratio is also related by the atmospheric temperature. Therefore, the temperature affects not only accuracy of CO2 concentration but the CO2 mixing ratio. In this paper, some experimental results of the simultaneous measurement of atmospheric temperature profiles and CO2 mixing ratio profiles are reported from 0.4 to 2.5 km altitude using the three-wavelength 1.6 μm DIAL system. Temperature profiles of CO2 DIAL measurement were sometimes different from those of objective analysis below 1.5 km altitude. These differences are considered to be due to regionality at the lidar site. The temperature difference of 5.0 °C corresponds to a CO2 mixing ratio difference of 8.0 ppm at 500 m altitude. This cannot be ignored in estimates of regional sources and sinks of CO2. This three-wavelength CO2 DIAL technique can estimate accurately temporal behavior of CO2 mixing ratio profiles in the lower atmosphere

Psychometric Properties of Dunn\\'s Sensory Profile School Companion

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Guita Movallali

2017-10-01

Conclusion The results showed that Dunn's sensory profile has good reliability and validity. Dunn's sensory profile is a useful tool for assessing sensory processing patterns in school and kindergarten settings, and can be used by occupational therapists in clinical environments and by psychologists in educational environments. Information obtained from this profile can have diagnostic value and could also be used for the design of curriculum and classroom space.

Characteristics and error estimation of stratospheric ozone and ozone-related species over Poker Flat (65° N, 147° W, Alaska observed by a ground-based FTIR spectrometer from 2001 to 2003

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Mizutani

2007-07-01

Full Text Available It is important to obtain the year-to-year trend of stratospheric minor species in the context of global changes. An important example is the trend in global ozone depletion. The purpose of this paper is to report the accuracy and precision of measurements of stratospheric chemical species that are made at our Poker Flat site in Alaska (65° N, 147° W. Since 1999, minor atmospheric molecules have been observed using a Fourier-Transform solar-absorption infrared Spectrometer (FTS at Poker Flat. Vertical profiles of the abundances of ozone, HNO3, HCl, and HF for the period from 2001 to 2003 were retrieved from FTS spectra using Rodgers' formulation of the Optimal Estimation Method (OEM. The accuracy and precision of the retrievals were estimated by formal error analysis. Errors for the total column were estimated to be 5.3%, 3.4%, 5.9%, and 5.3% for ozone, HNO3, HCl, and HF, respectively. The ozone vertical profiles were in good agreement with profiles derived from collocated ozonesonde measurements that were smoothed with averaging kernel functions that had been obtained with the retrieval procedure used in the analysis of spectra from the ground-based FTS (gb-FTS. The O3, HCl, and HF columns that were retrieved from the FTS measurements were consistent with Earth Probe/Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS and HALogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE data over Alaska within the error limits of all the respective datasets. This is the first report from the Poker Flat FTS observation site on a number of stratospheric gas profiles including a comprehensive error analysis.

Soil Temperature and Moisture Profile (STAMP) System Handbook

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cook, David R. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

2016-11-01

The soil temperature and moisture profile system (STAMP) provides vertical profiles of soil temperature, soil water content (soil-type specific and loam type), plant water availability, soil conductivity, and real dielectric permittivity as a function of depth below the ground surface at half-hourly intervals, and precipitation at one-minute intervals. The profiles are measured directly by in situ probes at all extended facilities of the SGP climate research site. The profiles are derived from measurements of soil energy conductivity. Atmospheric scientists use the data in climate models to determine boundary conditions and to estimate the surface energy flux. The data are also useful to hydrologists, soil scientists, and agricultural scientists for determining the state of the soil. The STAMP system replaced the SWATS system in early 2016.

RF slice profile effects in magnetic resonance fingerprinting.

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Taehwa; Han, Dongyeob; Kim, Min-Oh; Kim, Dong-Hyun

2017-09-01

The radio frequency (RF) slice profile effects on T1 and T2 estimation in magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) are investigated with respect to time-bandwidth product (TBW), flip angle (FA) level and field inhomogeneities. Signal evolutions are generated incorporating the non-ideal slice selective excitation process using Bloch simulation and matched to the original dictionary with and without the non-ideal slice profile taken into account. For validation, phantom and in vivo experiments are performed at 3T. Both simulations and experiments results show that T1 and T2 error from non-ideal slice profile increases with increasing FA level, off-resonance, and low TBW values. Therefore, RF slice profile effects should be compensated for accurate determination of the MR parameters. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stratigraphic Profiles for Selected Hanford Site Seismometer Stations and Other Locations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Last, George V. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2014-02-01

Stratigraphic profiles were constructed for eight selected Hanford Site seismometer stations, five Hanford Site facility reference locations, and seven regional three-component broadband seismometer stations. These profiles provide interpretations of the subsurface layers to support estimation of ground motions from past earthquakes, and the prediction of ground motions from future earthquakes. In most cases these profiles terminated at the top of the Wanapum Basalt, but at selected sites profiles were extended down to the top of the crystalline basement. The composite one-dimensional stratigraphic profiles were based primarily on previous interpretations from nearby boreholes, and in many cases the nearest deep borehole is located kilometers away.

Metabolic Profiles of Brain Metastases

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Tone F. Bathen

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Metastasis to the brain is a feared complication of systemic cancer, associated with significant morbidity and poor prognosis. A better understanding of the tumor metabolism might help us meet the challenges in controlling brain metastases. The study aims to characterize the metabolic profile of brain metastases of different origin using high resolution magic angle spinning (HR-MAS magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS to correlate the metabolic profiles to clinical and pathological information. Biopsy samples of human brain metastases (n = 49 were investigated. A significant correlation between lipid signals and necrosis in brain metastases was observed (p < 0.01, irrespective of their primary origin. The principal component analysis (PCA showed that brain metastases from malignant melanomas cluster together, while lung carcinomas were metabolically heterogeneous and overlap with other subtypes. Metastatic melanomas have higher amounts of glycerophosphocholine than other brain metastases. A significant correlation between microscopically visible lipid droplets estimated by Nile Red staining and MR visible lipid signals was observed in metastatic lung carcinomas (p = 0.01, indicating that the proton MR visible lipid signals arise from cytoplasmic lipid droplets. MRS-based metabolomic profiling is a useful tool for exploring the metabolic profiles of metastatic brain tumors.

Atmospheric profiles from active space-based radio measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Hardy, Kenneth R.; Hinson, David P.; Tyler, G. L.; Kursinski, E. R.

1992-01-01

The paper describes determinations of atmospheric profiles from space-based radio measurements and the retrieval methodology used, with special attention given to the measurement procedure and the characteristics of the soundings. It is speculated that reliable profiles of the terrestrial atmosphere can be obtained by the occultation technique from the surface to a height of about 60 km. With the full complement of 21 the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites and one GPS receiver in sun synchronous polar orbit, a maximum of 42 soundings could be obtained for each complete orbit or about 670 per day, providing almost uniform global coverage.

Estimating added sugars in US consumer packaged goods: An application to beverages in 2007-08.

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, Shu Wen; Bricker, Gregory; Li, Kuo-Ping; Yoon, Emily Ford; Kang, Jiyoung; Westrich, Brian

2015-11-01

This study developed a method to estimate added sugar content in consumer packaged goods (CPG) that can keep pace with the dynamic food system. A team including registered dietitians, a food scientist and programmers developed a batch-mode ingredient matching and linear programming (LP) approach to estimate the amount of each ingredient needed in a given product to produce a nutrient profile similar to that reported on its nutrition facts label (NFL). Added sugar content was estimated for 7021 products available in 2007-08 that contain sugar from ten beverage categories. Of these, flavored waters had the lowest added sugar amounts (4.3g/100g), while sweetened dairy and dairy alternative beverages had the smallest percentage of added sugars (65.6% of Total Sugars; 33.8% of Calories). Estimation validity was determined by comparing LP estimated values to NFL values, as well as in a small validation study. LP estimates appeared reasonable compared to NFL values for calories, carbohydrates and total sugars, and performed well in the validation test; however, further work is needed to obtain more definitive conclusions on the accuracy of added sugar estimates in CPGs. As nutrition labeling regulations evolve, this approach can be adapted to test for potential product-specific, category-level, and population-level implications.

An estimation of global solar p-mode frequencies from IRIS network data: 1989-1996

Science.gov (United States)

Serebryanskiy, A.; Ehgamberdiev, Sh.; Kholikov, Sh.; Fossat, E.; Gelly, B.; Schmider, F. X.; Grec, G.; Cacciani, A.; Palle, P. L.; Lazrek, M.; Hoeksema, J. T.

2001-06-01

The IRIS network has accumulated full disk helioseismological data since July 1989, i.e. a complete 11-year solar cycle. Since the last paper publishing a frequency list [A&A 317 (1997) L71], not only has the network acquired new data, but has also developed new co-operative programs with compatible instruments [Abstr. SOHO 6/GONG 98 Workshop (1998) 51], so that merging IRIS files with these co-operative program data sets has made possible the improvement of the overall duty cycle. This paper presents new estimations of low degree p-mode frequencies obtained from this IRIS++ data bank covering the period 1989-1996, as well as the variation of their main parameters along the total range of magnetic activity, from before the last maximum to the very minimum. A preliminary estimation of the peak profile asymmetries is also included.

