Sample records for real life examples
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Robischon, Marcel
2015-01-01
Genetic drift is a concept of population genetics that is central to understanding evolutionary processes and aspects of conservation biology. It is frequently taught using rather abstract representations. I introduce three real-life zoological examples, based on historical and recent color morphs of tigers, tapirs, and ravens, that can complement…
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Gamer Girls, Gold Farmers, and Activism "In Real Life"
Musgrave, Megan L.
2016-01-01
This essay analyzes the graphic novel "In Real Life" as an example of Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang's intention to raise young people's awareness about gender and economic disparities within the gaming industry. Broadly, "In Real Life" combats the pervasive cultural anxiety that Jane McGonigal challenges in her book "Reality…
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Kortüm, Karsten; Kern, Christoph; Meyer, Gerhard; Priglinger, Siegfried; Hirneiß, Christoph
2017-12-01
Background The importance of evaluating real-life data is constantly increasing. Currently available computer systems better allow for analyses of data, as more and more data is available in a digital form. Before a project for real-life data analyses is started, technical considerations and staff, legal, and data protection procedures need to be addressed. In this manuscript, experiences made at the University Eye Hospital in Munich will be shared. Materials and Methods Legal requirements, as found in laws and guidelines governing documentation and data privacy, are highlighted. Technical requirements for information technology infrastructure and software are defined. A survey conducted by the German Ophthalmological Society, among German eye hospitals investigating the current state of digitalization, was conducted. Also, staff requirements are outlined. Results A database comprising results of 330,801 patients was set up. It includes all diagnoses, procedures, clinical findings and results from diagnostic devices. This database was approved by the local data protection officer. In less than half of German eye hospitals (n = 21) that participated in the survey (n = 54), a complete electronic documentation is done. Fourteen institutions are completely paper-based, and the remainder of the hospitals used a mixed system. Conclusion In this work, we examined the framework that is required to develop a comprehensive database containing real-life data from clinics. In future, these databases will become increasingly important as more and more innovation are made in decision support systems. The base for this is comprehensive and well-curated databases. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.
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Speed Biases With Real-Life Video Clips
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Federica Rossi
2018-03-01
Full Text Available We live almost literally immersed in an artificial visual world, especially motion pictures. In this exploratory study, we asked whether the best speed for reproducing a video is its original, shooting speed. By using adjustment and double staircase methods, we examined speed biases in viewing real-life video clips in three experiments, and assessed their robustness by manipulating visual and auditory factors. With the tested stimuli (short clips of human motion, mixed human-physical motion, physical motion and ego-motion, speed underestimation was the rule rather than the exception, although it depended largely on clip content, ranging on average from 2% (ego-motion to 32% (physical motion. Manipulating display size or adding arbitrary soundtracks did not modify these speed biases. Estimated speed was not correlated with estimated duration of these same video clips. These results indicate that the sense of speed for real-life video clips can be systematically biased, independently of the impression of elapsed time. Measuring subjective visual tempo may integrate traditional methods that assess time perception: speed biases may be exploited to develop a simple, objective test of reality flow, to be used for example in clinical and developmental contexts. From the perspective of video media, measuring speed biases may help to optimize video reproduction speed and validate “natural” video compression techniques based on sub-threshold temporal squeezing.
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Jansen, Sophia C; Haveman-Nies, Annemien; Duijzer, Geerke; Ter Beek, Josien; Hiddink, Gerrit J; Feskens, Edith J M
2013-05-08
Although many evidence-based diabetes prevention interventions exist, they are not easily applicable in real-life settings. Moreover, there is a lack of examples which describe the adaptation process of these interventions to practice. In this paper we present an example of such an adaptation. We adapted the SLIM (Study on Lifestyle intervention and Impaired glucose tolerance Maastricht) diabetes prevention intervention to a Dutch real-life setting, in a joint decision making process of intervention developers and local health care professionals. We used 3 adaptation steps in accordance with current adaptation frameworks. In the first step, the elements of the SLIM intervention were identified. In the second step, these elements were judged for their applicability in a real-life setting. In the third step, adaptations were proposed and discussed for those elements which were deemed not applicable. Participants invited for this process included intervention developers and local health care professionals (n=19). In the first adaptation step, a total of 22 intervention elements were identified. In the second step, 12 of these 22 intervention elements were judged as inapplicable. In the third step, a consensus was achieved for the adaptations of all 12 elements. The adapted elements were in the following categories: target population, techniques, intensity, delivery mode, materials, organisational structure, and political and financial conditions. The adaptations either lay in changing the SLIM protocol (6 elements) or the real-life working procedures (1 element), or a combination of both (4 elements). The positive result of this study is that a consensus was achieved within a relatively short time period (nine months) between the developers of the SLIM intervention and local health care professionals on the adaptations needed to make SLIM applicable in a Dutch real-life setting. Our example shows that it is possible to combine the perspectives of scientists and
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Teaching the First Law of Thermodynamics via Real-Life Examples
Chang, Wheijen
2011-01-01
The literature has revealed that many students encounter substantial difficulties in applying the first law of thermodynamics. For example, university students sometimes fail to recognize that heat and work are independent means of energy transfer. When discussing adiabatic processes for an ideal gas, few students can correctly refer to the…
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Competence and Quality in Real-Life Decision Making.
Geisler, Martin; Allwood, Carl Martin
2015-01-01
What distinguishes a competent decision maker and how should the issue of decision quality be approached in a real-life context? These questions were explored in three studies. In Study 1, using a web-based questionnaire and targeting a community sample, we investigated the relationships between objective and subjective indicators of real-life decision-making success. In Study 2 and 3, targeting two different samples of professionals, we explored if the prevalent cognitively oriented definition of decision-making competence could be beneficially expanded by adding aspects of competence in terms of social skills and time-approach. The predictive power for each of these three aspects of decision-making competence was explored for different indicators of real-life decision-making success. Overall, our results suggest that research on decision-making competence would benefit by expanding the definition of competence, by including decision-related abilities in terms of social skills and time-approach. Finally, the results also indicate that individual differences in real-life decision-making success profitably can be approached and measured by different criteria.
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Competence and Quality in Real-Life Decision Making
2015-01-01
What distinguishes a competent decision maker and how should the issue of decision quality be approached in a real-life context? These questions were explored in three studies. In Study 1, using a web-based questionnaire and targeting a community sample, we investigated the relationships between objective and subjective indicators of real-life decision-making success. In Study 2 and 3, targeting two different samples of professionals, we explored if the prevalent cognitively oriented definition of decision-making competence could be beneficially expanded by adding aspects of competence in terms of social skills and time-approach. The predictive power for each of these three aspects of decision-making competence was explored for different indicators of real-life decision-making success. Overall, our results suggest that research on decision-making competence would benefit by expanding the definition of competence, by including decision-related abilities in terms of social skills and time-approach. Finally, the results also indicate that individual differences in real-life decision-making success profitably can be approached and measured by different criteria. PMID:26545239
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Competence and Quality in Real-Life Decision Making
Geisler, Martin; Allwood, Carl Martin
2015-01-01
What distinguishes a competent decision maker and how should the issue of decision quality be approached in a real-life context? These questions were explored in three studies. In Study 1, using a web-based questionnaire and targeting a community sample, we investigated the relationships between objective and subjective indicators of real-life decision-making success. In Study 2 and 3, targeting two different samples of professionals, we explored if the prevalent cognitively oriented definiti...
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An adaptation framework for turning real life events into games
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Therkildsen, Sacha Kjærhus; Bunkenborg, Nanna Cassøe; Larsen, Lasse Juel
2017-01-01
Many games are inspired by real life events. The presented adaptation framework is based on the design of a board game with a companion app that addresses the Syrian refugee crisis. The aim of the game is to allow players to simulate the experience of being a Syrian refugee traveling through Europe....... We applied an agile development method and participatory design to achieve our ambition. In conclusion we found that turning real life events into board games can be advanced by the following game design adaptation framework, which balances four interrelated layers: (1) real life events (game fiction...
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Emotional and Physiological Desensitization to Real-Life and Movie Violence
Mrug, Sylvie; Madan, Anjana; Cook, Edwin W.; Wright, Rex A.
2014-01-01
Youth are exposed to large amounts of violence in real life and media, which may lead to desensitization. Given evidence of curvilinear associations between exposure to violence and emotional distress, we examined linear and curvilinear associations of exposure to real-life and movie violence with PTSD symptoms, empathy, and physiological arousal, as well emotional and physiological reactivity to movie violence. College students (N=209; mean age=18.74) reported on their exposure to real-life and televised violence, PTSD symptoms, and empathy. Then, students were randomly assigned to view a series of violent or nonviolent high-action movie scenes, providing ratings of emotional distress after each clip. Blood pressure was measured at rest and during video viewing. Results showed that with increasing exposure to real-life violence, youth reported more PTSD symptoms and greater identification with fictional characters. Cognitive and emotional empathy increased from low to medium levels of exposure to violence, but declined at higher levels. For males, exposure to higher levels of real-life violence was associated with diminishing (vs. increasing) emotional distress when viewing violent videos. Exposure to televised violence was generally unrelated to emotional functioning. However, those with medium levels of exposure to TV/movie violence experienced lower elevations of blood pressure when viewing violent videos compared to those with low exposure, and those with higher levels of exposure evidenced rapid increase in blood pressure that quickly declined over time. The results point to diminished empathy and reduced emotional reactivity to violence as key aspects of desensitization to real-life violence, and more limited evidence of physiological desensitization to movie violence among those exposed to high levels of televised violence. PMID:25326900
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Real-Life Stories About Addiction Struggles | NIH MedlinePlus the Magazine
... on. Feature: Preventing Drug Abuse and Addiction Real-Life Stories About Addiction Struggles Past Issues / Fall 2011 ... TO PLAY THE VIDEO NIHSeniorHealth Videos Offer Real-Life Stories About Addiction Struggles—and Much More Many ...
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Example of an in-plant near-real-time accountancy/process control system
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Anon.
1981-01-01
This session describes an existing computerized in-plant near-real-time accounting and process monitoring system at the Allied-General Nuclear Services (AGNS) Barnwell Nuclear Fuel Plant (BNFP). Details of the system performance, objectives, hardware, plant instrumentation, and system functions are presented. Examples of actual programs for accounting and monitoring are described and system benefits will be discussed. The purpose of this session is to enable participants to: (1) identify the major computer hardware components of functional near-real-time accounting systems; (2) identify the types of process instrumentation necessary to perform near-real-time accounting; (3) describe the major nuclear material control and accounting functions of the AGNS computer system; and (4) assess the benefits to safeguards and plant operations of a computerized near-real-time accounting system
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Gilbert, Richard L; Murphy, Nora A; Ávalos, M Clementina
2011-10-01
The present study compared communication patterns and satisfaction levels between three-dimensional (3D) and real-life intimate relationships using a sample of 71 participants who were concurrently involved in an intimate relationship within Second Life and a separate real-life romantic relationship. Participants indicated that the quality of their communication was significantly better in their Second-Life relationship and that they experienced higher levels of satisfaction with their virtual partners. The more positive or idealized view of the 3D relationships may have been due to higher levels of focused interaction and reduced stressors in the virtual world and the greater length, and associated problems, in participant's real-life relationships. In addition, the presence of a concurrent relationship within Second Life could have negatively affected participant's judgments of their real-life relationships. These data offer the first detailed assessment of communication patterns and satisfaction levels in intimate relationships across the real and 3D virtual realms as the number of users and romantic partners in immersive virtual environments continue to grow.
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Mathematics and engineering in real life through mathematical competitions
More, M.
2018-02-01
We bring out an experience of organizing mathematical competitions that can be used as a medium to motivate the student and teacher minds in new directions of thinking. This can contribute to fostering research, innovation and provide a hands-on experience of mathematical concepts with the real world. Mathematical competitions can be used to build curiosity and give an understanding of mathematical applications in real life. Participation in the competition has been classified under four broad categories. Student can showcase their findings in various forms of expression like model, poster, soft presentation, animation, live performance, art and poetry. The basic focus of the competition is on using open source computation tools and modern technology, to emphasize the relationship of mathematical concepts with engineering applications in real life.
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Real-Life Efficacy, Immunogenicity and Safety of Biosimilar Infliximab.
Vegh, Zsuzsanna; Kurti, Zsuzsanna; Lakatos, Peter L
2017-01-01
Recently, the use of biosimilar infliximab (IFX) in the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases has become widespread in some European and non-European countries. Data on the efficacy, safety and immunogenicity from real-life cohorts are accumulating. The first reports showed similar outcomes in the induction and maintenance of remission, mucosal healing, safety and immunogenicity profile to the originator IFX. In the present review, we aimed to summarize the existing knowledge on the efficacy, safety and immunogenicity profile of biosimilar IFX reported from real-life cohorts. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.
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Worked Examples Leads to Better Performance in Analyzing and Solving Real-Life Decision Cases
Cevik, Yasemin Demiraslan; Andre, Thomas
2012-01-01
This study compared the impact of three types of case-based methods (worked example, faded worked example, and case-based reasoning) on preservice teachers' (n=71) decision making and reasoning related to realistic classroom management situations. Participants in this study received a short-term implementation of one of these three major…
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Simmenroth-Nayda, Anne
2016-05-01
Full Text Available Background: Persons who simulate patients during medical education understand the routines and the underlying script of medical consultations better. We aimed to explore how simulated patients (SPs integrated this new understanding into their daily life, how this work affected their private life as patients, and what we can learn from these changes for concepts of empowerment.Design, setting, and participants: A qualitative interview study. All SPs of Göttingen medical school who had been working longer than three semesters (n=14 were invited and agreed to take part in an open interview about their daily experience with real doctors. Documentary method was used to identify the main issues. Several cases were chosen according to maximum contrast and analysed by in-depth analysis to provide vivid examples of how simulations may affect the real life of the SPs as patients.Results: Our analysis revealed three main changes in the behaviour of SPs as real patients. They were more attentive, had a better understanding of the circumstances under which doctors work, and acted more self-confidently. From the selected cases it became apparent that working as a SP may lead to a constant and significant decrease of fear of hospitals and medical procedures or, in other cases, may enable the SPs to develop new abilities for giving feedback, questioning procedures, and explanations for real doctors.Conclusion: working as a simulated patient seems to be well-suited to understand own progression of diseases, to increase self-responsibility and to a confident attitude as patient.
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Virtual Worlds: Relationship between Real Life and Experience in Second Life
Anstadt, Scott P.; Bradley, Shannon; Burnette, Ashley; Medley, Lesley L.
2013-01-01
Due to the unique applications of virtual reality in many modern contexts, Second Life (SL) offers inimitable opportunities for research and exploration and experiential learning as part of a distance learning curriculum assignment. A review of current research regarding SL examined real world social influences in online interactions and what the…
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Assessing the Value of Real-life Brands in Virtual Worlds
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Mattsson, Jan; Barnes, Stuart; Hartley, Nicole
2015-01-01
World. A key finding is the difficulty in creating emotional brand value in Second Life which has serious implications for the sustainability of current real-life brands in Virtual Worlds. The paper rounds off with conclusions and implications for future research and practice in this very new area.......Virtual Worlds are a significant new market environment for brand-building through experiential customer service interactions. Using value theory, this paper aims to assess the experiential brand value of real-life brands that have moved to the Virtual World of Second Life. A key premise...... is that current brand offerings in Virtual Worlds do not offer consumers adequate experiential value. The results demonstrate both the validity of an axiological approach to examining brand value, and highlight significant problems in consumer perceptions of the experiential value of brands within the Virtual...
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Transition to life--a sendoff to the real world for graduating medical students.
Coates, Wendy C; Spector, Tahlia S; Uijtdehaage, Sebastian
2012-01-01
Graduating medical students will enter the workforce, often for the first time. Many have spent the past 20 years as students, receiving financial support from parents, and have not managed real-life issues such as financial planning, real estate, balancing well-being with employment, and integrating into a new community with stressful working conditions. To address a perceived need, we designed an intervention to introduce graduating medical students to financial planning, real estate choices, physician wellness during relocation/internship, and traits of efficient interns. The objectives of this study are to (a) assess baseline experience, knowledge, and comfort of seniors about "real-life" experiences, and (b) assess the efficacy of a 4-hr educational intervention on perceptions of understanding financial planning, real estate choices, intern preparedness, and physician wellness. Acute Care College seniors (classes of 2009 and 2010) attended the intervention after match day and completed a survey to gather demographic data and assess preexisting knowledge and a postintervention survey (1-7 Likert scale). Forty-nine students (45% male; M age = 25.5 years) participated. Prior experiences: 43% no break in education, 51% no full-time job, 38% never signed a rental lease and 94% had not purchased real estate, 90% did not have (or were not aware of having) disability insurance, and 82% had educational debt exceeding $50,000. Following the workshop, students felt more confident in their understanding of life skills topics (real estate, 83%; financial planning, 94%; well-being, 86%). Our workshop assisted in preparing for life after medical school for 98% of the participants. Graduating medical students can gain knowledge about real-life responsibilities and confidence during an educational session prior to starting residency.
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Endangered Species: Real Life in Two Dimensions
Henderson, Lynette K.
2012-01-01
The focus of "Endangered Species: Real Life in Two Dimensions" is to create awareness about a critical environmental issue. There is a special urgency to this project because large numbers of animal species are currently endangered or on the brink of extinction. In addition to being enlightened about this important topic through research, students…
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Sasaki, Toru; Iwamoto, Akinori; Tsuboi, Hisashi; Katoh, Toru; Kudo, Hiroyuki; Kazawa, Erito; Watanabe, Yasuyoshi
2006-01-01
Real-time bioradiography, new bioradiography method, can collect and produce image of metabolism and function of cell in real-time. The principles of instrumentation, development process and the application examples of neuroscience and biomedical gerontology are stated. The bioradiography method, the gas-tissue live-cell autoradiography method and the real-time bioradiography method are explained. As the application examples, the molecular mechanism of oxidative stress at brain ischemia and the analysis of SOD gene knockout animals are reported. Comparison between FDG-PET of epileptic brain and FDG- bioradiography image of live-cell of brain tissue, the real-time bioradiography system, improvement of image by surface treatment, the detection limit of β + ray from F 18 , image of living-slices of brain tissue by FDG-real-time bioradiography and radioluminography, continuous FDG image of living-slices of rat brain tissue, and analysis of carbohydrate metabolism of living-slices of brain tissue of mouse lacking SOD gene during aerophobia and reoxygenation process are reported. (S.Y.)
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Real-Life Research: Project Runway Makeover Model
Jaeger, Paige; Nesi, Olga M.
2014-01-01
Real-life research is incredibly varied. We research cars. We research lawn problems. We research child behavior problems, health issues, possible vacation destinations, and prices to stretch our budgets. No two scenarios are ever alike, and no two health issues should be assumed to be the same. That is reality, and that is a picture of what the…
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Shelf Life of Food Products: From Open Labeling to Real-Time Measurements.
Corradini, Maria G
2018-03-25
The labels currently used on food and beverage products only provide consumers with a rough guide to their expected shelf lives because they assume that a product only experiences a limited range of predefined handling and storage conditions. These static labels do not take into consideration conditions that might shorten a product's shelf life (such as temperature abuse), which can lead to problems associated with food safety and waste. Advances in shelf-life estimation have the potential to improve the safety, reliability, and sustainability of the food supply. Selection of appropriate kinetic models and data-analysis techniques is essential to predict shelf life, to account for variability in environmental conditions, and to allow real-time monitoring. Novel analytical tools to determine safety and quality attributes in situ coupled with modern tracking technologies and appropriate predictive tools have the potential to provide accurate estimations of the remaining shelf life of a food product in real time. This review summarizes the necessary steps to attain a transition from open labeling to real-time shelf-life measurements.
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Non-Stop Lab Week: A Real Laboratory Experience for Life Sciences Postgraduate Courses
Freitas, Maria João; Silva, Joana Vieira; Korrodi-Gregório, Luís; Fardilha, Margarida
2016-01-01
At the Portuguese universities, practical classes of life sciences are usually professor-centered 2-hour classes. This approach results in students underprepared for a real work environment in a research/clinical laboratory. To provide students with a real-life laboratory environment, the Non-Stop Lab Week (NSLW) was created in the Molecular…
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Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: from clinical trials to real-life experiences
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Sergio Harari
2015-09-01
Full Text Available Randomised controlled clinical trials are fundamental in medicine to develop new effective drugs and new therapeutic regimens and are the strength of evidence-based medicine. These studies allow us to avoid the repetition of misleading experiences that have been reported in the past, where drugs or associations were utilised without compelling evidence and ultimately proven to be ineffective. In recent years, randomised clinical trials have been conducted and concluded for many rare diseases, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. However, clinical trials do not always reflect the real-life scenario. Patients selected for clinical trials present fewer comorbidities, they fall between certain age limits, and the severity of their disease is defined; therefore, they do not always reflect the whole of the population affected by a specific disease. These are the reasons why we also need data that mirror real-life experience. The limitations that these kind of studies present are always several and the studies should be interpreted with caution, although they can fill the important gap between efficacy and effectiveness. In this article, we will review the existing clinical data on real-life treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
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Social Anxiety in Online and Real-Life Interaction and Their Associated Factors
Yen, Ju-Yu; Yen, Cheng-Fang; Chen, Cheng-Sheng; Wang, Peng-Wei; Chang, Yi-Hsin; Ko, Chih-Hung
2012-01-01
Social anxiety was compared between online and real-life interaction in a sample of 2,348 college students. Severity of social anxiety in both real-life and online interaction was tested for associations with depression, Internet addiction, Internet activity type (gaming versus chatting), and scores on Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS)/Behavioral Activation System (BAS) scales. The results showed that social anxiety was lower when interacting online than when interacting offline. Depression,...
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Virtually numbed: immersive video gaming alters real-life experience.
Weger, Ulrich W; Loughnan, Stephen
2014-04-01
As actors in a highly mechanized environment, we are citizens of a world populated not only by fellow humans, but also by virtual characters (avatars). Does immersive video gaming, during which the player takes on the mantle of an avatar, prompt people to adopt the coldness and rigidity associated with robotic behavior and desensitize them to real-life experience? In one study, we correlated participants' reported video-gaming behavior with their emotional rigidity (as indicated by the number of paperclips that they removed from ice-cold water). In a second experiment, we manipulated immersive and nonimmersive gaming behavior and then likewise measured the extent of the participants' emotional rigidity. Both studies yielded reliable impacts, and thus suggest that immersion into a robotic viewpoint desensitizes people to real-life experiences in oneself and others.
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Efficient and Flexible KNN Query Processing in Real-Life Road Networks
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Lu, Yang; Bui, Bin; Zhao, Jiakui
2008-01-01
are included into the RNG index, which enables the index to support both distance-based and time-based KNN queries and continuous KNN queries. Our work extends previous ones by taking into account more practical scenarios, such as complexities in real-life road networks and time-based KNN queries. Extensive......Along with the developments of mobile services, effectively modeling road networks and efficiently indexing and querying network constrained objects has become a challenging problem. In this paper, we first introduce a road network model which captures real-life road networks better than previous...
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Limitations and Functions: Four Examples of Integrating Thermodynamics
Chang, Wheijen
2011-01-01
Physics students are usually unaware of the limitations and functions of related principles, and they tend to adopt "hot formulas" inappropriately. This paper introduces four real-life examples for bridging five principles, from fluids to thermodynamics, including (1) buoyant force, (2) thermal expansion, (3) the ideal-gas law, (4) the 1st law,…
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Improvisation of Real-Life Scenarios through Intercultural Competence
Okten, Celile Eren; Griffin, Banu Ozer
2016-01-01
This paper describes tasks based on real-life scenarios, which triggered reflective thinking, verbalization, and writing, leading to the creation of natural dialogues rather than artificial, dull monologues. One of the main aims of this approach is to engage students in a dynamic process of both learning about multicultural participants and…
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Svalgaard, Lotte
2017-01-01
In Action Learning programmes, it is held central to work on real business challenges (task) while learning about team and self (process); staying mindful aware of the process is referred to in this paper as ‘double awareness’, and emphasises noticing and acting on process cues while working on t...
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Virtual Worlds: Relationship Between Real Life and Experience in Second Life
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Scott P. Anstadt
2013-09-01
Full Text Available Due to the unique applications of virtual reality in many modern contexts, Second Life (SL offers inimitable opportunities for research and exploration and experiential learning as part of a distance learning curriculum assignment. A review of current research regarding SL examined real world social influences in online interactions and what the effects on users may be. This aids students in understanding the social constructionist perceptions and worldview of those persons they may serve in social services. This suggests the importance of developing an understanding of the relationship between users’ real life (RL and their SL. Some research has begun to reveal the effectiveness of telecommunication and computer simulation with certain clients in the fields of mental health and social work, yet there is a lack of sufficient research done within the context of virtual worlds. The current study surveyed users of several educationally and health focused SIMS (simulations as to what motivates their SL and RL interactions. The data explores associations between users’ RL and their SL in several areas,potentially addressing the future role of educating social work students regarding research methodology in online virtual reality interactions. Implications for social work are discussed including engaging clients using incentives for social participation built into the SL milieu.
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Children's Eyewitness Memory for Multiple Real-Life Events
Odegard, Timothy N.; Cooper, Crystal M.; Lampinen, James M.; Reyna, Valerie F.; Brainerd, Charles J.
2009-01-01
The present research examined the influence of prior knowledge on children's free recall, cued recall, recognition memory, and source memory judgments for a series of similar real-life events. Forty children (5-12 years old) attended 4 thematic birthday parties and were later interviewed about the events that transpired during the parties using…
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Rendezvous with IQ: Metacognition in Real-Life Situations
Al-Hilawani, Yasser A.
2018-01-01
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between metacognition as measured in real-life situations and IQ scores as reflected by performance on the Raven Standard Progressive Matrices Scale. It is also intended in this study to report on whether or not there were significant differences in performance on the metacognitive…
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Clinical and economic impact of etanercept in real-life
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Larsen, Christian Grønhøj; Andersen, Peter Hundevadt; Lorentzen, Henrik
2013-01-01
BACKGROUND: Real-life data on the therapeutic effectiveness and costs of etanercept are scarce. Objectives: To assess the clinical and economic impact of etanercept in patients with psoriasis in Denmark and Norway. MATERIAL & METHODS: This prospective, non-interventional study in a private...
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[The influences of interaction during online gaming on sociability and aggression in real life].
Fuji, Kei; Yoshida, Fujio
2010-02-01
This study examined the influences of online gaming on sociability and aggression in real life. It was hypothesized that the effects of online gaming would differ depending on the interaction style of the online-gamers. Online-gamers in Japan (n = 1 477) were asked to respond to questionnaires that measured interaction style during online gaming, the effects of sociability and aggression, as well as social and individual orientation in real life. Factor analysis of the scores for interaction style extracted five factors. Covariance structure analysis indicated that sociable interactions such as "Broadening relations" and "Feeling of belonging" promoted sociability in real life. In addition, "Release from daily hassles" promoted sociability and decreased aggression. In contrast, non-sociable and aggressive interactions decreased sociability and increased aggression. The results also suggested that a social orientation in real life promoted sociable interactions during game playing, while an individual orientation promoted non-sociable and aggressive interactions. These results supported the hypotheses and suggested that online gaming resulted in positive outcomes for those who are socially, but negative outcomes for those who are not.
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Real Life Lab BIPV field testing in the Netherlands
Ritzen, M.; Vroon, Z.; Rovers, R.; Geurts, C.; Blocken, B.
2015-01-01
Integration of PV in the Building Envelope (BIPV) is one of the four key developments necessary for large market PV penetration, together with PV efficiency improvement, price decrease and electricity storage [1]. In the course of BIPV development, Real-Life Lab demonstration projects are realized
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Real life lab BIPV field testing in the Netherlands
Ritzen, M.J.; Vroon, Z.; Geurts, C.P.W.; Rovers, R.; Blocken, B.J.E.
2015-01-01
Integration of PV in the Building Envelope (BIPV) is one of the four key developments necessary for large market PV penetration, together with PV efficiency improvement, price decrease and electricity storage [1]. In the course of BIPV development, Real-Life Lab demonstration projects are realized
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In Patients with Cirrhosis, Driving Simulator Performance is Associated With Real-life Driving
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Lauridsen, Mette Enok Munk; Thacker, Leroy R; White, Melanie B
2016-01-01
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) has been linked to higher real-life rates of automobile crashes and poor performance in driving simulation studies, but the link between driving simulator performance and real-life automobile crashes has not been clearly established. Further......, not all patients with MHE are unsafe drivers, but it is unclear how to distinguish them from unsafe drivers. We investigated the link between performance on driving simulators and real-life automobile accidents and traffic violations. We also aimed to identify features of unsafe drivers with cirrhosis...... and evaluated changes in simulated driving skills and MHE status after 1 year. METHODS: We performed a study of outpatients with cirrhosis (n=205; median 55 years old; median model for end-stage liver disease score, 9.5; none with overt hepatic encephalopathy or alcohol or illicit drug use within previous 6...
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Clark, F
1993-12-01
This lecture presents an example of research in the genre of interpretive occupational science and demonstrates how occupational science can inform clinical practice. The innovative qualitative methodology used blended elements of the anthropological tradition of life history ethnography, ethnomethodology, the naturalistic methods used by Mattingly and Schön to study practice, and especially narrative analysis as described by Polkinghorne. The bulk of the paper is presented in the form of a narrative analysis that provides an account of a stroke survivor's personal struggle for recovery, a story that emerged from transcription, coding, and analysis of transcripts from approximately 20 hours of interview time. First, this narrative analysis provides an example of how the occupational science framework can evoke a particular kind of storytelling in which childhood occupation can be related to adult character. Storytelling of this kind is later shown to be therapeutic for the stroke survivor. Next, the narrative illustrates how rehabilitation can be experienced by the survivor as a rite of passage in which a person is moved to disability status and then abandoned. Finally, a picture is given of how occupational story making and occupational storytelling embedded in real life can nurture the human spirit to act and can become the core of clinical practice.
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Hauptmann, Christian; Ströbel, Armin; Williams, Mark; Patel, Nitesh; Wurzer, Hannes; von Stackelberg, Tatjana; Brinkmann, Uwe; Langguth, Berthold; Tass, Peter A.
2015-01-01
Purpose. Primary tinnitus has a severe negative influence on the quality of life of a significant portion of the general population. Acoustic coordinated reset neuromodulation is designed to induce a long-lasting reduction of tinnitus symptoms. To test acoustic coordinated reset neuromodulation as a treatment for chronic, tonal tinnitus under real life conditions, an outpatient study “RESET Real Life” was commissioned by ANM GmbH. Herein we present the results of this study. Methods. In a prospective, open-label, nonrandomized, noncontrolled multicenter clinical study with 200 chronic tinnitus patients, tinnitus questionnaire TBF-12 and Global Clinical Improvement-Impression Scale (CGI-I7) are used to study the safety and efficacy of acoustic coordinated reset neuromodulation. 189 patients completed the last 12-month visit, 11 patients dropped out (8 because of nontreatment related reasons; 2 because tinnitus did not change; and 1 because tinnitus got louder). Results. Acoustic coordinated reset neuromodulation caused a statistically and clinically significant decrease in TBF-12 scores as well as in CGI-I7 after 12 months of therapy under real life conditions. There were no persistent adverse events reported that were related to the therapy. Conclusion. The field study “RESET Real Life” provides evidence for safety and efficacy of acoustic coordinated reset neuromodulation in a prospective, open-label, real life setting. PMID:26568958
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Intriguingly Real Life of the Queen of Crime
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Branka Kovačević
2016-12-01
Full Text Available This December it will be ninety years since Agatha Christie disappeared for eleven days and despite the fact that there are many biographical books about her life and work, nobody knows for sure what provoked her to vanish, sending shockwaves in British society in 1926. Whatever the cause may be, this disappearance has remained a mystery and inspired French authors Anne Martinetti and Guillaume Lebeau, along with the illustrator Alexandre Franc, to create a graphic novel: Agatha: The Real Life of Agatha Christie. Marinetti has also written a cookbook inspired by Agatha Christie, entitled Creams and Punishments, while together with Lebeau, she has co-authored the encyclopedia Agatha Christie from A to Z.Agatha: The Real Life of Agatha Christie was originally released in 2014 as a French-language Kindle edition and was first published in English in May, 2016 by the UK press SelfMadeHero, which specializes in graphic novels and manga adaptations of classic literature, like those of Shakespeare, Poe and Kafka. The story is told through 112 illustrated pages and concludes with a thorough timeline of key events in Agatha Christie’s life, as well as a complete bibliography. It is noticeable that novels and story collections featuring Hercule Poirot take up the greater part of her bibliography. The authors of this biography assume a similar approach in showing the significance of this fictional character in Christie's career (and life, representing Poirot throughout the text as her companion and advisor without using any graphic techniques to stress the fictionality of his character. The authors make strong attempts to convey the close relationship that Christie built with her most prominent character, one who always seems to appear in this biography during her moments of extreme loneliness, and one to whom Christie owed a great deal – as she admited herself when she decided to buy the Greenway House in December 1938 (Martinetti, Lebeau, and Franc
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Eva Friedel
2017-06-01
Full Text Available Rationale: Advances in neurocomputational modeling suggest that valuation systems for goal-directed (deliberative on one side, and habitual (automatic decision-making on the other side may rely on distinct computational strategies for reinforcement learning, namely model-free vs. model-based learning. As a key theoretical difference, the model-based system strongly demands cognitive functions to plan actions prospectively based on an internal cognitive model of the environment, whereas valuation in the model-free system relies on rather simple learning rules from operant conditioning to retrospectively associate actions with their outcomes and is thus cognitively less demanding. Acute stress reactivity is known to impair model-based but not model-free choice behavior, with higher working memory capacity protecting the model-based system from acute stress. However, it is not clear which impact accumulated real life stress has on model-free and model-based decision systems and how this influence interacts with cognitive abilities.Methods: We used a sequential decision-making task distinguishing relative contributions of both learning strategies to choice behavior, the Social Readjustment Rating Scale questionnaire to assess accumulated real life stress, and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test to test cognitive speed in 95 healthy subjects.Results: Individuals reporting high stress exposure who had low cognitive speed showed reduced model-based but increased model-free behavioral control. In contrast, subjects exposed to accumulated real life stress with high cognitive speed displayed increased model-based performance but reduced model-free control.Conclusion: These findings suggest that accumulated real life stress exposure can enhance reliance on cognitive speed for model-based computations, which may ultimately protect the model-based system from the detrimental influences of accumulated real life stress. The combination of accumulated real life
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Friedel, Eva; Sebold, Miriam; Kuitunen-Paul, Sören; Nebe, Stephan; Veer, Ilya M; Zimmermann, Ulrich S; Schlagenhauf, Florian; Smolka, Michael N; Rapp, Michael; Walter, Henrik; Heinz, Andreas
2017-01-01
Rationale: Advances in neurocomputational modeling suggest that valuation systems for goal-directed (deliberative) on one side, and habitual (automatic) decision-making on the other side may rely on distinct computational strategies for reinforcement learning, namely model-free vs. model-based learning. As a key theoretical difference, the model-based system strongly demands cognitive functions to plan actions prospectively based on an internal cognitive model of the environment, whereas valuation in the model-free system relies on rather simple learning rules from operant conditioning to retrospectively associate actions with their outcomes and is thus cognitively less demanding. Acute stress reactivity is known to impair model-based but not model-free choice behavior, with higher working memory capacity protecting the model-based system from acute stress. However, it is not clear which impact accumulated real life stress has on model-free and model-based decision systems and how this influence interacts with cognitive abilities. Methods: We used a sequential decision-making task distinguishing relative contributions of both learning strategies to choice behavior, the Social Readjustment Rating Scale questionnaire to assess accumulated real life stress, and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test to test cognitive speed in 95 healthy subjects. Results: Individuals reporting high stress exposure who had low cognitive speed showed reduced model-based but increased model-free behavioral control. In contrast, subjects exposed to accumulated real life stress with high cognitive speed displayed increased model-based performance but reduced model-free control. Conclusion: These findings suggest that accumulated real life stress exposure can enhance reliance on cognitive speed for model-based computations, which may ultimately protect the model-based system from the detrimental influences of accumulated real life stress. The combination of accumulated real life stress exposure
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The Real World around me – Life within the Pixel?
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Aleksandra Bokan
2015-09-01
Full Text Available Modern era, the famous 21st century is full of options. Never more features and never greater alienation. Is it really so? While living in their standard-progress that, but when it towered over the black shadow, and when you are able to save someone’s life, tripping locked mechanisms for social survival. It no longer matters whether someone look at someone elses’s pictures from the wedding, showing a new hairstyle on FB or Twitter etc. Simply put, life on the Internet becomes a means of saving someone’s real, tangible life.
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High correlation between performance on a virtual-reality simulator and real-life cataract surgery
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Thomsen, Ann Sofia Skou; Smith, Phillip; Subhi, Yousif
2017-01-01
-tracking software of cataract surgical videos with a Pearson correlation coefficient of -0.70 (p = 0.017). CONCLUSION: Performance on the EyeSi simulator is significantly and highly correlated to real-life surgical performance. However, it is recommended that performance assessments are made using multiple data......PURPOSE: To investigate the correlation in performance of cataract surgery between a virtual-reality simulator and real-life surgery using two objective assessment tools with evidence of validity. METHODS: Cataract surgeons with varying levels of experience were included in the study. All...... antitremor training, forceps training, bimanual training, capsulorhexis and phaco divide and conquer. RESULTS: Eleven surgeons were enrolled. After a designated warm-up period, the proficiency-based test on the EyeSi simulator was strongly correlated to real-life performance measured by motion...
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Funk, Jeanne B; Baldacci, Heidi Bechtoldt; Pasold, Tracie; Baumgardner, Jennifer
2004-02-01
It is believed that repeated exposure to real-life and to entertainment violence may alter cognitive, affective, and behavioral processes, possibly leading to desensitization. The goal of the present study was to determine if there are relationships between real-life and media violence exposure and desensitization as reflected in related characteristics. One hundred fifty fourth and fifth graders completed measures of real-life violence exposure, media violence exposure, empathy, and attitudes towards violence. Regression analyses indicated that only exposure to video game violence was associated with (lower) empathy. Both video game and movie violence exposure were associated with stronger proviolence attitudes. The active nature of playing video games, intense engagement, and the tendency to be translated into fantasy play may explain negative impact, though causality was not investigated in the present design. The samples' relatively low exposure to real-life violence may have limited the identification of relationships. Although difficult to quantify, desensitization to violence should be further studied using related characteristics as in the present study. Individual differences and causal relationships should also be examined.
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A Real-Life Case Study of Audit Interactions--Resolving Messy, Complex Problems
Beattie, Vivien; Fearnley, Stella; Hines, Tony
2012-01-01
Real-life accounting and auditing problems are often complex and messy, requiring the synthesis of technical knowledge in addition to the application of generic skills. To help students acquire the necessary skills to deal with these problems effectively, educators have called for the use of case-based methods. Cases based on real situations (such…
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jasna Prpić-Oršić
2014-12-01
Full Text Available In this paper the real life operation of ULCS (Ultra Large Container Ships is presented from the point of view of shipmasters. The paper provides interpretation of results of questionnaire filled by masters of large container ships during Tools for Ultra Large Container Ships (TULC EUI FP7 project. This is done in a way that results of questionnaire are further reviewed and commented by experienced master of ULCS. Following phenomena are subject of questionnaire and further discussed in the paper: parametric rolling, slamming, whipping, springing, green water and rogue waves. Special attention is given to the definition of rough sea states as well as to measures that ship masters take to avoid them as well as to the manoeuvring in heavy seas. The role of the wave forecast and weather routing software is also discussed.
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An adaptation framework for turning Real-Life Events into Games
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Kjærhus Therkildsen, Sacha; Cassøe Bunkenborg, Nanna; Larsen, Lasse Juel
method and participatory design to achieve our ambition. In conclusion we found that a framework for persuasive board games can be advanced by balancing five interrelated layers: 1) real life events (game fiction), 2) rules (formal game elements), 3) movement system (game mechanisms), 4) destiny...
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Abramson, Lior; Marom, Inbal; Petranker, Rotem; Aviezer, Hillel
2017-04-01
The majority of emotion perception studies utilize instructed and stereotypical expressions of faces or bodies. While such stimuli are highly standardized and well-recognized, their resemblance to real-life expressions of emotion remains unknown. Here we examined facial and body expressions of fear and anger during real-life situations and compared their recognition to that of instructed expressions of the same emotions. In order to examine the source of the affective signal, expressions of emotion were presented as faces alone, bodies alone, and naturally, as faces with bodies. The results demonstrated striking deviations between recognition of instructed and real-life stimuli, which differed as a function of the emotion expressed. In real-life fearful expressions of emotion, bodies were far better recognized than faces, a pattern not found with instructed expressions of emotion. Anger reactions were better recognized from the body than from the face in both real-life and instructed stimuli. However, the real-life stimuli were overall better recognized than their instructed counterparts. These results indicate that differences between instructed and real-life expressions of emotion are prevalent and raise caution against an overreliance of researchers on instructed affective stimuli. The findings also demonstrate that in real life, facial expression perception may rely heavily on information from the contextualizing body. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).
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REGIONAL COMPONENTS OF GROWTH THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE POPULATION (FOR EXAMPLE, VORONEZH REGION
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
N. A. Serebryakova
2015-01-01
Full Text Available At the present stage of development of economy there is a transformation of main objectives of the state from ensuring growth of welfare of citizens to ensuring continuous growth of quality of life. Ensuring growth of quality of life of the population is carried out not only on state, but also on regional levels. At the state level key tasks are formed, the state assumes a considerable share of functions on achievement of the designated purpose. In the real research the attention to consideration of the program documents directed on improvement of quality of life of the population on the example of the Voronezh region is paid. The program documents of a social orientation existing in the region are for this purpose studied. It is revealed that in the region a number of the programs and subprogrammes aimed at improvement of a demographic situation, improvement of a regional budgetary and tax policy, social support of citizens in general works. As tools which use regional authorities, are noted: social standards, address social help, social contracts. It is established that introduction of system of social contracts allows to save budget funds and, at the same time, to motivate the persons which are in a difficult life situation on change of the situation to the best, joint efforts with social security authorities. It is noted that as the leading principles of rendering the social help paramount value has detailed definition of degree of need of the help and a condition of granting. The last often generate dependant moods which are important for leveling, using levers of social interaction. The analysis of the contents of the realized programs for improvement of quality of life of the population allowed to reveal advantages and defects in these programs, and also to define reserves of growth of quality of life. So, it is specified that program documents of regional level in the prevailing majority have a narrow focus on ensuring the help and
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A method for strategic technical life cycle management of real estates
Koskelo, Taina
2005-01-01
This research study focuses on the strategic technical life cycle management (TLCM) of real estate. In the early phases of the study it became clear that very often the performance of TLCM was not perceived as satisfactory: there were problems in the purchasing and provision of technical services, TLCM was not performed according to real estate specific needs and objective-setting for building characteristics did not serve cost-effective ownership. The study focuses on four research quest...
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In Patients With Cirrhosis, Driving Simulator Performance Is Associated With Real-life Driving.
Lauridsen, Mette M; Thacker, Leroy R; White, Melanie B; Unser, Ariel; Sterling, Richard K; Stravitz, Richard T; Matherly, Scott; Puri, Puneet; Sanyal, Arun J; Gavis, Edith A; Luketic, Velimir; Siddiqui, Muhammad S; Heuman, Douglas M; Fuchs, Michael; Bajaj, Jasmohan S
2016-05-01
Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) has been linked to higher real-life rates of automobile crashes and poor performance in driving simulation studies, but the link between driving simulator performance and real-life automobile crashes has not been clearly established. Furthermore, not all patients with MHE are unsafe drivers, but it is unclear how to distinguish them from unsafe drivers. We investigated the link between performance on driving simulators and real-life automobile accidents and traffic violations. We also aimed to identify features of unsafe drivers with cirrhosis and evaluated changes in simulated driving skills and MHE status after 1 year. We performed a study of outpatients with cirrhosis (n = 205; median 55 years old; median model for end-stage liver disease score, 9.5; none with overt hepatic encephalopathy or alcohol or illicit drug use within previous 6 months) seen at the Virginia Commonwealth University and McGuire Veterans Administration Medical Center, from November 2008 through April 2014. All participants were given paper-pencil tests to diagnose MHE (98 had MHE; 48%), and 163 patients completed a standardized driving simulation. Data were collected on traffic violations and automobile accidents from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles and from participants' self-assessments when they entered the study, and from 73 participants 1 year later. Participants also completed a questionnaire about alcohol use and cessation patterns. The driving simulator measured crashes, run-time, road center and edge excursions, and illegal turns during navigation; before and after each driving simulation session, patients were asked to rate their overall driving skills. Drivers were classified as safe or unsafe based on crashes and violations reported on official driving records; simulation results were compared with real-life driving records. Multivariable regression analyses of real-life crashes and violations was performed using data on
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The Forms and Functions of Real-Life Moral Decision-Making.
Krebs, Dennis L.; Denton, Kathy; Wark, Gillian
1997-01-01
Observes that the Kohlbergian model of morality does not give a good account of the ways in which people make moral decisions in their everyday lives. Argues that a functional model of moral judgment and moral behavior derived from evolutionary theory may supply a better account of real-life morality. (DSK)
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Solving real-life problems: future mobile technology sophistication
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Shafiq, F.; Ahsan, K.; Nadeem, A.
2016-01-01
Almost all the human being real life concerned domains are taking advantage of latest technologies for enhancing their process, procedures and operations. This integration of technological innovations provides ease of access, flexibility, transparency, reliability and speed for the concerned process and procedures. Rapid growth of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) and MT (Mobile Technology) provides opportunity to redesign and re-engineered the human routines life activities process and procedures. Technology integration and adoption in routine life activities may serves compensatory mechanism to assist the population in different manner such as monitoring older adults and children at homes, provides security assistance, monitoring and recording patients vital signs automatically, controlling and monitoring equipments and devices, providing assistance in shopping, banking and education as well. Disasters happened suddenly, destroy everything indiscriminately. Adoption and integration of latest technologies including ICT and MT can enhance the current disaster management process, procedures and operations. This research study focuses the impacts of latest and emerging technology trends in routine life activities and surrounds their potential strength to improve and enhance disaster management activities. MT is providing a promising platform for facilitating people to enhance their routine life activities. This research argue that integration and adoption of mobile computing in disaster management domain can enhance disaster management activities with promising minimizing error, quick information assembling, quick response based on technology manipulation and prioritizing action. (author)
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Solving Real-Life Problems: Future Mobile Technology Sophistication
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
FARHAN SHAFIQ
2016-07-01
Full Text Available Almost all the human being real life concerned domains are taking advantage of latest technologies for enhancing their process, procedures and operations. This integration of technological innovations provides ease of access, flexibility, transparency, reliability and speed for the concerned process and procedures. Rapid growth of ICT (Information and Communication Technology and MT (Mobile Technology provides opportunity to redesign and reengineered the human routines? life activities process and procedures. Technology integration and adoption in routine life activities may serves compensatory mechanism to assist the population in different manner such as monitoring older adults and children at homes, provides security assistance, monitoring and recording patients vital signs automatically, controlling and monitoring equipments and devices, providing assistance in shopping, banking and education as well. Disasters happened suddenly, destroy everything indiscriminately. Adoption and integration of latest technologies including ICT and MT can enhance the current disaster management process, procedures and operations. This research study focuses the impacts of latest and emerging technology trends in routine life activities and surrounds their potential strength to improve and enhance disaster management activities. MT is providing a promising platform for facilitating people to enhance their routine life activities. This research argue that integration and adoption of mobile computing in disaster management domain can enhance disaster management activities with promising minimizing error, quick information assembling, quick response based on technology manipulation and prioritizing action.
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AVEC 2017 - Real-life depression, and affect recognition workshop and challenge
Ringeval, Fabien; Schuller, Bjorn; Valstar, Michel; Gratch, Jonathan; Cowie, Roddy; Scherer, Stefan; Mozgai, Sharon; Cummins, Nicholas; Schmitt, Maximilian; Pantic, Maja
2017-01-01
The Audio/Visual Emotion Challenge and Workshop (AVEC 2017) "Real-life depression, and affect" will be the seventh competition event aimed at comparison of multimedia processing and machine learning methods for automatic audiovisual depression and emotion analysis, with all participants competing
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Real-Life/Real-Time Elderly Fall Detection with a Triaxial Accelerometer.
Sucerquia, Angela; López, José David; Vargas-Bonilla, Jesús Francisco
2018-04-05
The consequences of a fall on an elderly person can be reduced if the accident is attended by medical personnel within the first hour. Independent elderly people often stay alone for long periods of time, being in more risk if they suffer a fall. The literature offers several approaches for detecting falls with embedded devices or smartphones using a triaxial accelerometer. Most of these approaches have not been tested with the target population or cannot be feasibly implemented in real-life conditions. In this work, we propose a fall detection methodology based on a non-linear classification feature and a Kalman filter with a periodicity detector to reduce the false positive rate. This methodology requires a sampling rate of only 25 Hz; it does not require large computations or memory and it is robust among devices. We tested our approach with the SisFall dataset achieving 99.4% of accuracy. We then validated it with a new round of simulated activities with young adults and an elderly person. Finally, we give the devices to three elderly persons for full-day validations. They continued with their normal life and the devices behaved as expected.
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On-Board Real-Time Optimization Control for Turbo-Fan Engine Life Extending
Zheng, Qiangang; Zhang, Haibo; Miao, Lizhen; Sun, Fengyong
2017-11-01
A real-time optimization control method is proposed to extend turbo-fan engine service life. This real-time optimization control is based on an on-board engine mode, which is devised by a MRR-LSSVR (multi-input multi-output recursive reduced least squares support vector regression method). To solve the optimization problem, a FSQP (feasible sequential quadratic programming) algorithm is utilized. The thermal mechanical fatigue is taken into account during the optimization process. Furthermore, to describe the engine life decaying, a thermal mechanical fatigue model of engine acceleration process is established. The optimization objective function not only contains the sub-item which can get fast response of the engine, but also concludes the sub-item of the total mechanical strain range which has positive relationship to engine fatigue life. Finally, the simulations of the conventional optimization control which just consider engine acceleration performance or the proposed optimization method have been conducted. The simulations demonstrate that the time of the two control methods from idle to 99.5 % of the maximum power are equal. However, the engine life using the proposed optimization method could be surprisingly increased by 36.17 % compared with that using conventional optimization control.
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Schumm, Walter R.; Webb, Farrell J.; Castelo, Carlos S.; Akagi, Cynthia G.; Jensen, Erick J.; Ditto, Rose M.; Spencer Carver, Elaine; Brown, Beverlyn F.
2002-01-01
Discusses the use of historical events as examples for teaching college level statistics courses. Focuses on examples of the space shuttle Challenger, Pearl Harbor (Hawaii), and the RMS Titanic. Finds real life examples can bridge a link to short term experiential learning and provide a means for long term understanding of statistics. (KDR)
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Rehabilitation in the real-life environment of a shopping mall.
Labbé, Delphine; Poldma, Tiiu; Fichten, Catherine; Havel, Alice; Kehayia, Eva; Mazer, Barbara; McKinley, Patricia; Rochette, Annie; Swaine, Bonnie
2018-04-01
The aim of this study was to explore how shopping malls could be used during rehabilitation and to identify the facilitators and barriers to their use. Two focus groups, conducted with 15 rehabilitation professionals from various disciplines and working with people with disabilities of all ages were structured around two topics: (i) The usage of malls for rehabilitation and (ii) Factors that facilitate or limit rehabilitation professionals' use of the mall as an environment for clinical assessment and/or intervention. The thematic analysis revealed that shopping malls were used to achieve several rehabilitation goals targeting physical and cognitive skills, psychological health and socialization. This real-life environment is motivating and helps foster independence and normalization. Factors affecting mall use during rehabilitation included personal factors (e.g. clients' personality and level of readiness) and environmental factors (e.g. clinical context, accessibility of the mall and social attitudes of store owners). Shopping malls may be a relevant rehabilitation assessment and treatment environment that could contribute to optimizing community integration of people with disabilities. Implications for rehabilitation To ensure successful community reintegration, clients could be trained at some point during their rehabilitation, to perform activities in real-life settings, such as a shopping mall. Shopping malls appear to enable the attainment of rehabilitation goals targeting a variety of skills. This real-life environment appears to be motivating and helps foster independence and normalization. Factors felt to affect mall use during rehabilitation include personal factors (e.g. clients' personality and level of readiness) and environmental factors (e.g. clinical context, accessibility of the mall and social attitudes of store owners). The shopping mall may be an untapped resource as it appears to be a relevant rehabilitation assessment and treatment
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Can singular examples change implicit racial attitudes in the real-world?
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Leslie E. Roos
2013-09-01
Full Text Available Implicit attitudes about social groups persist independently of explicit beliefs and can influence not only social behavior, but also medical and legal practices. Although examples presented in the laboratory can alter such implicit attitudes, it is unclear whether the same influence is exerted by real-world exemplars. Following the 2008 US election, Plant et al. reported that the Implicit Association Test or IAT revealed a decrease in negative implicit attitudes towards African-Americans. However, a large-scale study also employing the IAT found little evidence for a change in implicit attitudes pre- and post-election. Here we present evidence that the 2008 US election may have facilitated at least a temporary change in implicit racial attitudes in the US. Our results rely on the Affective Lexical Priming Score or ALPS and pre- and post-election measurements for both US and non-US participants. US students who, pre-election, exhibited negative associations with black faces, post-election showed positive associations with black faces. Canadian students pre- and post-election did not show a similar shift. To account for these findings, we posit that the socio-cognitive processes underlying ALPS are different from those underlying the IAT. Acknowledging that we cannot form a causal link between an intervening real-world event and laboratory-measured implicit attitudes, we speculate that our findings may be driven by the fact that the 2008 election campaign included extremely positive media coverage of President Obama and prominently featured his face in association with positive words – similar to the structure of ALPS. Even so, our real-world finding adds to the literature demonstrating the malleability of implicit attitudes and has implications for how we understand the socio-cognitive mechanisms underlying stereotypes.
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A Comparison of Online Social Networks and Real-Life Social Networks: A Study of Sina Microblogging
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Dayong Zhang
2014-01-01
Full Text Available Online social networks appear to enrich our social life, which raises the question whether they remove cognitive constraints on human communication and improve human social capabilities. In this paper, we analyze the users' following and followed relationships based on the data of Sina Microblogging and reveal several structural properties of Sina Microblogging. Compared with real-life social networks, our results confirm some similar features. However, Sina Microblogging also shows its own specialties, such as hierarchical structure and degree disassortativity, which all mark a deviation from real-life social networks. The low cost of the online network forms a broader perspective, and the one-way link relationships make it easy to spread information, but the online social network does not make too much difference in the creation of strong interpersonal relationships. Finally, we describe the mechanisms for the formation of these characteristics and discuss the implications of these structural properties for the real-life social networks.