Development of a Trip Energy Estimation Model Using Real-World Global Positioning System Driving Data: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Holden, Jacob [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Wood, Eric W [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Zhu, Lei [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Gonder, Jeffrey D [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Tian, Ye [Metropia, Inc.

2017-09-15

A data-driven technique for estimation of energy requirements for a proposed vehicle trip has been developed. Based on over 700,000 miles of driving data, the technique has been applied to generate a model that estimates trip energy requirements. The model uses a novel binning approach to categorize driving by road type, traffic conditions, and driving profile. The trip-level energy estimations can easily be aggregated to any higher-level transportation system network desired. The model has been tested and validated on the Austin, Texas, data set used to build this model. Ground-truth energy consumption for the data set was obtained from Future Automotive Systems Technology Simulator (FASTSim) vehicle simulation results. The energy estimation model has demonstrated 12.1 percent normalized total absolute error. The energy estimation from the model can be used to inform control strategies in routing tools, such as change in departure time, alternate routing, and alternate destinations, to reduce energy consumption. The model can also be used to determine more accurate energy consumption of regional or national transportation networks if trip origin and destinations are known. Additionally, this method allows the estimation tool to be tuned to a specific driver or vehicle type.

The 7Be profiles in the undisturbed soil used for reference site to estimate the soil erosion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raksawong, S; Bhongsuwan, T; Krmar, M

2017-01-01

The cosmogenic radionuclide 7 Be is increasingly used to obtain information on event-related soil erosion rates within agricultural landscapes. In this study, we select two undisturbed and flat areas to calculate the reference inventory and relaxation mass depth by using 7 Be technique to document short-term erosion. Our results showed that the depth distribution of 7 Be in undisturbed soil profiles was 1.0 cm in sites S02 and S03; the initial activities were 31.6 and 38.8 Bq.kg -1 , respectively. The relaxation mass depths were 5.4 and 7.2 kg.m -2 and the measured reference 7 Be inventories were 71 and 110 Bq.m -2 for sites S02 and S03, respectively. The difference values of the relaxation mass depth and the reference inventory of both sites implied that for determining a short term soil erosion using 7 Be, the reference site was suggested to be selected as close as possible to the study site. (paper)

A better coefficient of determination for genetic profile analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sang Hong; Goddard, Michael E; Wray, Naomi R; Visscher, Peter M

2012-04-01

Genome-wide association studies have facilitated the construction of risk predictors for disease from multiple Single Nucleotide Polymorphism markers. The ability of such "genetic profiles" to predict outcome is usually quantified in an independent data set. Coefficients of determination (R(2) ) have been a useful measure to quantify the goodness-of-fit of the genetic profile. Various pseudo-R(2) measures for binary responses have been proposed. However, there is no standard or consensus measure because the concept of residual variance is not easily defined on the observed probability scale. Unlike other nongenetic predictors such as environmental exposure, there is prior information on genetic predictors because for most traits there are estimates of the proportion of variation in risk in the population due to all genetic factors, the heritability. It is this useful ability to benchmark that makes the choice of a measure of goodness-of-fit in genetic profiling different from that of nongenetic predictors. In this study, we use a liability threshold model to establish the relationship between the observed probability scale and underlying liability scale in measuring R(2) for binary responses. We show that currently used R(2) measures are difficult to interpret, biased by ascertainment, and not comparable to heritability. We suggest a novel and globally standard measure of R(2) that is interpretable on the liability scale. Furthermore, even when using ascertained case-control studies that are typical in human disease studies, we can obtain an R(2) measure on the liability scale that can be compared directly to heritability. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Periodontal profile classes predict periodontal disease progression and tooth loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Morelli, Thiago; Moss, Kevin L; Preisser, John S; Beck, James D; Divaris, Kimon; Wu, Di; Offenbacher, Steven

2018-02-01

Current periodontal disease taxonomies have limited utility for predicting disease progression and tooth loss; in fact, tooth loss itself can undermine precise person-level periodontal disease classifications. To overcome this limitation, the current group recently introduced a novel patient stratification system using latent class analyses of clinical parameters, including patterns of missing teeth. This investigation sought to determine the clinical utility of the Periodontal Profile Classes and Tooth Profile Classes (PPC/TPC) taxonomy for risk assessment, specifically for predicting periodontal disease progression and incident tooth loss. The analytic sample comprised 4,682 adult participants of two prospective cohort studies (Dental Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study and Piedmont Dental Study) with information on periodontal disease progression and incident tooth loss. The PPC/TPC taxonomy includes seven distinct PPCs (person-level disease pattern and severity) and seven TPCs (tooth-level disease). Logistic regression modeling was used to estimate relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association of these latent classes with disease progression and incident tooth loss, adjusting for examination center, race, sex, age, diabetes, and smoking. To obtain personalized outcome propensities, risk estimates associated with each participant's PPC and TPC were combined into person-level composite risk scores (Index of Periodontal Risk [IPR]). Individuals in two PPCs (PPC-G: Severe Disease and PPC-D: Tooth Loss) had the highest tooth loss risk (RR = 3.6; 95% CI = 2.6 to 5.0 and RR = 3.8; 95% CI = 2.9 to 5.1, respectively). PPC-G also had the highest risk for periodontitis progression (RR = 5.7; 95% CI = 2.2 to 14.7). Personalized IPR scores were positively associated with both periodontitis progression and tooth loss. These findings, upon additional validation, suggest that the periodontal/tooth profile classes and the derived

Estimation of mean tree stand volume using high-resolution aerial RGB imagery and digital surface model, obtained from sUAV and Trestima mobile application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. K. Rybakov

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This study considers a remote sensing technique for mean volume estimation based on a very high-resolution (VHR aerial RGB imagery obtained using a small-sized unmanned aerial vehicle (sUAV and a high-resolution photogrammetric digital surface model (DSM as well as an innovative technology for field measurements (Trestima. The study area covers approx. 220 ha of forestland in Finland. The work concerns the entire process from remote sensing and field data acquisition to statistical analysis and forest volume wall-to-wall mapping. The study showed that the VHR aerial imagery and the high-resolution DSM produced based on the application of the sUAV have good prospects for forest inventory. For the sUAV based estimation of forest variables such as Height, Basal Area and mean Volume, Root Mean Square Error constituted 6.6 %, 22.6 % and 26.7 %, respectively. Application of Trestima for estimation of the mean volume of the standing forest showed minor difference over the existing Forest Management Plan at all the selected forest compartments. Simultaneously, the results of the study confirmed that the technologies and the tools applied at this work could be a reliable and potentially cost-effective means of forest data acquisition with high potential of operational use.

A new method for measuring coronary artery diameters with CT spatial profile curves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimamoto, Ryoichi; Suzuki, Jun-ichi; Yamazaki, Tadashi; Tsuji, Taeko; Ohmoto, Yuki; Morita, Toshihiro; Yamashita, Hiroshi; Honye, Junko; Nagai, Ryozo; Akahane, Masaaki; Ohtomo, Kuni

2007-01-01

Purpose: Coronary artery vascular edge recognition on computed tomography (CT) angiograms is influenced by window parameters. A noninvasive method for vascular edge recognition independent of window setting with use of multi-detector row CT was contrived and its feasibility and accuracy were estimated by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). Methods: Multi-detector row CT was performed to obtain 29 CT spatial profile curves by setting a line cursor across short-axis coronary angiograms processed by multi-planar reconstruction. IVUS was also performed to determine the reference coronary diameter. IVUS diameter was fitted horizontally between two points on the upward and downward slopes of the profile curves and Hounsfield number was measured at the fitted level to test seven candidate indexes for definition of intravascular coronary diameter. The best index from the curves should show the best agreement with IVUS diameter. Results: Of the seven candidates the agreement was the best (agreement: 16 ± 11%) when the two ratios of Hounsfield number at the level of IVUS diameter over that at the peak on the profile curves were used with water and with fat as the background tissue. These edge definitions were achieved by cutting the horizontal distance by the curves at the level defined by the ratio of 0.41 for water background and 0.57 for fat background. Conclusions: Vascular edge recognition of the coronary artery with CT spatial profile curves was feasible and the contrived method could define the coronary diameter with reasonable agreement

Cross-shore profile and coastline changes of a sandy beach in Pieria, Greece, based on measurements and numerical simulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.M. PROSPATHOPOULOS

2004-06-01

Full Text Available In the present work, the changes of cross-shore profile and the coastline of a sandy beach in Pieria, Greece, are studied by using topographic profiles, sediment analysis and a numerical simulation model. The work is motivated by the considerable erosion problems caused to an extended portion of the coast north of the studied area due to the construction of a craft shelter, and its scope is two-fold: to help in understanding the dynamics of the beach based on results of the field work and to proceed a step further, studying the responses of this beach by numerical simulation, utilizing the topographic and sediment field data and measured wave data. The study of the cross-shore profiles, as well as the sediment analysis of the samples obtained along the profiles, revealed the morphological features of the coast under study and provided information concerning the dynamic zones in each profile. The sediment grain size reduces from south to north, following the direction of the longshore currents generated in the area. The results of the numerical simulation concerning the coastline evolution are found to be in agreement with the qualitative estimations and visual observations of existing coastal changes to the broader area.