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Analysis and optimisation of heterogeneous real-time embedded systems
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Pop, Paul; Eles, Petru; Peng, Zebo
2005-01-01
. The success of such new design methods depends on the availability of analysis and optimisation techniques. Analysis and optimisation techniques for heterogeneous real-time embedded systems are presented in the paper. The authors address in more detail a particular class of such systems called multi...... of application messages to frames. Optimisation heuristics for frame packing aimed at producing a schedulable system are presented. Extensive experiments and a real-life example show the efficiency of the frame-packing approach....
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Analysis and optimisation of heterogeneous real-time embedded systems
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Pop, Paul; Eles, Petru; Peng, Zebo
2006-01-01
. The success of such new design methods depends on the availability of analysis and optimisation techniques. Analysis and optimisation techniques for heterogeneous real-time embedded systems are presented in the paper. The authors address in more detail a particular class of such systems called multi...... of application messages to frames. Optimisation heuristics for frame packing aimed at producing a schedulable system are presented. Extensive experiments and a real-life example show the efficiency of the frame-packing approach....
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Analysis and Optimization of Heterogeneous Real-Time Embedded Systems
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Pop, Paul; Eles, Petru; Peng, Zebo
2005-01-01
. The success of such new design methods depends on the availability of analysis and optimization techniques. In this paper, we present analysis and optimization techniques for heterogeneous real-time embedded systems. We address in more detail a particular class of such systems called multi-clusters, composed...... to frames. Optimization heuristics for frame packing aiming at producing a schedulable system are presented. Extensive experiments and a real-life example show the efficiency of the frame-packing approach....
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Learning based upon projects of architectural conservation: from university to real life
Mileto, Camilla; Vegas López-Manzanares, Fernando; Cristini, Valentina; Diodato, Maria
2011-01-01
Mileto, C.; Vegas López-Manzanares, F.; Cristini, V.; Diodato, M. (2011). Learning based upon projects of architectural conservation: from university to real life. IATED. 1-8. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/50072 Senia 1 8
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Software life cycle management standards real-world solutions and scenarios for savings
Wright, David
2011-01-01
Software Life Cycle Management Standards will help you apply ISO/IEC 19770 to your business and enjoy the rewards it offers. David Wright calls on his vast experience to explain how the Standard applies to the whole of the software life cycle, not just the software asset management aspects. His informative guide gives up-to-date information using practical examples, clear diagrams and entertaining anecdotes.
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McCabe, Jennifer A.
2015-01-01
The goal of this research was to determine whether there is a generation effect for learner-created keyword mnemonics and real-life examples, compared to instructor-provided materials, when learning neurophysiological terms and definitions in introductory psychology. Students participated in an individual (Study 1) or small-group (Study 2)…
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Accounting Theory: An Ethical Perspective of Real Life Scenarios
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Shivneil Kumar Raj
2016-11-01
Full Text Available Decisions are made daily in businesses and individuals do encounter situations where they are faced with ethical issues. The subject is how one evaluates whether an act is ethical or unethical. This research article discusses real life ethical dilemmas that could be faced in accounting or business environment and applicability of various theories of ethics that were taught in accounting theory course in the undergraduate accounting program. The researcher employs a number of case studies highlighting the stories related to ethics that have been experienced in the past working life. Teleological and deontological theories are being used to explain how one could identify that a particular act is ethical or unethical. The work of accountants requires them to maintain high level of ethics to ensure integrity of the profession.
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Speech Recognition in Real-Life Background Noise by Young and Middle-Aged Adults with Normal Hearing
Lee, Ji Young; Lee, Jin Tae; Heo, Hye Jeong; Choi, Chul-Hee; Choi, Seong Hee; Lee, Kyungjae
2015-01-01
Background and Objectives People usually converse in real-life background noise. They experience more difficulty understanding speech in noise than in a quiet environment. The present study investigated how speech recognition in real-life background noise is affected by the type of noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and age. Subjects and Methods Eighteen young adults and fifteen middle-aged adults with normal hearing participated in the present study. Three types of noise [subway noise, vacu...
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Real-life applications with membrane computing
Zhang, Gexiang; Gheorghe, Marian
2017-01-01
This book thoroughly investigates the underlying theoretical basis of membrane computing models, and reveals their latest applications. In addition, to date there have been no illustrative case studies or complex real-life applications that capitalize on the full potential of the sophisticated membrane systems computational apparatus; gaps that this book remedies. By studying various complex applications – including engineering optimization, power systems fault diagnosis, mobile robot controller design, and complex biological systems involving data modeling and process interactions – the book also extends the capabilities of membrane systems models with features such as formal verification techniques, evolutionary approaches, and fuzzy reasoning methods. As such, the book offers a comprehensive and up-to-date guide for all researchers, PhDs and undergraduate students in the fields of computer science, engineering and the bio-sciences who are interested in the applications of natural computing models.
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Mood effects on memory and executive control in a real-life situation.
Lagner, Prune; Kliegel, Matthias; Phillips, Louise H; Ihle, Andreas; Hering, Alexandra; Ballhausen, Nicola; Schnitzspahn, Katharina M
2015-01-01
In the laboratory, studies have shown an inconsistent pattern of whether, and how, mood may affect cognitive functions indicating both mood-related enhancement as well as decline. Surprisingly, little is known about whether there are similar effects in everyday life. Hence, the present study aimed to investigate possible mood effects on memory and executive control in a real-life situation. Mood effects were examined in the context of winning in a sports competition. Sixty-one male handball players were tested with an extensive cognitive test battery (comprising memory and executive control) both after winning a match and after training as neutral baseline. Mood differed significantly between the two testing situations, while physiological arousal and motivation were comparable. Results showed lowered performance after the win compared with training in selected cognitive measures. Specifically, short-term and episodic memory performance was poorer following a win, whereas executive control performance was unaffected by condition. Differences in memory disappeared when emotional states after the match were entered as covariates into the initial analyses. Thus, findings suggest mood-related impairments in memory, but not in executive control processes after a positive real-life event.
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Social anxiety in online and real-life interaction and their associated factors.
Yen, Ju-Yu; Yen, Cheng-Fang; Chen, Cheng-Sheng; Wang, Peng-Wei; Chang, Yi-Hsin; Ko, Chih-Hung
2012-01-01
Social anxiety was compared between online and real-life interaction in a sample of 2,348 college students. Severity of social anxiety in both real-life and online interaction was tested for associations with depression, Internet addiction, Internet activity type (gaming versus chatting), and scores on Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS)/Behavioral Activation System (BAS) scales. The results showed that social anxiety was lower when interacting online than when interacting offline. Depression, Internet addiction, and high BIS and BAS scores were associated with high social anxiety. The social anxiety decreased more in online interaction among subjects with high social anxiety, depression, BIS, and BAS. This result suggests that the Internet has good potential as an alternative medium for delivering interventions for social anxiety. Further, the effect of BIS on social anxiety is decreased in online interaction. More attention should be paid for BIS when the treatment for social anxiety is delivered online.
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Bane, Cynthia M H; Cornish, Marilyn; Erspamer, Nicole; Kampman, Lia
2010-04-01
The current study examined female bloggers' perceptions of online and "real-life" same-sex friendships and examined relationships between self-disclosure through blogs and perceptions of the two types of friendships. Three hundred seven female bloggers (M age = 34.56 years) completed an online survey regarding friendship satisfaction and perceptions of intimacy-promoting interaction patterns in friendships. One hundred respondents' weblogs were analyzed for self-disclosure. Self-reported self-disclosure was positively correlated with number of online friendships and satisfaction with online friendships. Although participants reported having close online friends, they perceived real-life friendships as more likely than online friendships to possess intimacy-promoting interaction patterns. These perceptions did not differ as a function of self-disclosure through blogging, although bloggers who were categorized as higher in disclosure were more satisfied with online friendships than were bloggers who were categorized as lower in disclosure. These results suggest a relationship between self-disclosure through blogging and online relationship satisfaction among women in middle adulthood but that these women perceive real-life friendships as more likely to offer interaction patterns that foster intimacy.
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The Oral Language Process in Writing: A Real-Life Writing Session.
Shuy, Roger W.; Robinson, David G.
1990-01-01
Analyzes a real-life writing session involving a male executive in the construction business, his female secretary, and a male representing himself as a state official, working collaboratively to write a letter to a state official urging action on a long overdue claim. Discusses the quality of the drafts and the participants' roles. (KEH)
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REAL-LIFE ACTIVITIES: BOOSTING MY STUDENTS’ AWARENESS OF HONESTY IN CREATING GENRE
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Rr. Dewi Wahyu Mustikasari
2017-04-01
Full Text Available My students was strugled to write genre without copypasting sentences or texts from the internet. On the other hand, it was a huge challange for me to teach five big writing classes. Each class consisted of 25-30 students who tended (mostly collecting unoriginal writing works. This paper discusses the real-life activities that can be used to enhance my students’ aweareness of honesty in creating genre. My students must write some genres namely recount, descriptive (optional, spoof (optional, procedure, hortatory (optional and analytical exposition (optional text. I also took some benefits of ICT to equip the learning process. Browsing and experiencing the menu of premierskills.britishcouncil.org were the real-life activities that explore their personal memories to be told as the recount text. Then they defined the feature of one of the menu of the previous website to be informed as the descriptive text. Furthermore, they wrote their personal funny experiences which were related to the Indonesian culture as the spoof text. The procedure text can be produced by exploring the daily activities in the pictures such as how to make a cup of tea/coffee, cook a sunny side-up egg, insert sim card into mobile phone, etc. Next, my students visited the tourism and public places in Salatiga, and they observed the strength and weekness of those places as the production of hortatory or analytical exposition text. The real-life activities were able to foster my students’ awareness of honesty. It was fantastic that my students were able to create the genre honestly.
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Morina, Nexhmedin; Ijntema, Hiske; Meyerbröker, Katharina; Emmelkamp, Paul M G
2015-01-01
In virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET), patients are exposed to virtual environments that resemble feared real-life situations. The aim of the current study was to assess the extent to which VRET gains can be observed in real-life situations. We conducted a meta-analysis of clinical trials
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Morina, N.; Ijntema, H.; Meyerbröker, K.; Emmelkamp, P.M.G.
2015-01-01
In virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET), patients are exposed to virtual environments that resemble feared real-life situations. The aim of the current study was to assess the extent to which VRET gains can be observed in real-life situations. We conducted a meta-analysis of clinical trials
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Social engineering attack examples, templates and scenarios
CSIR Research Space (South Africa)
Mouton, Francois
2016-06-01
Full Text Available that are representative of real-world examples, whilst still being general enough to encompass several different real-world examples. The proposed social engineering attack templates cover all three types of communication, namely bidirectional communication...
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Vilken, Viktoriya; Kalinina, Olga; Dubgorn, Alissa
2018-03-01
In paper features of the regional markets of construction the commercial and residential real estate on the example of St. Petersburg are defined. The current situation is analysed, the specific features of branch are revealed. The major factors influencing investors making decisions on construction of various types of objects are defined. The main methods of advance of real estate objects are considered.
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Social Anxiety in Online and Real-Life Interaction and Their Associated Factors
Yen, Ju-Yu; Yen, Cheng-Fang; Chen, Cheng-Sheng; Wang, Peng-Wei; Chang, Yi-Hsin
2012-01-01
Abstract Social anxiety was compared between online and real-life interaction in a sample of 2,348 college students. Severity of social anxiety in both real-life and online interaction was tested for associations with depression, Internet addiction, Internet activity type (gaming versus chatting), and scores on Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS)/Behavioral Activation System (BAS) scales. The results showed that social anxiety was lower when interacting online than when interacting offline. Depression, Internet addiction, and high BIS and BAS scores were associated with high social anxiety. The social anxiety decreased more in online interaction among subjects with high social anxiety, depression, BIS, and BAS. This result suggests that the Internet has good potential as an alternative medium for delivering interventions for social anxiety. Further, the effect of BIS on social anxiety is decreased in online interaction. More attention should be paid for BIS when the treatment for social anxiety is delivered online. PMID:22175853
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Olga V. Shipulina
2013-01-01
Full Text Available The study explores how students, who had completed the AP calculus course, mathematized the optimal navigation real-life problem simulated in the Second Life Virtual Environment. The particular research interest was to investigate whether/how students’ empirical activity in VE influences the way of their mathematizing.
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Online Game Player Personality and Real-life Need Fulfillment
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ching-I Teng
2009-12-01
Full Text Available This study investigates the relationship between personality and real-life need fulfillment of 114 online game adolescent players, who had an average of 14.86 years in age and a standard deviation of 1.40 years. Of the sample, 73.7% were male and 88.8% had a monthly income below US $90. Results indicate that openness negatively correlated to fulfillment of needs for achievement and affiliation. Conscientiousness positively correlated to fulfillment of needs for achievement, affiliation, autonomy, and dominance. Extraversion positively correlated to fulfillment of needs for affiliation and dominance.
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A novel dataset for real-life evaluation of facial expression recognition methodologies
Siddiqi, Muhammad Hameed; Ali, Maqbool; Idris, Muhammad; Banos Legran, Oresti; Lee, Sungyoung; Choo, Hyunseung
2016-01-01
One limitation seen among most of the previous methods is that they were evaluated under settings that are far from real-life scenarios. The reason is that the existing facial expression recognition (FER) datasets are mostly pose-based and assume a predefined setup. The expressions in these datasets
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Group Creativity Development by Solving Real-life Project in Engineering Education
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Zhou, Chunfang; Kolmos, Anette; Du, Xiangyun
2011-01-01
In recent years, problem and project based learning (PBL) has been employed by a growing number of educational institutions to foster creative engineers. Among the diverse pedagogical practices of PBL, there has been an emergence of real-life project for students. Based on literature of creativity...... along with the learning activities etc., which are necessary for group creativity development in engineering students....
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32 CFR 644.102 - Examples of involuntary acquisitions.
2010-07-01
... 32 National Defense 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Examples of involuntary acquisitions. 644.102... PROPERTY REAL ESTATE HANDBOOK Acquisition Involuntary Acquisition by the United States § 644.102 Examples... property, as prescribed by Pub. L. 91-646. Examples of involuntary acquisition are: (a) Damage to real...
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Real-life data for the optimization of the geometric layout of an intersection
Fleuren, S.T.G.; Lefeber, A.A.J.
2016-01-01
This document contains the data of ten real-life intersections. This data can be used for the optimization of the geometric layout of the intersection, e.g., optimizing the arrival lanes, departure lanes and lane markings at the intersection.
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Creating Machinima (3D) and Real Life Videos in an ESP Classroom
Ochoa Alpala, Carol Anne; Ortíz García, William Ricardo
2018-01-01
This research paper reports on the development of oral presentation skills in a 3D virtual world called "Moviestorm" machinima, in contrast with real-life videos. In this way, the implementation of both types of videos sought to promote the improvement of oral communication skills, specifically oral presentations in a foreign language,…
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How 4 Colleges Take on Veterans' Issues, in Research and Real Life
Sander, Libby
2012-01-01
This article features four colleges and how they take on veterans' issues in research and real life. These colleges are (1) Syracuse University; (2) Purdue University; (3) University of Southern California; and (4) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Last year Syracuse established the Institute for Veterans and Military Families to focus…
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Ambiguity and risk measures in the lab and students’ real-life borrowing behavior
Fairley, Kim; Weitzel, Utz
This study analyzes the external validity of experimentally elicited ambiguity aversion, likelihood insensitivity and risk aversion on real-life decision-making in the field of student loans. Our main finding is that ambiguity aversion, likelihood insensitivity and risk aversion are not related to
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Quality of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation during real-life out-of-hospital cardiac arrest
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Gyllenborg, Tore; Granfeldt, Asger; Lippert, Freddy
2017-01-01
BACKGROUND: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can increase survival in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). However, little is known about bystander CPR quality in real-life OHCA. AIM: To describe bystander CPR quality based on automated external defibrillator (AED) CPR process data during OH...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Urmas Varblane
2013-01-01
Full Text Available The objective of current article is to view previous experience with real estate crises and taking into account such experience find suitable policy reactions to overcome the current Estonian crisis as smoothly as possible. Beside overall theoretical guidelines for overcoming the crisis, examples of Sweden and Ireland are viewed. The policy issues suggested for Estonia include some changes in tax laws, avoiding expansionary fiscal policy, making lending stricter and borrower responsible to higher extent, cooperation of different authorities to tackle problem of bad loans, initiating wage and price cut, paying more attention to exporting sector
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Relationship between mediation analysis and the structured life course approach
Howe, Laura D; Smith, Andrew D; Macdonald-Wallis, Corrie; Anderson, Emma L; Galobardes, Bruna; Lawlor, Debbie A; Ben-Shlomo, Yoav; Hardy, Rebecca; Cooper, Rachel; Tilling, Kate; Fraser, Abigail
2016-01-01
Abstract Many questions in life course epidemiology involve mediation and/or interaction because of the long latency period between exposures and outcomes. In this paper, we explore how mediation analysis (based on counterfactual theory and implemented using conventional regression approaches) links with a structured approach to selecting life course hypotheses. Using theory and simulated data, we show how the alternative life course hypotheses assessed in the structured life course approach correspond to different combinations of mediation and interaction parameters. For example, an early life critical period model corresponds to a direct effect of the early life exposure, but no indirect effect via the mediator and no interaction between the early life exposure and the mediator. We also compare these methods using an illustrative real-data example using data on parental occupational social class (early life exposure), own adult occupational social class (mediator) and physical capability (outcome). PMID:27681097
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Reperfusion Treatment for STEMI in Age Over 75 Years: Unsatisfactory Real-Life Practice
Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database
Monhart, Z.; Grünfeldová, H.; Zvárová, Jana; Janský, P.
2010-01-01
Roč. 122, č. 2 (2010), e69 ISSN 0009-7322. [World Congress of Cardiology . 16.06.2010-19.06.2010, Beijing] Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10300504 Keywords : cardiology * reperfusion treatment * real-life practice Subject RIV: FA - Cardiovascular Diseases incl. Cardiotharic Surgery
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Disease spreading in real-life networks
Gallos, Lazaros; Argyrakis, Panos
2002-08-01
In recent years the scientific community has shown a vivid interest in the network structure and dynamics of real-life organized systems. Many such systems, covering an extremely wide range of applications, have been recently shown to exhibit scale-free character in their connectivity distribution, meaning that they obey a power law. Modeling of epidemics on lattices and small-world networks suffers from the presence of a critical infection threshold, above which the entire population is infected. For scale-free networks, the original assumption was that the formation of a giant cluster would lead to an epidemic spreading in the same way as in simpler networks. Here we show that modeling epidemics on a scale-free network can greatly improve the predictions on the rate and efficiency of spreading, as compared to lattice models and small-world networks. We also show that the dynamics of a disease are greatly influenced by the underlying population structure. The exact same model can describe a plethora of networks, such as social networks, virus spreading in the Web, rumor spreading, signal transmission etc.
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Importance of leadership in cardiac arrest situations: from simulation to real life and back.
Hunziker, Sabnina; Tschan, Franziska; Semmer, Norbert K; Marsch, Stephan
2013-04-18
The 2010 American Heart Association guidelines now recommend leadership training in Advanced Cardiac Life Support courses. In this review we provide a comprehensive summary of data derived from clinical studies that investigated the importance of leadership in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Only a few, mostly observational, studies have been conducted under real-life conditions because of the high heterogeneity of the situations, difficulties in capturing the initial phase of CPR, and ethical issues. Well-controlled studies in the human simulator can fill existing gaps and provide important insights. High-fidelity video-assisted simulator studies from different research groups have shown that a prolonged process of teambuilding is associated with significant shortcomings in CPR, whereas effective leadership improves team performance. In addition, randomised controlled studies have provided evidence that medical students receiving leadership training subsequently showed improved CPR performance, which was sustained after a follow up of 4 months. In addition, leadership is influenced by gender and other factors such as emotional stress. Future studies are needed to investigate cultural differences and how findings from the simulator can be transferred to real-life situations.
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Poulsen, Peter Bo; Spillemose, Heidi; Nielsen, Gerda
2015-01-01
BACKGROUND: The smoking prevalence has not decreased in the last years in Denmark. General practice (GP) offers smoking cessation (SC) treatment. Studies of real-life effectiveness of daily practice SC-activities from the GP-setting opposed to efficacy results from randomized clinical trials...... are few. The study aim was to evaluate the real-life effectiveness of SC-treatments for daily smokers among Danish GP-clinics. METHODS: In a multi-centre-based observational study design Danish GP-clinics with prior SC-activity recruited daily smokers motivated for quitting. As per usual clinical practice...
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Grewe, P; Lahr, D; Kohsik, A; Dyck, E; Markowitsch, H J; Bien, C G; Botsch, M; Piefke, M
2014-02-01
Ecological assessment and training of real-life cognitive functions such as visual-spatial abilities in patients with epilepsy remain challenging. Some studies have applied virtual reality (VR) paradigms, but external validity of VR programs has not sufficiently been proven. Patients with focal epilepsy (EG, n=14) accomplished an 8-day program in a VR supermarket, which consisted of learning and buying items on a shopping list. Performance of the EG was compared with that of healthy controls (HCG, n=19). A comprehensive neuropsychological examination was administered. Real-life performance was investigated in a real supermarket. Learning in the VR supermarket was significantly impaired in the EG on different VR measures. Delayed free recall of products did not differ between the EG and the HCG. Virtual reality scores were correlated with neuropsychological measures of visual-spatial cognition, subjective estimates of memory, and performance in the real supermarket. The data indicate that our VR approach allows for the assessment of real-life visual-spatial memory and cognition in patients with focal epilepsy. The multimodal, active, and complex VR paradigm may particularly enhance visual-spatial cognitive resources. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Relationship between mediation analysis and the structured life course approach.
Howe, Laura D; Smith, Andrew D; Macdonald-Wallis, Corrie; Anderson, Emma L; Galobardes, Bruna; Lawlor, Debbie A; Ben-Shlomo, Yoav; Hardy, Rebecca; Cooper, Rachel; Tilling, Kate; Fraser, Abigail
2016-08-01
Many questions in life course epidemiology involve mediation and/or interaction because of the long latency period between exposures and outcomes. In this paper, we explore how mediation analysis (based on counterfactual theory and implemented using conventional regression approaches) links with a structured approach to selecting life course hypotheses. Using theory and simulated data, we show how the alternative life course hypotheses assessed in the structured life course approach correspond to different combinations of mediation and interaction parameters. For example, an early life critical period model corresponds to a direct effect of the early life exposure, but no indirect effect via the mediator and no interaction between the early life exposure and the mediator. We also compare these methods using an illustrative real-data example using data on parental occupational social class (early life exposure), own adult occupational social class (mediator) and physical capability (outcome). © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association.
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Emotional Creativity and Real-Life Involvement in Different Types of Creative Leisure Activities
Trnka, Radek; Zahradnik, Martin; Kuška, Martin
2016-01-01
The role of emotional creativity in practicing creative leisure activities and in the preference of college majors remains unknown. This study aims to explore how emotional creativity measured by the Emotional Creativity Inventory (ECI; Averill, 1999) is interrelated with the real-life involvement in different types of specific creative leisure…
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Morina, Nexhmedin; Ijntema, Hiske; Meyerbröker, Katharina; Emmelkamp, Paul M G
2015-11-01
In virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET), patients are exposed to virtual environments that resemble feared real-life situations. The aim of the current study was to assess the extent to which VRET gains can be observed in real-life situations. We conducted a meta-analysis of clinical trials applying VRET to specific phobias and measuring treatment outcome by means of behavioral laboratory tests or recordings of behavioral activities in real-life. Data sources were searches of databases (Medline, PsycInfo, and Cochrane). We included in total 14 clinical trials on specific phobias. Results revealed that patients undergoing VRET did significantly better on behavioral assessments following treatment than before treatment, with an aggregated uncontrolled effect size of g = 1.23. Furthermore, patients undergoing VRET performed better on behavioral assessments at post-treatment than patients on wait-list (g = 1.41). Additionally, results of behavioral assessment at post-treatment and at follow-up revealed no significant differences between VRET and exposure in vivo (g = -0.09 and 0.53, respectively). Finally, behavioral measurement effect sizes were similar to those calculated from self-report measures. The findings demonstrate that VRET can produce significant behavior change in real-life situations and support its application in treating specific phobias. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Development of a diagnostic decision tree for obstructive pulmonary diseases based on real-life data
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Esther I. Metting
2016-01-01
Full Text Available The aim of this study was to develop and explore the diagnostic accuracy of a decision tree derived from a large real-life primary care population. Data from 9297 primary care patients (45% male, mean age 53±17 years with suspicion of an obstructive pulmonary disease was derived from an asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD service where patients were assessed using spirometry, the Asthma Control Questionnaire, the Clinical COPD Questionnaire, history data and medication use. All patients were diagnosed through the Internet by a pulmonologist. The Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection method was used to build the decision tree. The tree was externally validated in another real-life primary care population (n=3215. Our tree correctly diagnosed 79% of the asthma patients, 85% of the COPD patients and 32% of the asthma–COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS patients. External validation showed a comparable pattern (correct: asthma 78%, COPD 83%, ACOS 24%. Our decision tree is considered to be promising because it was based on real-life primary care patients with a specialist's diagnosis. In most patients the diagnosis could be correctly predicted. Predicting ACOS, however, remained a challenge. The total decision tree can be implemented in computer-assisted diagnostic systems for individual patients. A simplified version of this tree can be used in daily clinical practice as a desk tool.
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Development of a diagnostic decision tree for obstructive pulmonary diseases based on real-life data
in ’t Veen, Johannes C.C.M.; Dekhuijzen, P.N. Richard; van Heijst, Ellen; Kocks, Janwillem W.H.; Muilwijk-Kroes, Jacqueline B.; Chavannes, Niels H.; van der Molen, Thys
2016-01-01
The aim of this study was to develop and explore the diagnostic accuracy of a decision tree derived from a large real-life primary care population. Data from 9297 primary care patients (45% male, mean age 53±17 years) with suspicion of an obstructive pulmonary disease was derived from an asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) service where patients were assessed using spirometry, the Asthma Control Questionnaire, the Clinical COPD Questionnaire, history data and medication use. All patients were diagnosed through the Internet by a pulmonologist. The Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection method was used to build the decision tree. The tree was externally validated in another real-life primary care population (n=3215). Our tree correctly diagnosed 79% of the asthma patients, 85% of the COPD patients and 32% of the asthma–COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) patients. External validation showed a comparable pattern (correct: asthma 78%, COPD 83%, ACOS 24%). Our decision tree is considered to be promising because it was based on real-life primary care patients with a specialist's diagnosis. In most patients the diagnosis could be correctly predicted. Predicting ACOS, however, remained a challenge. The total decision tree can be implemented in computer-assisted diagnostic systems for individual patients. A simplified version of this tree can be used in daily clinical practice as a desk tool. PMID:27730177
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Shahabpoor, Erfan; Pavic, Aleksandar
2017-09-12
Monitoring natural human gait in real-life environments is essential in many applications, including quantification of disease progression, monitoring the effects of treatment, and monitoring alteration of performance biomarkers in professional sports. Nevertheless, developing reliable and practical techniques and technologies necessary for continuous real-life monitoring of gait is still an open challenge. A systematic review of English-language articles from scientific databases including Scopus, ScienceDirect, Pubmed, IEEE Xplore, EBSCO and MEDLINE were carried out to analyse the 'accuracy' and 'practicality' of the current techniques and technologies for quantitative measurement of the tri-axial walking ground reactions outside the laboratory environment, and to highlight their strengths and shortcomings. In total, 679 relevant abstracts were identified, 54 full-text papers were included in the paper and the quantitative results of 17 papers were used for meta-analysis and comparison. Three classes of methods were reviewed: (1) methods based on measured kinematic data; (2) methods based on measured plantar pressure; and (3) methods based on direct measurement of ground reactions. It was found that all three classes of methods have competitive accuracy levels with methods based on direct measurement of the ground reactions showing highest accuracy while being least practical for long-term real-life measurement. On the other hand, methods that estimate ground reactions using measured body kinematics show highest practicality of the three classes of methods reviewed. Among the most prominent technical and technological challenges are: (1) reducing the size and price of tri-axial load-cells; (2) improving the accuracy of orientation measurement using IMUs; (3) minimizing the number and optimizing the location of required IMUs for kinematic measurement; (4) increasing the durability of pressure insole sensors, and (5) enhancing the robustness and versatility of the
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Erfan Shahabpoor
2017-09-01
Full Text Available Monitoring natural human gait in real-life environments is essential in many applications, including quantification of disease progression, monitoring the effects of treatment, and monitoring alteration of performance biomarkers in professional sports. Nevertheless, developing reliable and practical techniques and technologies necessary for continuous real-life monitoring of gait is still an open challenge. A systematic review of English-language articles from scientific databases including Scopus, ScienceDirect, Pubmed, IEEE Xplore, EBSCO and MEDLINE were carried out to analyse the ‘accuracy’ and ‘practicality’ of the current techniques and technologies for quantitative measurement of the tri-axial walking ground reactions outside the laboratory environment, and to highlight their strengths and shortcomings. In total, 679 relevant abstracts were identified, 54 full-text papers were included in the paper and the quantitative results of 17 papers were used for meta-analysis and comparison. Three classes of methods were reviewed: (1 methods based on measured kinematic data; (2 methods based on measured plantar pressure; and (3 methods based on direct measurement of ground reactions. It was found that all three classes of methods have competitive accuracy levels with methods based on direct measurement of the ground reactions showing highest accuracy while being least practical for long-term real-life measurement. On the other hand, methods that estimate ground reactions using measured body kinematics show highest practicality of the three classes of methods reviewed. Among the most prominent technical and technological challenges are: (1 reducing the size and price of tri-axial load-cells; (2 improving the accuracy of orientation measurement using IMUs; (3 minimizing the number and optimizing the location of required IMUs for kinematic measurement; (4 increasing the durability of pressure insole sensors, and (5 enhancing the robustness and
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Engineers and the Web: An analysis of real life gaps in information usage
Kraaijenbrink, Jeroen
2007-01-01
Engineers face a wide range of gaps when trying to identify, acquire, and utilize information from the Web. To be able to avoid creating such gaps, it is essential to understand them in detail. This paper reports the results of a study of the real life gaps in information usage processes of 17
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Virginia Tech's Center For Real Life Kitchen Design Is A Success!
Todd, Jane Anne
2003-01-01
Explore Your Dream Kitchen, a two-day workshop offered in Virginia Tech's Center for Real Life Kitchen Design, will be offered twice in May to participants who want to learn about planning and designing a kitchen that really meets their needs. Attendees explore and experience kitchens with a wide variety of designs, products, materials, and technologies during this fun and interactive course. Participants are asked to bring plans, ideas, and questions about their homes and kitchens as everyon...
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On real structures on rigid surfaces
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kulikov, Vik S; Kharlamov, V M
2002-01-01
We construct examples of rigid surfaces (that is, surfaces whose deformation class consists of a unique surface) with a particular behaviour with respect to real structures. In one example the surface has no real structure. In another it has a unique real structure, which is not maximal with respect to the Smith-Thom inequality. These examples give negative answers to the following problems: the existence of real surfaces in each deformation class of complex surfaces, and the existence of maximal real surfaces in every complex deformation class that contains real surfaces. Moreover, we prove that there are no real surfaces among surfaces of general type with p g =q=0 and K 2 =9. These surfaces also provide new counterexamples to the 'Dif = Def' problem
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Images of eyes enhance investments in a real-life public good.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Damien Francey
Full Text Available A key issue in cooperation research is to determine the conditions under which individuals invest in a public good. Here, we tested whether cues of being watched increase investments in an anonymous public good situation in real life. We examined whether individuals would invest more by removing experimentally placed garbage (paper and plastic bottles from bus stop benches in Geneva in the presence of images of eyes compared to controls (images of flowers. We provided separate bins for each of both types of garbage to investigate whether individuals would deposit more items into the appropriate bin in the presence of eyes. The treatment had no effect on the likelihood that individuals present at the bus stop would remove garbage. However, those individuals that engaged in garbage clearing, and were thus likely affected by the treatment, invested more time to do so in the presence of eyes. Images of eyes had a direct effect on behaviour, rather than merely enhancing attention towards a symbolic sign requesting removal of garbage. These findings show that simple images of eyes can trigger reputational effects that significantly enhance on non-monetary investments in anonymous public goods under real life conditions. We discuss our results in the light of previous findings and suggest that human social behaviour may often be shaped by relatively simple and potentially unconscious mechanisms instead of very complex cognitive capacities.
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RT-Syn: A real-time software system generator
Setliff, Dorothy E.
1992-01-01
This paper presents research into providing highly reusable and maintainable components by using automatic software synthesis techniques. This proposal uses domain knowledge combined with automatic software synthesis techniques to engineer large-scale mission-critical real-time software. The hypothesis centers on a software synthesis architecture that specifically incorporates application-specific (in this case real-time) knowledge. This architecture synthesizes complex system software to meet a behavioral specification and external interaction design constraints. Some examples of these external constraints are communication protocols, precisions, timing, and space limitations. The incorporation of application-specific knowledge facilitates the generation of mathematical software metrics which are used to narrow the design space, thereby making software synthesis tractable. Success has the potential to dramatically reduce mission-critical system life-cycle costs not only by reducing development time, but more importantly facilitating maintenance, modifications, and extensions of complex mission-critical software systems, which are currently dominating life cycle costs.
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Getting real with real options
M. R Grasselli
2006-01-01
We apply a utility-based method to obtain the value of a finite-time investment opportunity when the underlying real asset is not perfectly correlated to a traded financial asset. Using a discrete-time algorithm to calculate the indifference price for this type of real option, we present numerical examples for the corresponding investment thresholds, in particular highlighting their dependence with respect to correlation and risk aversion.
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On real structures on rigid surfaces
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Kulikov, Vik S [Steklov Mathematical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences (Russian Federation); Kharlamov, V M [Institut de Recherche Matematique Avanee Universite Louis Pasteur et CNRS 7 rue Rene Descartes (France)
2002-02-28
We construct examples of rigid surfaces (that is, surfaces whose deformation class consists of a unique surface) with a particular behaviour with respect to real structures. In one example the surface has no real structure. In another it has a unique real structure, which is not maximal with respect to the Smith-Thom inequality. These examples give negative answers to the following problems: the existence of real surfaces in each deformation class of complex surfaces, and the existence of maximal real surfaces in every complex deformation class that contains real surfaces. Moreover, we prove that there are no real surfaces among surfaces of general type with p{sub g}=q=0 and K{sup 2}=9. These surfaces also provide new counterexamples to the 'Dif = Def' problem.
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Control of asthma in real life: still a valuable goal?
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Andriana I. Papaioannou
2015-06-01
Full Text Available Although studies show that control of asthma can be achieved in the majority of patients, surveys repeatedly show that this is not the case in real life. Important measures to implement in order to achieve asthma control are trained healthcare professionals, a good patient–doctor relationship, patient education, avoidance of exposure to triggers, personalised management and adherence to treatment. These measures help the majority of asthma patients but have not yet been widely implemented and there should be a concerted action for their implementation. Moreover, further and focused research is needed in severe/refractory asthma.
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Technical life cycle of real estates
Taina Koskelo
2001-01-01
Real estate business is developing fast. Development needs are challenging because of interdiciplinariness and diverseness of the branch. The main mission of real estate business is to provide premises for its customers. Designers are planning the buildings, contractors are building them and owners are supplying premises for users. During the use the real estate market needs different kinds of facilitating services directed to users or owner of buildings. Facilities Management services (FM) c...
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
2012-09-01
This fact sheet describes the U.S. Department of Energy's Community Renewable Energy Deployment (CommRE) program, which is a more than $20 million effort funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, to promote investment in clean energy solutions and provide real-life examples for other local governments, campuses, and small utilities to replicate. Five community-based renewable energy projects received funding from DOE through the CommRE and their progress is detailed.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Demkova E.E.
2016-06-01
Full Text Available It is not easy to care for a special needs child. Especially, it is easy to understand parents’ worries about their grown up children. Living in one’s own family or supported living in the community are much more preferable than the options the state can offer. The author — a mother of a young woman with autism — contemplates about possibilities for independent living for a person with special needs after their parents are gone. She is confident that teaching a child skills for independent living is not less important than giving them school education. The author illustrates her thoughts with real examples of support for adults with disabilities in their independent life or life in a foster family in a city, as well in rural areas.
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Chronic urticaria in the real-life clinical practice setting in Sweden, Norway and Denmark
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Thomsen, S F; Pritzier, E C; Anderson, C D
2017-01-01
]; chronic urticaria quality of life questionnaire [CU-Q2 oL; Danish patients only]) and work productivity and activity impairment (WPAI) scores were also assessed. RESULTS: Overall, 158 CU patients from seven centres in Denmark (n = 80), Norway (n = 50) and Sweden (n = 28) were included in this baseline......BACKGROUND: Chronic urticaria (CU) is characterized by the recurrence of itchy hives and/or angioedema for more than 6 weeks. AWARE (A World-wide Antihistamine-Refractory Chronic Urticaria Patient Evaluation) is a multinational study designed to document the real-life treatment situation, burden...... (>2 months) that is refractory to H1-antihistamines. Baseline patient characteristics, disease activity (urticaria control test [UCT]), pharmacological treatment, comorbidities and healthcare usage were documented by the treating physician. Quality of life (QoL; dermatology life quality index [DLQI...
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Droogsma, Erika; van Asselt, Dieneke; van Steijn, Jolanda; Diekhuis, Marjolein; Veeger, Nic; De Deyn, Peter P.
2016-01-01
Introduction:There is little knowledge of the long-term course of Alzheimer disease (AD) in light of current pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions provided in a real-life setting.Methods:The Frisian Alzheimer's Disease Cohort study is a real-life study of the course of AD in patients
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A Simple Method for Solving Fully Intuitionistic Fuzzy Real Life Assignment Problem
Senthil Kumar, P.; Jahir Hussain, R.
2016-01-01
In solving real life assignment problem we often face the state of uncertainty as well as hesitation due to various uncontrollable factors. To deal with uncertainty and hesitation many authors have suggested the intuitionistic fuzzy representations for the data. So, in this paper, the authors consider the assignment problem having uncertainty and hesitation in cost/time/profit. They formulate the problem and utilize triangular intuitionistic fuzzy numbers (TIFNs) to deal with uncertainty and ...
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Metacognition in Real Life Situations and Study Skills and Habits: Two Types of Processes
Al-Hilawani, Yasser A.
2016-01-01
The relationship between metacognition in real life situations and study skills and habits was examined using a sample of college students. Results showed no significant relationship between these two variables nor was there a significant relationship between study skills and reaction time as measured on the metacognitive test. However, there was…
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Gutzwiller-Helfenfinger, Eveline; Gasser, Luciano; Malti, Tina
2010-01-01
How children make meaning of their own social experiences in situations involving moral issues is central to their subsequent affective and cognitive moral learning. Our study of young children's narratives describing their interpersonal conflicts shows that the emotions and judgments constructed in the course of these real-life narratives differ…
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Brooks, Lindsay; Swain, Merrill
2014-01-01
In this study we compare test takers' performance on the Speaking section of the TOEFL iBT™and their performances during their real-life academic studies. Thirty international graduate students from mixed language backgrounds in two different disciplines (Sciences and Social Sciences) responded to two independent and four integrated speaking tasks…
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"Real life" longevity of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator devices.
Manolis, Antonis S; Maounis, Themistoklis; Koulouris, Spyridon; Vassilikos, Vassilios
2017-09-01
Manufacturers of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) promise a 5- to 9-year projected longevity; however, real-life data indicate otherwise. The aim of the present study was to assess ICD longevity among 685 consecutive patients over the last 20 years. Real-life longevity of ICDs may differ from that stated by the manufacturers. The study included 601 men and 84 women (mean age, 63.1 ± 13.3 years). The underlying disease was coronary (n = 396) or valvular (n = 15) disease, cardiomyopathy (n = 220), or electrical disease (n = 54). The mean ejection fraction was 35%. Devices were implanted for secondary (n = 562) or primary (n = 123) prevention. Single- (n = 292) or dual-chamber (n = 269) or cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) devices (n = 124) were implanted in the abdomen (n = 17) or chest (n = 668). Over 20 years, ICD pulse generator replacements were performed in 238 patients (209 men; age 63.7 ± 13.9 years; ejection fraction, 37.7% ± 14.0%) who had an ICD for secondary (n = 210) or primary (n = 28) prevention. The mean ICD longevity was 58.3 ± 18.7 months. In 20 (8.4%) patients, devices exhibited premature battery depletion within 36 months. Most (94%) patients had none, minor, or modest use of ICD therapy. Longevity was longest for single-chamber devices and shortest for CRT devices. Latest-generation devices replaced over the second decade lasted longer compared with devices replaced during the first decade. When analyzed by manufacturer, Medtronic devices appeared to have longer longevity by 13 to 18 months. ICDs continue to have limited longevity of 4.9 ± 1.6 years, and 8% demonstrate premature battery depletion by 3 years. CRT devices have the shortest longevity (mean, 3.8 years) by 13 to 17 months, compared with other ICD devices. These findings have important implications, particularly in view of the high expense involved with this type of electrical
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Kun-Ching Wang
2015-01-01
Full Text Available The classification of emotional speech is mostly considered in speech-related research on human-computer interaction (HCI. In this paper, the purpose is to present a novel feature extraction based on multi-resolutions texture image information (MRTII. The MRTII feature set is derived from multi-resolution texture analysis for characterization and classification of different emotions in a speech signal. The motivation is that we have to consider emotions have different intensity values in different frequency bands. In terms of human visual perceptual, the texture property on multi-resolution of emotional speech spectrogram should be a good feature set for emotion classification in speech. Furthermore, the multi-resolution analysis on texture can give a clearer discrimination between each emotion than uniform-resolution analysis on texture. In order to provide high accuracy of emotional discrimination especially in real-life, an acoustic activity detection (AAD algorithm must be applied into the MRTII-based feature extraction. Considering the presence of many blended emotions in real life, in this paper make use of two corpora of naturally-occurring dialogs recorded in real-life call centers. Compared with the traditional Mel-scale Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC and the state-of-the-art features, the MRTII features also can improve the correct classification rates of proposed systems among different language databases. Experimental results show that the proposed MRTII-based feature information inspired by human visual perception of the spectrogram image can provide significant classification for real-life emotional recognition in speech.
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Effects of Healthy Aging and Mild Cognitive Impairment on a Real-Life Decision-Making Task.
Pertl, Marie-Theres; Benke, Thomas; Zamarian, Laura; Delazer, Margarete
2017-01-01
In this study, we investigated the effects of age and of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) on decision making under risk by adopting a task representing real-life health-related situations and involving complex numerical information. Moreover, we assessed the relationship of real-life decision making to other cognitive functions such as number processing, executive functions, language, memory, and attention. For this reason, we compared the performance of 19 healthy, relatively younger adults with that of 18 healthy older adults and the performance of the 18 healthy older adults with that of 17 patients with MCI. Results indicated difficulties in real-life decision making for the healthy older adults compared with the healthy, relatively younger adults. Difficulties of patients with MCI relative to the healthy older adults arose in particular in difficult items requiring processing of frequencies and fractions. Significant effects of age and of MCI in processing frequencies were also evident in a ratio number comparison task. Decision-making performance of healthy participants and of the patient group correlated significantly with number processing. There was a further significant correlation with executive functions for the healthy participants and with reading comprehension for the patients. Our results suggest that healthy older individuals and patients with MCI make less advantageous decisions when the information is complex and high demands are put on executive functions and numerical abilities. Moreover, we show that executive functions and numerical abilities are not only essential in laboratory gambling tasks but also in more realistic and ecological decision situations within the health context.
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Center for Real Life Kitchen Design open house to showcase latest in residential kitchens
Elliott, Jean
2007-01-01
Virginia Tech will unveil its newly refurbished Center for Real Life Kitchen Design at an open house set for Monday, April 2. The 1,500-square foot center, located in 247 Wallace Hall, features six fully functional residential kitchen designs that reflect a variety of price levels, lifestyles, and use of space for today's homeowner.
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Adachi, Paul J C; Willoughby, Teena
2016-02-01
Given the extreme popularity of video games among older adolescents and emerging adults, the investigation of positive outcomes of video game play during these developmental periods is crucial. An important direction for research in this area is the investigation of a link between sports video game play and involvement in real-life sports among youth. Yet, this association has not been examined in the long-term among older adolescents and emerging adults, and thus represents an exciting new area for discovery. The primary goal of the current study, therefore, was to examine the long-term association between sports video game play and involvement in real-life sports clubs among older adolescents and emerging adults. In addition, we examined whether self-esteem was an underlying mechanism of this longitudinal association. We surveyed older adolescents and emerging adults (N = 1132; 70.6 % female; M age = 19.06 years, range of 17-25 years at the first assessment) annually over 3 years about their video game play, self-esteem, and involvement in real-life sports. We found a long-term predictive effect of sports video game play on increased involvement in real-life sports over the 3 years. Furthermore, we demonstrated that self-esteem was an underlying mechanism of this long-term association. Our findings make an important contribution to an emerging body of literature on the positive outcomes of video game play, as they suggest that sports video game play may be an effective tool to promote real-life sports participation and physical activity among older adolescents and emerging adults.
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Gruenke, Solveig Wiland
2017-01-01
Social media as a social concept is becoming a prominent fixture in social life and is taking on a significant increase in social relevance, both academically and in popular discourse. The academic research is often focused on either the online content itself or the macro societal implications, more than the real-life social aspect of social media. People using social media are now simultaneously producing content about their life online, whilst they are, in fact, living it. The new social fe...
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Mapping real-life applications on run-time reconfigurable NoC-based MPSoC on FPGA.
Singh, A.K.; Kumar, A.; Srikanthan, Th.; Ha, Y.
2010-01-01
Multiprocessor systems-on-chip (MPSoC) are required to fulfill the performance demand of modern real-life embedded applications. These MPSoCs are employing Network-on-Chip (NoC) for reasons of efficiency and scalability. Additionally, these systems need to support run-time reconfiguration of their
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Ray, Jayanti
2015-01-01
Given the linguistic and cognitive demands of communication, adult Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) users with acquired communication disorders may have difficulty using AAC systems consistently and effectively in "real-life" situations. The process of recommending AAC systems and strategies is an area of exploration,…
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Davis, Paige E.; Meins, Elizabeth; Fernyhough, Charles
2014-01-01
Relations between having an imaginary companion (IC) and (i) descriptions of a real-life friend, (ii) theory of mind performance, and (iii) reported prosocial behaviour and behavioural difficulties were investigated in a sample of 5-year-olds (N?=?159). Children who had an IC were more likely than their peers without an IC to describe their best…
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Real Life Active Gaming Practices of 7-11-Year-Old Children.
Allsop, Susan; Rumbold, Penny Louise Sheena; Debuse, Dorothée; Dodd-Reynolds, Caroline
2013-12-01
In the laboratory, active gaming has been shown to increase physical activity levels in children compared with seated media activities. The information is sparse, however, about children's real life active gaming practices, and the laboratory protocols used thus far might not be representative. The purpose of the present study was to establish the sociodemographic characteristics, real life active gaming practices, and reasons for gameplay, to later inform intervention studies. An "Active Gaming Questionnaire" was purposely developed and distributed to 44 7-11-year-old children and their parents. Forty questionnaires were completed and returned. Analysis found 95 percent of the children had access to active gaming consoles "at home." The favorite console was the Nintendo (Kyoto, Japan) Wii™, and the favorite game was Nintendo "Wii Sports." The majority of children frequently played active games against other people. The average reported gameplay time was 81 minutes on 1-2 days per week, usually on a Saturday. More than half of the children (52.5 percent) consumed foods and/or drinks during play, which was significantly associated (P=0.000) with an extended average gameplay time (increased by 25 minutes). The majority of participants (65 percent) considered active gaming to be an alternative form of exercise, and main reasons for active videogame play included for entertainment, health benefits, and the environment. In conclusion, children 9.3±1.4 years old typically play Nintendo "Wii Sports," once or twice per week for 81 minutes. Reported active gameplay time is extended by 25 minutes when food and/or drinks are consumed.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ellen A Struijk
Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs have the advantage that effects on total health instead of on a specific disease incidence or mortality can be estimated. Our aim was to address several methodological points related to the computation of DALYs at an individual level in a follow-up study. METHODS: DALYs were computed for 33,507 men and women aged 20-70 years when participating in the EPIC-NL study in 1993-7. DALYs are the sum of the Years Lost due to Disability (YLD and the Years of Life Lost (YLL due to premature mortality. Premature mortality was defined as death before the estimated date of individual Life Expectancy (LE. Different methods to compute LE were compared as well as the effect of different follow-up periods using a two-part model estimating the effect of smoking status on health as an example. RESULTS: During a mean follow-up of 12.4 years, there were 69,245 DALYs due to years lived with a disease or premature death. Current-smokers had lost 1.28 healthy years of their life (1.28 DALYs 95%CI 1.10; 1.46 compared to never-smokers. The outcome varied depending on the method used for estimating LE, completeness of disease and mortality ascertainment and notably the percentage of extinction (duration of follow-up of the cohort. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the use of DALYs in a cohort study is an appropriate way to assess total disease burden in relation to a determinant. The outcome is sensitive to the LE calculation method and the follow-up duration of the cohort.
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PUMAS: The On-line journal of Math and Science Examples for Pre-College Education
Trainer, Melissa G.; Kahn, Ralph A.
2015-11-01
PUMAS - “Practical Uses of Math And Science” - is an on-line collection of brief examples showing how math and science topics taught in K-12 classes can be used in interesting settings, including every day life. The examples are written primarily by scientists, engineers, and other content experts having practical experience with the material. They are aimed mainly at classroom teachers to enrich their presentation of math and science topics. The goal of PUMAS is to capture, for the benefit of pre-college education, the flavor of the vast experience that working scientists have with interesting and practical uses of math and science. There are currently over 80 examples in the PUMAS collection, and they are organized by curriculum topics and tagged with relevant grade levels and curriculum topic benchmarks. The published examples cover a wide range of subject matter: from demonstrating why summer is hot, to describing the fluid dynamics of a lava lamp, to calculating the best age to collect Social Security Benefits. The examples are available to all interested parties via the PUMAS web site: http://pumas.nasa.gov/.We invite the community to participate in the PUMAS collection. We seek scientists and scientific thinkers to provide innovative examples of practical uses for teachers to use to enrich the classroom experience, and content experts to participate in peer-review. We also seek teachers to review examples for originality, accuracy of content, clarity of presentation, and grade-level appropriateness. Finally, we encourage teachers to mine this rich repository for real-world examples to demonstrate the value of math in science in everyday life.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Eickelkamp, Timo
2013-01-01
Capital goods are not normally taken into consideration in assessing the sustainability of products on the basis of life cycle assessments. Capital goods are machines and buildings that are used for production purposes over the course of a product's life cycle. Using an offshore wind farm as an example the present study shows how capital goods can be taken into account via a methodologically expanded input-output analysis and thus factored into the life cycle assessment. Besides comparing different calculation methods the author performs a detailed analysis of those parameters with the greatest influence on the outcome. The results show that capital goods have a substantial impact on sustainability in both energy-related and environmental terms. Capital goods should therefore be taken into consideration in life cycle assessments.
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The Use of a Real Life Simulated Problem Based Learning Activity in a Corporate Environment
Laurent, Mark A.
2013-01-01
This narrative study examines using a real life simulated problem base learning activity during education of clinical staff, which is expected to design and develop clinically correct electronic charting systems. Expertise in healthcare does not readily transcend to the realm of manipulating software to collect patient data that is pertinent to…
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Development of a diagnostic decision tree for obstructive pulmonary diseases based on real-life data
Metting, Esther I; In 't Veen, Johannes C C M; Dekhuijzen, P N Richard; van Heijst, Ellen; Kocks, Janwillem W H; Muilwijk-Kroes, Jacqueline B; Chavannes, Niels H; van der Molen, Thys
2016-01-01
The aim of this study was to develop and explore the diagnostic accuracy of a decision tree derived from a large real-life primary care population. Data from 9297 primary care patients (45% male, mean age 53±17 years) with suspicion of an obstructive pulmonary disease was derived from an
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Melillo, Paolo; Bracale, Marcello; Pecchia, Leandro
2011-11-07
This study investigates the variations of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) due to a real-life stressor and proposes a classifier based on nonlinear features of HRV for automatic stress detection. 42 students volunteered to participate to the study about HRV and stress. For each student, two recordings were performed: one during an on-going university examination, assumed as a real-life stressor, and one after holidays. Nonlinear analysis of HRV was performed by using Poincaré Plot, Approximate Entropy, Correlation dimension, Detrended Fluctuation Analysis, Recurrence Plot. For statistical comparison, we adopted the Wilcoxon Signed Rank test and for development of a classifier we adopted the Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA). Almost all HRV features measuring heart rate complexity were significantly decreased in the stress session. LDA generated a simple classifier based on the two Poincaré Plot parameters and Approximate Entropy, which enables stress detection with a total classification accuracy, a sensitivity and a specificity rate of 90%, 86%, and 95% respectively. The results of the current study suggest that nonlinear HRV analysis using short term ECG recording could be effective in automatically detecting real-life stress condition, such as a university examination.
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Reflections on using biographical approaches in end-of-life care: dignity therapy as example.
Lindqvist, Olav; Threlkeld, Guinever; Street, Annette F; Tishelman, Carol
2015-01-01
The therapeutic potential of nonpharmacologic interventions using biographical approaches at the end of life (EoL) is being increasingly recognized, but less attention is paid to processes impeding realization of this potential. In this article, Swedish and Australian researchers reflect on and problematize experiences using one biographical approach, dignity therapy (DT), in EoL care in Sweden. We use this as an example, focusing on critical examination of the process of applying DT in practice, examining frictions experienced in recruiting participants, collecting the data, and creating a biography. We discuss issues regarding agency, which became evident in the recruitment process and choices made about participation, and the power differentials manifested in the interactive process of eliciting stories and crafting them into a final product. We also raise salient questions about how research and practice with biographical approaches in EoL care might better build on and further existing knowledge to better reflect the complexities of everyday life. © The Author(s) 2014.
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Critical Care Nurses Inadequately Assess SAPS II Scores of Very Ill Patients in Real Life
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Andreas Perren
2012-01-01
Full Text Available Background. Reliable ICU severity scores have been achieved by various healthcare workers but nothing is known regarding the accuracy in real life of severity scores registered by untrained nurses. Methods. In this retrospective multicentre audit, three reviewers independently reassessed 120 SAPS II scores. Correlation and agreement of the sum-scores/variables among reviewers and between nurses and the reviewers’ gold standard were assessed globally and for tertiles. Bland and Altman (gold standard—nurses of sum scores and regression of the difference were determined. A logistic regression model identifying risk factors for erroneous assessments was calculated. Results. Correlation for sum scores among reviewers was almost perfect (mean ICC = 0.985. The mean (±SD nurse-registered SAPS II sum score was 40.3±20.2 versus 44.2±24.9 of the gold standard (32 points scores. The lowest agreement was found in high SAPS II tertiles for haemodynamics (k = 0.45–0.51. Conclusions. In real life, nurse-registered SAPS II scores of very ill patients are inaccurate. Accuracy of scores was not associated with nurses’ characteristics.
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Caminati, M; Senna, G; Stefanizzi, G; Bellamoli, R; Longhi, S; Chieco-Bianchi, F; Guarnieri, G; Tognella, S; Olivieri, M; Micheletto, C; Festi, G; Bertocco, E; Mazza, M; Rossi, A; Vianello, A
2016-08-25
In patients with asthma, particularly severe asthma, poor adherence to inhaled drugs negatively affects the achievement of disease control. A better adherence rate is expected in the case of injected drugs, such as omalizumab, as they are administered only in a hospital setting. However, adherence to omalizumab has never been systematically investigated. The aim of this study was to review the omalizumab drop-out rate in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and real-life studies. A comparative analysis was performed between published data and the Italian North East Omalizumab Network (NEONet) database. In RCTs the drop-out rate ranged from 7.1 to 19.4 %. Although the reasons for withdrawal were only occasionally reported, patient decision and adverse events were the most frequently reported causes. In real-life studies the drop-out rate ranged from 0 to 45.5 %. In most cases lack of efficacy was responsible for treatment discontinuation. According to NEONet data, 32 % of treated patients dropped out, with an increasing number of drop outs observed over time. Patient decision and lack of efficacy accounted for most treatment withdrawals. Treatment adherence is particularly crucial in patients with severe asthma considering the clinical impact of the disease and the cost of non-adherence. The risk of treatment discontinuation has to be carefully considered both in the experimental and real-life settings. Increased knowledge regarding the main reasons for patient withdrawal is important to improve adherence in clinical practice.
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Lagoa Real uranium province - The History of an example
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Raposo, C.; Matos, E.C. de
1982-01-01
It is narrated a historic about the anomalies descovered in Lagoa Real province (BA), focusing the aspects related to geology, mineralization, drillings data and reserves evaluation. Geologic and radiometric maps of the anomalies are shown. (A.B.) [pt
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Candace L. Beilman
2016-01-01
Full Text Available Background. Adalimumab is effective for the maintenance of remission in patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis (UC. Currently, biologic therapies are used in cases where patients fail conventional medical therapies. If biologic therapies are not available, patients often choose to remain in an unwell state rather than undergo colectomy. Objective. The aim of the study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of adalimumab in patients with UC where adalimumab was readily available compared to not available. Methods. A previously validated Markov model was used to simulate disease progression of patients with UC who are corticosteroid-dependent and/or did not respond to thiopurine therapy. Utility scores and transition probabilities between health states were determined by using data from randomized controlled trials and real-life observational studies. Costs were obtained from the Ontario Case Costing Initiative and the Alberta Health Schedule of Medical Benefits. Results. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratios for readily available adalimumab treatment of UC were $40,000 and $59,000 per quality-adjusted life year, compared with ongoing medical therapy in an unwell state, at 5-year and 10-year treatment time horizons, respectively. Conclusion. Considering real-life patient preferences to avoid colectomy, adalimumab is cost-effective according to a willingness-to-pay threshold of $80,000 for treatment of UC.
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3D Interactions between Virtual Worlds and Real Life in an E-Learning Community
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ulrike Lucke
2011-01-01
Full Text Available Virtual worlds became an appealing and fascinating component of today's internet. In particular, the number of educational providers that see a potential for E-Learning in such new platforms increases. Unfortunately, most of the environments and processes implemented up to now do not exceed a virtual modelling of real-world scenarios. In particular, this paper shows that Second Life can be more than just another learning platform. A flexible and bidirectional link between the reality and the virtual world enables synchronous and seamless interaction between users and devices across both worlds. The primary advantages of this interconnection are a spatial extension of face-to-face and online learning scenarios and a closer relationship between virtual learners and the real world.
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Strandroth, Johan; Rizzi, Matteo; Sternlund, Simon; Lie, Anders; Tingvall, Claes
2011-12-01
The aim of the present study was to estimate the correlation between Euro NCAP pedestrian rating scores and injury outcome in real-life car-to-pedestrian crashes, with special focus on long-term disability. Another aim was to determine whether brake assist (BA) systems affect the injury outcome in real-life car-to-pedestrian crashes and to estimate the combined effects in injury reduction of a high Euro NCAP ranking score and BA. In the current study, the Euro NCAP pedestrian scoring was compared with the real-life outcome in pedestrian crashes that occurred in Sweden during 2003 to 2010. The real-life crash data were obtained from the data acquisition system Swedish Traffic Accident Data Acquisition (STRADA), which combines police records and hospital admission data. The medical data consisted of International Classification of Diseases (ICD) diagnoses and Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) scoring. In all, approximately 500 pedestrians submitted to hospital were included in the study. Each car model was coded according to Euro NCAP pedestrian scores. In addition, the presence or absence of BA was coded for each car involved. Cars were grouped according to their scoring. Injury outcomes were analyzed with AIS and, at the victim level, with permanent medical impairment. This was done by translating the injury scores for each individual to the risk of serious consequences (RSC) at 1, 5, and 10 percent risk of disability level. This indicates the total risk of a medical disability for each victim, given the severity and location of injuries. The mean RSC (mRSC) was then calculated for each car group and t-tests were conducted to falsify the null hypothesis at p ≤ .05 that the mRSC within the groups was equal. The results showed a significant reduction of injury severity for cars with better pedestrian scoring, although cars with a high score could not be studied due to lack of cases. The reduction in RSC for medium-performing cars in comparison with low-performing cars
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Towards Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Marzia Traverso
2010-10-01
Full Text Available Sustainability is nowadays accepted by all stakeholders as a guiding principle for both public policy making and corporate strategies. However, the biggest challenge for most organizations remains in the real and substantial implementation of the sustainability concept. The core of the implementation challenge is the question, how sustainability performance can be measured, especially for products and processes. This paper explores the current status of Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA for products and processes. For the environmental dimension well established tools like Life Cycle Assessment are available. For the economic and social dimension, there is still need for consistent and robust indicators and methods. In addition to measuring the individual sustainability dimensions, another challenge is a comprehensive, yet understandable presentation of the results. The “Life Cycle Sustainability Dashboard” and the “Life Cycle Sustainability Triangle” are presented as examples for communication tools for both experts and non expert stakeholders.
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Desiderio e scrittura in "The Real Life of Sebastian Knight" di Vladimir Nabokov
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Valeria Invernizzi
2014-12-01
This paper examines, from a psychoanalytic standpoint, the intersection between identity and writing in the novel The Real Life of Sebastian Knight (1941 by Vladimir Nabokov. In particular, in the wake of Freud and Lacan, the following contribution will take the notions of desire, signifier, and the process of sublimation involved in artistic creation as interpretative devices. The main focus of the analysis will be the relationship between the two half-brothers of the novel, V (the narrator and Sebastian. First, I will show that Sebastian Knight holds the role of the object of desire for the characters who have established a close relationship with him and, in particular, for V. Secondly, the paper will be devoted to the analysis of the trauma experienced by the characters because of Sebastian's death, with a particular focus on the narrator's mourning through writing (the fictional biography we read in the novel; in the end, I will give evidence of the so-called signifier’s fallacy, crucial episodes in which the narrator can experience an insight into the truth of desire. Because of the not negligible question of the fictional paternity of The Real Life and the equally essential matter of V’s ‘stylistic touch’, metaliterary aspects of the novel will also be part of the following reading of the text.
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Wichers, Marieke; Kasanova, Zuzana; Bakker, Jindra; Thiery, Evert; Derom, Catherine; Jacobs, Nele; van Os, Jim
2015-01-01
Many of the decisions and actions in everyday life result from implicit learning processes. Important to psychopathology are, for example, implicit reward-seeking and punishment-avoidant learning processes. It is known that when specific actions get associated with a rewarding experience, such as
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Wang, Xiaoling; Ding, Xiuhua; Su, Shaoyong; Harshfield, Gregory; Treiber, Frank; Snieder, Harold
To determine to what extent the genetic influences on blood pressure (BP) measured in the office, under psychologically stressful conditions in the laboratory and during real life are different from each other. Office BP, BP during a video game challenge and a social stressor interview, and 24-h
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Framing Mass Shootings: Fictional Depictions of Real-life Gun Massacres in American Cinema
Tryggeseid, Ane Johannessen
2017-01-01
This thesis examines the concept of real-life mass shootings and its depiction in American fictional cinema. The issue of mass shootings is a highly controversial subject of discussion, both within the public and political sphere, as it necessarily touches upon rigid perceptions of civil liberties – specifically those of the Second Amendment – which further permeates the field of fictional cinema. As opposed to assessing the issue of mass shootings as a product of a prevailing culture of guns...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Stamatin Oleksandr V.
2014-03-01
Full Text Available The goal of the article is presentation of results of study of factors of influence upon quality of labour life of industrial employees and justification of a scorecard of its assessment at the micro-economic level with the use of statistical methods of study. The article proves that the quality of labour life is based on enterprise capabilities, which depend on economic results, identified by the use of financial, material and human resources, effectiveness of the innovation and investment activity. The article reveals main factors that influence the quality of labour life of industrial employees using example of engineering enterprises: labour remuneration, social provisions, possibility to develop personnel, progressive state of fixed assets, financial sustainability of the enterprise, and effectiveness of investing into innovation activity. The article proves expediency of use of statistical methods of study for assessment of quality of labour life of employees, namely: multi-dimensional factor analysis, neural networks and folded additive technique. Their use helped to reveal indicators that are the most sensitive to managerial impact for ensuring quality of labour life. The article justifies stages of methodical approach to assessment of the quality of labour life of industrial employees, which was applied at engineering enterprises, which proves its significance and theoretical substantiation.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Alfredo García-Layana
2014-01-01
Full Text Available Purpose. Spanish retina specialists were surveyed in order to propose actions to decrease deficiencies in real-life neovascular age macular degeneration treatment (nv-AMD. Methods. One hundred experts, members of the Spanish Vitreoretinal Society (SERV, were invited to complete an online survey of 52 statements about nv-AMD management with a modified Delphi methodology. Four rounds were performed using a 5-point Linkert scale. Recommendations were developed after analyzing the differences between the results and the SERV guidelines recommendations. Results. Eighty-seven specialists completed all the Delphi rounds. Once major potential deficiencies in real-life nv-AMD treatment were identified, 15 recommendations were developed with a high level of agreement. Consensus statements to reduce the burden of the disease included the use of treat and extend regimen and to reduce the amount of diagnostic tests during the loading phase and training technical staff to perform these tests and reduce the time between relapse detection and reinjection, as well as establishing patient referral protocols to outside general ophthalmology clinics. Conclusion. The level of agreement with the final recommendations for nv-AMD treatment among Spanish retinal specialist was high indicating that some actions could be applied in order to reduce the deficiencies in real-life nv-AMD treatment.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Asami, Tohru; Hashimoto, Kazuo; Yamamoto, Seiichi
1992-01-01
Recently, aiming at the application to the plant control for nuclear reactors and traffic and communication control, the research and the practical use of the expert system suitable to real time processing have become conspicuous. In this report, the condition for the required function to control the object that dynamically changes within a limited time is presented, and the technical difference between the real time expert system developed so as to satisfy it and the expert system of conventional type is explained with the actual examples and from theoretical aspect. The expert system of conventional type has the technical base in the problem-solving equipment originating in STRIPS. The real time expert system is applied to the fields accompanied by surveillance and control, to which conventional expert system is hard to be applied. The requirement for the real time expert system, the example of the real time expert system, and as the techniques of realizing real time processing, the realization of interruption processing, dispersion processing, and the mechanism of maintaining the consistency of knowledge are explained. (K.I.)
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Reinders, M.J.; Huitink, M.; Dijkstra, S.C.; Maaskant, A.J.; Heijnen, J.
2017-01-01
Background: The aim of this research was to investigate whether increased portion sizes of vegetables and decreased portion sizes of meat on main dishes increased the amount of vegetables consumed in a real-life restaurant setting without affecting customer satisfaction. The participants were
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Samalin, Ludovic; Vieta, Eduard; Okasha, Tarek Ahmed; Uddin, Mm Jalal; Ahmadi Abhari, Seyed Ali; Nacef, Fethi; Mishyiev, Vyacheslav; Aizenberg, Dovi; Ratner, Yaël; Melas-Melt, Lydie; Sedeki, Idir; Llorca, Pierre Michel
2016-05-16
Most of the existing data on real-life management of bipolar disorder are from studies conducted in western countries (mostly United States and Europe). This multinational, observational cohort study aimed to describe the management and clinical outcomes of bipolar patients in real-life conditions across various intercontinental countries (Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Tunisia, and Ukraine). Data on socio-demographic and disease characteristics, current symptomatology, and pharmacological treatment were collected. Comparisons between groups were performed using standard statistical tests. Overall, 1180 patients were included. The median time from initial diagnosis was 80 months. Major depressive disorder was the most common initial diagnosis. Mood stabilizers and antipsychotics were the most common drugs being prescribed at the time of the study. Antidepressants (mainly selective serotonin uptake inhibitors [SSRIs]) were administered to 36.1% of patients. Patients with bipolar I disorder received higher number of antipsychotics and anxiolytics than those with bipolar II disorder (p Bipolar disorder real-life management practice, irrespective of region, shows a delay in diagnosis and an overuse of antidepressants. Clinical decision-making appears to be based on a multidimensional approach related to current symptomatology and type of bipolar disorder.
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Temporal compression in episodic memory for real-life events.
Jeunehomme, Olivier; Folville, Adrien; Stawarczyk, David; Van der Linden, Martial; D'Argembeau, Arnaud
2018-07-01
Remembering an event typically takes less time than experiencing it, suggesting that episodic memory represents past experience in a temporally compressed way. Little is known, however, about how the continuous flow of real-life events is summarised in memory. Here we investigated the nature and determinants of temporal compression by directly comparing memory contents with the objective timing of events as measured by a wearable camera. We found that episodic memories consist of a succession of moments of prior experience that represent events with varying compression rates, such that the density of retrieved information is modulated by goal processing and perceptual changes. Furthermore, the results showed that temporal compression rates remain relatively stable over one week and increase after a one-month delay, particularly for goal-related events. These data shed new light on temporal compression in episodic memory and suggest that compression rates are adaptively modulated to maintain current goal-relevant information.
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Jezova, D; Hlavacova, N; Dicko, I; Solarikova, P; Brezina, I
2016-07-01
Repeated or chronic exposure to stressors is associated with changes in neuroendocrine responses depending on the type, intensity, number and frequency of stress exposure as well as previous stress experience. The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that salivary cortisol and cardiovascular responses to real-life psychosocial stressors related to public performance can cross-adapt with responses to psychosocial stress induced by public speech under laboratory setting. The sample consisted of 22 healthy male volunteers, which were either actors, more precisely students of dramatic arts or non-actors, students of other fields. The stress task consisted of 15 min anticipatory preparation phase and 15 min of public speech on an emotionally charged topic. The actors, who were accustomed to public speaking, responded with a rise in salivary cortisol as well as blood pressure to laboratory public speech. The values of salivary cortisol, systolic blood pressure and state anxiety were lower in actors compared to non-actors. Unlike non-actors, subjects with experience in public speaking did not show stress-induced rise in the heart rate. Evaluation of personality traits revealed that actors scored significantly higher in extraversion than the subjects in the non-actor group. In conclusion, neuroendocrine responses to real-life stressors in actors can partially cross-adapt with responses to psychosocial stress under laboratory setting. The most evident adaptation was at the level of heart rate responses. The public speech tasks may be of help in evaluation of the ability to cope with stress in real life in artists by simple laboratory testing.
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Barbiric, Dora; Tribe, Lorena; Soriano, Rosario
2015-01-01
In this laboratory, students calculated the nutritional value of common foods to assess the energy content needed to answer an everyday life application; for example, how many kilometers can an average person run with the energy provided by 100 g (3.5 oz) of beef? The optimized geometries and the formation enthalpies of the nutritional components…
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Li, Heng; Cao, Yu
2017-06-01
What influences how people implicitly associate "past" and "future" with "front" and "back?" Whereas previous research has shown that cultural attitudes toward time play a role in modulating space-time mappings in people's mental models (de la Fuente, Santiago, Román, Dumitrache & Casasanto, 2014), we investigated real life experiences as potential additional influences on these implicit associations. Participants within the same single culture, who are engaged in different intermediate-term educational experiences (Study 1), long-term living experiences (Study 2), and short-term visiting experiences (Study 3), showed their distinct differences in temporal focus, thereby influencing their implicit spatializations of time. Results across samples suggest that personal attitudes toward time related to real life experiences may influence people's space-time mappings. The findings we report on shed further light on the high flexibility of human conceptualization system. While culture may exert an important influence on temporal focus, a person's conceptualization of time may be attributed to a culmination of factors. © 2017 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Managing in the Virtual World: How Second Life is Rewriting the Rules of "Real Life" Business
Wyld, David C.
In this paper, we will explore the growth of virtual worlds - one of the most exciting and fast-growing concepts in the Web 2.0 era. We will see that while there has been significant growth across all demographic groups, online gaming in MMOGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Games) are finding particular appeal in today's youth - the so-called "digital native" generation. We then overview the today's virtual world marketplace, both in the youth and adult-oriented markets. Second Life is emerging as the most important virtual world today, due to the intense interest amongst both large organizations and individual entrepreneurs to conduct real business in the virtual environment. Due to its prominence today and its forecasted growth over the next decade, we take a look at the unscripted world of Second Life, examining the corporate presence in-world, as well as the economic, technical, legal, ethical and security issues involved for companies doing business in the virtual world. In conclusion, we present an analysis of where we stand in terms of virtual world development today and a projection of where we will be heading in the near future. Finally, we present advice to management practitioners and academicians on how to learn about virtual worlds and explore the world of opportunities in them.
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Active learning in the presence of unlabelable examples
Mazzoni, Dominic; Wagstaff, Kiri
2004-01-01
We propose a new active learning framework where the expert labeler is allowed to decline to label any example. This may be necessary because the true label is unknown or because the example belongs to a class that is not part of the real training problem. We show that within this framework, popular active learning algorithms (such as Simple) may perform worse than random selection because they make so many queries to the unlabelable class. We present a method by which any active learning algorithm can be modified to avoid unlabelable examples by training a second classifier to distinguish between the labelable and unlabelable classes. We also demonstrate the effectiveness of the method on two benchmark data sets and a real-world problem.
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Acceptance Sampling Plans Based on Truncated Life Tests for Sushila Distribution
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Amer Ibrahim Al-Omari
2018-03-01
Full Text Available An acceptance sampling plan problem based on truncated life tests when the lifetime following a Sushila distribution is considered in this paper. For various acceptance numbers, confidence levels and values of the ratio between fixed experiment time and particular mean lifetime, the minimum sample sizes required to ascertain a specified mean life were found. The operating characteristic function values of the suggested sampling plans and the producer’s risk are presented. Some tables are provided and the results are illustrated by an example of a real data set.
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Overvoltage Protection of Large Power Transformers - A Real-Life Study Case
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Bak, Claus Leth; Einarsdottir, K. E.; Andresson, E.
2008-01-01
This paper demonstrates the results from a detailed study of the overvoltage protection of a particular 400/150-kV 400-MVA power transformer. The work presented here is based on a real-life power system substation design and data and initiated by Danish TSO Energinet.dk as a consequence of serious...... transformer overvoltage damage. A simulation model for the entire system consisting of overhead line, transformer, surge arrester, and earth grid has been created in PSCAD/EMTDC. The main focus has been put on the earth grid, which has been submodeled in detail in MATLAB using an electromagnetic transient...... exceeded. It is clearly illustrated that the transient performance of the earth grid plays an important role in the overall overvoltage protection system design....
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Hearts and Minds: Real-Life Cardiotoxicity With Clozapine in Psychosis.
Joy, George; Whiskey, Eromona; Bolstridge, Mark; Porras-Segovia, Alejandro; McDonagh, Theresa A; Plymen, Carla M; Shergill, Sukhi S
2017-12-01
Schizophrenia has a 1% prevalence in the population; 30% of these patients are treatment refractory. Clozapine is the only drug licensed to treat treatment refractory psychosis, but concerns about potential adverse effects result in only a proportion of eligible patients being treated. Although a well-documented neutropenia risk is mitigated by routine blood testing, cardiac toxicity is a commonly cited reason to discontinue clozapine treatment. However, there is little data on the real-life cardiac outcomes in those receiving clozapine treatment. Retrospective review of electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, and clinical outcomes in 39 inpatients with treatment-refractory schizophrenia, treated with clozapine and other antipsychotic medication, referred for cardiology opinion. Commonest reasons for referral were development of left ventricular (LV) impairment or sinus tachycardia with normal LV function. Patients were reviewed by a range of cardiologists, receiving varied interventions.Median LV ejection fraction in the clozapine group was normal (52%). Serial echocardiograms demonstrated that clozapine-treated patients with LV impairment had no change in LV ejection fraction over a 4-month follow-up. Left ventricular ejection fraction did not differ between patients treated with clozapine and other antipsychotics. However, over an 11-year follow-up period, 48% of patients had discontinued clozapine treatment. This naturalistic study demonstrates that clozapine is not associated with significant cardiac mortality or morbidity. There is a real need for multidisciplinary working between specialist cardiologists and psychiatrists caring for these complex patients to facilitate optimal long-term physical and mental health outcomes.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Zijp, W.L.
1985-12-01
The problem how to make an objective evaluation of inconsistent numerical observations made by different authors or laboratories on the same physical quantity is dealt with. The problem is treated in a practical way in the light of the example on the half-life of 90 Sr, and it is to some extent a response to a document by Gray (1985) on the same topic
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Irina Marchesini
2016-11-01
Full Text Available The present research is focused on the theme of absence, an area of inquiry that might seem dominant in the field of Nabokov Studies. The analysis, which concentrates in particular on the key figures of the novel The Real Life of Sebastian Knight (1941, notably the narrator V. and the poet Sebastian Knight, interprets the characters’ construction through the paradigm of absence. Arguably, the construction of characters in The Real Life of Sebastian Knight is paradoxical: absence constitutes their essence at a core level, as it often happens in the context of the self-conscious genre. Moreover, absence plays a key role in characters’ design, linking them to all Nabokovian novels. However, despite their innermost ‘flatness’, to use Edward M. Forster’s terminology, they still appear to be ‘round’, i.e. plausible, mimetic figures.
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Statics learning from engineering examples
Emri, Igor
2016-01-01
This textbook introduces and explains the basic concepts on which statics is based utilizing real engineering examples. The authors emphasize the learning process by showing a real problem, analyzing it, simplifying it, and developing a way to solve it. This feature teaches students intuitive thinking in solving real engineering problems using the fundamentals of Newton’s laws. This book also: · Stresses representation of physical reality in ways that allow students to solve problems and obtain meaningful results · Emphasizes identification of important features of the structure that should be included in a model and which features may be omitted · Facilitates students' understanding and mastery of the "flow of thinking" practiced by professional engineers.
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Evaluation of RPL-compliant routing solutions in real-life WSNs
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Zahariadis Theodore
2016-01-01
Full Text Available Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN applications continue to expand and already cover almost all our daily activities improving from security and environmental efficiency to gaming experience. The diverse applications running on top of WSNs have led to the design of an immense number of routing protocols. Few years ago, the IETF standardized the IPv6 routing protocol for low-power and lossy networks (RPL which is based on routing metrics to build communication paths between a source and the destination node. While significant efforts have focused on the design of routing metrics that satisfy the various applications, limited work has been reported on validating their performance using real-life motes. In this paper, we focus on validating the simulation results (obtained through the JSim simulator using TelosB motes for a set of routing metrics that have been proposed in our previous articles.
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von Haaren, Birte; Ottenbacher, Joerg; Muenz, Julia; Neumann, Rainer; Boes, Klaus; Ebner-Priemer, Ulrich
2016-02-01
The cross-stressor adaptation hypothesis suggests that regular exercise leads to adaptations in the stress response systems that induce decreased physiological responses to psychological stressors. Even though an exercise intervention to buffer the detrimental effects of psychological stressors on health might be of utmost importance, empirical evidence is mixed. This may be explained by the use of cross-sectional designs and non-personally relevant stressors. Using a randomized controlled trial, we hypothesized that a 20-week aerobic exercise training does reduce physiological stress responses to psychological real-life stressors in sedentary students. Sixty-one students were randomized to either a control group or an exercise training group. The academic examination period (end of the semester) served as a real-life stressor. We used ambulatory assessment methods to assess physiological stress reactivity of the autonomic nervous system (heart rate variability: LF/HF, RMSSD), physical activity and perceived stress during 2 days of everyday life and multilevel models for data analyses. Aerobic capacity (VO2max) was assessed pre- and post-intervention via cardiopulmonary exercise testing to analyze the effectiveness of the intervention. During real-life stressors, the exercise training group showed significantly reduced LF/HF (β = -0.15, t = -2.59, p = .01) and increased RMSSD (β = 0.15, t = 2.34, p = .02) compared to the control group. Using a randomized controlled trial and a real-life stressor, we could show that exercise appears to be a useful preventive strategy to buffer the effects of stress on the autonomic nervous system, which might result into detrimental health outcomes.
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Koen, Mariette; Ebrahim, Hasina Banu
2013-01-01
Our aim was to explore how real-world experience, inclusive of engagement with cultural differences, influences the quality of students' learning in a Life Skills module in pre-service Foundation Phase teacher education. The study was conducted with 147 students in their final year of the Bachelor of Education (Foundation Phase specialisation), at…
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Field, Michael
2017-01-01
This book provides a rigorous introduction to the techniques and results of real analysis, metric spaces and multivariate differentiation, suitable for undergraduate courses. Starting from the very foundations of analysis, it offers a complete first course in real analysis, including topics rarely found in such detail in an undergraduate textbook such as the construction of non-analytic smooth functions, applications of the Euler-Maclaurin formula to estimates, and fractal geometry. Drawing on the author’s extensive teaching and research experience, the exposition is guided by carefully chosen examples and counter-examples, with the emphasis placed on the key ideas underlying the theory. Much of the content is informed by its applicability: Fourier analysis is developed to the point where it can be rigorously applied to partial differential equations or computation, and the theory of metric spaces includes applications to ordinary differential equations and fractals. Essential Real Analysis will appeal t...
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Dreischarf, Marcel; Pries, Esther; Bashkuev, Maxim; Putzier, Michael; Schmidt, Hendrik
2016-03-21
The individual lumbar lordosis and lumbar motion have been identified to play an important role in pathogenesis of low back pain and are essential references for preoperative planning and postoperative evaluation. The clinical "gold-standard" for measuring lumbar lordosis and its motion are radiological "snap-shots" taken while standing and during upper-body flexion and extension. The extent to which these clinically assessed values characterise lumbar alignment and its motion in daily life merits discussion. A non-invasive measurement-system was employed to measure lumbar lordosis and lumbar motion in 208 volunteers (age: 20-74yrs; ♀/♂: 115/93). For an initial short-term measurement, comparable with the clinical "snap-shot", lumbar lordosis and its motion were assessed while standing and during flexion and extension. Subsequently, volunteers were released to their daily lives while wearing the device, and measurements were performed during the following 24h. The average lumbar lordosis during 24h (8.0°) differed significantly from the standardised measurement while standing (33.3°). Ranges of motion were significantly different throughout the day compared to standing measurements. The influence of the factors age and gender on lordosis and its motion resulted in conflicting results between long- and short-term-measurements. In conclusion, results of short-term examinations differ considerably from the average values during real-life. These findings might be important for surgical planning and increase the awareness of the biomechanical challenges that spinal structures and implants face in real-life. Furthermore, long-term assessments of spinal alignment and motion during daily life can provide valid data on spinal function and can reveal the importance of influential factors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Bakker, I.C.; van der Voordt, Theo; Vink, P.; de Boon, J
2014-01-01
This research discusses the validity of applying questionnaires in colour research in real life settings.
In the literature the conclusions concerning the influences of colours on human performance and well-being are often conflicting. This can be caused by the artificial setting of the test -
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Kulakov Kirill
2017-01-01
Full Text Available Building and developing an affordable housing market is a huge challenge for Russia’s national economy. Today, the housing construction industry finds itself in a situation torn by a conflict caused by the simultaneous needs to minimize the housing construction costs in order to make housing more affordable for Russians and to increase the energy efficiency of the housing projects, which is associated with additional costs for developers. To find solutions to this contradictory situation, one needs new theoretical and practical approaches and economic tools. The global economic trend of managing goods and services on the basis of the value of goods and services over the life cycle is also manifested in the construction industry in Russia. The problem of forming a new economic thinking in the housing sector predetermines the perception of the value of housing not only as the price of purchased real estate, but as the equivalent of the total cost of ownership of real estate throughout its life cycle. This approach allows to compensate the initial rise in the cost of construction resulting from the introduction of energy-efficient technologies by savings in the operational phase of the life cycle of the property. In this regard, management of the total cost of real estate ownership based on energy modeling is of high research and practical relevance.
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Mechanics, waves and thermodynamics an example-based approach
Jain, Sudhir Ranjan
2016-01-01
The principles of classical physics, though superseded in specific fields by such theories as quantum mechanics and general relativity, are still of great importance in a broad range of applications. The book presents fundamental concepts of classical physics in a coherent and logical manner. It discusses important topics including the mechanics of a single particle, kinetic theory, oscillations and waves. Topics including the kinetic theory of gases, thermodynamics and statistical mechanics are discussed, which are normally not present in the books on classical physics. The fundamental concepts of energy, momentum, mass and entropy are explained with examples. Discussion on concepts of thermodynamics is presented along with the simplified explanation on Caratheodory's axioms. It covers chapters on wave motion and statistical physics, useful for the graduate students. Each concept is supported with real-life applications on several concepts including impulse and collision, Bernoulli's equation, and friction.
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Awais, Muhammad; Palmerini, Luca; Bourke, Alan K; Ihlen, Espen A F; Helbostad, Jorunn L; Chiari, Lorenzo
2016-12-11
The popularity of using wearable inertial sensors for physical activity classification has dramatically increased in the last decade due to their versatility, low form factor, and low power requirements. Consequently, various systems have been developed to automatically classify daily life activities. However, the scope and implementation of such systems is limited to laboratory-based investigations. Furthermore, these systems are not directly comparable, due to the large diversity in their design (e.g., number of sensors, placement of sensors, data collection environments, data processing techniques, features set, classifiers, cross-validation methods). Hence, the aim of this study is to propose a fair and unbiased benchmark for the field-based validation of three existing systems, highlighting the gap between laboratory and real-life conditions. For this purpose, three representative state-of-the-art systems are chosen and implemented to classify the physical activities of twenty older subjects (76.4 ± 5.6 years). The performance in classifying four basic activities of daily life (sitting, standing, walking, and lying) is analyzed in controlled and free living conditions. To observe the performance of laboratory-based systems in field-based conditions, we trained the activity classification systems using data recorded in a laboratory environment and tested them in real-life conditions in the field. The findings show that the performance of all systems trained with data in the laboratory setting highly deteriorates when tested in real-life conditions, thus highlighting the need to train and test the classification systems in the real-life setting. Moreover, we tested the sensitivity of chosen systems to window size (from 1 s to 10 s) suggesting that overall accuracy decreases with increasing window size. Finally, to evaluate the impact of the number of sensors on the performance, chosen systems are modified considering only the sensing unit worn at the lower back
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Muhammad Awais
2016-12-01
Full Text Available The popularity of using wearable inertial sensors for physical activity classification has dramatically increased in the last decade due to their versatility, low form factor, and low power requirements. Consequently, various systems have been developed to automatically classify daily life activities. However, the scope and implementation of such systems is limited to laboratory-based investigations. Furthermore, these systems are not directly comparable, due to the large diversity in their design (e.g., number of sensors, placement of sensors, data collection environments, data processing techniques, features set, classifiers, cross-validation methods. Hence, the aim of this study is to propose a fair and unbiased benchmark for the field-based validation of three existing systems, highlighting the gap between laboratory and real-life conditions. For this purpose, three representative state-of-the-art systems are chosen and implemented to classify the physical activities of twenty older subjects (76.4 ± 5.6 years. The performance in classifying four basic activities of daily life (sitting, standing, walking, and lying is analyzed in controlled and free living conditions. To observe the performance of laboratory-based systems in field-based conditions, we trained the activity classification systems using data recorded in a laboratory environment and tested them in real-life conditions in the field. The findings show that the performance of all systems trained with data in the laboratory setting highly deteriorates when tested in real-life conditions, thus highlighting the need to train and test the classification systems in the real-life setting. Moreover, we tested the sensitivity of chosen systems to window size (from 1 s to 10 s suggesting that overall accuracy decreases with increasing window size. Finally, to evaluate the impact of the number of sensors on the performance, chosen systems are modified considering only the sensing unit worn
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Guilherme, Elsa; Faria, Cláudia; Boaventura, Diana
2016-01-01
The purpose of the study was to investigate how young students engage in an inquiry-based project driven by real-life contexts. Elementary school children were engaged in a small inquiry project centred on marine biodiversity and species adaptations. All activities included the exploration of an out-of-school setting as a learning context. A total…
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Mathieu, C; Barnett, A H; Brath, H; Conget, I; de Castro, J J; Göke, R; Márquez Rodriguez, E; Nilsson, P M; Pagkalos, E; Penfornis, A; Schaper, NC; Wangnoo, S K; Kothny, W; Bader, G
2013-01-01
Aim Real-life studies are needed to confirm the clinical relevance of findings from randomised controlled trials (RCTs). This study aimed to assess the effectiveness and tolerability of vildagliptin add-on vs. other oral antihyperglycaemic drugs (OADs) added to OAD monotherapy in a real-life setting, and to explore the advantages and limitations of large-scale ‘pragmatic’ trials. Methods EDGE was a prospective, 1-year, worldwide, real-life observational study in which 2957 physicians reported on the effects of second-line OADs in 45,868 patients with T2DM not reaching glycaemic targets with monotherapy. Physicians could add any OAD, and patients entered either vildagliptin or (pooled) comparator cohort. The primary effectiveness and tolerability end-point (PEP) evaluated proportions of patients decreasing HbA1c > 0.3%, without hypoglycaemia, weight gain, peripheral oedema or gastrointestinal side effects. The most clinically relevant secondary end-point (SEP 3) was attainment of end-point HbA1c vildagliptin-based regimen. The adjusted odds ratio was 1.49 (95% CI: 1.42, 1.55; p vildagliptin-based combination and by 23% of those receiving comparator combinations. The adjusted odds ratio was 1.96 (95% CI: 1.85, 2.07; p vildagliptin and other OADs were consistent with previous data. Conclusion EDGE demonstrates that in a ‘real-life’ setting, vildagliptin as second OAD can lower HbA1c to target without well-recognised OAD side effects, more frequently than comparator OADs. In addition, EDGE illustrates that conducting large-scale, prospective, real-life studies poses challenges but yields valuable clinical information complementary to RCTs. PMID:23961850
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Performance evaluation of near-real-time accounting systems
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Anon.
1981-01-01
Examples are given illustrating the application of near-real-time accounting concepts and principles to actual nuclear facilities. Experience with prototypical systems at the AGNS reprocessing plant and the Los Alamos plutonium facility is described using examples of actual data to illustrate the performance and effectiveness of near-real-time systems. The purpose of the session is to enable participants to: (1) identify the major components of near-real-time accounting systems; (2) describe qualitatively the advantages, limitations, and performance of such systems in real nuclear facilities; (3) identify process and facility design characteristics that affect the performance of near-real-time systems; and (4) describe qualitatively the steps necessary to implement a near-real-time accounting and control system in a nuclear facility
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The Real Problem (Humans) and Some Potentially Effective Alternatives and New Tools
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Hanlon, Edward; Capece, John
2011-01-07
The presentation offers a wider perspective, where on the example of Everglades’ restoration efforts, the real problem – humans – is exposed. Some potentially effective alternatives and new tools are offered and discussed. Everglades’s problems are primarily caused to human activity, whether these are related to poor water quality, land use changes or cheap short-sighted fixes. Ground rules need to be set in order to have a real discussion and seek real solutions to such problems. The difference between facts and opinions is explained, so is the difference between interests and positions. These terms are often partly coinciding in human minds, thus causing further misunderstandings in pursuing real solutions. Some confounding factors in the Everglades restoration efforts are listed, with one of the main examples being the assignment of a monetary value to all factors. Some of these factors are priceless, but not being valued easily and properly (such as water). The proposed alternative to monetary value is assigning energy as the unit of measurement. The two main methods for such alternate approach are (1) Embodied energy (Emergy) and (2) Life Cycle Analysis. Agriculturally-based ecosystems services are different from natural ecosystems services. Pursuing agriculturally-based ecosystems services (such as e.g. water storage on farms, reducing nutrients in water, using flood-tolerant crops cultivars, etc.) can develop eco-services into agricultural operations and systems, addressing everyone’s interest and benefiting the society.
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Get the most from your data: a propensity score model comparison on real-life data.
Ferdinand, Dennis; Otto, Mirko; Weiss, Christel
2016-01-01
In the past, the propensity score has been in the middle of several discussions in terms of its abilities and limitations. With a comprehensive review and a practical example, this study examines the effect of propensity score analysis of real-life data and introduces a simple and effective clinical approach. After the authors reviewed current publications, they applied their insights to the data of a nonrandomized clinical trial in bariatric surgery. This study examined weight loss in 173 patients where 127 patients received Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery and 46 patients sleeve gastrectomy. Both groups underwent analysis in terms of their covariate distribution using Mann-Whitney U and χ (2) testing. Mean differences within excess weight loss in native data were examined with Student's t-test. Three propensity score models were defined and matching was performed. Covariate distribution and mean differences in excess weight loss were checked with Mann-Whitney U and χ (2) testing. Native data implied a significant difference in excess weight loss. The propensity score models did not confirm this difference. All models proved that both surgical procedures were equal, due to their weight-loss induction. Covariate distribution improved after the matching procedure in terms of an equal distribution. It seemed that a practical clinical approach with outcome-related covariates as a propensity score base is the ideal midpoint between an equal distribution in covariates and an acceptable loss of data. Nevertheless, propensity score models designed with clinical intent seemed to be absolutely suitable for overcoming heterogeneity in covariate distribution.
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Designing "Real-World" trials to meet the needs of health policy makers at marketing authorization.
Calvert, Melanie; Wood, John; Freemantle, Nick
2011-07-01
There is increasing interest in conducting "Real-World" trials that go beyond traditional assessment of efficacy and safety to examine market access and value for money questions before marketing authorization of a new pharmaceutical product or health technology. This commentary uses practical examples to demonstrate how high-quality evidence of the cost-effectiveness of an intervention may be gained earlier in the development process. Issues surrounding the design and analysis of "Real-World" trials to demonstrate relative cost-effectiveness early in the life of new technologies are discussed. The modification of traditional phase III trial designs, de novo trial designs, the combination of trial-based and epidemiological data, and the use of simulation model-based approaches to address reimbursement questions are described. Modest changes to a phase III trial protocol and case report form may be undertaken at the design stage to provide valid estimates of health care use and the benefits accrued; however, phase III designs often preclude "real-life" practice. Relatively small de novo trials may be used to address adherence to therapy or patient preference, although simply designed studies with active comparators enrolling large numbers of patients may provide evidence on long-term safety and rare adverse events. Practical examples demonstrate that it is possible to provide high-quality evidence of the cost-effectiveness of an intervention earlier in the development process. Payers and decision makers should preferentially adopt treatments with such evidence than treatments for which evidence is lacking or of lower quality. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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"Real-life" treatment of chronic pain: Targets and goals.
Ablin, Jacob N; Buskila, Dan
2015-02-01
Treating chronic pain is a complex challenge. While textbooks and medical education classically categorize pain as originating from peripheral (nociceptive), neuropathic, or centralized origins, in real life each and every patient may present a combination of various pain sources, types, and mechanisms. Moreover, individual patients may evolve and develop differing types of pain throughout their clinical follow-up, further emphasizing the necessity to maintain clinical diligence during the evaluation and follow-up of these patients. Rational treatment of patients suffering from chronic pain must attempt at deconstructing complex pain cases, identifying variegate pain generators, and targeting them with appropriate interventions, while incorporating both pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies, rather than focusing on the total pain level, which represents an integral of all pain types. Failing to recognize the coexistence of different types of pain in an individual patient and escalating medications only on the basis of total pain intensity are liable to lead to both ineffective control of pain and increased untoward effects. In the current review, we outline strategies for deconstructing complex pain and therapeutic suggestions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Erfan Shahabpoor
2018-06-01
Full Text Available Continuous monitoring of natural human gait in real-life environments is essential in many applications including disease monitoring, rehabilitation, and professional sports. Wearable inertial measurement units are successfully used to measure body kinematics in real-life environments and to estimate total walking ground reaction forces GRF(t using equations of motion. However, for inverse dynamics and clinical gait analysis, the GRF(t of each foot is required separately. Using an experimental dataset of 1243 tri-axial separate-foot GRF(t time histories measured by the authors across eight years, this study proposes the ‘Twin Polynomial Method’ (TPM to estimate the tri-axial left and right foot GRF(t signals from the total GRF(t signals. For each gait cycle, TPM fits polynomials of degree five, eight, and nine to the known single-support part of the left and right foot vertical, anterior-posterior, and medial-lateral GRF(t signals, respectively, to extrapolate the unknown double-support parts of the corresponding GRF(t signals. Validation of the proposed method both with force plate measurements (gold standard in the laboratory, and in real-life environment showed a peak-to-peak normalized root mean square error of less than 2.5%, 6.5% and 7.5% for the estimated GRF(t signals in the vertical, anterior-posterior and medial-lateral directions, respectively. These values show considerable improvement compared with the currently available GRF(t decomposition methods in the literature.
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Correa Bahnsen, Alejandro
2015-01-01
Several real-world binary classification problems are example-dependent cost-sensitive in nature, where the costs due to misclassification vary between examples and not only within classes. However, standard binary classification methods do not take these costs into account, and assume a constant cost of misclassification errors. This approach is not realistic in many real-world applications. For example in credit card fraud detection, failing to detect a fraudulent transaction may have an ec...
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Wu, Hsin-Kai
2003-11-01
Chemistry learning involves establishing conceptual relationships among macroscopic, microscopic, and symbolic representations. Employing the notion of intertextuality to conceptualize these relationships, this study investigates how class members interactionally construct meanings of chemical representations by connecting them to real-life experiences and how the teachers' content knowledge shapes their ways to coconstruct intertextual links with students. Multiple sources of data were collected over 7 weeks with a participation of 25 eleventh graders, an experienced teacher, and a student teacher. An examination of classroom discourse shows that the intertextual links between the microscopic view of chemistry and students' real-life experiences could be initiated by students and instigated by the teachers. The teachers applied several discursive strategies to scaffold students building meaningful links based on their prior knowledge and experiences. Additionally, the experienced teacher with stronger content knowledge tended to present links in both dialogic and monologic discourses. Yet, the relatively limited content knowledge did not necessarily constrain the student teacher's interactions with students. The findings of this study provide a backdrop for further research to explore how chemistry is learned and taught in a class through the social constructivist lens.
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Numerical approaches towards life cycle interpretation five examples
Heijungs, R.; Kleijn, R.
2001-01-01
The ISO-standard for LCA distinguishes four phases, of which the last one, the interpretation, is the least elaborated. It can be regarded as containing procedural steps (like a completeness check) as well as numerical steps (like a sensitivity check). This paper provides five examples of techniques
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Assessment of Predictor Importance with the Example of the Real Estate Market
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Kubus Mariusz
2016-12-01
Full Text Available Regression methods can be used for the valuation of real estate in the comparative approach. However, one of the problems of predictive modelling is the presence of redundant or irrelevant variables in data. Such variables can decrease the stability of models, and they can even reduce prediction accuracy. The choice of real estate’s features is largely determined by an appraiser, who is guided by his/her experience. Still, the use of statistical methods of a feature selection can lead to a more accurate valuation model. In the paper we apply regularized linear regression which belongs to embedded methods of a feature selection. For the considered data set of real estate land designated for single-family housing we obtained a model, which led to a more accurate valuation than some other popular linear models applied with or without a feature selection. To assess the model’s quality we used the leave-one-out cross-validation.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Camacho G, D.; Diaz N, M. J.; Reinking C, A. [UNAM, Facultad de Ingenieria, Departamento de Sistemas Energeticos, Paseo Cuauhnahuac 8532, Jiutepec, Morelos 62550 (Mexico)]. e-mail: danielkmacho@yahoo.com.mx
2008-07-01
The development of our societies and our economies this intimately related to electric power and this as well with the generating sources, due to the projection of world-wide growth should go associate with a strategy of growth of energy generation. Considering to the nuclear power as an option to satisfy the energy needs that a country can provide two main immediate benefits: The stabilization of prices of security of provision of electric power of the nation. The care of the environment, since the gas discharges greenhouse are almost null. At the moment nuclear energy represents economically a viable option for the capital investment, taking into account the development from technology, the policies implemented by the state and the prices of other fuels. Due to the great investment that its require for the nuclear plants are necessary to use financial tools that allow to analyze the future scenes in which ours investment can be seen affected and to value the flexibility of being able to enlarge, to postpone or to stop our project in order to have majors profits or to diminish the lost ones. This valuation of the flexibility can be obtained from the called method Real Options. By analysis of Real Options the process is understood to apply to the methodology of the Financial Options to the valuation of projects or the management of real assets. The Real Options appear in flexible plans, projects, activities or enterprise investments, like for example, to leave or to sell the investment project before concluding it, changing to their use or its technology, to prolong their life, the option to choose, one or the other capacity, among others possibilities. In this work is an example of the application of the method of Real Options in the decision to invest or to defer the investment for the construction of a nuclear plant following the behavior of the tariffs in the market or the costs of generation of other technologies with which a nuclear plant competes. (Author)
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Real/Life: New British Art and the Reception of Contemporary British Art in Japan
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Kajiya Kenji
2016-07-01
Full Text Available This essay explores the ways in which the exhibition Real/Life: New British Art was conceived and received in Japan, where contemporary British art has been shown since the 1960s. Taking place at five museums in the country between 1998 and 1999, the exhibition aimed to showhow British artists in the 1990s struggled with realities, internal and external, but its response was not as satisfactory as was expected. The essay examines the exhibition as a turning point for the transformation of exhibition culture in Japan from nationally themed exhibitions to showcases of contemporary art in the global context.
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Design Optimization of Multi-Cluster Embedded Systems for Real-Time Applications
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Pop, Paul; Eles, Petru; Peng, Zebo
2004-01-01
We present an approach to design optimization of multi-cluster embedded systems consisting of time-triggered and event-triggered clusters, interconnected via gateways. In this paper, we address design problems which are characteristic to multi-clusters: partitioning of the system functionality...... into time-triggered and event-triggered domains, process mapping, and the optimization of parameters corresponding to the communication protocol. We present several heuristics for solving these problems. Our heuristics are able to find schedulable implementations under limited resources, achieving...... an efficient utilization of the system. The developed algorithms are evaluated using extensive experiments and a real-life example....
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Design Optimization of Multi-Cluster Embedded Systems for Real-Time Applications
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Pop, Paul; Eles, Petru; Peng, Zebo
2006-01-01
We present an approach to design optimization of multi-cluster embedded systems consisting of time-triggered and event-triggered clusters, interconnected via gateways. In this paper, we address design problems which are characteristic to multi-clusters: partitioning of the system functionality...... into time-triggered and event-triggered domains, process mapping, and the optimization of parameters corresponding to the communication protocol. We present several heuristics for solving these problems. Our heuristics are able to find schedulable implementations under limited resources, achieving...... an efficient utilization of the system. The developed algorithms are evaluated using extensive experiments and a real-life example....
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Heydorn, S; Menné, T; Andersen, K E
2003-01-01
.p.m.), whilst during the following 2 weeks, the concentration was relatively high (approximately 250 p.p.m.), imitating real-life exposure to a household product like dishwashing liquid diluted in water and the undiluted product, respectively. Evaluation was made using a clinical scale and laser Doppler flow...
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Kiel, Menno A; Röder, Esther; Gerth van Wijk, Roy; Al, Maiwenn J; Hop, Wim C J; Rutten-van Mölken, Maureen P M H
2013-08-01
Subcutaneous allergen immunotherapy (SCIT) and sublingual allergen immunotherapy (SLIT) are safe and effective treatments of allergic rhinitis, but high levels of compliance and persistence are crucial to achieving the desired clinical effects. Our objective was to assess levels and predictors of compliance and persistence among grass pollen, tree pollen, and house dust mite immunotherapy users in real life and to estimate the costs of premature discontinuation. We performed a retrospective analysis of a community pharmacy database from The Netherlands containing data from 6486 patients starting immunotherapy for 1 or more of the allergens of interest between 1994 and 2009. Two thousand seven hundred ninety-six patients received SCIT, and 3690 received SLIT. Time to treatment discontinuation was analyzed and included Cox proportional hazard models with time-dependent covariates, where appropriate. Overall, only 18% of users reached the minimally required duration of treatment of 3 years (SCIT, 23%; SLIT, 7%). Median durations for SCIT and SLIT users were 1.7 and 0.6 years, respectively (P < .001). Other independent predictors of premature discontinuation were prescriber, with patients of general practitioners demonstrating longer persistence than those of allergologists and other medical specialists; single-allergen immunotherapy, lower socioeconomic status; and younger age. Of the persistent patients, 56% were never late in picking up their medication from the pharmacy. Direct medication costs per nonpersistent patient discontinuing in the third year of treatment were €3800, an amount that was largely misspent. Real-life persistence is better in SCIT users than in SLIT users, although it is low overall. There is an urgent need for further identification of potential barriers and measures that will enhance persistence and compliance. Copyright © 2013 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Jesus and cultural values: Family life as an example
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Carolyn Osiek
1997-12-01
Full Text Available 'Family values' is a set of traditional images that most cultures collect, images drawn mostly from an idealized picture of family life in the recent past. For Christians, the popular image of Jesus gets included: the Holy Family as a nuclear family unit, Jesus blessing children, Jesus as advocate of traditional family life. A closer reading of both contemporary family life and the Gospels reveals that things are not what they seem. Contemporary family life in Western societies is structured quite differently than the ideal. Jesus' family life was spent in a peasant village surrounded by relatives and neighbors, with little privacy and strong social pressure towards conformity. The gospel records indicate that he did not conform, and paid the price: rejection and misunderstanding by his extended family. The Synoptic Gospels consistently ponray not only an estrangement between Jesus and his family, but Jesus' encouragement of his disciples to break family ties in favor of the surrogate family of the circle of disciples. In a culture in which kinship loyalty was essential, this message caused deep problems for early Christians which the authors of the household codes of Ephesians, Colossians, the Pastoral Epistles, and 1 Peter tried to alleviate.
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Svenningsson, Anders; Falk, Eva; Celius, Elisabeth G
2013-01-01
. The TYNERGY study aimed to further evaluate the effects of natalizumab treatment on MS-related fatigue. In this one-armed clinical trial including 195 MS patients, natalizumab was prescribed in a real-life setting, and a validated questionnaire, the Fatigue Scale for Motor and Cognitive functions (FSMC......), was used both before and after 12 months of treatment to evaluate a possible change in the fatigue experienced by the patients. In the treated cohort all measured variables, that is, fatigue score, quality of life, sleepiness, depression, cognition, and disability progression were improved from baseline...
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Real quartic surfaces containing 16 skew lines
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Isidro Nieto
2004-01-01
Full Text Available It is well known that there is an open three-dimensional subvariety Ms of the Grassmannian of lines in ℙ3 which parametrizes smooth irreducible complex surfaces of degree 4 which are Heisenberg invariant, and each quartic contains 32 lines but only 16 skew lines, being determined by its configuration of lines, are called a double 16. We consider here the problem of visualizing in a computer the real Heisenberg invariant quartic surface and the real double 16. We construct a family of points l∈Ms parametrized by a two-dimensional semialgebraic variety such that under a change of coordinates of l into its Plüecker, coordinates transform into the real coordinates for a line L in ℙ3, which is then used to construct a program in Maple 7. The program allows us to draw the quartic surface and the set of transversal lines to L. Additionally, we include a table of a group of examples. For each test example we specify a parameter, the viewing angle of the image, compilation time, and other visual properties of the real surface and its real double 16. We include at the end of the paper an example showing the surface containing the double 16.
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Sources of student engagement in Introductory Physics for Life Sciences
Geller, Benjamin D.; Turpen, Chandra; Crouch, Catherine H.
2018-06-01
We explore the sources of student engagement with curricular content in an Introductory Physics for Life Science (IPLS) course at Swarthmore College. Do IPLS students find some life-science contexts more interesting than others, and, if so, what are the sources of these differences? We draw on three sources of student data to answer this question: (1) quantitative survey data illustrating how interested students were in particular contexts from the curriculum, (2) qualitative survey data in which students describe the source of their interest in these particular contexts, and (3) interview data in which students reflect on the contexts that were and were not of interest to them. We find that examples that make interdisciplinary connections with students' other coursework in biology and chemistry, and examples that make connections to what students perceive to be the "real world," are particularly effective at fostering interest. More generally, students describe being deeply engaged with contexts that foster a sense of coherence or have personal meaning to them. We identify various "engagement pathways" by which different life-science students engage with IPLS content, and suggest that a curriculum needs to be flexible enough to facilitate these different pathways.
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Hansen, Ellen Kathrine
2010-01-01
This article describes how information about Active House is obtained through tests done on demonstration buildings. Tests in which life in intelligent and energy-optimised homes takes centre stage, and where ratings are obtained via human behaviour and wellbeing. The article also describes exper...
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Dried blood spots, valid screening for viral hepatitis and human immunodeficiency virus in real-life
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Mössner, Belinda K; Staugaard, Benjamin; Jensen, Janne
2016-01-01
AIM: To detect chronic hepatitis B (CHB), chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in dried blood spot (DBS) and compare these samples to venous blood sampling in real-life. METHODS: We included prospective patients with known viral infections from drug treatment......, but correctly classified 95% of the anti-HCV-positive patients with chronic and past infections. Anti-HBc and anti-HBS showed low sensitivity in DBS (68% and 42%). CONCLUSION: DBS sampling, combined with an automated analysis system, is a feasible screening method to diagnose chronic viral hepatitis and HIV...
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Monebhurrun, Vikass
2013-01-01
The RF exposure level of a mobile phone is quantified by the measurement of the specific absorption rate (SAR) under laboratory conditions. The SAR which is measured while the mobile phone is operated at maximum power level does not reflect the real-life exposure scenario since the mobile phone typically re-adjusts its power level and frequency depending on the quality of the communication link with the nearest base station. The choice of a low RF exposure device based on the comparison of the relative SAR values of mobile phones can be misleading. The real-life RF exposure also depends on the over-the-air (OTA) performance of the mobile phone. Taken independently, the two sets of data do not allow a straightforward comparison of the global RF performance amongst mobile phones. A unique and simple parameter denoted as the SAROTA index is proposed for the characterization of mobile phones with regard to both RF exposure and OTA performance. The SAROTA index provides the real-life exposure index of the mobile phone.