Determinants of attaining and maintaining a low cardiovascular risk profile--the Doetinchem Cohort Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hulsegge, Gerben; van der Schouw, Yvonne T; Daviglus, Martha L; Smit, Henriëtte A; Verschuren, W M Monique

2016-02-01

While maintenance of a low cardiovascular risk profile is essential for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention, few people maintain a low CVD risk profile throughout their life. We studied the association of demographic, lifestyle, psychological factors and family history of CVD with attainment and maintenance of a low risk profile over three subsequent 5-year periods. Measurements of 6390 adults aged 26-65 years at baseline were completed from 1993 to 97 and subsequently at 5-year intervals until 2013. At each wave, participants were categorized into low risk profile (ideal levels of blood pressure, cholesterol and body mass index, non-smoking and no diabetes) and medium/high risk profile (all others). Multivariable-adjusted modified Poisson regression analyses were used to examine determinants of attainment and maintenance of low risk; risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were obtained. Generalized estimating equations were used to combine multiple 5-year comparisons. Younger age, female gender and high educational level were associated with higher likelihood of both maintaining and attaining low risk profile (P risk was 9% higher with each 1-unit increment in Mediterranean diet score (RR: 1.09, 95% CI: 1.02-1.16), twice as high with any physical activity versus none (RR: 2.17, 95% CI: 1.16-4.04) and 35% higher with moderate alcohol consumption versus heavy consumption (RR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.06-1.73). Healthy lifestyle factors such as adherence to a Mediterranean diet, physical activity and moderate as opposed to heavy alcohol consumption were associated with a higher likelihood of attaining a low risk profile. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Cs and Cl penetration estimation in mortar from fly ash of MSWI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, K.; Hosokawa, Y.; Haga, K.; Osako, M.

2015-01-01

By the Fukushima Daiichi accident, radioactive Cs was scattered widely in East Japan. From the viewpoint of radionuclide contaminated wastes management, water soluble Cs in the fly ash of incineration of municipal solid wastes (MSWI-FA) is the most serious problem. When final disposal of MSWI-FA contaminated by radioactive Cs in concrete pit is considered, it is necessary to understand the characteristics of MSWI-FA and Cs penetration behavior into concrete. In this study, the expected solution generated from MSWI-FA is analyzed and immersion test of mortar in this model solution was carried out for several kinds of cement and sand types. Cs showed similar penetration profiles with Cl regardless of cement and sand types. By using fly ash cement, the penetration depth of Cs decreased less than half compared to ordinary Portland cement (OPC). Clay mineral in sand did not affect the penetration of Cs possible because of the competing effect of potassium for Cs adsorption. Assuming a diffusion equation considering non-linear binding, from the measured profiles, diffusion coefficient and parameters of binding were obtained by fitting. Then, the Cs and Cl profiles after 30 years are estimated and penetration depths of Cs and Cl were only 15 mm for fly ash mortar. (authors)

Estimation of stature from sternum - Exploring the quadratic models.

Science.gov (United States)

Saraf, Ashish; Kanchan, Tanuj; Krishan, Kewal; Ateriya, Navneet; Setia, Puneet

2018-04-14

Identification of the dead is significant in examination of unknown, decomposed and mutilated human remains. Establishing the biological profile is the central issue in such a scenario, and stature estimation remains one of the important criteria in this regard. The present study was undertaken to estimate stature from different parts of the sternum. A sample of 100 sterna was obtained from individuals during the medicolegal autopsies. Length of the deceased and various measurements of the sternum were measured. Student's t-test was performed to find the sex differences in stature and sternal measurements included in the study. Correlation between stature and sternal measurements were analysed using Karl Pearson's correlation, and linear and quadratic regression models were derived. All the measurements were found to be significantly larger in males than females. Stature correlated best with the combined length of sternum, among males (R = 0.894), females (R = 0.859), and for the total sample (R = 0.891). The study showed that the models derived for stature estimation from combined length of sternum are likely to give the most accurate estimates of stature in forensic case work when compared to manubrium and mesosternum. Accuracy of stature estimation further increased with quadratic models derived for the mesosternum among males and combined length of sternum among males and females when compared to linear regression models. Future studies in different geographical locations and a larger sample size are proposed to confirm the study observations. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Assimilation of Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) Profiles using WRF-Var

Science.gov (United States)

Zavodsky, Brad; Jedlovec, Gary J.; Lapenta, William

2008-01-01

The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model contains a three-dimensional variational (3DVAR) assimilation system (WRF-Var), which allows a user to join data from multiple sources into one coherent analysis. WRF-Var combines observations with a background field traditionally generated using a previous model forecast through minimization of a cost function. In data sparse regions, remotely-sensed observations may be able to improve analyses and produce improved forecasts. One such source comes from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), which together with the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU), represents one of the most advanced space-based atmospheric sounding systems. The combined AIRS/AMSU system provides radiance measurements used as input to a sophisticated retrieval scheme which has been shown to produce temperature profiles with an accuracy of 1 K over 1 km layers and humidity profiles with accuracy of 15% in 2 km layers in both clear and partly cloudy conditions. The retrieval algorithm also provides estimates of the accuracy of the retrieved values at each pressure level, allowing the user to select profiles based on the required error tolerances of the application. The purpose of this paper is to describe a procedure to optimally assimilate high-resolution AIRS profile data into a regional configuration of the Advanced Research WRF (ARW) version 2.2 using WRF-Var. The paper focuses on development of background error covariances for the regional domain and background field type using gen_be and an optimal methodology for ingesting AIRS temperature and moisture profiles as separate overland and overwater retrievals with different error characteristics in the WRF-Var. The AIRS thermodynamic profiles are obtained from the version 5.0 Earth Observing System (EOS) science team retrieval algorithm and contain information about the quality of each temperature layer. The quality indicators are used to select the highest quality temperature and moisture

Estimating near-shore wind resources

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Floors, Rogier Ralph; Hahmann, Andrea N.; Peña, Alfredo

An evaluation and sensitivity study using the WRF mesoscale model to estimate the wind in a coastal area is performed using a unique data set consisting of scanning, profiling and floating lidars. The ability of the WRF model to represent the wind speed was evaluated by running the model for a four...... grid spacings were performed for each of the two schemes. An evaluation of the wind profile using vertical profilers revealed small differences in modelled mean wind speed between the different set-ups, with the YSU scheme predicting slightly higher mean wind speeds. Larger differences between...... the different simulations were observed when comparing the root-mean-square error (RMSE) between modelled and measured wind, with the ERA interim-based simulations having the lowest errors. The simulations with finer horizontal grid spacing had a larger MSE. Horizontal transects of mean wind speed across...

Estimation of the Intelligence Quotient Using Wechsler Intelligence Scales in Children and Adolescents with Asperger Syndrome

Science.gov (United States)

Merchan-Naranjo, Jessica; Mayoral, Maria; Rapado-Castro, Marta; Llorente, Cloe; Boada, Leticia; Arango, Celso; Parellada, Mara

2012-01-01

Asperger syndrome (AS) patients show heterogeneous intelligence profiles and the validity of short forms for estimating intelligence has rarely been studied in this population. We analyzed the validity of Wechsler Intelligence Scale (WIS) short forms for estimating full-scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) and assessing intelligence profiles in 29…

Parameter estimation of breast tumour using dynamic neural network from thermal pattern

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elham Saniei

2016-11-01

Full Text Available This article presents a new approach for estimating the depth, size, and metabolic heat generation rate of a tumour. For this purpose, the surface temperature distribution of a breast thermal image and the dynamic neural network was used. The research consisted of two steps: forward and inverse. For the forward section, a finite element model was created. The Pennes bio-heat equation was solved to find surface and depth temperature distributions. Data from the analysis, then, were used to train the dynamic neural network model (DNN. Results from the DNN training/testing confirmed those of the finite element model. For the inverse section, the trained neural network was applied to estimate the depth temperature distribution (tumour position from the surface temperature profile, extracted from the thermal image. Finally, tumour parameters were obtained from the depth temperature distribution. Experimental findings (20 patients were promising in terms of the model’s potential for retrieving tumour parameters.

Obtención de modelo matemático para el desarrollo del perfil del ala de una aeronave. // Obtaining a mathematical model for the development of the profile of the airship wing.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Cabrera Pedroso

2008-05-01

Full Text Available El presente trabajo está dirigido a brindar un modelo matemático que permita el cálculo y determinación de una funciónanalítica para la obtención del perfil de un ala de geometría simétrica y variable de una aeronave con el empleo de métodoscomputacionales. En el artículo se analiza los métodos para la elaboración de sistemas de cálculo basados en modelosmatemáticos obtenidos en MATLAB 7.0 e implementados con el software LabVIEW 6.0 a través de programas de diseñosasistidos por computadoras en AUTOCAD (AUTOLISP. Los diferentes tópicos abordados dan a los interesados una ideaglobal del desarrollo de esta tecnología computacional y su aplicación a ramas de la mecánica, así como la metodologíaseguida para obtener el perfil aerodinámico de un ala. También se exponen aspectos generales del empleo de la funciónAUTOLISP y el código fuente del programa diseñado.Palabras claves: perfil de alas, modelos matemáticos, AutoCAD, AutoLISP, medición experimental.__________________________________________________________________________Abstract.This article was carried out to obtain a mathematical model that allows the calculation and determination of an analyticfunction of symmetrical geometry profile and variable. In the article it is analyzed the methods for the elaboration ofsystem of calculations based on mathematical models obtained with the software language LabVIEW 6.0 and it is used todeveloping the program attended by the computers AUTOCAD (AUTOLISP. The approached topics give to the interestedparties a global idea of the development it gives this technology and their application to branches of the mechanicalspecialties, as well as the followed methodology to obtain the aerofoil profile of a wing. General aspects are also exposedof the employment of the function AUTOLISP and the source code on the sketch program.Key words: Wing profiles, mathematical models, AutoCAD, AutoLISP, experimental measurement.

Professional choice self-efficacy: predicting traits and personality profiles in high school students

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Rodolfo Augusto Matteo Ambiel

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract This study aimed to verify the predictive capacity of the Big Five personality factors related to professional choice self-efficacy, as well as to draw a personality profile of people with diverse self-efficacy levels. There were 308 high school students participating, from three different grades (57.5 % women, from public and private schools, average 26.64 years of age. Students completed two instruments, Escala de Autoeficácia para Escolha Profissional (Professional Choice Self-efficacy Scale and Bateria Fatorial de Personalidade (Factorial Personality Battery. Results were obtained using multiple regression analysis, analysis of variance with repeated measures profile and Cohen’s d to estimate the effect size of differences. Results showed that Extraversion, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness were the main predictors of self-efficacy. Differences from medium to large were observed between extreme groups, and Extraversion and Conscientiousness were the personality factors that better distinguish people with low and high levels of self-efficacy. Theses results partially corroborate with the hypothesis. Results were discussed based on literature and on the practical implications of the results. New studies are proposed.

CLASH-VLT: testing the nature of gravity with galaxy cluster mass profiles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pizzuti, L.; Sartoris, B.; Borgani, S.; Girardi, M. [Dipartimento di Fisica, Sezione di Astronomia, Università di Trieste, Via Tiepolo 11, I-34143 Trieste (Italy); Amendola, L. [Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 16, D-69120 Heidelberg (Germany); Umetsu, K. [5 Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica, P.O. Box 23-141, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Biviano, A.; Balestra, I.; Nonino, M. [INAF—Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste, Via Tiepolo 11, I-34143 Trieste (Italy); Rosati, P. [University Observatory Munich, Scheinerstrasse 1, D-81679 Mu\\' nchen (Germany); Caminha, G.B. [Dipartimento di Fisica e Scienze della Terra, Università di Ferrara, Via Saragat 1, I-44122 Ferrara (Italy); Frye, B. [Steward Observatory/Department of Astronomy, University of Arizona, 933 N Cherry Ave, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Koekemoer, A. [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Grillo, C. [Dark Cosmology Centre, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Juliane Maries Vej 30, DK-2100 Copenhagen (Denmark); Lombardi, M. [Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 16, I-20133 Milan (Italy); Mercurio, A., E-mail: pizzuti@oats.inaf.it, E-mail: barbara.sartoris@gmail.com, E-mail: borgani@oats.inaf.it, E-mail: l.amendola@thphys.uniheidelberg.de [Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, Via Moiariello 16, I-80131 Napoli (Italy)

2016-04-01

We use high-precision kinematic and lensing measurements of the total mass profile of the dynamically relaxed galaxy cluster MACS J1206.2-0847 at z=0.44 to estimate the value of the ratio η=Ψ/Φ between the two scalar potentials in the linear perturbed Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker metric. An accurate measurement of this ratio, called anisotropic stress, could show possible, interesting deviations from the predictions of the theory of General Relativity, according to which Ψ should be equal to Φ. Complementary kinematic and lensing mass profiles were derived from exhaustive analyses using the data from the Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble (CLASH) and the spectroscopic follow-up with the Very Large Telescope (CLASH-VLT). Whereas the kinematic mass profile tracks only the time-time part of the perturbed metric (i.e. only Φ), the lensing mass profile reflects the contribution of both time-time and space-space components (i.e. the sum Φ+Ψ). We thus express η as a function of the mass profiles and perform our analysis over the radial range 0.5 Mpc≤ r≤ r{sub 200}=1.96 Mpc. Using a spherical Navarro-Frenk-White mass profile, which well fits the data, we obtain η(r{sub 200})=1.01 {sub −0.28}{sup +0.31} at the 68% C.L. We discuss the effect of assuming different functional forms for mass profiles and of the orbit anisotropy in the kinematic reconstruction. Interpreting this result within the well-studied f(R) modified gravity model, the constraint on η translates into an upper bound to the interaction length (inverse of the scalaron mass) smaller than 2 Mpc. This tight constraint on the f(R) interaction range is however substantially relaxed when systematic uncertainties in the analysis are considered. Our analysis highlights the potential of this method to detect deviations from general relativity, while calling for the need of further high-quality data on the total mass distribution of clusters and improved control on systematic

The loaded surface profile: a new technique for the investigation of contact surfaces

OpenAIRE

McBride, J.W.

2006-01-01

Contact between rough surfaces produces a complex contact profile. The contact area is usually estimated according to roughness statistics in conjunction withsurface models or by examining the surfaces before and after contact. Most of the existing literature on loaded surface profiles is theoretical or numerical in nature. This paper presents a methodology for a new system to measure the loaded surface profile, based on a non-contact 3D laser profiler. The system allows the measurement of...

UFO: a web server for ultra-fast functional profiling of whole genome protein sequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Meinicke, Peter

2009-09-02

Functional profiling is a key technique to characterize and compare the functional potential of entire genomes. The estimation of profiles according to an assignment of sequences to functional categories is a computationally expensive task because it requires the comparison of all protein sequences from a genome with a usually large database of annotated sequences or sequence families. Based on machine learning techniques for Pfam domain detection, the UFO web server for ultra-fast functional profiling allows researchers to process large protein sequence collections instantaneously. Besides the frequencies of Pfam and GO categories, the user also obtains the sequence specific assignments to Pfam domain families. In addition, a comparison with existing genomes provides dissimilarity scores with respect to 821 reference proteomes. Considering the underlying UFO domain detection, the results on 206 test genomes indicate a high sensitivity of the approach. In comparison with current state-of-the-art HMMs, the runtime measurements show a considerable speed up in the range of four orders of magnitude. For an average size prokaryotic genome, the computation of a functional profile together with its comparison typically requires about 10 seconds of processing time. For the first time the UFO web server makes it possible to get a quick overview on the functional inventory of newly sequenced organisms. The genome scale comparison with a large number of precomputed profiles allows a first guess about functionally related organisms. The service is freely available and does not require user registration or specification of a valid email address.

UFO: a web server for ultra-fast functional profiling of whole genome protein sequences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meinicke Peter

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Functional profiling is a key technique to characterize and compare the functional potential of entire genomes. The estimation of profiles according to an assignment of sequences to functional categories is a computationally expensive task because it requires the comparison of all protein sequences from a genome with a usually large database of annotated sequences or sequence families. Description Based on machine learning techniques for Pfam domain detection, the UFO web server for ultra-fast functional profiling allows researchers to process large protein sequence collections instantaneously. Besides the frequencies of Pfam and GO categories, the user also obtains the sequence specific assignments to Pfam domain families. In addition, a comparison with existing genomes provides dissimilarity scores with respect to 821 reference proteomes. Considering the underlying UFO domain detection, the results on 206 test genomes indicate a high sensitivity of the approach. In comparison with current state-of-the-art HMMs, the runtime measurements show a considerable speed up in the range of four orders of magnitude. For an average size prokaryotic genome, the computation of a functional profile together with its comparison typically requires about 10 seconds of processing time. Conclusion For the first time the UFO web server makes it possible to get a quick overview on the functional inventory of newly sequenced organisms. The genome scale comparison with a large number of precomputed profiles allows a first guess about functionally related organisms. The service is freely available and does not require user registration or specification of a valid email address.

An Estimation of a Nonlinear Dynamic Process Using Latent Class Extended Mixed Models: Affect Profiles After Terrorist Attacks.

Science.gov (United States)

Burro, Roberto; Raccanello, Daniela; Pasini, Margherita; Brondino, Margherita

2018-01-01

Conceptualizing affect as a complex nonlinear dynamic process, we used latent class extended mixed models (LCMM) to understand whether there were unobserved groupings in a dataset including longitudinal measures. Our aim was to identify affect profiles over time in people vicariously exposed to terrorism, studying their relations with personality traits. The participants were 193 university students who completed online measures of affect during the seven days following two terrorist attacks (Paris, November 13, 2015; Brussels, March 22, 2016); Big Five personality traits; and antecedents of affect. After selecting students whose negative affect was influenced by the two attacks (33%), we analysed the data with the LCMM package of R. We identified two affect profiles, characterized by different trends over time: The first profile comprised students with lower positive affect and higher negative affect compared to the second profile. Concerning personality traits, conscientious-ness was lower for the first profile compared to the second profile, and vice versa for neuroticism. Findings are discussed for both their theoretical and applied relevance.

Soil profile property estimation with field and laboratory VNIR spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) soil sensors have the potential to provide rapid, high-resolution estimation of multiple soil properties. Although many studies have focused on laboratory-based visible and near-infrared (VNIR) spectroscopy of dried soil samples, previous work has demonstrated ...