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van Hoof, Joris Jasper; Bekkers, Jeroen; van Vuuren, Hubrecht A.
2014-01-01
Health risk behavior in student populations is an issue of major concern, and students’ risk levels are difficult to determine. In this study, we explore the extent to which information disclosed publicly on Facebook provides reliable indications of five real-life health behaviors. Questionnaire
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A real-life example of choosing an inherently safer process option
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Study, Karen
2007-01-01
While choosing an inherently safer alternative may seem straightforward, sometimes what seems to be the most obvious alternative may not provide the best risk reduction. The process designer must maintain a broad perspective to be able to recognize all potential hazards when evaluating design options. All aspects of operation such as start-up, shut-down, utility failure, as well as normal operation should be considered. Choosing the inherently safer option is best accomplished early in the option selection phase of a project; however, recycle back to the option selection phase may be needed if an option is not thoroughly evaluated early in the process. In this paper, a project to supply ammonia to a catalytic reactor will be reviewed. During the course of the project, an 'inherently safer' alternative was selected and later discarded due to issues uncovered during the detail design phase. The final option chosen will be compared to (1) the original design and (2) the initial 'inherently safer' alternative. The final option was inherently safer than both the original design and the initial 'inherently safer' alternative even though the design team initially believed that it would not be
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Adílio Renê Almeida Miranda
2014-12-01
Full Text Available Recently, the Life Story Method has been used in the area of Business Administration as an important methodological strategy in qualitative research. The purpose is to understand groups or collective bodies based on individual paths of life. Thus, the goal of this study was to show the contribution of the life story method in understanding the identity dynamics of female professors managing a public university, by means of an example derived from an empirical study. It was observed from the reports of four female professors involved in management that recovery of past memories, as well as of values, facts, standards and occurrences connected with the primary and organizational socialization of the interviewees, contributes to understanding of their identity dynamics. Some categories of analysis emerged that express relationships between life story and identity, e.g., discontinuity, subjectivity and the importance of allowing an individual/subject to speak; the individual and the social sphere and socio-historical transformations, a dynamic interaction in construction of identities; and temporal analysis in construction of identities.
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Can the response to Omalizumab be influenced by treatment duration? A real-life study.
Sposato, Bruno; Scalese, Marco; Latorre, Manuela; Novelli, Federica; Scichilone, Nicola; Milanese, Manlio; Olivieri, Carmela; Perrella, Antonio; Paggiaro, Pierluigi
2017-06-01
It is unknown whether Omalizumab effectiveness changes over the course of time. Our retrospective real-life study tried to analyze whether Omalizumab response may be influenced by treatment duration. 340 severe asthmatics treated with Omalizumab for different periods of time were recruited. They were subdivided into 4 groups according to the Omalizumab treatment length: 60 months. Omalizumab treatment results (FEV 1 , exacerbations, ACT, SABA use, asthma control levels, medications used e and ICS doses) were compared. ACT, exacerbations, GINA control levels, ICS doses and SABA use were similar in all groups with different Omalizumab treatment durations. Using a linear regression model, corrected for all confounding variables, a higher significant positive increase in FEV 1 % in subjects treated for 12-24 (β = 9.49; p = 0.034) or 24-60 months (β = 8.56; p = 0.043) was found when compared with subjects treated for a shorter period. Treatment duration was positively associated with a step down of the other associated therapies (OR: 1.013; p = 0.019). This association was more relevant (OR: 4.167; p = 0.005) when we considered Omalizumab treatment duration >60 months compared to the shorter therapy. In particular, the percentage of subjects that were taking Montelukast, LABAs and oral corticosteroids was lower in the group treated with Omalizumab for a longer period of time. In real-life, the positive Omalizumab response remained stable for over 60 months. Long term Omalizumab treatment may lead to a discontinuation of some associated medications and to a slowing down of FEV 1 decline. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Voss, I.; Altrogge, M.; Francke, W.
1993-01-01
Building on methods for the dehalogenisation of chlorinated benzoles known from the literature, an investigation was carried out whether polychlorinated biphenyls, dibenzo furane and dibenzo-p-dioxin can be dehalogenated electrochemically. The experiments were carried out with pure substances and transferred to mixed substances (real life samples). The investigations showed that both pure substances and complex mixtures can be dehalogenated without problems. Even in the presence of a clear oil matrix (e.g.: Oil trickled through a deposit), dehalogenisation of the xenobiotica present is possible. First attempts at 'scaling up' show that the method is also suitable in principle, for the disposal of large quantities of contaminated liquids. (BBR) [de
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Caminati, Marco; Senna, Gianenrico; Guerriero, Massimo; Dama, Anna Rita; Chieco-Bianchi, Fulvia; Stefanizzi, Giorgia; Montagni, Marcello; Ridolo, Erminia
2015-04-01
Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) are the gold standard for the assessment of any therapeutic intervention. Real-life (R-L) studies are needed to verify the provided results beyond the experimental setting. This review aims at comparing RCTs and R-L studies on omalizumab in adult severe allergic asthma, in order to highlight the concurring results and the discordant/missing data. The results of a selective literature research, including "omalizumab, controlled studies, randomized trial, real-life studies" as key words are discussed. Though some similarities between RCTs and R-L studies strengthen omalizumab efficacy and safety outcomes, significant differences concerning study population features, follow-up duration, local adverse events and drop-out rate for treatment inefficacy emerge between the two study categories. Furthermore the comparative analysis between RCTs and R-L studies highlights the need for further research, concerning in particular long-term effects of omalizumab and its impact on asthma comorbidities. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Francesc Alías
2017-02-01
Full Text Available Traffic noise is one of the main pollutants in urban and suburban areas. European authorities have driven several initiatives to study, prevent and reduce the effects of exposure of population to traffic. Recent technological advances have allowed the dynamic computation of noise levels by means of Wireless Acoustic Sensor Networks (WASN such as that developed within the European LIFE DYNAMAP project. Those WASN should be capable of detecting and discarding non-desired sound sources from road traffic noise, denoted as anomalous noise events (ANE, in order to generate reliable noise level maps. Due to the local, occasional and diverse nature of ANE, some works have opted to artificially build ANE databases at the cost of misrepresentation. This work presents the production and analysis of a real-life environmental audio database in two urban and suburban areas specifically conceived for anomalous noise events’ collection. A total of 9 h 8 min of labelled audio data is obtained differentiating among road traffic noise, background city noise and ANE. After delimiting their boundaries manually, the acoustic salience of the ANE samples is automatically computed as a contextual signal-to-noise ratio (SNR. The analysis of the real-life environmental database shows high diversity of ANEs in terms of occurrences, durations and SNRs, as well as confirming both the expected differences between the urban and suburban soundscapes in terms of occurrences and SNRs, and the rare nature of ANE.
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Yakoumis, I.; Moschovi, A. M.; Giannopoulou, I.; Panias, D.
2018-03-01
The real life experimental protocol for the preparation of spent automobile catalyst samples for elemental analysis is thoroughly described in the following study. Collection, sorting and dismantling, homogenization and sample preparation for X-Ray fluorescence spectroscopy and Atomic Adsorption Spectroscopy combined with Inductive coupled plasma mass spectrometry are discussed in detail for both ceramic and metallic spent catalysts. The concentrations of Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) in spent catalytic converters are presented based on typical consignments of recycled converters (more than 45,000 pieces) from the Greek Market. The conclusions clearly denoted commercial metallic catalytic foil contains higher PGMs loading than ceramic honeycombs. On the other hand, the total PGMs loading in spent ceramic catalytic converters has been found higher than the corresponding value for the metallic ones.
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The impact of real life treatment strategies for Candida peritonitis-A retrospective analysis.
Dubler, S; Laun, M; Koch, C; Hecker, A; Weiterer, S; Siegler, B H; Röhrig, R; Weigand, M A; Lichtenstern, C
2017-07-01
Candida species are commonly detected isolates from abdominal foci. The question remains as to who would benefit from early empiric treatment in cases of Candida peritonitis. This study collected real-life data on critically ill patients with Candida peritonitis to estimate the relevance of the chosen treatment strategy on the outcome of these patients. One hundred and thirty-seven surgical intensive care unit (ICU) patients with intra-abdominal invasive Candidiasis were included in the study. Fifty-six patients did not get any antifungal agent. Twenty-nine patients were empirically treated, and 52 patients were specifically treated. In the group without, with empiric and with specific antifungal treatment, the 30-day mortality rate was 33.9, 48.3 and 44.2 respectively. Candida albicans was the most frequently found species. Seven patients in the specific treatment group and one patient in the empiric treatment group emerged with candidaemia. Age, leucocyte count, APACHE II Score and acute liver failure were independent predictors of 30-day mortality in patients with Candida peritonitis. Not all patients with Candida peritonitis received antifungal treatment in real clinical practice. Patients with higher morbidity more often got antifungals. Early empirical therapy has not been associated with a better 30-day mortality. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.
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Gaura, Elena; Roedig, Utz; Brusey, James
2010-12-01
modalities and (iv) system solutions with high end-user added value and cost benefits. The common thread is deployment and deployment evaluation. In particular, satisfaction of application requirements, involvement of the end-user in the design and deployment process, satisfactory system performance and user acceptance are concerns addressed in many of the contributions. The contributions form a valuable set, which help to identify the priorities for research in this burgeoning area: Robust, reliable and efficient data collection in embedded wireless multi-hop networks are essential elements in creating a true deploy-and-forget user experience. Maintaining full connectivity within a WSN, in a real world environment populated by other WSNs, WiFi networks or Bluetooth devices that constitute sources of interference is a key element in any application, but more so for those that are safety-critical, such as disaster response. Awareness of the effects of wireless channel, physical position and line-of-sight on received signal strength in real-world, outdoor environments will shape the design of many outdoor applications. Thus, the quantification of such effects is valuable knowledge for designers. Sensors' failure detection, scalability and commercialization are common challenges in many long-term monitoring applications; transferable solutions are evidenced here in the context of pollutant detection and water quality. Innovative, alternative thinking is often needed to achieve the desired long-lived networks when power-hungry sensors are foreseen components; in some instances, the very problems of wireless technology, such as RF irregularity, can be transformed into advantages. The importance of an iterative design and evaluation methodology—from analysis to simulation to real-life deployment—should be well understood by all WSN developers. The value of this is highlighted in the context of a challenging WPAN video-surveillance application based on a novel Nomadic Access
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Real Estate Development at Landslides
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Hakan Kaya
2015-03-01
Full Text Available The desire to grow and develop at a fast pace without regard for scientific conditions is an obsession, particularly of developing countries like Turkey. However, any development achieved in ignorance of the scientific process and sustainability leads to higher costs as well as serious losses in terms of human and other life. Our area of study is one of the best examples of the negative effects of this type of development. The area under study covers the landslide sites located on the southwest of Istanbul (the Büyükçekmece, Beylikdüzü, Avcılar and Esenyurt districts which is the largest city in Turkey. In this study, we tried to probe into the real estate development process of the landslide sites, the measures taken or failed to be taken in this process, the humanitarian and economic conditions involved and the things required to be done.
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Impact of chronic urticaria on quality of life and work in Japan: Results of a real-world study.
Itakura, Asako; Tani, Yumiko; Kaneko, Naoko; Hide, Michihiro
2018-06-13
Little attention has been given to the burden of chronic urticaria (CU) in Japan compared with other skin diseases, such as atopic dermatitis (AD) and psoriasis. The primary objective of the RELEASE study was to evaluate the real-life quality-of-life impairment in CU patients in Japan. Data were collected from 1443 urticaria, 1668 AD and 435 psoriatic patients; 552 urticaria patients who presented urticaria symptoms for over 6 weeks were defined as CU. The mean Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) total score was 4.8, 6.1 and 4.8 in CU, AD and psoriatic patients, respectively. Disease control of urticaria evaluated by the Urticaria Control Test (UCT) and DLQI exhibited a strong correlation with a Spearman's rank correlation coefficient of -0.7158. CU and AD patients had relatively higher scores in all Work Productivity and Activity Impairment - General Health subscales except for absenteeism. At the time of the survey, approximately 64% of CU patients reported UCT scores of <12 and demonstrated higher work productivity loss and activity impairment versus patients with UCT scores of ≥12. Patients with lower UCT scores also displayed a higher percentage of dissatisfaction with their health state and the treatment they received. Approximately 85% of patients with CU had visited dermatology clinics, and less than 20% had visited hospital, indicating existence of a highly burdened population outside specialized centers. These results highlight the unmet medical needs of CU patients, suggesting the need to increase awareness of CU burden among both physicians and patients and to pursue improved real-life patient care. © 2018 Novartis K.K. The Journal of Dermatology published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Dermatological Association.
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Life cycle analysis on carbon emissions from power generation – The nuclear energy example
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Nian, Victor; Chou, S.K.; Su, Bin; Bauly, John
2014-01-01
Highlights: • This paper discusses about a methodology on the life cycle analysis of power generation using nuclear as an example. • The methodology encompasses generic system, input–output, and boundaries definitions. • The boundaries facilitate the use of Kaya Identity and decomposition technique to identify carbon emission streams. - Abstract: A common value of carbon emission factor, t-CO 2 /GWh, in nuclear power generation reported in the literature varies by more than a factor of 100. Such a variation suggests a margin of uncertainty and reliability. In this study, we employ a bottom-up approach to better define the system, its input and output, and boundaries. This approach offers improved granularity at the process level and consistency in the results. Based on this approach, we have developed a methodology to enable comparison of carbon emissions from nuclear power generation. The proposed methodology employs the principle of energy balance on a defined power generation system. The resulting system boundary facilitates the use of the “Kaya Identity” and the decomposition technique to identify the carbon emission streams. Using nuclear power as a case study, we obtained a carbon emission factor of 22.80 t-CO 2 /GWh, which falls to within 2.5% of the median of globally reported LCA results. We demonstrate that the resulting methodology could be used as a generic tool for life cycle analysis of carbon emissions from other power generation technologies and systems
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Russell, Mark H; Waterland, Robert L; Wong, Fiona
2015-06-01
Determination of the chemical clearance rate from human blood is a critical component of toxicokinetic exposure assessment. Analysis of temporal biomonitoring data without consideration of ongoing exposure results in calculation of apparent elimination half-life values that are longer than the intrinsic value. The intrinsic elimination half-life is solely a function of the rate of elimination while the apparent elimination half-life reflects the processes of both elimination and ongoing exposure. Confusion between intrinsic and apparent half-life values can lead to misinterpretation of biomonitoring data and can result in exaggerated predictions in subsequent modeling efforts. This work provides a review of the first-order equations that have been developed to calculate intrinsic and apparent half-life values and the potential bias that can result from confusing these two values. Published human biomonitoring data for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are analyzed using these equations to provide examples of low, medium and high bias in determination of the intrinsic elimination half-life from plasma or serum, the components of blood typically analyzed for PFOA. An approach is also provided to estimate the extent of exposure reduction that is indicated by declining longitudinal or cross-sectional biomonitoring data. Based on the evaluation methodology presented in this work, the intrinsic elimination half-life of PFOA in humans is 2.4years, representing the average of independent estimates of 2.5years (95% CI, 2.4-2.7) and 2.3years (95% CI, 2.1-2.4). The declining concentration of PFOA in blood of the general USA adult population represents an estimated exposure reduction of 20-30% over the period 1999-2008. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Get the most from your data: a propensity score model comparison on real-life data
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ferdin
2016-05-01
Full Text Available Dennis Ferdinand,1 Mirko Otto,2 Christel Weiss1 1Department of Biomathematics and Medical Statistics, 2Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Mannheim (UMM, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany Purpose: In the past, the propensity score has been in the middle of several discussions in terms of its abilities and limitations. With a comprehensive review and a practical example, this study examines the effect of propensity score analysis of real-life data and introduces a simple and effective clinical approach. Materials and methods: After the authors reviewed current publications, they applied their insights to the data of a nonrandomized clinical trial in bariatric surgery. This study examined weight loss in 173 patients where 127 patients received Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery and 46 patients sleeve gastrectomy. Both groups underwent analysis in terms of their covariate distribution using Mann–Whitney U and χ2 testing. Mean differences within excess weight loss in native data were examined with Student’s t-test. Three propensity score models were defined and matching was performed. Covariate distribution and mean differences in excess weight loss were checked with Mann–Whitney U and χ2 testing. Results: Native data implied a significant difference in excess weight loss. The propensity score models did not confirm this difference. All models proved that both surgical procedures were equal, due to their weight-loss induction. Covariate distribution improved after the matching procedure in terms of an equal distribution. Conclusion: It seemed that a practical clinical approach with outcome-related covariates as a propensity score base is the ideal midpoint between an equal distribution in covariates and an acceptable loss of data. Nevertheless, propensity score models designed with clinical intent seemed to be absolutely suitable for overcoming heterogeneity in covariate distribution. Keywords: nonrandomized clinical
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Pérez-López, Paula; De Vree, Jeroen H.; Feijoo, Gumersindo; Bosma, Rouke; Barbosa, Maria J.; Moreira, María Teresa; Wijffels, René H.; Van Boxtel, Anton J.B.; Kleinegris, Dorinde M.M.
2017-01-01
Highlights: •Life cycle assessment was used to compare 3 real pilot systems for algae cultivation. •The temperature control system was the main contributor to environmental impacts. •Tubular reactors had lower impacts per unit of biomass produced than open pond. •Meteorological conditions on the reactors played a critical role in LCA results. •Environmental impact reductions of 17–90% were estimated for optimized full-scale reactors. -- Abstract: Microalgae are promising natural resources for biofuels, chemical, food and feed products. Besides their economic potential, the environmental sustainability must be examined. Cultivation has a significant environmental impact that depends on reactor selection and operating conditions. To identify the main environmental bottlenecks for scale-up to industrial facilities this study provides a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) of open raceway ponds and tubular photobioreactors at pilot scale. The results are based on experimental data from real pilot plants operated in summer, fall and winter at AlgaePARC (Wageningen, The Netherlands). The energy consumption for temperature regulation presented the highest environmental burden. The production of nutrients affected some categories. Despite limited differences compared to the vertical system, the horizontal PBR was found the most efficient in terms of productivity and environmental impact. The ORP was, given the Dutch climatic conditions, only feasible under summer operation. The results highlight the relevance of LCA as a tool for decision-making in process design. Weather conditions and availability of sources for temperature regulation were identified as essential factors for the selection of geographic locations and for microalgal cultivation systems based on environmental criteria. Simulation of large-scale reactors with optimized temperature regulation systems lead to environmental improvements and energy demand reductions ranging from 17% up to 90% for
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Review of processes for the release of DOE real and non-real property for reuse and recycle
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ranek, N.L.; Kamboj, S.; Hensley, J.; Chen, S.Y.; Blunt, D.
1997-11-01
This report summarizes the underlying historical and regulatory framework supporting the concept of authorizing release for restricted or unrestricted reuse or recycle of real and non-real U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) properties containing residual radioactive material. Basic radiation protection principles as recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection are reviewed, and international initiatives to investigate radiological clearance criteria are reported. Applicable requirements of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, DOE, and the State of Washington are discussed. Several processes that have been developed for establishing cleanup and release criteria for real and non-real DOE property containing residual radioactive material are presented. Examples of DOE real property for which radiological cleanup criteria were established to support unrestricted release are provided. Properties discussed include Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Project sites, Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project sites, the Shippingport decommissioning project, the south-middle and south-east vaults in the 317 area at Argonne National Laboratory, the Heavy Water Components Test Reactor at DOE's Savannah River Site, the Experimental Boiling Water Reactor at Argonne National Laboratory, and the Weldon Spring site. Some examples of non-real property for which DOE sites have established criteria to support unrestricted release are also furnished. 10 figs., 4 tabs
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Systems engineering real estate development projects
Gusakova, Elena; Titarenko, Boris; Stepanov, Vitaliy
2017-10-01
In recent years, real estate development has accumulated a wealth of experience in implementing major projects, which requires comprehension and systematization. The scientific instrument of system engineering is studied in the article and is substantively interpreted with reference to real estate development projects. The most perspective approaches and models are substantiated, allowing strategically to plan the life cycle of the project as a whole, and also to solve the engineering butt problems of the project. The relevance of further scientific studies of regularities and specifics of the life cycle of real estate development projects conducted at the Moscow State University of Economics and Management at the ISTA department is shown.
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Real-life decision making in college students. I: Consistency across specific decisions.
Galotti, Kathleen M; Wiener, Hillary J D; Tandler, Jane M
2014-01-01
First-year undergraduates participated in a short-term longitudinal study of real-life decision making over their first 14 months of college. They were surveyed about 7 different decisions: choosing courses for an upcoming term (3 different terms), choosing an academic major (twice), planning for the upcoming summer, and planning for sophomore-year housing. Participants showed moderate levels of consistency in the options they considered and in the criteria they used to decide between options, with about half of the options or criteria being used at 2 different points on the decision repeatedly studied. Participants varied somewhat in structural consistency, the tendency to consider the same number of options or criteria across decisions. They also varied in the way they integrated information across decision-making tasks. We suggest that people attempt to keep the information demands of the task within workable limits, sometimes sacrificing consistency as a result.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Thomas C. Sauter
2016-01-01
Full Text Available Background. Immediate reversal of anticoagulation is essential when facing severe bleeding or emergency surgery. Although idarucizumab is approved for the reversal of dabigatran in many countries, clinical experiences are lacking, particularly in special patient-populations such as sepsis and impaired renal function. Case Presentation. We present the case of a 67-year-old male septic patient with a multilocular facial abscess and chronic kidney disease (GFR 36.5 mL/min. Thrombin time (TT and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT 15 hours after the last intake of 150 mg dabigatran were both prolonged (>120 sec, resp., 61 sec, as well as unbound dabigatran concentration (119.05 ng/mL. Before immediate emergency surgery dabigatran was antagonised using idarucizumab 2 × 2.5 g. Dabigatran concentration was not detectable 10 min after idarucizumab administration (<30 ng/mL. TT and aPTT time were normalised (16.2 sec, resp., 30.2 sec. Sepsis was controlled after surgery and kidney function remained stable. In the absence of postoperative bleeding, dabigatran was restarted 36 hours after admission. Conclusion. Idarucizumab successfully reversed the effect of dabigatran in real-life practice in a patient with sepsis and renal impairment and allowed emergency surgery with normal haemostasis. Efficacy and safety in real-life practice will nevertheless require prospective registries monitoring.
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Spire, Bruno; Nait-Ighil, Lella; Pugliese, Pascal; Poizot-Martin, Isabelle; Jullien, Vincent; Marcelin, Anne-Geneviève; Billaud, Eric
2017-01-01
Good efficacy and safety of raltegravir in person living with HIV was demonstrated in clinical trials over five years, but real-life data, particularly about quality of life (QoL), are lacking. QoL was evaluated over time in adult patients first treated or switched to regimens containing raltegravir in an observational cohort study. Patient QoL was evaluated using the Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS) and the HIV Symptom Index (HSI). Data were collected at baseline and at 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. Baseline FIS and HSI subscores were compared with the scores at each visit using the paired Wilcoxon test. The impact of time, sociodemographic and medical variables upon patient-perceived fatigue and symptoms was also assessed using mixed multivariate models. From baseline, all FIS and HSI subscores improved significantly after one month of treatment. In addition, psychosocial FIS subscores and both the frequency of bothersome symptoms and HSI subscores improved significantly at each visit. Physical FIS subscores also improved significantly, except at month 18, whereas both cognitive and total FIS subscores improved only after 6 months and 24 months, respectively. In multivariate analysis, employment was independently associated over time with improved improvement in both FIS and HSI subscores. Patient QoL improved significantly over a 24-month period of treatment with a raltegravir-containing regimen. FIS and HSI are sensitive tools to measure the impact of new antiretroviral combinations on a patient's perception of QoL.
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Gasparini, N. M.; Whipple, K. X.; Willenbring, J.; Crosby, B. T.; Brocard, G. Y.
2013-12-01
Numerical landscape evolution models (LEMs) offer us the unique opportunity to watch a landscape evolve under any set of environmental forcings that we can quantify. The possibilities for using LEMs are infinite, but complications arise when trying to model a real landscape. Specifically, numerical models cannot recreate every aspect of a real landscape because exact initial conditions are unknown, there will always be gaps in the known tectonic and climatic history, and the geomorphic transport laws that govern redistribution of mass due to surface processes will always be a simplified representation of the actual process. Yet, even with these constraints, numerical models remain the only tool that offers us the potential to explore a limitless range of evolutionary scenarios, allowing us to, at the very least, identify possible drivers responsible for the morphology of the current landscape, and just as importantly, rule out others. Here we highlight two examples in which we use a numerical model to explore the signature of different forcings on landscape morphology and erosion patterns. In the first landscape, the Northern Bolivian Andes, the relative imprint of rock uplift and precipitation patterns on landscape morphology is widely contested. We use the CHILD LEM to systematically vary climate and tectonics and quantify their fingerprints on channel profiles across a steep mountain front. We find that rock uplift and precipitation patterns in this landscape and others can be teased out by examining channel profiles of variably sized catchments that drain different parts of the topography. In the second landscape, the South Fork Eel River (SFER), northern California, USA, the tectonic history is relatively well known; a wave of rock uplift swept through the watershed from headwaters to outlet, perturbing the landscape and sending a wave of bedrock incision upstream. Nine millennial-scale erosion rates from along the mainstem of the river illustrate a pattern of
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Hartwig Erich
2009-03-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background The predictive value of trauma impact for the severity of whiplash injuries has mainly been investigated in sled- and crash-test studies. However, very little data exist for real-life accidents. Therefore, the predictive value of the trauma impact as assessed by the change in velocity of the car due to the collision (ΔV for the resulting cervical spine injuries were investigated in 57 cases after real-life car accidents. Methods ΔV was determined for every car and clinical findings related to the cervical spine were assessed and classified according to the Quebec Task Force (QTF. Results In our study, 32 (56% subjects did not complain about symptoms and were therefore classified as QTF grade 0; 25 (44% patients complained of neck pain: 8 (14% were classified as QTF grade I, 6 (10% as QTF grade II, and 11 (19% as QTF grade IV. Only a slight correlation (r = 0.55 was found between the reported pain and ΔV. No relevant correlation was found between ΔV and the neck disability index (r = 0.46 and between ΔV and the QTF grade (r = 0.45 for any of the collision types. There was no ΔV threshold associated with acceptable sensitivity and specificity for the prognosis of a cervical spine injury. Conclusion The results of this study indicate that ΔV is not a conclusive predictor for cervical spine injury in real-life motor vehicle accidents. This is of importance for surgeons involved in medicolegal expertise jobs as well as patients who suffer from whiplash-associated disorders (WADs after motor vehicle accidents. Trial registration The study complied with applicable German law and with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration and was approved by the institutional ethics commission.
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Issues of Application of Machine Learning Models for Virtual and Real-Life Buildings
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Young Min Kim
2016-06-01
Full Text Available The current Building Energy Performance Simulation (BEPS tools are based on first principles. For the correct use of BEPS tools, simulationists should have an in-depth understanding of building physics, numerical methods, control logics of building systems, etc. However, it takes significant time and effort to develop a first principles-based simulation model for existing buildings—mainly due to the laborious process of data gathering, uncertain inputs, model calibration, etc. Rather than resorting to an expert’s effort, a data-driven approach (so-called “inverse” approach has received growing attention for the simulation of existing buildings. This paper reports a cross-comparison of three popular machine learning models (Artificial Neural Network (ANN, Support Vector Machine (SVM, and Gaussian Process (GP for predicting a chiller’s energy consumption in a virtual and a real-life building. The predictions based on the three models are sufficiently accurate compared to the virtual and real measurements. This paper addresses the following issues for the successful development of machine learning models: reproducibility, selection of inputs, training period, outlying data obtained from the building energy management system (BEMS, and validation of the models. From the result of this comparative study, it was found that SVM has a disadvantage in computation time compared to ANN and GP. GP is the most sensitive to a training period among the three models.
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Real time refractive index measurement by ESPI
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Torroba, R.; Joenathan, C.
1991-01-01
In this paper a method to measure refractive index variations in real time is reported. A technique to introduce reference fringes in real time is discussed. Both the theoretical and experimental results are presented and an example with phase shifting is given. (author). 8 refs, 5 figs
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Wahl, Deborah R.; Villinger, Karoline; König, Laura M.; Ziesemer, Katrin; Schupp, Harald T.; Renner, Britta
2017-01-01
Research suggests that "healthy" food choices such as eating fruits and vegetables have not only physical but also mental health benefits and might be a long-term investment in future well-being. This view contrasts with the belief that high-caloric foods taste better, make us happy, and alleviate a negative mood. To provide a more comprehensive assessment of food choice and well-being, we investigated in-the-moment eating happiness by assessing complete, real life dietary behaviour across ei...
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The imbalanced surfing-life of humanity to survival in the global changes
Kontar, V. A.
2013-12-01
We have written many times about the imbalance of Nature as the cause of the global change. Here, we offer some method for the humanity survival in the face of global change of the imbalanced anisotropic real Nature. There are two logics of understanding the real Nature: the traditional balanced, and the new imbalanced. The balanced logic presupposes that Nature is balanced, isotropic, etc. The imbalanced logic presupposes opposite that Nature is imbalanced, anisotropic, etc. Respectively can be two styles of the people life: balanced and imbalanced. The image of the flat earth corresponds well with the balanced lifestyle of people. On the balanced life people spend activities to achieve the balance by reducing the change, stabilization, leveling any level changes, etc. If there is a mountain on the road, it must be align the track or make the tunnel. If there is a ravine on the road, then it need backfilled or to build a bridge. If someone is in restless, it must be calm, etc. As example of the happiness in the balanced life is the stability, balance, and therefore the global changes of Nature are perceived as a catastrophe. In the balanced lifestyle people can easily decide to use force, especially if there is not enough knowledge. But Nature has power which in billions times greater than the forces of humanity. Therefore, humanity will beaten in struggle with Nature and disappear. The imbalanced lifestyle is the fundamentally different. The imbalanced lifestyle complies with the surface of the ocean, which always changes, but sometimes can be and flat. But the flat calm ocean surface is inconvenient for the imbalanced life. You need to pull boat yourself because is no wind in the sails. The anisotropic imbalanced Nature has gradients in all parameters. At a certain level of knowledge and experience, people can use this multi-dimensional gradient essence of the real Nature for human's discretion. The imbalanced life is like a surfing. If properly understood
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“…so much immortal wealth”: Life in the Sick-Room by Harriet Martineau as Eco-Sustainable Narrative
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Loredana Salis
2017-11-01
Full Text Available This study reassesses Harriet Martineau’s Life in the Sick-Room as an example of Victorian eco-sustainable narrative. Based on the author’s real-life experience as a long-term patient, the volume was conceived as a normative treatise on the condition of the invalid, and contributed significantly to ongoing debates on the reform of the medical system. Though the author does not deliberately provide readers with an ecological message, she advocates a remedial process that sees nature as a refuge and a redemptive space. A re-reading of Life in the Sick-Room today shows its value from an eco-critical viewpoint.
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Proposal for the 4th Workshop on Mobile Gaming, Mobile Life – Interweaving the Virtual and the Real
Grüter , Barbara; Mügge , Holger; Oppermann , Leif; Billinghurst , Mark
2012-01-01
Part 18: Mobile Gaming, Mobile Life - Interweaving the Virtual and the Real; International audience; Over the last few years we have witnessed the smartphone dominating the market, the rapid growth of mobile apps, a surge in mobile augmented reality and location-based apps, and burgeoning mobile communities. While mobile topics continue to provide rich research challenges, people and companies outside academia already use these apps regularly. This is due to the increased availability of affo...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
M.-N. Levaux
2012-01-01
Full Text Available The aim was to assess the efficacy of a modified version of Goal Management Training (GMT in a person with schizophrenia who had difficulties in attaining the final goal for new and multitasking daily-life situations. GMT is designed to improve abilities in establishing goal-directed plans and carrying them out effectively. Beneficial effects of GMT were measured for several clinical questionnaires, laboratory tasks, and three real-life situations: meal preparation (trained, familiar; washing (nontrained, familiar; meeting preparation (nontrained, unfamiliar. The results revealed improvement in planning and on trained laboratory and meal preparation tasks and a generalization of GMT effects on nontrained laboratory and everyday tasks. Self-esteem also improved. Finally, a two-year followup indicated the durability of the beneficial effects.
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Identification of the real options in a program of nuclear plants
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Camacho G, D.; Diaz N, M. J.; Reinking C, A.
2008-01-01
The development of our societies and our economies this intimately related to electric power and this as well with the generating sources, due to the projection of world-wide growth should go associate with a strategy of growth of energy generation. Considering to the nuclear power as an option to satisfy the energy needs that a country can provide two main immediate benefits: The stabilization of prices of security of provision of electric power of the nation. The care of the environment, since the gas discharges greenhouse are almost null. At the moment nuclear energy represents economically a viable option for the capital investment, taking into account the development from technology, the policies implemented by the state and the prices of other fuels. Due to the great investment that its require for the nuclear plants are necessary to use financial tools that allow to analyze the future scenes in which ours investment can be seen affected and to value the flexibility of being able to enlarge, to postpone or to stop our project in order to have majors profits or to diminish the lost ones. This valuation of the flexibility can be obtained from the called method Real Options. By analysis of Real Options the process is understood to apply to the methodology of the Financial Options to the valuation of projects or the management of real assets. The Real Options appear in flexible plans, projects, activities or enterprise investments, like for example, to leave or to sell the investment project before concluding it, changing to their use or its technology, to prolong their life, the option to choose, one or the other capacity, among others possibilities. In this work is an example of the application of the method of Real Options in the decision to invest or to defer the investment for the construction of a nuclear plant following the behavior of the tariffs in the market or the costs of generation of other technologies with which a nuclear plant competes. (Author)
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Kostev, Karel; Dippel, Franz-Werner
2012-12-01
To assess the predictors for the initiation of a basal supported oral therapy (BOT) in type 2 diabetic patients under real-life conditions in Germany. A historical cohort study based on representative German real life data (IMS(®) Disease Analyzer) was performed. The study included patients with type 2 diabetes who started an oral antidiabetic drug (OAD) treatment between 01/1995 and 12/2011. Patients with consecutive treatment data for at least 12 months before the initiation of an OAD treatment were eligible for the analysis. The time-dependent rate of patients starting an insulin therapy with a long-acting insulin was calculated by use of the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariate Cox regression analyses were applied to identify associated factors. The study included 194,967 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus being on OAD therapy. 24,964 patients were switched to BOT during the observational period. The probability of switching to insulin therapy was associated with three main predictors such as (1) poor metabolic control, (2) midlife age and (3) number and type of the OAD before insulinization. The variation of the HbA1c threshold to HbA1c≥7.5 leads to comparable outcomes with significant HR. The highest probability of initiating a basal supported oral therapy (BOT) under real life conditions was found for patients with poor metabolic control, midlife age and pre-treatment with specific OADs such as SU, GLI or AGI before initiation of insulin therapy. Copyright © 2012 Primary Care Diabetes Europe. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Comparing the happiness effects of real and on-line friends.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
John F Helliwell
Full Text Available A recent large Canadian survey permits us to compare face-to-face ('real-life' and on-line social networks as sources of subjective well-being. The sample of 5,000 is drawn randomly from an on-line pool of respondents, a group well placed to have and value on-line friendships. We find three key results. First, the number of real-life friends is positively correlated with subjective well-being (SWB even after controlling for income, demographic variables and personality differences. Doubling the number of friends in real life has an equivalent effect on well-being as a 50% increase in income. Second, the size of online networks is largely uncorrelated with subjective well-being. Third, we find that real-life friends are much more important for people who are single, divorced, separated or widowed than they are for people who are married or living with a partner. Findings from large international surveys (the European Social Surveys 2002-2008 are used to confirm the importance of real-life social networks to SWB; they also indicate a significantly smaller value of social networks to married or partnered couples.
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Safety and efficacy of venom immunotherapy: a real life study.
Kołaczek, Agnieszka; Skorupa, Dawid; Antczak-Marczak, Monika; Kuna, Piotr; Kupczyk, Maciej
2017-04-01
Venom immunotherapy (VIT) is recommended as the first-line treatment for patients allergic to Hymenoptera venom. To analyze the safety and efficacy of VIT in a real life setting. One hundred and eighty patients undergoing VIT were studied to evaluate the safety, efficacy, incidence and nature of symptoms after field stings and adverse reactions to VIT. Significantly more patients were allergic to wasp than bee venom (146 vs. 34, p bees, and were not associated with angiotensin convertase inhibitors (ACEi) or β-adrenergic antagonists use. Systemic reactions were observed in 4 individuals on wasp VIT (2.7%) and in 6 patients allergic to bees (17.65%). The VIT was efficacious as most patients reported no reactions (50%) or reported only mild local reactions (43.75%) to field stings. The decrease in sIgE at completion of VIT correlated with the dose of vaccine received ( r = 0.53, p = 0.004). Beekeeping (RR = 29.54, p venom allergy. Venom immunotherapy is highly efficacious and safe as most of the adverse events during the induction and maintenance phase are mild and local. Side effects of VIT are more common in subjects on bee VIT. Beekeeping and female sex are associated with a higher risk of allergy to Hymenoptera venom.
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Exploring sustainability transitions in households: insights from real-life experiments
Baedeker, Carolin; Buhl, Johannes; Greiff, Kathrin; Hasselkuß, Marco; Liedtke, Christa; Lukas, Melanie
2016-04-01
Societal transformation towards sustainable consumption and production, especially in urban areas, is a key challenge. The design and implementation of sustainable product service systems (PSS) might be the initial point, in which private households play a major role. The Sustainable LivingLab research infrastructure was developed as an experimental setting for investigating consumption and production patterns in private households, especially to explore socio-technical innovations which are helpful to guide sustainability transitions. The suggested presentation describes results of several real-life experiments conducted in German households, e.g. the project SusLabNRW (North-Rhine Westphalia as part of the European SusLabNWE-Project), the EnerTransRuhr project as well as the PATHWAYS project that explore patterns of action, time use, social practices and the related resource use in private households. The presentation gives an overview of the employed methods and analysed data (qualitative interviews, social network analysis, survey on household activities and inventories and a sustainability assessment (resource profiles - MIPS household analysis). Households' resource consumption was calculated in all fields of activity to analyse social practices' impact. The presentation illustrates how aggregated data can inform scenario analysis and concludes with an outlook onto transition pathways at household level and socio-technical innovations in the fields of housing, nutrition and mobility.
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Studying Real-World Perceptual Expertise
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jianhong eShen
2014-08-01
Full Text Available Significant insights into visual cognition have come from studying real-world perceptual expertise. Many have previously reviewed empirical findings and theoretical developments from this work. Here we instead provide a brief perspective on approaches, considerations, and challenges to studying real-world perceptual expertise. We discuss factors like choosing to use real-world versus artificial object domains of expertise, selecting a target domain of real-world perceptual expertise, recruiting experts, evaluating their level of expertise, and experimentally testing experts in the lab and online. Throughout our perspective, we highlight expert birding (also called birdwatching as an example, as it has been used as a target domain for over two decades in the perceptual expertise literature.
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Arnold, Dan; Demyanov, Vasily; Christie, Mike; Bakay, Alexander; Gopa, Konstantin
2016-10-01
Assessing the change in uncertainty in reservoir production forecasts over field lifetime is rarely undertaken because of the complexity of joining together the individual workflows. This becomes particularly important in complex fields such as naturally fractured reservoirs. The impact of this problem has been identified in previous and many solutions have been proposed but never implemented on complex reservoir problems due to the computational cost of quantifying uncertainty and optimising the reservoir development, specifically knowing how many and what kind of simulations to run. This paper demonstrates a workflow that propagates uncertainty throughout field lifetime, and into the decision making process by a combination of a metric-based approach, multi-objective optimisation and Bayesian estimation of uncertainty. The workflow propagates uncertainty estimates from appraisal into initial development optimisation, then updates uncertainty through history matching and finally propagates it into late-life optimisation. The combination of techniques applied, namely the metric approach and multi-objective optimisation, help evaluate development options under uncertainty. This was achieved with a significantly reduced number of flow simulations, such that the combined workflow is computationally feasible to run for a real-field problem. This workflow is applied to two synthetic naturally fractured reservoir (NFR) case studies in appraisal, field development, history matching and mid-life EOR stages. The first is a simple sector model, while the second is a more complex full field example based on a real life analogue. This study infers geological uncertainty from an ensemble of models that are based on the carbonate Brazilian outcrop which are propagated through the field lifetime, before and after the start of production, with the inclusion of production data significantly collapsing the spread of P10-P90 in reservoir forecasts. The workflow links uncertainty
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Denenberg, Dennis
2001-01-01
Presents stories taken from the book, "50 American Heroes Every Kid Should Meet," explaining that children need to learn about the value of real-life human accomplishments (versus those of athletes, television personalities, and rock stars). The heroes include Elizabeth Blackwell, first American woman doctor; George C. Marshall,…
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Learning from Dealing with Real World Problems
Akcay, Hakan
2017-01-01
The purpose of this article is to provide an example of using real world issues as tools for science teaching and learning. Using real world issues provides students with experiences in learning in problem-based environments and encourages them to apply their content knowledge to solving current and local problems.
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Abraham, I; Alhossan, A; Lee, C S; Kutbi, H; MacDonald, K
2016-05-01
We reviewed 24 'real-life' effectiveness studies of omalizumab in the treatment of severe allergic asthma that included 4117 unique patients from 32 countries with significant heterogeneity in patients, clinicians and settings. The evidence underscores the short- and long-term benefit of anti-IgE therapy in terms of the following: improving lung function; achieving asthma control and reducing symptomatology, severe exacerbations and associated work/school days lost; reducing healthcare resource utilizations, in particular hospitalizations, hospital lengths of stay and accident specialist or emergency department visits; reducing or discontinuing other asthma medications; and improving quality of life - thus confirming, complementing and extending evidence from randomized trials. Thus, omalizumab therapy is associated with signal improvements across the full objective and subjective burden of illness chain of severe allergic asthma. Benefits of omalizumab may extend up to 2-4 years, and the majority of omalizumab-treated patients may benefit for many years. Omalizumab has positive short- and long-term safety profiles similar to what is known from randomized clinical trials. Initiated patients should be monitored for treatment response at 16 weeks. Those showing positive response at that time are highly likely to show sustained treatment response and benefit in terms of clinical, quality of life and health resource utilization outcomes. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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van Nieuwenhuijzen, M; Bijman, ER; Lamberix, ICW; Wijnroks, L; de Castro, BO; Vermeer, A; Matthys, W
Background Most research on children's social problem-solving skills is based on responses to hypothetical vignettes. Just how these responses relate to actual behaviour in real-life social situations is, however, unclear, particularly for children with mild intellectual disabilities (MID). Method
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van der Meer, T.W.G.; Hakhverdian, A.; Aaldering, L.
2016-01-01
Despite decades of scholarly inquiry, the debate on the existence of a bandwagon effect in politics remains undecided. This article aims to overcome the limitations of previous experimental and survey research. We test to what extent success in real-life polling outcomes of the previous weeks
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Asife ÜNAL
2015-08-01
Full Text Available By the very first movie in 1902, the first sound - on - movie in 1927 and the first Turkish movie in 1914, cinema is an important art form in our lives from 1895. Throughout the history of 120 years of cinema, as with all areas of life, has been a close relati onship with religion or religious phenomena directly or indirectly. This relationship has lead to positive or negative results but has been effective in each case. The movies like "The Message" which issues the spread of Islam and "The Passion” which issue s the last 24 hours of Jesus’ life are religious films. Beside them movies with subliminal messages also reveal how an important force lies to create religious perception created in this area... In this regard, one of the films that are surrounded by the i nfluence of Hinduism's belief in God “Life of Pi "is an important example. Life of Pi (2012 is an 4 Oscar - winning movie which adapted to the cinema by David Magee by Yann Martel's novel of the same name and directed by Ang Lee. In the movie Pi (Piscine Pa ttel is an Indian boy who struggles for survival in a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean during 227 days with a Bengal tiger after the sinking of a ship. The movie has a clear message which “leads to belief in God”. Alongside this message it uses many metaphor s to impress the audience and gives a magnificent example for how religion could be used in the cinema. According to the film Pi is a boy questioning beliefs from childhood to find the meaning of life, to recognize God. It’s possible to see him as a child who wants to be a baptized Christian and prays like a Muslim besides being a Hindu. He is questioning a combination of religion. After his father’s quote "there is no difference between to believe in everything at the same time and nothing to believe in" h e understands that it’s not probable to be a follower of all beliefs, but this does not also mean to prevent from understanding the others. Today movies like
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Laier, Christian; Pawlikowski, Mirko; Pekal, Jaro; Schulte, Frank P; Brand, Matthias
2013-06-01
Background and aims Cybersex addiction is discussed controversially, while empirical evidence is widely missing. With respect to its mechanisms of development and maintenance Brand et al. (2011) assume that reinforcement due to cybersex should lead to the development of cue-reactivity and craving explaining recurrent cybersex use in the face of growing but neglected negative consequences. To support this hypothesis, two experimental studies were conducted. Methods In a cue-reactivity paradigm 100 pornographic cues were presented to participants and indicators of sexual arousal and craving were assessed. The first study aimed at identifying predictors of cybersex addiction in a freely recruited sample of 171 heterosexual males. The aim of the second study was to verify the findings of the first study by comparing healthy (n = 25) and problematic (n = 25) cybersex users. Results The results show that indicators of sexual arousal and craving to Internet pornographic cues predicted tendencies towards cybersex addiction in the first study. Moreover, it was shown that problematic cybersex users report greater sexual arousal and craving reactions resulting from pornographic cue presentation. In both studies, the number and subjective quality of real-life sexual contacts were not associated to cybersex addiction. Discussion The results support the gratification hypothesis, which assumes reinforcement, learning mechanisms, and craving to be relevant processes in the development and maintenance of cybersex addiction. Poor or unsatisfying sexual real-life contacts cannot sufficiently explain cybersex addiction. Conclusions Positive reinforcement in terms of gratification plays a major role in cybersex addiction.
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Real time control engineering systems and automation
Ng, Tian Seng
2016-01-01
This book covers the two broad areas of the electronics and electrical aspects of control applications, highlighting the many different types of control systems of relevance to real-life control system design. The control techniques presented are state-of-the-art. In the electronics section, readers will find essential information on microprocessor, microcontroller, mechatronics and electronics control. The low-level assembly programming language performs basic input/output control techniques as well as controlling the stepper motor and PWM dc motor. In the electrical section, the book addresses the complete elevator PLC system design, neural network plant control, load flow analysis, and process control, as well as machine vision topics. Illustrative diagrams, circuits and programming examples and algorithms help to explain the details of the system function design. Readers will find a wealth of computer control and industrial automation practices and applications for modern industries, as well as the educat...
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Martini, Silvia; Donato, Maria Francesca; Mazzarelli, Chiara; Rendina, Maria; Visco-Comandini, Ubaldo; Filì, Daniela; Gianstefani, Alice; Fagiuoli, Stefano; Melazzini, Mario; Montilla, Simona; Pani, Luca; Petraglia, Sandra; Russo, Pierluigi; Trotta, Maria Paola; Carrai, Paola; Caraceni, Paolo
2018-04-01
This study aimed to assess the real-life clinical and virological outcomes of HCV waitlisted patients for liver transplantation (LT) who received sofosbuvir/ribavirin (SOF/R) within the Italian compassionate use program. Clinical and virological data were collected in 224 patients with decompensated cirrhosis and/or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) receiving daily SOF/R until LT or up a maximum of 48 weeks. Of 100 transplanted patients, 51 were HCV-RNA negative for >4 weeks before LT (SVR12: 88%) and 49 negative for <4 weeks or still viraemic at transplant: 34 patients continued treatment after LT (bridging therapy) (SVR12: 88%), while 15 stopped treatment (SVR12: 53%). 98 patients completed SOF/R without LT (SVR12: 73%). In patients with advanced decompensated cirrhosis (basal MELD ≥15 and/or C-P ≥B8), a marked improvement of the scores occurred in about 50% of cases and almost 20% of decompensated patients without HCC reached a condition suitable for inactivation and delisting. These real-life data indicate that in waitlisted patients: (i) bridging antiviral therapy can be an option for patients still viraemic or negative <4 weeks at LT; and (ii) clinical improvement to a condition suitable for delisting can occur even in patients with advanced decompensated cirrhosis. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Clynch, Gary
1994-01-01
The traditional software development paradigm, the waterfall life cycle model, is defective when used for developing real-time systems. This thesis puts forward an executable prototyping approach for the development of real-time systems. A prototyping system is proposed which uses ESML (Extended Systems Modelling Language) as a prototype specification language. The prototyping system advocates the translation of non-executable ESML specifications into executable LOOPN (Language of Object ...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Grzegorz SZALA
2014-03-01
Full Text Available In the paper there was attempted to analyse models of fatigue life curves possible to apply in calculations of fatigue life of machine elements. The analysis was limited to fatigue life curves in stress approach enabling cyclic stresses from the range of low cycle fatigue (LCF, high cycle fatigue (HCF, fatigue limit (FL and giga cycle fatigue (GCF appearing in the loading spectrum at the same time. Chosen models of the analysed fatigue live curves will be illustrated with test results of steel and aluminium alloys.
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Novakova, Silviya Mihaylova; Staevska, Maria Toncheva; Novakova, Plamena Ivanova; Yoncheva, Manuela Dimitrova; Bratoycheva, Maria Stoykova; Musurlieva, Nina Mihaylova; Tzekov, Valeri Dimitrov; Nicolov, Dimitar Georgiev
2017-09-29
Along with its high prevalence, the burden of allergic rhinitis rests upon the serious impact on quality of life of patients. Allergic rhinitis is associated with impairments in daily activities, work and school performance, and practical problems. Patients suffer from sleep disorders and emotional problems. Тhe advantages of sublingual immunotherapy on quality of life have only recently begun to emerge. The objective of this prospective real-life study was to evaluate the effect of a three-year course of sublingual immunotherapy with house dust mite (HDM) and grass pollen extracts on quality of life in adults with allergic rhinitis. A total number of 191 adult patients [105 (54,979%) men; mean age 27.3 years (SD-6.14)] with moderate to severe allergic rhinitis and clinically relevant sensitization to house dust mites or grass pollen were prospectively evaluated in the course of management of their disease. Health-related quality of life was assessed by Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire at baseline and after three-year course of sublingual immunotherapy. The mean overall Qol score assessed at baseline and at the end of the third year of treatment decreased significantly in patients treated with HDM extract (from 2.95 to 0.76) as well as with Grass pollen extract (from 2.83 to 1.22) (р life provided evidence that a three-year course of SLIT with HDM extract as well as with grass pollen extract significantly increased QoL in patients with allergic rhinitis.
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Fujimori, Satomi; Terasawa, Koji; Murata, Yuki; Ogawa, Kishiko; Tabuchi, Hisaaki; Yanagisawa, Hiroki; Terasawa, Saiki; Shinohara, Kikunori; Yanagisawa, Akitaka
2015-01-01
The purpose of this study was to compare the hemodynamic changes that occur during Mahjong game play in virtual and real-life settings. Fourteen healthy right-handed men (average age ± standard deviation; 36.7 ± 14.9 years) played: 1) a Mahjong solitaire game on a video console against virtual rivals; 2) a Mahjong game against human opponents without conversation; and 3) a Mahjong game against human opponents with conversation. We measured oxygenated hemoglobin concentration at 44 locations o...
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Emond, Claude, E-mail: claude.emond@biosmc.com [BioSimulation Consulting Inc, Newark, DE (United States); Ruiz, Patricia; Mumtaz, Moiz [Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Atlanta, GA (United States)
2017-01-15
Chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (CDDs) are a series of mono- to octa-chlorinated homologous chemicals commonly referred to as polychlorinated dioxins. One of the most potent, well-known, and persistent member of this family is 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). As part of translational research to make computerized models accessible to health risk assessors, we present a Berkeley Madonna recoded version of the human physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the recent dioxin assessment. This model incorporates CYP1A2 induction, which is an important metabolic vector that drives dioxin distribution in the human body, and it uses a variable elimination half-life that is body burden dependent. To evaluate the model accuracy, the recoded model predictions were compared with those of the original published model. The simulations performed with the recoded model matched well with those of the original model. The recoded model was then applied to available data sets of real life exposure studies. The recoded model can describe acute and chronic exposures and can be useful for interpreting human biomonitoring data as part of an overall dioxin and/or dioxin-like compounds risk assessment. - Highlights: • The best available dioxin PBPK model for interpreting human biomonitoring data is presented. • The original PBPK model was recoded from acslX to the Berkeley Madonna (BM) platform. • Comparisons were made of the accuracy of the recoded model with the original model. • The model is a useful addition to the ATSDR's BM based PBPK toolkit that supports risk assessors. • The application of the model to real-life exposure data sets is illustrated.
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Advertising in Virtual Worlds: The Example of Second Life
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Dincer Atli
2015-07-01
Full Text Available As consumers become decreasingly responsive towards traditional forms of advertising, advertisers are turning towards more innovative methods. Virtual worlds provide an extraordinary potential for new and enhanced modes of advertising. This study examines the opportunities of the virtual world, Second Life, as a new platform for businesses’ advertisement and promotional activities. First, we briefly introduce the concept of virtual worlds and virtual advertising. Then, we go on to explain the development of advertising, with special emphasis on its evolution alongside technological developments. Furthermore, we discuss how virtual worlds developed and how the features of these worlds lent themselves to advertising. Second Life, the most popular virtual world application, is given a special emphasis, and we shall explore opportunities and practices for virtual advertising in this virtual world application.
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Siegelmann-Danieli, Nava; Farkash, Ariel; Katzir, Itzhak; Vesterman Landes, Janet; Rotem Rabinovich, Hadas; Lomnicky, Yossef; Carmeli, Boaz; Parush-Shear-Yashuv, Naama
2016-01-01
Randomized clinical trials constitute the gold-standard for evaluating new anti-cancer therapies; however, real-life data are key in complementing clinically useful information. We developed a computational tool for real-life data analysis and applied it to the metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) setting. This tool addressed the impact of oncology/non-oncology parameters on treatment patterns and clinical outcomes. The developed tool enables extraction of any computerized information including comorbidities and use of drugs (oncological/non-oncological) per individual HMO member. The study in which we evaluated this tool was a retrospective cohort study that included Maccabi Healthcare Services members with mCRC receiving bevacizumab with fluoropyrimidines (FP), FP plus oxaliplatin (FP-O), or FP plus irinotecan (FP-I) in the first-line between 9/2006 and 12/2013. The analysis included 753 patients of whom 15.4% underwent subsequent metastasectomy (the Surgery group). For the entire cohort, median overall survival (OS) was 20.5 months; in the Surgery group, median duration of bevacizumab-containing therapy (DOT) pre-surgery was 6.1 months; median OS was not reached. In the Non-surgery group, median OS and DOT were 18.7 and 11.4 months, respectively; no significant OS differences were noted between FP-O and FP-I, whereas FP use was associated with shorter OS (12.3 month; p controlling for age and gender) identified several non-oncology parameters associated with poorer clinical outcomes including concurrent use of diuretics and proton-pump inhibitors. Our tool provided insights that confirmed/complemented information gained from randomized-clinical trials. Prospective tool implementation is warranted.