Current density profile inside q=1 on Tore Supra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joffrin, E.; Desgranges, C.; Sabot, R.; Dubois, M.A.

1995-01-01

The Tore Supra polarimeter used to measure the poloidal field distribution is described. The current density profiles are computed in two different ways using the interferometric and polarimetric data in conjunction with the magnetic data and the location of the inversion radius determined by the soft X-ray camera. The current density inside the q=1 surface is investigated for normal and monster sawteeth. Its variation are also measured by the polarimeter and compared with that predicted by the current diffusion equation assuming complete reconnection. Finally, the safety factor profile is compared with that obtained with the striation data of the pellet ablation. The results of the evolution of the q profile during sawteeth are in good agreement with those obtained in other devices. (author) 9 refs.; 4 figs

Compression dynamics of quasi-spherical wire arrays with different linear mass profiles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitrofanov, K. N.; Aleksandrov, V. V.; Gritsuk, A. N.; Grabovski, E. V.; Frolov, I. N.; Laukhin, Ya. N.; Oleinik, G. M.; Ol’khovskaya, O. G.

2016-01-01

Results of experimental studies of the implosion of quasi-spherical wire (or metalized fiber) arrays are presented. The goal of the experiments was to achieve synchronous three-dimensional compression of the plasma produced in different regions of a quasi-spherical array into its geometrical center. To search for optimal synchronization conditions, quasi-spherical arrays with different initial profiles of the linear mass were used. The following dependences of the linear mass on the poloidal angle were used: m_l(θ) ∝ sin"–"1θ and m_l(θ) ∝ sin"–"2θ. The compression dynamics of such arrays was compared with that of quasi-spherical arrays without linear mass profiling, m_l(θ) = const. To verify the experimental data, the spatiotemporal dynamics of plasma compression in quasi-spherical arrays was studied using various diagnostics. The experiments on three-dimensional implosion of quasi-spherical arrays made it possible to study how the frozen-in magnetic field of the discharge current penetrates into the array. By measuring the magnetic field in the plasma of a quasi-spherical array, information is obtained on the processes of plasma production and formation of plasma flows from the wire/fiber regions with and without an additionally deposited mass. It is found that penetration of the magnetic flux depends on the initial linear mass profile m_l(θ) of the quasi-spherical array. From space-resolved spectral measurements and frame imaging of plasma X-ray emission, information is obtained on the dimensions and shape of the X-ray source formed during the implosion of a quasi-spherical array. The intensity of this source is estimated and compared with that of the Z-pinch formed during the implosion of a cylindrical array.

Can we improve C IV-based single epoch black hole mass estimations?

Science.gov (United States)

Mejía-Restrepo, J. E.; Trakhtenbrot, B.; Lira, P.; Netzer, H.

2018-05-01

In large optical surveys at high redshifts (z > 2), the C IV broad emission line is the most practical alternative to estimate the mass (MBH) of active super-massive black holes (SMBHs). However, mass determinations obtained with this line are known to be highly uncertain. In this work we use the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 and 12 quasar catalogues to statistically test three alternative methods put forward in the literature to improve C IV-based MBH estimations. These methods are constructed from correlations between the ratio of the C IV line-width to the low ionization line-widths (Hα, Hβ and Mg II) and several other properties of rest-frame UV emission lines. Our analysis suggests that these correction methods are of limited applicability, mostly because all of them depend on correlations that are driven by the linewidth of the C IV profile itself and not by an interconnection between the linewidth of the C IV line with the linewidth of the low ionization lines. Our results show that optical C IV-based mass estimates at high redshift cannot be a proper replacement for estimates based on IR spectroscopy of low ionization lines like Hα, Hβ and Mg II.

Natural tracer profiles across argillaceous formations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mazurek, Martin; Alt-Epping, Peter; Bath, Adrian; Gimmi, Thomas; Niklaus Waber, H.; Buschaert, Stephane; Canniere, Pierre De; Craen, Mieke De; Gautschi, Andreas; Savoye, Sebastien; Vinsot, Agnes; Wemaere, Isabelle; Wouters, Laurent

2011-01-01

shapes of the profiles can be explained by diffusion acting as the dominant transport process over periods of several thousands to several millions of years and at the length scales of the profiles. Transport by advection has a negligible influence on the observed profiles at most sites, as can be shown by estimating the maximum advection velocities that still give acceptable fits of the model with the data. The advantages and disadvantages of different conservative tracers are also assessed. The anion Cl - is well suited as a natural tracer in aquitards, because its concentration varies considerably in environmental waters. It can easily be measured, although the uncertainty regarding the fraction of the pore space that is accessible to anions in clays remains an issue. The stable water isotopes are also well suited, but they are more difficult to measure and their values generally exhibit a smaller relative range of variation. Chlorine isotopes (δ 37 Cl) and He are more difficult to interpret because initial and boundary conditions cannot easily be constrained by independent evidence. It is also shown that the existence of perturbing events such as the activation of aquifers due to uplift and erosion, leading to relatively sharp changes of boundary conditions, can be considered as a pre-requisite to obtain well-interpretable tracer signatures. On the other hand, gradual changes of boundary conditions are more difficult to parameterise and so may preclude a clear interpretation.

DNA methylation profiles of ovarian epithelial carcinoma tumors and cell lines.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sahar Houshdaran

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Epithelial ovarian carcinoma is a significant cause of cancer mortality in women worldwide and in the United States. Epithelial ovarian cancer comprises several histological subtypes, each with distinct clinical and molecular characteristics. The natural history of this heterogeneous disease, including the cell types of origin, is poorly understood. This study applied recently developed methods for high-throughput DNA methylation profiling to characterize ovarian cancer cell lines and tumors, including representatives of three major histologies.We obtained DNA methylation profiles of 1,505 CpG sites (808 genes in 27 primary epithelial ovarian tumors and 15 ovarian cancer cell lines. We found that the DNA methylation profiles of ovarian cancer cell lines were markedly different from those of primary ovarian tumors. Aggregate DNA methylation levels of the assayed CpG sites tended to be higher in ovarian cancer cell lines relative to ovarian tumors. Within the primary tumors, those of the same histological type were more alike in their methylation profiles than those of different subtypes. Supervised analyses identified 90 CpG sites (68 genes that exhibited 'subtype-specific' DNA methylation patterns (FDR<1% among the tumors. In ovarian cancer cell lines, we estimated that for at least 27% of analyzed autosomal CpG sites, increases in methylation were accompanied by decreases in transcription of the associated gene.The significant difference in DNA methylation profiles between ovarian cancer cell lines and tumors underscores the need to be cautious in using cell lines as tumor models for molecular studies of ovarian cancer and other cancers. Similarly, the distinct methylation profiles of the different histological types of ovarian tumors reinforces the need to treat the different histologies of ovarian cancer as different diseases, both clinically and in biomarker studies. These data provide a useful resource for future studies, including those of

Real time n/γ discrimination for the JET neutron profile monitor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Riva, M., E-mail: marco.riva@enea.it [Associazione EURATOM-ENEA sulla Fusione, C.P. 65, Frascati I-00044, Roma (Italy); Esposito, B.; Marocco, D.; Belli, F. [Associazione EURATOM-ENEA sulla Fusione, C.P. 65, Frascati I-00044, Roma (Italy); Syme, B. [EURATOM/CCFE Fusion Association, OX14 3DB Abingdon (United Kingdom); Giacomelli, L. [Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca (Italy); Istituto di Fisica del Plasma, Associazione EURATOM-ENEA-CNR, 20100 Milano (Italy); JET-EFDA, Culham Science Centre, OX14 3DB Abingdon (United Kingdom)

2013-10-15

Highlights: ► Development of a pulse oriented acquisition system able for the JET neutron profile monitor to separate neutron and gamma pulses. ► Description of the FPGA hardware architecture. ► Comparison between the off-line and real time neutron count rates from the last JET experimental campaign. ► Estimate of the maximum sustainable count rate of the system. ► Statistical analysis of neutron measurements from JET neutron profile monitor and neutron monitors. -- Abstract: The JET neutron profile monitor provides the measurement of the neutron flux along 19 collimated lines of sight from which the neutron emissivity profile can be obtained through reconstruction based on inversion methods. The neutron detectors are liquid organic scintillators featuring n/γ pulse shape discrimination. A recent digital upgrade of the neutron profile monitor acquisition system (200 MSamples/s sampling rate per channel, 14 bit resolution) offers new real-time capabilities. An algorithm performing real-time n/γ discrimination by means of the charge comparison method is implemented in the acquisition system FPGA. The algorithm produces two distinct count rates (n and γ) that are sent to the JET real time network ready for control applications and are simultaneously stored into the JET archive together with all the samples of each pulse. The paper describes the architecture of the FPGA implementation and reports the analysis of data collected during the 2011–2012 JET campaigns. The comparison between the real-time and post-processed (off-line) neutron count rates shows an agreement within 5% for all 19 detectors. Moreover, it is shown that the maximum count rate sustainable by the acquisition system when storing raw data (∼900 kHz as evaluated in laboratory tests) can be extended up to 5 MHz when using the real-time implementation with no local data storage. Finally, a statistical analysis of the ratio between the line-integrated measurements from the neutron profile