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Hanna, Kamal; Sambrook, Paul; Armfield, Jason M; Brennan, David S
2017-10-01
This study had two objectives: (i) to explore and model domains describing the real-time impact of third molars (TMs) on quality of life (QoL); and (ii) to assess the percentage coverage, in some generic health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) instruments, of the TM QoL domains identified in this study. A global cross-sectional sample of tweets containing 'wisdom tooth' over a 1-week period retrieved 3,537 tweets. After random quota sampling, classification and filtering, only 843 tweets were included in the thematic analysis. A TM QoL model was constructed based on the associations of the identified domains. Domains for the selected generic HRQoL and OHRQoL instruments were plotted against the domains identified in the study to calculate the percentage coverage for each. The QoL domains identified were pain (n = 348, 41%), mood (n = 173, 20%), anxiety and fear (n = 54, 7%), enjoying food (n = 41, 4%), coping (n = 37, 4%), daily activities (n = 34, 4%), sleep (n = 24, 2%), social life (n = 19, 2%), physical health (n = 17, 2%), ability to think (n = 9, 1%), self-care (n = 8, 1%) and sporting & recreation (n = 2, <1%). The Assessment Quality of Life instrument (AQoL-8D) covers 87% of the TM QoL domains, while the rest of the HRQoL and OHRQoL instruments cover 33-60%. This study shows how Twitter can be used to obtain real-time QoL data, which might be used to model how TMs impact on QoL. The TM QoL domains identified in the study were generally under-represented among the generic OHRQoL instruments assessed while, the HRQoL AQoL-8D covered most of the TM QoL domains. The QoL domains identified in the study might be used to develop a new OHRQoL measure for TMs. © 2017 FDI World Dental Federation.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Barredo Julio C
2002-03-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background We describe an alternative method to determine mRNA half-life (t1/2 based on the Real-Time RT-PCR procedure. This approach was evaluated by using the β-actin gene as a reference molecule for measuring of mRNA stability. Results Human leukemia Nalm-6 and CCRF-CEM cells were treated with various concentrations of Actinomycin D to block transcription and aliquots were removed periodically. Total RNA was isolated and quantified using the RiboGreen® fluorescent dye with the VersaFluor Fluorometer System. One μg of total RNA was reverse transcribed and used as template for the amplification of a region of the β-actin gene (231 bp. To generate the standard curve, serial ten-fold dilutions of the pBactin-231 vector containing the cDNA amplified fragment were employed, β-actin mRNAs were quantified by Real-Time RT-PCR using the SYBR® Green I fluorogenic dye and data analyzed using the iCycle iQ system software. Using this method, the β-actin mRNA exhibited a half-life of 6.6 h and 13.5 h in Nalm-6 and CCRF-CEM cells, respectively. The t1/2 value obtained for Nalm-6 is comparable to those estimated from Northern blot studies, using normal human leukocytes (5.5 h. Conclusions We have developed a rapid, sensitive, and reliable method based on Real-Time RT-PCR for measuring mRNA half-life. Our results confirm that β-actin mRNA half-life can be affected by the cellular growth rate.
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The real limits to marine life: a further critique of the Respiration Index
Seibel, B. A.; Childress, J. J.
2013-05-01
The recently proposed "Respiration Index" (RI = log PO2/PCO2) suggests that aerobic metabolism is limited by the ratio of reactants (oxygen) to products (carbon dioxide) according to the thermodynamics of cellular respiration. Here, we demonstrate further that, because of the large standard free energy change for organic carbon oxidation (ΔG° = -686 kcal mol-1), carbon dioxide can never reach concentrations that would limit the thermodynamics of this reaction. A PCO2 to PO2 ratio of 10503 would be required to reach equilibrium (equilibrium constant, Keq = 10503), where ΔG = 0. Thus, a Respiration Index of -503 would be the real thermodynamic limit to aerobic life. Such a Respiration Index is never reached, either in the cell or in the environment. Moreover, cellular respiration and oxygen provision are kinetically controlled such that, within limits, environmental oxygen and CO2 concentrations have little to do with intracellular concentrations. The RI is fundamentally different from the aragonite saturation state, a thermodynamic index used to quantify the potential effect of CO2 on calcification rates, because of its failure to incorporate the equilibrium constant of the reaction. Not only is the RI invalid, but its use leads to incorrect and misleading predictions of the threat of changing oxygen and carbon dioxide to marine life. We provide a physiological framework that identifies oxygen thresholds and allows for synergistic effects of ocean acidification and global warming.
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The real limits to marine life: a further critique of the Respiration Index
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
B. A. Seibel
2013-05-01
Full Text Available The recently proposed "Respiration Index" (RI = log PO2/PCO2 suggests that aerobic metabolism is limited by the ratio of reactants (oxygen to products (carbon dioxide according to the thermodynamics of cellular respiration. Here, we demonstrate further that, because of the large standard free energy change for organic carbon oxidation (ΔG° = −686 kcal mol−1, carbon dioxide can never reach concentrations that would limit the thermodynamics of this reaction. A PCO2 to PO2 ratio of 10503 would be required to reach equilibrium (equilibrium constant, Keq = 10503, where ΔG = 0. Thus, a Respiration Index of −503 would be the real thermodynamic limit to aerobic life. Such a Respiration Index is never reached, either in the cell or in the environment. Moreover, cellular respiration and oxygen provision are kinetically controlled such that, within limits, environmental oxygen and CO2 concentrations have little to do with intracellular concentrations. The RI is fundamentally different from the aragonite saturation state, a thermodynamic index used to quantify the potential effect of CO2 on calcification rates, because of its failure to incorporate the equilibrium constant of the reaction. Not only is the RI invalid, but its use leads to incorrect and misleading predictions of the threat of changing oxygen and carbon dioxide to marine life. We provide a physiological framework that identifies oxygen thresholds and allows for synergistic effects of ocean acidification and global warming.
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Pugh, Charles C
2015-01-01
Based on an honors course taught by the author at UC Berkeley, this introduction to undergraduate real analysis gives a different emphasis by stressing the importance of pictures and hard problems. Topics include: a natural construction of the real numbers, four-dimensional visualization, basic point-set topology, function spaces, multivariable calculus via differential forms (leading to a simple proof of the Brouwer Fixed Point Theorem), and a pictorial treatment of Lebesgue theory. Over 150 detailed illustrations elucidate abstract concepts and salient points in proofs. The exposition is informal and relaxed, with many helpful asides, examples, some jokes, and occasional comments from mathematicians, such as Littlewood, Dieudonné, and Osserman. This book thus succeeds in being more comprehensive, more comprehensible, and more enjoyable, than standard introductions to analysis. New to the second edition of Real Mathematical Analysis is a presentation of Lebesgue integration done almost entirely using the un...
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Real life narratives enhance learning about the 'art and science' of midwifery practice.
Gilkison, Andrea; Giddings, Lynne; Smythe, Liz
2016-03-01
Health professional educators have long grappled with how to teach the more elusive art of practice alongside the science (a term that encompasses the sort of professional knowledge that can be directly passed on). A competent practitioner is one who knows when, how and for whom to apply knowledge and skills, thereby making the links between theory and practice. They combine art and science in such a way that integrates knowledge with insight. This participatory hermeneutic study explored the experience of teachers and students of implementing a narrative-centred curriculum in undergraduate midwifery education. It revealed that when real life narratives were central to the learning environment, students' learning about the art of midwifery practice was enhanced as they learned about midwifery decisions, reflected on their own values and beliefs and felt an emotional connection with the narrator. Further, art and science became melded together in the context specific wisdom of practice (phronesis).
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Sander, Ulrich; Lubbe, Nils
2018-04-01
Intersection accidents are frequent and harmful. The accident types 'straight crossing path' (SCP), 'left turn across path - oncoming direction' (LTAP/OD), and 'left-turn across path - lateral direction' (LTAP/LD) represent around 95% of all intersection accidents and one-third of all police-reported car-to-car accidents in Germany. The European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) have announced that intersection scenarios will be included in their rating from 2020; however, how these scenarios are to be tested has not been defined. This study investigates whether clustering methods can be used to identify a small number of test scenarios sufficiently representative of the accident dataset to evaluate Intersection Automated Emergency Braking (AEB). Data from the German In-Depth Accident Study (GIDAS) and the GIDAS-based Pre-Crash Matrix (PCM) from 1999 to 2016, containing 784 SCP and 453 LTAP/OD accidents, were analyzed with principal component methods to identify variables that account for the relevant total variances of the sample. Three different methods for data clustering were applied to each of the accident types, two similarity-based approaches, namely Hierarchical Clustering (HC) and Partitioning Around Medoids (PAM), and the probability-based Latent Class Clustering (LCC). The optimum number of clusters was derived for HC and PAM with the silhouette method. The PAM algorithm was both initiated with random start medoid selection and medoids from HC. For LCC, the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) was used to determine the optimal number of clusters. Test scenarios were defined from optimal cluster medoids weighted by their real-life representation in GIDAS. The set of variables for clustering was further varied to investigate the influence of variable type and character. We quantified how accurately each cluster variation represents real-life AEB performance using pre-crash simulations with PCM data and a generic algorithm for AEB intervention. The
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Double path-integral migration velocity analysis: a real data example
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Costa, Jessé C; Schleicher, Jörg
2011-01-01
Path-integral imaging forms an image with no knowledge of the velocity model by summing over the migrated images obtained for a set of migration velocity models. Double path-integral imaging migration extracts the stationary velocities, i.e. those velocities at which common-image gathers align horizontally, as a byproduct. An application of the technique to a real data set demonstrates that quantitative information about the time migration velocity model can be determined by double path-integral migration velocity analysis. Migrated images using interpolations with different regularizations of the extracted velocities prove the high quality of the resulting time-migration velocity information. The so-obtained velocity model can then be used as a starting model for subsequent velocity analysis tools like migration tomography or other tomographic methods
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Galderisi, Silvana; Rucci, Paola; Kirkpatrick, Brian; Mucci, Armida; Gibertoni, Dino; Rocca, Paola; Rossi, Alessandro; Bertolino, Alessandro; Strauss, Gregory P; Aguglia, Eugenio; Bellomo, Antonello; Murri, Martino Belvederi; Bucci, Paola; Carpiniello, Bernardo; Comparelli, Anna; Cuomo, Alessandro; De Berardis, Domenico; Dell'Osso, Liliana; Di Fabio, Fabio; Gelao, Barbara; Marchesi, Carlo; Monteleone, Palmiero; Montemagni, Cristiana; Orsenigo, Giulia; Pacitti, Francesca; Roncone, Rita; Santonastaso, Paolo; Siracusano, Alberto; Vignapiano, Annarita; Vita, Antonio; Zeppegno, Patrizia; Maj, Mario
2018-04-01
Enhanced understanding of factors associated with symptomatic and functional recovery is instrumental to designing personalized treatment plans for people with schizophrenia. To date, this is the first study using network analysis to investigate the associations among cognitive, psychopathologic, and psychosocial variables in a large sample of community-dwelling individuals with schizophrenia. To assess the interplay among psychopathologic variables, cognitive dysfunctions, functional capacity, personal resources, perceived stigma, and real-life functioning in individuals with schizophrenia, using a data-driven approach. This multicenter, cross-sectional study involved 26 university psychiatric clinics and/or mental health departments. A total of 921 community-dwelling individuals with a DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia who were stabilized on antipsychotic treatment were recruited from those consecutively presenting to the outpatient units of the sites between March 1, 2012, and September 30, 2013. Statistical analysis was conducted between July 1 and September 30, 2017. Measures covered psychopathologic variables, neurocognition, social cognition, functional capacity, real-life functioning, resilience, perceived stigma, incentives, and service engagement. Of 740 patients (221 women and 519 men; mean [SD] age, 40.0 [10.9] years) with complete data on the 27 study measures, 163 (22.0%) were remitted (with a score of mild or better on 8 core symptoms). The network analysis showed that functional capacity and everyday life skills were the most central and highly interconnected nodes in the network. Psychopathologic variables split in 2 domains, with positive symptoms being one of the most peripheral and least connected nodes. Functional capacity bridged cognition with everyday life skills; the everyday life skills node was connected to disorganization and expressive deficits. Interpersonal relationships and work skills were connected to avolition; the interpersonal
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Sleep loss and accidents--work hours, life style, and sleep pathology.
Akerstedt, Torbjörn; Philip, Pierre; Capelli, Aurore; Kecklund, Göran
2011-01-01
A very important outcome of reduced sleep is accidents. The present chapter will attempt to bring together some of the present knowledge in this area. We will focus on the driving situation, for which the evidence of the link between sleep loss and accidents is quite well established, but we will also bring up working life in general where evidence is more sparse. It should be emphasized that reduced sleep as a cause of accidents implies that the mediating factor is sleepiness (or fatigue). This link is discussed elsewhere in this volume, but here we will bring in sleepiness (subjective or physiological) as an explanatory factor of accidents. Another central observation is that many real life accident studies do not link accidents to reduced sleep, but infer reduced sleep and/or sleepiness from the context, like, for example, from work schedules, life styles, or sleep pathology. Reduced sleep is mainly due to suboptimal work schedules (or to a suboptimal life style) or to sleep pathology. We have divided the present chapter into two areas. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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van Nieuwenhuijzen, M.; Bijman, E. R.; Lamberix, I. C. W.; Wijnroks, L.; de Castro, B. Orobio; Vermeer, A.; Matthys, W.
2005-01-01
Abstract: Background Most research on children's social problem-solving skills is based on responses to hypothetical vignettes. Just how these responses relate to actual behaviour in real-life social situations is, however, unclear, particularly for children with mild intellectual disabilities (MID). Method: In the present study, the spontaneous…
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Swenson, Mary, Comp.; Austin, Jane, Comp.
This simulation exercise requires participants to practice critical thinking, problem solving, and negotiating skills as they role play real-life conflicts concerning working conditions in a factory in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Participants also learn about Guatemala's history, its social, economic, and political status as of April 1994. Based on…
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Open Days Guide: CERN, for a better life
CERN Bulletin
2013-01-01
At times, CERN research can seem rather “out there”. After all, how can this work possibly relate to daily life? So, let’s bring it back down to Earth with some real-life examples of CERN technology in action. A treatment room at the Italian centre for hadron therapy (CNAO). Image: CNAO. On the Open Days, visit these sites for a first-hand look at CERN’s important and innovative role in everyday technology: - The Knowledge Transfer (KT) visit point, where you will be introduced to hadron therapy, Positron Emission Tomography (PET), the Medicis project and Medipix. There, you will be able to see an immobilization mask, where patients are placed during hadron therapy treatment, as well as a “phantom” – a piece used to simulate the human body for radiobiology studies. (Map: A3). - Pôle Energie: Technologies developed for CERN accelerators have been used to design and build a high-tech solar thermal collector. Th...
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Real-time Avatar Animation from a Single Image.
Saragih, Jason M; Lucey, Simon; Cohn, Jeffrey F
2011-01-01
A real time facial puppetry system is presented. Compared with existing systems, the proposed method requires no special hardware, runs in real time (23 frames-per-second), and requires only a single image of the avatar and user. The user's facial expression is captured through a real-time 3D non-rigid tracking system. Expression transfer is achieved by combining a generic expression model with synthetically generated examples that better capture person specific characteristics. Performance of the system is evaluated on avatars of real people as well as masks and cartoon characters.
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Human-machine cooperation: a solution for life-critical systems?
Millot, Patrick; Boy, Guy A
2012-01-01
Decision-making plays an important role in life-critical systems. It entails cognitive functions such as monitoring, as well as fault prevention and recovery. Three kinds of objectives are typically considered: safety, efficiency and comfort. People involved in the control and management of such systems provide two kinds of contributions: positive with their unique involvement and capacity to deal with the unexpected; and negative with their ability to make errors. In the negative view, people are the problem and need to be supervised by regulatory systems in the form of operational constraints or by design. In the positive view, people are the solution and lead the game; they are decision-makers. The former view also deals with error resistance, and the latter with error tolerance, which, for example, enables cooperation between people and decision support systems (DSS). In the real life, both views should be considered with respect to appropriate situational factors, such as time constraints and very dangerous environments. This is known as function allocation between people and systems. This paper presents a possibility to reconcile both approaches into a joint human-machine organization, where the main dimensioning factors are safety and complexity. A framework for cooperative and fault tolerant systems is proposed, and illustrated by an example in Air Traffic Control.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kojo, Matti; Richardson, P.J.
2009-10-01
The main objective of this report is to introduce and analyse the local decision-making process in the Eurajoki municipality, Finland regarding the siting of the SNF facility, within the framework of compensation theory. The compensation case Eurajoki offers excellent empirical data for analyzing how the negotiations on compensation were implemented at the local level. The successful siting process is particularly interesting as a number of survey studies have suggested that compensation for a radioactive waste repository does not change the percentage of individuals supporting the facility. On the contrary, some compensation proposals have even decreased the existing support. Even among hazardous waste facilities radioactive waste facilities seem to be an exception. The explanation offered is that radioactive waste is regarded with a greater sense of dread than is the case for other hazardous waste. Although monetary incentives and other benefits have been widely applied in the field of nuclear waste management in many countries the conclusion drawn is that compensation-based siting has to date experienced little success. However, two recent examples, one from Finland and the other from Korea, indicate that compensation can play a decisive role in decision-making during the siting of radioactive waste facilities. Furthermore, in Sweden a local benefit package was agreed between the nuclear waste management company SKB AB and the two candidate municipalities, Oskarshamn and Oesthammar in 2009 before the company announced the site. The novel aspect of this arrangement is that the municipality in which the facility is not located (now known to be Oskarshamn) will receive 75% of the total benefit package (around Euro 200 million) given that Oesthammar will receive all the attendant benefits associated with facility development. The main questions posed in this report are as follows: Why was the compensation package a success in the case of Eurajoki? What were the
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Life: Here? There? Elsewhere? The Search for Life on Venus and Mars. Life in the Universe Series.
1996
This classroom kit, designed by curriculum developers working with teachers and scientists from the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute, helps teachers guide students in the exploration of life through the multidisciplinary sciences of paleontology and exobiology. It reflects the real-life methods of science: making…
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Strange functions in real analysis
Kharazishvili, AB
2005-01-01
Weierstrass and Blancmange nowhere differentiable functions, Lebesgue integrable functions with everywhere divergent Fourier series, and various nonintegrable Lebesgue measurable functions. While dubbed strange or "pathological," these functions are ubiquitous throughout mathematics and play an important role in analysis, not only as counterexamples of seemingly true and natural statements, but also to stimulate and inspire the further development of real analysis.Strange Functions in Real Analysis explores a number of important examples and constructions of pathological functions. After introducing the basic concepts, the author begins with Cantor and Peano-type functions, then moves to functions whose constructions require essentially noneffective methods. These include functions without the Baire property, functions associated with a Hamel basis of the real line, and Sierpinski-Zygmund functions that are discontinuous on each subset of the real line having the cardinality continuum. Finally, he considers e...
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Kantorovitz, Shmuel
2016-01-01
This undergraduate textbook is based on lectures given by the author on the differential and integral calculus of functions of several real variables. The book has a modern approach and includes topics such as: •The p-norms on vector space and their equivalence •The Weierstrass and Stone-Weierstrass approximation theorems •The differential as a linear functional; Jacobians, Hessians, and Taylor's theorem in several variables •The Implicit Function Theorem for a system of equations, proved via Banach’s Fixed Point Theorem •Applications to Ordinary Differential Equations •Line integrals and an introduction to surface integrals This book features numerous examples, detailed proofs, as well as exercises at the end of sections. Many of the exercises have detailed solutions, making the book suitable for self-study. Several Real Variables will be useful for undergraduate students in mathematics who have completed first courses in linear algebra and analysis of one real variable.
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Physics with illustrative examples from medicine and biology
Benedek, George B
Physics: with illustrative examples from medicine and biology is a three-volume set of textbooks in introductory physics written at the calculus level and designed primarily for students with career objectives in the life sciences.
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Long-term treatment of ADHD with stimulants: A large observational study of real-life patients
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Powell, Shelagh G.; Thomsen, Per Hove; Frydenberg, Morten
2011-01-01
: The diversity of ADHD patients was evident from the comorbidity, age at start, comedication, and treatment needs over time. Dosages corresponded to guidelines in most patients, but some needed higher dosages or got along on lower dosages for long periods. Age at start and comorbidity influenced dosage......, and dosage was associated to differential outcome groups. Conclusion: The study findings underscored the diversity of ADHD patients and that individual factors should be taken into account when tailoring individual treatment schedules. Findings further showed that stimulant dosages are dynamic over time......Objective: To evaluate 410 real-life patients treated with stimulants and assessed systematically over several years. Method: Naturalistic observational study. A database was compiled on the basis of a review of the medical charts of patients attending a specialized ADHD clinic. Results...
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Real life working shift assignment problem
Sze, San-Nah; Kwek, Yeek-Ling; Tiong, Wei-King; Chiew, Kang-Leng
2017-07-01
This study concerns about the working shift assignment in an outlet of Supermarket X in Eastern Mall, Kuching. The working shift assignment needs to be solved at least once in every month. Current approval process of working shifts is too troublesome and time-consuming. Furthermore, the management staff cannot have an overview of manpower and working shift schedule. Thus, the aim of this study is to develop working shift assignment simulation and propose a working shift assignment solution. The main objective for this study is to fulfill manpower demand at minimum operation cost. Besides, the day off and meal break policy should be fulfilled accordingly. Demand based heuristic is proposed to assign working shift and the quality of the solution is evaluated by using the real data.
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The significance of plant life management
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Myrddin Davies, L.
2000-01-01
The paper carries a definition and describes Plant life and plant life management. It also describes the procedures and defines the categorisation of components giving examples and referring to key components. Examples of 'good practice and guidance' are given for the establishment and implementation of plant life management programmes. A description is given of recent and current IAEA activities under the aegis of the International Working Group on Nuclear Power Plant Life Management (IWG-LMNPP). Some of the future activities in this field are described. (author)
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Replacing a Hospital Information System: an example of a real-world case study
Sikkel, Nicolaas; Spil, Antonius A.M.; van de Weg, R.L.W.
Real-world case studies are important to complement the academic skills and knowledge acquired by computer science students. In this paper we relate our experiences with a course specifically designed to address this issue. The objectives of the course are threefold: to train management and
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Real-time C++ efficient object-oriented and template microcontroller programming
Kormanyos, Christopher
2013-01-01
This is a highly practical guide to programming real-time embedded microcontroller systems in C++. Its many examples are backed by real-time performance measurements and size analyses that quantify the true cost of the code to the last byte and microsecond.
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Developments in architecture for real-time data systems
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Heath, R.L.; Myers, W.R.
1975-01-01
Real-time data systems typically operate at two levels: a fast-response instrument-oriented level for data acquisition and control, and a slow human-oriented level for interaction and computation. Traditional minicomputer data systems support real-time applications by implementation of background/foreground software. Recent developments in computer technology including microprocessors enable the functional organization of hardware in distributed or hierarchical form to provide new system structures for real-time requirements. Examples of systems with distributed architecture will be discussed in detail
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McIlvenny, Paul
2010-01-01
For better or worse, video technologies have made their way into many domains of social life, for example in the domain of therapeutics. Techniques such as Marte Meo, Video Interaction Guidance (ViG), Video-Enhanced Reflection on Communication, Video Home Training and Video intervention/prevention (VIP) all promote the use of video as a therapeutic tool. This paper focuses on media therapeutics and the various in situ uses of video technologies in the mass media for therapeutic purposes. Real...
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Mateusz Cybulski; Lukasz Cybulski; Elzbieta Krajewska-Kulak; Magda Orzechowska; Urszula Cwalina; Marek Jasinski
2018-01-01
Introduction: Aging has a strong influence on the quality of relationships and sexual functioning, but in itself does not cause a lack of sexual desire.Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the quality of sexual life and define sexual knowledge and attitudes of older people on the example of residents of Bialystok, Poland at the age of 60 and over.Methods: The study included 170 people, inhabitants of Bialystok, Poland aged over 60: 85 students of the University of Healthy Senior an...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Bora Eldem
2017-01-01
Full Text Available Purpose. To evaluate the clinical and diagnostic characteristics of patients with newly diagnosed diabetic macular edema (DME in Turkey in a real-life setting. Methods. A total of 945 consecutive patients (mean (SD age: 61.3 (9.9 years, 55.2% male with newly diagnosed DME were included. Data on patient demographics, comorbidities, ocular history, ophthalmic examination findings including type of DME, central macular thickness (CMT via time domain (TD and spectral domain (SD optical coherence tomography (OCT, and planned treatments were recorded. Results. OCT (98.8% and fundoscopy (92.9% were the two most common diagnostic methods. Diffuse and focal DMEs were detected in 39.2% and 36.9% of cases, respectively. Laser photocoagulation (32.1% and antivascular endothelial growth factors (anti-VEGF; 31.8% were the most commonly planned treatments. The median CMT in the right eye was significantly greater in untreated than in treated patients [376.5 μm (range: 160–840 versus 342 μm (range: 146–999 (p=0.002] and in the left eye [370 μm (range: 201–780 versus 329 μm (range: 148–999 (p<0.001]. Conclusions. This study is the first large-scale real-life registry of DME patients in Turkey. SD-OCT and fundoscopy were the most common diagnostic methods. Laser photocoagulation and anti-VEGF therapy were the most common treatments.
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Hatcher, Gerry; Okuda, Craig
2016-01-01
The effects of climate change on the near shore coastal environment including ocean acidification, accelerated erosion, destruction of coral reefs, and damage to marine habitat have highlighted the need for improved equipment to study, monitor, and evaluate these changes [1]. This is especially true where areas of study are remote, large, or beyond depths easily accessible to divers. To this end, we have developed three examples of low cost and easily deployable real-time ocean observation platforms. We followed a scalable design approach adding complexity and capability as familiarity and experience were gained with system components saving both time and money by reducing design mistakes. The purpose of this paper is to provide information for the researcher, technician, or engineer who finds themselves in need of creating or acquiring similar platforms.
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Feasibility of the integration of CRONOS, a 3-D neutronics code, into real-time simulators
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ragusa, J.C.
2001-01-01
In its effort to contribute to nuclear power plant safety, CEA proposes the integration of an engineering grade 3-D neutronics code into a real-time plant analyser. This paper describes the capabilities of the neutronics code CRONOS to achieve a fast running performance. First, we will present current core models in simulators and explain their drawbacks. Secondly, the mean features of CRONOS's spatial-kinetics methods will be reviewed. We will then present an optimum core representation with respect to mesh size, choice of finite elements (FE) basis and execution time, for accurate results as well as the multi 1-D thermal-hydraulics (T/H) model developed to take into account 3-D effects in updating the cross-sections. A Main Steam Line Break (MSLB) End-of-Life (EOL) Hot-Zero-Power (HZP) accident will be used as an example, before we conclude with the perspectives of integrating CRONOS's 3-D core model into real-time simulators. (author)
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Feasibility of the integration of CRONOS, a 3-D neutronics code, into real-time simulators
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Ragusa, J.C. [CEA Saclay, Dept. de Mecanique et de Technologie, 91 - Gif-sur-Yvette (France)
2001-07-01
In its effort to contribute to nuclear power plant safety, CEA proposes the integration of an engineering grade 3-D neutronics code into a real-time plant analyser. This paper describes the capabilities of the neutronics code CRONOS to achieve a fast running performance. First, we will present current core models in simulators and explain their drawbacks. Secondly, the mean features of CRONOS's spatial-kinetics methods will be reviewed. We will then present an optimum core representation with respect to mesh size, choice of finite elements (FE) basis and execution time, for accurate results as well as the multi 1-D thermal-hydraulics (T/H) model developed to take into account 3-D effects in updating the cross-sections. A Main Steam Line Break (MSLB) End-of-Life (EOL) Hot-Zero-Power (HZP) accident will be used as an example, before we conclude with the perspectives of integrating CRONOS's 3-D core model into real-time simulators. (author)
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An Example-Based Brain MRI Simulation Framework.
He, Qing; Roy, Snehashis; Jog, Amod; Pham, Dzung L
2015-02-21
The simulation of magnetic resonance (MR) images plays an important role in the validation of image analysis algorithms such as image segmentation, due to lack of sufficient ground truth in real MR images. Previous work on MRI simulation has focused on explicitly modeling the MR image formation process. However, because of the overwhelming complexity of MR acquisition these simulations must involve simplifications and approximations that can result in visually unrealistic simulated images. In this work, we describe an example-based simulation framework, which uses an "atlas" consisting of an MR image and its anatomical models derived from the hard segmentation. The relationships between the MR image intensities and its anatomical models are learned using a patch-based regression that implicitly models the physics of the MR image formation. Given the anatomical models of a new brain, a new MR image can be simulated using the learned regression. This approach has been extended to also simulate intensity inhomogeneity artifacts based on the statistical model of training data. Results show that the example based MRI simulation method is capable of simulating different image contrasts and is robust to different choices of atlas. The simulated images resemble real MR images more than simulations produced by a physics-based model.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Klemin, A.I.; Emel'yanov, V.S.; Rabchun, A.V.
1984-01-01
A technique is sugfested for estimating service life indices of equipment based on describing the process of the equipment ageing by continuous Markov diffusion process. It is noted that a number of problems on estimating durability indices of products is reduced to problems of estimating characteristics of the time of the first attainment of the preset boundary (boundaries) by a random process describing the ageing of a product. The methods of statistic estimation of the drift and diffusion coefficient in the continuous Markov diffusion process are considered formulae for their point and interval estimates are presented. A special description is given for a case of a stationary process and determining in this case mathematical expectation and dispersion of the time of the first attainment of a boundary (boundaries). The method of numerical simulation of the diffusion process with constant drift and diffusion coefficients is also described; results obtained on the basis of such a simulation are discussed. An example of using the suggested technique for quantitative estimate of the service life for the RBMK-1000 gate-regulating value is given
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Ivinskaya, Aliaksandra; Bergmann, René; Kafka, Jan Robert
2014-01-01
Guided-mode resonances in structures having periodicity along at least one dimension were widely employed in the last decade in various optical devices. Initially it was shown that at frequencies close to the second order band gap periodic structures can feature total reflection of light due...... to the guided modes propagating along the surface of the grating. As an application, this allows to substitute a thick multilayer Bragg mirror in VCSELs by a thin grating-based mirror. Most devices utilizing guided-mode resonances were theoretically and numerically investigated with the idealized model...... of an infinite periodic structure illuminated by a plane wave. To see how grating-based components can perform in real life we take into account two critical factors: the finite size of the grating and the Gaussian shape of the light source replacing a plane wave. These factors can significantly change...
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Zhang, Sanzong; Luo, Yi; Schuster, Gerard T.
2015-01-01
. The synthetic examples illustrated the effectiveness of the WT method in providing a highly resolved estimate of the velocity model. A real data example from the Gulf of Mexico demonstrated these benefits of WT, but also found the limitations in traveltime
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Anton Vorina
2013-10-01
Full Text Available In this paper we analyzed the impact of gender, degree of education and the amount of salary in the satisfaction with life and political culture on example in Slovenia. The main goal of the research is to determine whether (and how the impact of gender, level of education and the amount of salary on the satisfaction with life and political culture. A written “online” survey (with Google-drive was conducted from 25/4/2013 to 7/5/2013. We observe that there are statistically significant differences among the respondents with different degree of education (p-value = 0.003 and amount of salary (p-value = 0.002 regarding the satisfaction with life. We found out that there isn’t statistically significantly different between satisfaction with life and gender. We also found out that there are statistically significant differences among the gender (p-value = 0.007 and respondents with different amount of salary (p-value = 0.002 regarding the satisfaction with political culture. The respondents with highest amount of salary are more satisfied with life than the respondents with the lowest amount of salary.
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The priority queue as an example of hardware/software codesign
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Høeg, Flemming; Mellergaard, Niels; Staunstrup, Jørgen
1994-01-01
The paper identifies a number of issues that are believed to be important for hardware/software codesign. The issues are illustrated by a small comprehensible example: a priority queue. Based on simulations of a real application, we suggest a combined hardware/software realization of the priority...
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Greiman, Stephen E; Tkach, Vasyl V
2016-07-01
Bacteria of the genus Neorickettsia are obligate intracellular endosymbionts of parasitic flukes (Digenea) and are passed through the entire complex life cycle of the parasite by vertical transmission. Several species of Neorickettsia are known to cause diseases in domestic animals, wildlife, and humans. Quantitative data on the transmission of the bacteria through the digenean life cycle is almost completely lacking. This study quantified for the first time the abundance of Neorickettsia within multiple stages of the life cycle of the digenean Plagiorchis elegans. Snails Lymnaea stagnalis collected from a pond in North Dakota were screened for the presence of digenean cercariae, which were subsequently tested for the presence of Neorickettsia. Three L. stagnalis were found shedding P. elegans cercariae infected with Neorickettsia. These snails were used to initiate three separate laboratory life cycles and obtain all life cycle stages for bacterial quantification. A quantitative real-time PCR assay targeting the GroEL gene was developed to enumerate Neorickettsia sp. within different stages of the digenean life cycle. The number of bacteria significantly increased throughout all stages, from eggs to adults. The two largest increases in number of bacteria occurred during the period from eggs to cercariae and from 6-day metacercariae to 48-h juvenile worms. These two periods seem to be the most important for Neorickettsia propagation through the complex digenean life cycle and maturation in the definitive host.
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[Quality of life and life project, two inseparable concepts?].
Deconstanza, Patrice
2010-01-01
The construction of a life project within a long-stay unit for people living with chronic psychiatric disorders must take into account a dimension of care centred around the quality of life and the care provided "here and now". Here, the concept of care finds its full meaning. The example of a long-stay psychiatric unit.
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Encouraging Learning of Industry Technology: A Merchandising Example
Reilly, Andrew; Huss, Megan; Stoel, Leslie
2005-01-01
The application of the technology acceptance model to a merchandising course teaching industry software was evaluated. Based on technology acceptance research, industry software was presented emphasizing ease-of-use and usefulness. The final course project gave students a quasi real-life experience of combining merchandising skills with the…
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Abstractions for aperiodic multiprocessor scheduling of real-time stream processing applications
Hausmans, J.P.H.M.
2015-01-01
Embedded multiprocessor systems are often used in the domain of real-time stream processing applications to keep up with increasing power and performance requirements. Examples of such real-time stream processing applications are digital radio baseband processing and WLAN transceivers. These stream
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Joan Claudi Socoró
2017-10-01
Full Text Available One of the main aspects affecting the quality of life of people living in urban and suburban areas is their continued exposure to high Road Traffic Noise (RTN levels. Until now, noise measurements in cities have been performed by professionals, recording data in certain locations to build a noise map afterwards. However, the deployment of Wireless Acoustic Sensor Networks (WASN has enabled automatic noise mapping in smart cities. In order to obtain a reliable picture of the RTN levels affecting citizens, Anomalous Noise Events (ANE unrelated to road traffic should be removed from the noise map computation. To this aim, this paper introduces an Anomalous Noise Event Detector (ANED designed to differentiate between RTN and ANE in real time within a predefined interval running on the distributed low-cost acoustic sensors of a WASN. The proposed ANED follows a two-class audio event detection and classification approach, instead of multi-class or one-class classification schemes, taking advantage of the collection of representative acoustic data in real-life environments. The experiments conducted within the DYNAMAP project, implemented on ARM-based acoustic sensors, show the feasibility of the proposal both in terms of computational cost and classification performance using standard Mel cepstral coefficients and Gaussian Mixture Models (GMM. The two-class GMM core classifier relatively improves the baseline universal GMM one-class classifier F1 measure by 18.7% and 31.8% for suburban and urban environments, respectively, within the 1-s integration interval. Nevertheless, according to the results, the classification performance of the current ANED implementation still has room for improvement.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Anne-Laurence Best
2018-01-01
Full Text Available Purpose. To assess real-life efficacy of ranibizumab and treatment compliance of patients with vision loss secondary to diabetic macular edema (DME. Methods. A retrospective study was conducted in DME patients treated with ranibizumab. Patients were monitored every 4 weeks for visual acuity (VA and central retinal thickness (CRT by SD-OCT. All patients received a loading dose of 3 monthly injections followed by retreatments on an as-needed basis. The primary endpoint was the change in VA at M12. Patient compliance to the follow-up and the correlation between the injection number and VA were also investigated. Compliance was compared to that of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD patients. Results. Seventy-two eyes of 55 consecutive DME patients were included. At baseline, the mean VA was 56.5 letters and CRT was 470 μm. At M12, the mean VA was 63.4 letters (p 70 letters, the mean VA change was +6.9 letters, and the mean CRT was 361.9 μm (p=0.0001 after a mean number of 5.33 intravitreal injections. In patients who received ≥7 injections, the VA gain and final VA were significantly higher than in patients who received <7 injections. At M12, 25.45% of DME patients were lost to follow-up versus 16.8% of nAMD patients (n=55. Discussion/Conclusion. Our study confirms the real-life efficacy of ranibizumab in DME at M12 and the need for a large number of injections to achieve better visual outcomes. We also showed a trend to a lower compliance in diabetic versus nAMD patients.
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Fast tracking nuclear safeguards knowledge transfer through virtual and real-world engagement
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
De Luca, A.; Marin-Ferrer, M.; Peerani, P.; Janssens, W.
2014-01-01
This Paper focuses on analysing and comparing two main paradigms adopted to tackle the question of knowledge transfer, i.e. a top-down approach versus a bottom-up grassroots approach. This is done without excluding the fact that the two approaches can ultimately complement each other in effectively bringing about a sustainable method to improve interaction between the experienced workforce with the newcomers. The study examines the context and the method on which these two approaches are based (online and real life interaction). The examples we will be using are the NuSaSET Portal, with its community driven knowledge network, the ESARDA Course, which adopts a conservative 'Lecture' approach and the INNM Student Chapters. Both former activities are hosted by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. (authors)
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Moving through time: the role of personality in three real-life contexts.
Duffy, Sarah E; Feist, Michele I; McCarthy, Steven
2014-01-01
In English, two deictic space-time metaphors are in common usage: the Moving Ego metaphor conceptualizes the ego as moving forward through time and the Moving Time metaphor conceptualizes time as moving forward toward the ego (Clark, 1973). Although earlier research investigating the psychological reality of these metaphors has typically examined spatial influences on temporal reasoning (e.g., Boroditsky & Ramscar, 2002), recent lines of research have extended beyond this, providing initial evidence that personality differences and emotional experiences may also influence how people reason about events in time (Duffy & Feist, 2014; Hauser, Carter, & Meier, 2009; Richmond, Wilson, & Zinken, 2012). In this article, we investigate whether these relationships have force in real life. Building on the effects of individual differences in self-reported conscientiousness and procrastination found by Duffy and Feist (2014), we examined whether, in addition to self-reported conscientiousness and procrastination, there is a relationship between conscientious and procrastinating behaviors and temporal perspective. We found that participants who adopted the Moving Time perspective were more likely to exhibit conscientious behaviors, while those who adopted the Moving Ego perspective were more likely to procrastinate, suggesting that the earlier effects reach beyond the laboratory. Copyright © 2014 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.
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Baker, Karl; Dunwoodie, Elaine; Jones, Richard G; Newsham, Alex; Johnson, Owen; Price, Christopher P; Wolstenholme, Jane; Leal, Jose; McGinley, Patrick; Twelves, Chris; Hall, Geoff
2017-07-01
There is growing interest in the use of routinely collected electronic health records to enhance service delivery and facilitate clinical research. It should be possible to detect and measure patterns of care and use the data to monitor improvements but there are methodological and data quality challenges. Driven by the desire to model the impact of a patient self-test blood count monitoring service in patients on chemotherapy, we aimed to (i) establish reproducible methods of process-mining electronic health records, (ii) use the outputs derived to define and quantify patient pathways during chemotherapy, and (iii) to gather robust data which is structured to be able to inform a cost-effectiveness decision model of home monitoring of neutropenic status during chemotherapy. Electronic Health Records at a UK oncology centre were included if they had (i) a diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer and received adjuvant epirubicin and cyclosphosphamide chemotherapy or (ii) colorectal cancer and received palliative oxaliplatin and infusional 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy, and (iii) were first diagnosed with cancer between January 2004 and February 2013. Software and a Markov model were developed, producing a schematic of patient pathways during chemotherapy. Significant variance from the assumed care pathway was evident from the data. Of the 535 patients with breast cancer and 420 with colorectal cancer there were 474 and 329 pathway variants respectively. Only 27 (5%) and 26 (6%) completed the planned six cycles of chemotherapy without having unplanned hospital contact. Over the six cycles, 169 (31.6%) patients with breast cancer and 190 (45.2%) patients with colorectal cancer were admitted to hospital. The pathways of patients on chemotherapy are complex. An iterative approach to addressing semantic and data quality issues enabled the effective use of routinely collected patient records to produce accurate models of the real-life experiences of chemotherapy patients and
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Yara Dadalti Fragoso
2014-09-01
Full Text Available Fingolimod is a new and efficient treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS. The drug administration requires special attention to the first dose, since cardiovascular adverse events can be observed during the initial six hours of fingolimod ingestion. The present study consisted of a review of cardiovascular data on 180 patients with MS receiving the first dose of fingolimod. The rate of bradycardia in these patients was higher than that observed in clinical trials with very strict inclusion criteria for patients. There were less than 10% of cases requiring special attention, but no fatal cases. All but one patient continued the treatment after this initial dose. This is the first report on real-life administration of fingolimod to Brazilian patients with MS, and one of the few studies with these characteristics in the world.
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Scheeren, Anke M.; Begeer, Sander; Banerjee, Robin; Terwogt, Mark Meerum; Koot, Hans M.
2010-01-01
The self-presentation skills of children and adolescents with high-functioning autistic spectrum disorder (HFASD) and typically developing (TD) controls were compared, in response to both hypothetical and real life situations. In both situations, 26 HFASD and 26 TD participants were prompted to describe themselves twice, first in a baseline…
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Pitrez, Paulo M; de Souza, Rodrigo G; Roncada, Cristian; Heinzmann-Filho, Joao P; Santos, Giovana; Pinto, Leonardo A; Jones, Marcus H; Stein, Renato T
2017-11-01
Severe asthma in children is a global health problem. Severe therapy-resistant asthma (STRA) in children is a major clinical challenge due to persistent symptoms despite high doses of corticosteroids and results in high public health costs. Omalizumab (anti-IgE monoclonal antibody) has been described as an effective add-on therapy in these patients. The characteristics of children with STRA from low- and middle-income countries have scarcely been reported, and no real-life study has been published on the effects of omalizumab in this group of patients. The aim of our study is to report the first clinical real-life experiences with omalizumab in Brazilian children with STRA. Children (6-18 years old) from a referral center who were diagnosed with STRA were included in this retrospective study based on our clinical databases. The included children had undergone at least 6 months of omalizumab treatment and fulfilled the following initial criteria: 1) >6 years old; 2) a positive skin-prick test for at least one aeroallergen; and 3) a serum total IgE level between 30 and 1500 IU/mL. Clinical and lung function variables were analyzed before and after treatment. Fourteen children (mean age: 11.9 years; percentage female: 72%) were included in this study. Omalizumab treatment significantly increased control of the disease according to a standardized questionnaire administered at every visit (P omalizumab in Brazilian children with STRA significantly improved disease control, decreased hospitalizations, and allowed suspension of continuous oral corticosteroids. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
S. A. Volkovа
2015-01-01
Full Text Available Summary. In the real research economic prerequisites of ensuring growth of quality of life of the population of the Central Chernozem region are considered. In our opinion, economic base determines the potential of development of the concrete territorial subject of the Russian Federation and ensuring growth of quality of life. It is established that economic prerequisites are characterized by complexity and versatility of influence. Treat priority indicators of economic development of the region: VRP per capita, structure of economy, investment activity and economic efficiency. The majority of the presented economic indicators had positive dynamics in the studied region, but, at the same time it is established that the steadiest trend of economic development is characteristic for the Belgorod and Lipetsk areas. A difficult situation with economic ensuring growth of quality of life of the population in the Oryol and Tambov areas. Low level of the majority of indicators of economic efficiency of development in these regions is considered the disturbing fact: the labor productivity index, a share of high-tech and knowledge-intensive industries of economy, number of high-performance workplaces decreases. The carried-out analysis allowed to reveal not only a number of problems in areas of the Central Chernozem region, but also to define possibilities of ensuring growth of economic indicators for ensuring improvement of quality of life of the population. Treat their number: the available consumer potential of areas, high level of expenses of budgets of subjects of TsChR on welfare actions, in particular, actively grow expenses of regional budgets on realization of social policy. Also it should be noted growth of investments into fixed capital. In the region it is important to develop for improvement of an economic situation at the level of regional administration actions and the social programs aimed at ensuring quality of life of the population of TsChR.
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Chen, S-L; Huang, Y-H; Hung, T-W; Ou, Y-C
2016-05-01
To evaluate the safety and efficacy of low-dose desmopressin in elderly men with and without nocturnal polyuria (NP) in real-life practice. Patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS)/ benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) who were≧ 65 years old with refractory nocturia were enrolled in this study. We retrospectively analysed elderly men treated with adding desmopressin to current medications for nocturia according to category of the baseline nocturnal urine volume. The 48-h frequency volume chart (FVC), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and quality of life (QoL) were initially assessed and re-evaluated 12 weeks later. Serum sodium level was checked 1 week, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks after initiation of desmopressin therapy or suspected hyponatremia event. The mean change in numbers of nocturnal voids was evaluated for efficacy of treatment. A total of 136 patients were included with 55 in non-NP group and 81 in NP group. Hypertension was more common in NP group in regard of comorbidities. During treatment period, there were significant reductions of nocturnal voids from 4.22 ± 1.38 to 2.31 ± 0.98 (p < 0.001) in non-NP group and from 4.52 ± 1.23 to 2.07 ± 0.89 (p < 0.001) in NP group. The reduction in nocturnal voids was more significant in NP group (2.44 ± 1.15 vs. 1.91 ± 1.48, p = 0.003). The mean decrease in serum sodium levels were 3.89 ± 1.22 mmol/l (p < 0.001) in non-NP group and 4.69 ± 3.5 mmol/l (p < 0.001) in NP group at the extreme value. Long-term treatment with low-dose desmopressin is safe and effective for nocturia with or without NP in elderly patients with LUTS/BPH during real-life practice. Patients should be well informed about the disease and are closely followed. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Examples from Astronomy for High School Physics
Dieterich, Sergio
2016-01-01
A formal course in physics is increasingly becoming a standard requirement in the high school curriculum. With that dissemination comes the challenge of reaching and motivating a population that is more diverse in their academic abilities and intrinsic motivation. The abstract nature of pure physics is often made more accessible when motivated by examples from everyday life, and providing copious mathematical as well as conceptual examples has become standard practice in high school physics textbooks. Astronomy is a naturally captivating subject and astronomical examples are often successful in capturing the curiosity of high school students as well as the general population. This project seeks to diversify the range of pedagogical materials available to the high school physics instructor by compiling and publishing specific examples where an astronomical concept can be used to motivate the physics curriculum. This collection of examples will consist of both short problems suitable for daily homework assignments as well as longer project style activities. Collaborations are encouraged and inquiries should be directed to sdieterich at carnegiescience dot edu.This work is funded by the NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship Program through NSF grant AST-1400680.
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Kasai, Kiyoto
2015-01-01
The discipline of psychiatry promotes well-being and recovery based on a comprehensive understanding of the patient from the perspectives of the brain, real-world, and life-course. Pursuant to efforts toward addressing social issues at a regional and national level, it is assumed that the psychiatrist can assist individuals based on an understanding of these three perspectives. This tripartite relationship goes beyond the history of extreme reductionism in neuroscience and the aftermath resulting from the anti-psychiatry movement to provide a foundation for the development of psychiatry and a theoretical groundwork for such basic psychiatric issues as what role pharmacotherapy plays in psychiatric treatment, just why the lives of people living in the community are thought to be important to an individual's well-being, and just what constitutes recovery. Humans have come to possess highly developed brain and mental functions as a result of the adaptation to the social environment that takes place as part of the evolutionary process. While mental functions are thus dictated in large part by evolution of the brain, they also consist of important features that are not attributable to reductionist models of the brain. That is, human mental functioning forms a foundation for metacognition and sophisticated language functions, and through interactions with others and society, one's mental functioning allows for further brain transformation and development (self-regulation of mental functions). Humans develop their own brain and mental functions through mutual exchanges with others, and their dealings with other people and society form their individual modes of living in the real-world. The human brain and mental functions have evolved in such a way as to provide for a better mode of living. Accordingly, for the individual, the makeup of his or her mode of living in the real-world is the source of the well-being that serves to support that individual's values. The
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Periperformative Life Narrative: Queer Collages
Poletti, A.L.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/377063525
2016-01-01
This essay reconsiders the importance of performativity to scholarship on life writing by exploring the potential of Eve Sedgwick's concept of the periper-formative utterance for reading queer life narratives. Taking the documentary Tarnation (2003) as an example, I argue that a range of life
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Pereira Barbosa, M; Bugalho de Almeida, A; Pereira, C; Chen, C-W; Georgiou, P; Peachey, G
2015-01-01
The real life effectiveness, safety and the use of omalizumab for Portuguese patients with uncontrolled persistent allergic asthma are not sufficiently well known. The objective of this report was to make an evaluation, in a post-marketing, non-interventional, observational registry, of the Portuguese population included in the eXpeRience study. The methods used in this report are the same as the global eXpeRience ones, applied to a Portuguese sub-population. Patients with uncontrolled allergic asthma who had started omalizumab within the previous 15 weeks were enrolled and received omalizumab add-on therapy for 24 months. The physicians' global evaluation of treatment effectiveness (GETE), asthma symptoms and control (ACT score), quality of life (mini-AQLQ score), exacerbations, and serious adverse events (SAE) were reported. Of the 943 patients recruited in the eXpeRience registry, 62 patients were from Portugal. 62.1% of them were observed to be responders with good/excellent GETE assessment at Week 16. Clinically meaningful improvements in asthma control (ACT score) and quality of life (mini-AQLQ score) were observed with omalizumab therapy at Months 12 (mean change: +7.7 [n=35]; +2.1 [n=20], respectively) and 24 (mean change: +7.0 [n=26]; +2.7 [n=13], respectively). Asthma symptoms and rescue medication usage were reduced to ≤1 day/week at Month 24 from a baseline of ≥3.5 days/week. The proportion of patients with no clinically significant exacerbations increased from 6.5% during pre-treatment (n=62) to 50% at Month 12 (n=54) and 60% at Month 24 (n=45). The findings from the Portugal subpopulation of eXpeRience registry confirm that omalizumab add-on therapy is efficacious and well tolerated in the management of uncontrolled persistent allergic asthma. Another pertinent issue is the fact that the Portuguese subpopulation response is similar to the international population average of the study. Copyright © 2014 Sociedade Portuguesa de Pneumologia
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Abagnale, Carmelina, E-mail: c.abagnale@unina.it; Cardone, Massimo, E-mail: massimo.cardone@unina.it; Iodice, Paolo, E-mail: paolo.iodice@unina.it; Strano, Salvatore, E-mail: salvatore.strano@unina.it; Terzo, Mario, E-mail: m.terzo@unina.it; Vorraro, Giovanni, E-mail: giovanni.vorraro@unina.it
2015-07-15
This paper describes the methodologies to appraise the power requests and environmental analysis of an electrically assisted bicycle under real driving conditions, also containing regulations and technical-science-related aspects. For this purpose, in this study, the on-road test program of an electrically assisted bicycle was executed in the urban area of Naples on different test tracks, so a general assessment about its driving behavior under several driving conditions was performed. The power requirements in different typical riding situations were estimated by a procedure based on the experimental kinematic parameters that characterize the driving dynamics collected during the real-life applications. An environmental analysis was also performed, with a methodology that takes into account the environmental assessment of a moped by measuring the experimental moped exhaust emissions of the regulated pollutants. Starting from the results acquired during the different test samples, besides, an assessment of the electric traction offered by this pedelec on the driving comfort was evaluated for different riding situations. - Highlights: • The power requirements of a pedelec in typical riding conditions were identified. • The estimated electricity consumption for battery recharging was defined. • An environmental valuation of the tested pedelec and of a moped was performed. • Emissions that could be saved utilizing a pedelec instead of a moped were derived.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Abagnale, Carmelina; Cardone, Massimo; Iodice, Paolo; Strano, Salvatore; Terzo, Mario; Vorraro, Giovanni
2015-01-01
This paper describes the methodologies to appraise the power requests and environmental analysis of an electrically assisted bicycle under real driving conditions, also containing regulations and technical-science-related aspects. For this purpose, in this study, the on-road test program of an electrically assisted bicycle was executed in the urban area of Naples on different test tracks, so a general assessment about its driving behavior under several driving conditions was performed. The power requirements in different typical riding situations were estimated by a procedure based on the experimental kinematic parameters that characterize the driving dynamics collected during the real-life applications. An environmental analysis was also performed, with a methodology that takes into account the environmental assessment of a moped by measuring the experimental moped exhaust emissions of the regulated pollutants. Starting from the results acquired during the different test samples, besides, an assessment of the electric traction offered by this pedelec on the driving comfort was evaluated for different riding situations. - Highlights: • The power requirements of a pedelec in typical riding conditions were identified. • The estimated electricity consumption for battery recharging was defined. • An environmental valuation of the tested pedelec and of a moped was performed. • Emissions that could be saved utilizing a pedelec instead of a moped were derived
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Wiliński, Mateusz; Szewczak, Bartłomiej; Gubiec, Tomasz; Kutner, Ryszard; Struzik, Zbigniew R.
2015-02-01
We fill a void in merging empirical and phenomenological characterisation of the dynamical phase transitions in complex networks by identifying and thoroughly characterising a triple sequence of such transitions on a real-life financial market. We extract and interpret the empirical, numerical, and analytical evidences for the existence of these dynamical phase transitions, by considering the medium size Frankfurt stock exchange (FSE), as a typical example of a financial market. By using the canonical object for the graph theory, i.e. the minimal spanning tree (MST) network, we observe: (i) the (initial) dynamical phase transition from equilibrium to non-equilibrium nucleation phase of the MST network, occurring at some critical time. Coalescence of edges on the FSE's transient leader (defined by its largest degree) is observed within the nucleation phase; (ii) subsequent acceleration of the process of nucleation and the emergence of the condensation phase (the second dynamical phase transition), forming a logarithmically diverging temporal λ-peak of the leader's degree at the second critical time; (iii) the third dynamical fragmentation phase transition (after passing the second critical time), where the λ-peak logarithmically relaxes over three quarters of the year, resulting in a few loosely connected sub-graphs. This λ-peak (comparable to that of the specific heat vs. temperature forming during the equilibrium continuous phase transition from the normal fluid I 4He to the superfluid II 4He) is considered as a prominent result of a non-equilibrium superstar-like superhub or a dragon-king's abrupt evolution over about two and a half year of market evolution. We capture and meticulously characterise a remarkable phenomenon in which a peripheral company becomes progressively promoted to become the dragon-king strongly dominating the complex network over an exceptionally long period of time containing the crash. Detailed analysis of the complete trio of the
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Real Time Linux - The RTOS for Astronomy?
Daly, P. N.
The BoF was attended by about 30 participants and a free CD of real time Linux-based upon RedHat 5.2-was available. There was a detailed presentation on the nature of real time Linux and the variants for hard real time: New Mexico Tech's RTL and DIAPM's RTAI. Comparison tables between standard Linux and real time Linux responses to time interval generation and interrupt response latency were presented (see elsewhere in these proceedings). The present recommendations are to use RTL for UP machines running the 2.0.x kernels and RTAI for SMP machines running the 2.2.x kernel. Support, both academically and commercially, is available. Some known limitations were presented and the solutions reported e.g., debugging and hardware support. The features of RTAI (scheduler, fifos, shared memory, semaphores, message queues and RPCs) were described. Typical performance statistics were presented: Pentium-based oneshot tasks running > 30kHz, 486-based oneshot tasks running at ~ 10 kHz, periodic timer tasks running in excess of 90 kHz with average zero jitter peaking to ~ 13 mus (UP) and ~ 30 mus (SMP). Some detail on kernel module programming, including coding examples, were presented showing a typical data acquisition system generating simulated (random) data writing to a shared memory buffer and a fifo buffer to communicate between real time Linux and user space. All coding examples were complete and tested under RTAI v0.6 and the 2.2.12 kernel. Finally, arguments were raised in support of real time Linux: it's open source, free under GPL, enables rapid prototyping, has good support and the ability to have a fully functioning workstation capable of co-existing hard real time performance. The counter weight-the negatives-of lack of platforms (x86 and PowerPC only at present), lack of board support, promiscuous root access and the danger of ignorance of real time programming issues were also discussed. See ftp://orion.tuc.noao.edu/pub/pnd/rtlbof.tgz for the StarOffice overheads
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Death in life or life in death? Dementia's ontological challenge.
Macdonald, Gaynor
2018-01-01
Is it possible to end one's life well with dementia? The perception of dementia as death brought into life flows from ideas about humanness embedded in medicine's Cartesian paradigm. Dementia as incurable brain disease exacerbates negativity. But the real impact of dementia is that it changes social relations: to live well with dementia requires a relational not Cartesian understanding of life. A relational ontology prioritizes social health: to live is to be held in connection. Negativity produces the disconnection that is death, with or without disease. When people with dementia are held in connection, they live a better life.
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Real variables with basic metric space topology
Ash, Robert B
2009-01-01
Designed for a first course in real variables, this text presents the fundamentals for more advanced mathematical work, particularly in the areas of complex variables, measure theory, differential equations, functional analysis, and probability. Geared toward advanced undergraduate and graduate students of mathematics, it is also appropriate for students of engineering, physics, and economics who seek an understanding of real analysis.The author encourages an intuitive approach to problem solving and offers concrete examples, diagrams, and geometric or physical interpretations of results. Deta
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From the image of the real to the real of the image: an eulogy of appearances
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Marcos Beccari
2014-12-01
Full Text Available This articles studies different critiques to the conception of appearances as something treacherous and that should always be judged in reference to something transcendental. Based on such authors as Nietzsche, Bergson, Rosset, Lacan and Žižek, among others, we show that the relation between images and the real is a necessary one. The point of view that recognizes this complementarity between image and the real is more likely to affirm life – in Nietzschian terms – than conceptions that seek a metaphysical Real beyond this relation. To illustrate our argument, we make reference to movies such as Vertigo and Synecdoche, New York, among others.
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26 CFR 1.803-5 - Real estate owned and occupied.
2010-04-01
... 26 Internal Revenue 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Real estate owned and occupied. 1.803-5 Section... (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Life Insurance Companies § 1.803-5 Real estate owned and occupied. The amount allowable as a deduction for taxes, expenses, and depreciation upon or with respect to any real estate owned...
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Shelf-life prediction models for ready-to-eat fresh cut salads: Testing in real cold chain.
Tsironi, Theofania; Dermesonlouoglou, Efimia; Giannoglou, Marianna; Gogou, Eleni; Katsaros, George; Taoukis, Petros
2017-01-02
The aim of the study was to develop and test the applicability of predictive models for shelf-life estimation of ready-to-eat (RTE) fresh cut salads in realistic distribution temperature conditions in the food supply chain. A systematic kinetic study of quality loss of RTE mixed salad (lollo rosso lettuce-40%, lollo verde lettuce-45%, rocket-15%) packed under modified atmospheres (3% O 2 , 10% CO 2 , 87% N 2 ) was conducted. Microbial population (total viable count, Pseudomonas spp., lactic acid bacteria), vitamin C, colour and texture were the measured quality parameters. Kinetic models for these indices were developed to determine the quality loss and calculate product remaining shelf-life (SL R ). Storage experiments were conducted at isothermal (2.5-15°C) and non-isothermal temperature conditions (T eff =7.8°C defined as the constant temperature that results in the same quality value as the variable temperature distribution) for validation purposes. Pseudomonas dominated spoilage, followed by browning and chemical changes. The end of shelf-life correlated with a Pseudomonas spp. level of 8 log(cfu/g), and 20% loss of the initial vitamin C content. The effect of temperature on these quality parameters was expressed by the Arrhenius equation; activation energy (E a ) value was 69.1 and 122.6kJ/mol for Pseudomonas spp. growth and vitamin C loss rates, respectively. Shelf-life prediction models were also validated in real cold chain conditions (including the stages of transport to and storage at retail distribution center, transport to and display at 7 retail stores, transport to and storage in domestic refrigerators). The quality level and SL R estimated after 2-3days of domestic storage (time of consumption) ranged between 1 and 8days at 4°C and was predicted within satisfactory statistical error by the kinetic models. T eff in the cold chain ranged between 3.7 and 8.3°C. Using the validated models, SL R of RTE fresh cut salad can be estimated at any point of
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Ruprecht, Ario Alberto; De Marco, Cinzia; Pozzi, Paolo; Munarini, Elena; Mazza, Roberto; Angellotti, Giorgia; Turla, Francesca; Boffi, Roberto
2014-01-01
Electronic cigarettes may be safer than conventional cigarettes as they generate less indoor pollution in terms of particulate matter (PM); however, recent findings in experimental conditions demonstrated that secondhand exposure to PM may be expected from e-cigarette smoking. The aim of the present study was to investigate the emission of PM generated by e-cigarettes and normal cigarettes under real-life conditions. Real-time measurement and comparison of PM and ultrafine particles (UFP) generated by electronic cigarettes with and without nicotine and by normal cigarettes in a 50 m3 office of an Italian comprehensive cancer center was performed. PM mass as PM1, PM2.5, PM7, PM10, total suspended particles (TSP) in μg/m³ and UFP in number of particles per cubic centimeter from 10 to 1,000 nanometers were measured. Outdoor concentrations were measured contemporaneously to compensate for urban background changes. Regardless of their nicotine content, e-cigarettes generated lower PM levels than conventional cigarettes. Notably, nicotine-enriched e-cigarettes produced lower PM levels than their nicotine-free counterparts. E-cigarettes appear to generate less indoor pollution than normal cigarettes and may therefore be safer. Further studies are required to investigate the long-term health-related effects of secondhand e-cigarette exposure.
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Model Checking Real Time Java Using Java PathFinder
Lindstrom, Gary; Mehlitz, Peter C.; Visser, Willem
2005-01-01
The Real Time Specification for Java (RTSJ) is an augmentation of Java for real time applications of various degrees of hardness. The central features of RTSJ are real time threads; user defined schedulers; asynchronous events, handlers, and control transfers; a priority inheritance based default scheduler; non-heap memory areas such as immortal and scoped, and non-heap real time threads whose execution is not impeded by garbage collection. The Robust Software Systems group at NASA Ames Research Center has JAVA PATHFINDER (JPF) under development, a Java model checker. JPF at its core is a state exploring JVM which can examine alternative paths in a Java program (e.g., via backtracking) by trying all nondeterministic choices, including thread scheduling order. This paper describes our implementation of an RTSJ profile (subset) in JPF, including requirements, design decisions, and current implementation status. Two examples are analyzed: jobs on a multiprogramming operating system, and a complex resource contention example involving autonomous vehicles crossing an intersection. The utility of JPF in finding logic and timing errors is illustrated, and the remaining challenges in supporting all of RTSJ are assessed.
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Ageing and life-time management in nuclear power stations - concept and examples
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Erve, M.; Tenckhoff, E.
1999-01-01
Knowledge, assessment and understanding of phenomena caused by ageing, together with systematic utilization and extension of the technical life-time of components and systems, are of critical importance to the safety and economy of electricity generation in nuclear power stations. Economic use can be optimized by integrated ageing and life-time management; it can also be used to improve performance characteristics. (orig.) [de
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Examples of use of the database
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Gillemot, F [Atomic Energy Research Inst., Budapest (Hungary); Davies, L M [Davies Consultants, Oxford (United Kingdom)
1997-09-01
Databases on ageing are generally used for elaboration of trend curves, and development of new steel types. Moreover they can be used for enhancing PTS evaluations. By more detailed PTS evaluation the calculated lifetime will be longer and resulting in the utilities being able to decrease the cost of life management efforts. The paper introduces three examples of database use related to PTS evaluation. (author). 4 refs, 8 figs, 1 tab.
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Exploratory multivariate analysis by example using R
Husson, Francois; Pages, Jerome
2010-01-01
Full of real-world case studies and practical advice, Exploratory Multivariate Analysis by Example Using R focuses on four fundamental methods of multivariate exploratory data analysis that are most suitable for applications. It covers principal component analysis (PCA) when variables are quantitative, correspondence analysis (CA) and multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) when variables are categorical, and hierarchical cluster analysis.The authors take a geometric point of view that provides a unified vision for exploring multivariate data tables. Within this framework, they present the prin
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The touch of the real. Il New Historicism e il potere del reale psichiatrico in Foucault
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
VARRICCHIO, Francesco
2014-12-01
Full Text Available [The touch of the real. The New Historicism and the power of the psychiatric real in Foucault] What is the meaning of “touch of the real”? This paper connects the new historicist Greenblatt’s phrase to Foucault’s use of the term real during his lecture course on psychiatric power. According to New Historicism, influenced by the French philosopher’s thought, representation links to reality; but this reality is imbued with power relations. Throughout his course, Foucault repeteadly argues that therapeutic asylum imposes on subjectified bodiesthe reality of power and the power of reality thanks to a disciplinary technology. The constant visibility produces individuals also in other fields of the social and institutional life, in which the Panopticon principle is effective. The real springs from this mechanism and its representation.
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Ross, Shelley; Lai, Krista; Walton, Jennifer M; Kirwan, Paul; White, Jonathan S
2013-10-01
Social media site use is ubiquitous, particularly Facebook. Postings on social media can have an impact on the perceived professionalism of students and practitioners. In this study, we explored the attitudes and understanding of undergraduate medical students towards professionalism, with a specific focus on online behaviour. A volunteer sample of students (n = 236) responded to an online survey about understanding of professionalism and perceptions of professionalism in online environments. Respondents were encouraged to provide free text examples and to elaborate on their responses through free text comments. Descriptive analyzes and emergent themes analysis were carried out. Respondents were nearly unanimous on most questions of professionalism in the workplace, while 43% felt that students should act professionally at all times (including free time). Sixty-four free text comments revealed three themes: "free time is private time";" professionalism is unrealistic as a way of life"; and "professionalism should be a way of life". Our findings indicate a disconnect between what students report of what they understand of professionalism, and what students feel is appropriate and inappropriate in both online and real life behaviour. Curriculum needs to target understanding of professionalism in online and real environments and communicate realistic expectations for students.
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Real-life decision making in college students. II: Do individual differences show reliable effects?
Galotti, Kathleen M; Tandler, Jane M; Wiener, Hillary J D
2014-01-01
First-year undergraduates participated in a short-term longitudinal study of real-life decision making over their first 14 months of college. They were surveyed about 7 different decisions: choosing courses for upcoming terms (on 3 different occasions), choosing an academic major (twice), planning for the upcoming summer, and planning for sophomore-year housing. They also completed a survey of self-reported decision-making styles and the Need for Cognition survey (Cacioppo & Petty, 1982) to assess their focus on rationality and enjoyment of analytic thinking. Results showed few statistically significant correlations between stylistic measures and behavioral measures of decision making, in either the amount of information considered or the way in which the information integration tracked predictions of linear models of decision making applied to each participant's data. However, there were consistent correlations, across the 7 decisions, between stylistic measures and affective reactions to, or retrospective descriptions of, episodes of decision making. We suggest that decision-making styles instruments may better reflect the construction of narratives of self as a decision maker more than they do actual behavior during decision making.
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Taylor, Deanna J; Hobby, Angharad E; Binns, Alison M; Crabb, David P
2016-01-01
Objectives To review systematically the evidence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) affecting real-world visual ability and quality of life (QoL). To explore trends in specific topics within this body of the literature. Design Systematic review. Methods A systematic literature search was carried out using MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PsychARTICLES and Health and Psychosocial Instruments for articles published up to January 2015 for studies including people diagnosed with AMD, assessing real-world visual ability or QoL as an outcome. Two researchers screened studies for eligibility. Details of eligible studies including study design, characteristics of study population and outcomes measured were recorded in a data extraction table. All included studies underwent quality appraisal using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool 2011 Version (MMAT). Results From 5284 studies, 123 were eligible for inclusion. A range of approaches were identified, including performance-based methods, quantitative and qualitative patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). AMD negatively affects tasks including mobility, face recognition, perception of scenes, computer use, meal preparation, shopping, cleaning, watching TV, reading, driving and, in some cases, self-care. There is evidence for higher rates of depression among people with AMD than among community dwelling elderly. A number of adaptation strategies have been associated with AMD of varying duration. Much of the research fails to report the type of AMD studied (59% of included studies) or the duration of disease in participants (74%). Of those that do report type studied, the breakdown is as follows: wet AMD 20%, dry AMD 4% and both types 17%. Conclusions There are many publications highlighting the negative effects of AMD in various domains of life. Future research should focus on delivering some of this research knowledge into patient management and clinical trials and differentiating between the types of AMD. PMID
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Dong Ji
Full Text Available To investigate the frequency and determinants of liver stiffness measurement (LSM failure by means of FibroScan in "real-life" Chinese patients.A total of 38,464 "real-life" Chinese patients in 302 military hospital of China through the whole year of 2013, including asymptomatic carrier, chronic hepatitis B, chronic hepatitis C, liver cirrhosis (LC, alcoholic liver disease, autoimmune liver disease, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC and other, were enrolled, their clinical and biological parameters were retrospectively investigated. Liver fibrosis was evaluated by FibroScan detection. S probe (for children with height less than 1.20 m and M probe (for adults were used. LSM failure defined as zero valid shots (unsuccessful LSM, or the ratio of the interquartile range to the median of 10 measurements (IQR/M greater than 0.30 plus median LSM greater or equal to 7.1 kPa (unreliable LSM.LSM failure occurred in 3.34% of all examinations (1286 patients out of 38,464, among them, there were 958 cases (2.49% with unsuccessful LSM, and 328 patients (0.85% with unreliable LSM. Statistical analyses showed that LSM failure was independently associated with body mass index (BMI greater than 30 kg/m(2, female sex, age greater than 50 years, intercostal spaces (IS less than 9 mm, decompensated liver cirrhosis and HCC patients. There were no significant differences among other diseases. By changing another skilled operator, success was achieved on 301 cases out of 1286, which reduced the failure rate to 2.56%, the decrease was significant (P<0.0001.The principal reasons of LSM failure are ascites, obesity and narrow of IS. The failure rates of HCC, decompensated LC, elder or female patients are higher. These results emphasize the need for adequate operator training, technological improvements and optimal criteria for specific patient subpopulations.
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Weisinger, H D
1996-01-01
Criticism affects almost all aspects of your job: the quality of work you do, how you feel about it, and your relationships with your boss, coworkers, and subordinates. Used productively, criticism is a powerful tool that helps you improve your work, enhance your working relationships, increase your job satisfaction, and achieve better overall results. Improperly used, it impedes performance, demoralizes you, discourages you from wanting to try again, and creates friction in the workplace. In short, the ability to give and take criticism significantly determines how well you do on the job. In Part 1, we explained how to use productive criticism as an opportunity for the growth and education of subordinates. In Part 2, we will examine how you can productively criticize superiors and peers. We will also offer new performance appraisal technics and examine real-life criticism situations.
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Real-time video quality monitoring
Liu, Tao; Narvekar, Niranjan; Wang, Beibei; Ding, Ran; Zou, Dekun; Cash, Glenn; Bhagavathy, Sitaram; Bloom, Jeffrey
2011-12-01
The ITU-T Recommendation G.1070 is a standardized opinion model for video telephony applications that uses video bitrate, frame rate, and packet-loss rate to measure the video quality. However, this model was original designed as an offline quality planning tool. It cannot be directly used for quality monitoring since the above three input parameters are not readily available within a network or at the decoder. And there is a great room for the performance improvement of this quality metric. In this article, we present a real-time video quality monitoring solution based on this Recommendation. We first propose a scheme to efficiently estimate the three parameters from video bitstreams, so that it can be used as a real-time video quality monitoring tool. Furthermore, an enhanced algorithm based on the G.1070 model that provides more accurate quality prediction is proposed. Finally, to use this metric in real-world applications, we present an example emerging application of real-time quality measurement to the management of transmitted videos, especially those delivered to mobile devices.
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Real-Time Prognostics of a Rotary Valve Actuator
Daigle, Matthew
2015-01-01
Valves are used in many domains and often have system-critical functions. As such, it is important to monitor the health of valves and their actuators and predict remaining useful life. In this work, we develop a model-based prognostics approach for a rotary valve actuator. Due to limited observability of the component with multiple failure modes, a lumped damage approach is proposed for estimation and prediction of damage progression. In order to support the goal of real-time prognostics, an approach to prediction is developed that does not require online simulation to compute remaining life, rather, a function mapping the damage state to remaining useful life is found offline so that predictions can be made quickly online with a single function evaluation. Simulation results demonstrate the overall methodology, validating the lumped damage approach and demonstrating real-time prognostics.
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Real time capable control design with increased life expectancy for research purposes
Epple, S.; Jung, R.; Jalba, K.; Nasui, V.
2017-05-01
A new, freely programmable, scalable control system for academic research purposes was developed. The intention was, to have a control unit capable of handling multiple PT1000 temperature sensors at reasonable accuracy and temperature range, as well as digital input signals and providing more powerful output signals at 230V AC than conventional control units. To take full advantage of the system, control-loops are run in real time. The whole system runs independently of a personal computer. The two on-board RS232 connectors allow to connect further units to use more sensors or actuators or to connect other laboratory equipment, as required. To allow usage for long-time experiments, systematically electronic components with low failure-in-time (FIT) rate have been chosen in order to achieve high life expectancy. This paper describes the third prototype, which now provides stable measurements, and an improvement in accuracy compared to the previous designs. A rough estimation about the expected mean time between failures is given. As test case, a thermal solar system to produce hot tap water and assist heating in a single-family house was implemented. The solar fluid pump was power-controlled and several temperatures at different points in the hydraulic system were measured and used in the control algorithms. The hardware design proved suitable to test several different control strategies and their corresponding algorithms for the thermal solar system.
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Heydorn, S; Menné, T; Andersen, K E; Bruze, M; Svedman, C; Basketter, D; Johansen, J D
2003-06-01
Recently, we showed that 10 x 2% of consecutively patch-tested hand eczema patients had a positive patch test to a selection of fragrances containing fragrances relevant to hand exposure. In this study, we used repeated skin exposure to a patch test-positive fragrance allergen in patients previously diagnosed with hand eczema to explore whether immersion of fingers in a solution with or without the patch-test-positive fragrance allergen would cause or exacerbate hand eczema on the exposed finger. The study was double blinded and randomized. All participants had a positive patch test to either hydroxycitronellal or Lyral (hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde). Each participant immersed a finger from each hand, once a day, in a solution containing the fragrance allergen or placebo. During the first 2 weeks, the concentration of fragrance allergen in the solution was low (approximately 10 p.p.m.), whilst during the following 2 weeks, the concentration was relatively high (approximately 250 p.p.m.), imitating real-life exposure to a household product like dishwashing liquid diluted in water and the undiluted product, respectively. Evaluation was made using a clinical scale and laser Doppler flow meter. 3 of 15 hand eczema patients developed eczema on the finger immersed in the fragrance-containing solution, 3 of 15 on the placebo finger and 3 of 15 on both fingers. Using this experimental exposure model simulating real-life exposure, we found no association between immersion of a finger in a solution containing fragrance and development of clinically visible eczema on the finger in 15 participants previously diagnosed with hand eczema and with a positive patch test to the fragrance in question.
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Mathematics and Engineering in Real Life through Mathematical Competitions
More, M.
2018-01-01
We bring out an experience of organizing mathematical competitions that can be used as a medium to motivate the student and teacher minds in new directions of thinking. This can contribute to fostering research, innovation and provide a hands-on experience of mathematical concepts with the real world. Mathematical competitions can be used to build…
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Mechatronic modeling of real-time wheel-rail contact
Bosso, Nicola; Gugliotta, Antonio; Somà, Aurelio
2013-01-01
Real-time simulations of the behaviour of a rail vehicle require realistic solutions of the wheel-rail contact problem which can work in a real-time mode. Examples of such solutions for the online mode have been well known and are implemented within standard and commercial tools for the simulation codes for rail vehicle dynamics. This book is the result of the research activities carried out by the Railway Technology Lab of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Politecnico di Torino. This book presents work on the project for the development of a real-time wheel-rail contact model and provides the simulation results obtained with dSpace real-time hardware. Besides this, the implementation of the contact model for the development of a real-time model for the complex mechatronic system of a scaled test rig is presented in this book and may be useful for the further validation of the real-time contact model with experiments on a full scale test rig.
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Properties of four real world collaboration--competition networks
Fu, Chun-Hua; Xu, Xiu-Lian; He, Da-Ren
2009-03-01
Our research group has empirically investigated 9 real world collaboration networks and 25 real world cooperation-competition networks. Among the 34 real world systems, all the 9 real world collaboration networks and 6 real world cooperation-competition networks show the unimodal act-size distribution and the shifted power law distribution of degree and act-degree. We have proposed a collaboration network evolution model for an explanation of the rules [1]. The other 14 real world cooperation-competition networks show that the act-size distributions are not unimodal; instead, they take qualitatively the same shifted power law forms as the degree and act-degree distributions. The properties of four systems (the main land movie film network, Beijing restaurant network, 2004 Olympic network, and Tao-Bao notebook computer sale network) are reported in detail as examples. Via a numerical simulation, we show that the new rule can still be explained by the above-mentioned model. [1] H. Chang, B. B. Su, et al. Phsica A, 2007, 383: 687-702.
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Registration accuracy and quality of real-life images.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Wei-Yen Hsu
Full Text Available BACKGROUND: A common registration problem for the application of consumer device is to align all the acquired image sequences into a complete scene. Image alignment requires a registration algorithm that will compensate as much as possible for geometric variability among images. However, images captured views from a real scene usually produce different distortions. Some are derived from the optic characteristics of image sensors, and others are caused by the specific scenes and objects. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: An image registration algorithm considering the perspective projection is proposed for the application of consumer devices in this study. It exploits a multiresolution wavelet-based method to extract significant features. An analytic differential approach is then proposed to achieve fast convergence of point matching. Finally, the registration accuracy is further refined to obtain subpixel precision by a feature-based modified Levenberg-Marquardt method. Due to its feature-based and nonlinear characteristic, it converges considerably faster than most other methods. In addition, vignette compensation and color difference adjustment are also performed to further improve the quality of registration results. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The performance of the proposed method is evaluated by testing the synthetic and real images acquired by a hand-held digital still camera and in comparison with two registration techniques in terms of the squared sum of intensity differences (SSD and correlation coefficient (CC. The results indicate that the proposed method is promising in registration accuracy and quality, which are statistically significantly better than other two approaches.
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The life course dynamics of affluence.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Thomas A Hirschl
Full Text Available Social science research finds that the only group to have experienced real economic gains over the past four decades is the top 20 percent of the income distribution. This finding, along with greater awareness of growing inequality, has renewed interest in mobility research that identifies how individuals and their progeny move into and out of upper versus lower income categories. In this study a new mobility methodology is proposed using life course concepts and life table statistical techniques. Panel data from a prospective national sample of the U.S. population age 25 to 60 are analyzed to estimate the extent of mobility associated with top percentiles in the income distribution. Empirical results suggest high mobility associated with top-level income. For example, 11 percent of the population is found to occupy the top one percentile for one or more years between the ages of 25 and 60. The study findings suggest that many experience short-term and/or intermittent mobility into top-level income, versus a smaller set that persist within top-level income over many consecutive years. Implications of the findings are discussed in terms of inequality buffering, opportunity versus insecurity, and the demographics of income inequality.
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Cellphones and Real-World Communication
Bugeja, Michael
2004-01-01
In this article, the author shares his views on cellphones and real-world communication. He claims that the cellphone has changed society more than the home computer, which it has assimilated. Cellphones sound during worship, wakes, births, graduations, hearings, trials, and accreditation meetings--interrupting life-changing spiritual or secular…
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Olbińska Katarzyna
2015-02-01
Full Text Available Real estate compared to other goods is distinguished by a high specificity. One of the signs of these specifics is the interdependence or correlation between property and its surroundings. On the one hand, the factor of closest neighborhood can largely shape the value of the property, while on the other hand, the function, use and development of real estate can strongly affect nearby property and the image of their entire neighborhood. The dynamics of the interdependence between the property and its environment reveal themselves most clearly in moments of transformation of real estate and its use.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
JULIA RIEBEL
2009-09-01
Full Text Available A new phenomenon of violence among pupils has been spreading over Europe in the last few years: Cyberbullying, the repeated and intended hurting of weaker schoolmates via modern communication technologies. This study shows (based on a sample of 1987 pupils, that cyberbullying exists in Germany, although the number of incidents is still rather small. It could also be shown, that the pupils who act as cyberbullies are the same as those who bully others in real life. The same overlap was found to be true for the victims. Cyberbullying can therefore be considered a subcategory of ordinary bullying instead of being considered a whole new phenomenon. The exploration of coping strategies showed, that a common factor structure underlies physical, verbal and cyberbullying. Considering the fact that the findings of the study are based on an online questionnaire with restricted representativeness, the results should however be interpreted carefully.
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Real tunneling geometries and the large-scale topology of the universe
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Gibbons, G.W.; Hartle, J.B.
1990-01-01
If the topology and geometry of spacetime are quantum-mechanically variable, then the particular classical large-scale topology and geometry observed in our universe must be statistical predictions of its initial condition. This paper examines the predictions of the ''no boundary'' initial condition for the present large-scale topology and geometry. Finite-action real tunneling solutions of Einstein's equation are important for such predictions. These consist of compact Riemannian (Euclidean) geometries joined to a Lorentzian cosmological geometry across a spacelike surface of vanishing extrinsic curvature. The classification of such solutions is discussed and general constraints on their topology derived. For example, it is shown that, if the Euclidean Ricci tensor is positive, then a real tunneling solution can nucleate only a single connected Lorentzian spacetime (the unique conception theorem). Explicit examples of real tunneling solutions driven by a cosmological constant are exhibited and their implications for cosmic baldness described. It is argued that the most probable large-scale spacetime predicted by the real tunneling solutions of the ''no-boundary'' initial condition has the topology RxS 3 with the de Sitter metric
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Brighton, Lisa Jane; Koffman, Jonathan; Robinson, Vicky; Khan, Shaheen A; George, Rob; Burman, Rachel; Selman, Lucy Ellen
2017-10-01
Over half of all deaths in Europe occur in hospital, a location associated with many complaints. Initiatives to improve inpatient end-of-life care are therefore a priority. In England, over 78,000 volunteers provide a potentially cost-effective resource to hospitals. Many work with people who are dying and their families, yet little is known about their training in end-of-life care. To explore hospital volunteers' end-of-life care training needs and learning preferences, and the acceptability of training evaluation methods. Qualitative focus groups. Volunteers from a large teaching hospital were purposively sampled. Five focus groups were conducted with 25 hospital volunteers (aged 19-80 years). Four themes emerged as follows: preparation for the volunteering role, training needs, training preferences and evaluation preferences. Many described encounters with patients with life-threatening illness and their families. Perceived training needs in end-of-life care included communication skills, grief and bereavement, spiritual diversity, common symptoms, and self-care. Volunteers valued learning from peers and end-of-life care specialists using interactive teaching methods including real-case examples and role plays. A chance to 'refresh' training at a later date was suggested to enhance learning. Evaluation through self-reports or observations were acceptable, but ratings by patients, families and staff were thought to be pragmatically unsuitable owing to sporadic contact with each. Gaps in end-of-life care training for hospital volunteers indicate scope to maximise on this resource. This evidence will inform development of training and evaluations which could better enable volunteers to make positive, cost-effective contributions to end-of-life care in hospitals.
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Haikarainen, Jussi; Rytilä, Paula; Roos, Sirkku; Metsärinne, Sirpa; Happonen, Anita
2017-01-01
Budesonide Easyhaler® multidose dry powder inhaler is approved for the treatment of asthma. Objectives were to determine the delivered dose (DD) uniformity of budesonide Easyhaler® in simulated real-world conditions and with different inspiration flow rates (IFRs). Three dose delivery studies were performed using 100, 200, and 400 µg/dose strengths of budesonide. Dose uniformity was assessed during in-use periods of 4-6 months after exposure to high temperature (30°C) and humidity (60% relative humidity) and after dropping and vibration testing. The influence of various IFRs (31, 43, and 54 L/min) on the DD was also investigated. Acceptable dose uniformity was declared when mean DD were within 80-120% of expected dose; all data reported descriptively. DD was constant (range: 93-109% of expected dose) at all in-use periods and after exposure to high temperature and humidity for a duration of up to 6 months. DD post-dropping and -vibration were unaffected (range 98-105% of expected dose). Similarly, DD was constant and within 10% of expected dose across all IFRs. Results indicate that budesonide Easyhaler® delivers consistently accurate doses in various real-life conditions. Budesonide Easyhaler® can be expected to consistently deliver a uniform dose and improve asthma control regardless of high temperature and humidity or varying IFR.
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Vázquez Alcocer, Pere Pau; Balsa, Marcos
2007-01-01
There is a growing interest in simulating natural phenomena in computer graphics applications. Animating natural scenes in real time is one of the most challenging problems due to the inherent complexity of their structure, formed by millions of geometric entities, and the interactions that happen within. An example of natural scenario that is needed for games or simulation programs are forests. Forests are difficult to render because the huge amount of geometric entities and the large amount...
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Real World Connections in High School Mathematics Curriculum and Teaching
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Gökhan Karakoç
2015-04-01
Full Text Available Making real world connections in mathematics curricula and in teaching mathematics is generally viewed favorably within the educational community, however, little empirical research has examined how and why to use real world connections in mathematics education based on the views of experts. This study describes the feasibility of the use of real world connections according to high school mathematics teachers and academicians of mathematics education. Opinions of high school mathematics teachers (n=16 and academicians (n=8 about advantages, disadvantages, and examples of real world connections are elicited and reported. Teachers and academicians report several advantages of the use of real world connections in teaching mathematics as well as its disadvantages and limitations. Suggestions about dealing with limiting factors for using real world connections are also reported. Keywords: Mathematics curriculum, real world connections, mathematics teaching
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Real-time logo detection and tracking in video
George, M.; Kehtarnavaz, N.; Rahman, M.; Carlsohn, M.
2010-05-01
This paper presents a real-time implementation of a logo detection and tracking algorithm in video. The motivation of this work stems from applications on smart phones that require the detection of logos in real-time. For example, one application involves detecting company logos so that customers can easily get special offers in real-time. This algorithm uses a hybrid approach by initially running the Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) algorithm on the first frame in order to obtain the logo location and then by using an online calibration of color within the SIFT detected area in order to detect and track the logo in subsequent frames in a time efficient manner. The results obtained indicate that this hybrid approach allows robust logo detection and tracking to be achieved in real-time.
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Gosselin, Anne; Desgrées du Loû, Annabel; Lelièvre, Eva
2018-06-01
Life course epidemiology is now an established field in social epidemiology; in sociodemography, the quantitative analysis of biographies recently experienced significant trend from event history analysis to sequence analysis. The purpose of this article is to introduce and adapt this methodology to a social epidemiology question, taking the example of the impact of HIV diagnosis on Sub-Saharan migrants' residential trajectories in the Paris region. The sample consists of 640 migrants born in Sub-Saharan Africa receiving HIV care. They were interviewed in healthcare facilities in the Paris region within the PARCOURS project, conducted from 2012 to 2013, using life event history calendars, which recorded year by year their health, family and residential histories. We introduce a two-step methodological approach consisting of (1) sequence analysis by optimal matching to build a typology of migrants' residential pathways before and after diagnosis, and (2) a Cox model of the probability to experience changes in the residential situation. The seven-clusters typology shows that for a majority, the HIV diagnosis did not entail changes in residential situation. However 30% of the migrants experienced a change in their residential situation at time of diagnosis. The Cox model analysis reveals that this residential change was in fact moving in with one's partner (HR 2.99, P<0.000) rather than network rejection. This original combination of sequence analysis and Cox models is a powerful process that could be applied to other themes and constitutes a new approach in the life course epidemiology toolbox. NCT02566148. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.
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Benefits of real-time gas management
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Nolty, R.; Dolezalek, D. Jr.
1994-01-01
In today's competitive gas gathering, processing, storage and transportation business environment, the requirements to do business are continually changing. These changes arise from government regulations such as the amendments to the Clean Air Act concerning the environment and FERC Order 636 concerning business practices. Other changes are due to advances in technology such as electronic flow measurement (EFM) and real-time communications capabilities within the gas industry. Gas gathering, processing, storage and transportation companies must be flexible in adapting to these changes to remain competitive. These dynamic requirements can be met with an open, real-time gas management computer information system. Such a system provides flexible services with a variety of software applications. Allocations, nominations management and gas dispatching are examples of applications that are provided on a real-time basis. By providing real-time services, the gas management system enables operations personnel to make timely adjustments within the current accounting period. Benefits realized from implementing a real-time gas management system include reduced unaccountable gas, reduced imbalance penalties, reduced regulatory violations, improved facility operations and better service to customers. These benefits give a company the competitive edge. This article discusses the applications provided, the benefits from implementing a real-time gas management system, and the definition of such a system
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[Habitability and life support systems].
Nefedov, Iu G; Adamovich, B A
1988-01-01
This paper discusses various aspects of space vehicle habitability and life support systems. It describes variations in the chemical and microbial composition of an enclosed atmosphere during prolonged real and simulated flights. The paper gives a detailed description of life support systems and environmental investigations onboard the Mir station. It also outlines the development of space vehicle habitability and life support systems as related to future flights.
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The cue is key : design for real-life remembering
Hoven, van den E.A.W.H.; Eggen, J.H.
2014-01-01
This paper aims to put the memory cue in the spotlight. We will show how memory cues are incorporated in the area of interaction design. The focus will be on external memory cues: cues that exist outside the human mind but have an internal effect on memory reconstruction. Examples of external cues
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Example and Non-Example Pada Pembelajaran Matematika
Yunarto, Wanda Nugroho
2016-01-01
Abstrak Example and Non-Example Learning Model merupakan model pembelajaran yang menggunakan gambar sebagai media pembelajaran yang bertujuan mendorong mahasiswa untuk belajar berfikir kritis dengan jalan memecahkan permasalahan-permasalahan yang terkandung dalam contoh-contoh permasalahan/ konsep yang disajikan. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah mendapatkan gambaran mengenai bagaimana penerapan model pembelajaran Example and non-Example pada mahasiswa program studi Pendidikan Matematika Univ...
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Rannou, François; Pelletier, Jean-Pierre; Martel-Pelletier, Johanne
2016-02-01
Topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are recommended in international and national guidelines as an early treatment option for the symptomatic management of knee and hand osteoarthritis (OA), and may be used ahead of oral NSAIDs due to their superior safety profile. The European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis (ESCEO) treatment algorithm recommends topical NSAIDs for knee OA in addition to the pharmacological background of symptomatic slow-acting drugs for osteoarthritis (SYSADOAs) and rescue analgesia with paracetamol and non-pharmacological treatment, if the patient is still symptomatic. Topical NSAIDs have a moderate effect on pain relief, with efficacy similar to that of oral NSAIDs, with the advantage of a better risk:benefit ratio. In real-life studies, topical and oral NSAIDs demonstrate an equivalent effect on knee pain over 1 year of treatment, with fewer adverse events due to lower systemic absorption of topical NSAIDs compared with oral NSAIDs. As a result, topical NSAIDs may be the preferred treatment option, especially in OA patients aged ≥75 years, and those with co-morbidities or at an increased risk of cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, or renal side effects. Furthermore, using topical NSAIDs in inflammatory rheumatic diseases leads to a 40% reduction in the need for concomitant oral NSAIDs. When selecting a topical NSAID, absorption and bioavailability are important because of heterogeneity among topical drug formulations. Molecules like etofenamate have a bioavailability of >20% and evidence for accumulation in synovial tissues, with efficacy demonstrated as improvement in pain and function in real-life studies of OA patients. Diclofenac also shows good efficacy alongside evidence that diclofenac accumulates in the synovium. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Gohil R
2016-05-01
Full Text Available Rishma Gohil,1,2 Roxanne Crosby-Nwaobi,1,2 Angus Forbes,2 Ben J Burton,3 Philip Hykin,1 Sobha Sivaprasad1,4 1National Institute for Health Research Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre, London, 2Diabetes Nursing, King’s College London, London, 3Ophthalmology Department, James Paget University Hospital, Great Yarmouth, 4Laser and Retinal Research Unit, King’s College Hospital, London, UK Context: Treatment satisfaction with a loading phase of monthly injections for 3 months followed by a pro-re-nata regimen of ranibizumab in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD remains unclear.Aims: The aim was to evaluate the treatment satisfaction of persons with nAMD treated with ranibizumab in a real-life setting.Settings and design: A cross-sectional study was conducted across three eye clinics within the National Health Service in the UK, where treatment is provided free at point of contact.Materials and methods: A total of 250 patients were selected randomly for the study. Treatment satisfaction was assessed using the Macular Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire. Data were collected on satisfaction of the service provided (Client Service Questionnaire-8 and the patients’ demographic and quality of life and treatment history. Factors governing treatment questionnaire were determined.Results: The most important factors that determined the satisfaction were the service provided at the clinic (Client Service Questionnaire-8, health-related quality of life (EQ-5D-3L, and duration of AMD. Visual acuity changes were rated as less important than one would have expected.Conclusion: The study result suggested that treatment satisfaction for nAMD was governed by the perception of being reviewed and injected regularly over a long period of time than the actual change in visual acuity from the treatment. Keyword: macular treatment satisfaction questionnaire, patient related outcome measure, treatment history, quality of life
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A freely available real-time operating system well suited for astronomy and the physical sciences
Pedretti, Ettore; Monnier, John D.; Thureau, Nathalie D.; Berger, David H.
2006-06-01
This paper wants to be a practical example in building a real-time data-acquisition and control system from scratch using relatively non-expensive PC hardware and open-source software. The practical example of building the control system for the Michigan Infrared Combiner (MIRC) at the CHARA interferometer will be used to give the reader a 'hands-on' experience in installing and configuring the RTAI-Fusion real-time operating system and developing a complete control system with it.
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Brighton, Lisa Jane; Koffman, Jonathan; Robinson, Vicky; Khan, Shaheen A; George, Rob; Burman, Rachel; Selman, Lucy Ellen
2017-01-01
Background: Over half of all deaths in Europe occur in hospital, a location associated with many complaints. Initiatives to improve inpatient end-of-life care are therefore a priority. In England, over 78,000 volunteers provide a potentially cost-effective resource to hospitals. Many work with people who are dying and their families, yet little is known about their training in end-of-life care. Aims: To explore hospital volunteers’ end-of-life care training needs and learning preferences, and the acceptability of training evaluation methods. Design: Qualitative focus groups. Setting/participants: Volunteers from a large teaching hospital were purposively sampled. Results: Five focus groups were conducted with 25 hospital volunteers (aged 19–80 years). Four themes emerged as follows: preparation for the volunteering role, training needs, training preferences and evaluation preferences. Many described encounters with patients with life-threatening illness and their families. Perceived training needs in end-of-life care included communication skills, grief and bereavement, spiritual diversity, common symptoms, and self-care. Volunteers valued learning from peers and end-of-life care specialists using interactive teaching methods including real-case examples and role plays. A chance to ‘refresh’ training at a later date was suggested to enhance learning. Evaluation through self-reports or observations were acceptable, but ratings by patients, families and staff were thought to be pragmatically unsuitable owing to sporadic contact with each. Conclusion: Gaps in end-of-life care training for hospital volunteers indicate scope to maximise on this resource. This evidence will inform development of training and evaluations which could better enable volunteers to make positive, cost-effective contributions to end-of-life care in hospitals. PMID:28056642
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Regorafenib in the Real-Life Clinical Practice: Data from the Czech Registry.
Kopeckova, Katerina; Buchler, Tomas; Bortlicek, Zbynek; Hejduk, Karel; Chloupkova, Renata; Melichar, Bohuslav; Pokorna, Petra; Tomasek, Jiri; Linke, Zdenek; Petruzelka, Lubos; Kiss, Igor; Prausova, Jana
2017-02-01
To describe the use of regorafenib for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) in clinical practice in the Czech Republic, and to describe the clinical outcomes of patients in terms of safety and survival. The data of patients treated with regorafenib were extracted from the national CORECT registry. The CORECT registry is a non-interventional post-marketing database, gathering information about patients with CRC and treated with targeted agents. Twenty oncology centres in the Czech Republic contributed to this registry. Collected data included patients' characteristics, disease history, cancer treatments, response to treatments and safety. A total of 148 patients treated with regorafenib in clinical practice were analysed. At regorafenib initiation, almost all patients were fully active or slightly restricted in physical activity. Regorafenib was not administered as first-line treatment in any patient. Median progression-free survival was 3.5 months and median overall survival was 9.3 months. One-year survival rate was 44.6 %. Four partial responses were observed and 51 stable diseases. Progression was observed in 66 patients (44.6 %). The main reported adverse events were skin toxicity (5.4 %) and fatigue (2.0 %). Regorafenib is a well-established treatment for pretreated patients with mCRC, however real-life data are scarce. Our results demonstrated slightly better efficacy of regorafenib and better safety profile in patients with mCRC compared to the randomised trials.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Liu, S.N.; Ammirato, F.V.; Nottingham, L.D.
1991-01-01
Component life extension is the process of making run-repair-replace decisions for plant components and includes a thorough analysis of the capability of the component to perform throughout the projected lifetime. For many critical plant components, nondestructive evaluation (NDE) is essential in determining whether the component can be operated safely and economically in the extended life period and to help utilities determine safe and economic inspection intervals. NDE technology is required for not only detecting defects that could grow to a size of concern during extended lifetimes, but also will be called upon to measure and monitor accumulating material degradation that strongly affects component reliability. This paper discusses the role of NDE in life extension by reviewing three examples--a reactor pressure vessel, steam turbine-generator rotors, and generator retaining rings. In each example, the contribution of NDE to life extension decisions is described. (author)
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Marieke Wichers
Full Text Available Many of the decisions and actions in everyday life result from implicit learning processes. Important to psychopathology are, for example, implicit reward-seeking and punishment-avoidant learning processes. It is known that when specific actions get associated with a rewarding experience, such as positive emotions, that this will increase the likelihood that an organism will engage in similar actions in the future. Similarly, when actions get associated with punishing experiences, such as negative emotions, this may reduce the likelihood that the organism will engage in similar actions in the future. This study examines whether we can observe these implicit processes prospectively in the flow of daily life. If such processes take place then we expect that current behaviour can be predicted by how similar behaviour was experienced (in terms of positive and negative affect at previous measurement moments. This was examined in a sample of 621 female individuals that had participated in an Experience Sampling data collection. Measures of affect and behaviour were collected at 10 semi-random moments of the day for 5 consecutive days. It was examined whether affective experience that was paired with certain behaviours (physical activity and social context at previous measurements modified the likelihood to show similar behaviours at next measurement moments. Analyses were performed both at the level of observations (a time scale with units of ± 90 min and at day level (a time scale with units of 24 h. As expected, we found that affect indeed moderated the extent to which previous behaviour predicted similar behaviour later in time, at both beep- and day-level. This study showed that it is feasible to track reward-seeking and punishment-avoidant behaviour prospectively in humans in the flow of daily life. This opens up a new toolbox to examine processes determining goal-oriented behaviour in relation to psychopathology in humans.
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Data processing system for real-time control
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Oasa, K.; Mochizuki, O.; Toyokawa, R.; Yahiro, K.
1983-01-01
Real-time control, for large Tokamak JT-60, requires various data processings between diagnostic devices to control system. These processings require to high speed performance so that it aims at giving information necessary for feedback control during discharges. Then, the architecture of this system has hierachical structure of processors. These processors are connected each other by the CAMAC modules and the optical communication network, which is the 5 M bytes/second CAMAC serial highway. This system has two kinds of intelligences for this purpose. One is ACM-PU pairs in some torus hall crates which has a microcomputerized auxiliary controller and a preprocessing unit. Other is real-time processor which has a minicomputer and preprocessing unit. Most of the real-time processing, for example Abel inversion are characteristic to the diagnostic devices. Such a processing is carried out by an ACM-PU pair in the crate dedicated to the diagnostic device. Some processings, however, are also necessary which compute secondary parameters as functions of primary parameters. A typical example is Zeff, which is a function of Te, Ne and bremsstrahluny intensity. The real-time processor is equipped for such secondary processings and transfer the results. Preprocessing unit -PU- attached to ACM and real-time processor contains a signal processor, which executes in parallel such function as move, add and multiply during one micro-instruction cycle of 200 nsec. According to the progress of the experiment, more high speed processing are required, so the authors developed the PU-X module that contains multi signal processors. After a shot, inter-shot-processor which consists of general-purpose computers, gathers data into the database, then analyze them, and improve these processes to more effective
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Creating robust vocabulary frequently asked questions and extended examples
Beck, Isabel L
2008-01-01
Bringing Words to Life has enlivened the classrooms of hundreds of thousands of teachers. Responding to readers' success stories, practical questions, and requests for extended examples, this ideal volume builds on the groundbreaking work of Bringing Words to Life. The authors present additional tools, tips, and detailed explanations of such questions as which words to teach, when and how to teach them, and how to adapt instruction for English language learners. They provide specific instructional sequences, including assessments, for grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12, as well as interactive less
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Real stabilization method for nuclear single-particle resonances
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Zhang Li; Zhou Shangui; Meng Jie; Zhao Enguang
2008-01-01
We develop the real stabilization method within the framework of the relativistic mean-field (RMF) model. With the self-consistent nuclear potentials from the RMF model, the real stabilization method is used to study single-particle resonant states in spherical nuclei. As examples, the energies, widths, and wave functions of low-lying neutron resonant states in 120 Sn are obtained. These results are compared with those from the scattering phase-shift method and the analytic continuation in the coupling constant approach and satisfactory agreements are found
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The design of a real-time distributed system
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hertzberger, L.O.; Tuynman, F.; Mullender, S.J.; Poletiek, G.; Vermeulen, J.C.; Renesse, R. van; Tanenbaum, A.S.
1986-01-01
In modern physics experiments an increasing number and variety of programmable processors is used. As a consequence, a software environment is needed that provides an integrated approach to development, testing and use of real-time distributed software. This contribution is based on work being done in the AMOEBA Distributed Operating System Project and the FADOS Real-Time Distributed Operating System Project. A short description of both systems is presented as an example of how basic real-time operating system services can be organized. AMOEBA is the result of fundamental research in the field of distributed operating systems, while FADOS has been designed for applications as encountered in experimental high-energy physics. (Auth.)
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Jensen, Sisse Siggaard
"Virkeligheder i Second Life" er en beretning, der bygger på tre case studier samt omfattende observationer i den virtuelle verden Second Life i perioden 2006 til 2008. Beretningen er den ene af to bøger der bygger på forskning i virtuelle verdener; de tre case studier er: Wonderful Denmark, en...... virtuel virksomhed, Literary, et virtuelt bibliotek, Times, en afdeling af en real life virksomhed. Den anden bog: "Oplevelser i en virtuel verden" omhandler den virtuelle verden EverQuest - et masserollespil....
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Research into real-option evaluation method
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Shiba, Tsuyoshi; Wakamatsu, Hitoshi
2002-03-01
As an evaluational method for valuation of a corporation, an investment project, a research and development, or the evaluation technique of an enterprise strategy, a real option analysis attracts attention instead of conventional Discount Cash Flow method. The reason is that it can divert the technique for the option valuation in financial engineering to the decision-making process performed according to change in investment environment. Related references, the analysis tools, the application examples, etc. were investigated about the decision-making technique using real option analysis, and this investigation considered the application method to decision-making of the research and development at Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute. Consequently, since the feature is in real option analysis being the evaluation technique on condition of that business conditions and business itself also change, the real option analysis fits for evaluation of a research and development that business conditions were opaque and it turns out that the businesses are highly flexible. Moreover, it turns out that it fits also for evaluation of a capital concentration type investment issue like power plants. (author)
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Life Cycle Assessment for Biofuels
A presentation based on life cycle assessment (LCA) for biofuels is given. The presentation focuses on energy and biofuels, interesting environmental aspects of biofuels, and how to do a life cycle assessment with some examples related to biofuel systems. The stages of a (biofuel...
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Hinduism and death with dignity: historic and contemporary case examples.
Dewar, Rajan; Cahners, Nancy; Mitchell, Christine; Forrow, Lachlan
2015-01-01
An estimated 1.2 to 2.3 million Hindus live in the United States. End-of-life care choices for a subset of these patients may be driven by religious beliefs. In this article, we present Hindu beliefs that could strongly influence a devout person's decisions about medical care, including end-of-life care. We provide four case examples (one sacred epic, one historical example, and two cases from current practice) that illustrate Hindu notions surrounding pain and suffering at the end of life. Chief among those is the principle of karma, through which one reaps the benefits and penalties for past deeds. Deference to one's spouse or family is another important Hindu value, especially among Hindu women, which can impact the decision-making process and challenge the Western emphasis on autonomy. In addition, the Hindu embrace of astrology can lead to a desire to control the exact time of death. Confounding any generalizations, a Hindu patient may reject or accept treatments based on the individual patient's or family's interpretation of any given tradition. Through an awareness of some of the fundamental practices in Hinduism and the role of individual interpretation within the tradition, clinicians will be better able to support their Hindu patients and families at the end of life. Copyright 2015 The Journal of Clinical Ethics. All rights reserved.
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Real-time response in AdS/CFT with application to spinors
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Iqbal, N.; Liu, H.
2009-01-01
We discuss a simple derivation of the real-time AdS/CFT prescription as an analytic continuation of the corresponding problem in Euclidean signature. We then extend the formalism to spinor operators and apply it to the examples of real-time fermionic correlators in CFTs dual to pure AdS and the BTZ black hole. (Abstract Copyright [2009], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)
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Droogsma, Erika; van Asselt, Dieneke; van Steijn, Jolanda; Diekhuis, Marjolein; Veeger, Nic; De Deyn, Peter P
2016-01-01
There is little knowledge of the long-term course of Alzheimer disease (AD) in light of current pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions provided in a "real-life" setting. The Frisian Alzheimer's Disease Cohort study is a "real-life" study of the course of AD in patients (n=576) treated with pharmacological (ie, cholinesterase inhibitors) and nonpharmacological (ie, case management, respite care) interventions. Disease course was described by changes in cognition (Mini Mental State Examination, clock-drawing test) and number of types of professional care applying a repeated-measures analysis using a marginal model (population-based average model). In addition, behavioral and psychological symptoms, and proportions of nursing home admissions and deaths were investigated. During 3.5 years, the average Mini Mental State Examination decreased from 22.24 to 18.91, the clock-drawing test score increased from 3.38 to 4.05, the number of types of professional care increased from 0.85 to 2.64, and the patients with behavioral and psychological symptoms increased from 29.0% to 70.2%. The proportion of patients admitted to a nursing home was 40.8% and 41.0% died. Cognition and behaviour of AD patients deteriorated accompanied with an increase in care-dependency during 3.5 years. Nevertheless, compared with the precholinesterase inhibitor era, current pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions appear to slow cognitive decline, which emphasizes that they seem to have a favorable effect.
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Effects of worked examples, example-problem, and problem-example pairs on novices’ learning
Van Gog, Tamara; Kester, Liesbeth; Paas, Fred
2010-01-01
Van Gog, T., Kester, L., & Paas, F. (2011). Effects of worked examples, example-problem, and problem-example pairs on novices’ learning. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 36(3), 212-218. doi:10.1016/j.cedpsych.2010.10.004
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Specification and Compilation of Real-Time Stream Processing Applications
Geuns, S.J.
2015-01-01
This thesis is concerned with the specification, compilation and corresponding temporal analysis of real-time stream processing applications that are executed on embedded multiprocessor systems. An example of such applications are software defined radio applications. These applications typically
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What is the cost of a life in a disaster? - Examples, Practice and Global Analysis
Daniell, James; Kunz-Plapp, Tina; Schaefer, Andreas; Wenzel, Friedemann; Khazai, Bijan
2015-04-01
An analysis is presented based on historical evidence and global exposure metrics using the CATDAT Socioeconomic databases, in order to create a global distribution of the cost of life in a disaster using various metrics. Casualty insurance models require a value of life & mitigation and cost-benefit studies require a value of life in order to make decisions and set premiums. Although this is a contentious concept, there are two general approaches to human life costing: the first is based on human capital which looks at the production capacity and potential output as a proxy for future earning; the second looks at willingness to pay which estimates people's value on reducing risk and compensation payouts. A combination approach is used. For each of the 245 nations, a value of life is estimated using the following parameters:- (1) Age of people in a country using the life expectancy and distribution data in CATDAT (2) Output of the economy and wage distribution (3) Household and community interactions (4) Lost quality of life The range of statistical life costs are examined globally from different sources, with the range of a life value being from 10,000 up to in the order of 10 million between different countries. The difference of the cost for a fatality vs. that of a severe injury is also discussed with a severe injury often having higher costs than a fatality for loss purposes. The losses in terms of historical disasters are looked at and examined with the percentage of life cost shown as a proportion of total losses. The losses of a future major earthquake in a low seismicity region show some of the largest potential life cost losses with that of a M6.8 in Adelaide, Australia; having around 160 billion in life costs (25,000 deaths, 15,000 severe injuries). This study has benefits post-disaster for quantification of human capital losses in major disasters, and pre-disaster for the analysis of insurance and mitigation options.