Estimating individual glomerular volume in the human kidney: clinical perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Puelles, Victor G; Zimanyi, Monika A; Samuel, Terence; Hughson, Michael D; Douglas-Denton, Rebecca N; Bertram, John F; Armitage, James A

2012-05-01

Measurement of individual glomerular volumes (IGV) has allowed the identification of drivers of glomerular hypertrophy in subjects without overt renal pathology. This study aims to highlight the relevance of IGV measurements with possible clinical implications and determine how many profiles must be measured in order to achieve stable size distribution estimates. We re-analysed 2250 IGV estimates obtained using the disector/Cavalieri method in 41 African and 34 Caucasian Americans. Pooled IGV analysis of mean and variance was conducted. Monte-Carlo (Jackknife) simulations determined the effect of the number of sampled glomeruli on mean IGV. Lin's concordance coefficient (R(C)), coefficient of variation (CV) and coefficient of error (CE) measured reliability. IGV mean and variance increased with overweight and hypertensive status. Superficial glomeruli were significantly smaller than juxtamedullary glomeruli in all subjects (P IGV mean and variability. Overall, mean IGV was particularly reliable with nine or more sampled glomeruli (R(C) > 0.95, IGV and estimated total glomerular number. Multiple comorbidities for CKD are associated with increased IGV mean and variance within subjects, including overweight, obesity and hypertension. Zonal selection and the number of sampled glomeruli do not represent drawbacks for future longitudinal biopsy-based studies of glomerular size and distribution.

Discrimination of commercial cheeses from fatty acid profiles and phytosterol contents obtained by GC and PCA.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Nam Sook; Lee, Ji Hyun; Han, Kyoung Moon; Kim, Ji Won; Cho, Sooyeul; Kim, Jinho

2014-01-15

In this study, a method for discriminating natural mozzarella cheese from cheese substitutes, using fatty acid profiles, phytosterol contents, and statistical comparison, was developed. A total of 27 cheeses were evaluated: eight natural mozzarella cheeses (NMCs), four imitation mozzarella cheeses (IMCs), 12 processed cheeses (PCs) and three mixed cheeses (MCs) composed of NMCs and IMCs. The fatty acid composition of the NMC class was distinct from those of the IMC and MC classes, but statistically similar (pIMCs, but similar (pIMCs, but discrimination between the NMCs and the PCs could not be achieved. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estimating added sugars in US consumer packaged goods: An application to beverages in 2007–08

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, Shu Wen; Bricker, Gregory; Li, Kuo-ping; Yoon, Emily Ford; Kang, Jiyoung; Westrich, Brian

2015-01-01

This study developed a method to estimate added sugar content in consumer packaged goods (CPG) that can keep pace with the dynamic food system. A team including registered dietitians, a food scientist and programmers developed a batch-mode ingredient matching and linear programming (LP) approach to estimate the amount of each ingredient needed in a given product to produce a nutrient profile similar to that reported on its nutrition facts label (NFL). Added sugar content was estimated for 7021 products available in 2007–08 that contain sugar from ten beverage categories. Of these, flavored waters had the lowest added sugar amounts (4.3g/100g), while sweetened dairy and dairy alternative beverages had the smallest percentage of added sugars (65.6% of Total Sugars; 33.8% of Calories). Estimation validity was determined by comparing LP estimated values to NFL values, as well as in a small validation study. LP estimates appeared reasonable compared to NFL values for calories, carbohydrates and total sugars, and performed well in the validation test; however, further work is needed to obtain more definitive conclusions on the accuracy of added sugar estimates in CPGs. As nutrition labeling regulations evolve, this approach can be adapted to test for potential product-specific, category-level, and population-level implications. PMID:26273127

Volume estimate of radium-contaminated soil in a section of Barrows Field Park, Glen Ridge, New Jersey, November--December 1989

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robinet, M.J.; Mosho, G.D.

1990-04-01

The objective of this project was to estimate the in-place volume of radium-contaminated soil in an area of Barrows Field Park, Glen Ridge, New Jersey. The information was necessary to determine whether or not there was sufficient soil with the proper radium concentration to test a new method of soil decontamination. The steps used by Argonne National Laboratory personnel to obtain the required data for estimating the volume of contaminated soil was to measure the contamination-depth profile at 118 locations in a 60 ft times 150 ft area in the park, plot the contours of depths to the specified concentration, and measure the area of the closed depth contours. 6 refs., 23 figs., 3 tabs

Information content of slug tests for estimating hydraulic properties in realistic, high-conductivity aquifer scenarios

Science.gov (United States)

Cardiff, Michael; Barrash, Warren; Thoma, Michael; Malama, Bwalya

2011-06-01

heterogeneous, highly conductive aquifer, we present some general findings that have applicability to slug testing. In particular, we find that aquifer hydraulic conductivity estimates obtained from larger slug heights tend to be lower on average (presumably due to non-linear wellbore losses) and tend to be less variable (presumably due to averaging over larger support volumes), supporting the notion that using the smallest slug heights possible to produce measurable water level changes is an important strategy when mapping aquifer heterogeneity. Finally, we present results specific to characterization of the aquifer at the Boise Hydrogeophysical Research Site. Specifically, we note that (1) K estimates obtained using a range of different slug heights give similar results, generally within ±20%; (2) correlations between estimated K profiles with depth at closely-spaced wells suggest that K values obtained from slug tests are representative of actual aquifer heterogeneity and not overly affected by near-well media disturbance (i.e., "skin"); (3) geostatistical analysis of K values obtained indicates reasonable correlation lengths for sediments of this type; and (4) overall, K values obtained do not appear to correlate well with porosity data from previous studies.

PanFP: pangenome-based functional profiles for microbial communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Jun, Se-Ran; Robeson, Michael S; Hauser, Loren J; Schadt, Christopher W; Gorin, Andrey A

2015-09-26

For decades there has been increasing interest in understanding the relationships between microbial communities and ecosystem functions. Current DNA sequencing technologies allows for the exploration of microbial communities in two principle ways: targeted rRNA gene surveys and shotgun metagenomics. For large study designs, it is often still prohibitively expensive to sequence metagenomes at both the breadth and depth necessary to statistically capture the true functional diversity of a community. Although rRNA gene surveys provide no direct evidence of function, they do provide a reasonable estimation of microbial diversity, while being a very cost-effective way to screen samples of interest for later shotgun metagenomic analyses. However, there is a great deal of 16S rRNA gene survey data currently available from diverse environments, and thus a need for tools to infer functional composition of environmental samples based on 16S rRNA gene survey data. We present a computational method called pangenome-based functional profiles (PanFP), which infers functional profiles of microbial communities from 16S rRNA gene survey data for Bacteria and Archaea. PanFP is based on pangenome reconstruction of a 16S rRNA gene operational taxonomic unit (OTU) from known genes and genomes pooled from the OTU's taxonomic lineage. From this lineage, we derive an OTU functional profile by weighting a pangenome's functional profile with the OTUs abundance observed in a given sample. We validated our method by comparing PanFP to the functional profiles obtained from the direct shotgun metagenomic measurement of 65 diverse communities via Spearman correlation coefficients. These correlations improved with increasing sequencing depth, within the range of 0.8-0.9 for the most deeply sequenced Human Microbiome Project mock community samples. PanFP is very similar in performance to another recently released tool, PICRUSt, for almost all of survey data analysed here. But, our method is unique

Estimating River Surface Elevation From ArcticDEM

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Chunli; Durand, Michael; Howat, Ian M.; Altenau, Elizabeth H.; Pavelsky, Tamlin M.

2018-04-01

ArcticDEM is a collection of 2-m resolution, repeat digital surface models created from stereoscopic satellite imagery. To demonstrate the potential of ArcticDEM for measuring river stages and discharges, we estimate river surface heights along a reach of Tanana River near Fairbanks, Alaska, by the precise detection of river shorelines and mapping of shorelines to land surface elevation. The river height profiles over a 15-km reach agree with in situ measurements to a standard deviation less than 30 cm. The time series of ArcticDEM-derived river heights agree with the U.S. Geological Survey gage measurements with a standard deviation of 32 cm. Using the rating curve for that gage, we obtain discharges with a validation accuracy (root-mean-square error) of 234 m3/s (23% of the mean discharge). Our results demonstrate that ArcticDEM can accurately measure spatial and temporal variations of river surfaces, providing a new and powerful data set for hydrologic analysis.

Deconvolution of spectral line profile by FTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lego, J.

1977-01-01

The possibility is studied of determining the components of the spectral line profile using Fourier transformation. The different types of the spectral line profiles are described and the conditions for their generation discussed. The main result is the discovery of the possibility to obtain the parameters of the different components directly from the interferogram without using the Fourier transformation. The method under discussion strongly simplifies evaluation while preserving or increasing accuracy. (author)

A Study of the arsenic profiles in NMOS by using chemical etching and simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Won-Chae; Lee, Kil-Dong

2004-01-01

For integrated semiconductor devices, the one-, two-, and three-dimensional impurity distributions are very important for the analyzing the devices. The one-dimensional arsenic profiles were measured by using secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), and simulation data were obtained by using the TSUPREM4 and UT-Marlowe programs. The two-dimensional profiles of arsenic were directly measured by using the chemical etching-method, and the measured 2D profiles were compared with simulation data obtained from TSUPREM4. A Taurus simulation tool was used to obtain the 3D arsenic profiles. The simulated data of UT-Marlowe in 1D agreed very well with the SIMS data. The measured two-dimensional transmission electron microscope (TEM) data obtained by using the chemical etching-method matched very well with the results of the TSUPREM4 simulation. The chemical etching and the TEM measurement methods demonstrated and visualized the two-dimensional impurity distributions and structures of the devices.