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Treatment of allergic rhinitis using mobile technology with real world data
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Bousquet, J; Arnavielhe, S; Bedbrook, A
2018-01-01
BACKGROUND: Large observational implementation studies are needed to triangulate the findings from randomized control trials (RCTs) as they reflect "real world" everyday practice. In a pilot study, we attempted to provide additional and complementary insights on the real life treatment of allergi...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Vladimír Vodička
2017-03-01
Full Text Available History of philosophy offers many examples capable of informing discussions related to questions, topics and problems, which are actual for both philosophy and particular scientific fields. Explanation of the nature of life is such a topic. Although current debates have been paying attention to the impact of scientific findings on our understanding of the phenomenon of life, the very definition of life falls in to the continuum between philosophy and science, the endeavor to capture origin of life and possibilities of creating artificial life bring up both theoretical and practical questions alike. In this paper we approach to the analysis of the standpoint of one of the most important philosophical authorities of modern philosophy, René Descartes. By the analysis of his approach to the nature of life we try to amend his reception and intellectual legacy of not so well appreciated part of his works.
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Finding the Optimum Scenario in Risk-benefit Assessment: An Example on Vitamin D
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Berjia, Firew Lemma; Hoekstra, J.; Verhagen, H.
2014-01-01
when changing from the reference to the optimum scenario. Conclusion: The method allowed us to find the optimum serum level in the vitamin D example. Additional case studies are needed to further validate the applicability of the approach to other nutrients or foods, especially with regards...... a method for finding the optimum scenario that provides maximum net health gains. Methods: A multiple scenario simulation. The method is presented using vitamin D intake in Denmark as an example. In addition to the reference scenario, several alternative scenarios are simulated to detect the scenario...... that provides maximum net health gains. As a common health metric, Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY) has been used to project the net health effect by using the QALIBRA (Quality of Life for Benefit Risk Assessment) software. Results: The method used in the vitamin D example shows that it is feasible to find...
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Taylor, Zachary
2014-01-01
A practical, step-by-step guide to designing world-class, high availability systems using both classical and DFSS reliability techniques Whether designing telecom, aerospace, automotive, medical, financial, or public safety systems, every engineer aims for the utmost reliability and availability in the systems he, or she, designs. But between the dream of world-class performance and reality falls the shadow of complexities that can bedevil even the most rigorous design process. While there are an array of robust predictive engineering tools, there has been no single-source guide to understan
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Human perception of the measurement of a network attack taxonomy in near real-time
CSIR Research Space (South Africa)
van Heerden, R
2014-07-01
Full Text Available apparent long after an attack and even then it is sometimes only speculation. For example, the Aggressor can not be determined in a near real-time environment and for some attacks the real power behind the attack is never determined or proven. 2.1 Actor...- tigating the accuracy of various assessment methods. We classify each class as either defined, high, low or not quantifiable. For example, it may not be possi- ble to determine the instigator of an attack (Aggressor), but only that the attack has been...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Crawford ME
2016-05-01
Full Text Available Michael E Crawford,1 Peter Bo Poulsen,2 Berit Schiøttz-Christensen,3 Andreas Habicht,4 Mette Strand,2 Flemming W Bach5 1Copenhagen City Pain Clinic, Copenhagen K, 2Pfizer Denmark ApS, Ballerup, 3Spine Center Southern Denmark, Lillebælt Hospital, Middelfart, 4Signifikans ApS, Vedbæk, 5Department of Neurology, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark Objective: The aim of this study was to provide evidence regarding the real-life efficacy of pregabalin in the treatment of peripheral neuropathic pain (NeP in Denmark. Methods: In this prospective, observational, noninterventional study, pregabalin (Lyrica® was prescribed following usual clinical practice. Compared with baseline, the primary study end points after 3 months of observation were changes in 1 the average level of pain during the past week, 2 the worst level of pain during the past week, and 3 the least level of pain during the past week. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to perform paired analyses, and a multivariate regression analysis investigated factors driving change in pain. Results: A total of 86 of the 128 patients included were regarded as efficacy evaluable (those completing 3 months of pregabalin treatment. Patients (59 years were long-time sufferers of peripheral NeP, and 38% of them had comorbidities. The majority had previously been treated with tricyclic antidepressants or gabapentin. The average dose of pregabalin was 81.5 mg/d at baseline and 240 mg/d after 3 months. A clinically and statistically significant improvement of 2.2 points in the average level of pain intensity was found after 3 months. The higher the pain intensity at baseline, the higher was the reduction of the pain score. Positive results were also found for pain-related sleep interference, patients’ global impression of change, quality of life, and work and productivity impairment. Twenty-one patients reported 28 adverse events. Conclusion: This real-life study indicates that for some
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Leadership and Work-Life Balance.
Mattock, Sarah L
2015-01-01
Simply stated, work-life balance is something that is both difficult to define and difficult to achieve. Leaders, throughout the continuum of trauma care, need to have a sound understanding of what work-life balance means and set an example of a healthy work-life balance for those they lead. This article offers strategies for enhancing work-life balance and challenges individuals to use self-reflection as a means to furthering their personal and professional growth.
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Research of real-time communication software
Li, Maotang; Guo, Jingbo; Liu, Yuzhong; Li, Jiahong
2003-11-01
Real-time communication has been playing an increasingly important role in our work, life and ocean monitor. With the rapid progress of computer and communication technique as well as the miniaturization of communication system, it is needed to develop the adaptable and reliable real-time communication software in the ocean monitor system. This paper involves the real-time communication software research based on the point-to-point satellite intercommunication system. The object-oriented design method is adopted, which can transmit and receive video data and audio data as well as engineering data by satellite channel. In the real-time communication software, some software modules are developed, which can realize the point-to-point satellite intercommunication in the ocean monitor system. There are three advantages for the real-time communication software. One is that the real-time communication software increases the reliability of the point-to-point satellite intercommunication system working. Second is that some optional parameters are intercalated, which greatly increases the flexibility of the system working. Third is that some hardware is substituted by the real-time communication software, which not only decrease the expense of the system and promotes the miniaturization of communication system, but also aggrandizes the agility of the system.
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Modular networks with hierarchical organization: The dynamical ...
Indian Academy of Sciences (India)
Most of the complex systems seen in real life also have associated dynamics [10], and the ... another example, this time a hierarchical structure, viz., the Cayley tree with b ..... natural constraints operating on networks in real life, such as the ...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Nava Siegelmann-Danieli
Full Text Available Randomized clinical trials constitute the gold-standard for evaluating new anti-cancer therapies; however, real-life data are key in complementing clinically useful information. We developed a computational tool for real-life data analysis and applied it to the metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC setting. This tool addressed the impact of oncology/non-oncology parameters on treatment patterns and clinical outcomes.The developed tool enables extraction of any computerized information including comorbidities and use of drugs (oncological/non-oncological per individual HMO member. The study in which we evaluated this tool was a retrospective cohort study that included Maccabi Healthcare Services members with mCRC receiving bevacizumab with fluoropyrimidines (FP, FP plus oxaliplatin (FP-O, or FP plus irinotecan (FP-I in the first-line between 9/2006 and 12/2013.The analysis included 753 patients of whom 15.4% underwent subsequent metastasectomy (the Surgery group. For the entire cohort, median overall survival (OS was 20.5 months; in the Surgery group, median duration of bevacizumab-containing therapy (DOT pre-surgery was 6.1 months; median OS was not reached. In the Non-surgery group, median OS and DOT were 18.7 and 11.4 months, respectively; no significant OS differences were noted between FP-O and FP-I, whereas FP use was associated with shorter OS (12.3 month; p <0.002; notably, these patients were older. Patients who received both FP-O- and FP-I-based regimens achieved numerically longer OS vs. those who received only one of these regimens (22.1 [19.9-24.0] vs. 18.9 [15.5-21.9] months. Among patients assessed for wild-type KRAS and treated with subsequent anti-EGFR agent, OS was 25.4 months and 18.7 months for 124 treated vs. 37 non-treated patients (non-significant. Cox analysis (controlling for age and gender identified several non-oncology parameters associated with poorer clinical outcomes including concurrent use of diuretics and proton
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Karagülle, Mine; Kardeş, Sinan; Karagülle, Müfit Zeki
2017-11-01
The objective of this study is to determine the use and efficacy of spa therapy in patients with a wide spectrum of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases under real-life clinical practice circumstances. In this retrospective observational study at the Medical Ecology and Hydroclimatology Department of Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, the records of all adult patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases who were prescribed a spa therapy in various health resorts in Turkey between 2002 and 2012 were analyzed. Patients sojourned to and stayed at a health resort and followed a usual 2-week course of spa therapy. The patients were examined within a week before and after the spa therapy at the department by the physicians and outcome measures were pain intensity (visual analog scale, VAS), patient's general evaluation (VAS), physician's general evaluation (VAS), Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), Lequesne's Functional Index (LFI), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Index (WOMAC), Waddell Index (WI), Neck Pain and Disability Scale (NPDS), Shoulder Disability Questionnaire (SDQ), Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), and Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI). In total, 819 patients were included in the analysis. The diagnoses were 536 osteoarthritis; 115 fibromyalgia; 50 lumbar disc herniation; 34 cervical disc herniation; 23 nonspecific low back pain; 22 ankylosing spondylitis; 16 rheumatoid arthritis; 9 rotator cuff tendinitis; and 14 other conditions/diseases including scoliosis, stenosing flexor tenosynovitis, congenital hip dislocation in adult, Behçet's disease, de Quervain tendinopathy, psoriatic arthritis, osteoporosis, fracture rehabilitation, and diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis. Statistically significant decrease in pain scores was found in all patients except hip osteoarthritis ( p = 0.063) and rheumatoid arthritis ( p = 0.134) subgroups; and statistically significant improvement in function in all patients except hip osteoarthritis ( p
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Charleer, Sara; Mathieu, Chantal; Nobels, Frank; De Block, Christophe; Radermecker, Regis P; Hermans, Michel P; Taes, Youri; Vercammen, Chris; T'Sjoen, Guy; Crenier, Laurent; Fieuws, Steffen; Keymeulen, Bart; Gillard, Pieter
2018-03-01
Randomized controlled trials evaluating real-time continuous glucose monitoring (RT-CGM) patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) show improved glycemic control, but limited data are available on real-world use. To assess impact of RT-CGM in real-world settings on glycemic control, hospital admissions, work absenteeism, and quality of life (QOL). Prospective, observational, multicenter, cohort study. A total of 515 adults with T1D on continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) therapy starting in the Belgian RT-CGM reimbursement program. Initiation of RT-CGM reimbursement. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) evolution from baseline to 12 months. Between September 1, 2014, and December 31, 2016, 515 adults entered the reimbursement system. Over this period, 417 (81%) patients used RT-CGM for at least 12 months. Baseline HbA1c was 7.7 ± 0.9% (61 ± 9.8 mmol/mol) and decreased to 7.4 ± 0.8% (57 ± 8.7 mmol/mol) at 12 months (P < 0.0001). Subjects who started RT-CGM because of insufficient glycemic control showed stronger decrease in HbA1c at 4, 8, and 12 months compared with patients who started because of hypoglycemia or pregnancy. In the year preceding reimbursement, 16% of patients were hospitalized for severe hypoglycemia or ketoacidosis in contrast to 4% (P < 0.0005) the following year, with decrease in admission days from 54 to 18 per 100 patient years (P < 0.0005). In the same period, work absenteeism decreased and QOL improved significantly, with strong decline in fear of hypoglycemia. Sensor-augmented pump therapy in patients with T1D followed in specialized centers improves HbA1c, fear of hypoglycemia, and QOL, whereas work absenteeism and admissions for acute diabetes complications decreased.
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Gold, Rachel; Bunce, Arwen E; Cohen, Deborah J; Hollombe, Celine; Nelson, Christine A; Proctor, Enola K; Pope, Jill A; DeVoe, Jennifer E
2016-08-01
The objective of this study was to empirically demonstrate the use of a new framework for describing the strategies used to implement quality improvement interventions and provide an example that others may follow. Implementation strategies are the specific approaches, methods, structures, and resources used to introduce and encourage uptake of a given intervention's components. Such strategies have not been regularly reported in descriptions of interventions' effectiveness, or in assessments of how proven interventions are implemented in new settings. This lack of reporting may hinder efforts to successfully translate effective interventions into "real-world" practice. A recently published framework was designed to standardize reporting on implementation strategies in the implementation science literature. We applied this framework to describe the strategies used to implement a single intervention in its original commercial care setting, and when implemented in community health centers from September 2010 through May 2015. Per this framework, the target (clinic staff) and outcome (prescribing rates) remained the same across settings; the actor, action, temporality, and dose were adapted to fit local context. The framework proved helpful in articulating which of the implementation strategies were kept constant and which were tailored to fit diverse settings, and simplified our reporting of their effects. Researchers should consider consistently reporting this information, which could be crucial to the success or failure of implementing proven interventions effectively across diverse care settings. clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT02299791. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Real Life Calls for Real Books: Literature to Help Children Cope with Family Stressors
Roberts, Sherron Killingsworth; Crawford, Patricia A.
2008-01-01
This article provides a rationale and related practical suggestions for using literature as a support system for social-emotional development as children cope with the stresses, anxieties, and feelings of loss that can occur in family life. The authors discusses types of books, how to choose them, and how teachers can use authentic literature to…
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Crouch, Catherine H.; Wisittanawat, Panchompoo; Cai, Ming; Renninger, K. Ann
2018-06-01
In response to national calls for improved physical sciences education for students pursuing careers in the life sciences and medicine, reformed introductory physics for life sciences (IPLS) courses are being developed. This exploratory study is among the first to assess the effect of an IPLS course on students' attitudes, interest, and performance. The IPLS course studied was the second semester of introductory physics, following a standard first semester course, allowing the outcomes of the same students in a standard course and in an IPLS course to be compared. In the IPLS course, each physics topic was introduced and elaborated in the context of a life science example, and developing students' skills in applying physics to life science situations was an explicitly stated course goal. Items from the Colorado Learning about Science Survey were used to assess change in students' attitudes toward and their interest in physics. Whereas the same students' attitudes declined during the standard first semester course, we found that students' attitudes toward physics hold steady or improve in the IPLS course. In particular, students with low initial interest in physics displayed greater increases in both attitudes and interest during the IPLS course than in the preceding standard course. We also find that in the IPLS course, students' interest in the life science examples is a better predictor of their performance than their pre-IPLS interest in physics. Our work suggests that the life science examples in the IPLS course can support the development of student interest in physics and positively influence their performance.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Catherine H. Crouch
2018-03-01
Full Text Available In response to national calls for improved physical sciences education for students pursuing careers in the life sciences and medicine, reformed introductory physics for life sciences (IPLS courses are being developed. This exploratory study is among the first to assess the effect of an IPLS course on students’ attitudes, interest, and performance. The IPLS course studied was the second semester of introductory physics, following a standard first semester course, allowing the outcomes of the same students in a standard course and in an IPLS course to be compared. In the IPLS course, each physics topic was introduced and elaborated in the context of a life science example, and developing students’ skills in applying physics to life science situations was an explicitly stated course goal. Items from the Colorado Learning about Science Survey were used to assess change in students’ attitudes toward and their interest in physics. Whereas the same students’ attitudes declined during the standard first semester course, we found that students’ attitudes toward physics hold steady or improve in the IPLS course. In particular, students with low initial interest in physics displayed greater increases in both attitudes and interest during the IPLS course than in the preceding standard course. We also find that in the IPLS course, students’ interest in the life science examples is a better predictor of their performance than their pre-IPLS interest in physics. Our work suggests that the life science examples in the IPLS course can support the development of student interest in physics and positively influence their performance.
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Impact of motor fluctuations on real-life gait in Parkinson's patients.
Silva de Lima, Ana Lígia; Evers, Luc J W; Hahn, Tim; de Vries, Nienke M; Daeschler, Margaret; Boroojerdi, Babak; Terricabras, Dolors; Little, Max A; Bloem, Bastiaan R; Faber, Marjan J
2018-05-01
People with PD (PWP) have an increased risk of becoming inactive. Wearable sensors can provide insights into daily physical activity and walking patterns. (1) Is the severity of motor fluctuations associated with sensor-derived average daily walking quantity? (2) Is the severity of motor fluctuations associated with the amount of change in sensor-derived walking quantity after levodopa intake? 304 Dutch PWP from the Parkinson@Home study were included. At baseline, all participants received a clinical examination. During the follow-up period (median: 97 days; 25-Interquartile range-IQR: 91 days, 75-IQR: 188 days), participants used the Fox Wearable Companion app and streamed smartwatch accelerometer data to a cloud platform. The first research question was assessed by linear regression on the sensor-derived mean time spent walking/day with the severity of fluctuations (MDS-UPDRS item 4.4) as independent variable, controlled for age and MDS-UPDRS part-III score. The second research question was assessed by linear regression on the sensor-derived mean post-levodopa walking quantity, with the sensor-derived mean pre-levodopa walking quantity and severity of fluctuations as independent variables, controlled for mean time spent walking per day, age and MDS-UPDRS part-III score. PWP spent most time walking between 8am and 1pm, summing up to 72 ± 39 (mean ± standard deviation) minutes of walking/day. The severity of motor fluctuations did not influence the mean time spent walking (B = 2.4 ± 1.9, p = 0.20), but higher age (B = -1.3 ± 0.3, p = motor symptoms (B = -0.6 ± 0.2, p motor fluctuations is not associated with changes in real-life walking patterns in mildly to moderate affected PWP. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Intelligent data management for real-time spacecraft monitoring
Schwuttke, Ursula M.; Gasser, Les; Abramson, Bruce
1992-01-01
Real-time AI systems have begun to address the challenge of restructuring problem solving to meet real-time constraints by making key trade-offs that pursue less than optimal strategies with minimal impact on system goals. Several approaches for adapting to dynamic changes in system operating conditions are known. However, simultaneously adapting system decision criteria in a principled way has been difficult. Towards this end, a general technique for dynamically making such trade-offs using a combination of decision theory and domain knowledge has been developed. Multi-attribute utility theory (MAUT), a decision theoretic approach for making one-time decisions is discussed and dynamic trade-off evaluation is described as a knowledge-based extension of MAUT that is suitable for highly dynamic real-time environments, and provides an example of dynamic trade-off evaluation applied to a specific data management trade-off in a real-world spacecraft monitoring application.
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Høiseth, Gudrun; Fjeld, Bente; Burns, Margrete Larsen; Strand, Dag Helge; Vindenes, Vigdis
2014-06-01
Stability of drugs during storage is important in forensic toxicology. For the analytes detected after intake of heroin (6-acetylmorphine (6-AM), morphine and codeine), long-time stability in real life whole blood samples are studied in only a small number of cases. Whole blood post mortem (n=37) and whole blood samples from living persons (n=22) containing morphine and codeine as well as 6-AM in blood or urine were selected. All cases represented intake of heroin. All samples contained fluoride and were initially analysed and stored in normal conditions (-20°C) for 4-9 years. All samples were then reanalysed using the same analytical methods and the results were compared. For samples from living persons, the median change in concentration was -3.7% for morphine and -5.3% for codeine. For post mortem samples, the median change in concentration was -12% for morphine and -11% for codeine. Both for samples from living persons and post mortem samples, the decrease in the concentrations from the original analysis to reanalysis were statistically significant for morphine and codeine. Regarding 6-AM, all living samples were negative at reanalysis. For post mortem samples, four cases still tested positive for 6-AM at reanalysis with a median change in the concentrations of -81%. There was no significant change in the morphine to codeine concentration ratios neither for living nor post mortem samples. This study showed that in real life whole blood samples, the concentrations of morphine and codeine are relatively stable during long-term storage at -20°C. 6-AM on the other hand, shows a considerable decrease in concentrations that is important to consider when interpreting results from reanalyses of forensic cases. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
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A step function model to evaluate the real monetary value of man-sievert with real GDP
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Na, Seong H.; Kim, Sun G.
2009-01-01
For use in a cost-benefit analysis to establish optimum levels of radiation protection in Korea under the ALARA principle, we introduce a discrete step function model to evaluate man-sievert monetary value in the real economic value. The model formula, which is unique and country-specific, is composed of real GDP, the nominal risk coefficient for cancer and hereditary effects, the aversion factor against radiation exposure, and average life expectancy. Unlike previous researches on alpha-value assessment, we show different alpha values in the real term, differentiated with respect to the range of individual doses, which would be more realistic and informative for application to the radiation protection practices. GDP deflators of economy can reflect the society's situations. Finally, we suggest that the Korean model can be generalized simply to other countries without normalizing any country-specific factors.
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A step function model to evaluate the real monetary value of man-sievert with real GDP
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Na, Seong H. [Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, 19 Guseong-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-338 (Korea, Republic of)], E-mail: shna@kins.re.kr; Kim, Sun G. [School of Business, Daejeon University, Yong Woon-dong, Dong-gu, Daejeon 300-716 (Korea, Republic of)], E-mail: sunkim@dju.ac.kr
2009-07-15
For use in a cost-benefit analysis to establish optimum levels of radiation protection in Korea under the ALARA principle, we introduce a discrete step function model to evaluate man-sievert monetary value in the real economic value. The model formula, which is unique and country-specific, is composed of real GDP, the nominal risk coefficient for cancer and hereditary effects, the aversion factor against radiation exposure, and average life expectancy. Unlike previous researches on alpha-value assessment, we show different alpha values in the real term, differentiated with respect to the range of individual doses, which would be more realistic and informative for application to the radiation protection practices. GDP deflators of economy can reflect the society's situations. Finally, we suggest that the Korean model can be generalized simply to other countries without normalizing any country-specific factors.
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A step function model to evaluate the real monetary value of man-sievert with real GDP.
Na, Seong H; Kim, Sun G
2009-01-01
For use in a cost-benefit analysis to establish optimum levels of radiation protection in Korea under the ALARA principle, we introduce a discrete step function model to evaluate man-sievert monetary value in the real economic value. The model formula, which is unique and country-specific, is composed of real GDP, the nominal risk coefficient for cancer and hereditary effects, the aversion factor against radiation exposure, and average life expectancy. Unlike previous researches on alpha-value assessment, we show different alpha values in the real term, differentiated with respect to the range of individual doses, which would be more realistic and informative for application to the radiation protection practices. GDP deflators of economy can reflect the society's situations. Finally, we suggest that the Korean model can be generalized simply to other countries without normalizing any country-specific factors.
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Pseudo real-time imaging systems with nonredundant pinhole arrays
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Han, K.S.; Berzins, G.J.; Roach, W.H.
1976-01-01
Coded aperture techniques, because of their efficiency and three-dimensional information content, represent potentially powerful tools for LMFBR safety experiment diagnostics. These techniques should be even more powerful if the data can be interpreted in real time or in pseudo real time. For example, to satisfy the stated goals for LMFBR diagnostics (1-ms time resolution and 1-mm spatial resolution), it is conceivable that several hundred frames of coded data would be recorded. To unscramble all of this information into reconstructed images could be a laborious, time-consuming task. A way to circumvent the tedium is with the use of the described hybrid digital/analog real-time imaging system. Some intermediate results are described briefly
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Shelf life prediction of radiation sterilized polymeric materials
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Sandford, Craig; Woo, Lecon
1988-01-01
The functional properties of many polymers employed in medical disposables are unaffected by sterilizing doses of ionizing radiation. However, some materials (PVC, polypropylene, cellulosics, etc.) undergo undesirable changes which continue to occur for the shelf life of the product. In many cases, conventional accelerated aging techniques do not accurately predict the real time properties of the materials. As real time aging is not generally practical, it has become necessary to develop accelerated aging techniques which can predict the functional properties of a material for the shelf life of the product. This presentation will address issues involved in developing these tests. Real time physical property data is compared to data generated by various acceleration methods. (author)
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Collaborative process improvement with examples from the software world
Yeakley, C
2007-01-01
Collaborative Process Improvement specifically addresses software companies that are interested in addressing quality in human terms. Using Collaborative Process Improvement techniques builds effective processes to deliver quality products; it helps readers relate to what quality means to the end-user and provides the essential tools and methods to integrate the face of the customer into the organization's day-to-day processes. It comes complete with real-world examples that are practical and unders andable to professionals in every role of a company.
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Effects of Aerobic Exercise Training on Stress Reactivity in Every-Day Life
Haaren, Birte von
2015-01-01
The current thesis investigated the effects of a 20-week aerobic exercise training on physiological and emotional responses to real-life stress using a randomized, controlled trial and an inactive sample. To assess participants' physiological and psychological responses during everyday life, ambulatory assessment was used. In summary, the present thesis provides empirical support that regular exercise can lead to improved emotional and physiological responses during real-life stress.
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Gini coefficient as a life table function
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
2003-06-01
Full Text Available This paper presents a toolkit for measuring and analyzing inter-individual inequality in length of life by Gini coefficient. Gini coefficient and four other inequality measures are defined on the length-of-life distribution. Properties of these measures and their empirical testing on mortality data suggest a possibility for different judgements about the direction of changes in the degree of inequality by using different measures. A new computational procedure for the estimation of Gini coefficient from life tables is developed and tested on about four hundred real life tables. The estimates of Gini coefficient are precise enough even for abridged life tables with the final age group of 85+. New formulae have been developed for the decomposition of differences between Gini coefficients by age and cause of death. A new method for decomposition of age-components into effects of mortality and composition of population by group is developed. Temporal changes in the effects of elimination of causes of death on Gini coefficient are analyzed. Numerous empirical examples show: Lorenz curves for Sweden, Russia and Bangladesh in 1995, proportional changes in Gini coefficient and four other measures of inequality for the USA in 1950-1995 and for Russia in 1959-2000. Further shown are errors of estimates of Gini coefficient when computed from various types of mortality data of France, Japan, Sweden and the USA in 1900-95, decompositions of the USA-UK difference in life expectancies and Gini coefficients by age and cause of death in 1997. As well, effects of elimination of major causes of death in the UK in 1951-96 on Gini coefficient, age-specific effects of mortality and educational composition of the Russian population on changes in life expectancy and Gini coefficient between 1979 and 1989. Illustrated as well are variations in life expectancy and Gini coefficient across 32 countries in 1996-1999 and associated changes in life expectancy and Gini
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Migrant life stories and the Web
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Marselis, Randi
2013-01-01
The life stories of migrants are increasingly being told, as part of the work of cultural organizations, and websites are well suited to making such life story projects accessible to the public. However, by using the lives of real people as raw material in a public forum, Web projects raise...
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17 CFR 210.12-28 - Real estate and accumulated depreciation. 1
2010-04-01
... depreciation. 1 210.12-28 Section 210.12-28 Commodity and Securities Exchanges SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE... § 210.12-28 Real estate and accumulated depreciation. 1 [For Certain Real Estate Companies] Column A... depreciation Column G—Date of construction Column H—Date acquired Column I—Life on which depreciation in latest...
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Plant life management in Hungary
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Gillemot, F.
1998-01-01
The life management in Hungary is in an early stage. The preparation of a suitable database, development of maintenance systems and education of the plant and consultant staff is essential. The Act of Nuclear Safety, the introduction of the 10 years periodic safety review system (periodic licence extension) is a good basis for life management. At the same time the economic changes in the country make the life management difficult. Presently most important task is to prepare the technical environment and the methodology for NPP Life management, and within a few years, when the economy would be consolidated, a real life management will be performed
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Blackburn, Kelsey; Schirillo, James
2012-06-01
The biased positioning of faces exposed to viewers of Western portraiture has suggested there may be fundamental differences in the lateralized expression and perception of emotion. The present study investigates whether there are differences in the perception of the left and right sides of the face in real-life photographs of individuals. The study paired conscious aesthetic ratings of pleasantness with measurements of pupil size, which are thought to be a reliable unconscious measure of interest first tested by Hess. Images of 10 men and 10 women were taken from the left and right sides of the face. These images were also mirror-reversed. As expected, we found a strong preference for left-sided portraits (regardless of original or mirror-reversed orientation), such that left hemifaces elicited higher ratings and greater pupil dilation. Interestingly, this effect was true of both sexes. A positive linear relationship was also found between pupil size and aesthetic ratings such that pupil size increased with pleasantness ratings. These findings provide support for the notions of lateralized emotion, right-hemispheric dominance, pupillary dilation to pleasant images, and constriction to unpleasant images.
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Cohen, J; van Delden, J; Mortier, F
2008-01-01
AIM: To examine how physicians' life stances affect their attitudes to end-of-life decisions and their actual end-of-life decision-making. METHODS: Practising physicians from various specialties involved in the care of dying patients in Belgium, Denmark, The Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland......) and Protestants (up to 20.4% in The Netherlands) reported ever having made such a decision. DISCUSSION: The results suggest that religious teachings influence to some extent end-of-life decision-making, but are certainly not blankly accepted by physicians, especially when dealing with real patients...... large life-stance groups in each country. RESULTS: Only small differences in life stance were found in all countries in general attitudes and intended and actual behaviour with regard to various end-of-life decisions. However, with regard to the administration of drugs explicitly intended to hasten...
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Real-Time Multiprocessor Programming Language (RTMPL) user's manual
Arpasi, D. J.
1985-01-01
A real-time multiprocessor programming language (RTMPL) has been developed to provide for high-order programming of real-time simulations on systems of distributed computers. RTMPL is a structured, engineering-oriented language. The RTMPL utility supports a variety of multiprocessor configurations and types by generating assembly language programs according to user-specified targeting information. Many programming functions are assumed by the utility (e.g., data transfer and scaling) to reduce the programming chore. This manual describes RTMPL from a user's viewpoint. Source generation, applications, utility operation, and utility output are detailed. An example simulation is generated to illustrate many RTMPL features.
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Synchronization and fault-masking in redundant real-time systems
Krishna, C. M.; Shin, K. G.; Butler, R. W.
1983-01-01
A real time computer may fail because of massive component failures or not responding quickly enough to satisfy real time requirements. An increase in redundancy - a conventional means of improving reliability - can improve the former but can - in some cases - degrade the latter considerably due to the overhead associated with redundancy management, namely the time delay resulting from synchronization and voting/interactive consistency techniques. The implications of synchronization and voting/interactive consistency algorithms in N-modular clusters on reliability are considered. All these studies were carried out in the context of real time applications. As a demonstrative example, we have analyzed results from experiments conducted at the NASA Airlab on the Software Implemented Fault Tolerance (SIFT) computer. This analysis has indeed indicated that in most real time applications, it is better to employ hardware synchronization instead of software synchronization and not allow reconfiguration.
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Development of a Real-Time Detection System for Augmented Reality Driving
Hsu, Kuei-Shu; Wang, Chia-Sui; Jiang, Jinn-Feng; Wei, Hung-Yuan
2015-01-01
Augmented reality technology is applied so that driving tests may be performed in various environments using a virtual reality scenario with the ultimate goal of improving visual and interactive effects of simulated drivers. Environmental conditions simulating a real scenario are created using an augmented reality structure, which guarantees the test taker’s security since they are not subject to real-life elements and dangers. Furthermore, the accuracy of tests conducted through virtual real...
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Wahl, Deborah R; Villinger, Karoline; König, Laura M; Ziesemer, Katrin; Schupp, Harald T; Renner, Britta
2017-12-06
Research suggests that "healthy" food choices such as eating fruits and vegetables have not only physical but also mental health benefits and might be a long-term investment in future well-being. This view contrasts with the belief that high-caloric foods taste better, make us happy, and alleviate a negative mood. To provide a more comprehensive assessment of food choice and well-being, we investigated in-the-moment eating happiness by assessing complete, real life dietary behaviour across eight days using smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment. Three main findings emerged: First, of 14 different main food categories, vegetables consumption contributed the largest share to eating happiness measured across eight days. Second, sweets on average provided comparable induced eating happiness to "healthy" food choices such as fruits or vegetables. Third, dinner elicited comparable eating happiness to snacking. These findings are discussed within the "food as health" and "food as well-being" perspectives on eating behaviour.
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Transition from Model to Proof: Example of Water Treatment Plant
Güler, Gürsel
2016-01-01
The aim of this study was to research the prospective mathematics teachers' ability to construct a mathematical model for a real life problem and to prove these models by generalizing them to use in similar situations. The study was conducted with 129 prospective teachers determined on a volunteering basis. The data were obtained with the help of…
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Kannikar Kongbunkiat
2015-06-01
Full Text Available The burden of neurological disorders is high in developing countries. Real life data from neurologists as to how they practice in Thailand are limited in literature. Practices of neurologists in a university hospital clinical setting in Thailand were studied. A prospective study was performed at the ambulatory neurology clinic, Khon Kaen University Hospital, between 1 February and 31 October 2009. The following data were recorded: numbers of patients, characteristics of patients, consultation notes, and time spent for each patient. There were three neurologists, each of whom ran one afternoon clinic, once a week. There were 6137 visits during the 9 months, with an average of 681 visits per month. The total number of patients was 2834. The three most common diseases were cerebrovascular diseases (33%, epilepsy (16%, and movement disorders (non-Parkinson’s disease, 12%. Neurologists spent an average of 6.34 minutes per patient. In conclusion, neurologists in medical schools have limited time to take care of each patient. Several strategies are needed in medical education and neurology training to improve the quality of care.
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Becoming Dragon: a mixed reality durational performance in Second Life
Cárdenas, Micha; Head, Christopher; Margolis, Todd; Greco, Kael
2009-02-01
vectors of digital information draw out the capacities of our bodies to become other than matter conceived as a mere vessel for consciousness or a substrate for signal... we may also conceive of these experiences as a new territory made possible by the fact that our bodies are immanently open to these kinds of technically symbiotic transformations"vii. A number of the technologies used in this performance were used in an attempt to blur the line between the actual and the digital, such as motion capture, live video streaming into Second Life and 3D fabrication of physical copies of Second Life avatars. The performance was developed using the following components: - An Emagin Z800 immersive head mounted display (HMD) allowed the performer to move around in the physical environment within Calit2 and still remain "in game". Head tracking and stereoscopic imagery help to provide a realistic feeling of immersion. We built on the University of Michigan 3D (UM3D) lab's stereoscopic patch for the Second Life client, updating it to work with the latest version of Second Life. - A motion tracking system. A Vicon MX40+ motion capture system was installed into the Visiting Artist Lab at CRCA, which served as the physical performance space, to allow real-time motion tracking data to be sent to a PC running Windows. Using this data, the plan was to map the physical motion in the real world back into game space, so that, for example, the performer could easily get to their food source or to the restroom. We developed a C++ bridge that includes a parser for the Vicon real time data stream in order to communicate this to the Second Life server to produce changes in avatar and object positions based on real physical movement. The goal was to get complete body gestures into Second Life in near real time. - A Puredata patch called Lila, developed by Shahrokh Yadegadi of UCSD, which was used to modulate the performer's voice, to provide a voice system that allowed chat ability in Second Life
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What Possible Life Forms Could Exist on Other Planets: A Historical Overview
Raulin Cerceau, Florence
2010-04-01
Speculations on living beings existing on other planets are found in many written works since the Frenchman Bernard de Fontenelle spoke to the Marquise about the inhabitants of the solar system in his Entretiens sur la pluralité des mondes (1686). It was an entertainment used to teach astronomy more than real considerations about the habitability of our solar system, but it opened the way to some reflections about the possible life forms on other planets. The nineteenth century took up this idea again in a context of planetary studies showing the similarities as well as the differences of the celestial bodies orbiting our Sun. Astronomers attempted to look deeper into the problem of habitability such as Richard Proctor or Camille Flammarion, also well-known for their fine talent in popular writings. While the Martian canals controversy was reaching its height, they imagined how the living forms dwelling in other planets could be. Nowadays, no complex exo-life is expected to have evolved in our solar system. However, the famous exobiologist Carl Sagan and later other scientists, formulated audacious ideas about other forms of life in the light of recent discoveries in planetology. Through these few examples, this paper underlines the originality of each author’s suggestions and the evolution and contrast of ideas about the possible life forms in the universe.
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What possible life forms could exist on other planets: a historical overview.
Raulin Cerceau, Florence
2010-04-01
Speculations on living beings existing on other planets are found in many written works since the Frenchman Bernard de Fontenelle spoke to the Marquise about the inhabitants of the solar system in his Entretiens sur la pluralité des mondes (1686). It was an entertainment used to teach astronomy more than real considerations about the habitability of our solar system, but it opened the way to some reflections about the possible life forms on other planets. The nineteenth century took up this idea again in a context of planetary studies showing the similarities as well as the differences of the celestial bodies orbiting our Sun. Astronomers attempted to look deeper into the problem of habitability such as Richard Proctor or Camille Flammarion, also well-known for their fine talent in popular writings. While the Martian canals controversy was reaching its height, they imagined how the living forms dwelling in other planets could be. Nowadays, no complex exo-life is expected to have evolved in our solar system. However, the famous exobiologist Carl Sagan and later other scientists, formulated audacious ideas about other forms of life in the light of recent discoveries in planetology. Through these few examples, this paper underlines the originality of each author's suggestions and the evolution and contrast of ideas about the possible life forms in the universe.
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Overview of real-time kernels at the Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Low, K.; Acharya, S.; Allen, M.; Faught, E.; Haenni, D.; Kalbfleisch, C.
1991-01-01
The Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory (SSCL) will have many subsystems that will require real-time microprocessor control. Examples of such Sub-systems requiring real-time controls are power supply ramp generators and quench protection monitors for the superconducting magnets. The authors plan on using a commercial multitasking real-time kernel in these systems. These kernels must perform in a consistent, reliable and efficient manner. Actual performance measurements have been conducted on four different kernels, all running on the same hardware platform. The measurements fall into two categories. Throughput measurements covering the 'non-real-time' aspects of the kernel include process creation/termination times, interprocess communication facilities involving messages, semaphores and shared memory and memory allocation/deallocation. Measurements concentrating on real-time response are context switch times, interrupt latencies and interrupt task response
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Overview of real-time kernels at the Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Low, K.; Acharya, S.; Allen, M.; Faught, E.; Haenni, D.; Kalbfleisch, C.
1991-05-01
The Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory (SSCL) will have many subsystems that will require real-time microprocessor control. Examples of such sub-systems requiring real-time controls are power supply ramp generators and quench protection monitors for the superconducting magnets. We plan on using a commercial multitasking real-time kernel in these systems. These kernels must perform in a consistent, reliable and efficient manner. Actual performance measurements have been conducted on four different kernels, all running on the same hardware platform. The measurements fall into two categories. Throughput measurements covering the ''non-real-time'' aspects of the kernel include process creation/termination times, interprocess communication facilities involving messages, semaphores and shared memory and memory allocation/deallocation. Measurements concentrating on real-time response are context switch times, interrupt latencies and interrupt task response. 6 refs., 2 tabs
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RealCalc : a real time Java calculation tool. Application to HVSR estimation
Hloupis, G.; Vallianatos, F.
2009-04-01
Java computation platform is not a newcomer in the seismology field. It is mainly used for applications regarding collecting, requesting, spreading and visualizing seismological data because it is productive, safe and has low maintenance costs. Although it has very attractive characteristics for the engineers, Java didn't used frequently in real time applications where prediction and reliability required as a reaction to real world events. The main reasons for this are the absence of priority support (such as priority ceiling or priority inversion) and the use of an automated memory management (called garbage collector). To overcome these problems a number of extensions have been proposed with the Real Time Specification for Java (RTSJ) being the most promising and used one. In the current study we used the RTSJ to build an application that receives data continuously and provides estimations in real time. The application consists of four main modules: incoming data, preprocessing, estimation and publication. As an application example we present real time HVSR estimation. Microtremors recordings are collected continuously from the incoming data module. The preprocessing module consists of a window selector tool based on wavelets which is applied on the incoming data stream in order derive the most stationary parts. The estimation module provides all the necessary calculations according to user specifications. Finally the publication module except the results presentation it also calculates attributes and relevant statistics for each site (temporal variations, HVSR stability). Acknowledgements This work is partially supported by the Greek General Secretariat of Research and Technology in the frame of Crete Regional Project 2000- 2006 (M1.2): "TALOS: An integrated system of seismic hazard monitoring and management in the front of the Hellenic Arc", CRETE PEP7 (KP_7).
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Fighting for and losing or gaining control in life.
Theorell, T
1997-01-01
In JP Henry's work, fighting for and losing control were important concepts in the interpretation of energy mobilization in psychosocial conditions. Attachment and support were important protective and salutogenic factors. These concepts have been applied in a series of epidemiological and psychophysiological real life studies. Job conditions which force the worker to mobilize energy and concomitantly inhibit anabolism could be identified at least partly by means of the demand-control-support model originally proposed by Karasek. The most adverse conditions at work arise when psychological demands are high and at the same time the decision latitude is low. This combination is associated with changes in the regulation of endocrine parameters as well as with increased morbidity--heart disease, functional gastrointestinal symptoms and musculoskeletal disorders. Examples of studies of physiological correlates of psychosocial processes leading to fight for control are also described from outside work activities.
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The Physical, Chemical and Physiological Limits of Life
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Dirk Schulze-Makuch
2015-07-01
Full Text Available Life on Earth displays an incredible diversity in form and function, which allows it to survive not only physical extremes, but also periods of time when it is exposed to non-habitable conditions. Extreme physiological adaptations to bridge non-habitable conditions include various dormant states, such as spores or tuns. Here, we advance the hypothesis that if the environmental conditions are different on some other planetary body, a deviating biochemistry would evolve with types of adaptations that would manifest themselves with different physical and chemical limits of life. In this paper, we discuss two specific examples: putative life on a Mars-type planet with a hydrogen peroxide-water solvent and putative life on a Titan-type planetary body with liquid hydrocarbons as a solvent. Both examples would have the result of extending the habitable envelope of life in the universe.
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Real Option--A New Approach in the Evaluation of Telecom Investment Projects
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
WU Hong
2005-01-01
This paper gives a new method into the evaluating system of telecom investment projects, I.e. Real Option. This may overcome the defects resulted from employing Net Present Value (NPV), which is now used in the evaluation of telecom projects. A theoretical analysis of Real Option is provided, followed by an example of telecom investment project to illustrate the differences between the two methods.
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PixonVision real-time video processor
Puetter, R. C.; Hier, R. G.
2007-09-01
PixonImaging LLC and DigiVision, Inc. have developed a real-time video processor, the PixonVision PV-200, based on the patented Pixon method for image deblurring and denoising, and DigiVision's spatially adaptive contrast enhancement processor, the DV1000. The PV-200 can process NTSC and PAL video in real time with a latency of 1 field (1/60 th of a second), remove the effects of aerosol scattering from haze, mist, smoke, and dust, improve spatial resolution by up to 2x, decrease noise by up to 6x, and increase local contrast by up to 8x. A newer version of the processor, the PV-300, is now in prototype form and can handle high definition video. Both the PV-200 and PV-300 are FPGA-based processors, which could be spun into ASICs if desired. Obvious applications of these processors include applications in the DOD (tanks, aircraft, and ships), homeland security, intelligence, surveillance, and law enforcement. If developed into an ASIC, these processors will be suitable for a variety of portable applications, including gun sights, night vision goggles, binoculars, and guided munitions. This paper presents a variety of examples of PV-200 processing, including examples appropriate to border security, battlefield applications, port security, and surveillance from unmanned aerial vehicles.
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McKay, Christopher P.; DeVincenzi, Donald (Technical Monitor)
2000-01-01
Mars appears to be cold dry and dead world. However there is good evidence that early in its history it had liquid water, more active volcanism, and a thicker atmosphere. Mars had this earth-like environment over three and a half billion years ago, during the same time that life appeared on Earth. The main question in the exploration of Mars then is the search for a independent origin of life on that planet. Ecosystems in cold, dry locations on Earth - such as the Antarctic - provide examples of how life on Mars might have survived and where to look for fossils. Although the Viking results may indicate that Mars has no life today, there is direct geomorphological evidence that, in the past, Mars had large amounts of liquid water on its surface - possibly due to a thicker atmosphere. From a biological perspective the existence of liquid water, by itself motivates the question of the origin of life on Mars. One of the martian meteorites dates back to this early period and may contain evidence consistent with life. From studies of the Earth's earliest biosphere we know that by 3.5 Gyr. ago, life had originated on Earth and reached a fair degree of biological sophistication. Surface activity and erosion on Earth make it difficult to trace the history of life before the 3.5 Gyr timeframe. Ecosystems in cold, dry locations on Earth - such as the Antarctic - provide examples of how life on Mars might have survived and where to look for fossils.
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Costa, Bernardo; Cabré, Joan J; Sagarra, Ramon; Solà-Morales, Oriol; Barrio, Francisco; Piñol, Josep L; Cos, Xavier; Bolíbar, Bonaventura; Castell, Conxa; Kissimova-Skarbek, Katarzyna; Tuomilehto, Jaakko
2011-08-04
Type 2 diabetes is an important preventable disease and a growing public health problem. Based on information provided by clinical trials, we know that Type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed by lifestyle intervention. In view of translating the findings of diabetes prevention research into real-life it is necessary to carry out community-based evaluations so as to learn about the feasibility and effectiveness of locally designed and implemented programmes. The aim of this project was to assess the effectiveness of an active real-life primary care strategy in high-risk individuals for developing diabetes, and then evaluate its efficiency. Cost-Effectiveness analysis of the DE-PLAN (Diabetes in Europe - Prevention using Lifestyle, physical Activity and Nutritional intervention) project when applied to a Mediterranean population in Catalonia (DE-PLAN-CAT). Multicenter, longitudinal cohort assessment (4 years) conducted in 18 primary health-care centres (Catalan Health Institute). Individuals without diabetes aged 45-75 years were screened using the Finnish Diabetes Risk Score - FINDRISC - questionnaire and a 2-h oral glucose tolerance test. All high risk tested individuals were invited to participate in either a usual care intervention (information on diet and cardiovascular health without individualized programme), or the intensive DE-PLAN educational program (individualized or group) periodically reinforced. Oral glucose tolerance test was repeated yearly to determine diabetes incidence. Besides measuring the accumulated incidence of diabetes, information was collected on economic impact of the interventions in both cohorts (using direct and indirect cost questionnaires) and information on utility measures (Quality Adjusted Life Years). A cost-utility and a cost-effectiveness analysis will be performed and data will be modelled to predict long-term cost-effectiveness. The project was intended to evidence that a substantial reduction in Type 2 diabetes incidence
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Yu-Ming Chen
2014-10-01
Full Text Available A discourse analysis was used in this study to examine the processes of social welfare ideology construction in Taiwanese and Singaporean newspapers. The National Pension Act and CPF LIFE were used as examples. The research conclusion is as follows: 1. Because of democratization, Taiwanese newspapers are liberal and diverse. 2. Singaporean newspapers support the government and the ruling party’s soft authoritarian policies. 3. Taiwanese newspapers pay considerable attention to universal citizenship and human rights, and contain discourses of parties from both the left and right. However, conversation is lacking between newspapers. 4. Singaporean newspapers are enthusiastic in constructing the right antiwelfarism in emphasizing the failure of Western welfare, and in accentuating the importance of self-reliance and family responsibility. The conclusion shows that differences in discourse reflect various needs of welfare ideologies and value construction. Hence, this study demonstrated the media’s role as a tool for culture hegemony and political socialization, and also the positive influence of democratization on creating diversity in media discourse.
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Bringing the Real World into the Biology Curriculum
Lewis, Jenny
2006-01-01
This study followed a small but diverse group of biology teachers through the first two years of the pilot for a new Advanced Level Biology course--Salters-Nuffield Advanced Biology. SNAB aims to modernise A-level Biology using real world contexts and examples as the starting point, promoting conceptual understanding rather than factual recall,…
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LabVIEW A Developer's Guide to Real World Integration
Fairweather, Ian
2011-01-01
LabVIEW(t) has become one of the preeminent platforms for the development of data acquisition and data analysis programs. LabVIEW(t): A Developer's Guide to Real World Integration explains how to integrate LabVIEW into real-life applications. Written by experienced LabVIEW developers and engineers, the book describes how LabVIEW has been pivotal in solving real-world challenges. Each chapter is self-contained and demonstrates the power and simplicity of LabVIEW in various applications, from image processing to solar tracking systems. Many of the chapters explore how exciting new technologies c
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Henrik Holmberg
2009-10-01
Full Text Available All real processes generate entropy and the power/exergy loss is usually determined by means of the Gouy-Stodola law. If the system only exchanges heat at the environmental temperature, the Gouy-Stodola law gives the correct loss of power. However, most industrial processes exchange heat at higher or lower temperatures than the actual environmental temperature. When calculating the real loss of power in these cases, the Gouy-Stodola law does not give the correct loss if the actual environmental temperature is used. The first aim of this paper is to show through simple steam turbine examples that the previous statement is true. The second aim of the paper is to define the effective temperature to calculate the real power loss of the system with the Gouy-Stodola law, and to apply it to turbine examples. Example calculations also show that the correct power loss can be defined if the effective temperature is used instead of the real environmental temperature.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Wang, Shi-bing, E-mail: wang-shibing@dlut.edu.cn, E-mail: wangxy@dlut.edu.cn [School of Computer and Information Engineering, Fuyang Normal University, Fuyang 236041 (China); Faculty of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Wang, Xing-yuan, E-mail: wang-shibing@dlut.edu.cn, E-mail: wangxy@dlut.edu.cn [Faculty of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Wang, Xiu-you [School of Computer and Information Engineering, Fuyang Normal University, Fuyang 236041 (China); Zhou, Yu-fei [College of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Anhui University, Hefei 230601 (China)
2016-04-15
With comprehensive consideration of generalized synchronization, combination synchronization and adaptive control, this paper investigates a novel adaptive generalized combination complex synchronization (AGCCS) scheme for different real and complex nonlinear systems with unknown parameters. On the basis of Lyapunov stability theory and adaptive control, an AGCCS controller and parameter update laws are derived to achieve synchronization and parameter identification of two real drive systems and a complex response system, as well as two complex drive systems and a real response system. Two simulation examples, namely, ACGCS for chaotic real Lorenz and Chen systems driving a hyperchaotic complex Lü system, and hyperchaotic complex Lorenz and Chen systems driving a real chaotic Lü system, are presented to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
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Life cycle evaluation of spaceflight qualified nickel-hydrogen batteries
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Coates, D.K.; Brill, J.N. [Eagle-Picher Industries, Inc., Joplin, MO (United States). Advanced Systems Operation
1995-12-31
Life cycle test results are summarized from more than 300 spaceflight qualified nickel-hydrogen (NiH{sub 2}) battery cells currently on life test. Cells ranging in size from 4 ampere-hours (Ah) to 120 Ah are being tested under a variety of conditions to support current NiH{sub 2} battery applications. Results to date include 55,600 accelerated LEO cycles at 30% DOD; 102,840 accelerated LEO cycles at 15% DOD; 44,900 cycles under a real-time LEO profile; 44,100 cycles in real-time LEO; 30 accelerated GEO eclipse seasons and 7 real-time GEO eclipse seasons, both at 75% DOD maximum. Alternative separator materials have completed more than 40,000 charge/discharge cycles in accelerated LEO testing and advanced design electrocatalytic hydrogen electrodes have completed more than 16,000 cycles in real-time LEO testing. Common pressure vessel cell designs have completed 18,000 cycles in real-time LEO testing at 45% DOD.
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Real options and volume uncertainty by field development projects
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ekern, S.; Stensland, G.
1993-12-01
The report concerns a study on the use of option methodology in field development projects. The report shows how the value of flexibility in the different decision processes is to be found by means of real option methodology. Particular attention is laid on the uncertainty concerning the volume of reserves and production capacity. The results from the study were based on the research project dubbed ''Use of real options in field development projects''. The project is partially connected to another project dubbed ''Decisive behaviour and alternative action under uncertainty in the petroleum sector''. Main topics cover as follow: Example with volume uncertainty; real options and volume uncertainty; gradual disclosure of uncertainty in the production; value of flexible production equipment. 33 refs., 19 figs., 17 tabs
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Building Life World Connections during School Booktalk
Eriksson, Katarina; Aronsson, Karin
2004-01-01
In criticisms of children's literature, notions of 'fantasy' and 'realism' are pivotal. In school 'booktalk' conversations pupils referred to what is 'real' in three different ways: (i) by referring to feelings of or semblance to 'real' life, (ii) by invoking shared facts and (iii) by making references to personal experiences. In cases when…
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Aircraft Engine Life-Consumption Monitoring for Real-Time Reliability Determination, Phase II
National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The object of this research is to develop an in-service life-monitor system for the prediction of the remaining component and system life of aircraft engines. The...
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Van Gog, Tamara; Kester, Liesbeth; Paas, Fred
2010-01-01
Van Gog, T., Kester, L., & Paas, F. (2010, August). Effects of worked examples, example-problem pairs, and problem-example pairs compared to problem solving. Paper presented at the Biannual EARLI SIG meeting of Instructional design and Learning and instruction with computers, Ulm, Germany.
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Seasonal adjustment methods and real time trend-cycle estimation
Bee Dagum, Estela
2016-01-01
This book explores widely used seasonal adjustment methods and recent developments in real time trend-cycle estimation. It discusses in detail the properties and limitations of X12ARIMA, TRAMO-SEATS and STAMP - the main seasonal adjustment methods used by statistical agencies. Several real-world cases illustrate each method and real data examples can be followed throughout the text. The trend-cycle estimation is presented using nonparametric techniques based on moving averages, linear filters and reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces, taking recent advances into account. The book provides a systematical treatment of results that to date have been scattered throughout the literature. Seasonal adjustment and real time trend-cycle prediction play an essential part at all levels of activity in modern economies. They are used by governments to counteract cyclical recessions, by central banks to control inflation, by decision makers for better modeling and planning and by hospitals, manufacturers, builders, transportat...
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Real-time multiple image manipulations
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Arenson, J.S.; Shalev, S.; Legris, J.; Goertzen, Y.
1984-01-01
There are many situations in which it is desired to manipulate two or more images under real-time operator control. The authors have investigated a number of such cases in order to determine their value and applicability in clinical medicine and laboratory research. Several examples are presented in detail. The DICOM-8 video image computer system was used due to its capability of storing two 512 x 512 x 8 bit images and operating on them, and/or an incoming video frame, with any of a number of real time operations including addition, subtraction, inversion, averaging, logical AND, NAND, OR, NOR, NOT, XOR and XNOR, as well as combinations of these. Some applications involve manipulations of or among the stored images. In others, a stored image is used as a mask or template for positioning or adjusting a second image to be grabbed via a video camera. The accuracy of radiotherapy treatment is verified by comparing port films with the original radiographic planning film, which is previously digitized and stored. Moving the port film on the light box while viewing the real-time subtraction image allows for adjustments of zoom, translation and rotation, together with contrast and edge enhancement
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Effects of computing time delay on real-time control systems
Shin, Kang G.; Cui, Xianzhong
1988-01-01
The reliability of a real-time digital control system depends not only on the reliability of the hardware and software used, but also on the speed in executing control algorithms. The latter is due to the negative effects of computing time delay on control system performance. For a given sampling interval, the effects of computing time delay are classified into the delay problem and the loss problem. Analysis of these two problems is presented as a means of evaluating real-time control systems. As an example, both the self-tuning predicted (STP) control and Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control are applied to the problem of tracking robot trajectories, and their respective effects of computing time delay on control performance are comparatively evaluated. For this example, the STP (PID) controller is shown to outperform the PID (STP) controller in coping with the delay (loss) problem.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ainsworth, R.; Coleman, M.C.
1986-10-01
A worked example is presented to illustrate the application of a CEGB procedure for the assessment of defects in plant that operates within the creep range. The example chosen is a large cylindrical pressure vessel with a fully circumferential crack for which experimental results are available. The example demonstrates that it is straightforward to perform the calculations required in the procedure for the time for structural failure by continuum damage mechanisms, the time for crack incubation and the time for crack growth. It is predicted that crack incubation in the pressure vessel occurs at about one-third of life with the remaining life being taken up by crack growth. The predictions are in close agreement with the experimentally observed incubation, growth and final failure times. (UK)
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[Facilitated and real trauma in the psychoanalysis of children of Holocaust survivors].
Kogan, I
1990-06-01
The author investigates the effect of retraumatization on the children of Holocaust survivors who have appropriated their parents' trauma through unconscious identification. The author proposes that the working through of the real trauma results in a mitigation of the transmitted trauma in the psychic reality and mobilizes the work of mourning that facilitates the mastery of the real as well as the transmitted trauma. Two case examples are cited as illustration.
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Impression Management in Social Media: The Example of LinkedIn
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Joanna Paliszkiewicz
2016-09-01
Full Text Available Nowadays, the relationships are often initiated and maintained in online environments, the formation and management of online impressions have gained importance and become the subject of numerous studies. The impression management is a conscious process in which people attempt to influence the perceptions of their image. They do it by controlling and managing information presented in social media. The presentation of identity is the key to success or failure for example in business life. In the article, the critical literature review related to impression management in social media is described. The example of the way of self-presentation in LinkedIn is presented. The future directions are indicated.
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Introduction to Wireless Localization With iPhone SDK Examples
Chan, Eddie C L
2012-01-01
This book provides a comprehensive overview of the entire landscape of both outdoor and indoor wireless positioning, and guides the reader step by step in the implementation of wireless positioning applications on the iPhone. Explanations of fundamental positioning techniques are given throughout the text, along with many programming examples, providing the reader with an independent, practical, and enjoyable learning of the material while gaining a real feel for the subject. Provides an accessible introduction to positioning technologies such as Global Positioning System and Wi-Fi posi
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Statistical mechanics of learning: A variational approach for real data
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Malzahn, Doerthe; Opper, Manfred
2002-01-01
Using a variational technique, we generalize the statistical physics approach of learning from random examples to make it applicable to real data. We demonstrate the validity and relevance of our method by computing approximate estimators for generalization errors that are based on training data alone
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Refugees in the Rear Area of the World War I (on Example of Enisey,s State
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Аnna P. Dvoretskaya
2016-12-01
Full Text Available The article on the basis of archival and published sources on the specific example of society Prieniseyskoy Siberia of 1914–1918 examines the potential social mobility refugees of the World War I, analyzes the measures and forms of social support aimed at maintaining life support in terms of property loss of social status. The authors come to the following conclusions on the example of the Yenisei province. During the First world war it had gained the considerable experience in attracting additional resources at the time of emergencies. Developed specific activities in the field, designed to improve the status of large population groups moved in order to avoid the criminalization of the situation created by the territorial group assistance. Although the military situation was in this period of severe, order, safety and nutrition of refugees were organized well. Most of the refugees in a fairly short period of time reached their destinations. In the case of an effective material assistance and social support the real bitterness of loss decreased significantly. However, the migration mobility of refugees had been low, and the possibility of their adaptation to Siberian conditions were insignificant due to the prevalence among them women, old men, and children with low skills on the labor market. The forced migrants were observed the identity crisis, experiencing trauma led to psychological consequences. There was a disconnection from their social, ethnic community.
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Real-time LMR control parameter generation using advanced adaptive synthesis
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
King, R.W.; Mott, J.E.
1990-01-01
The reactor ''delta T'', the difference between the average core inlet and outlet temperatures, for the liquid-sodium-cooled Experimental Breeder Reactor 2 is empirically synthesized in real time from, a multitude of examples of past reactor operation. The real-time empirical synthesis is based on reactor operation. The real-time empirical synthesis is based on system state analysis (SSA) technology embodied in software on the EBR 2 data acquisition computer. Before the real-time system is put into operation, a selection of reactor plant measurements is made which is predictable over long periods encompassing plant shutdowns, core reconfigurations, core load changes, and plant startups. A serial data link to a personal computer containing SSA software allows the rapid verification of the predictability of these plant measurements via graphical means. After the selection is made, the real-time synthesis provides a fault-tolerant estimate of the reactor delta T accurate to +/-1%. 5 refs., 7 figs
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A Unified Framework for Verification and Complexity Analysis of Real-Time and Distributed Systems
National Research Council Canada - National Science Library
Lynch, Nancy
1997-01-01
.... These examples arise from a diverse set of application areas, including connection management protocols, clock synchronization, fault-tolerant distributed consensus, group communication, and real...
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Asymmetric Bimodal Exponential Power Distribution on the Real Line
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Mehmet Niyazi Çankaya
2018-01-01
Full Text Available The asymmetric bimodal exponential power (ABEP distribution is an extension of the generalized gamma distribution to the real line via adding two parameters that fit the shape of peakedness in bimodality on the real line. The special values of peakedness parameters of the distribution are a combination of half Laplace and half normal distributions on the real line. The distribution has two parameters fitting the height of bimodality, so capacity of bimodality is enhanced by using these parameters. Adding a skewness parameter is considered to model asymmetry in data. The location-scale form of this distribution is proposed. The Fisher information matrix of these parameters in ABEP is obtained explicitly. Properties of ABEP are examined. Real data examples are given to illustrate the modelling capacity of ABEP. The replicated artificial data from maximum likelihood estimates of parameters of ABEP and other distributions having an algorithm for artificial data generation procedure are provided to test the similarity with real data. A brief simulation study is presented.
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Pure sociology and social geometry as an example of formal sociological theory
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Škorić Marko
2012-01-01
Full Text Available This paper analyzes pure sociology and social geometry of Donald Black as an example of formal sociological theory. Starting with the importance of formal and analytical theory in sociology, we present the bold theoretical strategy and/or the paradigm of the sociology of behavior of social life. The examples of pure sociology and social geometry concerning law, violence and homosexuality are presented as well. A review and critique of pure sociology as a scientific formal theory is offered in the end.
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Quality of life philosophy I. Quality of life, happiness, and meaning in life.
Ventegodt, Søren; Andersen, Niels Jørgen; Merrick, Joav
2003-12-01
In the Danish Quality of Life Survey, we asked 10,000 people about their quality of life with the validated SEQOL questionnaire with more than 300 questions on their quality of life. How did they feel? How content were they with their lives? How happy were they? Did they feel their needs were fulfilled? And many more questions. We asked the questions we believed to be important for their quality of life (QOL). The results were quite surprising and forced us to recontemplate the following philosophical questions: What is quality of life, happiness, and meaning in life? What is a human being? Do we need a new biology? Is the brain the seat of consciousness? How do we seize the meaning of life and by doing so, will we become well again? What are the key concepts of quality of life? The meaning of life is connectedness and development. It is about realizing every opportunity and potential in one"s existence. The opportunities must be found and acknowledged. What do you find when you find yourself deep down? You find your real self and your purpose in life. You realize that you are already a part of a larger totality. Antonovsky called it "coherence". Maslow called it "transcendence". Frankl called it "meaning of life". We call it simply "being". To test if these philosophical questions are actually relevant for medicine, we looked at the consequences for patients being taught the quality of life philosophy. Quite surprisingly we learned from our pilot studies with "quality of life as medicine" that just by assimilating the basic concepts of the quality of life philosophy presented in this series of papers, patients felt better and saw their lives as more meaningful. The improvement of the patient"s personal philosophy of life seems to be the essence of holistic medicine, helping the patient to assume more responsibility for his or her own existence.
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Probabilistic real-time contingency ranking method
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Mijuskovic, N.A.; Stojnic, D.
2000-01-01
This paper describes a real-time contingency method based on a probabilistic index-expected energy not supplied. This way it is possible to take into account the stochastic nature of the electric power system equipment outages. This approach enables more comprehensive ranking of contingencies and it is possible to form reliability cost values that can form the basis for hourly spot price calculations. The electric power system of Serbia is used as an example for the method proposed. (author)
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Using real-worldness and cultural difference to enhance student ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
differences, influences the quality of students' learning in a Life Skills module ... Studies reveal that real-world experiences will allow students to activate .... comprised 78 female students of whom 69 were Afrikaans-speaking and nine English-.
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A real-time PCR approach to detect predation on anchovy and sardine early life stages
Cuende, Elsa; Mendibil, Iñaki; Bachiller, Eneko; Álvarez, Paula; Cotano, Unai; Rodriguez-Ezpeleta, Naiara
2017-12-01
Recruitment of sardine (Sardina pilchardus Walbaum, 1792) and anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus Linnaeus, 1758) is thought to be regulated by predation of their eggs and larvae. Predators of sardine and anchovy can be identified by visual taxonomic identification of stomach contents, but this method is time consuming, tedious and may underestimate predation, especially in small predators such as fish larvae. Alternatively, genetic tools may offer a more cost-effective and accurate alternative. Here, we have developed a multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay based on TaqMan probes to simultaneously detect sardine and anchovy remains in gut contents of potential predators. The assay combines previously described and newly generated species-specific primers and probes for anchovy and sardine detection respectively, and allows the detection of 0,001 ng of target DNA (which corresponds to about one hundredth of the total DNA present in a single egg). We applied the method to candidate anchovy and sardine egg predators in the Bay of Biscay, Atlantic Mackerel (Scomber scombrus) larvae. Egg predation observed was limited primarily to those stations where sardine and/or anchovy eggs were present. Our developed assay offers a suitable tool to understand the effects of predation on the survival of anchovy and sardine early life stages.
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How real-life health messages engage our brains: Shared processing of effective anti-alcohol videos.
Imhof, Martin A; Schmälzle, Ralf; Renner, Britta; Schupp, Harald T
2017-07-01
Health communication via mass media is an important strategy when targeting risky drinking, but many questions remain about how health messages are processed and how they unfold their effects within receivers. Here we examine how the brains of young adults-a key target group for alcohol prevention-'tune in' to real-life health prevention messages about risky alcohol use. In a first study, a large sample of authentic public service announcements (PSAs) targeting the risks of alcohol was characterized using established measures of message effectiveness. In the main study, we used inter-subject correlation analysis of fMRI data to examine brain responses to more and less effective PSAs in a sample of young adults. We find that more effective messages command more similar responses within widespread brain regions, including the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, insulae and precuneus. In previous research, these regions have been related to processing narratives, emotional stimuli, self-relevance and attention towards salient stimuli. The present study thus suggests that more effective health prevention messages have greater 'neural reach', i.e. they engage the brains of audience members' more widely. This work outlines a promising strategy for assessing the effects of health communication at a neural level. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford University Press.
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Local contextual processing of abstract and meaningful real-life images in professional athletes.
Fogelson, Noa; Fernandez-Del-Olmo, Miguel; Acero, Rafael Martín
2012-05-01
We investigated the effect of abstract versus real-life meaningful images from sports on local contextual processing in two groups of professional athletes. Local context was defined as the occurrence of a short predictive series of stimuli occurring before delivery of a target event. EEG was recorded in 10 professional basketball players and 9 professional athletes of individual sports during three sessions. In each session, a different set of visual stimuli were presented: triangles facing left, up, right, or down; four images of a basketball player throwing a ball; four images of a baseball player pitching a baseball. Stimuli consisted of 15 % targets and 85 % of equal numbers of three types of standards. Recording blocks consisted of targets preceded by randomized sequences of standards and by sequences including a predictive sequence signaling the occurrence of a subsequent target event. Subjects pressed a button in response to targets. In all three sessions, reaction times and peak P3b latencies were shorter for predicted targets compared with random targets, the last most informative stimulus of the predictive sequence induced a robust P3b, and N2 amplitude was larger for random targets compared with predicted targets. P3b and N2 peak amplitudes were larger in the professional basketball group in comparison with professional athletes of individual sports, across the three sessions. The findings of this study suggest that local contextual information is processed similarly for abstract and for meaningful images and that professional basketball players seem to allocate more attentional resources in the processing of these visual stimuli.
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Bruckert, E; Masana, L; Chapman, M J; Descamps, O; Bosi, E; Allaert, F A
2014-07-01
Assess the evolution of cardiovascular lifestyle behaviors in hypercholesterolemic patients concomitantly with changes in their daily intake of phytosterol-supplemented yoghurt (Phyto-SY). Nationwide prospective observational study conducted in general practices across France and Spain. Each practitioner suggested lifestyle changes to five consecutive patients with hypercholesterolemia (whether or not they were taking hypocholesterolemic drugs) and recommended daily consumption of Phyto-SY. The study design involved an inclusion visit, a patient's self-monitoring assessment after 1 month, and a final visit after 4 months. Primary evaluation criterion: changes in dietary habits assessed by a standardized Nutritional Lifestyle score. Secondary criteria: changes in lipid profile, anthropometry (waist circumference) and lifestyle behavior. A total of 2376 hypercholesterolemic patients (of whom 54.8% were women) were included. The average age was 56.2 years old. The Nutritional Lifestyle score improved from 15.4 ± 5.4 to 8.7 ± 4.0 (p 30 min) increased from 59.3% to 78.3% (p < 0.0001). The overweight rate decreased from 22.8% to 17.5% (p < 0.0001) and waist circumference from 94.6 ± 13.3 cm to 93.0 ± 12.8 cm (p < 0.0001). Nutritional Lifestyles and other lifestyle markers' improvement were parallel to adherence to Phyto-SY adherence. Improvements in Nutritional Lifestyle scores, which included regular consumption of Phyto-SY over 4 months, was significantly linked to healthier lifestyles and to beneficial modifications in atherogenic lipid profiles, which reflected patient empowerment in a 'real life' context.
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Development and use of interactive displays in real-time ground support research facilities
Rhea, Donald C.; Hammons, Kvin R.; Malone, Jacqueline C.; Nesel, Michael C.
1989-01-01
The NASA Western Aeronautical Test Range (WATR) is one of the world's most advanced aeronautical research flight test support facilities. A variety of advanced and often unique real-time interactive displays has been developed for use in the mission control centers (MCC) to support research flight and ground testing. These dispalys consist of applications operating on systems described as real-time interactive graphics super workstations and real-time interactive PC/AT compatible workstations. This paper reviews these two types of workstations and the specific applications operating on each display system. The applications provide examples that demonstrate overall system capability applicable for use in other ground-based real-time research/test facilities.
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Schmidt, Carolin E.
2016-01-01
Real-life applications of financial concepts are a valuable method to get students engaged in financial topics. While especially non-finance majors often struggle to understand the importance of financial topics for their personal lives, applying these theories to real-life examples can significantly improve their learning experience and increase…
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Purbrick RMJ
2014-07-01
Full Text Available Robert M J Purbrick, Shahrnaz Izadi, Ankur Gupta, N Victor Chong Oxford Eye Hospital, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK Purpose: We aimed to assess the agreement between clinical assessment of diabetic retinopathy and Optomap ultrawide-field imaging (UWFI in a real-life clinic setting. Methods: Structured examination findings, from diabetic patients attending routine medical retina clinics in July 2011, were retrospectively compared with the grade obtained from Optomap UWFI images, graded independently by two ophthalmologists, taken at the same visit. Results: A total of 84 eyes (42 patients were examined, and 74 eyes (37 patients were suitable for analysis. The hospital Eye Service slit-lamp biomicroscopy grades for retinopathy were: no diabetic retinopathy in zero eyes; background retinopathy in 21 eyes; preproliferative retinopathy in 34 eyes; and proliferative retinopathy in 19 eyes. For retinopathy, the agreement between the Optomap UWFI and clinical grading was moderate for both graders (κ=0.57 and κ=0.63, and there was almost perfect agreement between the two graders (κ=0.92. The clinical grades for the presence of photocoagulation scars were: no photocoagulation scars in 46 eyes and photocoagulation scars visible in 28 eyes, indicating substantial agreement between the Optomap UWFI and clinical grading for both graders (κ=0.73 and κ=0.64. There were two instances where proliferative retinopathy was documented clinically but graded as preproliferative by both graders of Optomap UWFI. These were investigated, and neither patient required treatment, ie, the difference in retinopathy grade would not have affected the patient outcomes. Conclusion: This study demonstrated moderate agreement between Optomap UWFI and hospital slit-lamp biomicroscopy grading of patients’ retinopathy in a real-life medical retina clinic setting. The authors believe that Optomap UWFI is, not only a very useful adjunct to clinical examination in terms of
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Learning about the "Real World" in an Urban Arts Youth Program
Larson, Reed W.; Walker, Kathrin C.
2006-01-01
To make the transition to adulthood, youth must learn to function in the complex and unpredictable "real world" of adult life. This is an intensive case study of an urban arts program that sought to provide youth with experiences that prepared them for the real world of arts careers. We conducted 75 interviews with 12 youth and their adult leader…
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Joe LaValle
2017-06-01
Full Text Available This paper addresses the possibilities of combining Spanish language learners and English language learners in high school and post-secondary institutions for mutual benefit to learn authentic language. Academic or "classroom" Spanish is insufficient to empower students for today's workplace. The concept behind "Real Language" is illustrated by an example of an interdisciplinary activity to facilitate communicative interaction in genuine language and promote cultural understanding between intermediate Spanish students and ESOL/native speakers at the high school and post-secondary level. Students are asked to utilize their life skills in interactive, freestyle conversation without the intervention of an instructor. The learning space for language exchange is an out-of-class venue for a non-intimidating, more authentic setting. This simple qualitative study investigates the potential value of this sort of interdisciplinary activity. The intent is to evaluate attitudes of the participants in relation to confidence in their ability to use the target language, and their willingness to use it in social and professional environments and, in addition, to facilitate cultural understanding. The positive result of the project is validated by the voice of the student participants as they reflect on their experience in "Real Language". Could this concept facilitate evolving strategies for interdisciplinary contemporary foreign language learning?
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Terrier, Francois
1996-01-01
The greater and greater autonomy and complexity asked to the control and command systems lead to work on introducing techniques such as Artificial Intelligence or concurrent object programming in industrial applications. However, while the critical feature of these systems impose to control the dynamics of the proposed solutions, their complexity often imposes a high adaptability to a partially modelled environment. The studies presented start from low level control and command systems to more complex applications at higher levels, such as 'supervision systems'. Techniques such as temporal reasoning and uncertainty management are proposed for the first studies, while the second are tackled with programming techniques based on the real time object paradigm. The outcomes of this itinerary crystallize on the ACCORD project which targets to manage - on the whole life cycle of a real time application - these two problematics, sometimes antagonistic: control of the dynamics and adaptivity. (author) [fr
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Getting Acquainted in Second Life
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Pallay, Christian; Rehm, Matthias; Kurdyukova, Ekaterina
2009-01-01
The paper investigates human agent interactions in virtual environments like Second Life. As interactions in such environments are inherently social, the agent should be able to participate in social interaction rituals like getting acquainted when meeting someone for the first time. The differen....... The differences between these rituals in real life and in Second Life are analyzed. Different rule sets for each version of the ritual have been developed and the performance of the different sets is compared in interactions with users in Second Life.......The paper investigates human agent interactions in virtual environments like Second Life. As interactions in such environments are inherently social, the agent should be able to participate in social interaction rituals like getting acquainted when meeting someone for the first time...
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Real-time brain computer interface using imaginary movements
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
El-Madani, Ahmad; Sørensen, Helge Bjarup Dissing; Kjær, Troels W.
2015-01-01
Background: Brain Computer Interface (BCI) is the method of transforming mental thoughts and imagination into actions. A real-time BCI system can improve the quality of life of patients with severe neuromuscular disorders by enabling them to communicate with the outside world. In this paper...
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Pollak, Yehuda; Shalit, Reut; Aran, Adi
2018-01-01
Adults with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are prone to suboptimal decision making and risk taking. The aim of this study was to test performance on a theoretically-based probabilistic decision making task in well-characterized adults with and without ADHD, and examine the relation between experimental risk taking and history of real-life risk-taking behavior, defined as cigarette, alcohol, and street drug use. University students with and without ADHD completed a modified version of the Cambridge Gambling Test, in which they had to choose between alternatives varied by level of risk, and reported their history of substance use. Both groups showed similar patterns of risk taking on the experimental decision making task, suggesting that ADHD is not linked to low sensitivity to risk. Past and present substance use was more prevalent in adults with ADHD. These finding question the validity of experimental probabilistic decision making task as a valid model for ADHD-related risk-taking behavior. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Monitoring Distributed Real-Time Systems: A Survey and Future Directions
Goodloe, Alwyn E.; Pike, Lee
2010-01-01
Runtime monitors have been proposed as a means to increase the reliability of safety-critical systems. In particular, this report addresses runtime monitors for distributed hard real-time systems. This class of systems has had little attention from the monitoring community. The need for monitors is shown by discussing examples of avionic systems failure. We survey related work in the field of runtime monitoring. Several potential monitoring architectures for distributed real-time systems are presented along with a discussion of how they might be used to monitor properties of interest.
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Get Real: Augmented Reality for the Classroom
Mitchell, Rebecca; DeBay, Dennis
2012-01-01
Kids love augmented reality (AR) simulations because they are like real-life video games. AR simulations allow students to learn content while collaborating face to face and interacting with a multimedia-enhanced version of the world around them. Although the technology may seem advanced, AR software makes it easy to develop content-based…
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Quality of Life Philosophy I. Quality of Life, Happiness, and Meaning in Life
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Søren Ventegodt
2003-01-01
Full Text Available In the Danish Quality of Life Survey, we asked 10,000 people about their quality of life with the validated SEQOL questionnaire with more than 300 questions on their quality of life. How did they feel? How content were they with their lives? How happy were they? Did they feel their needs were fulfilled? And many more questions. We asked the questions we believed to be important for their quality of life (QOL. The results were quite surprising and forced us to recontemplate the following philosophical questions: What is quality of life, happiness, and meaning in life? What is a human being? Do we need a new biology? Is the brain the seat of consciousness? How do we seize the meaning of life and by doing so, will we become well again? What are the key concepts of quality of life? The meaning of life is connectedness and development. It is about realizing every opportunity and potential in one’s existence. The opportunities must be found and acknowledged. What do you find when you find yourself deep down? You find your real self and your purpose in life. You realize that you are already a part of a larger totality. Antonovsky called it “coherence”. Maslow called it “transcendence”. Frankl called it “meaning of life”. We call it simply “being”.To test if these philosophical questions are actually relevant for medicine, we looked at the consequences for patients being taught the quality of life philosophy. Quite surprisingly we learned from our pilot studies with “quality of life as medicine” that just by assimilating the basic concepts of the quality of life philosophy presented in this series of papers, patients felt better and saw their lives as more meaningful. The improvement of the patient’s personal philosophy of life seems to be the essence of holistic medicine, helping the patient to assume more responsibility for his or her own existence.
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Real-time micro-modelling of city evacuations
Löhner, Rainald; Haug, Eberhard; Zinggerling, Claudio; Oñate, Eugenio
2018-01-01
A methodology to integrate geographical information system (GIS) data with large-scale pedestrian simulations has been developed. Advances in automatic data acquisition and archiving from GIS databases, automatic input for pedestrian simulations, as well as scalable pedestrian simulation tools have made it possible to simulate pedestrians at the individual level for complete cities in real time. An example that simulates the evacuation of the city of Barcelona demonstrates that this is now possible. This is the first step towards a fully integrated crowd prediction and management tool that takes into account not only data gathered in real time from cameras, cell phones or other sensors, but also merges these with advanced simulation tools to predict the future state of the crowd.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Palomo, E.
1994-01-01
This script describes a detailed example of the use of the software package METEOR for statistical analysis of meteorological data series. A real spanish meteorological data set is chosen to show the capabilities of METEOR. Output files and resultant plots provided of their interpretations are compiled in three appendixes. The original version of METEOR have been developed by Ph. D.Elena Palomo, CIEMAT-IER, GIASE. It is built by linking programs and routines written in FORTRAN 77 and it adds the graphical capabilities of GNUPLOT. The shape of this toolbox was designed following the criteria of modularity, flexibility and agility criteria. All the input, output and analysis options are structured in three main menus: i) the first is aimed to evaluate the quality of the data set; ii) the second is aimed for pre-processing of the data; and iii) the third is aimed towards the statistical analyses and for creating the graphical outputs. Actually the information about METEOR is constituted by three documents written is spanish: 1) METEOR v1.0: User's guide; 2) METEOR v1.0: A usage example; 3) METEOR v1 .0: Design and structure of the software package. (Author)
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Correspondence between imaginary-time and real-time finite-temperature field theory
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kobes, R.
1990-01-01
It is known that one-particle-irreducible graphs found using the imaginary-time formalism of finite-temperature field theory differ in general with those of the real-time formalism. Here it is shown that within the real-time formalism one can consider a sum of graphs, motivated by causality arguments, which at least in a number of simple examples agree with the corresponding analytically continued imaginary-time result. The occurrence of multiple statistical factors in this sum of graphs is discussed
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Donnat, Ph.; Treimany, C.; Gouedard, C.; Morice, O.
1998-06-01
This document presents some examples which were used for debugging the code. It seemed useful to write these examples onto a book to be sure the code would not regret; to give warranties for the code's functionality; to propose some examples to illustrate the possibilities and the limits of Miro. (author)
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Wohlrab J
2013-11-01
Full Text Available Johannes Wohlrab,1 Franziska Voß,2 Christian Müller,2 Lars C Brenn21Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, 2Department of Medical Science and Operations, Riemser Pharma GmbH, Greifswald, GermanyBackground: Frequent outbreak of herpes labialis can affect quality of life by prodromes like burning, itching, and swelling. Topical applied preparations aim to shorten the duration of symptoms, inhibit the virus replication and/or accelerate the healing process. Local concentrated heat (LCH can reduce burning, itching, or swelling of the skin by influence of mechano-heat sensitive afferent neurons.Patients and methods: To examine the effectiveness of two different topical applications (LCH versus topical acyclovir [TACV] under real life conditions, we conducted a prospective, observational, reference-controlled cohort pilot study with 103 patients. Occurrence of prodromal burning, itching, swelling, and quality of life were assessed.Results: The LCH observation group (OG showed a significantly faster improvement in all symptoms after 1-day of application than the TACV OG. The burden and duration of disease was lower and shorter in the LCH OG than in the TACV OG.Conclusions: The prodromal symptoms in recurrent herpes labialis were attenuated more effectively by LCH than by TACV.Keywords: herpes labialis, local concentrated heat, acyclovir
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Ostergaard, Jacob; Wu, Qiuwei; Garcia-Valle, Rodrigo
2012-01-01
This paper presents the Intelligent Control Laboratory (ICL) of the PowerLabDK and describes examples of ongoing research work utilizing the ICL. The ICL is comprised of a real time digital simulator (RTDS) with 5 racks, a full scale SCADA system and experimental control room with a link to the B......This paper presents the Intelligent Control Laboratory (ICL) of the PowerLabDK and describes examples of ongoing research work utilizing the ICL. The ICL is comprised of a real time digital simulator (RTDS) with 5 racks, a full scale SCADA system and experimental control room with a link...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Nadezhda Sergeevna Zemlyanukhina
2016-03-01
Full Text Available This is the first of three articles in cycle that is dedicated to the regional aspect of change of Russians life strategy in solving the important personal problems like provision of housing, acquisition of income in terms of the profession and merited pension maintenance in the context of the current and prospective changes. The first article concentrates on the solution of housing problem by young Russians and young families. The methods, which are accessible for the citizens of Saratov, were analyzed in terms of the hardest ways without privileges and government support: pledge, housing rent and deposit. The authors presented the digital data on comparison between the popular pledge of OJSC Sberbank and similar ones at the start conditions of housing rent and deposits. Theyve specified the possibility of the reducing time and the amount of payment of the purchased apartment from 20 years, where is the amount of overpayment is 1 850 498, to 4.5-7 years, altogether without overpayments. The basic risks when using discussed ways of the accommodation purchase were demonstrated and specific examples of risks in Saratov were given. There are no absolute priorities when choosing the way of the accommodation purchase, there are examples in the article of a sharp increase of the efficiency within the pledge, and the rent on condition that only one factor has changed. Besides, there are examples of mixed ways including social housing and service housing. Nowadays there is a psychological aspect of the underestimate of the cost-effectively housing rent. As a result we made a conclusion that in spite of the real impossibility to plan and predict the changes, the success of individual strategy of life in solving housing and other important problems depends on the perception and understanding of the changes, on the early use for practical purposes and on the existing life stereotypes.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Meyer, T.A.; Balkey, K.R.; Bishop, B.A.
1987-01-01
There can be numerous uncertainties involved in performing component life assessments. In addition, sufficient data may be unavailable to make a useful life prediction. Structural Reliability and Risk Assessment (SRRA) is primarily an analytical methodology or tool that quantifies the impact of uncertainties on the structural life of plant components and can address the lack of data in component life prediction. As a prelude to discussing the technical aspects of SRRA, a brief review of general component life prediction methods is first made so as to better develop an understanding of the role of SRRA in such evaluations. SRRA is then presented as it is applied in component life evaluations with example applications being discussed for both nuclear and non-nuclear components
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Underwood, D.
1986-01-01
Simple examples of finding tracks by Fourier transform with filter or correlation function are presented. Possibilities for using this method in more complicated real situations and the processing times which might be achieved are discussed. The method imitates the simplest examples in the literature on optical pattern recognition and optical processing. The possible benefits of the method are in speed of processing in the optical Fourier transform wherein an entire picture is processed simultaneously. The speed of a computer vector processor may be competitive with present electro-optical devices. 2 refs., 6 figs
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Palfy, Julia Anna; Benezet-Mazuecos, Juan; Milla, Juan Martinez; Iglesias, Jose Antonio; de la Vieja, Juan Jose; Sanchez-Borque, Pepa; Miracle, Angel; Rubio, Jose Manuel
2018-06-01
Heart failure (HF) hospitalizations have a negative impact on quality of life and imply important costs. Intrathoracic impedance (ITI) variations detected by cardiac devices have been hypothesized to predict HF hospitalizations. Although Optivol™ algorithm (Medtronic) has been widely studied, CorVue™ algorithm (St. Jude Medical) long term efficacy has not been systematically evaluated in a "real life" cohort. CorVue™ was activated in ICD/CRT-D patients to store information about ITI measures. Clinical events (new episodes of HF requiring treatment and hospitalizations) and CorVue™ data were recorded every three months. Appropriate CorVue™ detection for HF was considered if it occurred in the four prior weeks to the clinical event. 53 ICD/CRT-D (26 ICD and 27 CRT-D) patients (67±1 years-old, 79% male) were included. Device position was subcutaneous in 28 patients. At inclusion, mean LVEF was 25±7% and 27 patients (51%) were in NYHA class I, 18 (34%) class II and 8 (15%) class III. After a mean follow-up of 17±9 months, 105 ITI drops alarms were detected in 32 patients (60%). Only six alarms were appropriate (true positive) and required hospitalization. Eighteen patients (34%) presented 25 clinical episodes (12 hospitalizations and 13 ER/ambulatory treatment modifications). Nineteen of these clinical episodes (76%) remained undetected by the CorVue™ (false negative). Sensitivity of CorVue™ resulted in 24%, specificity was 70%, positive predictive value of 6% and negative predictive value of 93%. CorVue™ showed a low sensitivity to predict HF events. Therefore, routinely activation of this algorithm could generate misleading information. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Suitability of Smartphone Inertial Sensors for Real-Time Biofeedback Applications
Kos, Anton; Tomažič, Sašo; Umek, Anton
2016-01-01
This article studies the suitability of smartphones with built-in inertial sensors for biofeedback applications. Biofeedback systems use various sensors to measure body functions and parameters. These sensor data are analyzed, and the results are communicated back to the user, who then tries to act on the feedback signals. Smartphone inertial sensors can be used to capture body movements in biomechanical biofeedback systems. These sensors exhibit various inaccuracies that induce significant angular and positional errors. We studied deterministic and random errors of smartphone accelerometers and gyroscopes, primarily focusing on their biases. Based on extensive measurements, we determined accelerometer and gyroscope noise models and bias variation ranges. Then, we compiled a table of predicted positional and angular errors under various biofeedback system operation conditions. We suggest several bias compensation options that are suitable for various examples of use in real-time biofeedback applications. Measurements within the developed experimental biofeedback application show that under certain conditions, even uncompensated sensors can be used for real-time biofeedback. For general use, especially for more demanding biofeedback applications, sensor biases should be compensated. We are convinced that real-time biofeedback systems based on smartphone inertial sensors are applicable to many similar examples in sports, healthcare, and other areas. PMID:26927125
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Suitability of Smartphone Inertial Sensors for Real-Time Biofeedback Applications.
Kos, Anton; Tomažič, Sašo; Umek, Anton
2016-02-27
This article studies the suitability of smartphones with built-in inertial sensors for biofeedback applications. Biofeedback systems use various sensors to measure body functions and parameters. These sensor data are analyzed, and the results are communicated back to the user, who then tries to act on the feedback signals. Smartphone inertial sensors can be used to capture body movements in biomechanical biofeedback systems. These sensors exhibit various inaccuracies that induce significant angular and positional errors. We studied deterministic and random errors of smartphone accelerometers and gyroscopes, primarily focusing on their biases. Based on extensive measurements, we determined accelerometer and gyroscope noise models and bias variation ranges. Then, we compiled a table of predicted positional and angular errors under various biofeedback system operation conditions. We suggest several bias compensation options that are suitable for various examples of use in real-time biofeedback applications. Measurements within the developed experimental biofeedback application show that under certain conditions, even uncompensated sensors can be used for real-time biofeedback. For general use, especially for more demanding biofeedback applications, sensor biases should be compensated. We are convinced that real-time biofeedback systems based on smartphone inertial sensors are applicable to many similar examples in sports, healthcare, and other areas.
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Koch, Anna R; Binnewies, Carmen
2015-01-01
This multisource, multilevel study examined the importance of supervisors as work-life-friendly role models for employees' boundary management. Particularly, we tested whether supervisors' work-home segmentation behavior represents work-life-friendly role modeling for their employees. Furthermore, we tested whether work-life-friendly role modeling is positively related to employees' work-home segmentation behavior. Also, we examined whether work-life-friendly role modeling is positively related to employees' well-being in terms of feeling less exhausted and disengaged. In total, 237 employees and their 75 supervisors participated in our study. Results from hierarchical linear models revealed that supervisors who showed more segmentation behavior to separate work and home were more likely perceived as work-life-friendly role models. Employees with work-life-friendly role models were more likely to segment between work and home, and they felt less exhausted and disengaged. One may conclude that supervisors as work-life-friendly role models are highly important for employees' work-home segmentation behavior and gatekeepers to implement a work-life-friendly organizational culture. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.
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Akdemir, Ömür; Vural, Ömer F.; Çolakoglu, Özgür M.
2015-01-01
Individuals act different in virtual environment than real life. The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the prospective teachers' likelihood of performing unethical behaviors in the real and virtual environments. Prospective teachers are surveyed online and their perceptions have been collected for various scenarios. Findings revealed…
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Anna Sztafińska
2017-10-01
Full Text Available Introduction : Omalizumab, a monoclonal anti-immunoglobulin E antibody, has been successfully used as a supplementary therapy to improve asthma control in children aged ≥ 6 years with severe persistent allergic asthma. Aim : To demonstrate the quality of life in children with severe asthma and their caregivers, and changes from baseline in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV 1 and daily inhaled corticosteroids (ICS dose after 2-year treatment with omalizumab. Material and methods : Participants were seen in the clinic at enrollment (visit 1, after 16 weeks (visit 2, after 52 weeks (visit 3 and after 104 weeks (visit 4 of treatment with omalizumab. We evaluated lung function, ICS use and the quality of life with the Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ and the Pediatric Asthma Caregiver’s Quality of Life Questionnaire (PACQLQ. Results : Nineteen children and caregivers were enrolled. Significant improvement was observed in PAQLQ and PACQLQ scores, both in all domains and in total scores. Significant differences were found between the first and the other visits. A positive correlation between PAQLQ and PACQLQ at the first and at the second visit was found, 63.3% of patients achieved reduction in ICS doses. We did not notice any significant improvement in FEV 1 . Conclusions : The improvement in quality of life in asthmatic children and adolescents observed after omalizumab correlates with the improvement of quality of life in caregivers, reduction in ICS use but not with FEV 1 .
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Maertens, H; Aggarwal, R; Moreels, N; Vermassen, F; Van Herzeele, I
2017-09-01
Healthcare evolution requires optimisation of surgical training to provide safe patient care. Operating room performance after completion of proficiency based training in vascular surgery has not been investigated. A randomised controlled trial evaluated the impact of a Proficiency based Stepwise Endovascular Curricular Training program (PROSPECT) on the acquisition of endovascular skills and the transferability of these skills to real life interventions. All subjects performed two endovascular interventions treating patients with symptomatic iliac and/or superficial femoral artery stenosis under supervision. Primary outcomes were technical performances (Global Rating Scale [GRS]; Examiner Checklist), operative metrics, and patient outcomes, adjusted for case difficulty and trainee experience. Secondary outcomes included knowledge and technical performance after 6 weeks and 3 months. Thirty-two general surgical trainees were randomised into three groups. Besides traditional training, the first group (n = 11) received e-learning and simulation training (PROSPECT), the second group (n = 10) only had access to e-learning, while controls (n = 11) did not receive supplementary training. Twenty-nine trainees (3 dropouts) performed 58 procedures. Trainees who completed PROSPECT showed superior technical performance (GRS 39.36 ± 2.05; Checklist 63.51 ± 3.18) in real life with significantly fewer supervisor takeovers compared with trainees receiving e-learning alone (GRS 28.42 ± 2.15; p = .001; Checklist 53.63 ± 3.34; p = .027) or traditional education (GRS 23.09 ± 2.18; p = .001; Checklist 38.72 ± 3.38; p = .001). Supervisors felt more confident in allowing PROSPECT trained physicians to perform basic (p = .006) and complex (p = .003) procedures. No differences were detected in procedural parameters (such as fluoroscopy time, DAP, procedure time, etc.) or complications. Proficiency levels were maintained up to 3 months. A structured
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Mateusz Cybulski
2018-04-01
Full Text Available Introduction: Aging has a strong influence on the quality of relationships and sexual functioning, but in itself does not cause a lack of sexual desire.Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the quality of sexual life and define sexual knowledge and attitudes of older people on the example of residents of Bialystok, Poland at the age of 60 and over.Methods: The study included 170 people, inhabitants of Bialystok, Poland aged over 60: 85 students of the University of Healthy Senior and the University of Psychogeriatric Prophylaxis and 85 students of the University of the Third Age. The study used three standardized psychometric scales: Sexual Quality of Life Questionnaire-Male (SQoL-M, Sexual Quality of Life Questionnaire-Female (SQoL-F, and Aging Sexual Knowledge and Attitudes Scale (ASKAS.Results: The overall mean score for the ASKAS scale for knowledge was 65.21 ± 12.32 and for attitudes −124.65 ± 22.00. The overall mean SQOL score was 62.92 ± 18.18. Taking into account the gender of the respondents, the knowledge of men on sexuality of seniors was at the level of 63.48 ± 12.63, while in the female group −65.74 ± 12.23. The attitudes of men on sexuality of seniors was at the level of 128.80 ± 21.56, while in the female group −123.38 ± 22.05. Satisfaction with sex life among men (72.36 ± 27.49 was significantly higher than among women (60.02 ± 12.88.Discussion: The seniors were characterized by moderate knowledge and attitudes to sexuality of older people and the average level of sexual satisfaction. There was no significant relationship between knowledge on sexuality and sexual satisfaction in the study groups, and there was a positive correlation between attitudes toward sexuality and the satisfaction of sex life outside the group of men. In addition, a significant positive relationship was found between attitudes toward sexuality and sexual satisfaction. In order to improve the knowledge of senior citizens about
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Cybulski, Mateusz; Cybulski, Lukasz; Krajewska-Kulak, Elzbieta; Orzechowska, Magda; Cwalina, Urszula; Jasinski, Marek
2018-01-01
Introduction: Aging has a strong influence on the quality of relationships and sexual functioning, but in itself does not cause a lack of sexual desire. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the quality of sexual life and define sexual knowledge and attitudes of older people on the example of residents of Bialystok, Poland at the age of 60 and over. Methods: The study included 170 people, inhabitants of Bialystok, Poland aged over 60: 85 students of the University of Healthy Senior and the University of Psychogeriatric Prophylaxis and 85 students of the University of the Third Age. The study used three standardized psychometric scales: Sexual Quality of Life Questionnaire-Male (SQoL-M), Sexual Quality of Life Questionnaire-Female (SQoL-F), and Aging Sexual Knowledge and Attitudes Scale (ASKAS). Results: The overall mean score for the ASKAS scale for knowledge was 65.21 ± 12.32 and for attitudes −124.65 ± 22.00. The overall mean SQOL score was 62.92 ± 18.18. Taking into account the gender of the respondents, the knowledge of men on sexuality of seniors was at the level of 63.48 ± 12.63, while in the female group −65.74 ± 12.23. The attitudes of men on sexuality of seniors was at the level of 128.80 ± 21.56, while in the female group −123.38 ± 22.05. Satisfaction with sex life among men (72.36 ± 27.49) was significantly higher than among women (60.02 ± 12.88). Discussion: The seniors were characterized by moderate knowledge and attitudes to sexuality of older people and the average level of sexual satisfaction. There was no significant relationship between knowledge on sexuality and sexual satisfaction in the study groups, and there was a positive correlation between attitudes toward sexuality and the satisfaction of sex life outside the group of men. In addition, a significant positive relationship was found between attitudes toward sexuality and sexual satisfaction. In order to improve the knowledge of senior citizens about sexuality of old
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Cybulski, Mateusz; Cybulski, Lukasz; Krajewska-Kulak, Elzbieta; Orzechowska, Magda; Cwalina, Urszula; Jasinski, Marek
2018-01-01
Introduction: Aging has a strong influence on the quality of relationships and sexual functioning, but in itself does not cause a lack of sexual desire. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the quality of sexual life and define sexual knowledge and attitudes of older people on the example of residents of Bialystok, Poland at the age of 60 and over. Methods: The study included 170 people, inhabitants of Bialystok, Poland aged over 60: 85 students of the University of Healthy Senior and the University of Psychogeriatric Prophylaxis and 85 students of the University of the Third Age. The study used three standardized psychometric scales: Sexual Quality of Life Questionnaire-Male (SQoL-M), Sexual Quality of Life Questionnaire-Female (SQoL-F), and Aging Sexual Knowledge and Attitudes Scale (ASKAS). Results: The overall mean score for the ASKAS scale for knowledge was 65.21 ± 12.32 and for attitudes -124.65 ± 22.00. The overall mean SQOL score was 62.92 ± 18.18. Taking into account the gender of the respondents, the knowledge of men on sexuality of seniors was at the level of 63.48 ± 12.63, while in the female group -65.74 ± 12.23. The attitudes of men on sexuality of seniors was at the level of 128.80 ± 21.56, while in the female group -123.38 ± 22.05. Satisfaction with sex life among men (72.36 ± 27.49) was significantly higher than among women (60.02 ± 12.88). Discussion: The seniors were characterized by moderate knowledge and attitudes to sexuality of older people and the average level of sexual satisfaction. There was no significant relationship between knowledge on sexuality and sexual satisfaction in the study groups, and there was a positive correlation between attitudes toward sexuality and the satisfaction of sex life outside the group of men. In addition, a significant positive relationship was found between attitudes toward sexuality and sexual satisfaction. In order to improve the knowledge of senior citizens about sexuality of old age
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Career and Technology Center Guides Students in Real-Life Careers | Poster
By Carolynne Keenan, Contributing Writer Frederick County Public School students have a unique opportunity—a chance to get a real-world, hands-on experience in biomedical science and biotechnology before they even graduate from high school, thanks to the Frederick County Career and Technology Center (CTC). Several years ago, the CTC established its biomedical sciences program
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Simulation of diesel engine emissions on the example of Fiat Panda in the NEDC test
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Botwinska Katarzyna
2017-01-01
Full Text Available Road transport may be deemed a strategic branch of modern economy. Unfortunately, a rapid increase in the number of on-road motor vehicles entails some negative consequences as well, for instance, excessive concentration of exhausts produced by engines which results in deterioration of air quality. EURO emission standards which define acceptable limits for exhaust emissions of power units is an example of an activity performed in attempt to improve air quality. The EURO standard defines permissible amount of exhausts produced by a vehicle. Presently new units are examined through NEDC test. For the purpose of this thesis, a virtual test stand in a form of a computer simulation of a chassis dynamometer was used to simulate emission of a diesel engine (compression-ignition engine in the NEDC test. Actual parameters of the 1.3 MultiJet engine of the Fiat Panda passenger car of 2014 were applied in the model. The simulation was carried out in the Matlab Simulink environment. The simulation model of the Fiat Panda passenger car enables the designation of the emission waveform for all test stages which corresponds to the values received during an approval test in real-life conditions.
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Simulation of diesel engine emissions on the example of Fiat Panda in the NEDC test
Botwinska, Katarzyna; Mruk, Remigiusz; Słoma, Jacek; Tucki, Karol; Zaleski, Mateusz
2017-10-01
Road transport may be deemed a strategic branch of modern economy. Unfortunately, a rapid increase in the number of on-road motor vehicles entails some negative consequences as well, for instance, excessive concentration of exhausts produced by engines which results in deterioration of air quality. EURO emission standards which define acceptable limits for exhaust emissions of power units is an example of an activity performed in attempt to improve air quality. The EURO standard defines permissible amount of exhausts produced by a vehicle. Presently new units are examined through NEDC test. For the purpose of this thesis, a virtual test stand in a form of a computer simulation of a chassis dynamometer was used to simulate emission of a diesel engine (compression-ignition engine) in the NEDC test. Actual parameters of the 1.3 MultiJet engine of the Fiat Panda passenger car of 2014 were applied in the model. The simulation was carried out in the Matlab Simulink environment. The simulation model of the Fiat Panda passenger car enables the designation of the emission waveform for all test stages which corresponds to the values received during an approval test in real-life conditions.
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Real life testing of a Hybrid PEM Fuel Cell Bus
Folkesson, Anders; Andersson, Christian; Alvfors, Per; Alaküla, Mats; Overgaard, Lars
Fuel cells produce low quantities of local emissions, if any, and are therefore one of the most promising alternatives to internal combustion engines as the main power source in future vehicles. It is likely that urban buses will be among the first commercial applications for fuel cells in vehicles. This is due to the fact that urban buses are highly visible for the public, they contribute significantly to air pollution in urban areas, they have small limitations in weight and volume and fuelling is handled via a centralised infrastructure. Results and experiences from real life measurements of energy flows in a Scania Hybrid PEM Fuel Cell Concept Bus are presented in this paper. The tests consist of measurements during several standard duty cycles. The efficiency of the fuel cell system and of the complete vehicle are presented and discussed. The net efficiency of the fuel cell system was approximately 40% and the fuel consumption of the concept bus is between 42 and 48% lower compared to a standard Scania bus. Energy recovery by regenerative braking saves up 28% energy. Bus subsystems such as the pneumatic system for door opening, suspension and brakes, the hydraulic power steering, the 24 V grid, the water pump and the cooling fans consume approximately 7% of the energy in the fuel input or 17% of the net power output from the fuel cell system. The bus was built by a number of companies in a project partly financed by the European Commission's Joule programme. The comprehensive testing is partly financed by the Swedish programme "Den Gröna Bilen" (The Green Car). A 50 kW el fuel cell system is the power source and a high voltage battery pack works as an energy buffer and power booster. The fuel, compressed hydrogen, is stored in two high-pressure stainless steel vessels mounted on the roof of the bus. The bus has a series hybrid electric driveline with wheel hub motors with a maximum power of 100 kW. Hybrid Fuel Cell Buses have a big potential, but there are
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Bos, Colin; van der Lans, Ivo A; van Rijnsoever, Frank J; van Trijp, Hans Cm
2016-06-01
Employing Rothschild's Motivation-Opportunity-Ability framework, the present study examines the extent to which heterogeneity in barriers regarding the motivation, the perceived opportunity and the perceived ability to choose low-calorie over high-calorie snacks is associated with the proportion of low-calorie snack choices in real life. Furthermore, the study investigates which dominant barrier profiles can be discerned. Data were obtained from a survey about participants' motivation, opportunity and ability to choose low-calorie over high-calorie snacks and an FFQ that measured habitual consumption of snack foods and beverages. Data were analysed using R packages lavaan and NbClust, and IBM SPSS Statistics. A representative sample (n 1318) of the Dutch population based on gender (686 women), age and education level. For both snack foods and beverages, motivation to choose low-calorie over high-calorie snacks was associated strongest with proportions of low-calorie choices. The perceived ability and perceived opportunity were also associated with proportions of low-calorie choices, albeit to a lesser extent. Furthermore, three dominant profiles of barriers were identified: the no-barrier profile, the lack-of-opportunity profile and the lack-of-motivation profile. These profiles differed significantly on proportions of low-calorie snack choices, daily meal consumption and sociodemographic characteristics. Heterogeneity in barriers regarding the motivation, the perceived opportunity and the perceived ability to choose low-calorie over high-calorie snacks is associated with the proportion of low-calorie snack choices in real life. By identifying and appreciating heterogeneity in barriers, the present study provides further incentives for the tailoring of intervention strategies.
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Real estate valuation in the Republic of Serbia
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Božić Branko S.
2014-01-01
Full Text Available There is no complete and systemized infrastructure for efficient and reliable evaluation of real estates in the Republic of Serbia. This is confirmed by analysis of the applicable regulations which treat valuation of real estates in different ways. This practice contradicting numerous standards and applicable directives (INSPIRE directive, Strategy of the development of geospatial data infrastructure in the Republic of Serbia etc., as well as numerous other examples of good practice governing the activities of collecting and maintaining spatial data infrastructure. By the Law on State Survey and Cadaster of the 2009, the Republic Geodetic Authority is ensured to the jurisdiction of the development of mass appraisal, which should provide real estate market value for all real estates in the territory of the Republic of Serbia. In contrast, the position and the role of local government being increasable stronger in creating the budget, which is closely associated with the values of resources and capital which local government have. Determing the property tax is the responsibility of the local government and therefore its role in the process of valuation of immovable property is of great importance. In addition to local governments, the Tax Administration traditionally determines real estate values. This paper analyzes the current situation and initiate further activities on the development of the system of evaluation of real estates in the Republic of Serbia.
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Ultrasonic wave propagation in real-life austenitic V-butt welds: Numerical modeling and validation
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hannemann, R.; Marklein, R.; Langenberg, K. J.; Schurig, C.; Koehler, B.; Walte, F.
2000-01-01
In nondestructive testing the evaluation of austenitic steel welds with ultrasound is a commonly used method. But, since the wave propagation, scattering, and diffraction effects in such complicated media are hardly understood, computer simulations are very helpful to increase the knowledge of the physical phenomena in such samples. A particularly powerful numerical time domain modeling tool is the well established Elastodynamic Finite Integration Technique (EFIT). Recently, EFIT has been extended to simulate elastic waves in inhomogeneous anisotropic media. In this paper, the step-by-step evaluation of ultrasonic wave propagation in inhomogeneous anisotropic media will be described and the results will be validated against measurements. As a simplified model, a V-butt weld with perpendicular grain structure is investigated. The coincidence between the B Scans of the simulation and the measurement of an idealized V-butt weld is remarkable and even effects predicted by theory and simulation - the appearance of two coupled quasi-SV waves - can be observed. As a next step, an improved and more realistic model of the grain orientation inside the V-butt weld is introduced. This model has been implemented in the EFIT code and has been validated against measurements. For this verification, measured and simulated B-Scans for a real-life V-butt weld have been compared and a significant coincidence has been observed. Furthermore, the main pulses in the B-Scans are interpreted by analyzing the snapshot-movies of the wavefronts
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Rankin, Pressley Robinson, IV
2013-01-01
How individuals manage work/life boundaries when they live at the place they work, as opposed to working from home, is a gap in both work/life literature and in higher education literature. An obvious example from higher education is the resident life professional that lives in the residential facility that she or he oversees. Living in a…
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Heydorn, S; Menné, T; Andersen, K E
2003-01-01
previously diagnosed with hand eczema to explore whether immersion of fingers in a solution with or without the patch-test-positive fragrance allergen would cause or exacerbate hand eczema on the exposed finger. The study was double blinded and randomized. All participants had a positive patch test to either...... hydroxycitronellal or Lyral (hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde). Each participant immersed a finger from each hand, once a day, in a solution containing the fragrance allergen or placebo. During the first 2 weeks, the concentration of fragrance allergen in the solution was low (approximately 10 p...... meter. 3 of 15 hand eczema patients developed eczema on the finger immersed in the fragrance-containing solution, 3 of 15 on the placebo finger and 3 of 15 on both fingers. Using this experimental exposure model simulating real-life exposure, we found no association between immersion of a finger...
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Indicators for human toxicity in Life Cycle Impact Assessment
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Krewitt, Wolfram; Pennington, David W.; Olsen, Stig Irving
2002-01-01
The main objectives of this task group under SETAC-Europe’s Second Working Group on Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA-WIA2) were to identify and discuss the suitability of toxicological impact measures for human health for use in characterization in LCIA. The current state of the art of defining......, as well as potency. Quantitative severity-based indicators yield measures in terms of Years of Life Lost (YOLL), Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY), Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALY) and other similar measures. DALYs and QALYs are examples of approaches that attempt to account for both years of life...... such as No Observed Effect Levels (NOEL). NOELs, and similar data, are determined in laboratory studies using rodents and are then extrapolated to more relevant human measures. Many examples also exist of measures and methods beyond potency-based indicators that attempt to account for differences in expected severity...
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Relating the Learned Knowledge and Acquired Skills to Real Life: Function Sample
Albayrak, Mustafa; Yazici, Nurullah; Simsek, Mertkan
2017-01-01
Considering that Mathematics is a multidimensional problem-solving method that can be effective in all areas of cultural life, it is of great importance because of its contribution to other sciences such as physical and social sciences. It is known that the basic concepts of mathematics, which can also be expressed as a way of life, have helped to…