Maximum-likelihood estimation of the hyperbolic parameters from grouped observations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jens Ledet

1988-01-01

a least-squares problem. The second procedure Hypesti first approaches the maximum-likelihood estimate by iterating in the profile-log likelihood function for the scale parameter. Close to the maximum of the likelihood function, the estimation is brought to an end by iteration, using all four parameters...

Interpreting Repeated Temperature-Depth Profiles for Groundwater Flow

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bense, Victor F.; Kurylyk, Barret L.; Daal, van Jonathan; Ploeg, van der Martine J.; Carey, Sean K.

2017-01-01

Temperature can be used to trace groundwater flows due to thermal disturbances of subsurface advection. Prior hydrogeological studies that have used temperature-depth profiles to estimate vertical groundwater fluxes have either ignored the influence of climate change by employing steady-state

Advances in the density profile evaluation from broadband reflectometry on ASDEX upgrade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Varela, P.; Manso, M.; Conway, G.

2001-01-01

The high temporal and spatial resolutions provided by broadband microwave reflectometry make it an attractive diagnostic technique to measure the density profile in fusion plasmas. However, great problems have been encountered due to the plasma turbulence that difficult, and sometimes prevent, the routine evaluation of density profiles. Advanced broadband systems employ ultra-fast sweeping in an attempt to perform the profile measurement in a time window smaller than the temporal scale of the main plasma fluctuations but this is not sufficient. Indeed, abrupt plasma movements and/or spatial turbulence always affect the reflectometry signals, as shown by numerical studies (with both one- and two-dimensional codes), for the case of ultra-fast sweeping and pulse radar systems. For this reason not only the system performance is important but the software tools also play a crucial role for reflectometry to become a standard density profile diagnostic. Here we present the recent advances towards automatic evaluation of density profiles from broadband reflectometry on ASDEX Upgrade. For regimes with moderate levels of plasma turbulence, density profiles are obtained from single reflectometry samples (temporal resolution of 20 μs), and for higher turbulence levels average profiles are obtained from bursts of ultra-fast (20 μs), closely spaced (10 μs) sweeps. This method improved the accuracy and reliability of density profiles, which can now be obtained automatically from the edge to the bulk plasma - using reflectometry alone - in most plasma regimes of ASDEX Upgrade. New data processing capability has been implemented that allows the profiles to be available to the end-users 10-12 minutes after each discharge. These developments were possible due to the flexibility and high performance of the control and data acquisition systems and to the large number of measurements that can be performed with the diagnostic during each discharge (720 profiles both on the low- and

Estimation of pattern shape based on CD-SEM image by using MPPC method

Science.gov (United States)

Onozuka, T.; Ojima, Y.; Meessen, J.; Rijpers, B.

2006-03-01

This study demonstrates the MPPC (Multiple Parameters Profile Characterization) measurement method utilizing ArF photo resist patterns. MPPC is a technique for estimating the three dimensional profile of patterns which are imaged and measured on the CD-SEM (critical dimension scanning electron microscope). MPPC utilizes the secondary electron signal to calculate several indices including top CD, peak CD, top rounding, bottom footing, etc. This primary focused of this study is to understand the variations in pattern profile caused by changes in exposure condition. The results demonstrate the ability to extract pattern profile shape information by MPPC measurement that could not otherwise be detected by a conventional bottom CD measurement method. Furthermore, the results were compared to cross sectional images collected by STEM (scanning transmission electron microscope) to verify the accuracy of the MPPC technique. The peak CD results accurately estimate the pattern width when the sidewall angle of the feature is nearly vertical. Additionally, line edge roughness (LER) caused by pattern profile variations was evaluated utilizing MPPC. The results suggest that MPPC may be utilized to evaluate the roughness over the entire profile.

Quasar Black Hole Mass Estimates from High-Ionization Lines: Breaking a Taboo?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paola Marziani

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Can high ionization lines such as CIV λ 1549 provide useful virial broadening estimators for computing the mass of the supermassive black holes that power the quasar phenomenon? The question has been dismissed by several workers as a rhetorical one because blue-shifted, non-virial emission associated with gas outflows is often prominent in CIV λ 1549 line profiles. In this contribution, we first summarize the evidence suggesting that the FWHM of low-ionization lines like H β and MgII λ 2800 provide reliable virial broadening estimators over a broad range of luminosity. We confirm that the line widths of CIV λ 1549 is not immediately offering a virial broadening estimator equivalent to the width of low-ionization lines. However, capitalizing on the results of Coatman et al. (2016 and Sulentic et al. (2017, we suggest a correction to FWHM CIV λ 1549 for Eddington ratio and luminosity effects that, however, remains cumbersome to apply in practice. Intermediate ionization lines (IP ∼ 20–30 eV; AlIII λ 1860 and SiIII] λ 1892 may provide a better virial broadening estimator for high redshift quasars, but larger samples are needed to assess their reliability. Ultimately, they may be associated with the broad-line region radius estimated from the photoionization method introduced by Negrete et al. (2013 to obtain black hole mass estimates independent from scaling laws.

Soil moisture and temperature profile effects on microwave emission at low frequencies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raju, S.; Chanzy, A.; Wigneron, J.P.; Calvet, J.C.; Kerr, Y.; Laguerre, L.

1995-01-01

Soil moisture and temperature vertical profiles vary quickly during the day and may have a significant influence on the soil microwave emission. The objective of this work is to quantify such an influence and the consequences in soil moisture estimation from microwave radiometric information. The analysis is based on experimental data collected by the ground-based PORTOS radiometer at 1.4, 5.05, and 10.65 GHz and data simulated by a coherent model of microwave emission from layered media [Wilheit model (1978)]. In order to simulate diurnal variations of the brightness temperature (TB), the Wilheit model is coupled to a mechanistic model of heat and water flows in the soil. The Wilheit model is validated on experimental data and its performances for estimating TB are compared to those of a simpler approach based on a description of the soil media as a single layer (Fresnel model). When the depth of this single layer (hereafter referred to as the sampling depth) is determined to fit the experimental data, similar accuracy in TB estimation is found with both the Wilheit and Fresnel models. The soil microwave emission is found to be strongly affected by the diurnal variations of soil moisture and temperature profiles. Consequently, the TB sensitivity to soil moisture and temperature profiles has an influence on the estimation, from microwave observations, of the surface soil moisture in a surface layer with a fixed depth (05): the accuracy of θs retrievals and the optimal sampling depth depends both on the variation in soil moisture and temperature profile shape. (author)

Estimation of Anonymous Email Network Characteristics through Statistical Disclosure Attacks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Javier Portela

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Social network analysis aims to obtain relational data from social systems to identify leaders, roles, and communities in order to model profiles or predict a specific behavior in users’ network. Preserving anonymity in social networks is a subject of major concern. Anonymity can be compromised by disclosing senders’ or receivers’ identity, message content, or sender-receiver relationships. Under strongly incomplete information, a statistical disclosure attack is used to estimate the network and node characteristics such as centrality and clustering measures, degree distribution, and small-world-ness. A database of email networks in 29 university faculties is used to study the method. A research on the small-world-ness and Power law characteristics of these email networks is also developed, helping to understand the behavior of small email networks.

Estimation of Anonymous Email Network Characteristics through Statistical Disclosure Attacks

Science.gov (United States)

Portela, Javier; García Villalba, Luis Javier; Silva Trujillo, Alejandra Guadalupe; Sandoval Orozco, Ana Lucila; Kim, Tai-Hoon

2016-01-01

Social network analysis aims to obtain relational data from social systems to identify leaders, roles, and communities in order to model profiles or predict a specific behavior in users’ network. Preserving anonymity in social networks is a subject of major concern. Anonymity can be compromised by disclosing senders’ or receivers’ identity, message content, or sender-receiver relationships. Under strongly incomplete information, a statistical disclosure attack is used to estimate the network and node characteristics such as centrality and clustering measures, degree distribution, and small-world-ness. A database of email networks in 29 university faculties is used to study the method. A research on the small-world-ness and Power law characteristics of these email networks is also developed, helping to understand the behavior of small email networks. PMID:27809275

Effect of survey design and catch rate estimation on total catch estimates in Chinook salmon fisheries

Science.gov (United States)

McCormick, Joshua L.; Quist, Michael C.; Schill, Daniel J.

2012-01-01

Roving–roving and roving–access creel surveys are the primary techniques used to obtain information on harvest of Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in Idaho sport fisheries. Once interviews are conducted using roving–roving or roving–access survey designs, mean catch rate can be estimated with the ratio-of-means (ROM) estimator, the mean-of-ratios (MOR) estimator, or the MOR estimator with exclusion of short-duration (≤0.5 h) trips. Our objective was to examine the relative bias and precision of total catch estimates obtained from use of the two survey designs and three catch rate estimators for Idaho Chinook salmon fisheries. Information on angling populations was obtained by direct visual observation of portions of Chinook salmon fisheries in three Idaho river systems over an 18-d period. Based on data from the angling populations, Monte Carlo simulations were performed to evaluate the properties of the catch rate estimators and survey designs. Among the three estimators, the ROM estimator provided the most accurate and precise estimates of mean catch rate and total catch for both roving–roving and roving–access surveys. On average, the root mean square error of simulated total catch estimates was 1.42 times greater and relative bias was 160.13 times greater for roving–roving surveys than for roving–access surveys. Length-of-stay bias and nonstationary catch rates in roving–roving surveys both appeared to affect catch rate and total catch estimates. Our results suggest that use of the ROM estimator in combination with an estimate of angler effort provided the least biased and most precise estimates of total catch for both survey designs. However, roving–access surveys were more accurate than roving–roving surveys for Chinook salmon fisheries in Idaho.

NEW CONCEPTS AND TEST METHODS OF CURVE PROFILE AREA DENSITY IN SURFACE: ESTIMATION OF AREAL DENSITY ON CURVED SPATIAL SURFACE

OpenAIRE

Hong Shen

2011-01-01

The concepts of curve profile, curve intercept, curve intercept density, curve profile area density, intersection density in containing intersection (or intersection density relied on intersection reference), curve profile intersection density in surface (or curve intercept intersection density relied on intersection of containing curve), and curve profile area density in surface (AS) were defined. AS expressed the amount of curve profile area of Y phase in the unit containing surface area, S...

Accurate depth profiling for ultra-shallow implants using backside-SIMS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hongo, Chie; Tomita, Mitsuhiro; Takenaka, Miyuki

2004-01-01

We studied methods for accurate depth profiling for ultra-shallow implants using backside-SIMS. For the measurement of ultra-shallow profiles, the effects of surface transient and atomic mixing are not negligible. Therefore, we applied backside-SIMS to analyze ultra-shallow doping in order to exclude these effects. Backside-SIMS profiles show a sharper ion implantation tail than surface-side-SIMS profiles. In addition, the primary ion energy dependence becomes weaker when backside-SIMS is used [Surf. Interf. Anal. 29 (2000) 362; Appl. Surf. Sci. 203-204 (2003) 264; J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 21 (2003) 1422]. However, the peak concentration of the backside sample was lower than that of the surface-side sample. Therefore, the sample flatness was estimated using the SIMS response function. Furthermore, SIMS profiles were simulated using SIMS response functions. This simulation shows how the sample flatness affects the SIMS profile

Estimation of the internal structure of Trans-Mexican volcanic belt by gravimetric data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flores R, J.H.

1994-01-01

The regional gravimetric data of Trans-Mexican volcanic belt and surroundings, has been analyzed in order to estimate the depth of its internal structure. The short profiles with N-S orientation give a model of four shells with an average depth in the rank 24, 34, 56 and 83 kilometers. Only the profiles included between 97 West degrees to 102 West degrees give a depth of crust larger than the rest of the profiles with the same orientation. This profiles are associated with that of the Valleys of Toluca, D.F. and Puebla where the maximum crust thickness was estimated. The 3 long profiles with S-W orientation, give a model of 3 shells. The tendency of the first shell has a cortical thickness of 38 kilometers in the latitude of 18 North degrees. This tendency to increase the depth in the crust is associated with the minimum gravimetric in the map of Bouguer anomaly. (Author)

Determination of the ion thermal diffusivity from neutron emission profiles in decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasao, M.; Adams, J.M.; Conroy, S.; Jarvis, O.N.; Marcus, F.B.; Sadler, G.; Belle, P. van

1994-01-01

Spatial profiles of the neutron emission from deuterium plasmas are routinely obtained at the Joint European Torus (JET) using the line-integrated signals measured with a multichannel instrument. It is shown that the manner in which these profiles relax following the termination of strong heating with neutral beam injection (NBI) permits the local thermal diffusivity (χ i ) to be obtained with an accuracy of about 20%. (author)

Bayesian Noise Estimation for Non-ideal Cosmic Microwave Background Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Wehus, I. K.; Næss, S. K.; Eriksen, H. K.

2012-03-01

We describe a Bayesian framework for estimating the time-domain noise covariance of cosmic microwave background (CMB) observations, typically parameterized in terms of a 1/f frequency profile. This framework is based on the Gibbs sampling algorithm, which allows for exact marginalization over nuisance parameters through conditional probability distributions. In this paper, we implement support for gaps in the data streams and marginalization over fixed time-domain templates, and also outline how to marginalize over confusion from CMB fluctuations, which may be important for high signal-to-noise experiments. As a by-product of the method, we obtain proper constrained realizations, which themselves can be useful for map making. To validate the algorithm, we demonstrate that the reconstructed noise parameters and corresponding uncertainties are unbiased using simulated data. The CPU time required to process a single data stream of 100,000 samples with 1000 samples removed by gaps is 3 s if only the maximum posterior parameters are required, and 21 s if one also wants to obtain the corresponding uncertainties by Gibbs sampling.

BAYESIAN NOISE ESTIMATION FOR NON-IDEAL COSMIC MICROWAVE BACKGROUND EXPERIMENTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wehus, I. K.; Næss, S. K.; Eriksen, H. K.

2012-01-01

We describe a Bayesian framework for estimating the time-domain noise covariance of cosmic microwave background (CMB) observations, typically parameterized in terms of a 1/f frequency profile. This framework is based on the Gibbs sampling algorithm, which allows for exact marginalization over nuisance parameters through conditional probability distributions. In this paper, we implement support for gaps in the data streams and marginalization over fixed time-domain templates, and also outline how to marginalize over confusion from CMB fluctuations, which may be important for high signal-to-noise experiments. As a by-product of the method, we obtain proper constrained realizations, which themselves can be useful for map making. To validate the algorithm, we demonstrate that the reconstructed noise parameters and corresponding uncertainties are unbiased using simulated data. The CPU time required to process a single data stream of 100,000 samples with 1000 samples removed by gaps is 3 s if only the maximum posterior parameters are required, and 21 s if one also wants to obtain the corresponding uncertainties by Gibbs sampling.

BAYESIAN NOISE ESTIMATION FOR NON-IDEAL COSMIC MICROWAVE BACKGROUND EXPERIMENTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wehus, I. K. [Theoretical Physics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Naess, S. K.; Eriksen, H. K., E-mail: i.k.wehus@fys.uio.no, E-mail: sigurdkn@astro.uio.no, E-mail: h.k.k.eriksen@astro.uio.no [Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1029, Blindern, N-0315 Oslo (Norway)

2012-03-01

We describe a Bayesian framework for estimating the time-domain noise covariance of cosmic microwave background (CMB) observations, typically parameterized in terms of a 1/f frequency profile. This framework is based on the Gibbs sampling algorithm, which allows for exact marginalization over nuisance parameters through conditional probability distributions. In this paper, we implement support for gaps in the data streams and marginalization over fixed time-domain templates, and also outline how to marginalize over confusion from CMB fluctuations, which may be important for high signal-to-noise experiments. As a by-product of the method, we obtain proper constrained realizations, which themselves can be useful for map making. To validate the algorithm, we demonstrate that the reconstructed noise parameters and corresponding uncertainties are unbiased using simulated data. The CPU time required to process a single data stream of 100,000 samples with 1000 samples removed by gaps is 3 s if only the maximum posterior parameters are required, and 21 s if one also wants to obtain the corresponding uncertainties by Gibbs sampling.

SIMULTANEOUS ULTRAVIOLET AND OPTICAL EMISSION-LINE PROFILES OF QUASARS: IMPLICATIONS FOR BLACK HOLE MASS DETERMINATION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ho, Luis C.; Dong Xiaobo; Goldoni, Paolo; Ponti, Gabriele; Greene, Jenny E.

2012-01-01

The X-shooter instrument on the Very Large Telescope was used to obtain spectra of seven moderate-redshift quasars simultaneously covering the spectral range ∼3000 Å to 2.5 μm. At z ≈ 1.5, most of the prominent broad emission lines in the ultraviolet to optical region are captured in their rest frame. We use this unique data set, which mitigates complications from source variability, to intercompare the line profiles of C IV λ1549, C III] λ1909, Mg II λ2800, and Hα and evaluate their implications for black hole (BH) mass estimation. We confirm that Mg II and the Balmer lines share similar kinematics and that they deliver mutually consistent BH mass estimates with minimal internal scatter (∼<0.1 dex) using the latest virial mass estimators. Although no virial mass formalism has yet been calibrated for C III], this line does not appear promising for such an application because of the large spread of its velocity width compared to lines of both higher and lower ionization; part of the discrepancy may be due to the difficulty of deblending C III] from its neighboring lines. The situation for C IV is complex and, because of the limited statistics of our small sample, inconclusive. On the one hand, slightly more than half of our sample (4/7) have C IV line widths that correlate reasonably well with Hα line widths, and their respective BH mass estimates agree to within ∼0.15 dex. The rest, on the other hand, exhibit exceptionally broad C IV profiles that overestimate virial masses by factors of 2-5 compared to Hα. As C IV is widely used to study BH demographics at high redshifts, we urgently need to revisit our analysis with a larger sample.